More Hypertime Hijinx

Back again-this time with my conclusion to my Challengers of the Unknown (Exiles Light) pitch. I’m doing this so I have some uploaded record of these thoughts that have been sitting in my computer’s database for six years. We left off having been introduced to the concept of the series, as well as the Challengers themselves. We’ll finish up with a look at the team’s chief rivals, and then take a gander at a few of the adventures they would have embarked on:

The Outsiders: A small collection of Hypertime travelers that have been brought together to help each other pursue their individual selfish goals. Unlike the Challengers, the Outsiders can travel between Hypertimes with incredible ease. They are headquartered in a mystical, gothic mansion called Wintersgate Manor. The manor was first introduced in the pages of Night Force. Its owner, the enigmatic Baron Winters, could use the mansion’s various rooms to travel to any point in time or space. The Outsiders have wrested control of the manor from the good Baron, and use it as the beachhead to launch their private campaign of Hypertime havoc.

Calendar Man (Bruce Wayne)- Once he was the Batman of a Hypertime not too different than that of the central DC timeline. After getting kicked out of the Justice League for developing tactics against the other Leaguers, tactics stolen and used by Ra’s Al Ghul, Bruce realized how paranoid and controlling he’d become. He hung up his cowl, and decided to take a more above board approach to crime fighting, taking over the position of police commissioner from his recently shot friend Jim Gordon. He married his old flame Silver St. Cloud, and the couple had twin boys (Alfred and Richard). But, Bruce’s new family was soon slain by a jealously enraged Talia. Wayne’s psyche was shattered. In a twisted rage, he adopted a new guise, the Calendar Man, reasoning that the one thing that all men truly fear is the unstoppable passage of time. He killed Talia, and her father Ra’s Al Ghul for the torment they had wreaked upon him. After learning of the existence of Wintersgate Manor, he stole it from Baron Winters. He intended to use its time travel capabilities to undo some of his mistakes, but learned that the mansion gave him access to all of Hypertime. He believes that it was a grave error to have retired his Batman persona in favor of pursuing a normal family life. Wayne now goes to every Hypertime in which Thomas and Martha Wayne were not killed, and ensures that they die- so that there will be a Batman to bring order to that world.

Red X (Richard Grayson)- Once the Robin of a Hypertime based on the world of the Teen Titans animated series. Robin had entered into a deadly rivalry with the Titan’s arch foe Slade. In one encounter, Slade had brought Robin under a form of mind control, and sent him to kill his teammates. The brainwashed Boy Wonder slew Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg. He also killed his lover Starfire, but not before she fired an energy blast at him. The blast left him with severe scars, but it also snapped him out of Slade’s thrall. Blinded with hatred he went after Slade, who slit his throat. Grayson survived, but Robin was no more. Hiding his scars, and shame, behind the skull-like helmet of Red X, he now speaks with the eerie voice provided by his armor’s circuitry. Looking for a place to belong, he has desperately reached out for someone to heal his lost soul. Though hailing from different Hypertimes, he and Calendar Man have become a twisted Dynamic Duo.

Phantom Lady (Ursa)- A Kryptonian villain from a Hypertime where Krypton never exploded. Ursa, was a sadistic criminal who was sentenced to imprisonment in the Phantom Zone. She was sprung from her captivity by the Calendar Man, who used Wintersgate Manor’s dimension breaching powers to pull her out of the Zone. However, a strange side effect has occurred. Ursa, despite no longer being in the Zone, is still a phantom. That said, she can use her ghostly form to inhabit anyone nearby. She then gains her full Kryptonian power while in these host bodies, but as soon as she departs one they are reduced to a dead husk. She has agreed to work with the Outsiders, because they helped her kill her jailer Jor-El.

Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce)- On Pierce’s Hypertime, Jefferson became obsessed with topping his earlier accomplishment of sweeping the Olympic Gold Medal count. He began to look for greater physical challenges to prove he wasn’t a has-been. His pursuits took him to scaling the dangerous mountain region of Badhnesia. Unfortunately, he was nearly crushed to death by an avalanche. Pierce was saved by a group of monks that bound him to a Badhnesian Thunderbolt. The Thunderbolt is an immensely powerful genie. It restored Pierce to health, and agreed to carry out Jefferson’s every wish. In addition to being put off by having things “handed” to him, Pierce was further distraught to learn that the Thunderbolt would lay claim to his soul upon Jefferson’s death. The Thunderbolt has agreed to spare him if he can find a new, more willing master. Under the name Black Lightning, Pierce serves with the Outsiders, using the Thunderbolt’s magic, while also hopping though dimensions seeking to free himself from his curse. In the central DC timeline, Jefferson Pierce was indeed an Olympic Gold Medal winner, and the Thunderbolt is the benevolent helper of Johnny and Jakeem Thunder.

Story Arcs:

Arc One- Final Dawn: The origin of the new Challengers of the Unknown, and their first Hypertime adventure. The team finds itself on the orbital space platform Dock Midnight, the base of mad scientist Arthur Light. Light intends to launch a swarm of creatures known as Sun Devils to consume the stars. In the central DC timeline, the Sun Devils was the title of an 80’s mini-series. The story takes some of its cues from the 90’s crossover Final Night.

Arc Two-Doomed Patrol: The Challengers must hunt down, and then protect, the Doom Patrol. On this Hypertime, The Chief, Elasti-Girl, Robot Man, and Negative Man have been forced to kill the citizens of a small fishing village, so that the rest of the world can be spared certain destruction. In the central DC timeline, the Doom Patrol willingly died at the end of their original series, to spare the lives of a fishing town.

Arc Three- Seven Seize: On a Hypertime Earth almost completely under water, the Challengers fight to free the planet from the grip of Orin, The Ocean Master. He has used his son’s genetic connection to an aquatic dimension to flood the surface. Can the team find a way to end Orin’s mad reign? Or, will they have to side with Black Manta, and seal the dimensional breach, by killing Ocean Master’s innocent child? In the central DC timeline, Orin is the heroic Aquaman, and Black Manta was his son’s murderer.

Arc Four- Command D For Doomsday: Reflecto and Fury join the Challengers on a Hypertime that has been decimated. When the Superman of this Earth exiled himself to the stars, after killing three criminals, he never returned. As a result, there was no one powerful enough to stop the creature called Doomsday. The governments tried to kill it with atomic weapons, but only succeeded in turning the planet into a nuclear nightmare. The KryptoKnights of Command D (led by Gardner Grayle) have done their best to contain the beast, but to no avail. In the central DC timeline, Superman briefly exiled himself to space after executing some Phantom Zone escapees. Plus, the boy hero Kamandi, and Gardner Grayle’s Atomic Knights try to survive the fallout of the Great Disaster.

Arc Five- Prey: The Challengers battle the vigilante tactics of the men known as Prey. On a Hyperime where Batman died taking the brunt of an explosive blast meant for his partner Jason Todd, Jason has vowed to carry out his mentor’s fight. Crippled due to a spinal injury, at the hands of a crowbar-wielding Joker, Todd has turned to the cyber realm to mete out justice. He has recruited an orphan named Tim Drake, who lost his father to Captain Boomerang, to deal out bloody vengeance.

Arc Six-Signal Watch: Role Call joins the Challengers. On a Hypertime ravaged by a rapidly spreading plague known as the “Ambush Bug”, our heroes have to find a cure. As the disease kills meta-humans, it also transforms normal humans. Such is the case of Jimmy Olsen, and his friends (and would be heroes) the Signal Watch. Their mutations include becoming elastic, turtle-shelled, porcupine quilled, and wolf-like.

Arc Seven- The Inferior Five: The Challengers must help a group of rookie heroes reach their full potential. The team arrives on a Hypertime where Wally West, Kyle Rayner, Jason Rusch, Conner Hawke, and Cassandra Cain were the first to assume the mantles of Flash, Green Lantern, Firestorm, Green Arrow, and Batgirl. These heroes were revered by the public, but now they’ve been killed in battle. Can their successors- Barry Allen, Hal Jordan, Ronnie Raymond, Oliver Queen, and Barbara Gordon make the grade? Or, will the public continue to see them as inferior legacy characters?

Arc Eight- All-Star Squadron: Reflecto passes away on a 31^st century Hypertime. The Challengers team with the All-Star Squadron, a military guild of teenage soldiers from every star system in the United Planets. Led by Sgt. Rokk, the Squadron takes on the Time Trapper, who won’t stop until Hypertime is his to rule. In the central DC timeline, the futuristic Legion of Super-Heroes was led by Rokk Krinn (Cosmic Boy), and of course Sgt. Rock is DC’s main WWII hero.

These were just some of the 30, or so, arcs I thought of one day. Others included the return of the Walter West Flash (in a tribute to the old Trial of the Flash storyline), exploring the connection between the resurrection-like properties of Nth Metal and the Lazarus Pits, Batman rogue Maxie Zeus being actually possessed by Zeus, tons of run-ins with the Outsiders, and Hypertimes Past stories (exploring what each heroes’ life was like on their world before they joined the team).

Of course, this was all really just a waste of time. But, who knows? On some reality maybe this all saw print.

Don’t Be So Hyper

Well, no sooner do I vow to bring you more content, than I have computer problems. But, now I’m back. This time around (because absolutely nobody asked, or even cares) I’ll be sharing the first part of my pitch for The Challengers of the Unknown.

