January 7, 2009
In honor of yesterday’s blog, in which I wrote about a comic book writer from the 70s who didn’t realize the impact of his work, here’s an article I wrote waaaaay back in the mid 1980s for Amazing Heroes magazine. (Still my favorite comics-oriented magazine, may it rest in peace.) This article never saw print, but I think it’s kind of pertinent. It’s about some of those great comics of the 70s…comics I loved and still love, but which haven’t been acknowledged as “classics” by the critical powers that be. Now, I know this article is all gushy and overwritten, but I do stand by my opinions about the 70s comics discussed. Pick up some of the comics I wrote about in this piece, and you’ll be landing yourself some top notch comic booky entertainment. I now present, from deep in the vaults of yesteryore, “Missing Links: Lost DC Classics of the 1970s.”
MISSING LINKS: LOST DC CLASSICS OF THE 1970’s
By Bob Jeschonek (1985)
Currently, DC Comics is a company in the midst of a resurgence. For a long time, this venerable publisher was imbedded in a rut, its titles creatively stagnant and its sales figures floundering behind those of Marvel. Aside from a few bright spots, DC’s lineup seemed doomed to mediocrity and declining readership.
Then, with the premiere of The New Teen Titans in 1980, DC began a long and tedious climb toward reviving its line. Titans set the precedent for DC’s strategy in the 1980’s: the use of talented and committed creative teams to reorganize and enliven DC series. The Titans were a huge success, both creatively and financially. This book demonstrated that new, quality versions of existing characters could sell; recognizable heroes, combined with attractive art and complex, literate scripting, could capture a large audience.
After Titans came the groundbreaking Legion of Super-Heroes, by Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen. Then there was All-Star Squadron, by Roy Thomas and Rich Buckler, and later Jerry Ordway. Further success arrived with the Alan Moore/Jeff Tottleben/Steve Bissette Swamp Thing. The ultimate revitalization came in 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, which revamped the entire DC continuity and paved the way for even more renewed titles: the new Superman, The Dark Knight, Green Lantern Corps, Captain Atom, The Question, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Justice League, The Spectre, Dr. Fate, Green Arrow, The Shadow, Shazam, and Suicide Squad. DC has definitely soared creatively during the past six years, and its regenerated series are gaining increasing critical and fan support.
Today, critics welcome new DC works as examples of outstanding comics, and they often discuss old series as “classics” which presaged DC’s new phase. Traditionally, when DC classics have been discussed, certain titles are brought up again and again: Jack Kirby’s “Fourth World” trilogy of New Gods, Mr. Miracle, and The Forever People; O’Neil and Adams’ Green Lantern/Green Arrow; O’Neil and Adams’ Batman; Len Wein and Berni Wrightson’s Swamp Thing; Goodwin and Simonson’s Manhunter; and Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers’ Detective Comics. These “recognized classics” are certainly not the only comics to emerge as artistic oases during DC’s disheartening dry spell in the 1970’s, however. In fact, there are a number of DC series from the mid-’70’s which stand as splendid work in the graphic medium. These “lost’lclassics” have been largely ignored; they did not sell well when they were first released, and they have been almost entirely forgotten today.
These “lost classics” deserve a second look by critics and fans alike. For one thing, they represent some of the more skillfulfand enjoyable work done in comics in the ’70’s. Also, they provide a new perspective on much of the work published by DC today; in many ways, these books were forerunners of the revamped, quality series which DC now specializes in. They are a visible step between the simple pleasures of the Silver Age and the complicated revisionism of the 1980’s. Without the “lost classics,” the mature renewal of the contemporary DC might have taken many more years to develop.
ALL-STAR COMICS
This title was a cornerstone of DC’s lineup in the Golden Age of the 1940’s, but was cancelled in 1952. The Justice Society of America, the group of ’40’s heroes who headlined the original All-Star, reappeared in a series of team-ups with the Justice League in the mid-’60’s, but it was not until 1975 that the heroes and their original title were reunited.
The new All-Star Comics resumed numbering where the first series had left off, with issue 58. The book never reached tremendous popularity, and was finally cancelled with #74, a victim of the great DC Implosion of 1978.
This failure to truly catch on and become a success does not diminish the quality of the work that was done on the new All-Star, however. In fact, some of the best work published by DC during the DC Explosion, the company’s period of expansion between 1976 and 1978, can be found in this series. While books like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman stumbled along in a forest of hackneyed plots, cliches, and shallow characterization, All-Star supplied fresh and exciting comic artistry.
