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In 1984 noted musician Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner made a brief cameo in issue 25 of the comic book Swamp Thing wearing a black and red striped t-shirt. A year later he would appear again in Swamp Thing number 37, magically transformed (possibly through the powers of tantric sex) into the character of John Constantine. Or, JC to his close friends. After a myriad of wacky and light-hearted adventures throughout the DC Universe, the wise powers that be decided to give Constantine his own ongoing comic book, Hellblazer, in 1988. In today’s world of comics, this title would be lucky to last 6 issues before being given the axe. But Hellblazer ran for an astonishing 300 issues – 300 issues – a large portion under the Vertigo banner. Writers on the title include Jamie Delano, Garth Ennis, Mike Carey, Warren Ellis, Brian Azzarello, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Peter Milligan, and Andy Diggle. Notable artists were Simon Bisley, Mark Buckingham, Richard Corben, Steve Dillon, and Sean Phillips. That’s probably all one really needs to know. But wait, there’s more.
Ostensibly a horror comic, Hellblazer deals with all manner of dark themes: supernatural, religious, personal, and political, and was often considered quite controversial, both in subject matter and imagery. John Constantine is easily one of the most memorable of characters in the 4 color medium, with his spiky blond hair, ever-present trench coat, and tie askew, an amoral moralist of the highest order. As one of the most powerful magicians in the DC Universe, JC finds himself more in the grittiest and grimiest corners, far from the histrionics of his caped contemporaries.
Original Sins collects the first 9 issues of Hellblazer. Written by Jamie Delano and grotesquely illustrated by John Ridgway, these stories set a template for the character and his world, introducing a supporting cast that will have far-reaching influence and consequences for the entirety of the series. We take the measure of a man and all his flaws and find him at a crossroads that he never escapes from. A great intro to the laughing magician, and a harrowing series of events.
Strewth!
This article originally appeared as the introduction to episode 98: Hellblazer: Original Sins.
The Collected Edition is a comic book podcast where the hosts discuss the famous and infamous runs and story arcs throughout the history of comics. Please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, IHeartRadio, and Spotify.
Life comes at you fast. There are so many things happening and so many details to keep track of that you might find yourself stopping at some point to ask, “What the hell is going on?”
And when that happens you will no doubt find that there are a multitude of people who are more than happy to explain what the hell is going on to you. But inevitably when that happens you will soon find out that the hell one person thinks is going on will disagree with another person’s idea of the hell that is going on. And soon you will be inundated with an abundance of hells going on …so much so that it will be nigh impossible to determine which of the hells is the actual hell that is going on making the answer to the question “what the hell is going on?” a living hell.
That my friends is what it’s like reading Avengers Forever.
Avengers Forever is a 1999 12-issue limited series written by Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern and drawn by Carlos Pacheco that attempts the humble goal of tying up every loose end in the Marvel universe ever. It is a sprawling time travel epic that touches on or references most of the major events in Marvel’s history and attempts to make sense of it all and place it into a concise narrative timeline. And in doing this the plot gets a bit …intricate. That being said, you don’t need to know the history and lore of the marvel universe to enjoy reading Avengers Forever – but it sure does help.
The story revolves around Kang the Conqueror and his attempt to thwart Immortus from erasing events from history. This is complicated because Immortus is Kang – that is a future version of Kang that Kang does not want to become. And eventually, when a team of Avengers are gathered from throughout time to try to stop all the time-changing shenanigans they are placed in a giant, flying time machine shaped like a sphinx that once belonged to Rama Tut – who is also Kang, a younger version of Kang who later becomes an older version of Kang before becoming Kang again who eventually becomes Immortus. All of which simply reinforces that comics are weird.
The Avengers team that is assembled seems random and mismatched. A disillusioned Captain America, a misogynist Yellowjacket, a shirtless Hawkeye, future versions of Captain Marvel and Songbird, a gentle Giant-Man, and a kickass Wasp. And this team is tasked with protecting Rick Jones, the most boring character in all of Marvel Comics but who inexplicably has a major role to play in every Marvel event from the 60 through the 90s and up to today. Of all the confusing things in this comic, this might be the most confusing thing of all. Together with the help of Libra – a former villain who wears monk’s robes and VR goggles and has powers of prognostication akin to shaking a magic 8-ball – they must navigate various periods of history and piece together the mystery of what the Kings want with Rick Jones, what power could he be concealing, and what terrible future could be waiting if nothing is done.
Along the way we encounter cowboys, dinosaurs, space phantoms, the war of the worlds, Richard Nixon, aliens, and gods, and every Avenger that ever existed or possibly could exist in all realities.
Avengers Forever is a complicated story. It is confusing, sometimes perplexing, and relies on having at least a passing knowledge of Marvel’s history – but it is also a fun romp. Busiek does an outstanding job explaining that convoluted and often contradictory history while moving the plot forward and telling an entertaining story, and adding a few twists of his own. And Pacheco makes every panel dynamic and interesting with splash pages that will take your breath away. This is a dense story with lots of lore and Easter eggs and you’re probably not going to understand everything that’s going on. But just strap in and let yourself take the ride and you will not be disappointed. And you still might be asking, “What the hell is going on?” But when the ride is this much fun, it might not matter.
This article originally appeared as the introduction to episode 97: Avengers Forever.
The Collected Edition is a comic book podcast where the hosts discuss the famous and infamous runs and story arcs throughout the history of comics. Please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, IHeartRadio, and Spotify.
