Comic Book Journal

Crisis on Infinite Earths set the precedent.

Now every time there is a crossover or major comic event, it seems poor Flash’s life is in danger - even one entire Flash later after the death of Barry Allen!

It doesn’t help matters for current Flash Bart Allen (Barry’s grandson) that Barry himself is on a shrinking list of dead comic book characters who haven’t come back yet.

Bucky? Back. Jason Todd? Back. Heck, most of the Silver Age Justice League like Green Arrow and Hal Jordan have already been previously restored.

For Countdown, IGN has received an image of the Flash lying face down on his own crumbling stone title (very Eisner-esque) surronded by foes like Captain Cold, Heatwave, Mirror Master and Weather Wizard. Yet a previous teaser shows two of these villains - Pied Piper and Trickster - bound together by the arms and reads “Villains Defiant”. Clearly there’s more to this story than meets the eye.

I’ll keep an eye on Countdown. I’m actually curious to see how the weekly series pans out, especially after the hit-or-miss and vastly experimental 52.

Is Countdown ticking down to Flash’s fate? Only time - and about fifty more issues - will tell.

Or rather, illegal tender.

FOX has been seeking to promote “Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer” with the Jack Kirby character gracing the back of several special quarters.

Unfortunately, it is illegal to mutilate, cut, deface, disfigure, perforate, unite or cement together, or do any other thing to currency. The Franklin Mint, whom Fox collaborated with in the promotion, insists they were not breaking the law, but the US Mint says otherwise.

What perhaps threw up the red flag is selling of these quarters as legal tender which can be used as currency, as claimed by an eBay seller, who later recanted his position after more information was brought up, according to Newsarama.

From the picture, it doesn’t seem the quarter has been changed or altered much save for the picture of Silver Surfer cemented to the back. I’m guessing if you’re really really thirsty and all you have in your pocket is four or five commerative quarters bearing the image of Norrin Radd, you’re in fair game with a vending machine, but using ‘em anywhere else might be a bit dubious.

This is one case where what happens in comics should have stayed in comics.

So, good news, popular Gambit’s back in the thus far lackluster X-Men.

Bad news, he’s coming to KILL EVERYONE. And considering X-Men #200 opens up for the supposedly casulty-ridden “Endangered Species”, he just might succeed!

For those who are a little confused right now, the most recent (and most deplorable) Gambit development featured the shrewd thief trying to con Apocalpyse into thinking he had joined their crew. Bad news was Gambit underestimated Apocalpyse’s mojo and wound up loosing his marbles in the process while trying to kill his former lover Rogue.

He’s coming back with the Marauders this time around - Sinister’s enforcers who nearly wiped out the Morlocks - and while this is sure to be a big deal in comics, it could either be a really good or really bad thing.

Good Thing: Hopefully, this story ends up leading to Gambit’s partial or entire redemption as he comes back to the X-Men team, which could really use the kinetic-charged mutant’s flare in their dimming series.

Bad Thing: If Gambit dies I’m never reading another X-Men comic again - or at least until he comes back!

Star Wars comics have been in operation roughly as long as the movies, first published by Marvel Comics during the time of the original trilogy’s debut, and then offering refreshing glimpses into the expanded universe after Dark Horse Comics set up shop and took over the franchise.

However, the Expanded Universe doesn’t run on comics alone, and in addition to the often Lucas-saunctioned fan film creations, books both literary and comics stretch from 25,000 years before the original Star Wars trilogy all the way to 100 years after.

Unfortunately, the books and the comics don’t cross paths nearly enough in my opinion. The books move faster and faster, adding on years and years to our favorite characters, while the comics seem more apt at development within the comfortable monthly time frame.

Below is a list for the best ideas from the books which haven’t recieved any or nearly enough play in the comics.

10. Yuuzhan Vong - Okay, these guys already got a lot of play in the John Ostrander-written comic Star Wars: Legacy (not a History Channel documentary). But they really should have gotten more comic book play after the Chewbacca mini-series, a post-mortem look at our favorite Wookie, who ultimately sacrificed himself against the then-worlds-conquering Vong. The villainous Vong are religious extremist with a penchant for bio-terrorism. The problem is exploration of their culture is best explored visually. The books throw so much terminology with so little descriptions that sometimes its hard to remember exactly what these things look like. Also, only a few benign Vong show up over the course of The New Jedi Order - only to disappear into the background.