The early issues of the revival are particularly strong, and hold up well when compared to the better titles on the stands today. Written by Gerry Conway and drawn by Wally Wood, Ric Estrada, and Keith Giffen, All-Star #’s 58-61 are wonderful books, providing a reintroduction to the old characters and a showcase for some “new” heroes at the same time.
Conway‘s scripting in these issues is deft, laden with interesting plot elements and vivid characterization. On one side are the old members of the JSA, aging heroes trying to deal with the obscure wanings of passing time. There is the Flash, a devoted and sensible family man who, at one point, leaves his comrades in battle because his wife is worried about him. There is the original Wildcat, an ex-prizefighter trying to hold on to past glories and deny the weakening of his body. There is Dr. Fate, the once-omnipotent sorcerer who is nearly killed in battle. The original Hawkman struggles to sustain his group as a force for justice, and strives to adapt the legendary team to the changing demands of a new age. Green Lantern is plagued by identity crises, and loses control of his life and his broadcasting company. These are all thoughtful and realistic portrayals, logical extensions of what might have become of the DC heroes of the Golden Age when they grew older. At a time when comic book characters flourished in melodrama and soap opera tragedy, the new JSA provided a unique outlook. Essentially, they were a bunch of old codgers playing hero, dealing with life and the changes of aging — but nobody else was tackling such characters, or had done so before. This was quite bold, and still is today, though nobody seems to have recognized the sharp and unusual approach. Actually, All-Star was a precursor of later series dealing realistically with older casts, like First’s Jon Sable and Grimjack, even The Dark Knight. Before the new All-Star, all heroes were under 30, and anyone older was relegated to the ranks of parents, mad scientists, and wizards in subways. All-Star paved the way for the use of older characters in comics.
The early issues of the new All-Star also introduced three younger heroes: Star-Spangled Kid, who was younger than the original JSAers only by virtue of being trapped in a time warp for 20 years; Robin of Earth-Two, with a new costume and a job as the U.S. ambassador to South Africa; and one of Gerry Conway’s greatest original creations, Power Girl. Though Robin faded away and the Kid remained a precocious junior partner, Power Girl swiftly came into her own as a vital and exciting female character, something that was not plentiful in mid-t70’s comics. An Earth-Two counterpart of Earth-One’s Supergirl, Power Girl was strong, courageous, intelligent and independent, determined to prove herself as an equal to the stodgy and sometimes chauvinistic JSAers. Kara was easily the single most invigorating element of All-Star, and set a precedent for strong-willed and complex heroines to come. In this way, All-Star was also a groundbreaker, avoiding the skewed feminine stereotypes which were dominant since comics were first published; no more would female characters exist exclusively as lovesick, dippy, melon-busted cut-outs. Though the stereotypes persist in many ways even today, Power Girl set the mold for later, more realistic and exemplary women in comics like Ms. Tree, Maggie and Hopey in Love and Rockets, Storm in X-Men, Abby in Swamp Thing, Jade, Fury, Wildcat, and Dr. Midnight in Infinity, Inc., and the new Wonder Woman. Though her individuality and feminism are no longer a novelty, and her character has been drastically altered by the Crisis, Power Girl’s All-Star exploits remain exciting and memorable, examples of perceptive and brilliant comic book scripting.
Though the revived Golden Age heroes were initially called the Super Squad, in an effort to signify a new beginning, the name never stuck. By issue 66, the featured team was once sprawled across the cover of every issue until the series ended. After issue 61, the scripting of All-Star had also changed, transferring from Gerry Conway to Paul Levitz. Levitz, who has since then proven to be a master of lively, characterization-rich super teams, in Legion of Super-Heroes, continued the fine scripting Conway had begun. The transition in scripters was seamless, with Levitz maintaining the style and atmosphere of the book and building on the developed characters of the JSA. Levitz employed smooth and effective scripting, Bixing imaginative plots and realistic group personality growth the way he later did in Legion. He also introduced new elements, like the wonderful Huntress, and added updated Yersions of Golden Age characters who had not yet appeared in with his headstrong cousin, Power Girl. In a beautiful sequence, Clark Kent, now in his 50’s and editor of the Daily star, changes into his alter ego in a shadowy, silent office, then leaps away to once more answer the Justice Society signal. Hourman also left retirement to rejoin the JSA for several issues, as did the Shining Knight from the Seven Soldiers of Victory. The villainous Fiddler and Solomon Grundy returned in issue 63, as did the entire Injustice Society in issue 66. Issue 68 brought back the Psycho Pirate, who triggered the return of Earth-Two’s Batman. This aging Caped Crusader was quite different from the later Dark Knight, Gotham’s police force, and set out to destroy the JSA while under the control of the Psycho Pirate. This Batman had married Earth-Two’s Catwoman, and fathered the new heroine called the Huntress. In a JSA story in Adventure Comics, after All-Star was cancelled, Batman was finally killed while saving the world, a far different fate than that assigned by Frank Miller to the Dark Knight.
