Review: DC Retro-Active Superman 1990's

The last of the Superman retrospectives, DC Retro-Active Superman 1990's,  came out last week. This trip in the WayBack machine reunited the superlative Superman Man of Steel creative team of Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove.

And, much like the first two Retro-Actives, this issue really captured the spirit of the decade. While the 1970s and 1980s read like true 'one and done' issues of those time periods, this 1990's issue is very continuity heavy. For someone like me who lived through this period and read this run, this issue was like a comfortable pair of slippers. I was able to slip back into the Superman storylines of those years and enjoy what I was reading. As a result, I wonder if this book was as accessible to readers who just picked this up and hadn't read those arcs. Simonson does a good job of adding exposition through dialogue to fill in the information. But for me, it all just came flooding back. This took place in the aftermath of Doomsday and Reign of the Supermen, a time I feel where there was a tremendous creative explosion in the Superman books.

And it was good to see Jon Bogdanove on Superman again. His art was the most warped and outrageous on the Superman books on that time but felt fresh in comparison to the other books. I am glad there wasn't a 'art style' on all four Superman books as it may have felt stale after a while.

Simonson does a great job of putting us into the right time frame, hitting the key pieces of continuity within the first few pages. The Daily Planet is in financial trouble. Lex Luthor's cloned body (when he was posing as his 'son' from Australia) is also in trouble as the 'clone plague' runs through Metropolis - effecting the Underworlders and Cadmus clones.

But one thing doesn't seem to change, Luthor's hatred of Superman.

If Luthor is going down, he is going to take Superman and Metropolis with him. And his weapon will be a genetically engineered Cruiser II, a earth munching monster under the Luthor's control.

Look at that thing! We need Muad'dib to ride that thing!

This is a Metropolis still digging out from the Doomsday catastrophe. In this quick scene in the Planet, we see the happily married couple doing their jobs.

I like that Lois is on the Mayor's case trying to figure out just where the city's economic hardship is going to hit the hardest.

And Clark's ponytail makes another appearance! The Superman mullet was something I was not sad to see go.

The Cruiser begins worming its way under the city, weakening the foundation of city buildings, causing earthquake like phenomena and leveling some city blocks. Luthor wants more than simple destruction. He hopes to destroy these lower income level housing in order to build luxury hotels.

It gives Simonson the opportunity to show Superman in some classic poses, saving people from danger. Is it me, or is there something Fleisher-studio like in this pic.

And even more than just good real estate business, Luthor knows that the Cruiser's wake of destruction will be blamed on the Underworlders!

I love the cruel calculating Luthor, covering all bases.

The Cruiser is growing faster and faster as he munches his way through Metropolis' bedrock, collapsing subways and toppling more buildings.

Finally, Luthor sends it to attack Cadmus (another way of shining some guilt onto the Underworlders). Luckily Superman is there. Incredibly, the slime Cruiser secretes to ease his swimming in the mud is so corrosive it hurts Superman.

I mean ... it effects him. Look at the burned and bald Man of Steel.

Superman's current condition allows us to take an interesting look into the warped mind of Luthor.

Throughout this issue we have seen Luthor setting up his enemies to attack each other. He callously looks the other way at death and destruction. He seems to be coldly efficient. And yet he gets some glee out of seeing a bald monstrous Superman. There is some pettiness inside that malevolence.

Finally, Cruiser outgrows the controlling modules Luthor embedded in it and goes wild, even damaging the LexCorp headquarters.

It is too massive to fling into space. If up is not an option then down is Superman's only option. He pushes the Cruiser into the Earth's core.

Does that kill Cruiser? Who knows.

There is actually some concern that Superman may have died again when he doesn't immediately return. Luthor has one brief moment of joy thinking he has finished off his enemy.

That is ... until Superman returns, leading to a deliciously classic image of a villain screaming 'no'! I thought Luthor was the most compelling character in this issue.

But my favorite moment of the book was the ending one, Lois lovingly rubbing Clark's bald head and telling him to break out the fedora. There is such happiness and joy on her face. And he has such a sheepish look on his face. These are the moments that I will miss with the dissolution of the Lois/Clark marriage. What could 'ground' Superman more to humanity than having a loving wife at home?

As I said above, this Retro-Active really felt like a look back as it was solidly enmeshed with the continuity and major plot lines of the time period. I, for one, really enjoyed this look back and that is knowing that I was bored to tears with the 'clone plague' arc when it was coming out. Maybe that is nostalgia talking. But Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove did a great job sending me back in time.