The Challengers is a title DC Comics has published off and on since the 1950s. It followed the adventures of four men – Ace Morgan, Professor Walter Haley, Red Ryan, and Rocky Davis. They were joined on some exploits by their gal pal June Robbins, as they risked life and limb exploring exotic locals around the globe (and sometimes beyond). They were joined together after surviving a plane crash, and decided to live the rest of their lives like they were “Living On Borrowed Time”.

In the 1990s DC, having done away with their multiverse of Infinite Earths back in 1986, introduced a new concept so that their characters could journey to alternate realities: Hypertime. Hypertime, was unveiled in the event known as “The Kingdom”. Readers, as well as a few characters, became aware that beyond the “regular” DC timeline there were countless others. By traveling into the realm of Hypertime, an infinite number of Earths were once again at their fingertips.

Here’s how Hypertime was explained in The Kingdom, “Off the central timeline we just left, events of importance often cause divergent ‘tributaries’ to branch off the main timestream. But, what’s outstanding is there’s far more to it than that. On occasion. The tributaries return- sometimes feeding back into the central timeline, other times overlapping it briefly before charting an entirely new course. History becomes reinvented. There are hazards to Hypertime of course. Artifacts carried into different Hypertimes dangerously breakdown the barriers between kingdoms.”

Hypertime was a very cool, but very complicated storytelling tool. It allowed parallel world tales to be told for the first time in years. It also put all of DC continuity back in play. If a creator liked or didn’t like a story, they could simply acknowledge that it happened in a different Hypertime timeline. But, almost immediately the editors saw that this device could be abused. It was abandoned forever with the return of the Multiverse in 52. But, not before two very good Hypertime based sagas saw print.

The first was in the pages of the Kon-El Superboy’s original title. This epic, “Hypertension”, pitted Superboy against an evil Hypertime counterpart named Black Zero. Their battle took them to many Hypertimes, including one based off the Pre-Crisis Earth One. During this conflict Superboy teamed with the Challengers of the Unknown. When one of their members, Red Ryan, went missing in Hypertime the other Challengers promised to stay and search every reality they could to find him. They also reasoned that by doing so, they would be challenging the ultimate unknown.

The second major Hypertime tale was in The Flash. Readers were baffled when a new Dark Flash took the regular Flash’s (Wally West) place as the protector of Keystone City. This hero was eventually revealed to be Walter West, one of Wally’s Hypertime selves. Walter had to leave eventually, because (as explained previously) beings from other Hypertimes breakdown the new reality they are in after more than a brief stay. Walter was last seen trying to find his way back to his proper timeline, which in Hypertime is almost impossible to do without some device powered by an element native to Hypertime called hyperium.

By the early 2000s, Marvel had launched a great new series, Exiles. The Exiles were a team of heroes who traveled to the various parallel worlds of the Marvel Universe. They were comprised, primarily, of alternate versions of mainstream Marvel characters. In a flash of absolute inspiration I began thinking about a DC Comics version of the Exiles…and so did everybody else. Seriously, there wasn’t anyone I talked to either in person, or online, that had not thought, “wouldn’t it be cool if DC did their own take on the Exiles?” I mean it was only natural. While Marvel has its fair share of alternate realities, parallel worlds are absolutely DC’s bread and butter.

In 2004, I sat down to write my attempt. This was before Infinite Crisis and 52 would lead to the Multiverse being revamped. This was before Mark Waid would return the Challengers to Earth in the Brave and the Bold. This was before the Ryan Choi Atom ever saw print. And, this was certainly before the Ray Palmer Atom began world hopping in Countdown!

My series would take the title “Challengers of the Unknown,” and be subtitled “Living On Borrowed Hypertime”. It would chronicle the efforts of Ray Palmer to discover what happened to the original Challengers (who we had last seen in Hypertime), and in the process send him to as many Hypertimelines as I could. Along the way he would find himself allied with several heroes who were counterparts to well known DC characters. Simple really, and not all that original. But, boy was it fun “creating” this title.

Here’s how it broke down.

The Premise: The Atom (Ray Palmer) is devastated after the events of the recent Identity Crisis mini-series (in which his ex-wife Jean was revealed as a killer). He wants nothing more than to vanish. Wishing to recapture his past, he turns to Professor Alpheus Hyatt. Hyatt is an old friend, who was introduced in the Atom’s 1960s series. Hyatt is the inventor of the Time Pool, a small portal that can transport people to various points in time, first seen in The Atom #3. Ray has used the Time Pool on many occasions (Time Pool adventures were used as frequent back-ups throughout the Atom series). Before Ray can use the Pool to escape his present, Hyatt wants to demonstrate some modifications he’s made to the portal. Shockingly, during the test, five time-ravaged corpses emerge from the gateway…the bodies of the Challengers of the Unknown.

Having witnessed enough death, and feeling he has so little left to lose, he decides to trace the Challengers steps back through the Time Pool, and uncover what caused their demise. But, first he enlists the reluctant aide of his archenemy Chronus. Chronus, a master of time travel, is serving a jail term. But, Ray cuts a deal with his old ally Amanda Waller (who he knows from his time in the Suicide Squad series) to have Chronus released early, if he’ll help guide the Atom through his journey.

The Atom and Chronus find themselves transported to the citadel of Epoch, The Lord of Time. The Lord of Time is a long established foe of the Justice League of America. He wishes to consolidate all of time under his rule. Having become aware of Hypertime, he has begun “damming” off all of the alternate tributaries Hypertime spawns off the main timestream. As he eliminates these realities, various heroes from these timelines have tried (and failed) to stop him. He has captured several of these “last survivors”, and imprisoned them in his citadel. The Challengers had also made an attempt against him, and paid with their lives (though one can always retcon that the Challengers who died were Hypertime counterparts).

While in the citadel, the Atom releases the Lord of Time’s prisoners- four champions, each from a different Hypertime. Meanwhile, Chronus, looking to gain further knowledge of time begins helping himself to some of the Lord of Time’s experiments. Enraged by this intrusion, a battle breaks out between the two villains. The result is a rupture in the citadel’s walls that apparently kills them, while sending the Atom and the escapees hurtling through the various “kingdoms” of Hypertime. Ray is able to fashion a “Hyper Anchor”, a device cobbled together from the debris of the citadel, which allows the group to land on various Earths. But, they must constantly move on, or their prolonged presence could breakdown the walls of reality.

In addition to the adventures they will encounter on these worlds, the Challengers (Ray will pick up the mantle) will also become aware of a dark, sinister group of Hypertime travelers. Led by the mysterious Calendar Man, this team of Outsiders poses a grave threat when they cross our heroes’ path.

The Characters: The Challengers of the Unknown

The Atom (Ray Palmer)- The only regular character from the central DC timeline. Ray is looking to escape what his life has become in the wake of Identity Crisis. But, it is also his past that makes him the most qualified to headline this team. He is a brilliant physicist, able to develop weapons from star fragments. But, despite his years as a college professor, he is far from a retiring, stuffy academic. He is just as likely to “school” you in combat. From his acrobatic fighting style, to his years wielding a sword (all those Sword of the Atom tales) this is one little man you don’t push around. He’s also had a lifetime of experience dealing with time travel. Whether it’s coping with his arch-foe Chronus, his journeys in the Time Pool, or even being temporarily de-aged by Extant, he’s been though it all.

Dev-Em- A Kryptonian from a Hypertime identical to the Pre-Crisis Earth One. Dev-Em was a juvenile delinquent from the planet Krypton who was a menace to Jor-El, Lara, and their young son Kal-El. After stealing plans for a rocket from Jor-El’s lab, he too survived Krypton’s destruction. He eventually ended up on Earth, where he gained vast powers, and framed Superboy for a series of crimes. These events were depicted in a Silver Age story where he was called the Knave from Krypton. When Dev-Em next appeared, he was still a rogue, but this time he was on the side of the angels. Readers never got to see what triggered his transformation. This version shares the devilish attitude of the original (not to mention his immense abilities), but we’ll slowly show what turned him around.

The Green Flame (Tora Olafsdotter)- In Tora’s Hypertime, a group of immortal beings called the Gatherers have tried to collect all magical energy in the cosmos, so it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Originally, the Gatherers feared that humanoids might be tempted if they were selected to help collect such energy, so they created a hybrid race of magic and machines called Mys-Techs to carry out their orders. The Mys-Techs soon gained infamy under a new name, the Magehunters, as they stole the magic in a vain attempt to give themselves souls. The Gatherers then began selecting living beings they trusted, and outfitted them with magic rings carved from the greatest single source of alchemy, the Starheart. These Sentinels of the Starheart, or Green Flames (for the effect their rings give off) as they are better known, protect all corners of the galaxy from dark sorcery. Tora’s husband, Guy Gardner was one of them. She inherited his ring after his death at the hands of his foe Solomon Grundy. Her ring can create any object her mind can envision, project force fields, and grants her flight. Due to the strange nature of Hypertime, she no longer needs to recharge her ring, but it still does not work against any substance composed of wood (a weakness the Gatherers placed in all the rings). In the main DC timeline Tora was Green Lantern, Guy Gardner’s lost love Ice. She was also best friends with Fire who once operated under the codename Green Flame.