All these returning characters were important to DC’s future growth. For one thing, they stirred up interest in the Golden Age, encouraging Roy Thomas and DC to later publish a comic based on the World War II adventures of the Earth-Two heroes, All-Star Squadron. Squadron in turn led to the debut of the witty and popular Infinity, Inc., a series about the children and proteges of the JSA. The personalities and members backgrounds of the revived Justice Society were later used as the basis of their portrayal in Infinity, Inc. and the America vs. the Justice Society mini-series. Not only is Infinity still running, and a new version of Squadron titled The Young All-stars, but renewed interest in the Golden Age characters has resulted in a regular solo series for the Spectre and a mini-series for Dr. Fate.
The 1975-78 All-Star Comics is also classic because of the wonderful art it featured. Wally Wood has been recognized as one of the finest comic book artists, and his work in All-Star #’s 58-65 certainly matches his reputation. Wood’s pages are crisp and distinctive, simple yet suffused with Age, but flashes with technology and sophistication. Wally Wood’s All-Stars are visually stunning, miles above much of the other work published at the time. After Wood left the book, Joe Staton and Bob Layton entered the picture. This pair also turned out some spectacular work, art that was very Staton and Layton’s style was more cartoony, angular and distorted than Wood’s, but it was still energetic and attractive. The book took on a newer, flashier look, which lasted until the final two issues, when Joe Giella’s bland and sketchy inks replaced those of Layton. Throughout the series, traces of the artists’ later evolution were also evident, hints of E-Man and Green Lantern Corps in Staton’s fluid pencils, suggestions of Layton’s bright and effective Hercules.
MISTER MIRACLE
In 1977, DC began sequels to two of Jack Kirby’s famous “Fourth World” series, Return of the New Gods and Mister Miracle. Each book employed new creative teams and approaches to the Fourth World which were drastically different from Kirby’s. Though this difference brought into question the books’ validity as sequels, they were both unique and well-done interpretations of Kirby’s work. Both featured talented creators: New Gods was written by Gerry Conway, drawn by Don Newton; Miracle was written and drawn first by Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers, who were later replaced by Steve Gerber and Michael Golden. There were a lot of intriguing new characters and concepts in both series, worthy additions to the legends of New Genesis and Apokolips. In better times, the two books might have survived despite sagging sales, but alas, the DC Implosion struck. Before 1978 was over, both sequels had succumbed to the collapse of DC’s line. The epic story line which had run through the entire Return of the New Gods series was concluded in Adventure Comics (which also featured some leftover adventures of the JSA from the cancelled All-Star Comics), but Mister Miracle’s new and vigorous saga never received a proper wrap-up. The fact is, of the two Kirby sequels, Mister Miracle was the stronger and more impressive book, and deserved a chance to continue. It was one of the best books published by DC during the 1970’s, with some top-notch writing and art that were beyond anything being done at the time. As if the cancellation and cliffhanger ending were not enough, Mister Miracle‘s ’70’s tales have been ignored and denied, officially banished from the New Gods continuity in favor of new Kirby versions of events after the original Fourth World series ended. It’s too bad, because this is a book that should definitely be looked at as part of the Fourth World mythology.
The updated Mister Miracle, issues 19-25, contains some intricate writing, scripting which deeply examines the character, mentality, and purpose of Scott Free. In issue #19, “It’s All in the Mine,” the cast of the series is reintroduced: Scott and Big Barda are married and living peacefully on New Genesis; Highfather and Himon tend to the leadership of that world; Granny Goodness, Dr. Bedlam, Vermin Vundabar, and Kanto attack Scott and kidnap Barda; and Scott returns to Earth to find Oberon and get his help in rescuing Barda. This set-up results in Scott’s surrender to the Apokolips agents, the loss of his Mother Box, and a dramatic getaway which confirms his reputation as the World’s Greatest Escape Artist. In the following issue, it is revealed that Mister Miracle possesses godly powers, even without the aid of his Mother Box. This opens an interesting subplot, because Scott realizes that he should have had his powers all along, as a child of mighty Highfather. For some reason, Scott’s abilities were suppressed and not revealed until this time.
