Pre-Crisis Primer: Children of the Night

Batman 370

Detective Comics 537

“Up Above the Sin So High”

This scene DOES happen in this book!

Detective Harvey Bullock's been trailing the elusive and comically named Dr. Fang for a several stories now. Fang's poised to take over the criminal underworld, although we're not really sure how or how he's taken seriously given his sobriquet. Regardless, Bullock's done the leg work, but now it's time for Batman to meet Dr. Fang. One Dracula cosplayer to another.

Fang's been on the fringes of the Gotham City underworld, making small power plays in the protection rackets, shaking down bar and arcade owners as well as other small businesses, and he's eager for the big time. So eager, that when Sgt. Harvey Bullock of the GCPD just appears claiming he's a crooked cop and that he'd be willing to part with information helpful to Fang for cash compensation, the falsely-named doctor just sees this as his opportunity to make the big time. Too bad for Fang that as soon as he has an in and some information on the organization, Bullock's on the phone with Batman telling him who to punch and where they'll be so some punching can occur. 

Dr. Fang. Don't laugh. You'll hurt his feelings.

The first part of this story is the exciting part: Batman and Robin act like a team for the first time since Jason Todd came on board and proceed to kick the shit out of 20-25 of Dr. Fang's hench-people in a battle royale that starts in the back alleys of Gotham before spilling out onto her streets. I like when Batman sneaks around in the dark and really puts the fear of god into some asshole, but I REALLY enjoy it when he takes on all comers, pummeling people until there's no one left to hit. At one point Batman shows off my favorite move: slamming a trash can over some chump and then punching him. Taking out the trash, yeah!

Hot trash can action.

In all the excitement and broken bones, Dr. Fang makes his getaway and then the more boring second half of the story begins: the search for Fang. Why would this be boring? Because it ends with Fang still missing; not much of a story there. Batman does manage to help one bum who lives in the sewers though, but he also oppresses and punches out another bum who lives in the sewers, so he's neutral on the 'helping bums' thing.

Robin kicks a guy in the junk really hard.

As I've mentioned numerous times before, I enjoy sub-plots. I enjoy the continuing story in a comic book series where sub-plots weave into the main plots and give the impression that the audience is not just reading a story about a character but taking part in a myriad of stories that make up this particular characters life, no matter how fantastic it may seem. In that respect, I've enjoyed the build-up of Dr. Fang from a shadowy menace to a full-fledged character as well as how this build-up has included side characters like Harvey Bullock. The problem for me here then is Dr. Fang. He's not a believable threat, even in a city with crime as crazy as Gotham. 

Fang is an ex-boxer and ex-actor, who decided that in order to force criminal gangs to follow him and ordinary citizens to fear him, would dress up as a shirtless man in a cape with a penchant for fake fangs. Even in a fictional universe where a clown is the gravest threat, I just don't see how Fang is able to take over the underworld as Bullock posits. Sure, he looks like an asshole, but he's barely above the level of shaking down people for protection money. He's no gangland, he's a common street criminal. It's disappointing that character full of possible pulpy appeal like Fang turns out to be another chump that will eventual end up in prison on the other side of Batman's fist. Another sub-plot soon to bite the dust. 

He's punch-drunk here.

 On the flip side, in a back-up feature to this story, Green Arrow is introduced to the Post-Crisis Post-Script.

Green Arrow is a former billionaire Oliver Queen as well as a former member of the Justice League of America and a master archer. Clad all in green (obvious) he acts like a modern day Robin Hood, protecting those without power in the social sphere from the crooked politicians and other white collar criminals that would prey on those without power or voice. 

Real arrows would just be too bloody.

While moving into an apartment in a new neighborhood Green Arrow becomes embroiled in a plot by a crooked landlord to wrongly evict residents from low-income housing. When the evil landlord resorts to trying to burn his own building down, the Emerald Archer catches him red-handed.

Green Arrow appears as a back-up in the Detective Comics series, and I'll be covering the stories as they wrap up for the foreseeable future.

Pre-Crisis Primer: Redux?

Atom Special #1

“The Atom's Farewell”

None of this happens in this issue.

While not the worst story I've read thus far in the Pre-Crisis Primer, 'The Atom's Farewell,' especially coming off the exciting adventure of the previous Atom mini-series, is the most disappointing so far.

