A Look Back at Action Comics #481 (1978)

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1970s arts and culture enthusiasts, DC Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1978 to take a close look at a part of the DC Comics universe through a tale of the Action Comics monthly series.

Believe it or not, there were times when Superman used advanced technology and machinery to achieve his goals, to win a battle or at least survive. This is something we people today can relate with since a lot us have smartphones and computers being used daily. As for the Man of Steel, there was a time when I saw an episode of Super Friends on TV in which a very vulnerable Superman had no choice but to use his personal flying vehicle called the Supermobile to travel and do something. It turns out, the Supermobile itself started in comic books.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Action Comics , published in 1978 by DC Comics with a story written by Cary Bates and drawn by Curt Swan.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins on a city street as Amazo (who recently gained the powers of Justice League members in a previous encounter) is about to strike a weakened Superman and Professor Ivo (who is responsible for Amazo) in front of many people. Amazo strikes but ends up smashing the part of the road as his targets vanished.

It turns out Superman and the professor were teleported safely all the way into the Fortress of Solitude. With his powers gone due to red radiation, Superman revealed that he made some preparations in relation to Amazo’s eventual rampage….

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Exposition about the Supermobile in this page showing the trapped Justice League members.

This early, I want to point out that this comic book is not merely a shallow tale designed to introduce the Supermobile in lazy fashion. In fact, there is a lot of work done by the Bates-Swan duo here and this includes plot build-up backed with payoffs, lots of details that were revealed and, most notably, the story has a solid structure complete with smooth execution.

This story was preceded by an unfortunate series of events in which Amazo gained the powers of the Justice League members and had them trapped in space, while Superman got hit by red radiation and managed to get out for a new fighting chance. Here, Superman is powerless and vulnerable, and the fact that Amazo is so powerful, the unveiling and use of the Supermobile is clearly justified. Amazo himself is a fine example of a scientific creation gone wrong and seem inspired by the monster of Frankenstein in literature.

By looking close at the details, the dialogue and the execution of event, this is clearly not a rushed job to introduce the Supermobile. It is a sufficient story on its own and it even delivers a good amount of superhero spectacle to satisfy readers.

Conclusion

Superman and the professor inside the Fortress of Solitude.

Action Comics (1978) is indeed a satisfying and fun read. The build-up leading to the Supermobile’s debut is sufficient and the creators went on to keep building up the plot with Amazo getting bigger as a threat to not only against Superman but also against the Justice League. The Supermobile’s debut is justified and definitely it is not a cheap addition to the plot. The idea of Superman using a personal transport looked silly on face value but this comic book proved it is believable and sensible.

Overall, Action Comics (1978) is recommended.

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A Look Back at Superman #83 (1993)

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1993 to take a close look at one of the many tales published through the Superman monthly series.

For the newcomers reading this, DC Comics published the Funeral for a Friend storyline set after Superman’s death (Superman ). Funeral for a Friend explored the impact Superman’s death had on local society, the civil and political stakeholders, as well as DC’s many superheroes who were connected with the icon (read my retro reviews here, here, here and here). Of course, DC brought the Man of Steel back to life which led to the Reign of the Supermen storyline. This obviously meant concluding the Funeral for a Friend storyline.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Superman #83, published in 1993 by DC Comics with a story written and drawn by Dan Jurgens with ink work by Joe Rubinstein. This is the epilogue of Funeral for a Friend.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins with Superman meeting an arriving Batman (note: Azrael playing the role as Bruce Wayne had been paralyzed by Bane) in the presence of Commissioner Gordon in Gotham City. He tells Batman that it was time for them to go to a certain ceremony which catches Azrael knowing nothing about it all forcing him to just play along. Batman resorts to making an excuse and turns Superman down, even though he learns that the entire Justice League will be involved to take care of the Engine City problem. Not wanting to spark Superman’s suspicion, Batman leaves Superman and Gordon behind. Superman then flies away.