Scott follows Granny and her thugs to the Moon, only to be forced into a battle with a mind-controlled Barda. The end of this story introduces the theme of the series, Scott Free’s transformation into a messiah. Mister Miracle decides to attack Darkseid in his Apokolips lair, to become a Christ-like figure and inspire the oppressed citizens whom Darkseid has crushed. Scott gets this idea when Granny ties him spread-eagled to some missiles and tells him “It is a form of crucifixion! Is that not what happens to Gods who dwell on planet Earth?” After rescuing Barda, Scott declares his new purpose: “Granny gave me the idea — relating me to another god who came to Earth! He came to save Earthmen from oppression, by providing them with an alternative in himself! When I first arrived on Earth, he was being called a superstar — the same thing they called me! Oberon, why can’t I do what he did: strike directly at the source of the evil that surrounds us, and turn Darkseid’s minions against him? Not for the forces of religion — but for the forces of freedom!” This is exactly what Scott sets out to do, in a two-issue mission to Apokolips featuring some spectacular battles and escapes. In issue #22, “Midnight of the Gods,” Mister Miracle finally reaches the sinister ruler of Apokolips, only to be swatted aside like a flea and zapped into another dimension by Darkseid’s Omega Effect.
In the other dimension, Scott Free undergoes another inner transformation. In a series of dreamlike episodes, he is forced by a being named Ethos to learn a new path. Scott realizes that he has been pursuing the wrong course, living according to misconceptions: he has been caught up in futile, endless wars between New Genesis and Apokolips, without realizing that he can rise above them and accept a higher role; he has waged war on Darkseid and tried to ignite a rebellion without counting the cost in human life; and he has ignored small but important factors in favor of massive, obsessive issues which obscure the clarity of his thought. He finally realizes that he is human, not a true god, and that his purpose in the New Genesis/Apokolips conflict is to inspire and protect other humans — the people of Earth, caught in the middle of a cosmic turmoil which they cannot hope to fully understand or overcome. Scott transcends his Christ complex, refuses to remain a suffering, manipulated messiah. He says “I’m an alternative to both New Genesis and Apokolips, and Earth is the crucible!” He tells Highfather that “I hereby relinquish my citizenship in New Genesis…and renounce my allegiance to you, Izaya. Henceforth, I shall act as a free agent.” With that, Scott Free returns to Earth and again takes up his career as an escape artist, using his great stunts as a symbol of freedom for humanity.
This is all very complex material, delving deep into the mind of a fascinating character. In the span of seven issues, as much was revealed about Mister Miracle as was established by Kirby in the original series. A lively and unique hero was enriched and revitalized in the ’70’s sequel, without deviating too far from the original spirit and essence of Kirby’s work. The scripting was magnificent, an example of Englehart and Gerber at the height of their powers. The art was stylish and exciting, full of the skill and textures we have come to expect from the great Marshall Rogers and Mike Golden. Golden’s work was as wonderfully energetic as his later efforts on Micronauts; Rogers proved that his innovative pizzazz was not limited to Detective Comics.
This book is as much of a classic as the Englehart/Rogers Detective, because of the quality of its art and scripting, the complexity of its vision, and the success of its revision of an established character. Also, it kept interest alive in the New Gods and contributed to the honoring of Kirby’s work and the continuation of the Fourth World epic in the Hunger Dogs graphic novel.
METAL MEN
DC attempted yet another revival of a cancelled series by bringing back the Metal Men, a group of robot super-heroes with the powers of various metals. The new Metal Men title followed a path that was similar to the one traveled by All-Star Comics and Mister Miracle: the series started in 1976; it featured updated versions of existing characters; top-flight writers and artists tackled each issue; but the book did not gather enough support and was cancelled in the DC Implosion in 1978. Also like those other comic series, Metal Men has since been ignored by critics and fans, its impressive quality and vitality forgotten.
The first five issues of the renewed Metal Men, #’s 45-49, were the best of the series, and perhaps the best Metal Men stories ever. The first new issue was written by Steve Gerber and featured the Plutonium Man, a creation of the then-insane Will Magnus. Issue 46, written by Gerry Conway, had a battle royale with Chemo, and #47 again set the Plutonium Man against the heroic robots. The next two issues comprised a two-part war with Eclipso, written by Martin Pasko. These first five chapters in the new lives of the Metal Men were spectacular, full of giddy, relentless imagination. Though three different writers scripted these books, the same stunning and inventive style pervaded each issue, created a wild, bizarre, and fascinating world that was perfect for the unusual characters. Evil robots and chemical creatures, madmen and ancient gods attacked the colorful cast, forcing them to fight back in a delightful variety of ways. There seemed to be an infinite array of shape changes the Metal Men could make, a huge assortment of combinations and metallic properties they could calI on. It was all as weird, wild and fun as the original Metal Men tales by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru, and Mike Esposito, and then some.
