Saturday, June 08, 2013

Psylocke Psaturday #15: Heavens to Betsy

So, where were we? Ah yes...Betsy has come to America, is living in the X-Mansion, and is in the diabolical clutches of scripter Chris Claremont, who will fill her life with unbearable angst, even more so than under the magic, bearded hands of Alan Moore. As Uncanny X-Men Annual #10 opens, the Uncanny Ones are working out in the Danger Room (again). Betsy's either running the controls or maybe laying down some backing tracks for Supertramp, and Cypher and Sunspot are alongside, angsting away. Well, I told you it was a Claremont comic.


Panels from [Uncanny] X-Men Annual #10 (January 1987), script by Chris Claremont, pencils by Art Adams, inks by Terry Austin, colors by Petra Scotese, letters by Tom Orzechowski

Suddenly Longshot! Which is something different than Suddenly Susan or Suddenly Salad. Ann Noincenti and Art Adam's luck-based superhero teleports into the Danger Room and into the X-Men's lives, accompanied by a whole slew of sticky goo. Look, it's best not to think about all the goo everywhere. Anyway, all of the X-Men including Betsy are covered in it. Even Nightcrawler's scary, scary toes.


A note for all you X-Men trivia buffs: Wolverine's eye line is on the same level as Psylocke's breasts. So that explains that.


Where there's Longshot, there's also Mojo, but I'm going to spare you the sight of any panels that feature probably one of my least favorite X-Nemeses. Especially the panel of him in a pig mask. Instead, let's look at Rogue's first pre-Gambit crush. She's heavily into them, not least for the reason that they have similar mullets. Also in this scene: the panel border warns them to hold it.


The mysterious goop has de-aged all the X-Men and turned them into...oh, dear, it's the first appearance of the X-Babies. Sigh. Nobody explains how their uniforms shrunk with them (unstable molecules, probably), or why, as the other X-Men de-age from their twenties to pre-teens (and Kitty Pryde to a baby), Wolverine is also a kid. Well, still, it's nice to see him without his arms being covered in hair for once.


As much as I loathe the X-Babies, you cannot deny this is the single greatest exclamation ever out of the mouth of Wolverine:


Meanwhile, the New Mutants, who have changed into their individual, "grown up" costumes that we'd seldom see ever again, are tracking the X-Babies, who have been led by Mojo to a production of Shakespeare in the Park. I am not kidding you.


Present in the audience: the Bratpack from Longshot (also seen in New Mutants Annual #2)...


Also present: Puddlegulp and the frog family from Thor #364-366 (yes, the ones where Thor got turned into a frog). And: Walt and Louise Simonson.


Somewhere also in this issue is supposed to be Carrie Kelley, the futuristic Robin from Batman: The Dark Knight. But I can't find her (she's probably among the audience members). Anybody who knows where she is, let me know so I can post the panel!



ADDED ON JUNE 9, 2013: Hooray; I knew one of my faithful readers with better eyes than my button ones would come through! Thanks to the ID by by Boistrous Bully backer OTL in the comments, here's Carrie Kelly, and I'm ashamed I didn't recognize her dialogue!:


And sitting next to her is Michelle, ma belle Carrie's cautious companion:



Panels from Batman: The Dark Knight (1986 limited series) #1, script and pencils by Frank Miller, inks by Klaus Janson, colors by Lynn Varley, letters by John Costanza

A closer look at Carrie:


But who's this Art Adams-added aquatic-appearing animal-man in the same panel?!?


I'm baffled! Answers on a postcard to get your name added in another color in a second edit to this post!



Oh yeah, I forgot: this is a post about Psylocke. Like the other X-Men, she's been returned to her original age but turned into a villain by (sigh) Mojo. You can tell she's not a hero by her color scheme. Green and purple? No self-respecting Marvel superhero would be seen in those two colors.


I also forgot to mention all the New Mutants have pink masks. Oh dear oh dear oh dear. Tim Gunn could not join the Marvel Universe fast enough. Yep, even Cypher's Cyclops-wannabe visor has a pink screen. And Wolverine is running around naked. Golly GUMbucks, Claremont!


We begin to see the genesis of the ruthless ninja "kill 'em all and let Jim Shooter sort 'em out" version of Psylocke:


By the end of the issue Longshot has joined the X-Men and we're barreling headlong towards the Outback era of the X-Men, where they sit around eating steak and onion blossoms are headquartered in an Australian hidden base. Psylocke will be a major player during this era of the X-Men, so stay tuned: Ol' Purple-Head will be back!

Next up: We've seen Betsy Braddock among the X-Men, but when did she decide to be an X-Man? We'll see how and why and what hideous monstrosity of fashion she'll be wearing in Uncanny X-Men #213, which I think happens chronologically before this Annual because Longshot isn't in it, but who the heck knows? All I know is that it's drawn by Alan Davis, so it's Psylocke at her Psylockiest. And facing off against Sabretooth. Hope you survive the experience!


Panel from Uncanny X-Men #213 (January 1987), script by Chris Claremont, pencils by Chris Claremont, inks by Paul Neary, colors by Glynis Oliver, letters by Tom Orzechowski

Today in Comics History, June 8, 1938: Not these guys again


from "The Death-Cheaters of Gotham City!" in Batman (1940 series) #72 (DC, August 1952), script by David Vern, pencils and inks by Jim Mooney, letters by Ira Schnapp

Yep: John Grant, who, according to that panel above, died today, June 8...


OH COME ON STORY IT'S THE VERY NEXT PANEL

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 159: Who wrote the copy for this ad...Dr. Thirteen?