Meanwhile, Lex Luthor, Supergirl and personnel fly towards Engine City. Luthor is obsessed with accumulating Kyptonite at the site…

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Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and the Flash with Lex Luthor and Supergirl (in the background).

As the conclusion of the Funeral for a Friend storyline, this is a mixed bag of creative concepts. It has scenes that developed established supporting characters such as Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Cat Grant and Superman’s parents Jonathan and Martha Kent. The main story of this comic book has a lot more to do with the Justice League than Superman himself as a result of a huge crisis in which an actual coastal city could collapse, fall into the sea and potentially poison the aquatic life.

That’s not to say that Superman does not have sufficient presence in this comic book. In fact, the Man of Steel has scenes that highlight his humanity, his leadership role among the Justice League and how he is still adjusting to life after getting killed by Doomsday. What Superman fans won’t find here is superhero action versus an enemy.

Still on the Superman relevance of this comic book, Lex Luthor’s obsession with accumulating as much Kryptonite as he could reflects his diabolic nature as well as his cunning moves with distorting people’s perception. Even though he does not commit any acts of violence, Luthor’s manipulative tactics even in the presence of many superheroes showed that he simply won’t stop at anything to get what he wants and what benefits him.  

Speaking of more characters, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) here got a good piece of the spotlight as he emphasized why Engine City should fall into the Pacific Ocean which he relates to the destruction of Coast City. Through his dialogue, you can feel his bitterness and the impact that the Coast City tragedy had on his worldview. You will also see Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Guy Gardner and others participate in the talks.

Conclusion

Pay close attention to the details, Superman fans.

Superman #83 (1993) is a nicely crafted story that happens to be more about the Justice League dealing with a big problem with Superman present. As the epilogue to the Funeral for a Friend storyline, this comic book tied up certain loose ends but ultimately focused more on building up details and tension for future events. As this story took place a short time after Superman physically returned from the dead, readers will see a still-adjusting Man of Steel here and this clearly shows that the funeral is indeed over.

Overall, Superman #83 (1993) is recommended.

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A Look Back at Superman #76 (1993)

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the early 1990s and explore a key chapter in the post-Crisis era of DC Comics through a Superman comic book.

Previously, I reviewed Adventures of Superman #498 (1993) and Superman: The Man of Steel #20 (1993) which were chapters of the Funeral for a Friend storyline. In Superman: MOS , a large funeral took place which involved several special guests as well as other DC superheroes who paid tribute to Superman. The entire city of Metropolis is struggling to move forward as the sudden of Superman really impacted all the people, especially on Lois Lane.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Superman #76, published in 1993 by DC Comics with a story written and illustrated by Dan Jurgens. This comic book marked the fourth chapter of the Funeral for a Friend storyline.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins with Shazam (AKA Captain Marvel) arriving at the rooftop of the Daily Planet where the Flash, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Maxima and others are present. The whole city is experiencing a very somber Christmas season as the death and burial of Superman remains very strong on the people.

On the streets of Metropolis, a long-haired guy named Mitch walks down in the rain feeling troubled not only because Superman died but also due to the fact that their home got smashed during the encounter with the unstoppable Doomsday. Mitch then arrives at a gathering of people outside of a building’s front door. There are several reporters covering a lady speaking to them with a microphone. She tells them that she is Mrs. Superman…

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Wonder Woman reads a letter.

Being the 4th chapter of the Funeral for a Friend storyline, Dan Jurgens crafted a story that not only dramatized the post-disaster situation of Metropolis but also had notable twists and developments that proved to be worth reading.

For one thing, this comic book has Lois Lane reunited at last with Clark Kent’s earthly parents Jonathan and Martha which was not only really dramatic but also had very rich dialogue written. By this point in this particular storyline, Lois Lane has gone through waves of deep emotions and pain, while getting stressed with journalistic work. As such, there is this dramatic pay-off that happened during the reunion with the elderly Kent couple.

What is most notable here is the scene in which Superman’s super-powered allies visit a local post office that literally got flooded with lots of mail from around the world addressed to the Man of Steel. On face value, such a scenario looked silly but the way Dan Jurgens crafted the dialogue and the images, the post office scene became believable and sensible to read. This shows that superheroes like Aquaman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and others do have hearts to be caring and sensible to the people.