Overall grade: B/B+

Review: DC Retro-Active Superman The 1980's

DC Retro-Active Superman 1980's came out last week and was an interesting read for me.

The book was written by Marv Wolfman, a writer whose work on The New Teen Titans I loved in the 1980's. Of course, he has also killed off the Silver Age Supergirl in Crisis on Infinite Earths. And while her arc in Crisis is really classic and heroic, his subsequent handling of Supergirl has been pretty lackluster. So I approached this book with some trepidation.

In the end, I thought this was a very good book. For one thing, I think it captured the right feeling for Superman, a tireless hero who will always do what's right, will always fight for justice. That isn't just a 1980's sentiment for the Man of Steel.

But more than that, Wolfman uses the story as a way of commenting on the comics world in general. This is a pre-Crisis story, a sunnier world filled with hope. And the Superman of that world is forced to face all the horror that has happened in the DCU since that story. Yes, the world is a different place now and comic readers are different too. But Wolfman shows that hope has been in short supply.

Sergio Cariello provides the art here, standard enough fare with nothing flashy. But he does have the honor of showing a brief history of the post-Crisis DCU showcasing the biggest events in the universe.

The story starts with Destiny coming to Superman and telling him that a crucial branch point in history is coming, a decision Superman will need to make. But the choices are bleak - death or despair.

Immediately, Superman is transported to fight a huge villain laying waste to the world, a villain called The Dread. The Dread feeds on a world's lives - heroes' lives - and replicates until all has been consumed.

I think the Dread is the current comic market. The dark story lines do consume the heroes' lives. And currently, we are seeing more and more darker comics and plots in comics. Soon all of comics will be consumed until every book is a variation on a theme, a hero on the brink, walking a fine line. Soon all will be Dread.

But Superman is tougher to absorb than other heroes have been. Maybe that is Wolfman's commentary on how Superman is the last bastion of pure heroics in comics. He doesn't kill. He isn't dark. All others have been absorbed into the dread.

It impresses The Dread enough  to pause and offer Superman a choice.

If Superman acts as a warrior for the Dread ... if he kills for the Dread, he will spare the world. But he will make the people of Earth mindless slaves. Killing ... it is the last hurdle, the last inch of integrity for Superman ... it is small and fragile and the only thing worth having.

At this point Destiny freezes time. This is the choice ... a difficult choice no doubt - death or servitude. Destiny does give Superman some more information. Should he fight The Dread, should he pick death, the world he knows will change.

And then we see all the dark corners of the recent DCU replayed. For Wonder Woman, we see Amazons Attack and her killing Maxwell Lord. For Batman we see Bane breaking his back and the horror of No Man's Land. For Green Lantern, we see his time as Parallax, slaughtering other Lanterns. We see the Flash dying. We see the events of Identity Crisis.

And, of course, Superman is also touched by this dread. Doomsday will kill him.

But Superman isn't shaken. Superman will always do good as long as he can. He knows that even if he falls, other heroes will rise to the challenge and take his place.

And then Destiny shows him the fate of the one Superman 'cares about more than almost any other'. He is shown that Supergirl will die in the Crisis.

It moves Superman to tears. Yes, it is revisiting Supergirl's death but at least Wolfman acknowledges her place in Superman's life.

But there is more. He is shown the destruction of New Krypton, the death of tens of thousands of Kryptonians.

Can I say that I am glad that the psychological repercussions of the destruction of New Krypton have been dealt with. Both Superman and Supergirl have gone through their periods of grief and post-traumatic stress, their depression and survivor's guilt. Even here, in one panel, I was reminded about how this would weigh greatly on the super-family's hearts.

Despite being shown all that horror, Superman's resolve can't be shaken. There is no choice here. He picks the third choice ... continuing to fight for what is right and win.

And that is why I love Superman. Why he will never be old fashioned or out of style or a fool. Because I need my heroes to be heroes.

Superman also knows that Destiny would not ask him to decide the destiny of others. This can't be Destiny. And with that, Superman wakes up in the bed he was in when Destiny first arrived.

Destiny was in fact Harbinger. She was testing Superman's will to make sure that he was the right warrior to lead the battle against the Anti-Monitor, that Earth-1 is the right universe to focus on saving in the Crisis.

What I love is that seeing the death of Supergirl strengthened Superman's resolve. He would fight harder knowing Supergirl's sacrifice.

Awake and rattled by the fleeting dream, Superman calls Kara.