Robin (Richard Grayson)- A hero from a Hypertime identical to the Pre-Crisis Earth Two. For several decades Robin served as the partner to Batman. Eventually, Bruce Wayne chose to go out in battle, rather than succumb to the cancer that was ravaging his body. Robin decided to not only honor his mentor by continuing as a super-hero, but also by fighting crime in the courtroom as an attorney. He is different from his counterpart in the main DC timeline on several counts. First, he is much older. Although he’s still a fantastic fighter and acrobat, he has lost a step. He has had to compensate by getting craftier. Second, he never gave up the Robin mantle to become Nightwing. Third, he has never led a team. However, he has years of experience as a diplomat and ambassador. These are skills he employs to great effect as they travel from one strange world to another.

Silver Scarab (Carter Hall)- A hero from a shiny, optimistic Hypertime. Centuries ago, an Egyptian prince named Khufu and his bride Chay-Ara were exposed to an alien element called Nth Metal. This substance allowed them to be reincarnated over dozens of lifetimes in different bodies. It also linked their souls together, meaning they met and fell in love in every era. In this century he has been reborn as 21-year-old M.I.T. student Carter Hall, while she became his girlfriend Shiera Sanders. This reality is personified by glistening, hi-tech skyscrapers, and relentless optimism. It is as if the promise of the Silver Age has come to pass. And, no one embodies that spirit more than the Silver Scarab. Carter has built a full set of gleaming Nth Metal armor, which he uses to preserve the peace. The Atom (whose best friend is Hawkman) gets a kick out of seeing an upbeat version of his normally brooding pal. The Scarab is the first one to put a smile back on Ray’s face. Even after Carter’s Hypertime is destroyed by the Lord of Time, the Scarab does not abandon hope that he’ll see his soul mate Shiera again. He is convinced she’ll be reborn somewhere- and he’s right.

Fury (Sharra)- After the Silver Scarab’s Hypertime was eliminated, his soul mate Shiera’s spirit migrated to a new reality. It took root in the body of a recently slain warrior woman named Sharra. Sharra is from a Hypertime that is a post-apocalyptic nightmare. It is an Earth that has been ravaged by both atomic war, and the unstoppable creature known as Doomsday. Most humans survive as nomadic, barbaric tribes. Sharra is 6’ 7” tall, and has enhanced strength mutated by the fallout. Her weapon of choice is the Atomic Axe (which can cut through anything including metal, force fields, gravity, light, etc.) She, and her tribe, speak in a simple language known only to them. She is incredibly savage, gaining her the nickname Fury when the Challengers encounter her on their fourth adventure. Despite the differences in their styles and languages, Carter and Sharra recognize the bond between them. She leaves her world to join the Challengers on their odyssey. In the main DC timeline, Carter and Shiera were Hawkman and Hawkgirl, the parents of Silver Scarab, and in-laws to his wife Fury. The Atomic Axe was wielded by Legion badguy the Persuader.

Reflecto- Created on a Hypertime identical to the Pre-Crisis Earth Three. In a reality ruled by the evil Crime Syndicate of America, only one man stood up to tyranny- Alexander Luthor. Luthor combated the Syndicate’s leader Ultra Man on many occasions, but the villain’s incredible strength, speed, flight, vision, hearing, breath, etc. was too overwhelming. Luthor decided to create a genetic copy to match up against Ultra Man. This artificial lifeform would be a perfect physical reflection of his adversary. But, while he had all of his vast powers, he bizarrely had an incredibly heroic personality. Before, Luthor could activate his creation; the Lord of Time destroyed this Hypertime. However, the construct known as Reflecto, somehow survived the carnage, and has begun exploring the various timelines under his own fantastic power. His path eventually crosses that of the Challengers on their fourth mission, during which he saves them from Doomsday. Unknown to his new teammates, even though he slays Doomsday, Reflecto sustains internal injuries in the battle that will eventually prove fatal. However, his peerless courage, and just use of Kryptonian level abilities will leave a profound effect on Dev-Em. In the main DC timeline Bizzaro is a twisted copy of Superman, and Reflecto was an alias a young Clark Kent adopted temporarily with the Legion.

Roll Call (Chris Reed)- Chris Reed is a survivor of a plague stricken Hypertime. He meets up with the Challengers on their sixth adventure. When a mysterious virus sweeps across this Earth, killing super-heroes and normal humans alike, scientists begin cultivating DNA from the fallen meta-humans. They place their genetic codes into a digital device the size of a small cell phone. Chris is tasked with delivering it to the only STAR Lab known to still be operational. He is attacked however, by agents of Project Cadmus who are responsible for unleashing this “Ambush Bug” that strikes without warning. In desperation, he punches in a series of numbers on his “phone” and finds himself transformed into a super-hero. Chris learns that he can “dial” up the powers of any of the deceased heroes stored in the device he calls the Rolodex. With the help of the Challengers his world is cured. In gratitude, the orphaned Chris- now Roll Call, joins the team. In the main DC timeline Chris King and Robby Reed were just two of the individuals who used the powerful Dial “H” For Hero.

In a few days I will post the rest of this pitch. This will include profiles on the team’s opposite number The Outsiders, and just a few story arc descriptions. Hey, I got to get this stuff on the record somehow…

The Greatest Geek Moment On Earth

As promised, here is my dorkiest display- EVER! Now, I already shared this gem with Robert, Ken, and Marty. But, the point is I also shared this moment with a stadium full of people…

A few weeks ago I took my daughter to the circus. We were plowing through our cotton candy and popcorn, when the ringmaster directed our attention high above the center ring. He stated, that the trapeze artist would be attempting a quadruple somersault- something that had not been successfully executed in the last 60 years. I should have been honored that my family was in attendance to witness such a great potential achievement. But, instead I rooted- LOUDLY-against the acrobat that was risking himself for our entertainment.

And, why would I be so callous? Well, you see in the comics, my favorite character (and former circus trapeze artist) Dick Grayson is noted as being the only one in the world who can do a quadruple somersault. So, who was this real life, flesh and blood guy to rob that distinction from my pretend paper and ink hero? I then took great joy when the performer failed to nail the maneuver (after seeing that he landed safely in the net bellow). Yes! I shouted with glee, as I basked in the satisfaction that my favorite character’s record remained intact.

A minute later I realized I was one sick pup. Maybe there’s a padded cell for me at Arkham Asylum (wait that’s fake too).

I’m Back: Because You Demanded It (er, right…)

After several weeks away, I’m going to be returning to blogging with a vengeance. In this week’s posts alone I will thrill you with:

My all time geekiest moment (and that’s saying something)

Treat you to my never before seen pitch for the Challengers of the Unknown (think Exiles)

Give reviews of this week’s comics, plus reveal my secret comic shame (and no wiseguys its not Aquaman)

So, that’s what you can look forward to in the days (that’s right I said days) ahead. As for why I was gone so long- I could blame it on being emotionally spent after the Lost finale, but the truth is I was not feeling good for a couple weeks. I went to the doctor, and he ran some blood tests. I’ve been getting better, and I was just about fully recovered in time to go with Dom, Ken, Marty, Robert, and Tim (who was nice enough to drive) to Wizard World Philly. While it is safe to say it wasn’t the greatest con I’ve been to, I couldn’t beat the company. Robert spent hundreds on original art. The others dubbed him “the Ghost of Artist Alley”. Despite busting on him for constantly spouting non-sequiturs, I have to give it up to Robert. He really is so genuinely enthused with this hobby we all share. I’m hoping for an even greater time in Baltimore (my favorite con) in just a couple months. And, if Wizard reschedules its NJ con, I hope to see Gary in the Fall.

Plus, an apology (of sorts) to Nick. He foolishly asked me an innocent question about Tom Tresser aka. Nemesis, and I gave him a decades spanning character profile. So, sorry. But, in case you didn’t mind – put a few weeks aside if you want to ask me about the Legion.

Ah, the Legion! It is back in full force. I don’t know who this new kid Paul Levitz is, but I think he has a great future ahead of him. Seriously, the classic Legion scribe proved he can still play ball with the current generation. I absolutely loved both Legion #1, and his debut on Adventure (both of which were the perfect companions to Geoff Johns’ latest runs on the characters). Long Live The Levitz!

See you tomorrow!

Lost No Longer (Or How I Both Don’t and Do Know Jack)

“You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need”- The Rolling Stones

The single greatest television series EVER came to an end last night, as Lost aired its much-hyped finale. If you entered this episode looking for further answers regarding Jacob, the Man in Black, their crazy mom, the funky lighthouse, the fertility statue, etc. (and I was), then you were left with those answers still beyond your grasp. So why do I feel like I’ve just seen the most haunting masterpiece I’ve ever experienced?

The answer to why I’ve loved Lost has always been the characters. I remember telling everyone during the first season, that the show was about this great group of interesting people trying to build a society-plus, there’s this monster. You see, for me, the monster, the time travel, constants, and hydro bombs, were just the topping. They were an extra bonus. I loved exploring their meanings and mysteries as much as the next fan. But, from the start I would debate those who said that the show was not forthcoming in giving up its secrets. I constantly argued that we, as viewers, feel the need for answers, but precious few of the CHARACTERS do. They just wanted to live.

And, live they did, embodied by the finest cast on TV. Yes, I may never know how the island could move and how those afflicted were magically cured. But, thanks to this series I did know Locke, Jack, Sawyer, Kate, Hurley, Ben, and all the others (no pun intended). It was because, the creators made sure we understood them so completely (after all the shows biggest narrative trick was character enhancing flashes so that you literally knew them backwards, forwards, and sideways), that I was so moved by what they did choose to focus on in the end.