The scene of the ordinary guy Mitch is significant as well. Clearly the character symbolizes the poor and struggling American who remembers how a complete stranger like Superman came along, stood up to fight for Mitch’s family and died in the process (while Mitch’s father was absent).

This comic book is also a Christmas tale. How Christmas was dramatized here has to be seen and you readers should get a copy of this comic book to find out why. It should be noted that there are themes of reconciliation and the nuclear family that made the Christmas tale meaningful.

Conclusion

Lana Lang, Lois Lane and the elderly Kent couple.

Even without the presence of the Man of Steel and no good-versus-evil conflict, Superman #76 (1993) is a great read as it pushed forward the Funeral for a Friend storyline while successfully telling a meaningful Christmas tale of its own complete with a very unique portrayal of the Justice League and Superman’s allies. How people deal with emotions and stress over Superman’s death was portrayed as highly believable and Dan Jurgen’s writing here was done with really high quality.

Overall, Superman #76 (1993) is highly recommended.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

A Look Back at Superman: The Man of Steel #20 (1993)

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the early 1990s and explore a key chapter in the post-Crisis era of DC Comics through a Superman comic book.

Previously, I reviewed Adventures of Superman #498 (1993) which marked the first chapter of the Funeral for a Friend storyline and dramatized the impact left behind by the death of Superman. That particular comic book had strong writing and succeeded in dramatizing how Superman’s friends, associates and other characters coped with his death with the future looking uncertain to them.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Superman: The Man of Steel , published in 1993 by DC Comics with a story written by Louise Simonson and drawn by Jon Bogdanove. This comic book marked the third chapter of the Funeral for a Friend storyline.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins with people in Metropolis struggling to move forward not only because their hero Superman died but also because of the tremendous damage left behind by Doomsday. In his headquarters, Lex Luthor is talking with the telephone surrounded by several people with Supergirl watching. The matter being discussed was the burial of Superman at Centennial Park particularly in a structure Luthor himself donated. While he has to live on with the fact that he failed to kill Superman, Luthor tells himself he can still bury him.

At the Kent farm far away from Metropolis, Jonathan and Martha Kent are agonizing not only because of the death of their beloved son but also because they realized they cannot even get near him at his funeral as it will be organized as a major event with only the important people allowed to attend…

Quality

It seems like destiny to have the super villain Lex Luthor in the presence of a fictionalized Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton during the funeral of Superman. By today’s standards, the Clintons made it normal for America to bow to terrorists and make deals with them. That being said, their inclusion in this comic book is just wrong.

To go straight to the point, like Adventures of Superman (1993), this comic book continues to dramatize the impact of Superman’s death on Metropolis and its people in a very engaging manner. It shows that DC’s creative teams in charge of Superman comic book at the time were really organized and coordinated with each other on crafting the Funeral for a Friend storyline. What makes this comic book stand out is the funeral itself which was organized as a public event (with the burial itself done in the presence of important people – including a very evil couple from the Democrats who love abortion and terrorism) and this includes the presence of many other DC Comics superheroes like Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Maxima, Shazam (AKA Captain Marvel) and others. The burial had its own share of intriguing and dramatic moments emphasizing the people’s struggle to adjust themselves knowing they don’t have Superman anymore to help them.

Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Robin help out as the huge crowd became rowdy.

More on the post-death dramatization, the creative team managed to keep Superman’s associates Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and the other Daily Planet people feeling uneasy over the Man of Steel’s death which makes their work covering the funeral professionally a challenge. Unsurprisingly, Lois Lane gets her own fine share of the spotlight agonizing over the fact that she lost her beloved Clark (Superman to the public) whom she was supposed to get married with. The emotional struggle within her intensified as she experiences difficulty of informing the elderly Kent couple about what happened. This is rich writing prepared by the creators.