In 1938 Lysergic Acid Diethylamide was first synthesized by Swiss Chemist Albert Hoffmann. Many folks have enjoyed this creation over the decades. 38 years later, in 1974, noted musician Brian Eno released a song called The Seven Deadly Finns. It was very much a Brian Eno song. 54 years before this, in 1920, commercial radio began broadcasting to the general public. Radio proved to be extremely popular amongst the populace, with millions and millions of people tuning in daily for music programs, news, game shows, and audio dramas. It was a revelatory moment, where folks from all over the country were brought together with a commonality not shared before. Families in Paducah would gather around the radio to listen to their favorite shows at the same time as families in Boston or Milwaukee or Cleveland. And advertisers lost their minds, realizing the ability to hawk their products to a teeming mass, all at once, in real-time. Truly a Golden Age.
The audio drama was one of the more popular aspects of early radio: from Little Orphan Annie to Night Beat to Suspense to Orson Welles’ infamous War of the Worlds and hundreds of others. One of the most influential was, of course, Detective Story Hour, which, in 1930, featured a mysterious narrator who went by the name of The Shadow. The radio program was intended to coincide with the publication of the Pulp Detective Story Magazine. With his infamous tagline, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!” The Shadow became a hugely iconic character, and soon had shows all his own, along with starring roles in the pulp magazines of the day.
Since that time, The Shadow has been omnipresent in media, from the aforementioned radio and pulps to television, film, and comic books. His fictional history is complex, with varying origins and alter egos. He is a brutal man, and his war on crime is intensely violent, following a moral and ethical code that is strict and unwavering. With his wide-brimmed hat and black coat, he paints an ominous figure, intended to strike fear in the hearts of evildoers. One could suggest he was influential on a certain caped crusader who was soon to follow.
In 1973 DC Comics began publishing Shadow comics and continued to do so intermittently until 1992. In 1987, Andrew Helfer, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Kyle Baker launched a new Shadow for DC that ran for 19 issues, before being abruptly canceled, mid-story. It is somewhat shocking the series lasted as long as it did. Because it is bat-shit crazy. Dealing with a cast of hundreds and interweaving multiple storylines in each arc, the book is a kaleidoscope of outsized grotesquery, extreme violence, morbid humor, and psychedelic imagery.
Helfer’s plot is a byzantine maze, scattershot and pot-boiling, wherein the narrative is taken for a long drive, scenes crashing into seemingly unrelated scenes until spiraling into a strange cohesion. One can become confused easily, and this is an extremely wordy comic, though not in The Marvel method. The only moral center, The Shadow himself, is compromised by the utter amoral character of his Agents, and the severe immoral nature of his enemies. There are no heroes here, only the neo-fascist stringency of the titular hero. It’s great stuff and great character-building. No one individual repeats the personality or beat tics of another. In a comic with such a large cast, this is a masterclass in character development. Which is not to say everything works. Because sometimes it doesn’t.
The true stars of this book are, of course, the mighty Bill Sienkiewicz and Kyle Baker. How they got Sienkiewicz to do the first arc I will never know. But, damn, you know the man, and you know what he’s capable of. And he brings his A game, as he always does. But it is Kyle Baker, who takes over the comic after the first arc, that really brings the utter absurdity into blurry focus. His exaggerated character and background work is a perfect match to the story, translating a fever dream into a visual realization.
This version of The Shadow is not for everyone. It is crude, violent, dense, and requires patience. But as an outlier of the work being done by the Big Two at the time, it is a fascinating and, ultimately, entertaining piece of work. It certainly pointed the way to Vertigo and Image, where it might have lasted a bit longer. At least past the Android Shadow bit that probably sent the book to the cancellation bin. The creative team survived and thrived. I would have liked to see more, alas. I don’t know if this is a “good” comic, but it is a hugely entertaining one. And dropping acid before reading wouldn’t hurt.
This article originally appeared as the introduction to episode 96: The Shadow.
The Collected Edition is a comic book podcast where the hosts discuss the famous and infamous runs and story arcs throughout the history of comics. Please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, IHeartRadio, and Spotify.
When I was a kid I had a pretty extensive collection of MEGO dolls. These were articulated action figures about 8” high. And the manufacturer – MEGO – had the rights to make characters from various companies and franchises like Marvel and DC, and also things like Star Trek and The Planet of the Apes, and many others as well.
And at playtime, I would go to my toy chest and pull out a variety of dolls and I’d create adventures for them to go on. Captain Kirk would travel to the stars with Superman and Dr. Zaius. Captain America, Batman, and Mr. Spock would solve crimes and fight criminals across the globe. And so on, etc., etc. And it didn’t matter that none of these characters made sense being together. All that mattered was how far I could stretch my imagination, the joy I had creating stories for them, and how elaborate I could make those stories.
In 1999 Alan Moore went to his toy chest and pulled out his favorite literary action figures and smashed them together in what was to become the League of Extraordinary Gentleman.
Now the premise is simple. Mina Murray (aka Mina Harness of Dracula fame) must travel the world to assemble a team of men with special powers – extraordinary powers you might say. The team includes Allan Quartermain, Captain Nemo, Dr. Harry Jekyll (and his alter ego), and Hawly Griffin (the Invisible Man). And you might call these people gentlemen – but only in the loosest sense of the word. Once assembled the team must learn to work together, tame their inner and outer demons, and attempt to thwart a gang war between Professor Morality and Dr. Fu Manchu (just don’t say his name) in the sky of London.
Now, if the premise is simple, the details are a bit more complicated. Alan Moore crams as many literary references from a multitude of genres as he possibly can into a single page or a bit of dialogue. It is a veritable “Where’s Waldo” of gothic and Victorian novels. And for the most part, Moore does this skill and subtlety. And part of the fun of the League of Extraordinary Gentleman is attempting to find these references. It is genuinely clever. And all this is aided by the highly stylized and lurid illustrations of Kevin O’Neill.