I love scenes like this, Kara in bunny pajamas, hanging out with Streaky.  But the Crisis is coming, the shadows on Superman's face almost blotting him out.

Not a bad story. Wolfman really does a good job showcasing the darker arcs of the DCU (of course ignoring the bright endings for most of those stories), showing how Superman is the last bastion, the last line of defense against Dread. Will Superman remain that way in the DCnU? I can only hope.

And it was nice to see this Supergirl again, even briefly.

Now I do feel that is important to note that I am not against bleaker characters or arcs. I have enjoyed the multiple breakdowns of Daredevil, his wading into dark waters. I have liked the finer line Tim Drake has been walking on in Red Robin. I am not looking for the saccharin and fluffy stories of the 50s. But I want variety in comics. I don't want all comics to have heroes who are shades of gray, killing or maiming without second thought. There should be room in the comic market for purer heroes.

Overall grade: B/B+

The backstory highlighting the 1980s also has Superman and Destiny discussing crucial decisions. Written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by Curt Swan, this issue again seems to ask the question 'Must there be a Superman?'.

Destiny asks Superman to stop helping people. And when Superman still tries to help, Destiny uses his abilities to stop Superman from doing so.

In the end, the events that Superman was trying to intercede in end up being handled by 'every day' heroes. A priest trying to clean up a rough part of town is able to stop some unscrupulous real estate developers. The Fire Department stops a fire. People should try to be like Superman ... but they shouldn't rely on him.

It is always nice to see Swan's work.

Smorgasbord Tuesday !

There is a lot to cover over the next week - October solicits, creator interviews, and a lot of comics to review. So here are a some quick items while I get my thoughts together.

Marty Pasko was kind enough to visit the site and posted this on the DC Retro-Active post from a couple of months ago.

FYI, Supergirl appears in the '70s Retro-Active Superman title written by yours truly and drawn by Eduardo Barreto (with help from Christian Duce).

Martin Pasko

While I am thrilled to hear that Supergirl will be in the retro-active book (that most likely means the hot pants costume), I am floored that Marty Pasko came here! I loved Pasko's work growing up and look forward to this 70's flashback issue. Over on the DC Bloodlines blog, I recently reviewed a Dr. Fate story he did. Here is that link if interested: http://dcbloodlines.blogspot.com/2011/06/review-1st-issue-special-9-dr-fate.html
Here is the official DC solicit.

 DC Retroactive is an exciting event honoring the defining eras of DC's core heroes, featuring an original story by the legendary writers and artists who helped mold the characters! Martin Pasko revisits the Metropolis of the 1970s, telling an epic lost tale as Mr. Mxyzptlk returns for another go at The Man of Steel. Will he succeed this time around?

Supergirl writer James Peaty's new project 'The Ballad of Frank Sartre' is now up and running on the web. Here is the link: http://www.franksartre.com/index.html

I asked Peaty if he could give us some info about the book and this is what he wrote back:

The story's about Frank Sartre, a singer/performer in a version of reality somewhat different from our own. Frank's having a bit of a career renaissance, but parallel to this he's embroiled in a number of overlapping mysteries. Firstly, who is the mysterious woman that haunts his dreams? Secondly, what's his connection to a mysterious killer stalking the streets of his hometown, Cosmopolis. And, thirdly, what happened in his past that caused his band The 400 Blows to split up. Throw in some flying cars, a mind-altering super-narcotic, hot dames, evil doctors, cab-driving  gorillas, gangster pussy cats and a bloodhound crime reporter and you have - I think - a pretty fun comic book. Here's hoping other people agree!

Every Friday - around midday GMT - we'll be uploading at least four pages to the site, sometimes more, and the cost to the reader is absolutely nil.

I have read the first pages of the book and it looks like a great mash-up of film noir, Blade Runner, and Kirby's anthropomorphic animals. I also like that music plays an important role in the book. That seems to click. And what is better than free entertainment. Well worth checking out ... a much different and darker feel than the Supergirl stuff Peaty wrote.

Lastly, I wanted to again plug blog friend Valerie's Querl and Kara deviant art page. That site's latest coup is an article by Landry Walker about what the Kara/Querl relationship would have been like had Cosmic Adventures continued (maybe 'when Cosmic continues?'). Here is that link:
http://querl-and-kara.deviantart.com/blog/42258868/

The whole article is fantastic and Walker clearly gets the character of Supergirl, right down to the relationships she has. Here is a quote to whet the appetite:

 Come Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 9th Grade, she and Brainiac 5 will meet face to face for the first time (when looking at the time line in the proper order). Their relationship through the series is contentious and acerbic in many ways, as their ideologies conflict. But it’s this tension in the face of adversity that creates a bond between them. A bond that is cemented home when Brainiac 5 illogically chooses to sacrifice…

It is definitely worth reading in its entirety. So go visit!

