wktf
11-04-2010, 10:35 AM
Well, we no longer are Frighty and, once again, are Mighty! Hope everyone's Halloween was a rockin' one!
Wktf’s Reviews
Chaos War #3 (of 5)
Marvel Comics
Written by: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Drawn by: Khoi Pham
Cover by: McGuinness & Hollowell
Marvel’s major crossover cosmic event, involving the primary pantheon’s primary heroes (Hercules and Thor) plus God Squad additions Sersei, Venus, Silver Surfer, Galactus and The Son of Satan moves into what appears to be its most desperate moment. Not only has the Chaos King, that all-powerful (and pretty damn scary as drawn by Pham) entity who represents all that was the void (as opposed to The Void from Sentry’s back-story) before Creation, seeks to lay waste to all of reality so he can, once again, become all that is of all that’s left. So complete is The Chaos King’s power that he has raised even the gods of the dead, including Zeus, Hera and Ares to do battle against Hercules’ God Squad. And something most definitely is different about these dead deities, as Galactus himself discovers in a moment that’s one of the most stunning in the entire book.
While there are plenty of brutal battles and desperate moments in this issue the sight of Amadeus Cho desperately calculating his odds of success against the various scenario his fevered mind conjectures may well be the most desperate of all, despite not one blow’s being thrown here. Not to worry, though, as there are plenty of blows thrown and struck, one in particular even fatally so, in this raucous battle issue where son battles son and son also battles father. And for those of us who’ve been following The Incredible Hercules since he took over The Incredible Hulk’s post-WWHulk book, the last page of this issue simply has to raise an eyebrow, at least.
The combination of Pak, Van Lente and Pham has proven to be one of the most effective creative combinations in superhero comics, and this team’s creative prowess is cranking on high gear here. This issue certainly is the most fun, energetic, action-packed and kinetic issue of this series thus far. And, as Pak and Van Lente always do, the comic relief with the sound effects is ever present. When Ares strikes Hercules we hear “KKOLDKOKK,” when Zeus hurls a lightning bolt at Thor it’s to the tune of “SKYFAAADR,” and when Hercules strikes his lethal body blow the sound of “HRRRRKKKKK” rings out. And as strong as the writing is, and when Chaos thanks Hercules for using his new omniscience without his wisdom it’s a painful moment indeed, this issue belongs to Khoi Pham. The action, the pathos and the genuine horror brought forth by Pham’s art all are just stellar. Like Siege, this may be only a popcorn movie of a comic book story but, so far, it’s firing on all cylinders. My co-pick of the week.
Captain America: Man Out of Time #1 (of 5)
Marvel Comics
Written by: Mark Waid
Drawn by: Jorge Molina
Covers by: Bryan Hitch, Arthur Adams
Nearly every time I’ve picked up a more modern retelling of a classic origin story I’ve been disappointed. Well, especially when it’s from Marvel. Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One remains one of my favorite comic book series and Geoff Johns and Gary Frank knocked the ball out of the park recently with Superman as did, in fairness, Byrne 25 years ago. But Marvel’s retelling of Iron Man’s origin left me cold, and I gave up on Thor: First Thunder after the first issue. With the Thor and Captain America movies coming out it’s hardly surprising that Marvel would like to introduce these characters to potential new readers. And, after all, this is Mark Waid on the writing. Waid, whose run on Captain America along with Ron Garney is one of my favorite runs ever, and whose run on FF is my favorite following Lee/Kirby and Byrne, and whose Kingdom Come with Ross is a modern day classic. If anyone could do Cap proud, it’d be Waid.
And, so, here we have the story of how Cap and Bucky meet their end in WWII and how it is that Cap awakens in modern times, truly a man out of time. This story is so well known there’s really nothing that can be told about it, so what’s left to this creative team is to find another way to tell it. And, honestly, the transition from the exploding plane to when Cap awakens in The Avengers submarine actually is very well done, experiencing death and rebirth from Cap’s own perspective. But Cap’s disorientation as he experiences modern life flashes by in just a few sparse panels, all of which seems to short-shrift his experience. But, considering how quickly Cap’s thrown into action, perhaps that’s all the time he can allow to losing his bearings. And the predicament he’s in, with his comrades (or, is it captors?) nowhere to be found (in the flesh, anyway, for those of us who’ve read Avengers #4), certainly makes for a cliffhanger that’s most baffling for our hero.