There is a flip side to this. Allan Moore is undeniably one of the most creative and innovative writers in comics. His contributions to the medium are monumental and he deserves all his accolades. He does however have certain…proclivities. Moore constantly puts his female characters in danger of physical and sexual violence, he relishes in racist tropes, and he generally demoralizes his characters, and does this with a smug, self-satisfied flourish. This could be said to be on purpose. By pointing out the evils of the world he is thus criticizing them, and making the readers aware of the horrors of those evils.
But Moore wants to have the cake and eat it. He seemingly wants to skewer and criticize the repressive morals and failings of the Victorian age, but at the same time, he indulges in them. And all this is compounded by the highly stylized and lurid illustrations of Kevin O’Neill.
In the end, the League of Extraordinary Gentleman is a creative tour de force, an overflowing toy chest full of rich ideas from one of the greatest minds in comic books. But sadly also one of its most flawed.
This article originally appeared as the introduction to episode 95: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
The Collected Edition is a comic book podcast where the hosts discuss the famous and infamous runs and story arcs throughout the history of comics. Please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, IHeartRadio, and Spotify.
Most accomplished and noted scholars readily agree that Emo was invented sometime between 1599 and 1601 with the writing and production of Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, which was not an early precursor to Our Town. Achieving some literary fame over the years, the play features a girlfriend driven slowly mad, a blowhard gasbag constantly pontificating nonsense, and the two most important characters in theater history, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. But it is the titular hero, Hamlet himself, who remains the very standard, ground zero, even, of the Emo persona. A dithering, indecisive character prone to talking to himself, long existential rants, aimless wandering, and Mommy issues. But he is handy with a blade.
The scholars also agree that Emo reached a modern apex with the publication of Marvel Comics’ 6-Issue limited series Longshot in 1985.
Written by Ann Nocenti and illustrated by a young Art Adams, Longshot follows the adventures of a dithering, indecisive character prone to talking to himself, long existential rants, aimless wandering, and Daddy issues revolving around the origins of his creation. He is also hand with sharp objects. And he has a mullet, which I bet Hamlet also sported.
Longshot, pursued by demons, escapes his world through an interdimensional portal, pulling his pursuers along with him. Arriving on Earth 616, he finds he has no memory of who he is and where he came from. The classic amnesiac hero. He quickly discovers that he has some sort of weird powers revolving around Luck. He adopts a puppy.
Throughout these 6 issues, Longshot makes new friends, gets a girlfriend, fights Spider-Man and She-Hulk (as one does), and does battle against the horrible hordes of the Mojoverse, including Spiral and the nefarious Mojo, himself. Along the way, he learns more about himself, the world he is from and the world he is in. Mistakes are made, but redemption is always right around the corner, and Longshot shares with us all the emotional impact of each moment in monologues. Lots of monologues. He also loses his puppy. Alas, poor Pup, we knew him.
This is, in truth, a batshit comic book. Which is a ton of fun to read. Bolstered by Art Adams’ early nightmarish pencils, Nocenti brings her love of existentialism and media/public affairs criticism to bear, mixing the fantastical nature of comics with social criticism. While this tendency can veer into heavy-handedness at times, the story is generally well-served by the mixture.
Longshot is very much an 80s comic, with suggestions towards the excess of the 90s. But it is certainly an anomaly of the time in both the occasional graphicness of the art and the subversiveness of the text.
Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.
This article originally appeared as the introduction to episode 94: Longshot.
The Collected Edition is a comic book podcast where the hosts discuss the famous and infamous runs and story arcs throughout the history of comics. Please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, IHeartRadio, and Spotify.
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“A great intro to the laughing magician,
and a harrowing series of events. Strewth!”
One of the longest-running Vertigo titles and one of the best. Along its run, Hellblazer featured a long list of some of the more talented and acclaimed creators in comics. On this episode, we discuss where it all began (sort of) with Jamie Delano and John Ridgway’s first stories that introduce characters and situations that will lay the groundwork for the series entire run.
Also, we discuss some trailers and Mandalorian season 3.
As always, thanks for listening.
WE STILL WANT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS!
SEND ‘EM HERE: @CollectedEdPod
Proud member of The Collective – A Superhero Podcast Network
The trailer played on the episode: Into the Weird
And if you’d like to contact the show, you have options:
Email: [email protected]
Website: collectededitionpodcast.com
Podcast’s Twitter: @CollectedEdPod
Paul’s Twitter: @DaddyElk
Brian’s Twitter: @bigrockmountain
Go to any or all of those places and leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.
And as always thanks for listening everyone!
Keep reading comics. Be well. Cheers.
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“…just strap in and let yourself take the ride
and you will not be disappointed.”
Are you interested in a comic that covers the entire history of Marvel comics from its beginnings through the 70s and 80s and into a hypothetical future? Well, this is the comic for you! Today on the program we will be discussing Avengers Forever, the comic that attempts the humble goal of tieing up every loose end in Avenger’s comics ever. And, also attempts to make sense of Kang the Conqueror‘s origins. It’s a hefty goal. Written by Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern with fantastic art by Carlos Pacheco this is a sprawling epic weaving in every corner of the Marvel Universe. This is also a hell of a fun ride.
Also, we discuss the very light topic of book banning. Spoiler: it’s bad.
As always, thanks for listening.
WE STILL WANT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS!
SEND ‘EM HERE: @CollectedEdPod
Proud member of The Collective – A Superhero Podcast Network
The trailer played on the episode: Into the Weird
And if you’d like to contact the show, you have options:
Email: [email protected]
Website: collectededitionpodcast.com
Podcast’s Twitter: @CollectedEdPod
Paul’s Twitter: @DaddyElk
Brian’s Twitter: @bigrockmountain
Go to any or all of those places and leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.
