Beware… The Creeper!

Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko is one of the true masters of the comic book medium. After creating both the web slinger and Dr. Strange at the House of Ideas, Ditko returned to Charlton Comics where he had drawn several science fiction thrillers in addition to creating Captain Atom with Joe Gill. At Charlton, his new heroes the Blue Beetle (continuing the tradition of the Golden Age character) and the Question were minor hits but the publisher was in financial peril. Looking for work for a stable employer, he walked into the hallowed halls of DC Comics. His creation of Shade the Changing Man and Hawk and Dove are still with us today, but I’d like to take a look at the Creeper, one of his most unusual characters.

TV personality Jack Ryder was famous to Gotham TV viewers for his outspoken demeanor and willingness to speak his mind. His bold approach to journalism made him many enemies, including his employer. Fired from his TV gig, Ryder found a job as a security guard. It was during one night walking his route that Ryder witnessed the brilliant Dr Yatz getting abducted. Following the kidnappers to their base of operation, Ryder discovered that he was dealing with no normal crooks. These were honest to goodness mobsters and they were holding a costume party, providing Ryder the perfect opportunity to dress up and sneak indoors. Dressed in an outlandish get-up of yellow and red with a fur color and wig, he attempted to rescue Yatz but was shot in the arm. Looking to help Ryder, Yatz inserted the very invention that he was kidnapped for, a device that instantly healed the bullet wound and gave Ryder superhuman abilities including enhanced strength and agility. Adopting a racuous laugh and oddball attitude, he took after the mobsters and freed the scientist.

The Creeper proved to be quite popular and after a Showcase premiere, starred in his own series for a time before moving on to the status of co-star. Commonly teamed up with Batman or the Joker, the Creeper was a successful addition to the Gotham City cast of characters. The Creeper appeared in the Brave and the Bold, the anthology series Adventure Comics, World’s Finest Comics, DC Comics Presents and even the Flash before disappearing from DC. After the Crisis on Infinite Earths of 1985, his origin and abilities have been questionable. At one time the manic behavior Ryder employed was to put off criminals by unsettling them, other times it was genuine insanity caused by the chemicals in Dr, Yatz’s device.

In 1997, DC revived the character and gave him his own series again with writer Len Kaminski at the driving seat. This time the Creeper’s abilities were still altered by Yatz’s device, but it had healed his damaged brain cells rather than an arm wound, thus explaining his unstable demeanor. The series is a lot of fun and definitely retained some of the flavor that Ditko had infused into his creation.

In 2006, the Creeper returned but was clearly a more supernatural creature. With 30 Days of Night scribe Steve Niles the writer of the latest series, that should come as no shock. The art by Justiniano is just beautiful and certainly lends a new level of terror to the Creeper that had not been seen before. The Creeper had often been depicted as a comical hero in a similar vein to Plastic Man, but this new series had a sinister bite to it.

Now a demonic character rather than one of science, the Creeper is still active in the DCU, currently a member of the new Outsiders. With Dan Didio coming in to shake things up, don’t expect the Creeper to remain however, so you may see yet another revival in the coming months.

The Creeper has also made the jump to the small screen in the Bruce Timm helmed Batman animated series. For eagle-eyed viewers, he may look very similar to another Bruce Timm creation, Freakazoid. It turns out that Timm had intended to produce a Creeper animated series and adapted the ideas into what became Freakazoid.

A fantastic character from one of the most gifted geniuses in comics, the Creeper is one of those rare combinations of humor and horror that make the superhero medium so diverse.

Recommended:

Writer Fred Van Lente forges the Legacy of Iron Man

Who would think that a character like Iron Man, once a hero who couldn’t maintain a following to retain his own monthly series would be so popular? Thanks to the hard work of Warren Ellis, Charles Knauf and Matt Fraction, Iron Man is at the top of his popularity. Of course, a certain hit movie franchise doesn’t hurt the Golden Avenger’s acclaim, but the real success of the hero has been in the steady yet strong material published in the monthly comic.

