Super Mario Bros. (1990 Series) #2

June 11, 2011

Magic Carpet Madness: John Walker, John Costanza, P. Zorito, Jade, The Gradiations
Museum of Plumbing: John Walker, Gina Going, Jacqueline Roettcher, Jade, Karen Merbaum
The Kingdom Enquirer: Bill Vallely, Mark McClellan, John Costanza, P. Zorito, Pat Brosseau, Andrea Brooks, The Gradiations
Koopa’s High School Yearbook: Bill Vallely, Mark McClellan, Kelly Jarvis, Rich Maurizio, Ken Lopez, Karen Merbaum
Publisher: Valiant Comics

Here’s a blast from the past for you. I recently stumbled across this classic in the cheap box at a comic convention. It’s easy to forget that there was a time these old Super Mario Bros. comics were hot collectibles, because they were in fact the first comics published by the once-hot Valiant Comics. Now you can get ‘em in a quarter bin, along with most other Valiant books, except those other Valiant titles would usually be much more worth your reading time.

At the beginning we see the first thing I hate about early Valiant – the way they lump all the credits together off to the side without actually telling us who did what. But past that, “Magic Carpet Madness” is a weak story. The king tracks mud through the palace, which leads to scrubbing the carpets, which leads to unearthing a flying carpet, which somehow turns Princess Toadstool into a punk rocker. I am not making this up.

“Museum of Plumbing” is a bit better. It’s a one-page gag featuring Luigi showing off… well, the Museum of Plumbing, which leads to a cheesy last-panel punchline, but at least it’s a joke that makes sense.

“The Kingdom Enquirer” is the best story in the book, which isn’t necessarily to say that it’s good, just better than the others. Toad decides he’s going to start up a palace newspaper, but his attempts at journalism quickly devolve into putting together a trashy gossip rag. The conclusion here is actually clever, and it’s that which raises this story up above the rest of them.

The comic ends with another one-pager “Koopa’s High School Yearbook,” which is just four panels in a yearbook format and a few gags thrown in. I’ll say this for the comic – the artwork is quite good. It’s very cartoonish and lively, and suits the Mario cartoons of the era. But it’s a good thing Valiant EIC Jim Shooter had the foresight to license the Gold Key heroes to start his own superhero universe, or else Valiant today would be even more of a footnote than it is.

Rating: 5/10

JSA Classified #33

December 30, 2007

JSA Classified #33 (DC Comics)
By Junior Thomas, Staz Johnson, Mike Norton, Scott Kolins

This two-part Green Lantern story wraps up pretty well this issue. Vandal Savage’s attack on Thanksgiving has led to the immortal stealing much of the Starheart power from Alan Scott, using the life-essense of a nearby child to create a “puppet” for his attack — a duplicate of Alan’s deceased daughter, Jade. Alan is forced to face his own child while Savage makes his play. This was a decent enough story, if not a great one. Alan Scott is still one of the best characters in DC’s old guard, but Vandal Savage is a bit played out as an enemy. While Jade’s story packs some nice emotion, the reader doesn’t really believe there’s a chance she’ll return here. I liked this issue, and the Christmas Eve epilogue is nice enough, but I’m really more looking forward to next issue’s Hourman/Liberty Belle story.
Rating: 7/10

Green Lantern (1990 Series) #177

May 22, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Homecoming? Part Two

Kyle Rayner talks with Jade, while someone sends Fatality out to find him…

Writer: Ron Marz
Pencils: Luke Ross
Inks: Rodney Ramos
Colors: Moose Baumann
Letters: Jared Fletcher
Editor: Peter Tomasi
Cover Art: Brandon Peterson
Publisher: DC Comics

Ron Marz was the writer who ushered in Kyle Rayner as Green Lantern, who transformed him from a raw rookie to a strong, confident hero, and who proved that wearing the ring wasn’t an exclusive right of Hal Jordan, and it seems only fitting that he write the story that will evidently be the swan song of the title.

Kyle starts the issue taking out one of the few official “rogues” a Green Lantern has, the villain called Sonar, but the issue is really about him and his girlfriend Jade, and Kyle trying to reconcile the fact that the woman whose love kept him warm alone in outer space found another man while he was gone. This can’t have been an easy scene to write – Marz finds a very thin line between allowing us to feel Kyle’s grief and not making us hate Jade outright, but he pulls it off. As so often in breakups, it’s the wronged party that carries the agony in this scene, and anyone who’s ever been through a tough breakup for any reason can relate to this bit.

Meanwhile, a much nastier old foe, the Green Lantern –hunter named Fatality, has been sprung from prison for one reason: kill Kyle Rayner. Who got her out? Why does he hate Kyle? No telling, but we’ll certainly find out in the next four issues.