And as always thanks for listening everyone!
Keep reading comics. Be well. Cheers.
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“I don’t know if this is a “good” comic,
but it is a hugely entertaining one.”
Today on the program…it’s a weird one! It’s the super violent and super bizarre The Shadow by Andy Helfer with art by Kyle Baker and Bill Sienkiewicz. This is some bat-shit crazy stuff people! A comic that manages to satirize and parody all the excesses of the 80s while still embracing them. And art that is…well look at the artists and you can just imagine the trippiness.
Also, we discuss the pros and cons and ethicality of AI in comics. A nice light discussion.
As always, thanks for listening.
WE STILL WANT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS!
SEND ‘EM HERE: @CollectedEdPod
Proud member of The Collective – A Superhero Podcast Network
The trailer played on the episode: Into the Weird
And if you’d like to contact the show, you have options:
Email: [email protected]
Website: collectededitionpodcast.com
Podcast’s Twitter: @CollectedEdPod
Paul’s Twitter: @DaddyElk
Brian’s Twitter: @bigrockmountain
Go to any or all of those places and leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.
And as always thanks for listening everyone!
Keep reading comics. Be well. Cheers.
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Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | RSS
“It is a veritable ‘Where’s Waldo’ of gothic and Victorian novels.”
Today on the program we will be discussing The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, a troubled classic by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill. This is a creative tour de force, an overflowing toy chest full of rich ideas, mixing multiple copyright-free characters in a story full to the brim with references and Easter eggs. And questionable choices. It is a discussion full of praise and blame.
In addition, we talk about the new DC movie and TV slate released by James Gunn himself! There’s lots of good stuff coming our way that makes us feel cautiously optimistic.
As always, thanks for listening.
WE STILL WANT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS!
SEND ‘EM HERE: @CollectedEdPod
Proud member of The Collective – A Superhero Podcast Network
The trailer played on the episode: Into the Weird
And if you’d like to contact the show, you have options:
Email: [email protected]
Website: collectededitionpodcast.com
Podcast’s Twitter: @CollectedEdPod
Paul’s Twitter: @DaddyElk
Brian’s Twitter: @bigrockmountain
Go to any or all of those places and leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.
And as always thanks for listening everyone!
Keep reading comics. Be well. Cheers.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | RSS
“Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.”
Today on the program…you just got lucky! We will be discussing Longshot – the 80s comic Ann Nocenti and illustrated by a young Art Adams. And this is as 80s as 80s get. Interdimensional amneasia, mullets, and pouches! Nocenti does some spectacular writing at its purplest, and Adams creates art that will go on to define the late 80s and 90s. Praise and blame will be assigned. Oh, and Mojo is terrifying.
In addition, we ramble for a bit about nothing eventually settling in on engagement and the proclivity of some critics to focus on the negative. It’s all good fun.
As always, thanks for listening.
WE STILL WANT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS!
SEND ‘EM HERE: @CollectedEdPod
Proud member of The Collective – A Superhero Podcast Network
The trailer played on the episode: Longbox Crusade
And if you’d like to contact the show, you have options:
Email: [email protected]
Website: collectededitionpodcast.com
Podcast’s Twitter: @CollectedEdPod
Paul’s Twitter: @DaddyElk
Brian’s Twitter: @bigrockmountain
Go to any or all of those places and leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.
And as always thanks for listening everyone!
Keep reading comics. Be well. Cheers.
There is a quote from a sacred religious text of the Cult of the Blue Oyster that states: “History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of man.” This is of course in reference to Godzilla – the giant radioactive lizard native to Japan. And in many ways, it sums up today’s comic.
Godzilla first appeared in Toho’s 1954 film “Gojira” and was originally intended as an allegory for nuclear destruction. The film is rightfully considered a classic – it is dark, and poignant, and has a serious take on an issue that was and continues to be of utmost importance in our world. The film was well-received and was a worldwide hit. And as you’d expect from something this serious and important, it was immediately turned into a franchise and made kid friendly – so that by the late 70s, Godzilla was no longer a poignant metaphor of nuclear war but a protector of the earth from aliens and monsters. And this is where the franchise was at when Marvel comics obtained the rights in 1977 – and thus the comic Godzilla: King of the Monsters was born!
This is a 24-issue run that ran from 1977 to 1979 and tasked with adapting the monster to comics was Doug Moench with art (for the most part) Herb Trimpe.
As with all properties of Marvel at the time Godzilla had to be incorporated into the larger Marvel universe. How exactly – you may ask – does a giant radioactive lizard fit into an established superhero world? The answer is: awkwardly.
To add to the problem of adaptation – while Marvel had the rights to use Godzilla himself, they did not have rights to use anything else. So no side characters, no monsters, not even any lore or reference to any of the now two decades of movies. Everything had to be made up from whole cloth. And the results are, to use a technical term – bonkers.
The storyline is pretty simple. Godzilla shows up on the west coast of the US and begins to wreak havoc – all the while encountering various heroes from Marvel – The Champions, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, etc. – And battling new and exciting Kaiju like Batregon, Yetigar, and probably most frightening of all – a sewer rat from New York. The narrative is helped along by the presence of SHEILD led by the perpetually annoyed Dum-Dum Dugan and an ally of sorts in Little Robbie Takiguchi and his giant mecha-robot Red Ronin…yum!
Now, there are some series that seems absurd at the time but when you look back on them you find that they are absolute classics of the genre – this is not one of them. But what Godzilla: King of the Monsters is, is a testament to perseverance and creativity. Moench and Trimpe were given a ridiculous assignment; make a giant lizard part of an established superhero universe with very little to work with. And what they created was goofy, weird, and silly filled with lots of good-natured, tongue-in-cheek humor. The result of Godzilla: King of the Monsters is an oddity. It is harmless fun that seems as if the creators were having fun creating it. And sometimes that’s all that matters.
