Super Powers Which Way Book #2: Supergirl, The Girl of Steel

Growing up, I loved those Choose Your Own Adventure books. Being given the chance to be your own director and guide was such a novel idea that I fell in love with. It's a genre of book, that if I find a comic or graphic novel that follows the Choose Your Own Adventure format, I will read it and review it.

I'm also a member of a Facebook group devoted to Kenner's Super Powers lineup. It's where I discovered the existence of this book. From 1984, this novel dropped during an important time for the Maid of Might. Supergirl was set to take the world by storm with a live action film starring Helen Slater. Unknown to fans, the existence of Supergirl in the DC Universe hindered on the success of the film. Unfortunately, it was a flop. Thus, the axe fell on Superman's cousin, resulting in her death in Crisis on Infinite Earths #7. Also on the chopping block was Kara Zor-El's inclusion in the Super Powers toy line.

This interactive novel debuted a year after book #1 starring the Man of Steel did. A Wonder Woman and a Darkseid heavy Justice League volume were both slated to join the lineup. Later in the year, fans got to control the JLA's fate against the New God despot. Batman was given the CYOA treatment in 1986. Ultimately, Wonder Woman's adventure never came about.

With this Supergirl time, there are essentially 4 main story lines that readers can explore:

Direction A: Resist or assist Mr. Mxyzptlk in a 5th dimension contest of strength.

Direction B: Research the days of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table for a school project by going back in time.

Direction C: Save Superman from the clutches of Brainiac.

Direction D: Escape From the Land of Oz after being transported into the pages of L. Frank Baum's masterpiece due to a mad scientist!

There's also a minor 5th plotline where Supergirl remains in her secret identity of Linda Danvers and helps a classmate struggling with math.

One peeve I had with 'select your fate' books would be if you made a wrong turn and the story ends after literally only making 3 or 4 choices. This time around, I made sure that I would explore as many story lines as possible. The cover to this book informs you of the 4 main paths to take Supergirl. You'll have to dig to find that secret identity plot and there could be more. I dug deep. But maybe I didn't hit the absolute bottom line of material available.

I liked that Supergirl battles traditional villains such as Brainiac and Mxyzptlk. I'm torn over the inclusion of Superman. He's only in 1 plotline. Yes, I'm more than aware how much the Kryptonian cousins fared in each other's titles. But did Supergirl guest in Superman's book? Or did writer Andrew Helfer or this book's editor lose faith that the Girl of Steel could lead the book on her own?

I enjoyed the heck out of this book. Now I've got to figure out a way to display it in my office because this is going into my Supergirl collection!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #4 (3rd Series)

This is it. The last issue of Super Powers, series 3. The last issue of Super Powers based on the original Kenner toy line. The last hurrah. 

Depowered by the intergalactic bounty hunter Tyr, Darkseid fled to Earth, got his butt kicked by a pair of human punks and ended up in the gutter. About as low as he can go, Darkseid searched for the New God scientist who was responsible for Golden Pharaoh and Samurai coming into being. Before killing the researcher Darkseid forced him into restoring his Omega force. Instead, the device used in the experiment overloaded changing Darkseid into Janus!

That's right! The very same Janus who saved the Justice League in the last issue, is in reality deposed despot of Apokolips, Darkseid. And now with the League in tow, Janus has arrived on Apokolips in hopes of regaining the throne. To do that involves  Janus helping Orion and Mister Miracle to restore order to the war torn planet in the throes of a massive civil war.

This issue ends with the heroes emerging victorious. Order on Apokolips is restored. Janus is accepted by Orion as an ally as the pair walk off into the sunset. End of issue.

When Darkseid would reappear a couple years later, he's the leader of Apokolips again. It's like Hunger Dogs and Super Powers never happened. Jack Kirby intended for the Hunger Dogs graphic novel to be the ending to his Fourth World saga. Kirby didn't write this Super Powers miniseries. So it's very possible that Kirby had no intention for this twist ending with Janus becoming a wolf in sheep's clothing ally to his son, Orion. It's the kind of dangling plot lines that drives me crazy with comics. Yet, because of how money driven the entertainment industry is with the fickle nature of editors and producers cancelling projects before ever getting to the end, it's a pet peeve that never seems will ever stop.

