Captain America Must Die: Captain America 176

Captain America #176 (August 1974)(cover by John Romita)
"Captain America Must Die!"
Script: Steve Englehart
Art: Sal Buscema and Vince Colletta

Karen: After the terrible reveal of last issue, Cap is at a crossroads. He stands on the rooftop of Avengers' mansion, brooding. How can he go on being Captain America, wearing his uniform, representing his country, when he's just seen so much corruption at its heart? We get a flashback to Cap's origin, and I think this is one of the better re-tellings of his story. There are interesting little details here - were we told before that Steve was born and raised in Manhattan? We see him in a movie theater, watching news reels and getting righteously angry over the atrocities the Nazis were committing in Europe. All of this would get incorporated into the Captain America film too. We see him volunteer for the super-soldier experiment and become transformed, and then have the genius behind it, Professor Reinstein, get murdered by a spy. This is all achieved in 4 pages, and culminates with Cap thinking that he had truly become the embodiment of America -but things had changed drastically since then.

Doug: My question is, how did they get Chris Evans's head on that scrawny little body? But really -- if Steve Englehart claims to have written all the stories that would become the first Batman franchise, then he could certainly lay claim to the origin of Captain America. Except that Jack Kirby had done it a couple of times earlier. Anyway, you can sure see the influence of these panels in the Super Soldier portion of the first Cap film. Bone to pick, though -- wasn't the original doctor named Erskine? This fella's name is Reinstein, as you said. I wonder when and why that was changed. I thought Vinnie Colletta's feathery line was really conspicuous in this sequence, with Rogers bare-chested. And given our review of the second part of "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" and Superman's decision to end his career after the death of Mr. Mxzyptlk, it was ironic that Rogers felt sorry but not sorry about pummeling the Nazi spy into the control panel where he was electrocuted.

Doug: The two-page spread showing the rapid-fire history of Captain America was pretty awesome. The cascading effect was nice, although there was certainly room left to have added even more characters and events. But it was still effective, leaving a full-body image of Cap with an essence of distress at the end of the line. 

Karen: His thoughts are interrupted by the appearance of Thor, his long-time team-mate. Let me take a moment to say that Sal and Vinnie do a great job on the God of Thunder in his brief appearance. As one might expect, Thor counsels the Captain that he is a fighting man, and it is in combat that he is at his finest, and most noble. Cap says he's not even sure what 'nobility' is any more. He's even still beating himself up for stealing that electron-gyro a few issues back. Sure, he did it to help clear his name, and he stopped the Secret Empire, but it bothers him that he stooped to do it. The Thunder God says that whatever Cap decides, he'll have his friendship, and he launches himself into a storm-tossed sky.

Doug: The coloring as Thor arrives on the rooftop is particularly nice and adds to the moodiness. I was struck most in this sequence by the respect Thor has for Cap. When you think of how much longer Thor has been alive, and of all the worlds he's seen and the battles he's fought, that he would try to rouse Cap from this funk because he enjoys a good brouhaha at his side... well, it's a lot to take in.


Karen: I've always thought that these two have similar codes of honor that help to unite them. Cap re-enters the mansion and runs right into another old friend -Iron Man. This is the Shellhead with the nose, so it always looks weird to me. Iron Man takes another tack with Cap -namely, that their powers obligate them to help others. He reminds Cap of different times he's saved lives - or even how he's always agreed to perform at charity events. The star-spangled Avenger bitterly responds that people turned on him the first chance they got when Harderman and CRAP (one more chance to use that acronym!) started spreading lies about him. People took all his help for granted. Shellhead says, so what? Doing good deeds can still give his life meaning, regardless of how fickle the public can be. Just then, Cap's partner, the Falcon, bursts in.

Doug: Iron Man had the nose when I came to "new" Avengers comics, so it's never been odd to me. I actually like it for two reasons: it dates the character to my earliest comics memories, and it sure seems more practical than the flat faceplate! Cap sort of gets an "It's a Wonderful Life" lesson from Iron Man, and I think it's effective. The Avengers are sure giving him the hard sell. How disheartening must it have been for Thor and IM to see Captain America, the mainstay of the team, so downtrodden. But to your comment about Cap's anger at how the crowds so quickly turned on him -- that's a Stan Lee trope as old as the Marvel Universe. Personally, I get very tired of it, but I'll give Englehart credit for taking it and crafting a pretty darned good tale because of it.