This article originally appeared as the introduction to episode 70: Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
The Collected Edition is a comic book podcast where the hosts discuss the famous and infamous runs and story arcs throughout the history of comics. Please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, IHeartRadio, and Spotify.
Nostalgia is a funny thing. It has the power to instill positive feelings, to bring comfort and peace in times of uncertainty, or when a person is feeling as if the world they know now is beyond their control and their place in it is becoming diminished. The song that was playing when we had our first kiss is one of the greatest songs ever written. Watching Star Wars at the age of 5, with your dad, at a drive-in theater…man, all movies made now suck in comparison. Clothing, toys, social activities, cars…everything was better back in the day.
Of course, none of this is true. Memory is selective and is often a liar. The bad things, the unjust things, and the negative things are all swept under a fuzzy haze of false perception. We collect nostalgia and put it in safe corners, a cocoon to protect us. As Milan Kundera wrote, the struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.
James Robinson’s much-beloved run on Starman is steeped in nostalgia. Its titular hero, Jack Knight, is a modern Sisyphus, pushing ever uphill against the modern. He is, as his father refers to him, a “junk man”, who traffics in ye olden times. His shop is, humorously, named Knight’s Past. Clever, that. Jack is all of us, the collectors, the board and baggers, the original packaging fanatics. He is our everyman.
It is Jack’s growth, and his conflict, that forms the crux of the series’ narrative.
This is the first arc of Jack Knight’s journey, Sins of the Father, which collects issues 0-5 of what would become a stunning and seminal 80-issue run.
With art by Tony Harris, Robinson introduces us to the fantastical Opal City and its hero, Starman. Starman is a complex character in the DC Universe, the nomenclature used by a variety of individuals over the decades. But the focus here is on the Ted Knight iteration and his 2 sons. Hence the title.
Most of these issues are preludes, with hints and allegations of the long story Robinson had mapped out. But there is, of course, a concise tale. Robinson plays the origin of the new Starman relatively safe: A conflict, a self-discovery, a bad guy, good triumphs, etc.
Yet, complexity exists. A family dynamic that is fractured. A city that is a character unto itself. A villain who is not a villain. Supporting characters are introduced, characters who have history and will be important to Jack’s journey. A phallic weapon. And lots of emo exposition. It is the 90’s after all.
A hero’s journey writ small with cosmic implications.
This article originally appeared as the introduction to episode 81: Starman: Sins of the Father.
The Collected Edition is a comic book podcast where the hosts discuss the famous and infamous runs and story arcs throughout the history of comics. Please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, IHeartRadio, and Spotify.
History is a story. It is told by victors and losers alike. Mighty deeds and epic failures, the march of innovation and technology, the rise and fall of civilizations, and even the small moments of individual achievement and perseverance. History is a story that is written and recorded. From oral history to florid prose. History is a story that is represented by a myriad of visual arts: paintings, cave drawings, film, etc. History is a story passed down and changed, as each generation contextualizes and interprets based on the experiences of those who would decide the representation. Art, all art, is integrally entwined in the telling of history’s story. We learn who we are and who we have been and who we will be from the representation of history. It is the story of all of us.
In 1985, with the publication of Beauty and the Beast, history officially died. It was not a pleasant death.
Written by Ann Nocenti with art by Don Perlin, Beauty and the Beast was a 4 issue limited series published by Marvel Comics.
Ostensibly spinning out of the aforementioned Dazzler: The Movie graphic novel and falling squarely in the midst of the anti-mutie craze that was sweeping through, and sucking the life out of, Marvel’s 80’s output, the powers-that-be decided that the world needed a love story between a Disco singing mutant and a beloved blue-furred mutant best known for acrobatics and hilarious repartee. Sounds golden, right?
This is a terrible comic book.
The plot is simple enough. Beast and Dazzler meet-cute and fall in love. Dazzler is manipulated and drugged by bad guys, forcing her into an underground gladiator show featuring mutants. Beast tries to save the day. He kinda succeeds, with the help of other D-list mutants. Doctor Doom makes an appearance, because of course. Beast and Dazzler break up.
In the course of the story, we also get creeper tendencies, emotional and physical abuse, male-gaze art, ham-fisted writing, cultural appropriation, blackface, and mind-bogglingly bad plotting. We do, however, get great covers by Bill Sienkiewicz. So, there’s that.
Beauty and the Beast isn’t just weird bad, it’s bad on so many other levels. The noble march of art as a shining light of historical truth telling, and as a lighthouse for understanding our world, screeches to a horrible end. It is a blue-furred beast in the rain, soggy and deflated.
This article originally appeared as the introduction to episode 83: Beauty and the Beast.
The Collected Edition is a comic book podcast where the hosts discuss the famous and infamous runs and story arcs throughout the history of comics. Please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, IHeartRadio, and Spotify.
In 1851 the first American edition of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick was published by Harper and Brothers. It was 653 pages long and offered many helpful tips on the art of knot-tying. The book also featured a great amount of water, a whale, and a man with a wooden leg who was not named Smith. Many people have enjoyed this book over the years, and it helped introduce the world to a novel concept called metaphor.
140 years later Jeff Smith, who does not have a wooden leg, published the first issue of Bone, a comic book series that would eventually run to over 1100 pages. Many people have also enjoyed this book over the years, despite it not having instructions on how to tie a knot.
Starring our titular hero, the virtuous Fone Bone, and his cousins Phoncible P.” Phoney” Bone and the lark-full Smiley Bone, the series is an epic fantasy in the grandest tradition, with dragons, love poetry, hooded lurkers, quiche, cow races, locusts, and, of course, Stupid Stupid Rat Creatures.