A great ending. I just need the rest of the story! 38 years and waiting...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #3 (3rd Series)

The Justice League is attacked by a group of all-new villains. It looks like these new foes are about to win when the heroes are saved by a never before seen hero, Janus!

This Greek god with long golden locks has stolen Wonder Woman's heart to the point that if any of her fellow Justice Leaguers questions Janus' true motives, she accuses them of being jealous of the Fabio looking protagonist.

I'm rather disappointed that Paul Kupperberg took Wonder Woman back to the days where she was more concerned playing housewife than super hero. This sort of fawning over Janus is more akin to what I would expect during the early days of the Justice Society of America when Wonder Woman was the team's secretary. Not in the 1980s when women were dominating the work force and DC Comics was being led by the mighty Jeanette Kahn. 

By the way, if you understand the significance of the name Janus, you might be able to figure out this cat's true identity. I won't spoil it until I review issue #3. But from my past two reviews of this miniseries and the details that I've provided thus far, the answer is there.

Good Luck!

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #2 (3rd Series)

In the last issue, 3 all-new super heroes were introduced. The question was were they friend or foe? Well, don't worry. They're all friends and in my opinion, part of the reason why Kenner's Super Powers line faded into oblivion.

The first new hero is Samurai. Technically, Samurai is new only to comics. Issue #1 of Super Powers, Vol. 3 marked the Alex Toth created character to readers. However, if you were a regular viewer of Saturday morning cartoons, then you might have been introduced to the character as part of The All-New Super Friends Hour.

Hero #2 is Golden Pharaoh. A British archaeologist excavating an Egyptian pyramid, the New Gods created him along with Samurai when they shot that beam of energy that Tyr intercepted in the last issue. Even with his magical staff and the ability to fly, the Golden Pharaoh still doesn't quite understand the extent of his abilities to the level Samurai does.

Hero #3 is the android Cyclotron. Built by Superman, his super computer brain has knowledge of every superhero and villain known to exist. Cyclotron is a lot like Superman's super androids. Only instead of looking like the Man of Steel, he wears a green helmet and wears ruby shades. I would have liked it if Kenner had made him look like Superman but with his removable outer shell that reveals Cyclotron's robotic interior.

As for this issue, in terms of plot progression, we learn about the 3 mystery characters, Tyr kidnaps Mister Freeze via a Boom Tube in order to free Darkseid from his puzzle-like prison, and Mister Miracle and Orion start to see the power vacuum left by Darkseid's upheaval starting to fracture the delicate peace earned from the revolt.

If anybody had Tyr betraying Kalibak and Steppenwolf and stealing Darkseid's remaining Omega energies to make himself into a demigod on their bingo card, consider yourself lucky. I sure didn't see that coming. But to see Darkseid flee to Earth and get mugged by a pair of human punks was so satisfying!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #1 (3rd Series)

Unlike the previous two miniseries, where all young readers needed was a rudimentary knowledge of the characters and vehicles being highlighted in the Kenner toy show, with the beginning of series 3, you'll be required to have done some homework. The story opens after the events of DC Graphic Novel #4: The Hunger Dogs. Despite being a huge fan of Kirby's Fourth World, I've not read that book. Being in my mid- forties, I'm able to figure out what's happened between the ending of Super Powers, Vol. 2 issue #6 and Hunger Dogs.

The citizens of Apokolips have deposed Darkseid. The former ruler has lost his Omega beam powers and impotently resides in a prison complex personally designed by Mister Miracle. Darkseid's son, Orion, has arrived to ensure that the villain cannot escape or be freed by his remaining allies.