I dunno. I’m tired of seeing Cap without his cowl wings (why doesn’t he have them in WWII but has them in modern times?), and I’m tired of seeing the Frank Cho version of his costume and cowl. Waid’s writing is strong but I fear there’s just not a lot for him to work with here. And, I fear there’s not a lot here to keep me coming back for a story that was already told just great by Stan and Jack, especially at a price tag of $3.99.
Batman/Catwoman: Follow the Money One-Shot
DC Comics
Written by: Howard Chaykin
Drawn by: Howard Chaykin
Cover by: Howard Chaykin
Okay, well, here was a real surprise. I normally think I keep right up with the online comic book press but if this one got any press mentions I must have missed it. It’s great to be able to walk into your lcs and be pleasantly surprised in this lightning fast information age. But I seriously had no idea that Howard Chaykin had this one-shot Batman/Catwoman book coming out. And that Chaykin cover grabbed me right away, with Catwoman’s big cat-that-ate-the-canary smile and only the top half of Batman’s cowl present with that Mr. Spock raised right eyebrow. Something definitely is going on in this scene and I needed to know what it was!
I have to say, this book was a total treat! Plagued and slightly baffled by The Cavalier, of all people, Batman can’t figure out why he’s unable to take this bozo seriously enough to put him away when Bruce Wayne discovers he’s got much more serious problems as the pension fund for Wayne Enterprise’s associates is discovered to be all but drained dry. The problems of The Cavalier’s petty crimes don’t seem all that relevant compared to this incredibly serious problem. But as Catwoman also crosses paths with The Cavalier and Batman and Catwoman decide to work together to solve both their problems, this story heats up in a major way. And I don’t mean in the romantic or sexual tension kind of way you might expect for these two characters and for which Chaykin’s so famous. Far from it, actually. The plot begins to twist inward in surprising ways as our two protagonists match wits, banter about ethics and truly help each other to right a couple of seriously grievous wrongs.
Very few comic book creators write and draw as effectively as Chaykin. Frank Miller, Walt Simonson and John Byrne come to mind. But this is a select few, for sure. Chaykin seems incredibly well at home in Batman’s territory though, in his hands, Batman’s not nearly as intimidating and fear-inducing as he should be, especially in the two page spread toward the end where it’s practically demanded. Certainly, Chaykin doesn’t make as much use of Batman’s cape as other lesser artists do. But, still, this is one of the best Batman stories I’ve read in a very long time that’s a straight ahead detective, crime solving and stopping story. If DC gave Chaykin a Batman book of his own, as they’re doing now with David Finch, I’d snap it up in a heartbeat. As I mentioned, this book is a real treat for any Batman fan and especially as it hit the stands without any forewarning or fanfare. My co-pick of the week.
Wktf’s Trade Reviews
This week’s Chaykin Batman book got me thinking about other comic book stories where he was both writer and artist and my mind immediately went to his great Challengers of the Unknown book. So, here’s my review of this trade represented here, along with two other Challengers works.
Challengers of the Unknown: Stolen Moments, Borrowed Time
DC Comics
Written by: Howard Chaykin
Drawn by: Howard Chaykin
Cover by: Howard Chaykin
The very first trade review I ever wrote was for the DC Archive Editions of Jack Kirby’s Challengers of the Unknown, vol. 1 & 2. Four years before Jack and Stan birthed The Fantastic Four and changed comic books forever, Kirby created a foursome in mono-colored body suits (purple) who barely survived a plane crash, after which they considered themselves to be “living on borrowed time.” The non-super powered Ace Morgan, Rocky Davis, Red Ryan and Prof. Haley dedicated themselves to a life of “fantastic” adventure all for the expressed purpose of defending the planet against menaces no one else would tackle. And some of those menaces would give you pause even if you were a gamma irradiated green monster or a hammer wielding thunder god. Since Kirby’s Challengers saw life other comic book creators have taken their shots at them. The very first of Jeff Loeb and Tim Sale’s famous collaborations was on the Challengers, and I reviewed that one as well. The Challengers also were an integral part of Darwyn Cooke’s award winning The New Frontier. In 2004 Howard Chaykin produced a six-part mini-series with all new characters that moved The Challengers in an entirely new direction, but builds perfectly from Kirby’s first stories (though we don’t realize this until the series’ fifth installment), and rewrites world history all at the same time. DC was kind enough to recently collect his work into one helluva powerful, fast moving and entertaining trade. And, now that I’ve given it my endorsement, I’ll try to bring you up to speed. But I’ve got to warn you, this story has as many moving parts as a Swiss watch and is confusing as hell until it, finally, does come together. So, if all this gets confusing then I apologize right now.