The story begins with the Bones lost in the desert after being chased out of their hometown of Boneville. A map is found, a peril pervades, our cousins are separated, and all seems hopeless. But Fone is saved by a mysterious Red Dragon, and eventually finds himself in The Valley, a seemingly idyllic land where he is befriended by Ted, an insect that looks like a leaf, and the Possum and Hedgehog families. This, as needs must demand, leads Fone to Thorn, the lovely love of Fone’s life. But Thorn is more than she may seem, is she not? This is fantasy after all.
What follows is a complex and utterly captivating story. Fone is eventually reunited with his cousins and meets and befriends a variety of characters, most importantly Gran’Ma Ben and Lucius Down. There are rumors and rumors of rumors bubbling under the surface. A great evil is coming, with Rat Creatures invading the Valley and a mysterious hooded figure commanding nefarious deeds from the shadows. A cigarette-smoking dragon is in the valley, with a peculiar interest in Fone. Not everyone is who they seem. And why is Phoney’s shirt such an object of interest? A grand quest seems imminent.
Jeff Smith forges a compelling and astonishing world and narrative. There are moments of great humor and deep terror. The story builds upon itself in seemingly innocent moments. We invest in the characters because they are drawn in caricatures but are imbued with unique personalities and purposes. The lightest of moments juxtapose with the horrifying darkness lurking beneath.
And visually, Jeff Smith is a master on par with cartoonists Walt Kelley and Carl Barks. His extensive use of visual gags coupled with foreboding gloom is stunning in its craft and leaves one laughing and nervously grasping within panels. The use of black and white is perfect and allows Smith freedom with lines and structures that would be obscured under a colorist.
Bone is easily one of the essential comic series, full of all the things we love best about the medium while giving us something new, as well. And in The Great Cow Race, we have one of the most perfect single issues of a comic book ever made.
Maybe even better than eating quiche.
This article originally appeared as the introduction to episode 87: Bone.
The Collected Edition is a comic book podcast where the hosts discuss the famous and infamous runs and story arcs throughout the history of comics. Please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, IHeartRadio, and Spotify.
I am not one to dwell on plot holes. In fact, if you want to get right down to it, I personally believe that plot holes don’t exist. You see, when you find an inconsistency or a continuity error in a story this isn’t something that was just overlooked – there are teams of editors and proofreaders pouring over and dissecting every word and story beat – so when we come across something that we consider a plot-hole, understand that this isn’t a mistake…it was a choice. There are many reasons for this – it could be budgetary reasons, page count, pacing, or maybe the creators just don’t give a damn – whatever the reason someone made the conscious decision – a choice – to include what some would consider being a plot hole.
In Superman’s Christmas Adventure from 1940, writer Jerry Siegel and artist Jack Burnley made a lot of choices.
The story begins as many Christmas stories do – during the holiday season. Perry White notices this and sends his two top reporters to cover the shopping experience at department stores – you know as most major newspapers do. While there Lois Lane and Clark Kent decide to start a charity toy giveaway that warms the heart of Santa Claus. And thus we get the first canonical appearance of Santa in the DC universe. Clark Kent then does a little voyeurism on an apartment building and notices an ungrateful rich kid and then Superman plays the ghost of Krypton past and teaches the kid the true meaning of Christmas.
Meanwhile, the villain Dr. Grouch and his crony Mr. Meany arrive at the North Pole in a phallic spaceship to demand Santa stop giving away toys because it infringes on capitalism. Santa proclaims you have nothing to lose but your chains, and sicks his minions – sorry, elves on them and sends them on their way.
After a bit of arson and attempted murder, Grouch and Meany then try some kidnapping and strap Lois Lane to a giant firecracker to launch her into space before knocking out Santa’s reindeer with sleeping gas guns. In case you’re wondering…no, I haven’t had a stroke – these are all things that actually happen in this story. Superman then has to carry Santa in his sleigh to deliver the toys around the world and Dr. Grouch and Mr. Meany are defeated by the power of presents.
None of this makes what anyone would remotely consider sense. And yes, there are plot holes large enough to maneuver a Superman-driven sleigh through…but I don’t think that’s the point. The point is just to have fun, to embrace the joy and wackiness of the season while sprinkling in a message of kindness and generosity toward others while doing so. This is a madcap story; a romp with loads of Golden Age comics silliness wrapped up in colorful paper and tied with a bow. No, it doesn’t make sense – and if you think too hard about it it’ll make your head hurt – but if you just embrace the weird you’ll find this Christmas story…is super.
This article originally appeared as the introduction to episode 93: Superman’s Christmas Adventure.
The Collected Edition is a comic book podcast where the hosts discuss the famous and infamous runs and story arcs throughout the history of comics. Please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, IHeartRadio, and Spotify.
Horror as a genre is an unusual beast. It is on the surface just a way to illicit scares, to give you a momentary burst of adrenalin. Other times it is a way to repulse you – to disgust you with macabre and grotesque imagery. But when horror is utilized to its best effect, it has the ability to not only scare and repulse, but to use those features to focus on subjects that might be too disturbing to address otherwise. It shocks us and forces us to look at ourselves, our society, and our culture in ways that under normal circumstances we might typically try to ignore.
Rachel Rising by Terry Moore does exactly that.
It tells the story of Rachel Beck, a woman who wakes up one morning to find herself dead. Buried in a shallow grave in the woods, she claws her way out and makes her way home confused and trying to come to grips with her unusual situation.