Speaking of allies, Kalibak and Steppenwolf have hired a renown bounty hunter named Tyr to free Darkseid from his prison. To do that however involves the frosty super villain, Mister Freeze who happens to be plotting a break-in at a super secret research facility on earth, light-years away. Using technology from Apokolips, Tyr uses an energy beam to given Mr. Freeze dynamic strength on par with Superman. Good thing that the Man of Steel is assisted by Firestorm along with all-new Justice Leaguers Cyborg, Plastic Man and Shazam. However, it appears that Freeze is too much for the heroes and is about to claim total victory when not one but 3 new Super Powers arrives on the scene. But are these characters friend or foe?

When it came to the new characters for Kenner's third wave of Super Powers figures, there were highs and lows. I was super excited about the additions of Plastic Man, Cyborg, Shazam and Mister Freeze. Only I never could find Cyborg or Shazam. I'm a cold weather fan, so getting a Mister Freeze was like a dream come true. Though I thought the 90s reissue in which the figure turned blue when you put him in ice was way cooler. I didn't know who Tyr was. So I never got him. Same with Orion. Mister Miracle was a character that I knew a little bit about and I remember having a figure of him. As for those mystery characters, more on them in my review of issue #2.

The biggest crime of wave 3 was the lack of mini comics. That had been such a bonus when you bought the figures from the first two waves. Another penalty was the promise of a playset representing Darkseid's fortress. It was scrapped due to the warning popularity of the toy line. However, you can get an inside look of what might have been with the scenes inside and out of Darkseid's jail as it looks exactly like that abandoned playset.

A good read. Just not geared towards kids who were at the time the primary consumers of Super Powers. I think the more adult approach was just another reason why this would be the franchise's swan song until a recent revival by Todd McFarland.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #6

Location: Darkseid's lunar fortress

Event: a battle royale between the heroes of the Justice League and the villainous New Gods of Apokolips.

Reason: the fate of the earth stands in the balance.

So you're probably thinking, how are these characters all fighting on the moon? Only Superman, Green Lantern and maybe Wonder Woman have the ability to survive in space without oxygen. Turns out that Darkseid's fortress is located in an abandoned section of the moon that contains breathable air. In other words, this is the old celestial sanctuary of the Inhumans from the Marvel universe!

The idea behind Kirby's Fourth World was that the Norse and Greek gods established by the King when he worked over at the House of Ideas had faded away. Here to stay was the benevolent citizens of New Genesis and the wretched inhabitants of Apokolips. Kirby often placed elements of his fallen Marvel creations in the pages of his Fourth World works. If I'm not mistaken, Thor's hammer and Captain America's shield are seen in the opening scene of New Gods #1, depicting the last battleground of the old gods. Here, In the last issue of Super Powers, Volume 2, Kirby has destroyed the Inhumans or at least had them retreat in disgrace from the mighty presence that is Darkseid.

The action was good. Although, there was too much banter, especially from the heroes during the battle for my tastes. The betrayal of Desaad was great. However, I felt that the ending of the first Super Powers series was much better. This one was kinda abrupt and lacked some of that smoothness in terms of pacing.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #5

Superman and Firestorm have actually succeed in destroying the Doom Seed in Italy. The secret is to not travel back to the present day via the pod. However, Darkseid's plan can still work if 4 of the seeds survive. Thus it's up to Batman, Robin and The Flash to eliminate another seed. It's a good thing that the Flash can build up enough speed to travel through time. Only, their trip through time will be anything but a cake walk as instead of going into the past, the heroes wind up in the future; one where Darkseid has conquered the Earth. 

Having the Man of Steel and the Nuclear Man killing one of the seeds adds an element of suspense to this issue. Without the plot device of needing 2 of the 5 seeds to be deactivated, anything Batman, Robin and the Flash do in this issue would be moot points. It still doesn't really matter as there is still 1 issue left of this miniseries. 

One thing I am missing from this volume as opposed to the previous Super Powers comic are the original quartet of villains. I really would like to see the Joker, Penguin, Lex Luthor and Brainiac involved somehow. However, since we saw them on the side of the heroes by series end, I think Darkseid would just smite them with his Omega Beams if he saw those 'traitors' again. Plus, having the 4 villains teaming once again with the Justice League would have diminished that awesome twist. Still, by not having some Earth bound DC villains in this book, whether they were figures in the Kenner toy line-up or not, takes away from the childlike wonder of the Super Powers brand. 