Karen: It's funny when you think about the cycles Cap went through: he was pretty miserable when he first got out of the ice, then seemed to settle in to his existence, and then whammo, this situation comes along. Falcon gives Cap some tough love, angry that his partner had just split from Washington without a word. He brought along Sharon Carter and her older sister Peggy (although Peggy was confused as to why Falcon looked for Cap at Sharon's place... oh dear...). Cap says something happened at the White House, something he can't talk about. Falcon replies that the officials have clamped down on that too. But he's shaken by the change he sees in Cap. Cap has always been rock-steady. He briefly recounts his first meeting with the Avenger and how Cap trained him and made him into  "the man I always wanted to be," the Falcon. When the two of them became partners, Falcon felt like he was becoming part  of a legend. Falcon says that as heroes, they are examples to others -they can lead others. Cap more so than anyone else. But Cap is not so sure. He says that the people in charge of the country were also supposed to be heroes, people that the citizenry could look up to -and they were criminals. But the Falcon says that's all the more reason for Cap to hang in there -the people need him now more than ever! You really feel Falcon's passion here as he tries to reason with Cap.

 Doug: So even if this issue transpires the same night as the fracas at the White House, don't you think it would have gotten out that the president is dead? There were members of the media everywhere, the army was present, and for crying out loud -- there was a flying saucer on the back lawn! Wouldn't someone have been looking for their nightly television to have been interrupted by a presidential news conference? I agree that Falcon's fire comes through loud and clear, but more than that I feel Englehart's fire. The Falcon serves as his cipher here, speaking the author's trepidations with America's corruption in the mid-1970s. And to editorial and this issue's creators -- yes, this is an epilogue to the "Secret Empire" story, but it's also a phenomenal jumping on point for new readers. That being said, I wonder how a new kid would have felt if next month he picked up the new copy of _ _ _ _ & the Falcon?


Karen: Peggy picks up the plea, as she comes from a different viewpoint. She says politicians come and go, but America is still the greatest country in the world. After everything the country was going through at this point, it seems a bit tough to swallow, but it was a viewpoint held by many at that time (and today). She says that Cap is the living symbol of freedom. She reminds him that he just recently fought a 'fake' Captain America (the 1950s Cap who was psychotic -hopefully we'll review those issues one of these days) who did not represent his views of America -is he ready to give up on America so quickly now? He's not just any super-hero -he's Captain America!

Doug: Peggy's soliloquy might be the best of the lot. She really put Cap on a pedestal he so richly deserved. However, at the bottom of the final page of her pep talk, Sal and Vinnie give us an image that made me feel like I was riding "It's a Small World" at Disney World! Native costumes, indeed!

Karen: Cap takes it all in, but then calmly replies that America has changed a lot since he took on his name. Americans have many different ideas and creeds -they are far more divided now. When people look at him, what does he represent? After saying that, Cap asks to be left alone. His friends all walk out, but then he hears an unearthly voice. He turns and sees his Avengers' team-mate, the Vision, materialize through the wall. The synthozoid simply asks him if he can give up a life of adventure, and then leaves him alone with Sharon Carter. She asks him no questions, just tells him that whatever he decides, she's with him, the man under the mask, and gives him a kiss and leaves.

Doug: The Vision's appearance was notably creepy, yet somewhat puzzling. I just didn't know. again other than the visual of his phasing through the wall, that his presence in this scene meant anything. Given what he said, I mean. If he'd spoken of the travails of being human, or of something to do with logic in an illogical world, then I guess I'd have felt differently. But I didn't think there was any mileage at all out of those three panels. Cap and Sharon weren't too shy about that kiss, were they? Peggy was a doorway away. And you have to think Vizh might have been onto it.

Karen: Finally alone, Cap stops to consider what was said. He had hoped someone would present him with a viewpoint he hadn't thought of -but they didn't. He thinks to himself that they all missed the main point: he was created by the government to protect the country. He did his best, and although he was not always proud of everything he did, he served as well as he could. Now though, he finds that the government has been serving itself. "I just don't understand! I just don't understand!" Cap thinks in anguish. Clearly his whole world has come crashing down around him. This is the hardest decision of his life. He opens the door and faces his friends, and tells them, "I've asked myself if Captain America must die, and if I had the courage to carry out my verdict. The answer to both questions - is yes."