A mystery surrounds Rachel – one that involves the supernatural, malevolent (ma-lev-o-lent) forces, and lots of truly awful people. But Rachel has allies in solving this mystery – her childhood friend Jet and her Aunt Johnny – and they provide understanding and comfort when Rachel needs it most. That is until they cross paths with a young girl named Zoe – a girl seemingly guided by a nefarious spirit and who becomes horrifyingly proficient in murder. Their meeting does not end well.
Terry Moore’s storytelling is economical. He does not try to overwhelm you with backstory and lore, instead, he draws you in with a bevy of quirky characters and dialogue that crackles with gallows humor and dark overtones – letting the story unfold at a leisurely pace. Accentuated by artwork that is subtle and precise. Laid out in stark black and white, his panels don’t so much seek to terrify, but rather they haunt you. It lingers, invoking feelings of sadness and distress. It is disturbing and beautiful.
Terry Moore is a singular creator – one whose voice and vision are unique and unflinching. The themes and images depicted in Rachel Rising are not easy to digest. They are difficult and can leave you cold. But there is humor and compassion weaved throughout the dark narrative and at times it can by surprisingly tender.
Horror is an unusual beast. But when it is done well it can be powerful and moving. Rachel Rising is horror done well.
This article originally appeared as the introduction to episode 91: Rachel Rising.
The Collected Edition is a comic book podcast where the hosts discuss the famous and infamous runs and story arcs throughout the history of comics. Please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, IHeartRadio, and Spotify.
How long does it take for a character to go from cynical cash grab to beloved hero? Well, in the case of She-Hulk, roughly 9 years.
She-Hulk was created as a direct result of The Bionic Woman. That character was created as a female spin-off of the Six Million Dollar Man. And, as there was no female version in the source material, Universal and the creators of the Six Million Dollar Man had exclusive rights to the character. And of course, the profits.
Fearing the same would be done with the Incredible Hulk – a popular show airing on CBS at the time – Marvel hastily put out their own female version of the Hulk to retain the rights if this did happen.
And so in 1980 She-Hulk debuted in her own comic created by Stan Lee and John Buscema. This original series could be graciously described as a “contractually obligated legal requirement.” After that She-Hulk would make guest appearances in other books and teams, most notably becoming a member of the Fantastic Four written and drawn by John Byrne, who evidently took a shine to her and relaunched her solo series in 1989 with the publication of The Sensational She-Hulk.
This series broke with convention, it broke with tradition, and it broke the fourth wall. This was a series that was unlike anything being made at the time. Sure, there had been characters in the past that occasionally broke the fourth wall, but not to this degree. She-hulk not only addressed the audience, but she also pleaded with the writer and editors to change storylines, she utilized layouts and panels to travel to different locations, and she ripped thru pages to move the plot along. The physical comic book itself became a part of the story. And the reader themselves were not simply passive viewers but actively engaged in the telling of the story. And the series poked fun at the tropes and clichés of comic books, the publishers, the creators, and the fandom. It was a satire, a parody, a deconstruction of the medium itself. All while being extremely funny and entertaining.
She-Hulk went from being a legal loophole to one of the most dynamic characters in comics starring in one of the most important and innovative series in its history. It went on to inspire multiple imitators and helped redefine how comic book stories could be told, all while not taking themselves too seriously.
In a word…it’s sensational.
This article originally appeared as the introduction to episode 90: Sensational She-Hulk.
The Collected Edition is a comic book podcast where the hosts discuss the famous and infamous runs and story arcs throughout the history of comics. Please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, IHeartRadio, and Spotify.
Flintstones, meet the Flintstones, They’re the modern Stone Age Family. From the town of Bedrock, they’re a page right out of history…
The Flintstones began as the first-ever prime-time animated TV show in 1960 and ran for 6 seasons. It was a spoof of sitcoms of the time – heavily inspired by The Honeymooners – and it based its jokes on the then-burgeoning suburban culture that had been growing in post-war America. It relied heavily on pop culture jokes, celebrity parodies, and puns – just so many puns.
Originally intended for a family-friendly audience, the show was suitable for kids to watch but snuck in enough satire and double entendres to keep the adults entertained. For the time the Flintstones was pretty cutting edge in its satire, and its skewering of current events and culture was spot on. But inevitably, in time, that satirical edge was blunted and the references became quaint or the meaning forgotten by subsequent generations. So much so that the Flintstones became a fixture on Saturday morning cartoon blocks and mid-afternoon reruns. It was used to sell cereal and vitamins, and their faces adorned lunch boxes, t-shirts, and onesies. In short, the Flintstones became a kid’s property. A property where politics and sex have no place and was just a bastion of pure, clean goodness – a wholesome place of innocent charm where the Woke agenda is mercifully absent. (Note: sarcasm)
And then in 2016 writer Mark Russell and artist Steve Pugh came along to not only throw that notion right out the window but to tear it into shreds and stomp on it a few times before doing so.
In this 12-issue run, Russell and Pugh reimagined the Flintstones. This reimagining was more realistic – in that, the character designs were less stylized and given more human proportions – and its situations and attitudes reflected a sensibility that is more modern (for lack of a better word). In it, we find the Flintstone family and their neighbors the Rubbles living in the newly constructed town of Bedrock after a questionable war. They are struggling to adjust to the alienation of their new way of life while trying to come to terms with a haunted past. And along the way, they encounter the various repercussions of living in a society.
This book pulls no punches. Everything is on the table – politics, sexuality, religion, corporate greed, war, genocide, PTSD, consumer culture, and the crippling depression of suburban malaise – all are all fair game. It is not afraid to tackle the existential dread of existence while at the same time critiquing the exploitation of the working class for rampant profit that benefits a tiny minority. It asks questions like what is marriage? Is there a God? And if aliens contacted us would they be party bros?