9. Lowbacca - Here’s a fresh caveat straight from comics: if you’re going to kill a well-known hero off, you better have someone to replace him or her, even if that someone is the Punisher. And you can bet your blaster that applies to Chewbacca. The loveable Wookie may have bit it during The New Jedi Order, but to date, neither Dark Horse nor Del Rey has done much as of late to develop Chewie’s nephew Lowbacca. C’mon guys, he’s a Jedi and a Wookie! That’s just all kinds of cool waiting to happen! Though the books did well to introduce and distinguish him within the Jedi Academy, he’s dropped off the radar as of late. Honestly, there’s really one last thing Lowie needs to do - take his uncle’s place in the Millennium Falcon. Han was understandably admant about allowing Lowbacca to do so, but if audiences were to latch onto him in the comics as they have done in the books, I think this is one place the passing of the torch would be appreciated.

8. HK-47 - This isn’t actually someone who apppeared in the books, but rather, someone who appeared in the video games and desperately requires a comic book appearance. Probably the best part of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, HK here is the Deadpool of droids, loyally requesting to exterminate “meat bags” on his Master’s behalf. One of most popular figures for gamers, HK-47 has an usually long lifespan for droid, stretching in some form or another from the Old Republic through the original trilogy. Its clear bits and pieces of his escapades will continue to be fleshed out in the video games, but let’s speed up the process a bit - given him a comic series or two. Team him up with IG-88 or Boba Fett and you’ve got a hit on your hands.

7. Ben Skywalker - Basically, its Lowbacca all over again. The Expanded Universe is moving so quickly that some characters seem to be getting the shaft, namely this little guy - the son of Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade. He’s a major character in the mythology, but with Luke Skywalker moving closer and closer to over-the-hill, and Ostrander’s Star Wars: Legacy centering around another descendant named Cade Skywalker, this guy seems to be the missing link between the two. This isn’t to say Ben is blatantly ignored - he plays a large role in the ongoing Star Wars: Legacy of the Force novels. But seeing as how he kicked major Sith butt in the non-canonical Star Wars Tales, it seems a given he should keep on appearing in the comics. Of course, there is a minor possibility that Ben could be the engimatic Darth Krayt - the Sith plaguing Cade all along in Legacy is rumored to be someone we know - but come on, how lame will that sound? “Cade . . . Cade . . . I am your GREAT-GREAT-GRAND-father!”

6. Anakin Solo - If ever there was a character who desperately needed a comic book mini-series, it was definitely Anakin Solo. Not to be confused with his whiney prequel counterpart, Anakin Solo, youngest son of Leia and Han Solo, died basically because George Lucas feared two Anakins in completely different time periods would cause confusion. Anakin Solo was in many ways the perfect reinvention of his flawed grandfather, and in fact, whiney farmboy uncle. Smart, stubborn and self-sacraficing, Anakin Solo is one character who deserves a bigger mention, especially in comics. Considering Chewbacca died saving this kid, you would think more stories would be written about him. But far too often, Anakin is relegated to dreams, shadows and starship and AI names. He’s far too quickly becoming both the forgotten and fallen hero, and comics are certainly one way to change that.

5. Dash Rendar - Okay, first off, who’s going to say “No” to a guy named Dash Rendar? That’s probably the hands-down coolest moniker since Han Solo. Dash Rendar is the main focus of Shadows of the Empire - probably the best Star Wars development of the 90’s (which certainly wasn’t Greedo shooting first) - a fresh perspective to the time between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The character already appeared in comic form in the comic tie-in of the same name, but it is probably best remembered, like HK-47, for his video game appearance in the Nintendo 64 game. Surviving supposed death in the ending of Shadows, Rendar has appeared sporadically since then, with a sparse mention in New Jedi Order being his most recent impact. But with a fresh perspective needed on the Star Wars saga, Rendar is certainly the go-to-guy in this field. Much like Ghost Rider demonstrated at the box office, 90’s characters can have quite a pull with audiences, and Rendar is one to consider in revitalizing the franchise both before and after the original trilogy.

4.Young Jedi Knights - With Lowbacca, Ben Skywalker and Anakin Solo already ranking in the Top 10, this was a given. The Jedi Academy is given most detail in the Young Jedi Knights series by Kevin J. Anderson. The books focused on the Jedi education of Jacen and Jania Solo, twin children of Han and Leia, as well as their frequent interaction with a variety of famous Star Wars figures, ranging from the remnants of the Empire to bounty hunters. Though Young Jedi Knights was a stellar series, the remainder of the Solo children’s youth and subsequent adulthood should have been covered in the comics, as the The New Jedi Order and Star Wars: Legacy of the Force showed the twins getting progressively older and older in between books. If the current trend continues, they’ll be middle aged by the time the series ends (assuming they’re still alive. Things are particularly bleak for one Solo child). Though all three aformentioned series do an admirable job depicting and developing Jacen and Jania, the twin’s contrasting duality as well as their wide variety of classmates requires a visual depiction here. Plus, the slower timeframe allowed by comics lets readers actually enjoy watching the characters grow up over the course of years - instead of aging them drastically over in a span of months!