Doug: When you first read this, did you think he would relent and stay on as Captain America? Even though I knew what was going to happen, I still hoped that Steve Rogers would rethink it -- after all, he is Captain America. Hmph... is this another case in our discussion of who is real -- the hero or the secret ID? Is Captain America Steve Rogers, or is Steve Rogers Captain America? But what Englehart chose to explore here is very interesting. From time to time we've all been disillusioned by our government in total, or at least in governmental policies. But when one's entire identity is wrapped in the flag -- literally -- and when one is the living embodiment of the red, white, and blue... well...

Karen: I recall at the time it was pretty shocking! And it seemed like it took forever for him to put the red, white, and blue back on, even though I believe it was only 8 issues. But this was the first time I saw a hero call it quits, and trying to understand why he did it was important. I knew things were not right in our country but I didn't quite know why. Cap was one more clue.

Karen: This is the pay-off of the whole series of issues we've reviewed, and I think it's a terrific one. At some point, I want us to go and review the follow up, with Steve Rogers dealing with life without Captain America, because I think it's actually more interesting than the "Secret Empire" story! But we'll save that for a later date. It's not easy to see a living legend thrown into such a state of utter disillusionment and confusion  -"I just don't understand!" - but it was a great mirror to what much of the country was going through at the time. Despite all the different reasons given for Steve to remain Cap (and using the Avengers and Cap's friends was a terrific method), Steve must be true to his convictions, and they tell him that he can't wear the colors of a country he no longer feels confident representing. It was a bold story then, and I think it still is now. 

Discuss: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Karen: PLEASE keep it SPOILER-FREE for a few days until folks have  had a chance to see the movie! Thanks!

Hot Toys, Indeed! Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Doug: Wow, are these cool! Click on the images for larger looks, but for the full effect head over to Hot Toys!

 

 

 And coming soon -- the high-flying Falcon!

Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? Action Comics 583

Action Comics #583 (September 1986)(cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson)
"Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, part two"
Alan Moore-Curt Swan/Kurt Schaffenberger

Doug: Welcome back to the conclusion of the tale that ended the run of the original Superman. Two weeks ago we reviewed the first installment from Superman #423. Both of us remarked that the art was a bit off -- if you'll recall, that first story in the 2-parter was drawn by Curt Swan with inks by George Perez. While both men are among the greats of the industry (truly of any time throughout the history of the comic book), the combination just seemed odd to us. Today, however, we find Swan on the lead again but this time embellished by veteran Silver Age Superman artist Kurt Schaffenberger. We'll see how we like it. One thing's for sure, and I said this at the top last time: this ain't yer daddy's Superman story!

Karen: Some of our regular readers remarked in the first half of this review on how they felt Moore was perhaps not the best choice to write this final tale of the Silver Age Superman. I think for me, as someone who reveres Superman as the first super-hero but has no special feelings or fondness for the character, it's easier to read through this story, so serious and final, and accept it for what it is.

Doug: Perhaps it's Moore's distance from the character (he'd written Superman only a couple of times prior to this story, I believe) that allows us to stomach this story. Had it been commissioned to Elliott S! Maggin or some other Bronze Age Superman scribe, it most likely would not have turned out this way (for better or for worse). But I feel that those who eschew Moore's superhero work at DC have a point. We've not reviewed The Killing Joke yet, but the outcome of that story for Batgirl has certainly left more than a few Silver and Bronze Age fans with a bad taste in their mouths.

Doug: We open where we began the first part -- at the home of Lois Elliot (nee Lane). As Tim Crane continues the interview, Lois's husband, Jordan, enters. He's a big guy, sort of down-home looking with a speech pattern that matches. Crane remarks to Elliot that he hopes he doesn't mind the interview about Superman. Elliot comes off as a real jerk when he states that Superman wasn't anything special. Lois doesn't flinch, but it seemed really callous. As Elliot leaves the room, Lois picks up the story where she left off -- in the Fortress of Solitude right before the siege began. Superman used his heat vision to melt the giant key, effectively locking him and his friends inside. But outside, the death-dealers began to mass.

Karen: "Jordy" hardly seems like the kind of guy Lois would settle down with, right? I can already tell you, I'm more comfortable with the art in this issue than in the previous one. It doesn't seem like it's fighting itself, you know what I mean?