This was a deeply profound statement on focusing on what really matters, the power that human connections and friendships bestow, and that no man is an ISLAND.

Bravo!

Iron Man 2 Gets It Right

I had a blast watching this flick. The reasons are many:

1) I saw it as part of Comic Masters latest movie/party events. As such, I got to watch it in the company of my fellow fans. Most of us enjoyed the heck out of it. The after film party was fun as well. I can’t thank Harry and his crew enough for all their efforts. Though I have to throttle even further back with the trivia questions next year.

2) The film was pure fun in the “Mighty Marvel Manner”. Iron Man, War Machine, and Black Widow blasting away at the bad guys with abandon. Shout outs to the Avengers, Captain America, and Thor are sprinkled throughout. The tone is crisp and light. It’s not deep in a Dark Knight way, but it does have a point of view. Which brings me to…

3) They stick it to liberal Hollywood! Make no mistake, the movie version of Tony Stark is as right wing as his portrayer Robert Downey, Jr. (Jon Favreau, as well as their pal Vince Vaughn are conservatives) Downey had a conversion several years ago, “I have a really interesting political point of view, and it’s not always something I say too loud at dinner tables here, but you can’t go from a $2,000-a-night suite at La Mirage to a penitentiary and really understand it and come out a liberal. You can’t. I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone else, but it was very, very, very educational for me and has informed my proclivities and politics ever since.”

His fictional counterpart, Stark, takes on Whiplash and some robot drones, but the true threat comes from the government. They want to seize his armor, and regulate it, even though they played no part in its creation. Think of it as super-hero wealth redistribution. Stark shouts at (and mocks) a liberal senator, “You want my property? You can’t have it! But, I did you a big favor-I’ve successfully privatized world peace.” He isn’t sorry (or feels) guilty about his vast wealth. He has earned it by being better than his competitors, and because he is such a successful INDIVIDUAL the world has benefited from his accomplishments. That is a capitalist as crusader.

The best dig though is a send-up of Obama’s famous Hope poster.

Now, if they can only get the Captain America movie to have such zeal.

Birthday Boy

Well today was my birthday! I turned 41. So, I thought I’d post a personal Top Ten List:

John’s Top Ten Things I Love About Life

1) Family- My parents, my wife, and of course my daughter, make me feel richer than Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark combined.

2) Friends- Over the years I have been blessed with many (John Keller, Melissa, Dom, Gary, the Comic Masters Crew). And, a special thanks to Patti for remembering my B-Day!

3) Comics- They have provided me more hours of fun, thought, awe, companionship, and education than any THING else in my life. Many of the actual friends I have made were due to a common love for the medium.

4) Mashed Potatoes and Meat Balls- My favorite foods. Perhaps, not a surprise since I’m Irish and Italian.

5) Coke- My favorite beverage. Not a day goes by without me swigging down a 2 liter.

6) Star Trek- TV or Movies…Captain Kirk Rocks! Plus, DS9, Wrath of Khan, JJ Abrams remake, heck you name it!

7) Superman: The Movie- The greatest film of all time, and seeing it in the theatre is my single favorite childhood memory.

8) Tom Seaver- I’ve always been a Mets fan, and he is the single greatest Met of all! The only cool thing about turning 41, was that was his (retired) number was #41. My birthday gift was a Tom Seaver 41 jersey from my wife.

9) Roger Staubach and The Triplets- The Dallas Cowboys are my NFL team of choice. Particularly, the 70s and 90s eras. The Triplets (for those unaware) were Troy Aikman, Emmit Smith and Michael Irvin.

10) Country Music- The Aquaman of musical genres, but I don’t care!

Don’t Call It A Bromance

I’m back, and I’ve brought some Top 10 Lists with me! This week I had to skip out on my usual Saturday comic gabfest. I’m missing my buds, so I’m pulling out an old list dealing with the top friendships in comic’s history. And, what better topic is there for special guest-lister Gary to join in?

John’s Top Ten Comic Friendships

1) Captain America (Steve Rogers) & Bucky Barnes

2) Atom (Ray Palmer) & Hawkman (Carter Hall)

3) Superman & Mon-El

4) Superman & Dick Grayson

5) Dick Grayson & Donna Troy

6) Oracle & Black Canary

7) Batman & James Gordon

8) Daredevil & Foggy Nelson

9) Captain America (Steve Rogers) & Falcon (Sam Wilson)

10) Black Adam & Atom Smasher

Ken’s Top Ten Comic Friendships

1) Superman & Jimmy Olsen

2) Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) & Flash (Barry Allen)

3) Captain America (Steve Rogers) & Bucky Barnes

4) Captain America (Steve Rogers) & Falcon (Sam Wilson)

5) Iron Man & War Machine

6) Dick Grayson & Wally West

7) Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy

8) Juggernaut & Black Tom Cassiday

9) Jack Knight & Shade

10) Hourman (Rick Tyler) & Jakeem Thunder

Robert’s Top Ten Comic Friendships

1) Superman & Batman (Bruce Wayne)

2) Superman & Dick Grayson

3) Dick Grayson & Donna Troy

4) Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy

5) Kyle Rayner & Guy Gardner

6) Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) & Booster Gold

7) Dick Grayson & Tim Drake

8) Superman & Jimmy Olsen

9) Superman & Mon-El

10) Conner Kent & Tim Drake

Dom’s Top Ten Comic Friendships

1) Bruce Wayne & Dick Grayson

2) Dick Grayson & Tim Drake

3) Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) & Flash (Barry Allen)

4) Cyborg & Beast Boy/Changeling

5) Spider-Man & Human Torch

6) Captain America (Steve Rogers) & Bucky Barnes

7) Starfire & Donna Troy

8) Beast & Iceman

9) Atom (Ray Palmer) & Hawkman (Carter Hall)

10) Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) & Green Arrow (Oliver Queen)

Gary’s Top Ten Comic Friendships

1) Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) & Green Arrow (Oliver Queen)

2) Captain America (Steve Rogers) & Falcon (Sam Wilson)

3) Dick Grayson & Wally West

4) Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) & Booster Gold

5) Thing & Mr. Fantastic

6) Luke Cage & Iron Fist

7) Wonder Man & Beast

8) Atom (Ray Palmer) & Hawkman (Carter Hall)

9) Captain America (Steve Rogers) & Bucky Barnes

10) Superman & Batman (Bruce Wayne)

You can tell we are all pals ourselves. I mean look at how many of the same pairings we have in common. If you were to tally them up, our mutual Top Five would be:

1) Captain America (Steve Rogers) & Bucky Barnes

2) Captain America (Steve Rogers) & Falcon (Sam Wilson)

3) Atom (Ray Palmer) & Hawkman (Carter Hall)

4) Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) & Flash (Barry Allen)

5) Superman & Dick Grayson

Speaking of friends…If Marty, Nick, or anyone else want to contribute their lists in the comments sections (then in the immortal words of Rocky V) GO FOR IT!

Scatter Shot

It has been awhile. Although my lack of Top 10 List postings are beginning to make All Star Batman and Robin’s publishing schedule look like a well-oiled machine, I have a few other things on my mind. Here are some tidbits from recent weeks:

Where There Is A Will, There Is A (No) Way- The prestigious Eisner awards committee must of found Grant Morrison’s peyote stash. How else to explain Cry For Justice getting a nod? This is the Marisa Tomei of comic nominations! Will Eisner…Cry For Justice…does not compute…

Welcome To The Future- What does compute, and does everything else for that matter, is my new toy: The IPad! I can sit and watch my itunes bought copy of Superman: The Movie; make use of an App that shows me every episode of LOST for free; read the latest novels; play games; get crystal clear digital comics; surf the web and Youtube; etc. all in a handy device that weighs a little over a pound. Plus, I finally got a DVR. Mr. Bleeding Edge, that’s me.

Who Will Yield The Shield- Chris Evans was far and away the best part of the Fantastic Four films. I thought his take on Johnny Storm was awesome. However, I’m a bit concerned about him playing Captain America. Evans has made his mark as a young, modern day smart alec. Captain America doesn’t have an ounce of sarcasm in his super-soldier body. Everything he says is totally sincere. He not only believes in values and ideals, he makes you believe them as well. He commands gods into battle. Even the mightiest beings heed his call of, “Avengers Assemble”. Steve Rogers grew up as a struggling artist during the Great Depression. Until, he was so moved by the plight of the innocents in war ravaged Europe that he volunteered for military service. I just don’t see Evans as a leader of men, or a product of a bygone era. Putting him alongside either the older Robert Downey Jr., or a Bucky (Sebastian Stan in the role) who is just two years younger is awkward as well. But, I’ll be happy to be wrong (though I still like Mark Valley for the part).

Roll Call- Speaking of Captain America, current Cap scribe Ed Brubaker’s new book Secret Avengers just had its roster revealed. They should just call this the John Conlon League. I really like every character on this team: Steve Rogers, Beast, War Machine, Moon Knight, Valkyrie, and Nova! This new title is a must buy.

The True Tiny Titan- Another bit of news I feel was designed just for me, was the announcement of a new Atom (Ray Palmer, thank you very much!) co-feature in Adventure Comics (which will already have a lead story starring my faves- the Legion of Super-Heroes). There will also be a Brightest Day One Shot to kick it off. I’ve been a gigantic Atom fan since his old 60’s cartoon series, so I can’t wait!

