SWAMP THING 1989 #2 DC COMICS
The late eighties were an interesting time and place. Continuity still had a place but the multiverse had unlocked so much. And having a character who could unbound himself from time, space, etc. was a hugwe bouncy castle with water slides built in. Anything and everything could happen and still make sense. So, getting to read any unpublished story from that time is miraculous. And if it involves a time travelling Swamp Thing conciousness as concieved by Rick Veitch and Tom Mandrake, you’ve hit the jackpot. As this tale continues, it becomes harder to describe. It helps that I was there back then. Here’s what I can say without confusing the heck out of everyone under the age of 40. A veritable Who’s Who of cameos from throughout the DC Universe. The Spectre, The Shining Knight, Anthro, Chronos, John Constantine, Professor Hyatt – creator of the Time Pool, mentions of the Atom, members of the DNAliens, and the Big Bang! And while it seems impossible to mesh all that together in a story, Veitch managed to do it. Did I mention the last page visit to Hell? Trust me this was very insightful stuff back in the day. Actually, it still is. 10 out of 10 Grahams.
UNIVERSAL MONSTERS CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON BLACK & WHITE SPECIAL #1 IMAGE COMICS
Spending part of my youth in a time period filled with Famous Monsters of Filmland and Late Night Horror Host movies, I always found the Creature to be my favorite. It might have been the oddity of the concept or the fact that many of the other Universal Monsters had more grounding in legend and myth. Or the fact, that he never seemed to get to hang out with the other monsters. But this special (as it’s colorized mini-series before it) didn’t live up to my expectations. Prior Universal Monster mini-series had found spots in the original movie and exploited them to expand on the original films. This one took a different approach. With it happening years after the original film. It was interesting but not the same. I will say that having it in black and white does make it a bit more traditional but it is still just a reprint. 7 out of 10 Grahams.
ZATANNA #2 DC COMICS
Time will tell. Can writer Jamal Campbell keep the story interesting moving into the second issue. Many have tried with very few succeeding. And it’s already behind the eight ball being part of both the All In and Next Level malarkey that major comic companies can’t help but engage these days. Luckily, this second issue keeps the reader’s interest and continues to expand on the mystical universes that Zatanna is supposedly in charge of. It also brings in music and some help from Hellblazer back up character Papa Midnight. An interesting take on the intersection of music and magic. It does appear that this first story arc is going to be a success. 8 out of 10 Grahams.
DC FINEST DEADMAN HOW MANY TIMES CAN A GUY DIE TPB
Being around when Strange Adventures was on the newsstands, I remember first stumbling across the early beginnings of Boston Brand, Deadman. And my young mind was not impressed. First off, his name is Deadman? Dead? Man? That’s what you decided to call the character? Yet another unoriginal name like Hawkman, Iron Man, etc. etc. At least Aquaman’s creators didn’t go with Water Man. But Dead Man?
But then I started reading the actual story and came to understand that there was a secondary idea behind the name. And while I couldn’t help but notice certain similarities with a certain television show called the Fugitive, it became an interesting character in the pages of Strange Adventures which had given us Animal Man, Immortal Man, and the Split-Man already. Characters who stuck around just long enough to get a fan base going. Deadman would probably go the same way. But then Neal Adams started doing the art and perceptions changed. Deadman kept moving forward and the story continued. Then, Deadman started appearing in other comics. Brave and the Bold, Justice League of America, the Forever People, Challengers of the Unknown, World’s Finest. To this day, the red suited aerialist who just happened to not be alive, continues. A true testament to the initial stories brought to us by such masters of their craft. Neal Adams, Arnold Drake, Carmine Infantino, Jack Miller, to name a few. And those early days are all collected here, proving that the folks at DC Finest know what they are doing. 10 out of 10 Grahams. .