3. Star Wars Infinities - As was the case for Ultimates to Marvel, Star Wars Infinities is a comic book solution for a galaxy growing steadily too cold and distant. The original comic book series centered around alternate realities within the original trilogy - what if Luke hadn’t destroyed the Death Star, what if Luke died on Hoth or what if the plan to rescue Han Solo fell apart? I think Infinites will probably be re-organized to deal with What If’s surronding the prequels, but I think there are plenty of other uses for Infinities as well. The most interesting, I think, is a revamp of Expanded Universe, using similar characters in alternate format ala Ultimates. Of course this is all just idle speculation on my part, but one of the things I liked so much about the Ultimate line was it gave readers an alternative when things went poorly in regular continunity. Given how dark things are getting in both Legacies and Legacy of the Force, I think this is a viable option.

2. The Fett Clan - Boba Fett is like the Wolverine of Star Wars: deadly, mysterious and insanely popular. But Boba Fett’s own family tree is just as ripe for comic book adaptaion. Boba Fett’s daughter, Ailyn Vel, was born in the space between Episode III and IV. Ailyn spent her life tracking her father, and even wore Fett’s armor for a time. Sadly, by the time Fett started looking for her in the current Legacy of the Force books, it was too late, and she was killed during an interogation by Jacen Solo (see what I mean by bleak?) However, Bloodlines ends with Boba Fett reunited with Ailyn Vel’s conspirator - her own daughter Mirta Gev, making her Fett’s grand-daughter. Since Boba Fett is last seen settling down, it seems unlikely that the pair will resurface, at least in Legacies of the Force. Doesn’t this prevent the perfect lead-in for a comic book series? Boba Fett, already probably the most popular Star Wars figure in comicdom, trains and passes the torch to his scrappy granddaughter, leading to the birth of a completely new bounty hunter? Given all the strife and terror going on in the galaxy right now, there’s plenty of story to cover, and possibly a mention of the Fett Clan’s ultimate fate in Ostrander’s Legacies would seal the deal. In other terms, think of it like Million Dollar Baby meets Stephanie Plum - a touching yet hilarious account of a bad-ass bounty hunter’s own legacy.

1. 501st Legion - This Legion of infamous Stormtroopers has been around since the beginning, but the group first caught my attention in Timothy Zahn’s Survivor’s Quest, when a fire team of the Empire’s best were dispatch to back up Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade in a mission to a space station. This is the great thing about the 501st and about the Stormtroopers in general - they appear as both allies and adversaries. The 501st - dubbed Vader’s Fist - have appeared throughout the movies, comics and books, but these guys (in the end, girls) need a series of their own, one that walks from one end of the Star Wars mythos (The Clone Wars) to the other (the current Legacies). Think of it as an in-cannon Star Wars Tales with a rotating cast of comic’s Who’s Who penning the monthly adventures of the 501st in a different era each time. One story arc could find them alongside Obi Wan Kenobi in the Clone Wars, another by Thrawn and yet another by Emperor Fel. There’s plenty of fresh territory to include, such as the interaction between clones and human Stormtroopers, the inclusion of females and aliens to the ranks, and the eventual team-up between the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant in face of common enemies. George Lucas really surprised me in “Attack of the Clones” - by making the clones themselves, well, really cool. Now its time to take it to the next level - and give the Stormies their due.

Well, I have a Star Wars Top 10 to finish today, so let’s get started.

Dominic Deegan: For most of the week, its been just what Dominic does on his time off - which in some cases include prancing around merrily. But of course, every cloud with a silver lining has darker filling, and a mysterious woman - a survivor of the Storm of Souls - has come to finish the job and destroy the town of Barthis. After she finishes her salad. And chocolate cake.

Least I Could Do: Least I Could Do finds Rayne and company in New York for some kind of business. Thus far, Rayne has hired a helicopter service and a limo-complete-with-swimming-pool to drive him from place to place. But I can’t beat the suspicion that there’s something darker to this story - that his bosses might have used the opportunity to get him out of the office to discuss something Rayne might not like very much.

Arthur: King of Time and Space: We’re thankfully back in the medieval storyline for the majority of the week. Lancelot is conspicously absent during a feast (perhaps due to his Elaine troubles) much to the chargin of Guenvere. And just when we’re about to make some headway in the story, it jumps to present day Guenever angry about something. I can’t take this suspsense!

This weekend marks the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, so expect a special feature of the weekend - the Top 10 Uncharted Places of the Star Wars Comics.

For now, check out this exclusive clip of the History Channel’s Star Wars Legacy documentary.