DC’s New Dawn- Brightest Day #0 hit the stands this week. In 48 pages readers were treated to dozens of potential plotlines. There is SO much ground covered here. This is a real treat for me. Aquaman, Hawkman, Ronnie Raymond, Hawk, and the others are all given a host of tasty subplots that will make for a great year’s worth of reading.

History Strikes Once- This week also saw the arrival of Barry Allen’s very first #1 issue. Most readers may not know that Jay Garrick, Wally West, and Bart Allen all got to start their Flash runs with a brand new title. But, poor Barry’s original series actually continued the numbering of Jay’s old Golden Age book (the thinking back then was that kids wouldn’t want to buy a number one in favor of a more established series). In typical Barry fashion, while this book was a long time coming, it was worth the wait. Geoff Johns kicks off a ton of intriguing elements (not the least of which is the revelation of 2011’s big event Flashpoint), though he’s already driving the whole Central City “on the go” metaphor into the ground. On art, I miss Scott Kolins (for me the greatest Flash artist- ever), but Francis Manapul makes Barry Allen seem like a fresh new character.

Party On- I just got my invite to Comic Masters annual movie party (in May). Boy, am I psyched. Not only will Iron Man 2 be on the screen, but tons of comic talk will follow. I’ve actually had to miss two weeks of gabbing about books with the gang (due to various reasons) so I’m anxious to get back in the swing this weekend. Friday a bunch of us will be at Dom’s for a movie night, and then Saturday it will be back to yakking about the good stuff. Can’t wait!

Blackest Night By Spoilers Light

Aquaman LIVES!!! So suck it haters! Just teasing. But, really, I’m thrilled. No sooner do I sit down to write another loving post to the man, than he returns- ORANGE SHIRT, and all!

Ok, I kind of knew this would be the case with the Brightest Day #2 cover. But, there is nothing like reading it for yourself.

As for Blackest Night #8 (the issue I’m now holding), I was totally enthralled, though it isn’t perfect. Part of me feels like the kid who gets nearly every present he wants Christmas morning, but is already making his list for next year. Right now I’m a prime candidate for the Orange Lanterns, because I want MORE! Luckily, more is right around the corner in Brightest Day. I am on pins and needles for this follow-up. But, back to the comic at hand…

As a finale, it lacked the bare-knuckle thrill of Sinestro Corps. I cant begin to describe how Hal and the others became White Lanterns, or what the Indigo Tribe are up to. And, where did all the thousands of various Lanterns go? They all went away peacefully? But, I loved the message of the story. After following the twisted (though convincing) logic presented by Nekron throughout the series- that life has no purpose, but to disturb the black- it was uplifting to hear that the real point of Geoff Johns’ tale was that in the living we define our world and give it purpose.

On art, Ivan Reis was an absolute monster. He slayed every page. There are images in here that I’ll never get out of my head. I’ve been a fan of his since he was a fill-in artist on various Marvel titles. I always knew he would be great, but damn!

I was quite surprised to see who was brought back in that monumental gatefold picture. I would never guess that just 12 would make it back (poor, poor Tempest!!!). Here are my thoughts on the lucky few (and I rank them in order of my favorites- cause that’s what I do):

12. Osiris- I could care less that he’s back. He had an awesome death in 52 (truly shocking), but was a bit of a bore in life. To be honest he’s another riff on my Black Adam Jr. concept. That said, he’ll be used to expedite the return of Black Adam (and the other Marvels), so that’s not so bad.

11. Jade- When coming up with this list, I forgot all about her. When she first showed up in Infinity, Inc. I really liked her. But, for years she has been rather annoying. I wasn’t sad to see her go. However, learning that we’ll discover a further connection between her and the Green Lantern power is intriguing. I feel happy for Alan Scott.

10. Deadman- Another character I’m lukewarm on, but how can you resist the hook (hey, it was the Hook that killed him) of him finally being alive?

9. Max Lord- Let’s be clear- I hate Max Lord with a passion! I despised that this little piece of crap thought he could order around the Justice League. And then, he puts a bullet between Ted Kord’s eyes? I wanted to break his neck, but luckily Wonder Woman did it for me. Yes, I hate him, but I dig having a villain I LOVE TO HATE around.

8. Martian Manhunter- His death in Final Crisis was one of the worst in comics’ history (and then we were told that was the point). He is far too noble, and unique to stay gone forever.

7. Captain Boomerang- One of Barry Allen’s greatest foes. Of course he‘s back, and I can’t wait to see him back with the Rogues.

6. Reverse Flash- The least surprising resurrection. Professor Zoom was telling us how he returned for nearly a year now.

5. Hawkgirl- I never really cared for Kendra. So when Hawkgirl took off the helmet, I was psyched to see the original back in action.

4. Hawk- As I write this, I’m looking at my Hawk (and Dove) action figure from the JLU cartoon. My hope is to finish up my collection of Hawk and Dove Silver Age appearances at the next couple of comic cons I go to. Hawk’s return, and inclusion in Birds of Prey, has pushed my anticipation of that book’s relaunch into the stratosphere.

3. Firestorm- Ronnie Raymond is back in the mix! Another lame death was undone here. Ronnie was my generation’s Peter Parker. After The New Teen Titans, his series was the first I collected from issue one. I followed him from the Justice League of America, Power Company, Super Powers cartoon, and all 100 issues of his title.

2. Hawkman- This guy is another big gun that deserves to stay perpetually in the spotlight. I love Hawkman, almost as much as…

1. Aquaman- He’s my number one? What a shock!

BRING ON BRIGHTEST DAY!!!!

Aquaman Haters Are All Wet: Part One

Aquaman is lame! Or so I’ve been told for the last couple of decades. When pressed for a reason, I am often given surface answers- “He wears an orange shirt”, or “He talks to fish”. If that’s the depth of your complaint, your argument is pretty shallow (Whew, that’s a lot of water puns for an opening paragraph).

I have done writing for marketing, and I can tell you that Aquaman challenges the old axiom, “Any publicity is good publicity”. If that holds true than he is an icon for the ages. Late show hosts Craig Fergusson and Jimmy Kimmel, cartoons like Sponge Bob Squarepants, and the HBO series Entourage have gotten tons of mileage out of mocking the King of the Seven Seas. Countering them has been a slew of recent “positive” portrayals on Smallville, a pilot film, Justice League (Unlimited), and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. When I was growing up Aquaman was everywhere from lunchboxes to Megos, and from his own show to the Super Friends. Michael Phelps was even dubbed “Aquaman” after his Olympic gold medal wins. So why has Aquaman, of all characters, achieved equal parts stardom and scorn?

It could be because Aquaman is a character defined by a perception of what he can’t do, rather than what he can. Superman flies, The Flash runs fast, Spider-Man spins webs…Aquaman can’t go on land. This is, of course, false. He can get along just fine on the surface. But, take someone like the oh so cool Wolverine, and drop him in the middle of an ocean trench- and he’s toast (there is no way someone can tell me a healing factor would do jack squat against drowning). Now, there was a time (nearly 20 years ago) that Aquaman needed water every hour. But, this was treated as a “ticking time bomb” element, designed to give his stories a level of suspense. Can Aquaman beat the badguy before time runs out? In this way he was no different than Hourman, the early Iron Man (who had to constantly recharge his chest plate or suffer a heart attack), the first incarnation of the Hulk who would revert to normal when the sun came up, or Green Lantern’s ring constantly running out of juice everyday.

It could be because Aquaman is a character whose two most memorable stories stem from failure. Long before Red Arrow, Aquaman lost both his child, and his hand (it’s ironic that both Aquaman and Roy Harper were created by the same writer, and both made their debut in More Fun Comics #73 in 1941).

It could be because Aquaman is always Aquaman. There is constant debate among comic fans over the true natures of Batman and Superman. Is The Batman his real personality, and it’s Bruce Wayne that’s the mask? Is Superman better served by being the Last Son of Krypton, or a simple Kansas farm boy? Aquaman has no such dual identity. Perhaps he lacks the story advantages afforded those with alter egos.

It could be anyone of these things. But, sadly it really is just…”He wears an orange shirt”, and “He talks to fish”.

Next time, I will explore why I like that orange shirt, and just what talking to fish really means.

Putting a Price on a Good Time

I continue to have modem problems, but maybe I can get back on track. More Top 10 lists are coming (one day), but I had to acknowledge a great time I had this weekend. My local comic store, Comic Masters, held an auction. It was a total blast. I hope Harry and his staff reached some kind of financial goal (I really don’t know), but more importantly I hope they know what a great community they’ve put together.

In addition to Dom, Ken, and Robert, I got to have fun bidding on items alongside Marty, Nick, and a host of other customers who share my passion. All of these guys really know their stuff, and it is a pleasure to have an outlet for some fun after a hard week. I must also tip my hat to another of Harry’s staff- Brian. I teased him quite a bit over his love of the GI Joe and Spider-Man 3 films, but he got me back by dissing my boy Aquaman. Brian is a good guy, and we both like Ben Reilly (so I hope he takes my next post with a sense of humor).

Thanks for a good time, and hey if you need trivia questions for your next party I’m here for you (I’ll try to go easy).

The Sensational Character Find of 1940

DC Comics is my favorite comic company. There I’ve said it. I’m still a two-company guy when it comes to some things… Marvel’s Silver Age comics are unparalleled in their genius. Stan Lee is the greatest showman in the biz. Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita, John Buscema, Gene Colan, and Jim Steranko made up a bullpen of heavy hitters that were the comics’ version of Mantle, Maris, Berra, and DiMaggio. The Death of Captain Marvel will always be my favorite graphic novel, and Daredevil’s Born Again my favorite storyline. And, I’ll never get over how Bucky’s return made a boyhood dream come true. But, damn my heart really does belong to DC.

