Number 1380: Hated by an unfaithful wife

This issue of All True Romance (#2, from 1951), is notable for the stories being told from the man’s point of view. It’s no big secret that most love comics were written by guys, but this is the first one I’ve seen that appears to have been aimed at males. My theory, told several times in this blog, is that love comics could not have enjoyed the huge success they had in their first couple of years (late forties into the fifties) without having males buying them along with the target female audience.

This is a tale of adultery and divorce. Charlie, the husband, knows his wife, Gwen, is cheating, and she knows he knows. Everyone acts very civilized about the situation, but you can tell the wife’s lover is a cad because he wears a pencil-thin mustache. (His name, Dick, is also a clue to what he is.)

Beware of men wearing pencil-thin mustaches. They are wife-stealers and bounders.

Luckily there is Janet, a sweet young beauty contestant to ease Charlie’s suffering. And when the drama is finished, you can tell in the last panel they are in love because of all the little hearts swirling about their heads.

This looks like an Iger shop job, with some panels, especially of Gwen, that look to have been drawn either by Matt Baker or someone using his style. The quick-and-dirty print job is by some indifferent pressmen on a giant web press of the era. I have done my best to fix the scans.

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Although I hate to dissuade any Pappy's readers of the notion that in younger days I was a great lover, contrary to popular belief this is not a memoir of my affairs. For one thing, I was only seven-years-old when it was published.

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Review: World's Greatest Super-Heroes hardcover/paperback (DC Comics)

[Guest reviewer Zach King blogs about movies as The Cinema King]

I've spent the past few months looking at DC's newest version of the "Greatest Stories Ever Told" trades, which sought to collect the best and the brightest of DC's most iconic characters. As far as iconic goes, though, you could do worse than Paul Dini and Alex Ross, the creative team behind The World's Greatest Super-Heroes, which collects the pair's six oversized graphic novels on top DC characters facing real-world problems.

While The World's Greatest Super-Heroes isn't a part of the twelve-book "Greatest Stories" series proper, both projects seem similar -- collect in one volume a snapshot of the characters that encapsulates the heart of who they are and why they're heroes. The latter is especially significant; aside from fleeting references, there's not a super-villain in the whole book.

Instead, each tale finds a hero faced with an everyday threat like hunger or poverty or just loneliness; these are stories, beautifully rendered by Ross's photorealistic paints, that recall the Norman Rockwell-esque "day in the life" chapters of Geoff Johns's JSA, catching the heroes on their more low-key days and positing interpretations so down-to-earth that they'd fit right at home in the hyper-realist Nolanverse.

The style of each is the same, with the stories functioning more like picture books than comics. Panel divisions are subtle and infrequent, allowing Dini's internal monologues to meander over Ross's lush artwork. It's not inconceivable to picture reading this book to a child before bedtime, and indeed some day I plan to do precisely that. Even for adults, though, there is much to enjoy in this surprisingly earnest and delightfully iconic book.

The sum of the parts being more than the whole in this series, let's take a look at what's inside this volume.

Superman: Peace on Earth (1998)

How else do you begin? One of my most treasured Christmas presents many years ago, Peace on Earth finds Superman recognizing the disparity between Christmas as a time of giving and the world as a place of great need. With the means to feed the entire world, Superman sets out to end world hunger. Tragically, it's a story that we know is doomed to failure, for the same reasons that Superman could only arrest Hitler and Stalin "out of continuity" in the pages of Look magazine. But it's also a familiar storyline, since we've seen Superman wrestle with his inability to do everything almost since his origin. What makes the story succeed isn't any originality of purpose but rather the compelling and earnest narration Dini writes for Superman; the prose passages which pepper Ross's paintings strike a proper balance between godlike Superman and humble Clark Kent, and we feel his shortcomings just as tangibly as we revel in his triumphs. The book is filled with new classic moments like Superman's descent from the sky with a Christmas tree balanced on his shoulder, and it's to Dini and Ross's credit that these moments never feel campy or anything less than genuine. Peace on Earth succeeds further by reminding us that the value of a superhero lies not in what he does but in what he motivates us to do; Superman's Christmas gift to us, in line with Grant Morrison's concept of Superman as the Ideal Man, is the example he sets.

Batman: War on Crime (1999)

If I had to list my top ten Batman stories from any medium, much of that list would include works authored by Paul Dini. Although I love Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight Trilogy" to death, Dini's work with the character (both on television and in the comics) seems to touch something closer to the character's central nature, with every story being recognizable Batman-fare. War on Crime is a quintessential distillation of what I believe is the heart of Batman -- the pain of loss and the determination to prevent others from feeling that loss (as distinct from, say, Nolan's interpretation of Batman as a symbol to inspire positive change).

