Wasteland 4 (March 1988)

I’m not sure I’ve ever read a comic as self-important as this issue of Wasteland. I’m not making that statement lightly; it’s just hard to imagine anything more pretentious.

For example, Ostrander’s first story–set against a Shakespeare sonnet–is about how the only rational response to Ronald Reagan’s presidency is to kill oneself. Or your loved ones. Freeman’s art isn’t bad, but it’s achingly pretentious.

At least the second story, with Messner-Loebs art, isn’t political. Close joins Ostrander for the story of a paranoid woman who’s right to be afraid. It doesn’t make much impression, maybe because it’s so forced and obvious. Nice art though.

Simpson does a sloppy job on the art for the final story. The story–again, Close and Ostrander–is about celebrities escaping justice. It’s bad and unfunny. It’s also dumb. The dumb hurts it the most.

Close and Ostrander go overboard here.

CREDITS

Sonnet LXVI; writer, John Ostrander; artist, George Freeman; letterer, Ron Muns. A Safe Place; writers, Ostrander and Del Close; artist and letterer, William Messner-Loebs. Celebrity Rights; writers, Ostrander and Close; artist and letterer, Don Simpson. Colorist, Lovern Kindzierski; editor, Mike Gold; publisher, DC Comics.

Contemporaneously…

Wasteland 2 (January 1988)

Once again, the Messner-Loebs illustrated story is the best in Wasteland. But this time it’s on the somewhat autobiographical Close story. Teenage runaway Close works backstage in a horror show circus; things go dangerously wrong. Close’s dialogue’s fantastic, very smooth transitions, lots of humor. Messner-Loebs excels at the variety too.

The second story, with George Freeman art, and Ostrander and Close collaborating on the script, is the issue’s least. It’s still good and funny–Shirley MacLaine inhabits Genghis Khan for a song–but there’s nothing to it. It has a great setup and punchline, but it’s not special.

The final story, with both writers (and Lloyd on art), has an excellent muted payoff. The story’s standout is Lloyd and his visual pacing of a child welfare interview. It’s a strange case, but Lloyd’s meticulous, precise panels would make it compelling even if it weren’t.

Wasteland continues to impress.

CREDITS

That’s Entertainment; writers, Del Close and John Ostrander; artist and letterer, William Messner-Loebs. Ghengis Sings!; writers, Ostrander and Close; artist, George Freeman; letterer, Ron Muns. Warning Signals; writers, Close and Ostrander; artist, David Lloyd; letterer, Steve Craddock. Colorist, Lovern Kindzierski; editor, Mike Gold; publisher, DC Comics.

Contemporaneously…

Wasteland 1 (December 1987)

The strangest thing about Wasteland is how the story about tripping is the least trippy story of the three in this issue.

The trippy story is the last one, an ostensibly autobiographic one written by Del Close, recounting a trip through the Chicago sewers. Don Simpson does the art and the art’s great and the writing’s amusing, but it’s cute and the rest of the issue isn’t.

The first story, by John Ostrander and David Lloyd on art, is about a lethal hallucinogen. The art’s disturbing enough to cover some of Ostrander’s weaker “cop” dialogue moments. It’s a decent enough start and not at all upbeat.

The middle story, with Ostrander and Close co-writing, is the stunner. William Messner-Loebs does the art and, even though it’s “real,” it’s rather trippy stuff. It’s an absurdist future story with some really thought-provoking, disturbing “comic” moments. It’s the issue’s best.

CREDITS

Foo Goo; writer, John Ostrander; co-plotter, Del Close; artist, David Lloyd. R.ab.; writers, Ostrander and Close; artist and letterer, William Messner-Loebs. Sewer Rat; writers, Close and Ostrander; artist, Don Simpson. Colorist, Lovern Kindzierski; editor, Mike Gold; publisher, DC Comics.

Contemporaneously…

DC Retroactive: Wonder Woman – The ’90s 1 (October 2011)

I was unsure of Messner-Loebs’s return to Wonder Woman during the opening scene, featuring a bunch of boys in their “we hate girls” club getting lost in a cave. It seems too antiquated, maybe it’s just Lee Moder’s pencils–he can’t draw the boys to look young enough. They’re visually teenagers, too old for that sort of thing.

But then Wonder Woman shows up and the comic immediately gets good. Well, maybe not immediately–two pages after she arrives it does. It turns out Diana is going to be an unofficial camp counselor to a girl’s day camp (for Etta). It’s vapid material teenage girls learning to accomplish things and have pride in achievements and not shoes. Messner-Loebs even manages to be subtle about it at times. It’s a strong story, especially since all Diana’s character development is in the background.

It’s a very worthwhile, if gentle, read.

B+

CREDITS

Wonder Girls; writer, William Messner-Loebs; penciller, Lee Moder; inker, Dan Green; colorist, Christ Beckett; letterer, Dezi Sienty; editors, Chynna Clugston Flores and Kwanza Johnson; publisher, DC Comics.

DC Retroactive: The Flash – The ’80s 1 (October 2011)

This Retroactive teams up an actual pair of eighties Flash creators instead of just pretending. I’ve heard good things about William Messner-Loebs’s run on the title and, if this issue is any indication, it’s definitely worth a look.

He deftly combines danger and humor—it’s not a stretch to believe Wally West is going to team up with the ice-skating supervillain girl to try to figure out who’s after the Rogues. Wally’s perfectly established without really getting any opening scene of his own.

The story concerns an avid Flash fan who decides she and Wally are meant for each other so she’s going to replace the Rogues one by one. Drama and comedy ensue. Messner-Loebs keeps his characters real amid the absurdity all around them.

Greg LaRocque’s artwork is shaky in places, but he does superhero action well and handles the talking heads parts too.

Great fun.

CREDITS

The Path of True Love; writer, William Messner-Loebs; artist, Greg Larocque; colorists, Kevin Colden and Matthew Petz; letterer, Dezi Sienty; editors, Chynna Clugston Flores and Kwanza Johnson; publisher, DC Comics.