First of all, the world we live in is not at all the one we believe it to be, at least beginning with the early 20th century, near as I can tell. Many of the major players and events that shaped global history, such as Lenin’s revolution, the stock market crash of 1929 and subsequent Great Depression, Hitler’s rise to power, Stalin’s rule over the USSR, JFK’s assassination, and racial segregation in the U.S. have all been orchestrated by a world force known as Hegemony. And Hegemony is ruled over by the seemingly immortal Mae Nash Price, a blond ice queen who surrounds herself with beautiful fairies, the kind with wings and antennae, that is, and her motivation is right wing world order and ethnic and cultural purity. Borrowing and warping a technique from The Dark Knight Returns, Hegemony manipulates world opinion through right wing news anchors on a network called “Knownownet” that seed public opinion with Miss Price’s propaganda. And the organization has individuals blissfully unaware that they’re living lives that aren’t their own. In reality they are expertly trained killers who are conditioned to obey, who snap-to at a moment’s command to do the organization’s bidding courtesy of a mind-control chip planted in their heads. However, when any of those agents breaks free, as has been known to happen from time-to-time, it’s a full court press for Hegemony to reign them back in. In this case, no less than five extraordinary people with nothing in common share a bond in surviving a terrorist attack on Long Beach, CA, and they all not only discover blood running down their foreheads from an exploded implanted micro-chip but also are surprised to find they have augmented strength, speed, and ruthless killing abilities. They are Zach Dailey, Tessa Clarke, Rydell Smith, Kendra Houlihan and Holden Crane. And they also discover that they need all the skills they have and to partner with each other to insure their best shot at survival.
This book is classic Chaykin, which is to say it’s packed with wild action, kung fu style fighting, Michael Mann style gun battles, and is wrapped in a James Bond style tale of intrigue, espionage and all powerful world-threatening villains. Also, it’s beautifully drawn and written. Chaykin pours all the creativity he put into American Flagg, Blackhawk and The Shadow to give us one amazing roller coaster of a ride. The action and gun battles are ferocious and incredibly loud, even for a medium with no sound. The various moving parts all come together into what may be the biggest conspiracy theory story ever created. Not all five of our heroes make it to the end but, by the end, we see the connection to Jack Kirby’s classic characters as this group, too, realize they are “living on borrowed time” and vow to carry on the Challengers’ proud name. What else can I say? If mind-blowing action, outstanding character development, a world-spanning threat and one of the most fun, fast and furious stories I’ve ever read just isn’t your thing then you absolutely must not pick up this trade.
Challengers of the Unknown, DC Archives vol. 1 & 2
DC Comics
Written by: Jack Kirby
Drawn by: Jack Kirby
Cover by: Jack Kirby
As the story goes (or as Stan Lee tells it) the Fantastic Four were created because his boss played golf with his DC counterpart, was told how well JLA was selling, and came back and told Stan to write a book about a superhero team. Challengers of the Unknown, which premiered in 1958 (a few years before the FF), is a Jack Kirby creation about four adventurers who go up in a craft, have an accident, crash to Earth, conclude they’re all “living on borrowed time” and decide to band together to become a force for good. These characters are Prof (the more intellectual leader), Red (a scrappy hot head), the blond Ace, and a brawler named “Rocky.” They also wear mono-color jump suits with gloves and boots. Hmmm….you tell me what inspired the FF.
