Super Powers #4

Superman and Firestorm wind up in Ancient Rome thanks to the Doom Seed taking root in the heart of modern Italy.

Meanwhile, the Martian Manhunter infiltrates Darkseid's lunar fortress in hopes of dismantling the technology that is powering the seeds. Despite using his invisibility powers, the despot of Apokolips is able to detect the Manhunter's presence. Darkseid warns that any interference with Desaad's computers will result in the automatic destruction of the Earth. It's clearly a bluff on Darkseid's part. Unfortunately the stakes are too great for J'onn J'onnz to risk it.

So instead of the series ending before Batman, Robin and The Flash get a chance to destroy the seed they've been tasked with, we're going to get 2 more issues of the Justice League Vs. The New Gods of Apokolips. I'm not complaining. But just once I'd like to see the good guys call Darkseid's bluff and see the villain kinda crumble in utter disappointment. 

Sure, the ending would have been anticlimactic. Yet you couldn't argue that it was an ending nobody saw coming. Not even the antagonists.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers Mini-Comic Collection, Volume 2

This fan made edition from Trident Studios contains all of the mini comics issued with the 11 figures released by Kenner in the Super Powers Collection, Wave II. This book is very heavy on characters from Jack Kirby's Fourth World along with several superheroes who made their toy debut in 1984-85. On the side of the angels, Firestorm, Dr. Fate, Red Tornado and the Martian Manhunter were released for the first time ever along with Green Arrow (who debuted in the 70s thanks to Mego). The New God Darkseid lead an army of villains that included the demented Desaad, bumbling brute Kalibak, the energy-draining Mantis, the immortal Steppenwolf and army fodder Parademon. 

Series Two of the Super Powers Collection is a fan favorite mostly because of its connection to comic book legend, Jack Kirby. It's a thing of legend that one of the few times Jack Kirby was properly compensated for previously licensed work was for the re-designs he made on Mantis, Steppenwolf and Parademon. Kirby also reworked the design of Darkseid's estranged son, Orion, released in 1986's Series Three to much controversy. But that's a story for another day...

Of course to a 7-8 year old Madman, all of the villains of Super Powers were considered all-new characters. I knew who all the heroes were thanks to my dad's comic book collection. But I had yet to be properly introduced to Kirby's Fourth World. Thankfully, each action figure came with a mini comic to help explain a little bit of the motivation of Darkseid, which when you think about it is fairly simple- total world domination.

The Anti-Life equation, Highfather and New Genesis, and the whole truce in which Scott Free and Orion were switched at birth aren't covered at all in the minis. In fact, Darkseid is kinda a weenie in this series of 16-pagers as his Omega Beams don't incinerate anyone. They just send you to limbo. 

You won't see the Series One villains in any of these books either. The minions of Apokolips act alone. But I think if Darkseid had recruited at least Lex Luthor, Brainiac and the Joker into his plans, the lord of Apokolips could've at least conquered the entire Eastern seaboard.

One of my all-time favorite characters is Firestorm. So getting to revisit his adventures in mini-comic form was pretty cool. The inclusion of Red Tornado, GA and J'onn J'onzz to the line-up were no-brainers as they had all been members of the Justice League at some point. But Dr. Fate doesn't really make any sense being here. Fate has always been a member of the Justice Society and stuck on the parallel Earth designated #2. Did the JSA lend Fate in some sort of cross-dimensional trade in order for the Justice League to have a magical warrior to fight against Darkseid's forces? 

Series Two was the last series of the Super Powers Collection to be issued with mini comics. Was the omission a way to cut costs? The inclusion of Cyclotron and Golden Pharoah, two all-new for the toy line heroic characters were definitely produced to avoid licensing fees to creators. So it's possible. But with the inclusion of Orion and Mister Miracle in wave 3, a chance to better introduce the Fourth World characters to children through mini comics was sorely overlooked. I think had mini comics been released with the third wave, a fourth and fifth wave of characters, which were in the planning stages, would have become a reality.