DC Retro-Active

 WonderCon happened last week in San Francisco and seemed like a great show to attend. DC was pretty tight lipped about the post-Flashpoint DCU making most of the covered panels pretty low key. Sadly, in all the coverage I read, there was no mention of Supergirl at all. I was hoping for something!

One thing that was announced was three one shots called DC Retroactive. There is a nice rundown over on CBR here: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=31651

The Retro-Active issues bring together past creative teams on DC's major titles and have them write a story in the style of their respective decade. There will be an issue each representing the‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s.

According to DC Comics here is the writer lineup:

Now I'll date myself a bit. But I grew up reading comics in the 70s. I began more seriously collecting in the 80s and became a hard core collector in the 90s. So I am excited about these issues so that I can relive a little bit of my youth. I can't wait to read O'Neil GL, Pasko Superman, Conway JLA, and Barr Batman. I'll also say that I liked the Messner-Loebs Wonder Woman run with Artemis so there is a lot to like here.

Of course, these issues seem targeted for people my age. I wonder what newer readers will think of this.

I also like the snazzy logos as seen above.

The CBR article also has a nice discussion with 90s Superman team Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove and 80s Superman writer Marv Wolfman. Here are some blurbs (in blue) from that article.

Simonson and Bogdanove spoke enthusiastically about the plot of their new story for the ‘90s “Superman” one-shot, entitled “Speed.”

“The back-story is that Superman has already fought Doomsday, died, gotten better, and has just arrived home from a space adventure; Lex Luthor Jr. (actually a clone with the original Lex Luthor’s brain) is in the early throes of a devastating disease that is affecting the clones of Metropolis. Luthor has begun to age rapidly and is sliding into madness,” said Simonson when asked to explain what her all-new 26-page story would entail.

“For the continuity buffs out there, the ‘90s was the era of five interlocked Superman titles – our story in ‘Superman: Retro-Active’ takes place between pages, about halfway through ‘Man of Steel’ #31,” the writer added.

I used to collect all five Superman titles back then. I'll have to do some digging to see if I can find this issue in my collection. If I can find it, I'll do a review to give the framework of this new story.

“We may even be able to fit in an appearance by Steel,” said Simonson before adding, “Our ‘90s continuity was nothing if not…complex.”

I have met Louise Simonson at a couple of conventions and she is such a nice person. I got to talk to her a bit at last year's Boston Comic-Con about Supergirl and her Superman run. I hope she can fit Steel in as he was her 'new Superman' in the Reign of the Supermen arc.

Bogdanove revealed he was working hard to make the one-shot look as close to his early ‘90s work as possible, taking into consideration his growth as an artist over the intervening years. “I am using my powers as a chameleon artist to imitate myself!” he told CBR, adding “Weezie [Simonson] specifically requested big-shoulder fashions for Lois and I'm really enjoying her old Elizabeth Shue hairstyle.”

Should be a hoot to see Bogdanove's over the top style on Superman again as well.

Switching to the 70s “Superman,” Marv Wolfman hinted to CBR that his story would involve many of his original and famous “Superman” characters, and take place during the 1980s.

“What I'm doing is picking up on a story I had written back in the ‘80s, featuring a character who is quite famous now and then turning everything we know on its head – I am using DC continuity from the ‘80s onward in a story firmly rooted back then,” said Wolfman before mysteriously adding, “Oh, yeah…there is also a major surprise at the end which will make this a little bit different from what anyone expects.”

Wolfman stated that his new story would have many elements of his ‘80s run – complete with captions and editorial notes – but his ultimate aim was to tell a good story. “I think the plot will feel like an ‘80s plot, but it's subtly not. I am hoping people will think it gives the feel of an ‘80s story without looking back on those days with the irony of nearly 30 years passing,” said Wolfman.

Hmm ... any guesses on the character that is now famous?

I am going to guess the Monitor or the Anti-Monitor.

As this is the 80s (and I suppose the same holds true for the 70s Superman with Marty Pasko) Supergirl is still around in the DCU. I can only hope that she shows up in these Superman Retro-Active issues.

The issues are going to be released over the summer.