Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2.fluke 9/24/84; site vax4.fluke.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!fluke!moriarty From: moriarty@fluke.UUCP (The Napoleon of Crime) Newsgroups: net.comics Subject: Old! Unimproved! MORIARTY REVIEWS (Part 4 of 5: CRISIS ON IEs) Message-ID: <2556@vax4.fluke.UUCP> Date: Tue, 20-Aug-85 03:10:41 EDT Article-I.D.: vax4.2556 Posted: Tue Aug 20 03:10:41 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 00:38:22 EDT Distribution: net Organization: The Institute for Criminal Masterminds Lines: 121 And Now, on to the CRISIS: ------------------------------------------------ "There *are* standards. If you can't see one, you *make* one and stick to it come Hell or high water -- until you see a BETTER one." -John Gaunt "Well, if you can't believe what you read in a comic book, what *can* you believe?!" -Bullwinkle J. Moose **************************************************************************** |==>A< One of the best of the year. Example: ZOT #8 | |==>B< A very good issue, one of the best of the month (usually 6/month) | |==>C< A well done, entertaining issue. Satisfying. Example: Jon Sable | |==>D< Boring, but with a few good points. Example: SQUADRON SUPREME | |==>F< Boring AND stupid or childish. Example: Secret Wars. | |==>Z< Actually offensive. Example: Several of Haney's UNKNOWN SOLDIERs | **************************************************************************** NEW TEEN TITANS #14 [C-]: Liked the intro with Raven. Liked the ending with the exploding rat (easy way to get my vote, kids... fried rats! Just another reason I like The Firesign Theatre...). Rest of it is pretty tedious; in particular, I think it was pretty sloppy for Vic and Gar to go at it while Questor was having his ribs turned into Captain Crunch. From Gar I expect it, but from Vic... GREEN LANTERN 194 [B-]: As I've said, the art is improving, but finally, FINALLY, Englehart begins to resemble the writer of yore that I remember. Catch the dialogue scene in the car with Tom. For two pages I don't know what is going to happen next; haven't the slightest -- and then Englehart comes out with the words "Good for you!" which, in the hands of almost any other writer and artist, would look rather silly. But it works -- that's W-O-R-K-S. Also, the relationship between Katma and John just gets better and better. This might get the most improved award this year (it amazes me that Len Wein had so much trouble with it...). CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #8-9 [C+ Overall]: This is really turning into a masterwork that is going to be remembered for a long, long time after it's over. The amount of detail, the excellent writing and editing, and the consistently intriguing plotline... the best compliment I can give it is that when I heard George Perez was leaving the Titans books, I was appalled. Now I'm glad he did, because the work he and Marv have done here, if not as personal as their work on Titans, is fantastic storytelling. And now, onto a few points and questions... #8: As has been said before, Darkseid seems to be up to par; I suspect, however, that this is the last we'll see of him in this series. Yes, Flash seemed a little rushed in his demise, but the more tragic tone of it (especially the ring, which so many of his stories turned on -- Infantino used to love spotlighting that ring...). Certainly more foreboding. #9: One of my favorite issues, and having a lot for analysis in it. The details I loved was the general return to normal of Earth after things begin to settle -- the Warp Zone becomes a novelty, and the UN meeting was excellent. Alex Luthor and Harbringer have taken almost the positions of moderators; and having every DC newsperson on hand was cute. The takeover by Braniac's armies has the proper air of the horrible (with Braniac doing play-by-play), for which Lex Luthor is the perfect foil and color man-- he's a snide, smart-alec, and he lends a little more of the familiar to the proceedings. Looks like the Guardians (if they live...) and the Green Lantern Corps have become very different things. Apparently they're going to have a law-enforcement side, and then a bunch of GL's (all looking like something out of Soldier of Fortune) going around playing Dirty Harry to various planets ("Make my solar cycle."). Certainly an interesting concept... And as long as I'm continuing to underline details, a very good transformation scene by a very restrained Superman. "This is a job for SUPERMAN!" Indeed, and after his cousin's death, it seems all the more determined. Funny how that line still works... Tula's death may have gotten to me more than any other character's in CRISIS. Unexpected, and someone who I had liked quite a bit. Hope that Braniac was wrong, but I think not... Under Wolfman & Perez, she and Aqualad had become much, much more three-dimensional, especially after Donna's wedding and the Hive finale. Again, this really hit me. Perez amazes me with scenes of characters I NEVER would have expected to see fight against one another. Penguin vs Firestorm, Captain Nazi vs Superman of Earth-2, Warp vs. Steel. And Wolfman has the Joker down pat... Finally, the ending was a bit of a let-down. Psimon has been overused for the last year in Teen Titans, and his appearance (and destruction of Braniac) is a bit too pat. He has the power for a major-league villain, but the personality is lackluster, and so he has never struck me as anything other than run-of-the-mill. And now, some interesting observations and possible boo-boos: How can The Predator and Star Saphire be in the same place -- they're the same people! Besides, this is (if I'm correct) supposed to take place *after* The Predator & Carol Ferris merge into SS. Yes, the thought of the other Star Saphire crossed my mind (the French one), but that still doesn't explain the Predator, who should be gone... And I thought The Terminator had given up the ghost as a villain, after his little talk with Gar. Oh, well, maybe we'll have it explained later... "A man who has no business being anyone's role model..." Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer ARPA: fluke!moriarty@uw-beaver.ARPA UUCP: {uw-beaver, sun, allegra, sb1, lbl-csam}!fluke!moriarty <*> DISCLAIMER: Do what you want to me, but leave my employers alone! <*>