The Stop Button

Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #311 [1984] W: Paul Levitz. A: Gene Colan, Keith Giffen, Larry Mahlstedt. Thank Granny Goodness for this issue. It’s good. The first story has good art, good story. Brainiac Five finally fails to stop evil AI Computo from escaping. Giffen and Mahlstedt have never done better art. Then it’s Dawnstar and Wildfire’s tragic friends without benefits thing. With space Native American arranged marriage stuff and Colan pencils. Gorgeous but so yikes.

Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #312 [1984] W: Paul Levitz. A: Karl Kesel, Keith Giffen, Larry Mahlstedt. Kesel’s inks are a let down from last issue but Giffen’s still going all out so it’s okay. Not always successful, but sometimes and significantly. The Legion help the Science Police with terrorist threats the Big Brother computer can’t predict. Lots of tension, lots of horny Legionnaires. And a surprise guest star who the artists are thrilled to draw.

Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #313 [1984] W: Paul Levitz. A: Keith Giffen, Larry Mahlstedt. It’s an okay finish to the Science Police turncoat story. The art’s not the peak, but not bad. Fun to read. It’s basically a mystery issue; the Legion has to identify the traitor. There are a few subplot checkins, but nothing substantial besides Shrinking Violet kicking ass. Oh, turns out Science Police are bad fascists. Final issue before a series split.

Legion of Super-Heroes Annual (1982) #3 [1984] W: Paul Levitz. A: Curt Swan, Keith Giffen, Larry Mahlstedt, Romeo Tanghal. Swan and Tanghal do an awkward Silver Age-y take (only with eighties outfits), fitting the protracted story. Mordru is back–sort of–but the Legion isn’t prepared because it’s just an annual story. There’s some okay plotting throughout but it’s hard to take it too seriously with the art. Then there big twist finish is a complete whiff.

Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain (2024) #1 W: Robert Venditti. A: Gavin Guidry. Venditti’s writing hasn’t improved since last series. Still using whole bits of dialogue from the movies, risibly juvenile when he’s not. Like a young readers adaptation. Guidry’s art is okay, though his attention to detail is off. Lois investigates crooked Army guys, selling arms, while the Soviets have kryptonite and an American conspirator. It’s eventually at least interesting.

Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain (2024) #2 W: Robert Venditti. A: Gavin Guidry. Improvement over the first issue because Guidry does all right with the action. It’s too fast but also sublime in the pacing. And the story’s better. Superman brings Lois home to meet the parents (who live in Kandor), and is going to try to tell her the secret (again). Too bad Soviet Metallo attacks some American fighter jets.

Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain (2024) #3 W: Robert Venditti. A: Gavin Guidry. It’d be nice if Venditti liked Christopher Reeve Superman. The character. He seems to loathe him. Or Guidry drew it wrong. The art’s all over the place but if it’s supposed to be Lee Marvin as Sam Lane, right on. There’s almost some nice Lois stuff (if just mooning girl stuff, it’s cute). It’s half over and nothing’s happened.

Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain (2024) #4 W: Robert Venditti. A: Gavin Guidry. Based on Guidry’s Gene Hackman Lex Luthor, it’s clear he didn’t get it any more than Venditti. Such bad dialogue for Lex; so joyless. This book’s a bummer. Metallo invades the U.S. There’s a fight. While some of the fight composition is good, many times the details are too broad. It’s like no one involved saw the movies.

Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain (2024) #5 W: Robert Venditti. A: Gavin Guidry. It’s so bad. Venditti’s Superman is a disaster. Both he and Guidry bungle Lex. Sam Lane flops. The issue is about the second act ending at Superman finding out he can’t beat Metallo. Thank goodness he believes everything will be okay for him. Venditti writes Christopher Reeve Superman as a dipshit narcissist. Joy. Thank goodness it’s almost over.

Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain (2024) #6 W: Robert Venditti. A: Gavin Guidry. Well, then. Venditti finally figures out his hook and it has nothing to do with the comic. Or, really, the movies. It’s not as cynical as I’d been expecting (I thought Venditti would just cop out). But it’s trite and bad editing in addition to writing. Venditti once again fails to meet the SUPERMAN IV bar, much less III.

Werewolf by Night (1972) #34 [1975] W: Doug Moench. A: Gil Kane, Tom Palmer. The art is not good but Moench’s haunted house story is solid. The heroes have to go to the house on haunted hill and find the secrets of resurrection for a rich old eccentric. Of course, the secrets will also save Buck. Decent couples interplay between Jack and Topaz, and lots of danger, tension, and streams of consciousness!

Werewolf by Night (1972) #35 [1975] W: Doug Moench. A: Bernie Wrightson, Jim Starlin. Jack’s got to defeat the werewolf at the start, wrapping the cliffhanger. It doesn’t really figure in. Moench keeps going with old dark house tropes and they keep working out. There’re also some intense horror visuals. Everyone still feels in danger; Munch doesn’t let up on the tension. Not quite good, but the horror aspects almost gets it there.

Werewolf by Night (1972) #36 [1976] W: Doug Moench. A: Don Perlin. The haunted house story doesn’t end here; one more to go. The story is so relentlessly tense, relief would be welcome. Instead, Moench just puts everyone in worse and worse danger, from the evil ghost and each other. The ghost possesses people and can cause visions. Half the comic’s about Jack losing it. Terrible art but big writing swing.

Werewolf by Night (1972) #37 [1976] W: Doug Moench. A: Dan Adkins, Ed Hannigan. The issue ends setting up a new direction for the series, but doesn’t actually do anything in the story to prepare. Moench ingloriously shuffles out the supporting cast, who’ve just been through a hell house, with knowing to show for it. The final battle is okay. It’s overwrought but appropriate, given the stakes. Shame about the art, as ever.

Werewolf by Night (1972) #38 [1976] W: Doug Moench. A: Don Perlin. So the bold new beginning for the series is a complete bait and switch. Moench didn’t even keep the supporting cast away. He makes a point to check on them. And he brings back an old, temporarily forgotten subplot (ex-werewolf Raymond Coker). There is one big change, however. The werewolf is a killer. Maybe for the first time.