As much of a fan of Kirby's Fourth World, the biggest misstep in the short history of Super Powers was focus on Darkseid and his forces instead of producing more recognizable and more relatable baddies like Catwoman, Sinestro and Bizarro. Had the focus been different, we probably would be seeing the line run another 3 or 4 more years. Not creating all-new characters for the toy line was misstep #2. More on that when I review Volume 3!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

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 #3 (2nd Series)

Thanks to Darkseid's plan to turn planet Earth into a new Apokolips, the secret of the giant statues on Easter Island has finally been revealed! 

It's been nearly 40 years since this issue was released. So I don't think I'm really spoiling anything. Turns out these statues are actually petrified aliens. 

Okay. But how did they get there?

In the present day, Wonder Woman, Dr. Fate and Green Lantern are tasked with destroying Darkseid's doom seed which is situated on the tropical Pacific isle. Guarding the pod is the energy vampire Mantis. When one of the heroes touches the seed, which has already begun germinating, it sends everyone to the past where they encounter an alien invasion force. 

If you ask me, these aliens look familiar. VERY familiar. Anyone remember the Stone Men from Saturn? Those extraterrestrial foes that Thor battles in his debut in 1962's Journey Into Mystery #83. That's who those giants on Easter Island look like! I wonder if Jack Kirby was inspired by those stone monoliths when he penciled JiM #83. In a meta twist, could the King's Saturn monsters have inspired his Easter Island aliens? If I ever got the chance to go back in time to meet Kirby, this might be the one question I ask him. 

If anybody reading this review can confirm such, please leave a message in the comment section! I'm dying to know more about the design of this issue's aliens. 

Another fun issue in the true Jack Kirby style in the time honored Justice League of America formula.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #2 (2nd Series)

In the last issue, the Justice League divided up into groups to destroy the 5 seeds of doom planted by Darkseid. His goal is for the seeds to take root into the Earth's core and unleash a flood of magma onto the surface creating a second planet Apokolips.

The first group to come in contact with a seed is the trio of Hawkman, Green Arrow and the Red Tornado. In a subway tunnel underneath the Big Apple, the heroes encounter Kalibak, the son of Darkseid! In the throes of battle, the protagonists learn another power of the doom seeds- when a Justice Leaguer touches the pods, it both zaps their energy and sends them back in time!

The heroes follow Kalibak back to prehistoric times where the New God has his Boulder Bomber armed and ready! With massive rocks flying, dinosaurs running wild and a tribe of cavemen in the midst of a stampede, the time stranded heroes will have their hands full trying to get back home in hopes of saving the modern day Earth!

A fun read. This is how I wish the previous Super Powers series had begun. Yes, we got small pairings of Justice League members fighting bad guys. But it lacked cohesion. This Paul Kupperberg penned series is following the time honored formula of both the original Justice League of America comic as well as the Super Friends cartoon in it's many incarnations. Some might have felt series 1 was more original. But I prefer that tried and true plot device when it comes to the heroes of the DC Universe.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #1 (2nd Series)

Picking up from his defeat in Super Powers #5, Darkseid is more determined than ever to conquer the Earth!

Thanks to the scheming underling Desaad, Darkseid has unleashed 5 bio-engineered seeds that will burrow through the Earth's crust. Once the seeds reach the molten core, our planet's magma will flood the surface, creating a new Apokolips!

Armed with a new assortment of allies, the Justice League breaks up into 5 teams in hopes of destroying these seeds before they reach the Earth. Firestorm, Dr. Fate, Green Arrow and the Martian Manhunter join the original Super Powers lineup in order to stop Darkseid's plan. It's a global tour not to be missed!