These stories are a hoot. The Challengers face strange monsters, mythical and mystical creatures, evil scientists, and aliens from distant planets. These adversaries would be enough to give a Man of Steel or Asgardian Thunder God pause, but these guys with no superpowers at all not only charge right into battle, the public seems to have accepted them as Earth’s champions and seek them out to combat these strange and powerful menaces. I’m a big Kirby fan, no doubt, but have never been as impressed with the King’s writing. Not so in this case. These are well scripted and plotted stories that I devoured eagerly. And a real treat is that Wally Wood inked several stories in the second volume. I always considered Joe Sinnott the perfect Kirby inker, but he now takes a back seat to Wood. The art is stunning, and much better than Kirby’s early Marvel stuff that came years later. Highly recommended!
The Challengers of the Unknown Must Die!
DC Comics
Written by: Jeff Loeb
Drawn by: Tim Sale
Cover by: Tim Sale
The Challengers are on the periphery of the DCU and never really interacted with DC’s mainstay heroes. Darwin Cooke included them in his “New Fronier” series. But this very first Loeb/Sale collaboration puts them squarely in the DCU. There are really great appearances by Superman, Batman, Dr. Fate, and Green Lantern (ah, but which one?).
The Challengers are middle aged now and are considered something of a joke by the world at large. They are heavily merchandised for their sentimental value and now live in a mountain in a town called “Challengerville.” Disaster strikes in a major way, though. They are blamed for an explosion that sends the mountain crashing down on the helpless town, killing hundreds as well as two of their own. A trial ensues and they are forced to disband. Each goes his separate way and undergoes startling transformations. Red shaves his head bald and becomes something of a Rambo like solder. Rocky becomes an alcoholic and is institutionalized. Ace dives into the occult and becomes a “master of the mystic arts.” Yes, there is a great riff on Marvel Comics throughout this series that is wonderful to discover as you read it. From Spider-Man, to Dr. Strange, to Captain America (there’s a fight scene that is a tribute to the one-page multi-panel drubbing Cap gives Batroc in Tales of Suspense # 86).
They all, though, must come together (even those who were killed come back) at the end to battle a silly demonic menace. This final crisis and battle is a bit frivolous and adds nothing to the trade, though I suppose it helps bring it to a close. This book’s real value is in the strong characterization of these wonderful characters, the respectful way they are treated as they are forced apart and, then, come back together, and the real fun Loeb and Sale seem to have in this first of their now long list of collaborations. Recommended!
Wktf’s Reviews
Chaos War #3 (of 5)
Marvel Comics
Written by: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Drawn by: Khoi Pham
Cover by: McGuinness & Hollowell
Marvel’s major crossover cosmic event, involving the primary pantheon’s primary heroes (Hercules and Thor) plus God Squad additions Sersei, Venus, Silver Surfer, Galactus and The Son of Satan moves into what appears to be its most desperate moment. Not only has the Chaos King, that all-powerful (and pretty damn scary as drawn by Pham) entity who represents all that was the void (as opposed to The Void from Sentry’s back-story) before Creation, seeks to lay waste to all of reality so he can, once again, become all that is of all that’s left. So complete is The Chaos King’s power that he has raised even the gods of the dead, including Zeus, Hera and Ares to do battle against Hercules’ God Squad. And something most definitely is different about these dead deities, as Galactus himself discovers in a moment that’s one of the most stunning in the entire book.
While there are plenty of brutal battles and desperate moments in this issue the sight of Amadeus Cho desperately calculating his odds of success against the various scenario his fevered mind conjectures may well be the most desperate of all, despite not one blow’s being thrown here. Not to worry, though, as there are plenty of blows thrown and struck, one in particular even fatally so, in this raucous battle issue where son battles son and son also battles father. And for those of us who’ve been following The Incredible Hercules since he took over The Incredible Hulk’s post-WWHulk book, the last page of this issue simply has to raise an eyebrow, at least.
The combination of Pak, Van Lente and Pham has proven to be one of the most effective creative combinations in superhero comics, and this team’s creative prowess is cranking on high gear here. This issue certainly is the most fun, energetic, action-packed and kinetic issue of this series thus far. And, as Pak and Van Lente always do, the comic relief with the sound effects is ever present. When Ares strikes Hercules we hear “KKOLDKOKK,” when Zeus hurls a lightning bolt at Thor it’s to the tune of “SKYFAAADR,” and when Hercules strikes his lethal body blow the sound of “HRRRRKKKKK” rings out. And as strong as the writing is, and when Chaos thanks Hercules for using his new omniscience without his wisdom it’s a painful moment indeed, this issue belongs to Khoi Pham. The action, the pathos and the genuine horror brought forth by Pham’s art all are just stellar. Like Siege, this may be only a popcorn movie of a comic book story but, so far, it’s firing on all cylinders. My co-pick of the week.