Since Kenner is defunct and DC doesn't seem to have any plans to release the mini comics officially in some collected form, I'm glad I found this offering by Trident Comics. Over at Etsy, they've got a couple other editions of mini comics that were released with popular toy lines of the past. As long as there doesn't appear to be any direct conflict with copyright, I'll be adding one or two of those other books to my collection sometime soon.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Fury of Firestorm #47

Bolt is no longer in charge of this heist. Things have gone bad from worst as the deadly Multiplex has staged a mutiny and now not only is Mr. Raymond and his girlfriend Felicity Smoak being held hostage; so is Dan Cassidy!

The past couple of chapters of this 'Bolt Saga' were deadly serious. And yes, what is occurring at the Pittsburgh computer symposium is a life and death situation. But the back-stabbing happened between this group of villains is freakin' hilarious! 

I loved this dramedic chapter. But if you were to package the past 3 inter-series issues together into a trade paperback, the sudden addition of comedy would make for some uneven reading. 

A great single issue story and that alone is what my rating is based.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Blue Devil #23

En route to The Big Apple, Blue Devil experiences car trouble and ends up taking a detour in the Steel City. His stop in Pittsburgh brings him face-to-face not only with Firestorm, The Nuclear Man but several foes lead by the dastardly Bolt!

The combination of Blue Devil and Firestorm villains is the result of a planned heist at a computer symposium. But things are quickly going off the rails! No- it's not because of the sudden (but expected) appearance of the heroes. It's because this motley crew is turning on each other and making alliances! With Felicity Smoak and Ronnie Raymond's dad as hostages, the stakes have never been higher for The Nuclear Man!

It's been hinted at for several issues now. Finally Blue Devil and Firestorm meet- and at each other's throat too! It was great and I loved it!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Fury of Firestorm #46

Though Blue Devil first appeared in the pages of Fury of Firestorm #24, stuntman Dan Cassidy and the Nuclear Man never officially met. (Blue Devil appeared in a completely separate insert story in the issue). If you think the two heroes are actually going to come face-to-face to each other- think again!

Firestorm operates in my beloved Pittsburgh, PA. Blue Devil is a resident of Hollywood. So, as this story is just coming together, expect Blue Devil to be heading East to the Big Apple with a stop off in the Steel City. It's a Hulk #180 situation with the heroes only coming face-to-face in the last panel! (And no- this isn't a spoiler...)

As Blue Devil drives to NYC, Professor Stein and super-jock Ronnie Raymond are about to enjoy some downtime at a computer convention. Of course, this symposium will be anything but serene as the villainous Bolt, who first appeared in as a Blue Devil baddie, has recruited some Firestorm foes to help rob the event!

So yes, Firestorm and Blue Devil will eventually meet. It's just going to be in the pages of Blue Devil #23, that's all...

A nearly flawless issue. It just plays out like a soap opera on Friday with the team-up, the real reason for buying this issue, drawn out until the coming 'Monday.'

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Blue Devil Special Insert from the pages of Fury of Firestorm #24

I've taken a brief break from Blue Devil to review some past history.

In the pages of Blue Devil #7, The Trickster, James Jesse, mentions having dealt with Blue Devil in the past. Once again, I made a common mistake. As a kid, I always thought that the first issue of a super heroes titled series was the first appearance. But that almost always isn't the case. With regards to Blue Devil, he first appeared in a special insert in the pages of Fury of Firestorm #24.

In this introductory story, Dan Cassidy has yet to meet with the demon Nebiros. A master special effects wizard, Dan is in the process of building the Blue Devil suit in which he will become permanently attached to. While giving the state of the art costume a test run, Dan runs afoul of Jesse who is in the middle of a huge heist. The result is a comedy of errors with the cast and crew of the Blue Devil film who have become an integral part of the Blue Devil series. 

I am kinda glad that I didn't read this first. This has all the markings of a typical 1980s first appearance issue. The rough introductions. Those corny jokes. But it also makes sense why Blue Devil #1 didn't feel like a first appearance issue. 

One thing not typical of this 'first issue' is the art. It's a thing of beauty by the great Paris Cullins. 

As for the main story of Fury of Firestorm, I didn't read it. I have the entire series and so I plan on reading it. Someday.

Special Insert Rating: 6 out of 10 stars. 

Take you 1st sneak peak at the CW's newest DC series- Legends of Tomorrow!

   Folks, I just viewed a 3 minute teaser for Legends of Tomorrow and it looks awesome! I can't wait for it to air!  Sadly, you have to wait until 2016 for it!