House ad for Sensation Mystery #111 (September-October 1952)
and The Phantom Stranger (1952 series) #1 (August-September 1952),
printed in House of Mystery #6 (September 1952)
Comic cover art: Sensation Mystery #111: pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Sy Barry
The Phantom Stranger #1: pencils by Murphy Anderson, girl figure pencilled by Frank Giacoia, inks by Sy Barry

Ad designed and lettered by Ira Schnapp

Bear Attack! Month, Day 8: Just be glad I spared you the panel of the bear cleaving a raccoon in half



Panels from The Unwritten #43 (January 2013); co-plot and script by Mike Carey; co-plot, pencils, and inks by Peter Gross, colors by Chris Chuckry, letters by Todd Klein

Friday, June 07, 2013

The Seven Deadly Sins of Chili Storm









And let us not forget:


Today in Comics History, June 7: Roy Raymond successfully detects glue


from "The Most Amazing Club in the World!" in Detective Comics #219 (DC, May 1955), pencils and inks by Ruben Moreira

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 158: DC takes out advertising space on Wonder Woman's rear end*

Two-page house ad for World of Krypton #2 (August 1979), All-Out War #1 (September-October 1979), and Time Warp #1 (October-November 1979), printed in Batman #313 (July 1979)

Comic cover art: World of Krypton #2: pencils by Ross Andru, inks by Dick Giordano
All-Out War #1: pencils and inks by Joe Kubert, colors by Tatjana Wood
Time Warp #1: pencils and inks by Mike Kaluta

(Click picture to Rao-size)


A couple observations: the ad appears to say that the World of Krypton issue is #3, but that's actually the cover to #2.


And notice that two of the captions on the ad version of All-Out War are changed by the time the comic goes to press: "The Viking from Hell" becomes "The Viking Commando"; seeing as this is his first appearance, it's a good thing they decided on a name that wouldn't have the comic taken away from newsstands by parents irate over the double hockey-sticks word. (Altho' you could definitely buy the comic book Son of Satan.) And thankfully, "Soul Brother with Wings" become just "Brother with Wings." Also: The Viking Commando got an Army helmet pasted onto his head. All he needs now is a pair of little wings pasted onto the helmet.



*Once you've seen it, you can't unsee it.

Today in Comics History, June 7, 2003: Teenage girl tragically snaps in two at waist


from Batman: Orphans #1 (DC, February 2011), script by Eddie Berganza, pencils by Carlo Barberi, inks by Juan Vlasco, colors by Chuck Pires, letters by John E. Workman, Jr.

Bear Attack! Month, Day 7: Once again Batman's life is saved by a gun


Panels from "The North Pole Crimes!" in World's Finest Comics #7 (Autumn 1942), script by Bill Finger, pencils by Bob Kane, inks by Jerry Robinson

A great panel deserves an encore:


Thursday, June 06, 2013

Feeling listless, run down and tired in the summer?

Maybe you aren't eating enough meat!


Advertisement from the American Meat Institute, from Life (June 23, 1952)

Today in Comics History, June 6: Tom Taylor sells out one-man show of him staring at his shoes for ninety minutes


from The Unwritten #37 (DC/Vertugo, July 2012); plot, pencils, and inks by Peter Gross; script by Mike Carey; colors by Chris Chuckry


Say, what date is An Evening with Tom Taylor at the Queensland Performing Arts Center again? June 6, you say?


from The Unwritten #40 (DC/Vertigo, October 2012); plot, pencils, and inks by Peter Gross; script by Mike Carey; colors by Chris Chuckry; letters by Todd Klein

Today in Comics History, June 6, 1916: Bat ears are installed on the original Wayne Manor


from Sandman (1989 series) #1 (DC, January 1989), script by Neil Gaiman, pencils by Sam Kieth, inks by Mike Dringenberg, colors by Robbie Busch, letters by Todd Klein

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 157: You knocked my block off!


House ad for Batman #194 (August 1967); printed in Detective Comics #365 (July 1967)
Ad designed and lettered by Ira Schnapp

This classic cover, one of the most dynamic of Batman's "New Look" era, is too great to only see it in miniature in the house ad. Here's a better look:


Cover of Batman #194 (August 1967), pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Murphy Anderson, colors by Jack Adler (?), letters by Ira Schnapp

So, always remember:





Bear Attack! Month, Day 6: At least it wasn't a golden bear


Page from "The House That Fought Green Lantern!" in Green Lantern (1960 series) #28 (April 1964), script by Gardner Fox, pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Joe Giella, letters by Gaspar Saladino

Wednesday, June 05, 2013

Today in Comics History, June 5: Circus visitor murdered with custard pie and seltzer


from "The Man Who Couldn't Be Tried Twice!" in Batman #118 (DC, September 1958), script by Bill Finger, pencils by Bob Kane, inks by Ray Burnley, letters by Ira Schnapp

Stuff Bully Got: In the Bag

Pal Mike Sterling recently posted about Whitman comic book pre-packs, those wonderful treasure chests of fun pre-packaged inside plastic bags and sold for mere pennies at your local non-comics retailer (and here's another, earlier post on the pre-pack bags by Mike). I love/loved/will continue to love these packs; they were my first foray into back-issue buying with the Star Wars, Micronauts and Battlestar Galactica sets that Mike shows off. I never know what the technical term for those bags is called, but at least one publisher had their own specific terminology:


Comicpac ad printed in Detective Comics #306 (August 1962)




365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 156: Here's that Batman/Daredevil crossover you asked for


House ad for Batman #204 (August 1968); printed in Batman #203 (August 1968)
Comic cover art: pencils by Irv Novick, inks by Irv Novick (?) or Mike Esposito (?), letters by Gaspar Saladino (?)
Ad designed and lettered by Gaspar Saladino

Bear Attack! Month, Day 5: OH BOTHER! GIMME THAT HUNNY!


Panel from "The Museum That Came To Life" in House of Mystery #73 (April 1958), pencils and inks by Bill Ely