I’m really looking forward to this program. George Lucas’ work, while certainly inspired (okay, okay, mostly inspired), borrowed a lot of influences running down from pulp science fiction to classic mythology.

Now, if you’ll execuse me, I have a Top 10 List to write! Expect a weekly webcomic wrap-up tomorrow!

Usually when a comic leaves you wanting more, its a good thing - but not in the case of 52, and its final issue.

The final issue is admittedly pretty kick-ass, tying in directly to Infinite Crisis as it charts Booster Gold, Rip Hunter, and Booster’s 21st Century descendant Daniel Carter bouncing across the multiverse while being chased by the monsterous Mr. Mind, with the heroes guided only by the head of the Red Tornado. Its confusing as hell, but somehow, incredibly fun to watch.

Though every page of the adventure is worth it, 52 #52 just needed to be longer than your typical 22 pages. There’s just isn’t a satisfying ending for every storyline in 52, and in some cases, only a brief mention. There is an noteworthy shot of ghosts Ralph and Sue Dibney preparing to solve an otherworldy mystery, leaving open the possibility of a mini-series with the fan-favorites, just as there’s an explanation for Batwoman’s absence in the current DCU stories.

But here’s what hurts the most: last issue Animal Man, presumed dead, returned to his loved ones on Earth. Unaware that Animal Man was alive, his comrade the scantily-clad Starfire traveled halfway across the galaxy to present Ellen, Animal Man’s wife, with his jacket. She does so, and promptly passes out from exhaustion without explanation. The baffled Ellen wonders if one of the neighbors hired a prostitute.

It’s as if the writers completely forgot to FINISH THE SCENE. I don’t know if it ties into Countdown, but I can’t see how it does, because there’s probably at least a month or two comic-time gap between the two maxi-series.

Overall, I’m hesitant to call 52 a success. I’m a bit worried for all the praise I saw the series recieve. Of the fifty-two issues, only half were memorable. That’s not good odds, and I really hope Paul Dini and his writing team can improve the ratio in the upcoming Countdown.

If you’re new to comics, get use to this phrase because you’ll hear it . . .

Over . . .

And Over . . .

Again!

This probably the most written slogan in Marvel marketing. It generally occurs every time a new creative team takes over or, in this case, every time a major story is published.

“Endangered Species” is said to provide the much-needed boost for the X-Men, who are currently lagging behind their Avenger counterparts. But if IGN’s exclusive findings are any indication, there might not be much of an X-Men left.

I have a hard time believing such a body count is indeed legitimate, although the impact of this one is on par with “Days of the Future Past”!

I will say one thing - I don’t really know the New X-Men at all. I know the Astonishing team, the Uncanny team and so on and so on, but the New X-Men, comprised of, well, the new characters are a lagging property. This is perhaps because we don’t need to know them - comic fans have either embraced the Whedon-written Astonishing or the Cary-written X-Men.

What “Endangered Species” could do is wipe the slate clean, killing (at least) one major character and leaving multiple gaps for the new X-Men to occupy in existing teams, giving readers no option but to at least familarize themselves with these faces.

“Endangered Species” looks to be for X-Men what “Avengers Disassembled” was to the A-Team, but let’s hope Marvel doesn’t forget - it wasn’t the the death and destruction of “Disassembled” but instead of the fan-favorite roster which followed that put the Avengers back on the map.

In terms of comic book sales, death is just a quick fix - something both of the big boys tend to forget.

Here’s a quick listing of everyone who made it into Round 3 of Small Press Idol Idol. We made it (Pierced) by just two votes, so thanks everyone.

The next round is sequentials - namely 3 pages from each project’s planned Issue #0. All of these pages will be posted by June 3rd, but you should see more of them before then as they become avaliable - though I’ll admit, for Pierced, the entire concept of making it to Round 3 was a shock, so expect Round 3 work on the 11th hour!

You can see more information here at the Small Press Idol website.

Advent
Am I Immortal
Arena
Cobalt
Covert War of Red25
Danger Ace
Devil’s Right Hand
Gutter
Ho Vs. Joe
Kensuke
Mid Ground
Ninja Garden
Philadelphia - The Game
Pierced
Pinnacle
Ruthless
Sky Pirates
Smerd the Pocket Dragon
Talon
The History Collective
The Retriever
The Scientist
Thieves
To Catch a Human
Totem
Translucient
Wannabez
Windy City
Yokai
Zombies of Liberty

With great power comes great responsibility, but with great tragedy comes great irresponsibility. Just last night I heard certain laundry cleaners had been linked to the mental condition of the Virgina Tech murderer.