Already off the bat, everything feels right about this series. All of the heroes make some sort of contribution. Albeit, most are rather small. Yet unlike the last series, it doesn't take 3 issues for Wonder Woman to actually say something and she's operating in the present and not in a theoretical situation. 

As for the villains, only Darkseid, Desaad and a couple of minor minions appear in the first issue. But I'm okay with that as that ensures an element of surprise when the heroes go to stop those destructive seed pods from taking root.

Paul Kupperberg is on scripting duties with Jack Kirby plotting and on art!!! Kupperberg is a writer that loves comics, and from the brief couple of times I met him, he also seems to have fun doing it! It really shows here. There's just such a different vibe with this series. I know it's early. However, I really feel like I'm in for a treat with this book as things are off to a heck of a start compared to that uneven start to issue #1 of series #1.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #5

The first Super Powers miniseries comes to a close with a double sized spectacular not just plotted by written and illustrated by the King, Jack Kirby!

First, the Justice League find themselves along with their biggest foes attached to a gigantic machine designed to sap their powers in order to fuel Darkseid's war machine. Then a forgotten New God frees both the heroes and villains, placing them in Brainiac's vessel in a final counterattack against Darkseid's forces. Add in a time warp or two. A look at the Metropolis of the year 10,000. Boom! You've got one heck of a great finale to a story that was really having a rough start.

My favorite part was having Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Joker and Penguin becoming good guys. I love how it's okay if they try to take over the world. But if someone else from another galaxy tries to do it then it's game on for becoming a hero. To see Batman and the Joker not just working together, but complementing each other- AS FRIENDS! It's just bizarre. Something that I've never seen before. 

I Love it!

Actually, I have kinda seen it before. In the final episode of Justice League Unlimited, the Justice League combines forces with the members of the Secret Society of Super-Villains to repel the onslaught of Darkseid and Apokolips. I thought that episode was great, especially with the ending where after defeating Darkseid, Batman rewards the baddies for their heroic efforts with a 5 minute head start before the Justice League apprehends them. That doesn't quite happen here. But thanks to Kirby's deft touch, the last couple of pages were things of beauty.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #4

The Amazons may have been defeated. But Brainiac isn't done yet! With his de-evolutionizing abilities given to him by warriors from Apokolips, the android villain uses it on Superman, turning him into the Caveman of Steel! 

Most of this issue is the Justice League trying to contain Superman and failing miserably. Green Lantern's power ring allows Superman to return to normal. However, the Kryptonian has to stay inside GL's force field or he returns to his primal self. Still, with this small hindrance, the now complete forces of Super Powers characters, minus Robin who is on patrol duty in the JLA satellite, looks to give Brainiac the beating he so richly deserves. 

AND THEN DARKSEID ARRIVES! 

With how Kirby has set the players on the board and the fact that he's not just plotting the story in issue #5, but also writing and drawing the whole shebang, I can't wait to see what is in store for the finale!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Super Powers #3

Brainiac finally arrives on Earth to enact his plan of global dominance thanks to those new powers he's been given by Darkseid's disciples. Wonder Woman has become leader of the Amazonian army, driven blood thirsty thanks to Brainiac's de-evolution ray and the women warriors have begun an invasion of Earth. The plan looks to be working. That is until the combined forces of the remaining active members of the Justice League arrive on the scene. 

But wasn't Batman, Robin, Hawkman and Superman imprisoned into an endless limbo conjured by the Joker? Well, yes- they were. However, the woman Superman thought to be Lois Lane was actually the Joker's new therapist in disguise. With seemingly endless time on her hands, the doctor has managed to do something nobody thought possible: she's cured the Clown Prince of Crime! Unable to deal with the prospect of being in his right mind, the Joker ends the torture and banishment of the heroes, thus granted them a chance to defeat Wonder Woman's forces. 