Captain America: Man Out of Time #1 (of 5)
Marvel Comics
Written by: Mark Waid
Drawn by: Jorge Molina
Covers by: Bryan Hitch, Arthur Adams
Nearly every time I’ve picked up a more modern retelling of a classic origin story I’ve been disappointed. Well, especially when it’s from Marvel. Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One remains one of my favorite comic book series and Geoff Johns and Gary Frank knocked the ball out of the park recently with Superman as did, in fairness, Byrne 25 years ago. But Marvel’s retelling of Iron Man’s origin left me cold, and I gave up on Thor: First Thunder after the first issue. With the Thor and Captain America movies coming out it’s hardly surprising that Marvel would like to introduce these characters to potential new readers. And, after all, this is Mark Waid on the writing. Waid, whose run on Captain America along with Ron Garney is one of my favorite runs ever, and whose run on FF is my favorite following Lee/Kirby and Byrne, and whose Kingdom Come with Ross is a modern day classic. If anyone could do Cap proud, it’d be Waid.
And, so, here we have the story of how Cap and Bucky meet their end in WWII and how it is that Cap awakens in modern times, truly a man out of time. This story is so well known there’s really nothing that can be told about it, so what’s left to this creative team is to find another way to tell it. And, honestly, the transition from the exploding plane to when Cap awakens in The Avengers submarine actually is very well done, experiencing death and rebirth from Cap’s own perspective. But Cap’s disorientation as he experiences modern life flashes by in just a few sparse panels, all of which seems to short-shrift his experience. But, considering how quickly Cap’s thrown into action, perhaps that’s all the time he can allow to losing his bearings. And the predicament he’s in, with his comrades (or, is it captors?) nowhere to be found (in the flesh, anyway, for those of us who’ve read Avengers #4), certainly makes for a cliffhanger that’s most baffling for our hero.
I dunno. I’m tired of seeing Cap without his cowl wings (why doesn’t he have them in WWII but has them in modern times?), and I’m tired of seeing the Frank Cho version of his costume and cowl. Waid’s writing is strong but I fear there’s just not a lot for him to work with here. And, I fear there’s not a lot here to keep me coming back for a story that was already told just great by Stan and Jack, especially at a price tag of $3.99.
Batman/Catwoman: Follow the Money One-Shot
DC Comics
Written by: Howard Chaykin
Drawn by: Howard Chaykin
Cover by: Howard Chaykin
Okay, well, here was a real surprise. I normally think I keep right up with the online comic book press but if this one got any press mentions I must have missed it. It’s great to be able to walk into your lcs and be pleasantly surprised in this lightning fast information age. But I seriously had no idea that Howard Chaykin had this one-shot Batman/Catwoman book coming out. And that Chaykin cover grabbed me right away, with Catwoman’s big cat-that-ate-the-canary smile and only the top half of Batman’s cowl present with that Mr. Spock raised right eyebrow. Something definitely is going on in this scene and I needed to know what it was!
I have to say, this book was a total treat! Plagued and slightly baffled by The Cavalier, of all people, Batman can’t figure out why he’s unable to take this bozo seriously enough to put him away when Bruce Wayne discovers he’s got much more serious problems as the pension fund for Wayne Enterprise’s associates is discovered to be all but drained dry. The problems of The Cavalier’s petty crimes don’t seem all that relevant compared to this incredibly serious problem. But as Catwoman also crosses paths with The Cavalier and Batman and Catwoman decide to work together to solve both their problems, this story heats up in a major way. And I don’t mean in the romantic or sexual tension kind of way you might expect for these two characters and for which Chaykin’s so famous. Far from it, actually. The plot begins to twist inward in surprising ways as our two protagonists match wits, banter about ethics and truly help each other to right a couple of seriously grievous wrongs.
