Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site dartvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!dartvax!johnfr From: johnfr@dartvax.UUCP (John Freeman) Newsgroups: net.comics Subject: Select comments (Hot D*amn!! Swamp Thing Annual #2 was excellent!!) Message-ID: <2484@dartvax.UUCP> Date: Wed, 17-Oct-84 18:37:37 EDT Article-I.D.: dartvax.2484 Posted: Wed Oct 17 18:37:37 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 18-Oct-84 19:28:33 EDT Organization: Dartmouth College Lines: 55 (net.comics? Go down main street about three blocks, then left at the big elm.) Just thought it was time for some general comments (besides, I haven't seen my name in print for awhile...:-)) The general status of the Flash is really getting poor...I agree that they (DC) are just trying to draw this current plot-line out until the anniversary issue...but to now have Barry get his face bashed in? I think that it has been taken too far...first, he misses his wedding, kills Zoom, is tried for murder, Central City loses faith (an old story-concept indeed!), charged with homicide, and gets his face smashed in by Big Sir...not to mention whatever else I may have forgotten... Really shabby treatment of Flash/Barry Allen overall...*sigh* I remember when this comic used to be pretty good-it wasn't that long ago was it? I wouldn't be surprised if Zoom is somehow 'resurrected' at the trial time, or that Flash will do something 'completely heroic' (more so than usual) and settle all doubts of everyone in the courtroom once and for all... But I also agree that there is no way that Big Sir could have surprised Flash like he did...unless DC decided that it was necessary for him to be attacked at the one instant that his guard drops...In the past he has reacted fast enough to deal with bullets fired at him, unaware, from his back-and this time he was warned by his attorney...(at least with one or two of those hundreths of a second that he always thinks in...) Moving right along to something else... YES, YES, YES-I agree with everything that was said on the net about Swamp Thing Annual #2 ('Down amongst the Dead Men')!!! And I don't even read the Swamp Thing at all!!! I bought this one because of the presence of all the guests (or guides might be more appropiate)- especially the Spectre...It nicely tied the plot together for my non-reader self, and the concepts of Heaven and Hell were very intriguing...I strongly recommend this one to someone who is looking for an excellent piece of reading material that can be read and reread with great intrest & enjoyment... Which semi leads into something else that was mentioned on the net about a Phantom Stranger Series...I'm not too sure that I really want to know who he is and what he can do...I think that he does very well as the Phantom STRANGER, and if we knew him, well then, he might be the Phantom FAMILIAR...in some ways, it would answer some very pressing questions about him, but I'm not sure that he would be as alluring and mysterious if these questions were answered.. If he is handled as well (heck, even HALF as well as anyone in Swamp Thing Annual #2 was handled!!! Really good issue...or did I already say that? :-)) as he was in this story, then he does just fine by me... I guess that's about all from this quarter for now.. John Freeman (Dartmouth College) (foregoing the message at the end for this time...)