Aside from one-panel cameos from Alfred and The Penguin, Batman is the only recognizable face in this story, and his narration anchors the story in a voice which is clearly pained but with grim optimism coloring his action. Dini wisely keeps the action small, with Batman struggling against local crime and waging a battle for a young boy's soul in the process; it's a story that works well because of how uncompromisingly good Batman's quest is as he pauses mid-battle to offer a kind word of encouragement to a young man who has also lost his parents to gun violence. Alex Ross makes expert use of the shadows here, judiciously deploying streams of light to accentuate the hopefulness which is inherent in Batman's mission. Ross's photorealistic shadow play matches perfectly the tone of Dini's script, but Ross also does great work with Bruce Wayne out of the costume, making Bruce Wayne as much of a commanding presence as his cape-and-cowled alter ego.

Shazam!: Power of Hope (2000)

At first, the writing in this story seems odd, overly enthusiastic with too much gee-whiz for my tastes. But when a full-page splash reveals that the story is narrated by Billy Batson and not Captain Marvel (the hero currently known in the New 52 as the somewhat more cynical Shazam!), Paul Dini reveals that he's playing with narrative voice in a way the series hadn't seen before. And it's to great effect; the childlike exuberance of Captain Marvel's narration gives the story more weight when Captain Marvel volunteers at a children's hospital to restore hope. It's a story that probably wouldn't work were it not for Dini reminding us that Captain Marvel is still essentially a child.

Surprisingly, and to the story's credit, Alex Ross creates a Captain Marvel that is leaps-and-bounds more approachable than his Kingdom Come rendition of the character. His heavy eyebrows and wide grin carry none of the malice of brainwashed alternate future, instead posing like a child in front of a mirror after a muscle man marathon. Billy, however, sometimes looks too old, which takes some of the thunder (no pun intended) out of the shift in identity. The transformation scenes are staggering, however, and it's difficult not to feel a tugged heartstring or two when Captain Marvel realizes that he can't save everyone but can share the gift of hope with all.

Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth (2001)

The fourth Paul Dini/Alex Ross pairing is somewhat stronger than the Captain Marvel one, in part because Wonder Woman's a more potent character with a clearer mission. Her role as "ambassador to man's world" has sometimes been a nebulous one, but Dini takes full advantage of it with Diana as a kind of goodwill tourist, assessing the world's problems from the vantage point of the disadvantaged. The character's compassion and dedication to the powers of good are so compelling that it's almost a disappointment when Clark Kent shows up, as if to say that Wonder Woman can't carry a story on her own. It's entirely untrue; her quest is more intriguing and more realistic than most in the book, and Ross's artwork steps up to match. His Wonder Woman is beautiful and majestic, the scenery striking, and her goals for humanity attainable. While I'm impressed with the "daughter of mythology" approach that Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang are bringing to the New 52 incarnation of the character, I didn't realize how attached I was to this version of Wonder Woman, and I'm glad to have such a nutshell encapsulation delivered by such able creators.

JLA: Secret Origins (2002)

It's a bit difficult to review this chapter as a separate entity, since it's equal parts warm-up for Liberty and Justice and two-page origins for the characters who didn't get their own solo books: The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, Hawkman, The Atom, and Plastic Man, as well as a few second-stringers lumped in on a JLA origin page. They're concise and effective, but none is truly distinctive, aside from the Plastic Man page which plays with voice in the same way that Power of Hope did. That these are not distinctive is not a knock on the quality, however, but the Dini/Ross team has been turning in consistently good work throughout this volume, and Secret Origins is no exception.

JLA: Liberty and Justice (2003)

Surprisingly, and unfortunately, Liberty and Justice is the one book in this volume that never really works. In part, it's because the format is substantially different from the others; instead of relying on the interaction between narration and silent panels, Liberty and Justice is structured much more classically, with traditional speech bubbles competing with the narration boxes for attention. The result is that it's harder to focus on Alex Ross's gorgeous artwork; after a whole book of his work, I was eager to see his Justice League in full force, but too many overfull panels prevent the full effect from being felt.

What's more, we know that a Justice League needs a large threat to combat. What we get here is an odd plague which seems sinister and extraterrestrial but which disappointingly never manifests itself as anything more than a stubborn space flu. We don't, for example, get the Starro combat promised by the back cover; instead, it seems that the League is called in, overreacts, and then moralizes about their actions to a hostile United Nations. There are plenty of wonderful moments, as when Superman saves a suicidal jumper (anyone who knows me knows I'm a sucker for these kinds of moments, as in All-Star Superman or Young Justice), and it's not that the story is a dull read. But it's a disappointing note on which to end the book, two great creators who are turning work that is somewhat less than.

The World's Greatest Super-Heroes is padded out with pages from Alex Ross's sketchbook, most interesting when it details his process of photo referencing with shots of his models, and the book concludes with a few luscious gatefolds that this collector was too timid to tear out. It's a delightful package, a fantastic coffee table book on the order of Ross's Mythology, and despite its anticlimactic ending, it's a wonderful read.