A lot of people gravitate to Marvel over their “cool” heroes, but for me it has always been DC’s champions that have me in their grip. I love tons of Marvel characters, and can explain (often better than their current writers) what makes them resonate so strongly. However, give me the chance to read the adventures of a DC icon, and I’ll choose that title over a Marvel one nearly every time. See, I know that most readers like to read about characters they can “relate” to (a Marvel hallmark), but I’m all about the escape. I want to read about the bravest pilot, the smartest detective, and mightiest being- because I can’t be any of those things.

That said, when it came time for me, as a fan, to choose “my character” I went in a slightly different direction. I chose Dick Grayson. Now, Dick Grayson was a boy when I first encountered him (despite the fact that he had been created thirty years before I was born), and it would be easy for me to relate to him. In the 80’s he was finally allowed to age in the comics, just as I was reaching my teenage years. And, I would eventually move out around the same time he at last earned his solo title. Despite all this I followed Dick Grayson’s adventures not out of any shared kinship, but because of a feeling his character instilled in every page (even as I am more than aware that I’ve now aged past him)- Wonder!

Dick Grayson, no matter his heroic identity, is the Boy Wonder after all. And, wonder I have. I’ve wondered how a boy can take down an army of grown men with guns. I’ve wondered how he turned his tragedy into a chance to do good for others with a smile on his face. I’ve wondered how he would cope with the threats that the adult heroes encountered. I’ve wondered whom he would fall in love with. I’ve wondered if he would get the due he deserved. Now, I wonder on the eve of his 70^th anniversary (April, 2010), what the future holds for him.

He is currently doing fine as a replacement for Batman. But, with Bruce Wayne coming back soon, Damien wearing the Robin mantle, and the Nightwing name firmly back in the Superman camp, I’m a bit anxious to learn what’s next. One thing is for sure; I don’t want to sit through any more “rebuilding” stories. Does this mean I want nothing done with the character, and that nothing bad can ever come his way? HELL NO!!! I want to see him pushed to his limits, and then some. But, I want him to embrace his challenges with the same gusto and flair he had back when he was created. I hope the strides that have been achieved during his tenure as Batman will mark an end to the whiny Dick Grayson we were treated to a few years back (before Peter J. Tomasi’s brilliant story and words set things right).

“Introducing in this issue an exciting new figure whose incredible gymnastic and athletic feats will astound you. A laughing, fighting, young daredevil who scoffs at danger like the legendary Robin Hood whose name and spirit he has adopted”- Intro to Detective Comics #38 1940.

Does this sound like a guy who sits around complaining about his life?

Bruce Wayne: “ Well, Dick, now that your parents’ deaths have been avenged, are you going back to circus life?”

Dick Grayson: “No, I think Mother and Dad would like me to go on fighting crime, and as for me …well I love adventure!”

Wayne: “Okay, you reckless young squirt…Why didn’t you wait for me?”

Grayson: “ Aw! I didn’t want to miss any of the fun! Say, I can hardly wait till we go on our next case. I’ll bet it’ll be a corker!” From Detective Comics #38 1940.

Happy Anniversary, and Happy Birthday (most comics say that Grayson was born on the first day of Spring) to the single greatest character in any medium (to me anyway)- Richard John Grayson AKA Robin, Nightwing, Batman, Target, Renegade, etc.!

Teen Angst

With all of the chaos that has befallen the Titans characters recently, I looked at a pitch I was thinking of sending in a couple of years ago for a Teen Titans: Year One mini-series. This was written right after Infinite Crisis. Now, there was a Year One series for the Titans a short while back, but this would be different. My “hook” would involve delving into how the original five Titans start off as almost funhouse mirror reflections of the characters they would evolve into. For example, most of the outside world views Robin as the constantly punning sidekick to the Caped Crusader (Holy wisecracks, Batman). But, at the time I wrote this, he was the dark, and brooding Nightwing. Wonder Girl functions as the team’s den mother. She is always offering a shoulder to cry on, but she is a mess inside- always questioning her true nature, while encouraging others to follow their own. In the original Titans series she did not get a “real name” until over twenty issues into the run. Yet, now that name (Donna Troy) is all she goes by. In the brilliant New Teen Titans #20 (Dear Mom and Dad), we see that Wally writes letters to his loving, and supportive parents. But, once he got his own ongoing, his folks became flaky jerks. Another key aspect of Wally’s portrayal in the New Teen Titans, was that he wanted to retire from being a hero, and become a normal college student. So, how bizarre is it that he would be the first Titan to actually make it to the big leagues as his mentor’s successor? Garth, of course, should be the most powerful member (in terms of strength, and political prestige), but he became almost a joke. And, Roy starts off as a rebellious troublemaker, only to become the most responsible by taking care of his daughter (that is until the gift that was Cry For Justice).

I wrote a heck of a lot of stuff for this “project”, but I thought I would share my character profiles here (since I think they are pretty spot on):

Titans Together: Teen Titans Year One

By John Conlon

This series would update, and refresh, the origin and first adventures of the Teen Titans. The goal is to give these tales a “New Earth” twist, and provide a look at the team that is rich with irony and pathos- given the complex character development the members have endured over the years. Here are some character templates that will provide the launch point for this examination:

Robin, The Boy Wonder (Real Name: Dick Grayson)- The laughing, fighting, young daredevil. He used to wow them under the Big Top. Now, thanks to the Batman’s tutelage, the whole world’s his stage. Despite their radically different styles, the Dark Knight, wishes to salvage whatever childhood he can for the orphaned acrobat. So, he allows him to crusade in bright colors, and quip and pun in the face of danger. It is with great eagerness that Robin joins the Titans. He’s anxious to hang out with other kids who fully embrace the fun and thrill of adventure. But, being the most skilled and cerebral of the group comes with a price. When the others turn to him more for guidance than kinship, he’ll have to grow up even faster than his role as junior partner required. Will he sacrifice the joys of youth in order to evolve from the world’s greatest sidekick to the world’s greatest leader?

Wonder Girl (Real Name: Unknown)- She is a mystery, even to herself. A fractured mind in the body of a teen goddess. She claims to be one of the mythical Amazons, and she has the raw power to back it up. So, why does her own memory call her a liar? Her motherly wisdom and instincts speak of one who has lived before, not just a mere thirteen years. Her dreams are plagued with visions of burning slums, warring planets, ancient gods, and cosmic entities. Is she destined to be the team’s nurturer, or the harbinger of their destruction?

Kid Flash (Real Name: Wally West)- Of all the members he would seem to be the most together, and indeed the most blessed. After all, unlike his orphaned teammates, his parents are alive and well. The other male Titans are great guys, but they are too consumed with trying to please their mentors. While, the Flash is a good role model, Wally not only doesn’t live with him, he has no desire to follow in his footsteps. He suspects that Robin, Aqualad, and Speedy will all adopt the identities of the men that trained them one day, but if his powers were to fade tomorrow, he’d be just fine. Maybe one day he’ll leave the race behind. Maybe one day he’ll graduate college and settle down in placid Blue Valley, just a few doors down from the mom and dad he writes to everyday he’s away. And, who knows? Maybe one day his parents just might love him back.

Aqualad (Real Name: Prince Garth)- Under the waves he is absolute royalty. The future heir to three quarters of the Earth. He’s worshipped by subjects throughout the Seven Seas. Every denizen of the deep, whether they be citizens of fabled Atlantis, the fairest mermaids, or great beasts bow before him. Even on land, he is the strongest of the male Titans. So why beneath his surface, does his heart sink? Though he has been bred to rule, the detective is wiser about air-breather culture. Though he shares her noble background, and a once hidden heritage, the princess rejects his offers of help. Though the archer wields a weapon that would be less than useless in his realm, Harper’s jests seek to belittle him. And, though the speedster’s mentor was the first to show Aquaman kindness, the younger Flash shares none of his commitment to legacy. Could it be, that the prince is simply out of his element?

Speedy (Real Name: Roy Harper)- He learned it all from Oliver Queen. The uncanny marksmanship, the great right cross, and the superb tracking skills. But, did he learn it ALL a little too well? The contempt for authority, even when represented by the Boy Wonder. The cutting remarks aimed to wound the strongest guy on the team, in order to mask his own insecurities. The urge to compete with the small town boy from Blue Valley, for the romantic affections of the Amazon- knowing he’ll probably love her, and leave her. Is the decision he makes, to decline full-time membership in the group he just founded, the first in a lifetime of self-destructive choices? Or, is it one made to spare the fledgling group?

Rise And Fall, or Trip And Fail?

I decided to take a look at the follow up to last week's "classic" Justice League: Cry For Justice #7. Could this week's Justice League: Rise and Fall Special improve upon that monumental storyline? Well, the answer is yes. But, a one legged midget could've cleared that hurdle. While this is a bit better, it's still nearly as big a wreck as Star City.

First, let's look at the art (since we must). This issue's three artists(Really, three? That makes six artists, just on these last two comics) are given the task of portraying some highly emotional territory. The characters cope with murder, betrayal, and grief. But, the art just bleeds "bland" all over the page. I felt kept at a distance, rather than sucked into the drama. As for the story, J.T. Krul is a talented writer. He has a love of these characters that shines through, and if he continues to develop his chops, he'll be a favorite. But, he'd make the Black Lantern Fiddler jealous with all the wrong notes he hits here.