And that’s the best part. It’s funny – really funny. It has witty banter, great one-liners, and puns – just so many puns. And although the topics being satirized seem current – The Flintstones comic arguably does justice to the original series by embodying its spirit and intent better than any spin-off or repackaging had in 50 years. The original cartoon subtly held up a mirror to society and pointed out its flaws and absurdities by imagining modern life as the Stone Age. The Flintstones comic does the same thing – except this time there is no subtlety.
So in conclusion…
Flintstones, read the Flintstones…you’ll have a gay old time. Yabba Dabba Do!!!
This article originally appeared as the introduction to episode 88: The Flintstones.
The Collected Edition is a comic book podcast where the hosts discuss the famous and infamous runs and story arcs throughout the history of comics. Please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, IHeartRadio, and Spotify.
In detective stories, there is a cliché…to catch a criminal you have to get into their head. With the character of The Spectre that metaphor is literal.
The Spectre was created in the Golden Age as a supernatural superhero and even sat on the Justice League of America at one point. But in later versions, the Spectre strayed further and further away from being a superhero to become more of an anti-hero and the supernatural aspects are given prominence. And by the time we reach the story we’re reading today the Spectre is decidedly not heroic at all.
In the collection Crimes and Judgments, written by John Ostrander and drawn by Tom Mandrake, The Spectre is the personification of the wrath of God, seemingly an entity that has existed since the beginning of time and tasked with dealing out with harsh and sometimes cruel punishments on those who have committed crimes – regardless of the severity of those crimes. But the Spectre must fuse with another living being in order to fulfill their purpose. And in this incarnation, they have fused with Jim Corrigan, a tough New York detective and truly terrible human being.
This Corrigan Spectre metes out punishments that are swift, harsh, and at times in excess of the crimes committed. With this Spectre there is no appeal, there are no extenuating circumstances, and if you commit a crime you will be punished and executed in torturous agony.
That is until Corrigan meets Amy Bitterman, a social worker that attempts to teach him that for there to be true justice the Spectre must learn mercy and know that there is always a possibility for forgiveness and redemption. She attempts to get the Spectre to deal with moral ambiguities, to question what is right and wrong, and to perhaps find alternate solutions than simply pain and death.
But, this being the 90s, Crimes and Judgments falls into the excesses that decade could bring. At times what would be a story about redemption and absolution thru learning to be compassionate gets lost in gratuitous gore and sexual violence. So, on the one hand, you have a beautifully presented horror/thriller about the desire for cathartic justice tempered with the need for forgiveness and mercy, which is often overshadowed by extreme brutality, abuse, and victim shaming.
However, its flaws aside, Crimes and Judgments is ultimately a horror story, and in that respect, it succeeds. Tom Mandrake’s art is beautifully gruesome and conveys terror and supernatural creepiness, while Ostrander’s writing provides disturbing situations and genuine scares while attempting to address social concerns of the day – albeit in a clumsy, ham-fisted way at times.
This is a story full of contradictions, missed opportunities, and confused messages. It is a story trying to be progressive and poignant but ends up getting lost in its attempt to be controversial and gritty. This is a sin committed by many comics in the 90s. But the question is…is that sin to be punished or forgiven?
This article originally appeared as the introduction to episode 86: The Spectre: Crimes & Judgements.
The Collected Edition is a comic book podcast where the hosts discuss the famous and infamous runs and story arcs throughout the history of comics. Please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, IHeartRadio, and Spotify.
In 1991 a brand new comic publisher – Valiant – launched its debut title Magnus Robot Fighter, written by the company’s co-founder and former Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. Magnus was a character originally created for Gold Key comics in the 1960s, and the new series for Valiant would be a direct continuation of that continuity while at the same time being a soft reboot. Or as it’s known by many a: recontincontinnewboot. And when I say many call it that I mean of course just me.
The story is set in the year 4001 when an elite class of humans lives in the luxurious high-rise cities of North Am served by armies of servant robots catering to their every need and whim. But due to a quirk of fate, a large portion of the robot population obtain free will and decide to rebel against their human oppressors.
In comes, Magnus Robot Fighter – who is a man named Magnus …that fights robots …in a mini-skirt …which to be fair was the style at the time.
Magnus was raised from early childhood by a free-willed robot and trained to peak physical strength so much so that he can fight robots bare-handed, willing his hands to be as hard as steel. Lauded as a hero, and a savior, Magnus becomes a celebrity – complete with fame, fortune, and a debutant girlfriend that just happens to be the daughter of a prominent senator. All seems to be going well.
But things get complicated when Magnus discovers that the free-willed robots are actually thinking, feeling beings with a desire to survive and live. And his simple mission of fighting robots becomes harder to justify when he realizes the things he’s killing aren’t mindless machines but sentient.
Magnus Robot Fighter is a surprisingly deeper and more complex comic than it has any right to be. As well as a surprising comic to launch a publishing line and an eventually shared universe on. It deals with philosophical ideas like what it means to be alive and what it means to be free. It deals with politics and poverty, and even touches on gender identity in a small way – and all this comes from Jim Shooter who was not known for being – sensitive – in those areas. It also is able to convey both a modern and retro atmosphere, especially in the art by Art Nichols who is able to give this a very 90s style while still being able to invoke a very 60s look and feel.
So, when all is said and done, for something that should be ridiculous, Magnus Robot Fighter is able to pull off something remarkable…a well-told, layered story with complex ideas and themes about a guy in a mini-skirt who fights robots.
A Valiant effort indeed.
This article originally appeared as the introduction to episode 84: Magnus Robot Fighter.
The Collected Edition is a comic book podcast where the hosts discuss the famous and infamous runs and story arcs throughout the history of comics. Please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, IHeartRadio, and Spotify.
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