Doug: First to arrive to the Fortress were the new Brainiac-Luthor combination with the Kryptonite Man in tow. Brainiac walks Luthor's body boldly off the aircraft, when a time bubble suddenly appears. Disembarking are the Legion of Super-Villains: Cosmic King, Saturn Woman, and Lightning Lord. They have come to see the final fate of the Man of Steel at the hands of his greatest enemy. Of course Brainiac calculates that it must be him for all of his wrongdoing through the years. But the Villains tell Brainiac that Superman's friends will come to his aid; Brainiac heads into his ship to erect an impenetrable forcefield around the Fortress of Solitude. Even just a few pages into this, the ill feeling of death and destruction that had come over me while reading part one was again weighing on me. Alan Moore was crafting a story unlike we'd seen in DC Comics to this point (one could argue that Gerry Conway had done a story of similar magnitude in Amazing Spider-Man #s 121-122).

Karen: You wouldn't think the situation could feel so dire with such classic Silver Age art and characters like the Legion of Super-Villains hanging around. Yet I share your assessment. There's a definite feeling that all of this is very wrong, which of course is what they were going for.

Doug: I think the fact that the LoSV showed up to watch is its own kind of morbidity. So in a throwback to the days when the Great Refuge was encased in a field that kept Johnny from Crystal, we see the Fortress under a huge yellow dome. Using conventional weapons Brainiac had brought on his ship, the villains began to assault the Fortress. Superman fought back from afar with his heat vision and even ventured outside with Krypto to attempt a full engagement. The Kryptonite Man nixed that strategy. Outside the dome the Justice League assembled, but couldn't punch their way through. As evening turned to night, a stalemate was declared. Superman stopped by Perry White's room and sought his counsel. Perry remarked that he'd just been sitting around, thinking about the doom that was coming, and of divorcing his wife Alice. Superman said that he felt that he was going to die soon, and lamented that he'd strung both Lois and Lana along all these years with no intention of fulfilling either relationship. He commented that he'd been a coward.

Karen: Not to break the mood, but why were Batman and Robin just hitting the force field with what looked like sticks? Good grief! I think someone needed to put a little more thought into that one. But onto the meat of this segment: Superman's talk/confession to Perry. It's disturbing to have Superman state that he believes he's going to die. He just keeps clutching that statuette that the Legion gave him and staring at it. It's as if he's staring at his own tombstone, or monument, perhaps. The fact that he recognizes that he's wronged both Lois and Lana all these years throws a different light on the Superman of the Silver Age who seemed to fall for every woman with the initials "L.L." -Lana, Lois, Lori Lemaris, Lyla Lerrol, Luma Lynai! It always seemed so callous of him to let these women pine over him. Perhaps there was more to it?

Doug: It's funny that you mention that scene with Batman and Robin. I got a real Super Friends vibe from that -- very childlike in nature. In regard to Superman and his women, and his ignoring of their love for him, it's a whole new level of Superdickery.

Doug: In another part of the Fortress, Jimmy and Lana ran into each other while exploring. Both were looking for a way to help Superman, and both knew that Superman kept elements of their super-heroic pasts in the Fortress. Jimmy found the Elastic Lad serum, but I was a bit confused (showing my Superman-lore ignorance here) at Lana taking a dip in some sort of super-power enhancing bath. I had expected her to don the Insect Queen garb, but instead she came out dressed in a costume I did not know. Anyway, as part of Lana's powerset, she had all of the powers of Superman, including super-hearing. She was able to hear Supe's confession to Perry, that as a child he had loved Lana, but as an adult he loved Lois with all his heart. He said he'd never tell Lois he loved her, as that would hurt Lana -- and he'd never hurt Lana. So with that forbidden knowledge now her own, Lana led Jimmy outside to attempt to break through the barrier.

Karen: Moore did his homework obviously! I too only knew of Lana's Insect Queen identity, from reading so many Legion comics. Superman's statement about the two loves of his life really made sense, although it does seem cowardly when you come right down to it. He should have let Lana move on. It does however, help to explain what seemed to be a very cruel pattern of behavior by the Man of Steel for many years! Lana's determination to show everyone that "Nobody loved him better than us!" is just crushing.

Doug: Lana and Jimmy take it right to Brainiac and the Legion of Super-Villains. Lana engaged the Kryptonite Man first, but her attention was almost immediately drawn to Brainiac. He boasted of his impending victory, when suddenly Luthor managed to wrest control of his own mind for a brief moment, long enough to tell Lana to kill him. Taken aback, Lana nevertheless struck Luthor on the side of the neck, shattering his spinal column. Luthor's body crumpled to the ground as Jimmy was atop the Brainiac ship, working feverishly to destroy the generator. The Super-Villains had been observing, when Saturn Woman scanned Lana's mind to see who she was and where she'd come from. Quickly deducing that Lana had received her powers from a radioactive bath, Cosmic King used his powers to transmute some of her cells and remove her powers. Lightning Lord stepped forward to "help her up", but instead incinerated her. Lana Lang died a pile of ashes.

Karen: Things really start to get brutal again. Lana quickly and easily dispenses with both Kryptonite Man and Brainiac-Luthor. Luthor's brief plea for death was welcome, but I do sort of wish we'd seen more of Luthor in this story; somehow, it doesn't seem right that he was so marginalized in the "final" Superman story. Lana's incineration is horrific, even though it is not shown in detail.

Doug: You know, in a way I think Moore was giving Luthor the ultimate comeuppance. Let's face it, behind the Batman Luthor was the most arrogant character in the DC Unverse. Of course he would fancy himself "Superman's greatest enemy". Not so fast... And Moore takes him virtually out of the story.

Doug: Jimmy died right after Lana, as Brainiac used all of his resources to raise Luthor's body and fire a blast into Jimmy's back. This scene was pretty disgusting, as Brainiac struggled to keep Luthor's body upright -- Luthor's eyes were rolled back in his head. The Kryptonite Man noticed that the barrier was still intact, in spite of Jimmy's disruption of it. Ignoring that fact, Brainiac ordered a nuclear strike against the Fortress. Blowing a gaping hole in one side, it didn't destroy it. Inside, Perry quickly made amends with his wife. The Kryptonite Man was the first to enter the Fortress, and he did it loudly, ordering Superman to show himself. While he began to search the premises, he was attacked without warning by Krypto. The loyal pet went straight for his enemy's throat, tearing it open. But the close exposure to the radiation and the direct contact with the contaminated blood ended Krypto's life.

Karen: Oh boy. Call me a sap, but seeing Krytpo die really gave me a lump in my throat. Such a loyal companion, a source of much joy and comedy over the years, here becomes a fierce protector. His final death howl had me holding back a tear. And yes, I know Jimmy died too!

Doug: I loved the scene with Krypto. And Moore played that straight, choosing not to include the other Super-Pets. Kara's mention of Streaky in part one seemed enough. In another part of the Fortress, Superman flew with Lois, looking for refuge as well as for the others. They flew through a trophy room, where we saw destroyed images of Lori Lemaris and of Titano the Super-Ape (because everything's better with gorillas -- never forget that). The Legion of Super-Villains have entered the Fortress and gloat over Lana's death. Superman did not know that had happened, and goes berserk. His heat vision burns Lightning Lord's arm, and Saturn Woman warns that the Kryptonian intends to kill. They flee immediately, board their time bubble, and make tracks back to the 30th century. Superman (oddly still carrying the statuette given to him by Brainiac-5) and Lois fly outside to find Luthor. His body has fully quit on Brainiac, and with that their symbiosis is ended. Brainiac disengages from Luthor's skull, and despite his last threats also dies. Pete Ross, Lana Lang, Jimmy Olsen, Lex Luthor, the Kryptonite Man, Bizarro, Krypto, Metallo, Supergirl (in the Crisis), and now Brainiac... all dead. Lois remarked to Tim Crane that it was over. Except for the fact that they couldn't figure out why all this had happened in the first place, and why the force shield was still in place.

Karen: How times change. Whereas it is now common place to have Superman turn his heat vision on foes, this Superman would never do such a thing -until now. The shock and fear on Lightning Lord's face gets across the point that things have changed. Yet -Superman does not kill them.

Doug: Superman thought for several minutes, going back over the chain of events. He had an a-ha moment, and called aloud for Mr. Mxyzptlk to appear. And sure enough -- vwoomf! He appeared, floating in the air. He told Superman that he was bored, that as an immortal life needs to be changed up every couple of thousand years. After a do-nothing phase, followed by an altruistic phase, Mxyzptlk figured he'd try his hand at general orneriness. That had ended, and beginning with Superman's death, he was going to try evil for a while. In another of the Silver Age tropes blown apart by Moore's script, Mxyzptlk says as he shows his true form: "Did you honestly believe a fifth-dimensional sorcerer would resemble a funny little man in a derby hat?" Superman fled with Lois -- after all, Mxyzptlk's magic could not be defeated.

Karen: In retrospect, it might seem obvious -make one of Superman's goofiest villains into his most dangerous -but at the time, it was truly a "wow" moment. Given the imp's powers, he certainly could hold that position. I liked the way Mxyzptlk's true form was shown. More of an energy being than anything else. It's the whole 'Wizard of Oz' theme all over again.

Doug: In the crescendo of the story, Mxyzptlk pursued Superman and Lois throughout the Fortress, finally catching them. Superman told Lois to run, figuring that this was his end. But she looked in her hands at the statuette that she still held -- and in the clutches of the figure of Superman, a familiar device. She told him to look at it, and instantly he knew what had to be done. They flew again to another chamber, where Superman picked up the Phantom Zone projector. Pointing it at Mxyzptlk, he told him that it was indeed over. Turning on the projector, Mxyzptlk spoke his own name backwards in an effort to escape back to his fifth dimension; the going-two-places-at-the-same-time effect ripped him in half. Superman's greatest enemy didn't win the day; Superman did. Or did he?

Karen: Those clever 30th century kids! Giving Superman a tribute that was also a clue to how to defeat his greatest enemy! Of course, Lois is the one who figures it out, even though the Man of Steel has been staring at the darn thing for hours. About the Phantom Zone though: so Superman felt it was alright for him to pass judgment on his enemies and imprison them forever in this other dimension, but not to kill them? Some might consider imprisonment even worse than death. 

Doug: The Phantom Zone was sort of DC's version of Marvel's Limbo, wasn't it? I suppose since the Phantom Zone was not under the influence of any sun, the Kryptonians imprisoned would not be immortal. So that they didn't die, can we assume that there was no time in the Phantom Zone? Mon-el never aged... Talk about 20 years-to life!

Doug: Superman killed Mr. Mxyzptlk. But the Man of Tomorrow was crushed, emotionally void. No one, he said, had the right to kill another -- and especially not Superman. He began to walk away from Lois, she pursuing him frantically. He walked to a chamber marked "Gold Kryptonite" and "Keep Out!" Superman turned the handle and entered the chamber, a smile across his lips as he looked back at Lois. She told Tim Crane that she never saw him again, and it was assumed he'd walked out a secret passage in the back of the room only to die of exposure, powerless in the Arctic winds. Around the grounds of the Fortress of Solitude, the JLA picked up the pieces. It had been a blood bath.

Karen: This was Superman as we, children of the Bronze Age, knew him: a god with a conscience, the one person we could trust to always do what's right. Even if it means the end of Superman.

Karen: Just a side comment: who the heck was that guy shown cradling a body (is it Lana? The chest insignia looks like hers) wearing go-go boots, hot pants, and a vest? I think he was shown earlier attacking the force shield. How the heck  does he merit space and not Green Lantern or Aquaman, etc.?

Doug: Search me -- I didn't know that character, either.  I also don't know who the woman is in red and blue with the Superman shield on her cape. Call me dumb, but I'm just not up on the mythos in the era right before the Crisis. So with the interview over, Tim Crane got up to leave the Elliot household. As he packed up, Jordan reemerged with baby Jonathan. He spoke a pleasantry to Crane as the reporter headed down the sidewalk. The door closed, Lois said it was good to be free from the media again -- at least for another decade. Lois and Jordan small-talked, planned for their evening... while baby Jonathan sat on the floor, playing near a bin of coal. And then he set a diamond back into the bin. A diamond...?

Karen: Notice how 'Jordy's' speech pattern changed as soon as the reporter left? That was well done. And Jonathan has a nice spit-curl hanging down on his forehead. Jordan Elliot... Jor El... Jonathan -a name we know from Jonathan Kent. And that little wink by 'Jordy' at the end -it reminded me of the old Superman cartoons in the 60s. I enjoyed this ending, corny as it was.

Doug: So did you feel that Mr. Mxyzptlk was really "Superman's Greatest Foe"? As I finished and was writing the plot synopsis, I couldn't help but wonder if Moore didn't have something else in mind. I guess options for other "greatests" would be Superman himself, maybe even Clark Kent. I also wondered if Superman's moral code could have been considered his greatest adversary. Or was it Lois Lane? As long as she was around and loved Superman, could he ever be complete as a man? Did Superman have to die to fulfill Lois's love for him? In the end, that's where Moore ended up.

Karen: Perhaps Superman's greatest foe was the coming age of grim and gritty comics.How could such a morally upright character survive the times to come? Look at what they've done to him today, in this 'New 52' universe? No, the old Kal-El would be spinning in his Kryptonian tomb. 

Doug: Regardless of what you feel about John Byrne's re-imagining of the Man of Steel mythos, this Moore/Swan two-parter has to be among the best Superman stories of all time. As I've said several times, it's so atypical of a Superman story mood-wise. The body count is high, there's a level of distress unseen prior, and the conclusion is not all that sunny. Yet it's an honest homage to what had gone before over almost 50 years of Superman stories, at times playfully making fun of elements of the backstory, at others breaking our hearts with the relationships between characters that even as casual fans we'd known and maybe even loved. I'm glad to have read this for the first time all these years later, and regretful still that I did not read it when I bought it almost 30 years ago.

Karen: Although there are aspects of the story that seem to playfully poke some fun at the Silver Age past, I too felt that this was a respectful treatment of the classic Superman, a respectful farewell to him and to all of his supporting cast and accouterments. The Superman in this story is pretty much how I still think of him: all-powerful, yet also supremely good. Today most depictions of the Man of Steel seem to forget that second part.

Monsterpalooza 2014: Back to the Bat Cave -or at least Bob's Big Boy!

Karen: Howdy friends. You might have noticed that I've been absent from our comments for a few days. That's because I headed out to Burbank, California once again to enjoy Monsterpalooza! This annual celebration of all things monstrous has become a great escape for me and my pal Larry and this was our third year meeting up at the show. This time we decided to get to Burbank early and we enjoyed spending the morning and afternoon of Friday, March 28th, exploring the area (since the show wouldn't start until 6 pm).

We headed out that morning to Griffith Park, intent on finding Bronson Canyon, the site where many films and TV shows have been shot, perhaps best known to people as the hidden exit of the bat cave on TV's Batman show. Larry and I trekked the short distance up a trail towards the caves, only to have two park ranger trucks pass us by headed in the same direction. We wondered what could be going on. We soon found out. The rangers had yellow tape in hand and were getting set to close off the caves to visitors! We asked what the problem was, and they told us a tractor digging on the other side had come across human remains! Holy crime scene, Batman! We asked if they could please let us snap a few pictures before they taped it off, and they obliged. We were sad that we could not go into the caves, but at least we had a chance to see where the Batmobile would come racing out on its way to Gotham City.

Bat cave prior to crime scene shut-down

Bat cave post Rangers

Robby Reed's Dial B for Blog has a nice article on the Batman TV show and discusses how the Batmobile was filmed exiting the narrow Bronson Canyon cave, if you're interested in learning more.

We went up to the Griffith Observatory and enjoyed a tremendous view of smoggy Los Angeles. Unfortunately the observatory itself wouldn't open for another hour yet, so we headed off to do some shopping. Right in Burbank are two shops that would send any geek into spasms of delight: Creature Features and Halloween Town. Creature Features had an incredible selection of figures, toys, CDs, books -you name it. They were also hosting an Outer Limits art exhibit that had some absolutely stunning sculptures and paintings. Here I am with a friend (courtesy of FX whiz Greg Nicotero):

Halloween Town is owned by Rob Zombie, and there are actually two store just blocks apart. One is a costume shop and the other -the one we went in -has a little bit of everything. There were t-shirts, toys, Halloween decorations, posters, you name it. I wound up buying two t-shirts, a King Kong shirt -I'd been trying to find one - and possibly the coolest t-shirt of all time:

We had lunch at a historic Bob's Big Boy restaurant. It was the oldest family-owned Bob's still around -been there since 1949! The burgers were delicious. I hadn't been to a Bob's Big Boy in more than 20 years, so that was fun. I think they may be just a west coast phenomenon. Anyone know?