Luke Ross is a great superhero artist. The fight scene with Sonar is well-choreographed, the ring constructs are clever and inventive, and he draws a much more realistic (read: less buxom) rendition of Jade than Brandon Peterson does on the cover.

Although I’m sure Geoff Johns will do a fine job in whatever form the Green Lantern franchise takes this fall, I will miss this incarnation. Kyle has earned his place in the comic book pantheon and when written properly, like Ron Marz does, he’s still got a lot of stories left in him.

Rating: 8/10

Justice League of America (2005 Series) #48

September 13, 2010

Title: The Dark Things Part Five (A Brightest Day crossover)
Writer: James Robinson
Pencils: Mark Bagley
Inks: Rob Hunter, Norm Rapmund, Don Ho, Derek Fridolfs & Rich Perrotta
Colorist: Ulises Arreola & Zarathus
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Cover: Mark Bagley, Jesus Merino & Nei Ruffino
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Publisher: DC Comics

The Justice League and Justice Society (along with Kyle Rayner and Mr. Miracle) face off against a hyped-up Alan Scott. Jade and Obsidian have merged into a new being, and Mr. Terrific’s plan to save the universe will hinge on a couple of girls named Kara.

This really is a fine conclusion to this story arc, bringing everything you were excited about to a boil in the finale. Dr. Mid-Nite’s rescue of Starman is well done, and the cavalry storming in works really nicely. There are some great bits in here with lasting changes for Alan, Jade and Obsidian, clearly establishing their roles in the DC Universe in general and their respective teams in particular. In fact, the Justice League we’re presented with by the end of this issue is an interesting group. I think Robinson has put together a nice core team to build his tenure on this title around.

Mark Bagley’s artwork works, but as I’ve often pointed out, it works better on the young heroes than the Justice Society. It’ll be nice next issue when they return to their own stomping grounds and he’s left with a pretty young team to depict throughout the book. The color team deserves some special recognition here though, I think, really turning out some eye-popping pages.

Then there’s the backup story…

Title: Cogs Part Three
Writer: James Robinson
Pencils: Pow Rodrix
Inks: Ruy Jose
Colorist: Zarathus
Letterer: Rob Leigh

While the Starheart was making all the elementals on Earth go crazy, Cyborg had just finished upgrading Red Tornado’s systems in a way that makes him virtually indestructible. Great idea, until the Starheart pits him against his friend. This issue is mostly an extended battle scene, with Cyborg doing whatever he can to stay alive long enough to – temporarily – put Red Tornado down. It’s an okay sequence, but doesn’t really add much to either character, save for building up the friendship between the two of them. It’s nice, but as neither of them promise to be part of the regular cast of the title, it feels sort of inconsequential.

Rating: 7/10

Justice Society of America (2007 Series) #42

September 6, 2010

Title: The Dark Things Part Four

Writer: James Robinson
Pencils: Mark Bagley
Inks: Norm Rapmund
Colorist: Allen Passalaqua
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Cover: Mark Bagley
Editor: Mike Carlin
Publisher: DC Comics

As the Brightest Day crossover continues, the Guardians of the Universe have sent Kyle Rayner to Earth to take out Alan Scott by any means necessary – even killing him. Not that this will be all that easy, mind you. Alan has been possessed by the power of the Starheart, a power that’s spread out to encompass not only his children Jade and Obsidian, but nearly every magic or elemental powered metahuman on the planet.

James Robinson continues to bring in nice, quick moments for dozens of heroes in this series. Dr. Mid-Nite’s rescue of Starman is a great bit, as is the battle Alan Scott has against Power Girl and Supergirl at the same time (which should go to show you just how powerful the Starheart actually is.) This is the penultimate issue, where everything is building up for a big finale, and the buildup really works well.

Bagley’s art is still kind of back-and-forth for me. As I’ve mentioned before, I find he does a very good job depicting the younger heroes (he was a magnificent Spider-Man and New Warriors artist for many years, after all), but his elder heroes don’t look quite as good. On the plus side, he’s got a good technique for bringing in lots (and lots) of characters on to a single page, making for fight scenes that are exciting and really give the sense that the heroes are getting overwhelmed.

I’m kind of surprised by this book, it feels like Jade’s personal Brightest Day storyline is coming to a close sooner than expected. But then again, back in 52 we saw characters’ stories ending at different times as well. Ultimately, as long as the end is satisfying, that’s what’s important.