The format of this particular issue, a double-sized (48 pages!) one-shot special, promised a rousing new adventure presumably concerning Ray Palmer returning to the Amazon jungle and searching for the lost Morlaidhans. Morlaidhans, if you don't feel like clicking the link above, are small, yellow and believe Ray to be some kind of god-warrior. Women want to fuck him and men want to be him. Not bad for the ego and not really all that surprising that Ray wants to divorce is wife, leave his teaching job at Ivy University and live in the Amazon with the tiny alien lemons. While the issue does technically deliver on most of what I mention above, it fails on the 'rousing' part, which is kind of important for a comic book.

Ray's angry his ex-wife saved him from certain death in the Amazon. Gritty.

What's cool about this book off the bat: the story is structured from the point of view of numerous characters, among them Ray's ex-wife Jean Loring and her lover, Paul Hoben, reading the autobiography that Ray wrote with his ex, titled 'The Atom's Farewell.' Written before Ray leaves for the Amazon, deciding that he will uncover the whereabouts of Laethwyn and the Morlaidhans or perish, the book goes into some detail about Ray's history, the discovery that turned him into the superhero, The Atom, as well as his and Jean's courtship and eventual marriage. All good information and an interesting set-up for the dissolution both of the marriage and Ray's life, but then the book launches into a not-so-rousing adventure.

This 48-page comic, pretty art notwithstanding, spends almost half its length recapping the events from the previous 'Sword of Atom' mini-series. I'm a big fan of the adage that 'every comic is someone's first' and that some exposition on the characters and situation should be worked into the story, but usually this can be done in a few panels, a page at most, not half the freaking book.

Here, in case you forgot what happened. Loin cloths and ladies.

Under the assumption of being so clever, the writer fell in love with the concept of telling his story through an autobiography written by his characters, that the actual meat of the story, Ray returning to the site of the wrecked Morlaid and reuniting with Laethwyn and his fellow warriors, is relegated to epilogue. Forty pages of back-story and recap; 8 pages of new story that accomplishes little beyond setting up the next Atom adventure.

Not terrible, but highly disappointing. As a fan of the original 'Sword of the Atom' mini, I was looking forward to these continuing adventures, not a summation of what I already know. In terms of overall DC continuity, The Atom, The Justice League's resident scientist will not be available when the impending Crisis hits. 

Reunion! Literally the only new aspect of this story.

 

Pre-Crisis Primer: I Heart Eclipso

Green Lantern 185-186

“In Blackest Day...”

Eclipso! Why would an embodiment of God's wrath wear a silly costume?

Oh snap! Eclipso! He's a favorite villain of mine. Eclipso is the former alter-ego of a supporting character already introduced in the Green Lantern title: Dr. Bruce Gordon.

Gordon first encountered the villain while doing research regarding a solar eclipse in the Amazon. During the study, Gordon was wounded with an artifact known as a 'black diamond.' If the black diamond were just a diamond, everything would have been fine, but of course it wasn't: instead, the black diamond was supposed to be the eternal prison of dread Eclipso. The villain was imprisoned by none other than The Spectre, whom Swamp Thing met recently on his journey through the afterlife, and for no other crime than being God's failed 'Angel of Vengeance.' The flood that destroyed humanity and necessitated Noah building an ark was Eclipso's doing, as was the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Basically, every hateful and violent act perpetrated by God during the Old Testament was actually Eclipso acting on His word. 

He could at least add guardrails.

Severely weakened by his imprisonment in the black diamond, Eclipso was still able to take over Gordon's body. The two would share the same body; in the presence of an eclipse, Eclipso would take over Gordon's body and be free yet again. Exposure to natural light would then banish the demon. During a conflict with Hal Jordan as Green Lantern, Gordon and Eclipso were finally separated, with Eclipso flung into the void of space and seemingly destroyed forever. Again, as with Major Disaster, it falls on John Stewart to clean up Hal Jordan's unfinished business.

Gordon has been working at Ferris Aircraft on a solar engine, which we've not learned much about how it works and only really know what can be gleaned from its name: a way to power aircraft using solar energy. Not a bad idea all things considered. As seen in previous articles, Gordon had also been receiving threatening calls from an unknown man who, to no one's surprised, is revealed to be Eclipso himself.