Comic books, like movies, music, video games and apparently, ummmm, laundry detergent, are all privy to same blame game in response to both tragedy and paranoia - something which runs hand-in-hand. In the 1950’s, Dr. Frederic Wertham lead a crusade against comics that ran all the way up to the Senate Subcomittee on Juvenile Delinquency. Of course, Wertham’s pursuit of comics as a demonic presence in pop culture wasn’t the only incursion against the graphic medium - but it was certainly the biggest.

Listed below are top ten comic book scapegoats of the last fifty years.

10. Batman and Robin: Out of the Closet - Seriously, do you even need a Ph.D. to make this claim? I’m pretty sure Saturday Night Live said it all with the Ambigously Gay Duo. But Wertham said it anyway in Seduction of the Innocent. Though Bruce Wayne specifically claims Dick Grayson as his ward in the Golden Age comics, Wertham asserts a less-than-platonic relationship on the pages of the famous comic, referring to Robin’s bare legs as sign of homosexuality.

End Result: Though Wertham failed to rub out either the Caped Crusader or the Boy Wonder, his writings had a large impact on the adventures of Batman nevertheless. The Dyamic Duo strayed away from solving crimes and mysteries - as noir comics often took the blunt of Wertham’s inquisition, and the resulting Comics Code Authority soon made solving any kind of felony practically impossible - the showing of corpses of any kind as well as concealed weapons and kidnapping was strictly forbidden.

9. Comic Shops: Porn Stashes - Nothing will scare a comic book shop owner faster than mention of Georgia vs. Gordon Lee. The defendant accidentally gave a copy of Alternative Comics #2 to a youngster. The comic displays Pablo Picasso painting the nude, which is clearly the type of thing hot-blooded males all across the country are clicking on porn sites. Offering a sincere apology, Lee was arrested for “Distribution of Material Containing Nudity and Sexual Content”. You might think this is, like Frederic Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent, yet another case of past overreactions and misteps, but you’d be wrong, because this happened in 2005.

End Result: More like What Result? As of 2006, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund had spent $72,000 defending Lee, and not an end in sight, as the case goes to trial for the second time sometime this year!

8. Denny O’Neil: Murderer - Way before Superboy Prime knocked something loose in the grand scheme of things and caused yet another comic book resurrection, the second Robin Jason Todd was beaten and blown to bits by the Joker. Jason Todd’s fate, however, was not decided by editors, but instead, by fans. Through votes from a 900 phone poll, Jason Todd’s fate was sealed - the character was an odd fit, sandwhiched between fan favorites Dick Grayson and Jason Todd. Still, however the reaction was anything but awkward, but major new media outlets comparing the death to the days of Roman gladiators! Upon mentionin his trade to a local diner, then-Batman editor Denny O’Neil heard the patrons reply “This is the guy who killed Robin!” To be fair, much of the mainstream mistook Todd for Dick Grayson, the original Robin whom they might remember from the 1960’s Adam West Batman. Still, it wasn’t O’Neil or even writer Jim Starlin who slammed the nail in Todd’s (admittedly fragile) coffin, but the 5,343 comic fans who demanded his death!

End Results: Denny O’Neil wrote the book on comic book writing. Seriously. He also had a nice long career throughout the subsequent decade before retiring - though it won’t be the last we hear of him! Jason Todd, on the other hand, is alive and well, as of Infinite Crisis, and a major figure in the weekly comic Countdown.

7. Marv Wolfman: Illegally Named - One major tenant of the Comics Code Authority was the forbidden portrayal of vampires, ghouls, zombies, and you guessed it, werewolves. So where does this leave you if you just so happened to share a name in common with the hairy lycanthropes? In 1974, Marv Wolfman revealed at the 1974 New York Comic Art Convention he was unable to use his name in print in the beginning days as a comic book writer due to DC’s interpretation of the comic code - apparently the very mention of the Wolfman - in ANY contest -forbidden at this time.

End Result: Marv Wolfman went on to create several characters the Code would not have approved of, including Blade in the Tomb of Dracula. He also made the Teen Titans a force to be reckoned with at DC, providing a breakthrough hit which rivaled Marvel’s X-Men. Not bad for a guy who can’t work on a full moon!

6. Denny O’Neil: Sexist - It seemed like a good idea at the time. Wonder Woman basically tripped over her lasso on a monthly basis. For all his noted feminism, WW creator William Marston began an odd tradition of the statuesque Amazon constantly being entangled in her own magic lasso and rendered powerless. In the late 60’s, Denny O’Neil and Mike Sekowsky radically transformed the feminist icon in a practical update. Martial arts and self-defense training replaced the magic lasso, the red, white and blue bathing suit now a loose fitting white leisure suit. The changes, of course, were not too popular and caused an outcry. It took a feminist icon to restore the iconic character, and Gloria Steinem did so by placing Wonder Woman in her original costume on the cover of Ms. Magazine, along with an essay on the Amazon within the issue.