  Here's the trailer from Youtube! Enjoy!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MubNoWQiSc&feature=youtu.be

Firestorm: The Nuclear Man

    I've learned recently from social media that Firestorm is a fan favorite. He's been around for about 40 years, but he's hardly gotten any respect. Considered a "B-grade" superhero, he's the type of character that often dies during a major cross-over event in order to throw readers off track when someone like Supergirl, the Flash, or Batman bites the dust.

    But in the past few months, Firestorm has been elevated to 'A-list' status what with him being a major plot focal point on the CW's The Flash. He's been so well received, he's even going to star in a yet unnamed spin-off next year. Working title for the show is "The Atom" but all bets are on a Suicide Squad type show.

   With the Nuclear Man's new found stardom and the fact that I recently read an issue of DC Presents in which you needed to read the first 5 issues of Firestorm (volume 1, 1978) I decided to finally give that short-lived series a go. Though the book only lasted 5 issues, it actually had a secret 6th issue that did see print. But unless you have about $35,000 to buy the extremely scared 'Cancelled Comics Cavalcade' (of which only 35 issues were ever issued) then you'd be hard pressed to find out what happened to the combined might of teenager Ronnie Raymond and troubled physicist Martin Stein.

   Thankfully, this trade from 2011 includes that ve
ry rare story. This book also contains several backup features from the Flash in which the adventures of Firestorm pick up again after Superman invites the Nuclear Man to join the Justice League.  What this collection doesn't include is that pivotal DC Presents story in which we learn of  what transpired during Firestorm's year long absence from the superhero community and the Man of Steel's initial invitation to the JLA. Also missing is the issue of Justice League of America in which Firestorm is inducted as its youngest member.  I think both stories should have been included as they are vital to the plot of those Flash back-ups I mentioned earlier.

    Another story missing from the volume is the fabled 7th issue of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man. Technically, there isn't a 7th issue though it is advertised in the Cancelled Comics feature. But maybe co-creators Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom might team up for a Firestorm: Lost Adventures one-shot to explore that missing plotline.

   Though I only needed this book to finish my run as I already had issue 1-5, I'm not disappointed in the least on the stories I did receive. There was just a few missed opportunities here like a small forward or afterward that might on included some great backstory as to the creation or cancellation of this series. With DC being very nostalgia centric during its Convergence storyline and the fall 2015 spin-off, I think the publisher would be remiss if they didn't issue a new Firestorm collection to hit the shelves very soon. Hopefully, it will feature some of these omitted features that I think could have made this collection an essential piece to any Firestorm fan's collection.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #5 (1978)

  Firestorm finally battles the Hyena in this, the final issue of the first series of Firestorm. But wait, there was a cliffhanger and it told me to tune in for issue #6! What the frick?

  See,  Firestorm: The Nuclear Man was a victim of the DC Implosion of 1978. Due to poor customer sales, blamed on the dominance of Marvel and a series of blizzards that affected the Northeast, DC's sales plummeted. DC was also suffering from a bit of over indulgence, adding a whopping 57 new titles to its line-up from 1975-78! With the drop in sales, the publisher cancelled 40% of its titles as well as laying off that same percentage of employees. It's also how GI Joe scribe, Larry Hama and Marvel Fanfare genius and Firestorm co-creator Al Milgrom ended up at Marvel for their storied tenures in the Bullpen.

   If you read this blog enough, you'll know that I hate unexpected cliffhangers. But, I was prepared this time. I knew that this was the final issue in the series but that the adventures of Ronnie Raymond and Dr. Martin Stein didn't end with it. So, in a few days I'll be reviewing the remainder of this series and explaining how I was able to finish up the storyline.

   Now back to issue #5. In this supersized issue, not only does the Nuclear Man battle the menacing Hyena (and fail miserably), he's reunited with his most deadly foe- Multiplex and his seething revenge threatens to tear our hero apart.  Meanwhile, the mystery of why Ronnie's father has had to switch jobs often deepens with Ronnie discovering that his old man might not be the journeyman newspaper he's always believed him to be.

    Now with a growing conspiracy involving the Raymond family (and possibly behind mom's death), a missing teacher's assistant applicant, and the newly combined threat of the Hyena and Multiplex, it's going to take all of Ronnie and Stein's combined might as Firestorm to save the day.