This was definitely a predicament I didn't see coming. It can only come from the mind of Jack Kirby who never was afraid to play around with conventional norms. I could just see someone like Julius Schwartz or Dick Giordano telling the King that he couldn't make the Joker sane and Kirby's response was 'Just you watch me!' I'm not sure where the next issue is going to wrap things up. I remember owning and trying to read them as a 7 year old kid, this Super Powers miniseries. Kirby's work has always been high school level work and I remember just not enjoying it as much as I thought I should. But now as a middle-aged adult who has come to appreciate Kirby's genius, I've been enjoying giving this book a second try. I don't remember a lot of what I've been reading and despite some uneven plotting, I've thought the art and most of the plot have been quite good. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #2

After seeing success in the previous issue, Lex Luthor and the Penguin both get greedy in exerting their new powers over their foes in the Justice League and wind up failing miserably. (They've both now been marooned to a neither dimension, awaiting their fate based on their defeats.) Brainiac hasn't yet gotten to Earth yet, so the jury is still out on his performance with powers on loan from Darkseid.

The Joker is the only villain earning the praises of Darkseid's quartet of warriors. Having banished Batman, Robin and Hawkman to limbo, where they are being tortured, the fractured brain of the Clown Prince of Crime seems ideal for the many torments he's subjected his arch enemies to. But he might have gone too far in adding Superman and Lois Lane to the mix!

Of the 8 heroic members of the original Super Powers line-up, once again, Wonder Woman is noticeably absent from the action. Brainiac plans to use her as the generalissimo of an Amazonian army that will take over the world in order to ready our planet for Darkseid's arrival. Brainiac is present on maybe 2 pages of this book. 3 tops. But he's a passive player at the moment. Princess Diana appears in maybe 1 panel of those pages. Of a 24 page book! 

I know that Wonder Woman is going to feature heavily in the next issue. But is her absence from the first half of this miniseries been due to saving up for her big scene? Or was Jack Kirby, Joey Cavalieri OR BOTH, just not a big fan of Wonder Woman? 

So far, things have been really uneven in this, the first Super Powers miniseries. The key to the success of predecessor comic Justice League of America was equally splitting the team up into equitable sequences of action. We're 50% through this story and so far only 75% of the villains and 87.5% of the heroes have done enough to earn a participation trophy in terms of progressing the plot. I remember not being a fan of this series as a kid, considering how great the toy line and the mini comics were. I'm at a loss as to why things don't seem to be pandering out so well, especially since this is a Kirby production.

Maybe it gets better in the third act.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #1 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

While Jack Kirby created a sizable chunk of the mythos of the comic book industry, he was not very well compensated for it. Some of that was because of how poorly comic book creators were paid for their work. That was the result of being employed in a young industry that didn't have copyright protections yet built in for its workers. A bit was due to poor business arrangements made by Kirby himself, as he was constantly trying to provide for his wife and children. Getting fast bored on his projects didn't help matters for Kirby much either. Sadly, a large portion was because others publicly proclaimed themselves the sole creative genius behind the characters that were like childhood friends to comic book collectors such as myself. 

1984's Super Powers Collection was one of the few times in Jack Kirby's illustrative career that he received both royalties and long overdue credit for some of his DC Comics creations. While the original team of villains were Brainiac, Lex Luthor, The Penguin and The Joker, both DC and toy manufacturer Kenner sought to add some heft to the toy line. However, the majority of Generation X kids weren't very familiar with Darkseid and his Apokolips cronies. Aside from a 1982 story arc starring the Legion of Super-Heroes, Darkseid hadn't really made that many appearances in comics since Kirby left DC in 1975.

Needing to get kids introduced to the New Gods characters, DC Comics released the first of 3 mini series devoted to the Super Powers Collection toy line produced by Kenner. In the first issue, Darkseid oversees a battle royale of his best foot soldiers. The quartet that remains are dubbed on the cover of this issue as 'The Disciples of Doom.' These fighters are given portions of the leader of Apokolips' power and ordered to invade Earth. 