I had purchased this book when the word "Flashpoint" was just another teaser word that signified another crossover I probably couldn't afford. But now that we're more than a year into the New 52, it's difficult to read this trade without your glasses seeming a little rosier. Love it or leave it, this interpretation of these characters is a thing of the past, and I can think of no better send-off than The World's Greatest Super-Heroes, a loving tribute by two master craftsmen.

This concludes the "Greatest Stories" series, but fear not -- I'll be back with more Criminal reviews and more very soon. Thanks as always to our gracious host and to the readers who've been following along!

More Greatest Stories reviews: Superman Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, Batman Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Justice League, Shazam, Batgirl, Superman/Batman, and Joker.

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Wednesday Talkback: Cover enhancements on trade paperbacks?

So with official announcement of DC Comics's September Villains Month/Forever Evil, I only half-seriously asked the following on Twitter:

@alex_segura But what we really want to know is, will we trade-readers get 3D covers on our Forever Evil collections, too? :)
— Collected Editions (@collecteditions) June 3, 2013

But it got me thinking ... with all the controversy over cover enhancements -- really cool effect or high-priced throwback to the 1990s -- would you want to see trades start to get cover enhancements, too?

I couldn't think of many times this had already been done -- no doubt you all can tell me more in the comments section -- but at least one is Spectre: Crimes and Punishments, the first (and only) collection of the John Ostrander/Tom Mandrake Spectre series, which came with a glow-in-the-dark cover. And then of course the Batman: Death of the Family hardcover will have an acetate dust jacket to mimic the die-cut covers from the single issues.

It's an open forum today on Collected Editions -- sound-off in the comments section whether you'd like to see cover enhancements on trades -- die-cuts, 3D covers, holograms, you name it -- or anything else you're thinking about ...

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Number 1379: Ace of Space, meet Space Ace

With a comment in Pappy's #1346, reader Darci sent me on a hunt for the character, Ace of Space. Ace Egan is considered to be a precursor to Hal Jordan, the Silver Age Green Lantern. The story is from Feature Comics #38 (1940), and crams a lot into an origin story, but whether it inspired editor Julius Schwartz or writer John Broome, who knows? It’s an interesting thought. The writing on this five-page origin story is clumsy, especially as Ace discovers his powers. After putting on the power belt bequeathed him by the dying alien he says, “I seem to know the answer to all problems!” Despite growing to be nine-feet tall, jumping a quarter mile or having super vision, I’d think just having answers to all problems would be power enough. Harry Francis Campbell did the artwork, and H. Weston Taylor the writing.

I’ve included the Space Ace story by Gardner Fox and Fred Guardineer from Manhunt #4 (1948). Here Space Ace is Jet Black, a “space patrolman” (space would be a mighty big patrol area). The Space Ace character from the four issues of Jet (Jet Powers, not Jet Black) a couple of years later, also published by ME, is more of a pirate.

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Review: Swamp Thing Vol. 2: Family Tree trade paperback (DC Comics)

Scott Snyder's Swamp Thing Vol. 2: Family Tree contains just four Swamp Thing issues, plus the "Zero Month" issue and the first Swamp Thing annual. As such, the book comes off a little thin; while the reader is treated to the first appearance of the new Alec- Holland-as-Swamp-Thing, the story mainly serves to spotlight one of Swamp Thing's long-time enemies.

Though Swamp Thing and companion title Animal Man began at the same time and are both racing toward the "Rotworld" crossover, Animal Man has succeeded in standing as a title on its own; with this foreshortened volume, Swamp Thing continues to feel like a title biding its time until the crossover, even if in generally enjoyable fashion.

[Review contains spoilers]

In previews I had some concern about Swamp Thing's new horn-headed design, but on the page artist Yanick Paquette and others depict it quite well. Snyder's Swamp Thing is the "warrior-king" of the Green, and his horned helm and ridged body armor reflect this well; Swamp Thing has never looked so regal. There's certainly debate to be had as to whether Snyder's "built for war" Swamp Thing improves upon or detracts from Alan Moore's "slow to anger" version, but for the Swamp Thing that Snyder has created, his new appearance coincides nicely.

The first two chapters of Family Tree wrap up the cliffhanger from the first volume, Raise Them Bones; Swamp Thing rescues the kidnapped Abby Arcane and the two escape to regroup. The following two chapters, as well as the zero issue and the annual, all focus in one way or another on Swamp Thing's arch-nemesis, Anton Arcane. In giving Arcane so much space, Snyder takes a route similar to Geoff Johns's use of Sinestro in Green Lantern; more than just a villain, Arcane is a vital character here with a backstory and strong connection to Alec Holland himself.