Note#1- Green Arrow reasoning that at his core he's not a hero, but a hunter. Yes, i know that GA gained his skills by hunting on an island for months. And, yes I know that Mike Grell's run took him in the direction of "urban hunter". However, at his heart Ollie is a crusader. I've always thought of archery as a means to an end for him. That end being, spreading social justice and reform to the underdog.

Note#2- Batman and Wally's pow-wow. While it is always great to see these two together, and particularly vital to have an ex-Titans perspective on these events, these guys should be well past the point of worrying. Are they serious? They think it's just luck they haven't been maimed as well? They have more experience than 90% of the JLA membership. Besides, Roy's injury, and Lian's death had nothing to do with skill. Roy thought that Prometheus was Shazam, and Lian was one of thousands that had a building drop on her head. How would more training help with that?

Note#3- Barry and Hal- OF ALL PEOPLE-calling Ollie a killer. Let's see, when Coast City was destroyed Hal tried to slaughter the entire Green Lantern Corps, and of course Barry snapped the Reverse Flash's neck. Now, GA does call Barry out on this, and Hal's Parallax possession let's him off the hook. But, you would think they would set the hypocrisy ray to stun at least. By the way, Barry says he killed Prof. Zoom to save Iris. Nope. Iris was "dead" for years at that point. The Flash was actually rescuing his new girlfriend Fiona Webb.

Once again, Roy is the character most impacted, and he gets no panel time. Maybe the Arsenal mini-series will surprise me. But, as it stands, these issues managed to do something Green Arrow and Arsenal never do- miss the target.

For Those Growing Listless

The Top Ten Lists will return next week.

When Will They Call It A (Krypto)Night?

"I never thought this thing would go the distance", Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman, Superman II. Smallville was picked up for a 10th season? Boy...let it stop!

Dan Is A Pain In The Arse(nal), Or My Two Cents On Sensibility

This week I read one of saddest comics ever. No tears fell from my eyes, it wasn’t even remotely touching. It was just a pathetic effort, that paved no new ground, or inspire any reaction other than Blechhh! The comic was Justice League: Cry For Justice #7. This series was a farce from the get go. The initial concept was that a faction of the Justice League would split off into their own ongoing title. The group would be proactive, stopping crimes before they could occur. This is a premise that has been tried several times, and NEVER WORKS…BECAUSE IT IS STUPID! I have a place in my heart for Krypto, Bat-Mite, and the Legion of Substitute-Heroes, but the whole proactive thang is too dumb to ever work.

A short time after James Robinson started writing the new series, the book was demoted to a seven issue mini-series. Characters that dominated the early issues, such as Congorilla and the blue Starman, were shuffled off panel (and promised member Batwoman couldn’t be bothered to make but a brief cameo), as the book took off on a new course in issue five. Now, characters such as Red Arrow (who hadn’t even been hinted at up till then) were suddenly involved. And, what was Roy’s role? Well, he gets his arm ripped off. What? Oh, Prometheus is pretending to be Shazam, and has a plan to teleport Star City. And the heroes, who had been so fired up about stopping crimes before they occur, look like total dumb asses, when they capture Prometheus AFTER he’s already blown Star City sky high.

This brings us to issue seven. Is this a lowlight because of the destruction of a DC city, or the death of a Titan’s child, or the murder of a badguy, or the fall of the heroic ideal? No. It’s wretched because its yet another destruction of a DC city (Bludhaven, Coast City), it is yet another death of a Titan’s child (Donna’s son Robert, Garth’s son Cerdian), its yet another murder of a badguy (Max Lord, Blockbuster, Psycho Pirate), and its yet another fall of the heroic ideal (Hal Jordan, Hawk, Jericho). After you add in the horrible dialogue, and uneven art, you are left with a flat- unoriginal mess.

Two questions come to mind: Why was this done in this book? And, why was this done at all? The first has no answer. How a book devoted to a talking gorilla, a blue alien, Supergirl, a fake Shazam, and bizarre back-up essays morphed into torture porn for Red Arrow is beyond me. The answer to the second question is easier to grasp. They wanted to give Green Arrow and Arsenal new directions. Why this was not done in say, the Green Arrow book, I don’t know. And, this would be fine if they had not just gotten new directions. It wasn’t that long ago that Green Arrow married Black Canary, and his book was relaunched (heck, its been like a decade since they brought him back from the dead). And, it was just in the last few that Roy Harper took his place on the JLA as Red Arrow (after a couple years on the Outsiders as Arsenal). During this time we have witnessed the upheaval of the Outsiders six times, the Justice League three times, the Titans three times, and the Teen Titans…well, don’t make me laugh.

I have a daughter of my own, and she’s the light of my life. But, I must say I’m not upset that they killed Lian Harper off per se. It would be ok if Lian joined the angels, if Robert and Cerdian hadn’t been offed as well. This trick has become tired, tacky, and lost all value.

Now to set Roy on this new course was it necessary to rip his arm off as well? This is the mindset that has existed since Identity Crisis. It wasn’t enough that Sue Dibny died. She also had to be torched with a flamethrower, while pregnant (after being raped). This overkill, be it laying absolute waste to a hero’s life (through severe injury, grizzly death, loss of a child, moral compromise, or hometown blown off the map), or whiplash inducing status quo changes on titles (through roster shakeups, creative team swaps, or lead characters replaced with lame understudies) has been granted a name by DC publisher Dan Didio-“Sensibility”.

You see, Dan’s approach to super-hero comics is to keep posing the question, “can heroes still be heroes, even when it’s not attractive to do so”? He has tried to bring this “sensibility”, as he calls it to the entire DC line. The dilemma readers face is that after years of these overwrought scenarios, we are no closer to an answer (for example how many more times must we cope with the whole year of a “world without Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman”?). Every time a character does reach a catharsis, or prove their worth, it becomes an excuse to upend them yet again. Now, life is about change, and I have no desire for the DCU to become a placid fairytale. But, if you can’t slow down for even a second, how can you truly examine the results? The “never ending battle” has become a struggle to keep pace with all the willy-nilly changes. It’s no wonder that the writer Chuck Dixon described Didio as a, “glad hander with a Ouija board”. Thankfully, Geoff Johns has somehow thrived during his tenure, and produced tons of comics I do enjoy.

Now, back to Roy. Let’s see, his arm was ripped off, and his daughter was murdered. So, Green Arrow gets to kill Prometheus? BULL!

I hate this issue, but there is some heavy irony to be mined here by a good writer. Consider, there is no character in the DCU more defined by their choices (good and bad) than Roy Harper. He has hopped from costume to costume, identity to identity, team to team, and bed to bed. He has chosen to take drugs and cleanup his act. He has foolishly knocked-up a super-villain and proudly been a devoted father. He has chosen careers as varied as rock band drummer and secret agent. So, there is some pathos to be had from having these horrible events happen to him not by choice, but by just being in the wrong place- at the wrong time. This could give him a fatalistic edge. He could become more daring; ignoring consequences, believing that fate will do what it will. He would become Arsenal, and use other weapons, not because he can no longer use a bow, but to distance himself from Green Arrow (just as he became Red Arrow and joined the JLA to honor Ollie). He would not do this out of spite, but to spare Oliver. He has things to do that Green Arrow would no longer approve of. He would use his contacts as a government agent (I always thought they missed an opportunity to see how Ollie would react to Roy working for “the man” as a Fed), and his connections in the underworld (having been Cheshire’s lover) to take on assignments that heroes who care about the stakes, and their reputations won’t. Because, to put it simply-he’s way past caring.

Well, there is one positive. If I don’t like how Ollie and Roy are treated, the old Ouija board will tell Dan to change them again soon.

Pitching A Fit!

It has been awhile, but after some modem problems, we’re back. Before I return to my huge stack of Top 10 lists, I must digress. In my second post I mentioned a Shazam pitch I had done. Now, while I have developed tons of ideas for comic properties, I’ve only actually made two pitches. The first was an Arsenal series, the other a book called, “The Challenge of Shazam”. I bring this up now, because I was listening to a recent Word Balloon podcast (my favorite cast, by the way). There was an interview with Art & Franco, the guys behind Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam. This is a delightful series, and I really do recommend it (plus, I was blown away at the new artistic direction Mike Norton brought on in the latest issue). That said, there was a part in the interview that made me want to throw my iphone out my car window (more about that in a bit).

My pitch for Shazam was obviously rejected. You’ll never see it grace store shelves, at least not by me. In my pitch I outlined several major storylines the series would pursue. At last count, three central concepts from the pitch have made their way into actual DC comics. First: The idea of a powerless hero competing against the gods that comprise the Shazam powers, in order to regain those abilities. Second: The introduction of a new Spy Smasher, whose status trumps that of all other DC secret agents. Third: The transition of Freddy Freeman into Black Adam Jr.

Let’s take these point by point. The Trials of Shazam mini series covered a similar quest to regain power (although in that story it is Freddy, and not Billy undergoing the trials). The battles play out differently, because here the gods themselves engage in the combat (in mine they are represented by hand-picked champions)… A new Spy Smasher was introduced in Birds of Prey #100. My character was male (the grandson of the original Alan Armstrong). The one that saw print was female (Katarina Armstrong, perhaps the original’s granddaughter). Both versions are at the top of the intelligence agency food chain, and both are armed with multiple credentials… Finally, in the latest issue of Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam, Freddy Freeman sides with Theo Adam, and becomes Black Adam Jr.