To claim Earth in the name of Darkseid will not be an easy task as a band of super heroes led by Superman and Batman protects the planet from threats both terrain and extraterrestrial. Each newly empowered warrior selects an arch enemy of the Justice League to carry out their invasion orders. Lex Luthor is given the power to manipulate time. The Penguin gets the ability to control birds and to control minds; whereas the Joker is allowed to alter reality in his own warped image. The fourth villain bestowed new abilities is Brainiac. He is tempted with the chance to devolve a population into their most bestial selves in hopes that they might conquer the world through brutal force. However, the android baddie is in another solar system and cannot enact his part of Darkseid's plan until he re-enters Earth's atmosphere.

The first wave of Super Powers had 12 action figures total. 11 of those characters have active parts in the first issue. Wonder Woman is shown as part of Brainiac's plan to conquer Earth, as the race selected for the robot's experiment are the Amazons of Paradise Island. Other than a single page of hypothetical, the Themysciran Princess is notably absent from this issue.

Jack Kirby penciled the cover and crafted the plot which Joey Cavalieri scripted. Adrian Gonzales' pencils were inked by Pablo Marcos. Ben Oda lettered. 

Essentially a 24-page promotional comic for the Kenner line, the inside cover features a full color ad of the original 12 figure line-up with an action shot of a Superman action figure punching the lights out of an illustrated Lex Luthor in his iconic green and purple armor. 

Completing this review completes Task #27 (Based on a Toy Line) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Dick Giordano: Changing Comics, One Day at a Time by Michael Eury (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Back Issue's Michael Eury chronicles the life of comics great Dick Giordano. Giordano was a soft-spoken man who let his proteges speak for themselves. Imagine if there was a chart that depicted Stan Lee as the pinnacle of self-promotion in the world of comic books, then Dick Giordano would be on the other end of the spectrum. Yet that doesn't mean that the predominantly DC Comics writer, illustrator, inker and editor was any less influential to the medium than Stan Lee was.

Throughout this biography, Dick Giordano is referred to as an amazing teacher and mentor who always fought for his employees. Neal Adams might get all the credit for ensuring Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster received over-due compensation for their body of work. But it was Giordano who was working behind the scenes with both DC and Marvel executives to provide not just royalties but work and recognition to countless talent who worked for peanuts in anonymity in the early days of comics.

If you were a DC Comics fan who grew up during the late 70s and early 80s, then you owe your awesome childhood to Dick Giordano. Along with working on the comics themselves, the Italian New Yorker had a hand at any and all promotional and commercial items featuring the likes of Superman, Batman and friends. Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez gets almost all of the credit for the design of the beloved Super Powers toy line from Kenner. But it was Giordano who inked every little bit of packaging that made these 1984-86 action figures and accessories so eye-catching.

Without Dick Giordano, Charlton Comics would have folded in the 1960s. Having penciled most of Charlton's Western and War lineup as a freelancer, Giordano became the fledgling publisher's editor in 1965 introducing the company's Action Heroes line, who would later join the ranks of the DC Universe a couple of years before Charlton gave up the ghost in 1986. 

Dick Giordano was such a soft-spoken kind of fellow, that I long gave Crisis on Infinite Earths creators Marv Wolfman and George Perez grief over the death of one of my all-time favorite characters, Supergirl. Yet I learned in this book that the driving force behind the demise of the Maid of Might was Giordano! However, fans should delight in knowing that Dick was instrumental in keeping Hawkman off the Crisis chopping block!

Changing Comics, One Day at a Time was published in 2003. As of the Charlotte HeroesCon of 2007, Giordano was still signing copies of the book which is now no longer in print. Only digital copies of this biography remain for sale by publisher TwoMorrows. Giordano was said to have retired from the con circuit in 2008, spending his remaining time with his children and grandchildren. Richard Joseph Giordano passed away at the age of 77 at his Ormond Beach, Fl. home on March 27, 2010.

Completing this review completes Task #50 (Prose non-fiction about comic book history) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

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.

Classic Toys from a Madman's Youth: Advent 2019 Day 21

Nowadays, the crafting of action figures has become an art form. But back in the 70s and 80s, there were action figures based on iconic characters. Growing up, they seldom looked anything like the characters on the screen. That all changed with Kenner in 1984 as a superior toy line, that brought the characters on paper to life, debuted. 