End Result: Denny O’Neil later conceded it probably wasn’t the best idea to strip away everything that made the character so classic in the first place. Poor Denny can’t even catch a break! But the precedence serves a glimpse of just how murky the line between campy and classy is in comic books.

5. The Gruesome Fate of EC Comics - With titles like “Tales from the Crypt” and “The Vault of Horror”, EC Comics were a bullseye for the Comics Code Authority. While the Code made it hard for superheroes, but almost impossible for horror. Ironicially, EC Editor William Gaines first suggested the formation of the Comic Magazine Assocation of America, but the organization was taken over by John Goldwater of “Archie”. As a result, the CMAA put out the Code, which all but outlawed horror content in comics. In one such case, the CMAA opposed Gaines for using an African-American protagonist. Gaines resisted and printed the story anyway - the last published by EC. Even more ironic, Frederic Wertham was a civil rights adovocate - whose writings were included as evidence in Brown vs. Board of Education. The CMAA - a company formed out of Wertham’s findings - opposed the depicting of Afican-American heroes in comics - a cause championed by Willaim Gaines, the editor of the very books Wertham opposed!

End Results: Though Gaines lost the battle for comics, he was victorious in the publication of a magazine which fell outside of Code restrictions - Mad! The Code gradually loosened to re-include monsters in the 70’s - resulting in a boom of books ranging from Tomb of Dracula to Swamp Thing. Today, the Code is all but obsolete, carried only by certain DC books and - not surprisingly - Archie.

4. Matt Baker: “The Marijuna of the Nursery” - Matt Baker was probably the first major African-American comic book artist. It is difficult to know if Frederic Wertham, himself an advocate of racial equality, knew of Baker’s race when he inadvertantly singled out the artist for his “illustration of an intolerable corruptor of American youth.” Matt Baker drew a scantily-clad superheroine known as the Phatom Lady, who drew the wrath of Wertham before too long. Ironically, though Wertham interpreted Bake’s cheese-cake drawings of superheroes of signs of impending immorality for the youth of the nation, he failed to note the content of the work, as many of Baker’s cover depict the virtous Sandra Knight aka Phantom Lady thwartimg criminals time and time over with the familiar phrase “Crime Never Pays!” outlined in a police officer’s badge on the cover.

End Result: Matt Baker suffered a stroke in 1957, though he continued to draw a variety of comics until 1963, when he died of a heart condition. Comic writer Karl Dabney wrote that, though “Baker’s career lasted a little more than 15 years, it was one of the most prolific careers ever enjoyed by an Afican American comic-book artist before the late 70’s.”

3. Spider-Man: Drug Addict - Though Marvel and DC stood out in the decades to come as the companies survived adaptation to the Comics Code Authority they were still similarly effected by the Code’s oversight. In 1971, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare approached Stan Lee about the possibility of doing an anti-drug story. The Code immediately refused - so Lee, with the approval editor Martin Goodman, removed the Code for Amazing Spider-Man #96-98. The story arc garnered approving coverage from the press, and the issues sold well, rendering any further objections from the Code moot.

End Results: In 1971, the Code was revived as a result of the Spider-Man story to include drugs (if depicted as a vicious habit) as well as the aforementioned monsters (save zombies. Poor guys.) The drug story plays a very big role in Spider-Man mythos - it is Harry Osborn’s overdose in LSD which drives the enraged Green Goblin to ultimately kill Gwen Stacy in Amazing Spider-Man #121 in 1973.

2. The Superman Complex - What you have to remember is that Superman was even more of a champion of the people than the Big Blue Boy Scout he later became. Superman was a major moral boost on the home front, seen tussling with Nazis overseas and corrupt labor practioners at home. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman was made to specifically confront the issues of the time. Frederic Wertham had a much harder time tackling Supes, who was already on his way to becoming a cultural icon (unlike all the others, Superman had already appeared newspapers, the radio and the TV). Instead, Wertham asserted Superman gave way to “phantasies of sadistic joy in seeing others punished over and over again while you yourself remain immune.” Again, as with Baker’s Phantom Lady, Wertham overlooked all good done by a superhero in lieu of possibly psychological harm. Wertham also claimed Superman was an unhealthy role model because children might also believe they could fly.

End Results: Despite an extensive review by Wertham, Superman was the least affected by the resulting backlash. His inherently science fiction genre created a sancturary of stories Superman could pursue, whereas others, like Batman, were forced out of crime comics to awkwardly pursue tales of alien invaders and magical enemies. It is likely Wertham’s accusations of Superman leading children to attempt to fly was the core root of Human Torch exclusion urban legend which circulated during the animated series, though it is possible Wertham heard of or treated first hand children who had tried to fly. An episode of Lois and Clark also made mention of Wertham’s Superman Complex.