Rating: 7/10

Justice League of America (2005 Series) #47

August 7, 2010

Title: Dark Things Part Three
Writer: James Robinson
Penciler: Mark Bagley
Inker: Rob Hunter
Colorist: Ulises Arreola & Zaratus
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Cover: Mark Bagley, Jesus Merino & Nei Rufino
Editor: Mike Carlin
Publisher: DC Comics

With about half the members of the combined Justice League and Justice Society either overcome by the Starheart’s power or in danger of becoming so, the remaining heroes recruit Mr. Miracle to help them break into the possessed Alan Scott’s lunar fortress. The world’s greatest escape artist may be the man to get them in, but can even this assemblage of heroes stand up to Alan, Obsidian, and Dr. Fate?

This story has been getting better with each issue. The addition of Mr. Miracle, who has been largely unseen since his Seven Soldiers miniseries, is a very nice touch. Bagley’s rendition of the hero is very good, and the colorists do a nice job making the lining on his uniform pop out and set him apart. He looks like a character that walked off the set of Tron – and I mean that as a compliment. The focus on Jade continues to be entertaining too. We’ve recently (like in Brightest Day #7) found out what her purpose was in being brought back from the dead, and it seems like she very well may fulfill (or fail to fulfill) that destiny before this storyline is over. Robinson has also done good work giving each of the characters at least one moment of coolness (maybe not in this issue, but somewhere in the story) to show off just what makes them worthy of being in the Big Leagues of the DC Universe. Excuse the pun.

We’ve also got a back-up feature, so let’s look at that one…

Title: Cogs Part Two
Writer: James Robinson
Penciler: Pow Rodrix
Inker: Ruy Jose
Colorist: Zaratus
Letterer: Rob Leigh

In part two of “Cogs,” we see just how Cyborg and Dr. Light were able to repair the shattered Red Tornado in a way that may prevent him from ever having his robot body destroyed again. Which is all kinds of awesome. Until the power of the Starheart began corrupting superheroes with powers related to the elements. As the Red Tornado is, in fact, a wind elemental inside an android body, he’s gone haywire. And thanks to his own invention, there may be no way for Cyborg to take him down.

The good in this issue – it’s really great to see Cyborg used in this fashion, showing him off as a techno guy, someone capable of creating instead of just a walking weapon. The problem is that most of this issue is flashback, and the scenes that take place in the present don’t really advance the story. At the end of this installment, we know why Red Tornado is such a problem, but we’re virtually in the same spot as we were at the end of part one. This is one of the dangers of serializing a story in such short installments.

Pow Rodrix is an okay artist – not really ready for a major assignment, but he shows potential. That’s one of the cool things about these back-up features. Not only is it a chance to tell stories about characters who may not be able to support an ongoing story, but it also gives a chance to try out some new creators and give them room to sharpen their skills.

I’m really digging this book, and this story.

Rating: 7/10

Green Lantern #170 (1990 Series)

October 25, 2003

Quick Rating: Poor
Title: Greetings From Sector 2814

Kyle Rayner sends a message home to the friends he left on Earth, forcing Jade to decide exactly what she wants to say back.

Writer: Benjamin Raab
Pencils: Chris McLoughlin
Inks: David Roach
Colors: Moose Baumann
Letters: Kurt Hathaway
Editor: Bob Schreck
Cover Art: Ariel Olivetti
Publisher: DC Comics

In one of my favorite novels, The Princess Bride, William Goldman writes with the conceit that he is abridging another writer’s work. At one point, he “abridges” an entire chapter because nothing happened in it. The chapter was summed up as, “What with one thing or another, five years passed.”

The best way to sum up Green Lantern #170 is to say, “What with one thing or another, two weeks passed.”

Absolutely nothing happens in this issue. Lianna, the Amazonian Guardian of the Universe, comes to Earth with a message from self-exiled Green Lantern Kyle Rayner. The first half of this issue is Kyle’s message, during which he recaps everything that has happened to him in the past dozen issues or so. In the second half of the book, Kyle’s friends record their messages to him, in which they recap everything that has happened to them in the past dozen issues or so. At the end of the issue, absolutely nothing has changed. The one effort at development in the last three pages just hits the readers over the head with a point that anyone who has read the last two issues knew already.

McLoughlin’s artwork is passable, but many of the characters look way too old, particularly Jade and the Flash, whose costume was also off-model. On the plus side, we do get a beautiful cover by Ariel Olivetti, which is the only new thing in the entire issue.

Perhaps this was an effort to provide a jump-on point for new readers. Every title needs that once in a while. The trick is to do that in such a way that doesn’t make regular readers feel like they’ve blown $2.25 on 22 pages of information they already knew.

Rating: 3/10