To Be Continued...

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #4 (1978)

   There's a new hero in the Big Apple. Dressed as a Hyena ( as well as named), and just as fierce, this vigilante seems to have a vendetta against organized crime. But when he strikes out against New York's finest, it clear that the big city has a wild card on the loose. Unfortunately, any sort of conflict between the Hyena and Firestorm will have to wait until the next issue!

   This is one of those times when the book's cover doesn't match up with it's contents. I call this a 'Death of Sad Sack Cover' which is a joke from the Simpsons about being faked out by phony covers. This time, the cover bears an epic battle between the Nuclear Man and the Hyena. However, this issue ends before the two foes ever throw a punch at each other. This would normally tick me off and while it is a pet peeve of mine, at least I have the next issue on hand. (I try really hard to have a complete series collected before I read them. It makes for a long journey, but the benefits are worth it to read an entire run without interruption.)

   The art was much better than the previous issue and I thought the writing was quite good too. Though I really hated the opening splash page which depicts some bastards clubbing baby seals. It's pretty gruesome with at least one club oozing brain matter and viscera. I'm very glad that Firestorm gave these guys a bit of their own medicine.

    Speaking of the previous issue, I commented that Doctor Stein seemed very stoic after having seen most of the men at the polar research station he was visiting killed by Killer Frost. Well, I don't know if fans complained about the lack of emotion but it was revealed at the beginning of this issue that Firestorm was able to save the lives of most of the men. So, I guess it's okay that Dr. Stein wasn't so upset about that aspect.

    However, with a very short ending in issue #3 and with this issue's cover not matching its content I'm getting a fairly good idea why this series only lasted 5 issues.

   Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #3 (1978)

  

   I had mentioned a couple of days ago that complex topics such as women's equality made it harder for me to enjoy Firestorm when I was a little kid. Well, issue #3 is a prime example of the divide between the sexes being a major problem for the Nuclear Man. Here, Dr. Stein is called to a top secret research station in the Antarctic. There the physicist is reunited with a former student of his who had a major crush on him in college.

    When her advances are rebuffed, mostly because she confused his kindness for a love interest, she gets angry, stalks off, and finds herself trapped inside a giant cooling tank. This facility causes her to turn into a literal ice princess. Now the aptly named Killer Frost goes on a rampage throughout the base seeking revenge on the male population of the facility, giving them all lethal smooches that turn the men into popsicles. With Dr. Stein's life on the line, Ronnie Raymond must drop everything he is doing- which at this moment is scoring on the basketball court and rush to fuse with the good doctor before it's too late.

   This issue is typical of 1970s comic books. If a woman is a bad guy during this time period she was either a cat burglar, a militant feminist, or horny. She could also be any combination of the three.

   A prime example of this archetype was Alicia Hardy AKA Black Cat from the Spider-Man comics. She was a cat burglar with the hots for Spidey, but she demanded to be considered his equal in every way.  In this book, Killer Frost is first seen as a bookish old maid who can't seem to find a man that either values her as a person and not a sex object nor can she discover a man who matches her superior intellect. Darwin would say that she's trying to find a suitor with superior genetic material for her to mate with and produce even smarter progeny. Or something to that effect...

   It's never quite explained why getting stuck in a giant freezer turns her into a 70s version of Elsa from Frozen instead of a dormant version of Olaf. But her reasons for turning bad against all men is blamed on past psychosis from being unloved in college. I'm usually not one to say this but the reasoning behind her villainy is a little chauvinistic.

    This outdated way of thinking along with the method of having a woman made of ice love heat instead of being melted by it makes this my least favorite issue in the series thus far. The action of a game of hide-and-seek to the death between Firestorm and Frost was visually appealing but any momentum gained is lost by an ending to seems to have Stein grieving more for his failures as a virile male instead of the fact that every other guy at the research station is now a frozen stiff, uh well- stiff.