1. Wonder Woman: Lesbian - Though Wertham would champion equal rights among the races, he wouldn’t do the same for women. In particular, Wertham opposed Wonder Woman as “the lesbian counterpart of Batman”. Though Wertham was able to prey upon the bondage issues Marston incorporated into the character at her inception, his claims that Wonder Woman was an inherent lesbian because of her strength and independence were certainly less logical. In much in the same way that Wertham expounded on Batman’s connection to boy sidekick Robin, the same connection between Wonder Woman and the helpers Holiday girls was made. Creator Marston’s public feminism made Wonder Woman an even bigger target - not only for Wertham, but also for Comics Code Authority as well. But Wonder Woman was not yet the icon of her male counterparts - though Marston received encouragement and the go-ahead from Max Gaines (the father of William) - the character would not make a lasting impact until later generations. Marston died in 1947, and his departure from Wonder Woman left the female figure in the hands of both new writers under the restrictions of the CCA.

End Results: Though Wonder Woman’s change was not as drastic as Batman and Robin, the character was notably less of a feminist and more interested in men throughout the subsequent era. Coupled with these changes, Denny O’Neil would try to return Wonder Woman to her feminist roots in the 1970’s- but we all saw how that turned out.

Not much going on in the webcomics today, but let’s wrap them out nonetheless.

It’s been a lot of hilarious (yet unconnected) musings in Least I Could Do. Post-Mother’s Day, Mom sends Rayne a blunt reminder with a nostaligc packed lunch. Speaking of nostalgia, there’s also a scene where Rayne argues against the practicality of cheap healthcare.

Dominic Deegan, similarly, is rather uneventful. Figuring there’s nothing he can do for the orc nation, seeing as how a band of militant orc mages has prevented his communication, Dominic decides to “sit this one out” (yeah, that always goes well). With so much free time, you can guess what him and his lover Luna have more time to do, and Dom’s irrelevant talking cat of a roommate, Sparks, learns the consequences of interrupting.

The mostly-future storylines of Arthur King of Time And Space also seems unconnected, though the currrent strip seems rather indicative of the true poignancy the strip is worthy of.

A pretty slow week for webcomics. Expect a feature list - really, I’m going to work up the time to do one - later today!

While searching through IMDB, I inadvertantly stumbled across !word that Darwyn Cooke’s DC: The New Frontier is being adapted into an animated direct-to-video feature entitled Justice League: The New Frontier.

The New Frontier is a riveting, Eisner, Harvey and Shuster Award-winning account of superheroes in the 1950’s. In the original comic books, not a lot happened in the 1950’s - Dr. Fedric Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent (the focus of this week’s list) forced devastating changes to the comic book industry. This isn’t to say nothing happens in “New Frontier”, which focuses on pre-Green Lantern Hal Jordan and Martian Manhunter as they confront an alien presence during a period of rising paranoia and suspicion.

The voice casting is pretty sharp on this feature. David Boreanaz will play Hal Jordan, with Brooke Shields as Carol Ferris (remember her from this week’s GL review?). And that’s not all - Xena herself, Lucy Lawless will be Wonder Woman, with Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser, M.D., How I Met Your Mother) as Silver Age Flash Barry Allen and Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks, Dune) as Superman!

There’s still plenty more casting to be done, I have a feeling, as there are many other comic book characters in this feature. Darwyn Cooke will be on the artistic team behind the production, which can go either way, and Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited) is listed as producer.

This doesn’t come out until 2008, but already I’m really excited. Maybe I’ll try to find DC: The New Frontier at Barnes and Noble this week. I’ll keep you posted on any further developments to this production

It suddenly occurs to me Geoff Johns deserves serious, serious props for making Hal Jordan so darn cool. For years it seemed certain comic creators (read: Alex Ross) unfairly demanded the rest of comicdom like Hal Jordan because he’s . . . ummm . . . Hal Jordan. But Geoff Johns not only brought Jordan back to the mantle of GL, but also fleshed out a character acceptable to both old and new fans.

That personality is in full view in issue #19, which opens as Hal flees the alien parasite Star Sapphire, who has taken over the body of Jordan’s air force buddy (and love interest) Cowgirl. Jordan is also busy protecting Sapphire’s former host - his former boss and love interest Carol Ferris! The banter goes something like this.

HAL: And we were only having a drin.

CAROL: Which IS a date.

HAL: You got married.

CAROL: You were dead.

HAL: Not THAT long.

The great thing about Johns’ characterization is he doesn’t play favorites. We could see Jordan falling in love with both spunky pilot Cowgirl or headstrong Carol Ferris, because both characters are so particulaly well-defined, and well, loveable.