Arcane is and has always been a delightfully grotesque villain, and Family Tree is a gorgeous read largely due to some great "stunt" artist "casting" of Francesco Francavilla for Arcane's noirish first appearance and Becky Cloonan for a Romeo-and-Juliet-esque tale of young Holland's forgotten first introduction to Abby and Arcane (both artists did notable turns with Snyder on his Batman-title work, too).

While Arcane, again, is visually interesting, Snyder does not give him Sinestro's depth; Snyder's Arcane is notable for having plagued all the various iterations of Swamp Thing through time, but always with a villainous single-mindedness. Snyder establishes well the danger Arcane poses to the Swamp Things, but the audience is left without knowing much about Arcane himself -- questions like who Arcane was before he became a servant of the Rot, how he became such, and so on go unanswered. Throughout this book, Arcane is bad because, well, he's bad.

As well, much of Family Tree's the third chapter takes place in flashback, plus the zero issue and the annual, devoting more than half of the book to something other than the present action. This has the effect of making this second Swamp Thing volume appear as though it's mostly standing still. In two issues, Swamp Thing fights the Rot's avatar Sethe and wins, then he fights Anton Arcane and wins, and then there's two tales of the past. I'm skeptical how much of this is really necessary and how much is filler; while Animal Man has offered complex family drama and explored Buddy Baker's burgeoning new powers, Swamp Thing spent a lot of time on Holland's reluctance about his (inevitable) transformation into Swamp Thing. Once it crossed that threshold, Swamp Thing doesn't seem to have much place to go until Rotworld.

At the same time, by virtue of the flashbacks and even a Green "vision," Snyder is able to make considerable use of the human Alec Holland in this book. An emphasis on "the man behind the monster" has been a hallmark of the New 52 Swamp Thing series, and setting aside the controversies inherit in that, it does help to make Swamp Thing a more relatable character; Snyder reminds the reader a couple times that there's fragile flesh underneath Swamp Thing's crusty surface. Adding a "young love" to Alec and Abby's histories helps bridge the somewhat awkward gap in which she had a relationship with Alec's former Swamp Thing doppelganger and makes their pairing more believable overall.

Snyder also hits a Swamp Thing touchstone by introducing Jason Woodrue (presumably still the future Floronic Man) into young Holland's life, and I wouldn't mind seeing another flashback tale in the same period, drawn again by Cloonan, that follows up on those events -- some Smallville-esque "pre-Swamp Thing" stories, as it were.

Swamp Thing: Family Tree isn't objectionable by any means; in fact, in its scant offerings I probably came to like Alec Holland and Abby Arcane more than I did before. The crossover is the problem; Often the danger with crossovers is that they threaten to overwhelm the story itself, and Rotworld is on a bad track, having similarly sucked some life out of the final Frankenstein volume as well. The upside is that with all this emphasis on Rotworld, perhaps that means there are good things to come, and I look forward to seeing what the Swamp Thing title does when it finally gets there.

[Includes original covers, Yanick Paquette sketchbook]

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Number 1378: Great guns, Skyman!

Looking at the character, The Skyman, I’m flap-jawed at his massive arms...those are some guns! His upper body development looks like one of those padded Halloween costumes to turn the wearer into the Hulk. I don’t have all the Skyman stories, but I have enough to know that he trimmed down after a time. This panel, from The Skyman #3, shows a much more lithe character.

Ogden Whitney, the artist, drew a lot of different features, including superheroes, but he usually didn’t portray them looking so musclebound.

The Skyman was a 1940’s character, created by Gardner Fox and Whitney. The Skyman’s career began in Big Shot Comics #1 and ended in #101 (1949), four issues shy of the comic's last issue. Along the way the Skyman appeared in his own comic for six issues spread over several years, and also in issues of Sparky Watts and The Face.

In this early adventure, from Big Shot Comics #6 (1940), besides the barrel chest and giant arms, we see how the Skyman’s “Atom-atic” pistol works, that his plane will hover and wait for him while he swings through his girlfriend’s window to “scare her,” and about the cancer curing machine — the sole machine in existence — stolen by criminals.

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Here's another early Skyman story I showed a few years ago. Just click the picture.

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Number 1377: Flying Fool

Lou Mougin, in an article for The Kirby Collector, wrote that the Airboy Comics back-up feature, “Link Thorne, The Flying Fool," was first drawn by Frank Giacoia for three issues in 1946, suspended for a time by editor Ed Cronin, then revived at Cronin’s behest by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. Not only were Simon and Kirby good at creating characters, they were good at reworking existing properties. Although their stint lasted only seven issues, they put their unmistakable stamp on the strip.

These are the first two of the duo’s stories, which introduce rival flier Riot O’Hara (and if ever there was an S and K moniker, it’s that one). The stories are full of the humorous action the team was known for.

From Airboy Comics Vol. 4 #5 and Vol. 4 #6 (1947):

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