   If you are more of a modern reader of comics, the sexism of both parties is a little hard to swallow. But remember, this was made in the late 70s during a time when progress was being made in comics to be more culturally sensitive. It's just that not every attempt hit the mark. Firestorm was great in presenting the angst of being a teenager in high school quite well but seems a lacking in the middle-aged love department.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #2 (1978)

   The second issue to Firestorm features a gimmick that was everywhere in 1978- the Superman team-up. With the Superman movie due out later in the year, DC and Warner Brothers were trying to get the word out any way possible. Thus, if you were a struggling or fledgling comic book at that time and you were a DC Comic- well then the Man of Steel would be visiting your corner of the DC Universe real soon. (Ths same principle worked in the 90s with fan-favorite Wolverine appearing in just about every Marvel comic imaginable and right now in the Marvel NOW! books with the box office darlings Guardians of the Galaxy guest starring in something every month.

    In this issue, along with meeting the Man of Tomorrow, Firestorm meets his first arch enemy- Multiplex. During the explosion that turned Ronnie Raymond and Dr. Martin Stein into the Nuclear Man, it split one of Stein's professional rivals into 2 villains. I never knew the definitions for fusion (how Firestorm is formed) and fission (the process that divides Multiplex in two) until now.

   Who says comics aren't educational?

    This exciting issue is more Firestorm's baby than it is Superman's and that's how it should be. But I did like how this issue was the starting point in making Firestorm an eventual member of the Justice League of America (and the Super Friends if you want to get technical about it.)  I'm very glad that I decided to finally give this short-lived series from the 70s a try. It's a really good title that just didn't get a fair shake until about 5 years later with the near decade-long publication of Fury of Firestorm.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #1 (1978)

   On Friday, home sick and propped up in my chair, I binged watched about 5 episodes of CW's The Flash. One of the main storylines was Firestorm. This character has aesthetically been one of my favorite superheroes, since the days of the Nuclear Man being a regular on the Super Friends/ Super Powers cartoon shows and his involvement in Crisis.
 
    As a comic, the book seemed a little too old for me. I liked the art, but the stories were very complicated for a 5-8 years old boy. The premise was that teenager Ronnie Raymond and physics professor Martin Stein were involved in a nuclear explosion that caused the two men to form a single superhero- Firestorm. Many of the stories revolved around the dangers of nuclear power and the struggle for equality amongst the sexes. Like I said, this was some complicated stuff for a grade-schooler to wrap his tiny little brain around. So, I stuck to enjoying Firestorm on TV instead of print.

   Well, finally getting to see Firestorm in a live action version was an awesome treat. I loved how the CW handled the dynamic of having the Nuclear Man made up of two separate people. Plus, having it explained that the reason the superhero looks like Ronnie but has the brain of Stein as a sort of survival of the fittest amalgam of the best of both men made perfect sense to me. Plus, it didn't hurt having the great Victor Garber play Dr. Stein while providing the interior monologue for Firestorm. It all worked really well.

   So let's flash forward to last night. I'm currently reading 'Showcase Presents: DC Comics Presents: Superman Team-Ups, Volume 1', in which I got to issue 17, a team-up with Superman and Firestorm versus Killer Frost. Normally, I would just read on and tried to make connections when previous storylines are mentioned. But in both the introduction and the 'next issue' blurb for DCP #16, it's urged that you first read Firestorm #5.
 
 Well, I'm riding the high from my Flash-binge and I just happened to have the complete 5-issue run of the first Firestorm series. So, naturally, I decided to give the adventures of the Nuclear Man a solid read.

   Issue #1 is the origin story. It's pretty much what I already told you about how it came about that Raymond and Stein have the ability to fuse together. The most Interesting aspect of this story was the character of Ronnie. He's a dumb jock and in a twist that you don't see anymore or ever- he's bullied by a super smart nerd! When Ronnie decides to run with an anti-nuke crowd in order to impress a pretty girl at school, he ends up a patsy as this gang is seeking to blow-up the new reactor in town to keep it from becoming a potential pollution hazard.

   I'd like to know who the brains behind this idea were. Wouldn't the destruction of a nuclear power plant even before it goes online be a bad thing? Wouldn't the uranium rods cause some sort of meltdown?

   Well, nobody said Ronnie Raymond was a rocket scientist.

    Other than that flap, it was a pretty good opening act. The cover was great and the art inside was awesome. But with a story by Gerry Conway, who co-created the character of Firestorm with Al 'Marvel Fanfare' Milgrom, I'd expected a little better thought on the logistics of destroying a nuclear power plant.

   Not bad for a find in a comic book grab bag.

  Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.