Not only that, the creative team also went all-out with dramatizing the impact of Superman’s good deeds on the people. You will see several people from Metropolis’ general population talk about how Superman helped them or inspired them. There are certain lines of dialogue that are quite touching to read.

Conclusion

A pretty powerful portrayal of Lois Lane’s struggle on dealing with the new reality that she lost her beloved Superman.

Superman: The Man of Steel (1993) is another solid, post-death story emphasizing the new normal that Metropolis people and Superman’s friends are having difficulty adjusting to…a world without the Man of Steel. Based on the high quality of the storytelling and character development, it is easy to tell that the Superman titles’ creative teams planned ahead and prepared themselves for telling a post-death saga which was pretty risky given the iconic status of Superman and his decades-long legacy in comics and pop culture. This comic book really made Superman’s absence feel powerful and undeniable.

Overall, Superman: The Man of Steel (1993) is recommended.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Gameplay footage of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League looks promising

When Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was first unveiled with a cinematic trailer during the DC FanDome of 2020, I was just interested with its concept but wanted more in terms of gameplay. After more than one year of waiting, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment revealed at last the first gameplay footage of the Rocksteady Studios-developed game and I find it looking fun and promising. For your viewing pleasure, watch the official gameplay trailer below…

As seen in the above trailer, the developer behind the acclaimed Batman Arkham games really worked hard to not only make a wide variety of action and movements (in relation to the different members of the Suicide Squad), but also have them animate very smoothly and artistically resulting a cinematic look while still maintaining the DC Comics aesthetic.

A quick look at Metropolis serving as the open world environment in the game.
3rd person view shooting sequence with Deadshoot doing the shooting.

The gameplay trailer showed 3rd person view shooting sequences with not only Deadshot but also with King Shark. As for Harley Quinn, there were sequences of her swinging above ground and doing close combat. The in-game Metropolis (the fictional city often identified with Superman) was clearly designed to provide gamers a large, open world-inspired environment which opens up opportunities for action, exploration and storytelling. Metropolis in this game looks detailed and there are visual references to Superman and Wonder Woman shown.

An action sequence with Harley Quinn.
Harley swinging into action!
Players will get to do some shooting as King Shark.

Having seen the gameplay footage, I can say my interest in playing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League on my Xbox Series X in the near future has gotten stronger. I should state that it is a spectacle to see Rocksteady’s developers push their creativity hard, possibly more so than what they achieved in the Batman Arkham games. By the way, Rocksteady is being assisted by Unbroken Studios on the game.

As of this writing, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League does not have a final release date but it will be released for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Windows PC sometime in 2022.

In closing this piece, posted below are Xbox-related videos for your viewing pleasure.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

Why I’m Looking Forward To Shazam In Cinemas Even Though I’m No Fan Of The Superhero

Let me start by confirming that although I am a geek and I read lots of comic books – especially superhero stories of Marvel Comics, DC Comics and other publishers – I never was a fan of Shazam (formerly called Captain Marvel before Marvel Comics took the trademark legally) nor was I fond of the Marvel Family (Captain Marvel, Jr., Mary Marvel and others) he was identified with.

But even so, I still will watch in the cinemas Shazam!, the next DC Comics Cinematic Universe movie from Warner Bros. starring Zachary Levi, Asher Angel and Jack Dylan Grazer. It is directed by David F. Sandberg and it will be released worldwide on the first week of April.

For your reference, watch the latest trailer below.

 

Shazam/Captain Marvel has a very long history in superhero comics. While the superhero belongs to DC Comics, he (and the related characters) started in comics published by Fawcett Publications in the early 1940s. He debuted in Whiz Comics . Believe it or not, in terms of comic book sales Shazam/Captain Marvel was the most popular superhero of the 1940s and not even Superman could match him. DC Comics sued Fawcett on the grounds of copyright infringement and in part this contributed to the publisher’s decision to cease publishing any comics of Shazam/Captain Marvel by the year 1953. This was only the start of the long road before Shazam and the related characters became part of DC Comics.