While The Predator uses an axe against Eclipso's starship...

What follows is an action-packed story where Eclipso steals the solar engine, his ultimate goal to prevent Gordon from creating a solar power source given how dangerous natural light can be to him, and the Predator and Green Lantern trip over each other trying to stop him. Eclipso appears in a big giant, spherical ship, because that's what these world-conquering/destroying types do after all, and takes his prize as the heroes use various methods to gain entry: Predator whacks at the ship with his axe and Green Lantern uses the form of a giant hammer. Fisticuffs ensue with Gordon jumping in the fray at times, eager to end his own personal, twisted relationship with the monster Eclipso. With Predator unable to damage Eclipso because, as pointed out, Eclipso is a concept: revenge. A concept cannot be destroyed by hitting it in the chest with an axe. With no other recourse, Stewart takes the fight to the villain, sending them both tumbling from the ship as Predator and Gordon secure the return of the solar engine. 

...John Stewart makes a giant hammer. Keep at it, guys.

All this while, Hal Jordan is still hand-wringing over the fact that he can't help. He feels useless in the face of giving up his powers.

As Green Lantern and Eclipso fight in the desert, Eclipso's ship, damaged by The Predator as he made his escape, crashes near the combatants bathing Eclipso in a super-powered blast from his own black diamond, seemingly incinerating him. It may be impossible to chop up a concept, but it can sure be destroyed by super-comics-physics-deus-ex-machina laser blasts. Whew!

Eclipso, nooooooooooooooo!

John Stewart survives his first major test as Green Lantern, the solar engine is saved, Ferris Aircraft isn't yet again destroyed and Bruce Gordon is rescued safely. Wrap this story up in a neat bow with The Predator sending Carol Ferris a love letter and that's a happy ending.

With all the recent melodrama and childish characterization in the Green Lantern series, this is the story that gets me interested again. Aside from being an action-oriented story, the plot does a good job of marrying many of the sci-fi concepts the make Green Lantern interesting as a concept to the psuedo-horror elements of the Bruce Gordon/Eclipso relationship. Green Lantern throws every trick he has to defeating Eclipso and is unable to triumph, only a stupid error on the villains part, being defeated by his own power, put this as a win in John Stewart's column. The final pages of the conflict do an excellent job of catching the mounting tension and dread Stewart feels during the fight, something difficult to do doing a continuing series where the reader knows the hero can't die.

Haha, Predator's moving in on Jordan's girl.

The final element making this story so enjoyable is Eclipso himself. The villain is so powerful, unstoppable, and single-minded in his desire to destroy all life except his own. Add in the religious background as an entity capable of death on a mass-scale and the stakes are as high as they get for the hero.

Pre-Crisis Primer: Underwater Bumblebees

Tales of the Teen Titans 45-47

“Final Conflict”

Garth, Aqualad, normally doesn't wear pants. It's Atlantean.

Terra is dead. Deathstroke is in jail. The Titans are in disarray and H.I.V.E. is responsible. Try to kidnap partly unstable teen superheroes and murder one of their friends? Big fucking mistake.

Remember how I mentioned that H.I.V.E. is this super-secret criminal cabal that took the time, money, and resources to put together an entire network of like-minded individuals complete with numerous henchman, matching sinister-robe costumes, underground bases, and exotic weaponry? Click the link if you forget, that's why I include these things. H.I.V.E was all set to wreak some havoc across the globe when they decided that the greatest threat to their plans would be the Teen Titans. Not Superman, not the Justice League, not Batman or Swamp Thing or even Green Arrow, but the Teen Titans. Even though Deathstroke failed to complete their contract, H.I.V.E. seemingly thinks that the Titans will at least be distracted enough licking their wounds and put their master plan in motion. 

The leader of the H.I.V.E. is an old woman.

The first thing that happens is H.I.V.E. runs into the Titans. Life's a bitch, H.I.V.E. Before I forget, H.I.V.E. Stands for 'Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination.' Too cool. I love acronyms that don't really mean anything besides mean bad guy words thrown together to send damn evil.

Aquald and Aquagirl are the lucky Titans who stumble across the underwater hidden beehive base of the intrepid criminal organization and bear witness to the start of their plans: setting off a nuclear explosion near the hidden city of Atlantis! In the DC Universe, both Pre- and Post-Crisis, Atlantis is not a lost city or a myth, merely hidden beneath the waves and the home of Aquaman. Aqualad is the Atlantean sidekick of Aquaman and a reserve member of the Titans, only called in when shit gets too real. Kind of like now.

H.I.V.E.'s big plan? The reason they wanted the Titans dead and built this sprawling network of criminals? They were going to poison all the bodies of water on the planet and force the world's leaders to accept the rule of H.I.V.E. Kind of a disappointing plan. Rote and ho-hum. If thought about for a second it makes no sense. Also, why start with the middle of the Atlantic ocean, where Atlantis is located. Not much drinkable water there. I don't think it's too much of a surprise to reveal that this plan fails miserably. 

Gar's an elephant when he's not happy.

The Aqua-couple makes it to New York where the Titans are trying to come to terms with Terra's death by concentrating on the upcoming nuptials between Donna Troy and Terry Long. Some members are doing better than others as Changeling is missing. He was in love with Terra, he was closest in age to her, and he thought they had been friends. He's ignoring the Titans and going on a tear in New York City, busting gun-runners and muggers, and any criminal unlucky enough to get in his way. Cyborg tries his best to reach out to Gar, who is not ready to accept his friends help yet.

The rest of the team: Raven, the newly-christened Nightwing, Jericho, Starfire, and Donna Troy team up with Aqualad and Aquagirl and take as much ass-kick as they can carry to H.I.V.E.'s underwater doorstep. Raven ends up kicking the most ass using her empathic abilities to not only

kill a bunch of H.I.V.E. Soldiers but also messing up Aqualad. In typical Raven fashion, she freaks out and disappears form the flight, fleeing as fast as her demon-born abilities can take her. Lucky for Raven, she's not leaving her teammates in a lurch because H.I.V.E. goes down easily under the righteous indignation of the Titans. They never stood a chance.

I love how Aquagirl is casually tossing some dude.

Beating, explosions, mass-suicide of H.I.V.E.'s leadership, and a classic escape-the-base scenario before the ocean rushes in to kill everyone and that's the end of the bee-themed super-criminals. That's what they get for fucking with the Titans.

Finally, at the end of the story Raven is still missing. That won't end well, promise.

Bye H.I.V.E.

Pre-Crisis Primer: Green Lantern is Cool Suddenly

Green Lantern 182-183

“Day of Disaster”

Not only is Stewart cooler, but Jordan's cry-baby face is great.

Just a reminder: Hal Jordan is no longer Green Lantern and I couldn't be happier. Say hello to John Stewart.

As introduced before, John Stewart is as an architect helping to rebuild Ferris Aircraft after an attack by the Demolition Team. The same attack that caused Hal to give up the mantle of Green Lantern because the Guardians rightly wanted him to save a dying planet rather than his girlfriend’s business. Out with the cry-baby and in with an actual hero of integrity.

A little bit of history: who the hell is John Stewart? While this is his first time as Green Lantern the primary, he had wielded the power ring before so it's not like he's a completely out-of-nowhere choice. In fact, Stewart is the official back-up for Hal Jordan should he ever fall in the line of duty or be an epic dick. The Guardians always knew it'd be the latter. In his first outing as Green Lantern, his training mission for lack of a better term, Stewart would aid in the ousting of a bigoted politician as well as claim that Jordan was little more than a tool of the authorities. He's not wrong and I already love him.

Saves people and gets the lady. Hell yeah.

Cue a few years out of the spotlight and all of sudden Stewart is back just in time for Jordan to throw his hissy-fit. That's how narrative works.

Stewart's first outing is cleaning up one of Jordan's messes in facing off against a colorful Major Disaster. I've talked before about my love for these silly villains but Major Disaster is a favorite. Not quite Shark-level but definitely better than a Rainbow Raider or Crazy Quilt. I know I probably shouldn't have compared the two color-based villains, but I did. My blog my rules.

Not to tangent too far from my in-progress tangent on Major Disaster because he's amazing. His costume is purple, pink and lavender. Takes a real man to rock those colors. His goofy look is the only reason Disaster is seen as silly because his name is dead-on. Disaster literally has the ability to cause natural disasters. He points his fingers and an earthquake will erupt. He walks down the street and everyone suffers. This guy is a powerhouse. He's also intensely insecure: Jordan has embarrassed him time and time again and Disaster just wants to grind his face into paste. Too bad for him Stewart is now Green Lantern. Too bad especially because where Jordan could be a bully, Stewart is just pragmatic. After saving a town from the flood caused by a ruptured dam that Disaster just happened to look at, Stewart catches up with the confused villain and punches him square in the face.

Coolest villain costume: maybe.

Punching the mentally-ill in the face is something Stewart and Jordan do have in common. It's kind of a superhero thing. 

Doesn't quite punch him yet.

 This being his first public appearance, news reporters in Coast City are quick to realize that Green Lantern is now black. What does Stewart do, fly off before any one can question him? Deliver a lame platitude about fighting crime? No, he sticks around to charm reporters and then asks one out on a date. Because he's John Stewart that's why. I love this guy. I'm suddenly excited about John Stewart again. And while John Stewart is excited about being Green Lantern, danger looms in the distance. Bruce Gordan, solar scientist, is haunted by the existence of his evil alter-ego Eclipso and The Monitor lurks, concentrating on Stewart and the role he'll pay in the soon-to-be-coming cosmic Crisis.

Best part: Jordan regrets abandoning the ring. Sucker.

See Hal Jordan. See Hal Jordan cry.

Pre-Crisis Primer: Batman and his Many Plots

Batman 369

Detective Comics 536

“Facing the Dark, Blindly...”

All Alfred needs is his own cape and cowl.

Batman is where sub-plots come home to roost. I've spoken before about this type of story-telling, with multiple narratives in the fire all waiting for their turn. Teen Titans excelled at this type of storytelling, recently wrapping up two years worth of stories with 'The Judas Contract.' Not to say the Batman titles have been as good as the Titans title, but I'm always going to give a story leeway just because it has Batman.

Continuing the main narratives of Jason Todd taking on the Robin role, Bruce begins involving him more and more into his nightly patrols as Jason gets used to the idea of being a superhero sidekick. I've been critical of even the fact that Bruce has taken on another sidekick, but I do like how the writer attempts to give reasons for Bruce essentially putting another child in harm's way. With Jason, he's an already troubled kid who effectively sees Robin as an outlet for his admitted criminal habits. Instead of breaking the law, he acts above the law, with the assumption that his actions, and those of the Batman, are pointed towards the common good. The writer makes the argument with these stories that Jason is unique, like Dick Grayson's situation was unique, and that, regardless of the danger involved, the transition and mantle of Robin being bestowed to these boys is ultimately an act which saves them from being a danger to themselves and society. Whether it turns out this way or not, at least it's easy to understand Bruce's intentions in his actions and the fact that he thinks he's doing the right thing here. 

As a British patriot, Alfred loves punching Frenchmen.

 With the main thrust of the narrative puttering along, it's time for some previously-mentioned sub-plots to come back to the fore.

Harvey Bullock's theory regarding a new criminal mastermind proves to be true once the menacingly-named Dr. Fang makes an appearance. I hope that use of the word 'menacing' comes across as sarcastic as I mean it to be. Dr Fang is a bald man in a cape with a vampire fetish as he uses removable fangs to kill a man. Sounds like something a 12-year-old would come up with, not a man who's on the brink of amassing a criminal army. I can't see anyone following this guy. Although, apply the rule of comics, and a goofy gimmick becomes a a dangerous tool. Remember, Crazy Quilt has a legitimate threat. Bullock goes undercover, pretending to be a corrupt cop looking to make some extra cash by selling police secrets as a way into Fang's gang. This sub-plot continues....

Spoiler: he's not even a real doctor.

Our second sub-plot, the mystery of who's after Alfred's newly re-surface daughter comes to a close. Deadshot, one of my favorite rogues from Batman's illustrious gallery is the attempted murderer. While the reasons for him being hired to kill Julia Pennyworth or needlessly complicated and drastically unimportant, everything does lead to a tense cat-and-mouse climax between hero and villain as Batman hunts Deadshot in a forest clearing. It's a legitimately tense scene in what's mostly a by-the-books comic. In the end, Julia, with nothing of her previous life left, agrees to live in Wayne Manor and attempt to bond with her father. I'm sure this won't lead to Bruce hitting on Julia and Vicki Vale getting pissed about this mix-up in a cliché, hilarious love-triangle.