Very few comic book creators write and draw as effectively as Chaykin. Frank Miller, Walt Simonson and John Byrne come to mind. But this is a select few, for sure. Chaykin seems incredibly well at home in Batman’s territory though, in his hands, Batman’s not nearly as intimidating and fear-inducing as he should be, especially in the two page spread toward the end where it’s practically demanded. Certainly, Chaykin doesn’t make as much use of Batman’s cape as other lesser artists do. But, still, this is one of the best Batman stories I’ve read in a very long time that’s a straight ahead detective, crime solving and stopping story. If DC gave Chaykin a Batman book of his own, as they’re doing now with David Finch, I’d snap it up in a heartbeat. As I mentioned, this book is a real treat for any Batman fan and especially as it hit the stands without any forewarning or fanfare. My co-pick of the week.
Wktf’s Trade Reviews
This week’s Chaykin Batman book got me thinking about other comic book stories where he was both writer and artist and my mind immediately went to his great Challengers of the Unknown book. So, here’s my review of this trade represented here, along with two other Challengers works.
Challengers of the Unknown: Stolen Moments, Borrowed Time
DC Comics
Written by: Howard Chaykin
Drawn by: Howard Chaykin
Cover by: Howard Chaykin
The very first trade review I ever wrote was for the DC Archive Editions of Jack Kirby’s Challengers of the Unknown, vol. 1 & 2. Four years before Jack and Stan birthed The Fantastic Four and changed comic books forever, Kirby created a foursome in mono-colored body suits (purple) who barely survived a plane crash, after which they considered themselves to be “living on borrowed time.” The non-super powered Ace Morgan, Rocky Davis, Red Ryan and Prof. Haley dedicated themselves to a life of “fantastic” adventure all for the expressed purpose of defending the planet against menaces no one else would tackle. And some of those menaces would give you pause even if you were a gamma irradiated green monster or a hammer wielding thunder god. Since Kirby’s Challengers saw life other comic book creators have taken their shots at them. The very first of Jeff Loeb and Tim Sale’s famous collaborations was on the Challengers, and I reviewed that one as well. The Challengers also were an integral part of Darwyn Cooke’s award winning The New Frontier. In 2004 Howard Chaykin produced a six-part mini-series with all new characters that moved The Challengers in an entirely new direction, but builds perfectly from Kirby’s first stories (though we don’t realize this until the series’ fifth installment), and rewrites world history all at the same time. DC was kind enough to recently collect his work into one helluva powerful, fast moving and entertaining trade. And, now that I’ve given it my endorsement, I’ll try to bring you up to speed. But I’ve got to warn you, this story has as many moving parts as a Swiss watch and is confusing as hell until it, finally, does come together. So, if all this gets confusing then I apologize right now.
First of all, the world we live in is not at all the one we believe it to be, at least beginning with the early 20th century, near as I can tell. Many of the major players and events that shaped global history, such as Lenin’s revolution, the stock market crash of 1929 and subsequent Great Depression, Hitler’s rise to power, Stalin’s rule over the USSR, JFK’s assassination, and racial segregation in the U.S. have all been orchestrated by a world force known as Hegemony. And Hegemony is ruled over by the seemingly immortal Mae Nash Price, a blond ice queen who surrounds herself with beautiful fairies, the kind with wings and antennae, that is, and her motivation is right wing world order and ethnic and cultural purity. Borrowing and warping a technique from The Dark Knight Returns, Hegemony manipulates world opinion through right wing news anchors on a network called “Knownownet” that seed public opinion with Miss Price’s propaganda. And the organization has individuals blissfully unaware that they’re living lives that aren’t their own. In reality they are expertly trained killers who are conditioned to obey, who snap-to at a moment’s command to do the organization’s bidding courtesy of a mind-control chip planted in their heads. However, when any of those agents breaks free, as has been known to happen from time-to-time, it’s a full court press for Hegemony to reign them back in. In this case, no less than five extraordinary people with nothing in common share a bond in surviving a terrorist attack on Long Beach, CA, and they all not only discover blood running down their foreheads from an exploded implanted micro-chip but also are surprised to find they have augmented strength, speed, and ruthless killing abilities. They are Zach Dailey, Tessa Clarke, Rydell Smith, Kendra Houlihan and Holden Crane. And they also discover that they need all the skills they have and to partner with each other to insure their best shot at survival.
