Location, Location, Location - DP KC

Hey Doom Patrol,

Welcome to Kansas City.

Now GET OUT!

Mid-western hospitality only lasts so long.

Brief reminders of the previous Doom Patrols.
Original team - Chief, Elasti-Girl, Negative Man, Robotman, Mento, Beast Boy

If at first you don't succeed, try again.
Team 2 - Celsius, Negative Woman, Robotman, Tempest

Okay, third time's a charm?

The New Doom Patrol - Robotman, Celsius, Negative Woman, Tempst, and three other people I don't know.

They came to Kansas City hoping for a better chance.

Guess someone doesn't like the new HQ.

Unfortunately bad luck strikes again. This Doom Patrol too, is doomed.

Bad pun I know, but the Doom Patrol's teams and comics always end badly.

I guess this one may have been a more successful run though. Starting with #19, Grant Morrison took over as writer. It become a Vertigo title at issue #64, and continued until #87. I stopped at #18.

As advertised the series started off with art by Steve Lightle, who happened to live in Kansas City at this time.

Then Erik Larsen arrived. Larsen's art style is really hit and miss for me.

Superman

And Power Girl

I don't mind his work on this title, but when he replaced Todd McFarlane on Amazing Spider-Man I hated it. More about that in another post.

Honestly I only bought this comic because it was set in Kansas City.

The Kansas City Star did an article about the Doom Patrol coming to town. It also mentioned the Mo-Kan Fall Comics Festival. With very special guest - Dick Sprang.

My first comic convention.

Writer: Paul Kupperberg
Art: Steve Lightle / Erik Larson 
1987

That's Who? Who'sWho Thursday - Doom Patrol Squared

The original team

The replacements

Art: John Byrne / Joe Staton 

A Pennyworth Tale - Who's Your Daddy?

It's Batman!

Bratty Bruce Jr can't keep a secret.

Don't forget to tell'em your Mom is Batwoman.

Batman #159 1963

CrossCompany CrossOver - Cyblade/Shi

It's billed as the Battle for Independents, but really this two-part crossover starring Image Comics' Cyblade and Crusade Comics' Shi seems to be a battle of identity.

Book One - Cyblade/Shi

Published by Image and is your typical 90's super-hero book.

Strike a pose

Show some T-n-A

and Fight!

The art by Marc Silvestri is great. There's just no substance to the story.

The second half is something completely different.

They should have used this ad art for the cover.

Book Two - Shi/Cyblade

Published by Crusade Comics with cameos by numerous small press characters.

The book tries to be a commentary on the state of the comics industry in the 1990's.

I've never understand this animosity. Without superheroes, there would be no market for ANY comicbooks.

Cyblade/Shi    1995
Writers: Marc Silversti / Billy Tucci / Brian Haberlin / David Wohl
Art team: Marc Silvestri / Batt

Shi/Cyblade    1995
Writers: Billy Tucci / Gary Cohn
Art team: Billy tucci / Nelson Asencio/ Jimmy Palmiotti

Comic on Comics w/ Thomas Bottoms - She-Hulk #1 (the Fifth)

"I am neither bad not good. I am simply legal"

This book is good. Really good. It put a smile on my face. I told non-comic fans about it and they are now intrigued!

Fifth time may be the charm for our Jennifer Walters. This is her strongest first issue and an amazing start to a new series.

I was a young boy attending Head Start in glamorous Cleveland, OH when I first heard my mother reading about She-Hulk in the daily paper. With my young mind being curious, she took me to the library where I got to "borrow" some of her issues. I don't know which ones, and I use the term "borrow" because the comics barely made it back to the library before we moved to Window Rock, AZ.

I started collecting comics when I was ten. I still remember being the toast of my class because I had the She-Hulk graphic novel (future review to come). I bought her 1989 series and stuck around even after John Byrne left! I loved her Dan Slott series and shared parts of it with anyone who would listen, lived under my roof, or couldn't run away! I'm such a fan I even noticed when her trade-mark between-the-eyes bangs disappeared and were replaced with a Bettie Page cut. Blessedly the bangs are back on the cover!

So what about the story?

Well Jennifer learns the hard way that great work isn't always what people want, and friends quickly become enemies when legal matters get involved. You can go somewhere else if you really need spoilers and a full synopses, but what you should do is grab $2.99 and head to your closest comic store. This is truly a great comic!

Charles Soule is a lawyer and a comic writer, and being someone who has played both sides of the law he knows his stuff. Half the fun of this issue are the legal hoops Jen has to jump through just to solve a simple case. I pride myself on knowing the law and it's malleability; my last company sicced three lawyers on me. I chewed them up, spit them out and easily won my case. I highly doubt I want to face Charles on the other side of the bench.

The art by Javier Pulido may be too Allred-esk for Robert's taste (Thanks for letting me write for your blog) but we both agree it fits the tone of the book.

All is not perfect: The 18th floor is hard to figure out perceptive wise and I had to look up Jonas Harrow on my own because the narrative didn't tell me who he was. (Actually caring who he is doesn't matter to the context of the story.) Apparently Eddie Finch was created as a throw away name. (Any help would be great. I don't know my Iron Man history)

This book could have gone wrong in so many ways, but thankfully it didn't. It could have been gamma Ally McBeal, but Jennifer Walters is too self-aware to ever jump down that rabbit hole. She isn't cocky, but confident in her intelligence and her skills as a lawyer. She is nowhere near perfect, losing her temper at least TWICE in the book, but she feels justified in her actions.

As far as first issues go, this one does it right. We learn who Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk is. We learn the direction of the series. We experience a great She-Hulk story. This story would NOT work for Daredevil or any other super-hero lawyer. This is all about Shulkie!

Will I be back for more? You betcha! Normally I would wait for the trade or a sale, but I'll pick up the monthlies and probably but the trade too. To loan out.

In Name Only - GI Joe

Learning nothing from New Coke, Hasbro took GI JOE to the extreme!

Extremely stupid and unnecessary.

No Joes I Know-

Were we supposed to confuse that redhead for Scarlett and the crouching guy for Snake-Eyes?

These new Joes battled SKAR and Iron Klaw instead of Cobra.

He's no Cobra Commander.

From what I understand this Dark Horse series was based on the lame cartoon "sequel" to GI Joe: A Real American Hero.

I know that the Joes have gone through changes before, from 12-inch action doll of the 60's to 3¾-inch action figure superstar of the 80's, but this just seemed so wrong. 


GI Joe #1-4; #1-4 1995-1996
Writer: Mike W Barr
Artist: Tatsuya Ishida 

Indecent Proposal - One Night with Wonder Woman

What would you do to stop the pain and suffering of war?

Wonder Woman is offered that chance. In a most unsavory manner.

This is Alcmaeon.

I've never heard of him either. Besides this is more about Wonder Woman anyways.

Who's advice would you seek? Your Mom?

Your friends?

No matter how biased, 

or how Batman.

Would you find your own way to deal with this indecent proposal?

Give him his night.

But be careful. He can be very charming.

You don't want to wake up in his bed.

Oh shit...

Don't worry, it just looks like Diana slept with Alcmaeon. She actually kills him with a kiss.

The End.

For me, the most indecent thing is this cover.

Is her hip broken? It looks dislocated, and the shorts are cut waay to high.

Legends of the DC Universe #30 - 32
Writer: Christopher Priest
Art team: Karl Waller / Mark McKenna