The high-point of the issue. Deadshot is so cool!

So far the Batman stories have been outside the scope of some of the other DC titles that have made up the Pre-Crisis Primer. Batman has not had dealings with the Monitor, nor have the stories been of the cosmic nature that will eventually lead directly to the Crisis. The importance of these Batman stories to both the Pre- and Post-Crisis is the evolution of Jason Todd. This character will have a big part to play as the DC Universe evolves and it's important to set up as much of his history as possible.

Pre-Crisis Primer: A Journey to Hope

Swamp Thing 32

“Pog”

Sure, I'd ride in a turtles colon as well.

 After the chilling horror of Swamp Thing's last adventure, the series takes a break from the depths and instead goes science fiction parable and tries its best to make the reader feel bad for being human.

The story is a simple one, and beautifully illustrated in a manner directly contrary to the normal, more detailed, realistic artwork. Swamp Thing is barely a character in this story, speaking little and acting in a more passive manner than, say, attacking a yellow rhyming demon in the midst of an attack by a white fear monkey.

The protagonist of this tale is the titular Pog, a member of an alien species who is leading the last survivors of his (hers or its?) planet on a journey to find a new home world, a home world without the dangers and peril that led to them being so few and adrift. Pog and his group, which includes the front-mate Bartle who is cautiously optimistic, the pessimistic Dr. Strigiform, the three young 'junior umbrella-birds' (who remind me of Huey, Dewey and Louie) and finally, The Hystricide, the crazy old coot of the group. In the tradition of many adorable animated features, each of these characters are color-coded: Pog wears all red, Bartle all green, and so on. Pog and his group make their journeys in a living ship called “Find the Lady,” which resembles a giant turtle, tucked in its shell during interstellar travel.

Seriously, the blue guys are Huey, Dewey, and Louie.

 Pog and his group land on Earth, in the middle of the swamp, of course, and seem timid at first, afraid to leave their ship even. Eventually they encounter some of the more cuddly swamp denizens, possums and the like and begin to believe they've found 'The Lady,' a euphemism for their home planet. After an initial encounter with the Swamp Thing, the group begins to trust him as well. In a clever bit of story-telling, we're not privy to what Swamp Thing thinks or speaks, as Pog and his group speak a different language than English. Pog, using pictogram attempts to communicate with Swamp Thing, detailing the story of the downfall of his planet and their own journey for a new home. 

Soylent Green is little animals!

 Originally an idyllic paradise, Pog paints the picture of a planet were all different species live in harmony before the arrival of another species, drawn curiously like apes, who refused to play nice and took everything from the other people of this world. This new species introduced murder and began feasting on the lower species until no one was left but for those that fled. While this is going on, Bartle sets about exploring this new 'Lady' finding a small pond in which to bathe.

Understanding all too well Pog's tale, Swamp Thing pulls back the curtain, leading the small explorers to a campground where many humans are playing, drinking and eating meat. Feasting on burgers, steaks and hamburgers. Pog recoils in horror, realizing that the behavior that destroyed his world is a part of this world as well. He has not found his 'Lady.' At this moment, Bartle lets out a shriek; the pond he'd been bathing in is the territory of an alligator who's none to happy to share what's his. Swamp Thing intervenes but it's too late: Bartle is dead.

All Swamp Thing contributes to the story is some punching.

After a funeral, Pog and his group say their good-byes to the Swamp Thing and depart Earth to continue their search for the 'Lady.'

I love this issue. This is probably my favorite issue of Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing and of Swamp Thing in general. It's fairly obvious, with Pog's story of the primate-like beings who destroyed his world that Moore is telling the story of the planet Earth where humans take more then their share of natural resources, including land and food, but not just making it a cry for vegetarianism. By having Bartle killed in a similar manner by a non-human creature, Moore points out the more grim truth that territory and consumption is a natural order. Life feeds on life. The search for the 'Lady' is a foolish quest and Pog and his group are the more tragic for it, members of their exiled crew dying to gain what doesn't exist.

...and then there were six.