This book is classic Chaykin, which is to say it’s packed with wild action, kung fu style fighting, Michael Mann style gun battles, and is wrapped in a James Bond style tale of intrigue, espionage and all powerful world-threatening villains. Also, it’s beautifully drawn and written. Chaykin pours all the creativity he put into American Flagg, Blackhawk and The Shadow to give us one amazing roller coaster of a ride. The action and gun battles are ferocious and incredibly loud, even for a medium with no sound. The various moving parts all come together into what may be the biggest conspiracy theory story ever created. Not all five of our heroes make it to the end but, by the end, we see the connection to Jack Kirby’s classic characters as this group, too, realize they are “living on borrowed time” and vow to carry on the Challengers’ proud name. What else can I say? If mind-blowing action, outstanding character development, a world-spanning threat and one of the most fun, fast and furious stories I’ve ever read just isn’t your thing then you absolutely must not pick up this trade.
Challengers of the Unknown, DC Archives vol. 1 & 2
DC Comics
Written by: Jack Kirby
Drawn by: Jack Kirby
Cover by: Jack Kirby
As the story goes (or as Stan Lee tells it) the Fantastic Four were created because his boss played golf with his DC counterpart, was told how well JLA was selling, and came back and told Stan to write a book about a superhero team. Challengers of the Unknown, which premiered in 1958 (a few years before the FF), is a Jack Kirby creation about four adventurers who go up in a craft, have an accident, crash to Earth, conclude they’re all “living on borrowed time” and decide to band together to become a force for good. These characters are Prof (the more intellectual leader), Red (a scrappy hot head), the blond Ace, and a brawler named “Rocky.” They also wear mono-color jump suits with gloves and boots. Hmmm….you tell me what inspired the FF.
These stories are a hoot. The Challengers face strange monsters, mythical and mystical creatures, evil scientists, and aliens from distant planets. These adversaries would be enough to give a Man of Steel or Asgardian Thunder God pause, but these guys with no superpowers at all not only charge right into battle, the public seems to have accepted them as Earth’s champions and seek them out to combat these strange and powerful menaces. I’m a big Kirby fan, no doubt, but have never been as impressed with the King’s writing. Not so in this case. These are well scripted and plotted stories that I devoured eagerly. And a real treat is that Wally Wood inked several stories in the second volume. I always considered Joe Sinnott the perfect Kirby inker, but he now takes a back seat to Wood. The art is stunning, and much better than Kirby’s early Marvel stuff that came years later. Highly recommended!
The Challengers of the Unknown Must Die!
DC Comics
Written by: Jeff Loeb
Drawn by: Tim Sale
Cover by: Tim Sale
The Challengers are on the periphery of the DCU and never really interacted with DC’s mainstay heroes. Darwin Cooke included them in his “New Fronier” series. But this very first Loeb/Sale collaboration puts them squarely in the DCU. There are really great appearances by Superman, Batman, Dr. Fate, and Green Lantern (ah, but which one?).
The Challengers are middle aged now and are considered something of a joke by the world at large. They are heavily merchandised for their sentimental value and now live in a mountain in a town called “Challengerville.” Disaster strikes in a major way, though. They are blamed for an explosion that sends the mountain crashing down on the helpless town, killing hundreds as well as two of their own. A trial ensues and they are forced to disband. Each goes his separate way and undergoes startling transformations. Red shaves his head bald and becomes something of a Rambo like solder. Rocky becomes an alcoholic and is institutionalized. Ace dives into the occult and becomes a “master of the mystic arts.” Yes, there is a great riff on Marvel Comics throughout this series that is wonderful to discover as you read it. From Spider-Man, to Dr. Strange, to Captain America (there’s a fight scene that is a tribute to the one-page multi-panel drubbing Cap gives Batroc in Tales of Suspense # 86).
They all, though, must come together (even those who were killed come back) at the end to battle a silly demonic menace. This final crisis and battle is a bit frivolous and adds nothing to the trade, though I suppose it helps bring it to a close. This book’s real value is in the strong characterization of these wonderful characters, the respectful way they are treated as they are forced apart and, then, come back together, and the real fun Loeb and Sale seem to have in this first of their now long list of collaborations. Recommended!