When it comes to the DC Cinematic Universe, movie productions are now being done under the careful watch of Walter Hamada and already major improvements have happened such as Aquaman making over $1 billion in ticket sales globally. Shazam! is a film clearly made under Hamada’s leadership and based on the previews, it seems like director David F. Sandberg and his creative team have done a good job and somehow they managed to get good performances from their actors.

As to why I look forward to watching the movie even though I’m no fan of the character, here are my reasons:

1. Seeing Shazam’s literary concept translated into cinematic form – For those who are not familiar with Shazam/Captain Marvel, the superhero’s concept goes like this. There’s a homeless teenager named Billy Batson who was chosen by a very old wizard to continue a fight against evil. Being the chosen one, Billy Batson becomes the muscular, caped superhero Shazam/Captain Marvel by simply saying “Shazam” (which attracts a quick bolt of lightning to him enabling the transformation). In my view, this classic concept deserves a cinematic adaptation. Although the movie trailers showed bits of it, I feel there is more than meets the eye. The transformation from teenager to caped superhero is one thing, his character development is another. This brings me to my next point.

2. Watching the actors bring the characters to life – It seems that the right actors were hired to bring the characters – notably Shazam, Billy Batson and Freddy Freeman – to life. Having read comic books of Shazam/Captain Marvel and watched several episodes of the Shazam cartoon series on TV decades, I still remember how the traits of the characters and from what I’ve seen in the trailers and previews, things are looking good. Based on available information, Zachary Levi reminds me a lot about the caped superhero walking with a human adult body but is living with uncertainty for he really is a teenager (Billy Batson) behind it all. Levi looks good too with humor. Jack Dylan Grazer’s Freddy is a very avid geek which I can related with. Asher Angel as Billy Batson so far looks good in handling the character. Definitely I want to see more of their performances.

Screenshot_20190307-153720~2.png
Freddy Freeman and Shazam/Captain Marvel. 

3. I’m interested in superhero comedy from Warner Bros –  Since the release of 2017’s Wonder Woman, the DC Cinematic Universe turned a corner and gradually moved away from the cloud of darkness, grit and cynicism that started with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. Wonder Woman was not only a more optimistic superhero movie, it also had a good amount of humor successfully pulled off by the supporting cast. Shazam! meanwhile is clearly a superhero comedy and it could become the most cheerful (if not the most humorous) DC Comics movie yet without being too cheesy or too childish. Director Sandberg and the actors seem to have established a lot of synergy to carefully mix action, fun and humor. I’m hoping that what was shown in the previews is just a taste of more good and fun stuff to come. While I rarely watch comedies, I’m interested in more humor in DC Comics movies. Besides, the adulterated and exagerrated humor I saw in the Deadpool movies is just not entertaining.

4. The state of the DC Cinematic Universe under Hamada’s watch – As it is already confirmed by Warner Bros. that standalone DC Comics superhero movies will be the norm for now, Shazam! is an opportunity to show where the current cinematic universe is right now with regards to connections with other DC superheroes. Already there were references to Batman, Superman and even the Justice League (as seen in the merchandise shot in the latest trailer). I’m not expecting to see much connectivity with the other DC superheroes at all but some signs as to where the cinematic universe is going would be good enough for me. Aquaman had a small reference to the events of the Justice League movie. This is, after all, the cinematic story of Shazam/Captain Marvel. The forcing and rushing of a shared cinematic universe previously done by Zack Snyder is in the past. We must remember that we are now watching the DC Cinematic Universe under the leadership of Walter Hamada.

Screenshot_20190307-153923~2.png
Justice League references.

Those are my reasons as to why I will watch Shazam! in cinemas once it opens. I’m no fan of Shazam/Captain Marvel but the superhero deserves his cinematic adaptation and so far the movie looks very promising. I feel it also has the potential to attract lots of fans as well as moviegoers who are not even familiar with the character. We will find out soon enough if Shazam! will be a hit or not.


Thank you for reading. If you find this article to be engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenor is still available in paperback and e-book format. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco.