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Reviews and commentary by Tony Isabella
"America's Most Beloved Comic-Book Writer & Columnist"
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TONY'S ONLINE TIPS
for Tuesday, October 4, 2005
PAUL FEARN, my good friend from Barnsley, sent me a big bunch of Alan Class and other British comics recently. Among them was an title I'd never seen before, the above-showcased ADVENTURE DOUBLE DOUBLE COMICS. There's no date, issue number, or publisher info in or on the book, but, judging from the contents, it was manufactured sometime in 1967. I say "manufactured" because this comic is four different issues of DC comics bound together. More than likely, the contents were unsold copies recycled for this purpose.
The cover is from ADVENTURE COMICS #335 [August, 1965] and was drawn by Curt Swan (pencils) and George Klein (inks). However, you won't find the Legion of Super-Heroes doing battle with Starfinger inside the ADVENTURE DOUBLE DOUBLE COMICS shown above. Instead, it has ADVENTURE COMICS #351, ADVENTURE COMICS #347, ADVENTURE COMICS #353, and MYSTERY IN SPACE #109.
The manufacturer was probably sent a black-and-white stat of the original cover and handed it off to a colorist who clearly had neither color-sense nor knowledge of any character save Superboy. Someone call the 30th century fashion police!
I was also amused by the "Featuring some of the boldest SUPER heroes of our time" blurb. Save for Supergirl, who appears in one of the Legion stories, not one of the heroes is actually "of our time." Superboy is from our past while the Legionnaires and Ultra the Multi-Alien fight villainy in the future.
In the bad-luck-of-the-draw department, each of the issues of ADVENTURE COMICS collected in the comic book were the second halves of two-parters. "The Forgotten Legion" [ADVENTURE #351; December, 1966] concluded a tale in which Superboy and Supergirl had to quit the Legion. Written by E. Nelson Bridwell, the story undid nearly every bad thing which had happened to Legion members in previous issues. Lightning Lad's clunky robotic arm was replaced by a human arm. Bouncing Boy got his bouncing powers back. Matter-Eater Lad lost a couple hundred pounds of fat. Star Boy and Dream Girl were reinstated in the Legion. Superboy and Supergirl returned to the team. I like happy endings as much as the next reader, but, even when I read the original comic in 1966, it struck me as overdoing the sweetness and lightness.
"The Traitor's Triumph" [ADVENTURE #347; August, 1966] was Jim Shooter's second published Legion story. Whatever I think of what he later became, the teenage Shooter had made an impressive debut by introducing four new super-heroes and making good use of almost every other member of the team.
"The Doomed Legionnaire!" [ADVENTURE #353; February, 1967] is still one of the great Legion stories of all time. Forced to team up with five powerful and vicious villains to protect their galaxy from the monstrous Sun-Eater, the Legion and the villains struggle valiantly against the creature until one of their number makes the ultimate sacrifice. This two-parter was also written by Shooter, whose later work never captured the excitement or passion of these earlier tales.
MYSTERY IN SPACE #109 [August, 1966] was the only one of the four issues I hadn't read previously. It was the second-last issue of the title's original run.
Ultra the Multi-Alien - a human astronaut transformed into an amalgam of four alien races - had pushed Adam Strange and the Space Ranger out of the book, but, for this issue, he lost the cover spot to "Secret of the Sky God." Joe Certa drew both the cover and the 10-page interior story. More on that story in a bit.
Ultra did get the issue's lead spot with "The Satellite Hotel That Vanished," a 14-page story drawn by Lee Elias and tentatively credited as written by Dave Wood. DC's editorial staff must have been in a happy place in 1966; in this tale, Ultra gains the power to switch back and forth between his human form and his multi-alien form. I'm all for smiling super-heroes, but I also think a little adversity builds character.
The good old GRAND COMICS DATABASE [www.comics.org] hasn't yet identified the writer of "Secret of the Sky God," but he (or she) might well have been the forerunner of today's villainous neocons. The protagonist of this story is a kind of outer-space prospector who, landing on a primitive planet, seeks to exploit the world for all it's worth. He even launches a war between the planet's races, only to be stymied by the other side's unseen leader, who matches him trick for sneaky trick. It turns out the leader is his other self, created by a freak accident when the prospector landed on the planet. When they touch, the two humans become one man...and make off with a bag of booty. Dick Cheney would be so proud.
I have another of these ADVENTURE COMICS DOUBLE DOUBLE among the items Paul sent me, so you might be seeing another one of these not-quite-nostalgic voyages in the near future.
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TONY POLLS
This week's new TONY POLLS questions have been posted for your voting entertainment. The first two questions concern the future of the DC Universe:
It has been reported that, in the wake of INFINITE CRISIS, the DC Universe will be coming out of the darkness and its heroes will be true heroes once again. Do you agree that the DCU should be less dark?
And...
Do you think a less dark DCU with more noble heroes will be more or less popular with current readers?
In addition to these questions, we're also asking you to give us your first impressions of new genre TV series GHOST WHISPERER, INVASION, and NIGHT STALKER.
You can cast your votes at:
www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony/poll
Results of previous TONY POLLS questions will be coming your way later this week. Watch for them.
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TONY STUFF
Things are in a state of flux here at Casa Isabella as Sainted Wife Barbara and I figure out how to proceed with the renovations we are having done to a stately manor. It's a long and sordid tale which I just don't have the energy to relate at this time, save to let you know that it's weighing heavily on my energy, my mind, and my time. If I haven't yet gotten around to answering your e-mail, returning that phone call, reviewing that comic book you sent me, or writing that whatever you wanted me to write, this is the reason for my tardiness. Neither Barb nor I ever dreamed what should have been a simple project would turn into the horrific nightmare it has become. Thanks for your patience as I sort through our options and legal remedies in this matter.
Thanks also for spending a part of your day with me. My goal is to keep TOT coming your way in some form or another until I get back to our usual mix of news, views, and reviews. God willing, I will be back tomorrow with more stuff.
Tony Isabella
<< 09/30/2005 | 10/04/2005 | 10/05/2005 >>
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THE "TONY" SCALE
ZERO: Burn your money before buying any comic receiving this rating. It doesn't *necessarily* mean there's absolutely nothing of value here - though it *could* - but whatever value it might possess shrinks into insignificance before its overall awfulness.
ONE: Buy something else. Maybe I found something which wasn't completely dreadful in the item, but not enough for me to recommend it when there are better comics available. I only want what's best for you, my children.
TWO: Basic judgment call. I found some value, but not enough to recommend it. My review should give you enough info to decide if you want to take a chance on it. Are you feeling lucky today, punk? Well, are you?
THREE: This denotes something I find perfectly respectable. There are better books out there, but I wouldn't regret buying this item. Based on my review, you should be able to determine if it's of interest to you. Let the Force guide you.
FOUR: I recommend anything earning this rating. Unless you don't like the genre, subject matter, or past work of the creators, I believe you'll enjoy this item. Isn't it uncanny how I can look right into your soul that way?
FIVE: Anything getting this rating is among the best comicdom has to offer. You should buy/read this, even if the genre/subject matter doesn't appeal to you. It's for your own good. Me, I live for comics and books this good...but not in a pathetic "Comic-Book Guy" sort of way.
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