A significant portion of the comic is a re-telling of the Sapphire origins from Carol’s perspective. The Star Sapphire was actually the product of a fringe group of Oans who refused to abandon the emotion of love like their blue big-headed colleagues. But years of isolation and contact with the mind-altering crystals has lead them to put a different spin on love, and the issue ends with a group of Sapphire Corps demanding Hal Jordan turn over both of his lovers to these mysterious aliens.

So Green Lantern Corps are composed of fearless agents supervised by apparently emotionless aliens. The Sinestro Corps are the opposite, relying on fear to get what they want. And somewhere in the middle is this Sapphire Corps, who rely on the power of love, albiet a very different and altogether alien “love”.

Green Lantern is certainly moving in some interesting directions, only amplified by Sinestro’s own return this summer. But for Johns’ sake, I hope we don’t see a different Corp for all the colors of the rainbow. Just three is enough.

To Will Pfeifer: Will, please, STOP!

Why must another major city suffer every time you pick up the pen? What did Washington DC ever do to you? Okay, bad example but still . . . first half of San Diego falls into the ocean and then an enraged army of Amazons beseige our nation’s capital? Do I sense a pattern developing?

“Amazons Attack” is not only Will Pfeifer’s latest foray in the world of Wonder Woman, but also the latest in DC’s many attempts to revitalize Wonder Woman, and this one starts out with a bang!

During Infinite Crisis, Wonder Woman faced a moral one - stop mind-altering villain Max Lord from killing Batman with Superman - which she did, by killing Max Lord. This leads Wonder Woman to be wanted by and eventually imprisoned and tortured by the US government, under the direction of a shapeshifter masquarading as Sarge Steel. Too bad enchantress Circe, one of Wonder Woman’s most persistant foes, gets wind of this and somehow ressurects Wonder Woman’s mother, Hipployta (the first WW), who, under Circe’s influence, leads her sisters in a massive invasion of Washington DC.

Amazons Attack #1 is good, but there’s a lot happening. The Amazons are killing every male they come across in DC - including civilians and children. Fighter jets are circling ahead as monument after monument is cut down by the Amazon invasion, the aforementioned shapeshifter is still up to no good. The page ends on (naturally) a cliffhanger, as Wonder Woman faces her resurrected mother for the first time.

As you can see, its a look to take in, and this is really the part that weakens the issue as whole. No mentions of Hippolyta’s past as a hero is given - its one thing to see an Amazon attack Washington, but quite another to see a former member of the JSA behead the Lincoln Memorial. Pfeifer makes it all sharp and suspenseful, but the diverse array of action from scene to scene is somewhat disorienting.

Overall, while this particular issue might not warrant a purchase, keep an eye on mini-issues - because future issues certainly will. The solitictations show a bold new plotline in the span of this six issue storyline, and with Will Pfeifer at the helm, you can expect plenty more surprises where that came from.

One second-note Marvel making a major comeback this summer is Nova. The space-bound superhero played a large role in the cosmic epic Annihilation, and has just recently started his new ongoing series.

Nova is essentially Marvel’s version of Green Lantern. Richard Rider is the member of an galaxy-wide police force known as the Nova Corps (I thought they’d at least call it something more original than the Corps). And a lot like the Corps, they are completely wiped out by the devastating events of the Annihilation. The tragedy links Richard up with the Worldmind -a massive artificial intelligence now contained within Nova, giving the survivor incredible powers. But this power comes with a price - as Nova is one policeman with not just a world on his shoulder, but an entire galaxy.

The first issue, written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, plays this aspect extremely well. In a single day’s work, Nova battles a sentient weapon of mass destruction, the remnants of an Annihilation wave attack force, and is finally faced with the deaths caused by a powerless space station. All this leads to Nova burning out and close to breaking down - a major fear considering the immense power he now holds. Nova then returns to Earth - but his presence isn’t welcomed, instead met by a millitant show of force by Iron Man.

The artwork is pretty steller, as is Nova’s powerful new re-design. However, there are a couple of facial shots which look incredibly akward, mainly due to Nova’s centurion-like helmet.

With Nova a former member of the ill-fated New Warriors, there’s plenty of ground to cover in Nova’s return to Earth. Nova saved the galaxy and Earth, only to return to find his colleagues disgustingly battering one another over Registration. Nova is tasked with the Registration question is Issue #2, and it’s widely known Nova will find himself on a collision course with former friend Speedball (now Thunderbolt Penance) in the comic issues.

Overall, this is a really solid book with great covers, pretty solid artwork and a characterization which rises above the countless Green Lantern parallels. Definitely worth checking out and definitely worth picking up.