The first five issues were especially exciting because of the Walt Simonson art. Simonson’s art in this series was fantastic, leaping from each page with all the stormy, explosive, frantic force which had made Manhunter an instant classic. Simonson’s Metal Men work is every bit as good as his work on the Manhunter strip in Detective Comics, just as powerful and exciting as the Thor panoramas which would come much later. Simonson was certainly the greatest Metal Men artist ever, his unrestrained, roller coaster images a perfect complement to the wild scripting of Gerber, Conway, and Pasko.
After a reprint from the original series in MM #50, a new creative team.inherited the book, a team that was no less savagely imaginative and talented than the first group to portray the robot heroes. Martin Pasko and Joe Staton assembled issues 51-53, with Gerry Conway resuming scripting chores from issue 54 to 56. The work in all of these issues continued the crazy, surrealistic style of the first new stories, and became even campier and more bizarre. Joe Staton contributed cartoony yet cohesive art which suited the characters and writing well. Though simpler and not as powerful as Simonson’s masterful renderings, Staton retained the basic flavor of the book and added a startling energy all his own. Staton’s drawings of the stretching, contorting, shape-changing robots and their weirdly exaggerated foes were predictive of his later, similar work on the wildly satirical E-Man for First Comics.
In the final issues of Metal Men, the heroes battled Vox, a villain with a bionic voice, “Dr. Strangeglove,” a madman with a typewriter hand and an army of evil, telekinetic babies, the Missile Men, and the Inheritor, another rampaging creation of Will Magnus. Also in these issues, the Metal Men broke away from Doc Magnus, appeared before the United Nations, and were declared citizens of the world so they would not be obligated to serve the U.S. government. All these stories were crazy and fast, imaginative and often farcical pieces which paved the way for later bizarre and light-hearted series like E-Man, Blue Devil, Flaming Carrot and Normalman.
All in all, Metal Men was not an intense or ambitious book. The series carried few reverent themes, psychodramas, cosmic statements, or literary aspirations. However, Metal Men was an example of unrestrained, extraordinary vision, of the application of vigorous imagination to the comic form. The scripting was packed with consistent characterization, surprises, and humor, and the art was frequently stunning. This book featured an uncommon approach for its time, a semi-serious and unselfconscious attitude toward comics which was not favored then, but later developed into a major graphic force. Metal Men was certainly not profound or realistic, but it was well-done, original, and fun, and deserves to be ranked with the best products of any publisher in the mid-1970s.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT
The mid-’70’s revivals of All-Star Comics, Mister Miracle, and Metal Men are indeed “lost classics,” series which have been overlooked and abandoned by the majority of fans and critics. Perhaps these books will never gain widespread recognition or popularity, but they are certainly excellent works and compare favorably with the better comics of today. All three series contain exemplary scripting and art from creators who are now heralded as some of the industry’s finest: Englehart, Levitz, Gerber, Wood, Staton, Rogers, Golden, and Simonson. Their work on the books provides a visible link between their earliest styles and the masterful material they later produced.
Also, All-Star, Mister Miracle, and Metal Men paved the way for future quality revivals of established characters, a tactic which has been the foundation of DC’s recent growth and success. These books provide a look back at some wonderful comics from a time when there were not supposed to be so many wonderful comics, when DC was barren and bloated and headed for a collapse. They are valuable as history and as entertainment and deserve to be reprinted in a deluxe-format like other DC classics.
Best of all, All-Star, Mister Miracle, and Metal Men, in their mid-70’s incarnations, are cheap, not much more expensive as back issues than they were when first published. They are readily available in the back stock of most comic shops, and can often be found among stacks of books which have been discounted for quick sale. They are unappreciated and underpriced, real treasures for the discerning comic fan. They are not collector’s items, and probably never will be, and that is just as well. While the prices of “recognized classics” like the original Swamp Thing, Green Lantern/Green Arrow and New Gods continue to climb, the unrecognized, equally good “lost classics” can still be had for a song. All-Star Comics #’s 58-72; Mister Miracle #’s 19-25; Metal Men #’s 45-56. They deserve a second look.