For today's Advent, I'm talking about Super Powers!

I remember the day I discovered this iconic toy line. I was watching a rerun of Super Friends when a commercial for Super Powers came on TV. It was a mix of cartoon and reality as Superman punched out a wall  and Batman did too! And there were villains! (Oh, how I love baddies!) I was instantly hooked and I had to have it!

Somehow, my mom decided we needed to run to K-Mart and get me a couple of those figures. Normally, she'd poo-poo such an idea. But on this day, she was all for it. 

Unfortunately, Batman and The Man of Steel wasn't at K-Mart that day. Instead, my Justice League was first comprised of Aquaman and Robin, the Boy Wonder. But that's okay. As by Christmas of 1984, I was leading all of the heavy hitters including Green Lantern, Hawkman and The Flash. Oh, and Firestorm! My favorite!

Look folks, if you are to ask me if I am a DC person or a Marvel guy, I am going to answer DC. I love any and all super heroes. But I grew up on DC! And a lot of that is thanks to two men- Dick Giordano and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. These two amazing artists had created the DC style guides which were used to instruct licensing companies how DC Comics wanted their characters to look like. And Kenner got it right with the Super Powers line! These heroes looked like they had come right from the comics I adored so well!

Each action figure came with 2 unique features. First of all, each figure had a distinct 'power action.' For example, if you squeezed Red Tornado's arms, his lower torso would spin around like a cyclone. 

The other feature of a Super Powers action figure was my absolute favorite. The mini comic! Every figure came with 4-inch tall 8-page comic book that starred the character whose action figure you bought. The mini books are the rarest thing for fans to locate. They often either got lost or destroyed or thrown away. I've been asking for years for DC to reissue these as a collection. But my pleas always seem to fall on deaf ears. 

One of my favorite Christmas gifts from the Super Powers line wasn't the toys! It was the case that you collecting them in! Yes, the Super Powers carrying case was that awesome! The case has 2 lids that opened on both sides like a book. Inside both lids were several 4 panel strips that revealed the secret origins of all your favorite super heroes. I read and re-read those so freakin' much. 

As my Advent gift for you today, I want you to enjoy those awesome commericals as much as I did. It's kinda long, but it's every commercial from Super Powers' 1984-86 run. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have!

Super Powers (2016-Present) #1 (Family Comic Friday)

    (With the Thanksgiving weekend, I'm a little behind on my Family Comic Friday article. But it's here. Enjoy and thanks for understanding!)

   In 1984, DC Comics published the first Super Powers title. Based on the awesome Kenner Toys line, the series was written by Jack Kirby and it gave him a chance to return to his Fourth World creations of Apokolips and New Genesis of the early 70s. It was my first exposure to Darkseid and Orion but I didn't mind. I thought he was pretty cool looking and creepy even though he was totally new to me. By the second series, the addition made perfect sense as New Gods were added to the second and third waves of the Super Powers line.
   Well, jump ahead 32 years and Super Powers is back.
    In this all-ages series by the dynamic duo of Art Baltazar and Franco, the fun of Tiny Titans and Superman Family Adventures returns to comic book shelves nationwide. 
    It all starts with Commission Gordon summoning Superman for help. It appears that Batman is missing and Gotham has become overrun with villains. Along the way, the Man of Steel ends up captured by the threat that has Batman. With the World's Finest in chains, who will save the day from evil? Thankfully, there's a certain Amazonian Princess out there who might just do the trick!
    This new Super Powers series was lots of fun. I love the team of Baltazar and Franco. They craft stories that are funny and exciting for kids with just the right bit of nostalgia for adults and seasoned comic book fans. Plus there's just a hint of mystery as there's a secret villain behind the whole plot to capture Superman and Batman. (If you asked me, it would be fitting that the original Super Powers villain, Darkseid, was the mastermind of it all!)
    Join the adventures of your favorite super heroes in this new all-ages DC title that just hit store shelves this previous Wednesday.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.