So what about the show? As usual, it was a feast for the eyes. There were so many amazing and fantastic things to look at, it's hard to know where to begin. It always feels like half-trade show, half- fan convention. There are plenty of booths with make-up vendors, sculptors and artists plying their trade, and effects houses showing their work. There's quite a few celebrities just walking around too. Friday night we saw actor/director Jon Favreau and his family just taking it all in like everyone else. Friday night was fairly low-key for us this year -we mostly spent it looking around the dealers' room. I did however get an autograph from Haruo Nakajima on my War of the Gargantuas lobby card. Mr. Nakajima not only played Gaira, the green gargantua, but was the original Godzilla, and played him in several films. He also did the duties in other films, like Rodan. He's the godfather of Japanese monster men! So it was an honor to meet him.

Saturday is always the busiest day of the con (like most cons). We sat in on three really fun panels: the first was a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Creature from the Black Lagoon! Actress Julie Adams was there, along with the underwater Creature, Ricou Browning. Gorilla man and all-around great guy Bob Burns rounded out the group, as they discussed the making of the film, the monster suit, the process that went into the design of the Creature, and a lot more. The second panel I saw featured Garner Holt, whose production company creates animatronic creatures for all sorts of customers, including Disney! His personal story was quite amazing. The final panel of the day once again featured the inimitable Bob Burns and was a video tour through his various Halloween shows that he's done over the years. He was joined by a group of folks, all talented FX professionals, who have worked on the shows. It was hilarious and you can tell how highly everyone thinks of Bob and Kathy.

Bob Burns, Ricou Browning, Julie Adams

Saturday night was a special treat: we got to see the original Creature from the Black Lagoon in 3D! It looked fabulous, the 3D effects were solid, and the whole crowd was very into it. Larry and I made sure to bring popcorn, as you can see. The bag was appropriate as well!

Sunday's big highlight was the War of the Gargantuas reunion panel. Mr. Nakajima was joined by Russ Tamblyn for Q&A with the fans. Kenji Sahara, who played a scientist in the film, was feeling under the weather and only came out at the end of the panel for photographs. Tamblyn was hilarious, recounting that he only took the role because it was a chance to go to Japan and he assumed no one would ever see the film. Little did he know it would be shown over and over again in Los Angeles ( I saw it many times on KTLA growing up and it quickly became my favorite Japanese monster film) and many other cities. Tamblyn also said, to the room's delight, that he ad-libbed much of his dialog, such as his character's remarks about the college students who saw the gargantua 'being on acid.' This didn't go over well with American producer Henry Saperstein but there wasn't much to be done about it as they had to get the film done quickly. Nakajima answered questions through an interpreter and so it made things slightly more difficult. He said he based his movements as the gargantua off of wrestlers. He also said that when he would finish a film and he thought he'd done a good job, he'd reward himself with some sake! But overall, playing the monsters was very hard work.

Russ Tamblyn, Haruo Nakajima, Kenji Sahara

Monsterpalooza is one of those shows where you just never know what you're going to see, but you're constantly blown away by the high degree of skill and artistry. I can't possibly show you everything but in the pictures below I hope to give you a taste of what you might experience. It's a wonderful show and the show staff and the Marriott staff are all fantastic. Can't wait for next year!

Tongue-in-Cheek #inviteGerryConway Campaign

Doug: Hey, kids -- there's a funny series of tweets taking place today that actually got the attention of the Huffington Post. You can read all about it here. In a nutshell, as rumors continue to circulate that Gwen Stacy will be killed in Amazing Spider-Man 2, Gerry Conway has playfully asked for an invitation to the premiere of the flick. This has in turn raised (again) the issue of creator rights, corporate ownership, etc. to storylines and/or story details. This is all in good nature according to Conway, but intriguing nonetheless. Check it out if you have a couple of minutes!

UPDATE:

Doug: Gerry Conway tweeted the following just moments ago (around 11:00 am CT) --

True or False: I Like the JLA's "Original Seven" Better Than the Avengers Founders

Doug: As a group of individuals or as a team -- you may consider either in responding to the statement: I like the JLA's "original seven" better than the Avengers founders.

Who's the Best... Half Hour Sitcom?