PIPELINE COMMENTARY AND REVIEW #89
14 February 1999
by Augie De Blieck Jr.
http://www.nic.com/~augie/pipeline
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY
I will be spending the day in New York City at Yet Another Big Apple Con.
Couple that with the impending arrival of my new computer, and it spells
precious little time free. So please forgive me this column this week.
I'm compiling a couple of the reviews I've put together in the past month
for Jonah Weiland's Comic Book Resources:
http://www.comicbookresources.com
These two reviews are of comics from the past. Maybe it'll spark some
memories, or just open your eyes to what you missed the first time.
I'll be back next week with the usual column, assuming the new computer
doesn't ruin me. =)
-Augie
The Adventures of Superman #431
"They Call Him-- Doctor Stratos"
DC Comics
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Pencils: Erik Larsen
Inks: India Inc.
Letters: Albert De Guzman
Colors: Anthony Tollin
Editors: Mike Carlin and Andy Helfer
Remember when the Superman titles were easy to follow, fun to read, and a
pleasure to be a fan of? This harkens back to those days, as Superman
confronts a madman who can control the weather.
The story is rather simple and feels almost padded out. The weather
starts to go bezerk and Superman takes too long to figure it out.
Eventually he does and goes after the villain, who attacks Supes with
various weather patterns both directly and indirectly. Did I mention the
weather controller also thinks he's descended from Mount Olympus? Sounds
like a cross between Maxie Zeus and Weather Wizard, doesn't it?
But it's pretty straight-forward stuff with some nice eye candy panels.
This issue isn't overrun with splash pages or anything. It's just that an
extremely young Erik Larsen gets the chance here to draw Superman in
action in various locales in various conditions. It's a nice piece to add
to your portfolio when you're an "up-and-coming" artist. You can see
clearly that it's Larsen at the board here, even through the 9 different
inkers they used in this issue working over him -- everyone from P. Craig
Russell and Bill Wray to Dick Giordano and Karl Kesel. I say that because
there is other work from Larsen at this time period (in books such as
Secret Files) where it's very difficult to tell it's his handiwork through
the inker.
It's a done-in-one style story with the prerequisite soap opera-like
subplots running through it which used to make the Superman books so much
fun to read. (Just to date the story a little more, the subplot here has
to do with Lois Lane's jealousy over Clark Kent dating Cat Grant. My, how
times change. . . )
So if you catch this one in the back issue bin at a local comics show like
I did, pick it up. It's worth a read. If you're an Erik Larsen fan, then
it's definitely worth your attention.
- - -
The Heckler #4
"Let 'Em Make Up Their OWN Stupid Title!"
Dec 1992
DC Comics
Plots and Pecils: Keith Giffen
Script: Tom and Mary Bierbaum
Inks: Bob Lewis
Letters: Bob Pinaha
Colors: Tom McCraw
Editor: Kevin Dooley
I don't know where I was when this series first came out more than 6
years ago. It's probably because I hadn't read the complete Freak
Force (from Image Comics) or Justice League (from DC) series, and so
wasn't a half-drooling Keith Giffen fanboy just yet.
The Heckler is like either of those series, but without any attempt
to make a stable and cohesive super-hero continuity or storyline.
The Heckler jumps all over the place, and while a story is
miraculously told when all is said and done, it's pure chaos.
In this issue, The Heckler decides to go out on night patrol for the
first time in his career. He's completely oblivious to everything
happening around him, as ace hitman Bushwack'r attempts to take him
out. Bushwack'r is pulling the rough equivalent of Wile E. Coyote
trying to capture the Hitman's Road Runner. Everything he tries
backfires on him, hilariously-so. As such, the story works almost
as a series of black-out gags, with some oddball hilarity completely
divergent from the plot working its way into any pages The Heckler
is on. (His pass through Deja Vu Drive results in every panel of
the page happening twice. Not exactly high comedy, but it'll make
you laugh.)
Keith Giffen draws it in his standard 9 panel grid, which still
works wonderfully well. It also allows him to pack in more
background material and silly stuff along the way. The book is so
silly than even the letters column is a gag, although a thoughtful
one.
So if you're looking for something that should just make you laugh,
without any of the rest of the DC Universe showing up, look for back
issues of The Heckler in your local bins. They're well worth the
effort.
[Special thanks to Joe Torcivia for pointing the way to The
Heckler for me.]
-Augie
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