Now, let me be crystal clear. I don’t think for a millisecond that Judd Winick, Gail Simone, or Art & Franco “ripped me off”, or know a damn thing about my pitch. My frustration came in when I heard a quote from the Word Balloon interview (I told you I’d get back to it). Art & Franco recall telling Dan Didio about their idea to turn Freddy into Black Adam Jr. He was so impressed with the concept he said, “Whoa, that’s never been done before. I like the way you guys think big”.

You see, my ideas were rejected several years ago. I understood. I am a novice to the field. But, when I see these concepts see print (in one form or another), I feel that grants my instincts an amount of merit. I don’t think everything I wrote was gold (and some bits are a little overwrought). But, damn it- I was onto something.

Rather than continuing to rant, I will lay out my case by posting the relevant parts of my original pitch (the rest are issue by issue breakdowns). To put this in context, this was written in 2005. It was right after The Day of Vengeance mini series, but before the follow up Day of Vengeance Special (which put the kibosh on all of my plans for the Rock of Eternity and the Lords of Chaos and Order- since the special killed them all off).

Enjoy (or try to)…

The Challenge of Shazam (2005)

By John Conlon

The Proposal: When DC brought Captain Marvel, and the other Fawcett characters, into their pantheon, they ignited a renewed interest in C.C. Beck’s charming creations. Growing up in the 1970’s, I couldn’t help but feel the thunder, as a burst of new Shazam comics and merchandise came my way. Millions of children (donned perhaps in their Shazam PJs) watched the Big Red Cheese’s Saturday morning shows (both live action and animated). That is, when they were not choosing between a host of Shazam products ranging from Mego action figures to View Master reels. Or, maybe, slurpee cups and flower pots (yep, flower pots). This was all new to us, but old hat to our parents. They could play with Mary Marvel paper dolls, and go to the theatre to watch the Captain Marvel serial back in the 40’s. Golly, even sitcom star Gomer Pyle carried the torch by belting out an occasional, “Shazam”.

A number of talented creators continued to forward the good Captain’s adventures (Don Newton and Jerry Ordway stand out for me), however, there is little doubt that in the 2000’s the Marvel’s have lost a bit of their luster. But, if lightning can strike twice, why not three times? I truly believe that DC can once again super charge this proud franchise. It’ll just take three magic words…

W= Wonder! A boy gains wizard-like powers, and uses them to fight against the forces of dark magic. Sorry, J.K. – C.C. got there first. Still, Ms. Rowling’s success has shown millions (and millions) that the combo of little kids and magic adventure never goes out of style. Our new series, “The Challenge of Shazam”, would downplay some of the original run’s whimsy in favor of ratcheting up the scope, scale, and sheer spectacle that is Billy Batson’s surroundings. We’ll explore new dimensions, push the boundaries of science to the breaking point, and fully map out the Rock…make that Realm of Eternity.

C= Chills! Every fairy tale has a wicked witch. Kids beg to hear ghost stories around the campfire. Students compete to have the scariest Halloween costume at school. So, I don’t think its taboo to infuse some dark, and even disturbing elements into “Shazam”. The goal is not to gross out purists, but really shake readers to the core with threats both external and internal. And, in doing so, show just how great a beacon of light Billy Batson really is.

E= Epic! Tournaments of heroes. Wars between the forces of Chaos and Order for control of all reality. The end of innocence. Betrayal and double crosses. Scary, slimy, super beasts. New roles for old heroes. New heroes in old roles. Espionage, romance, genies, and yes, a certain Bunny. All played out against a central theme- are the Marvels truly a Family?

The Pitch: Following the events of the recent mini series “Day of Vengeance”, the Wizard Shazam is dead. But, there is no time to mourn. His home, the Rock of Eternity, has been torn asunder. Now, the Seven Deadly Sins of Man, that were trapped within have achieved freedom. And, to make matters worse, the pathways to all of time and space, once held at bay by the Rock, have been ripped wide open. This Rift Of Eternity poses the greatest threat to ever face the Lords Of Order. Their opposite number, the Lords Of Chaos, are poised to gain control of the Rift, and seek to hasten its deterioration. If successful, Chaos will spread throughout every corner of reality- instantaneously.

Enter the Marvel Family? Not so fast! Though tapped by the Lords Of Order to help secure the Rift, they have been fractured as well. Technically an adult after passing his 18^th birthday, Captain Marvel Jr. (Freddy Freeman) begins to question his role as the 16-year-old Billy Batson’s “kid” partner. Mary Marvel (Mary Batson Bromfield) is close to hanging up her cape forever following the deaths of her teammates (see Formerly Known as the Justice League) Blue Beetle, Sue Dibny, and turncoat Max Lord. Meanwhile, Captain Marvel (Billy Batson) is driven to distraction trying to discover how the Marvel Family can magically transform, despite the Wizard’s murder.

The first arc will follow all of these plot points, and result in Billy finding an amnesiac man that reminds him of a younger Shazam. This being, called Jebeidah (Shazam’s original name), claims to be subconsciously giving off magical energy to the trio when his former name is invoked. As Jebeidah seemingly reclaims more of his faculties, he begins to send Captain Marvel on tasks that arise suspicion in Billy. Billy confronts the wizard, and learns that “he” is actually Shazam’s daughter Blaze in disguise. Blaze hopes to use Captain Marvel for her own purposes. Although Blaze does not actually control the magic lightning, she can direct it. She chokes off the flow of its energy to our champions, while Billy is in his mortal form, and Freddy and Mary are in their heroic guises. Billy warns them to not transform back to normal, or they’ll cease to be metahumans.

With this setup in play, the following arcs will consist of four, interweaving, storylines:

1) Tournament of Thunder- Billy hatches an incredible plan to restore his abilities. He sets off on a worlds spanning odyssey to find each of the “gods” that contribute to the Marvels’ power set (Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, Mercury). He petitions these legends to give him their powers directly, so he can bypass Blaze. They decree that Billy must compete in a series of challenges if he’s to secure his prize. All of the “gods” will select a champion that Billy must defeat in order to win their favor (for example Mercury may pit him in a race against Jay Garrick, or Zeus could have him take on his daughter, Wonder Girl). This tournament will be a grand romp, filled with action, guest stars, and cement Captain Marvel’s place among his DC peers.

2) Dark Son Rising- Freddy ignores Billy’s pleas to remain Captain Marvel Jr., when he is made an offer he can’t refuse. But, boy should he. STAR Labs have developed a risky procedure that may repair Freddy’s crippled leg. To perform the surgery, he must relinquish his invulnerability, and revert to his mortal form. Sadly, his leg suffers an infection in the operation, requiring an amputation below the knee (I know this sounds rather harsh, and a bit melodramatic, but I feel this more pronounced handicap will serve future storylines well). Awash with self-loathing, Freddy hits rock bottom. There to pickup the pieces is Armstrong Evans, the new Spy Smasher.

This Spy Smasher (the grandson of the original) is the leader of an internal affairs agency called the Jurisdiction. The Jurisdiction runs oversight on all other DC intelligence networks (CBI, Checkmate, Task Force X, etc.). With his unique credentials, Evans, is well aware of Black Adam’s new role as leader of Kahndaq. Spy Smasher is unwilling to take the JSA’s word that Teth has changed his ways. So, he recruits Freddy to infiltrate Kahndaq, and keep tabs on the rogue dictator. His hope is that Freddy will fill the vacuum left by Atom Smasher, and become Adam’s right hand man and confidant. But, when Black Adam and Freeman truly do form a bond, Freddy sides with his former enemy. This leads to a startling new pact. Black Adam, unaffected by the Wizard’s passing (since his powers come from a different array of gods), gives a portion of his magic to Freddy. This not only heals Freeman, but also transforms him into Kahndaq’s new chief enforcer…a Black Adam Jr.

3) Whiz Kid- Mary is trapped as Mary Marvel, so she can no longer hide from her emotional turmoil. She is forced to operate as a hero 24/7, picking up the slack in Billy and Freddy’s absence. This works on her psyche, hardening her. And, then there is the question of the silver haired young man that is shadowing her every step.

The enigmatic stranger is the new Lt. Marvel, AKA Aaron Freeman, Mary and Freddy’s son from a future reality (based in small part on the Kingdom Come character the Whiz). Aaron, a mutant, was born with the magic energy flowing through his veins. After he emerges from a ripple in the Rift of Eternity, he becomes stranded in our time. Operating under the alias of Mac King (named in honor of Captain Marvel Jr.’s classic artist Mac Raboy, and Jr.’s biggest fan- Elvis), he secretly aids Mary. The question is, can he also reconcile his future parents?

4) The Times That War Forgot- As time and space exceed their breaking point, due to the Rift’s continued expansion, bizarre facets of every era bleed into one another. Chaos has been achieved. Leading their armies is a twisted new foe- Sintrigue (think sin and intrigue). Magnificus Sivanna, (the Adonis like son of Captain Marvel’s archenemy), has become the host vessel for all of the Seven Deadly Sins of Man. With this immense power at his disposal, Sintrigue has established despotic beachheads on every plain of existence. Can the Marvel Family pull together, and spearhead a full-scale war on such a vast battlefield? Or, have their internal divisions doomed us all?