In 2010, Marvel will launch a second ongoing Iron Man comic led by writer Fred Van Lente (of Spider-Man fame) and artist Steve Kurth (artist of Avengers: Initiative and the criminally under-rated recent Dark Reign: Fantastic Force mini-series).

Rather than simply telling more Iron Man adventures, the Legacy series looks to further develop the character and world of Iron Man by delving into his past. Van Lente met with CBR News recently to discuss the new series and why readers should be excited about it:

It’s exciting to be able to do these sprawling, epic, globe-trotting, five issue long novels. That’s what I’m most excited about, because Tony Stark is an incredibly unique superhero in that he’s someone who would have ridiculous amounts of fame and impact on his world even if hadn’t become a superhero,” Van Lente told CBR News. “He still would have been in the news because of his wealth and accomplishments. He’s someone who leaves a big footprint. So another thing that I want to do in ‘Legacy’ is explore Tony’s impact on the world and how that impact affects him.”

While that level of influence can lead to feelings of accomplishment, more often than not it haunts Tony Stark, especially when he dwells upon his past as a weapons designer. “My interpretation of Tony is consistent with the book I used to write in that Tony is Peter Parker on a grand scale. Pete’s actions lead to the death of his Uncle Ben, this father figure that he was very close to to. That lead him to redeem himself with his Spider-Man persona. Tony’s actions have caused the death of thousands, if not tens or hundreds of thousands of people,” Van Lente explained. “This is something that weighs very heavily on his conscience, and we’ll be seeing a lot of it in ‘Iron Man: Legacy.’”

In the first arc of “Iron Man: Legacy,” Van Lente will look at Tony Stark’s impact on Eastern Europe in the post Cold War era. “The first arc, ‘War of the Iron Men,’ finds Tony interfering in a Kosovo style civil war in Transia, one of the many fictional Balkan Republics in the Marvel Universe. This manages to draw the attention of both Russia and China, who have various investments in that country which are being disrupted by Tony’s activities,” Van Lente stated. “So they unleash all of these Cold War era villains in a new era. It’s almost as if in this post-Cold War they view Tony as this symbol of American Imperialism imposing itself on a sovereign nation.

“So Titanium Man, Radioactive Man, and Crimson Dynamo tangle with Tony while he tries to stop a paramilitary group that is essentially carrying out ethnic cleansing, and they’re doing it in what appears to be Iron Man armor,” Van Lente continued. “To a certain extent, this is Tony’s worst fears coming true because he invented the Iron Man suit to be the technology that ends weapons. Now it’s being used to commit horrible atrocities, so he feels personally obligated to stop this.”

The genocidal paramilitary group and the cold war villains aren’t the only adversaries Iron Man runs afoul of in the first arc of “Legacy.” “I should point out that there’s a mystery villain in ‘War of the Iron Men,’” Van Lente said. “His identity is revealed at the end of the first issue. He’s a classic villain from the Michelinie-Layton era.”

(read the entire interview here)

For those looking for a sneak preview, just make sure to pick up the Origins of Siege freebie at your local comic shop featuring the art of Salvador LaRocca (already well known by Iron Man fans for his work on the Invincible series).

Batman: The Brave and the Bold – “Revenge of the Reach”

Batman, Blue Beetle and Green Lantern team up in the Brave and the Bold

This Friday, the latest episode of the Cartoon Network’s hit series, Batman: The Brave and the Bold will air. In the newest adventure Jaime Reyes, the new Blue Beetle is suddenly attacked by the Green Lantern Corps while attempting to drop off a crook on Oa. It turns out that Jaime’s mysterious scarab that gives him his superhuman powers is tied into a group of galactic no-good-nicks called the Reach. One revelation leads to another and soon Jaime is left in the middle of an all-out space battle with Batman trying to help him out.

In addition to an outerspace war, the opener portion of the episode will feature the Challengers of the Unknown.

Clip 1 featuring the Challengers of the Unknown

Clip 2 where Blue Beetle battles the Green Lantern Corps

This series started off strong, wavered a bit but has been back on track in the last few weeks. A bizarre and insanely imaginative vision of the DC Universe, make sure you catch Batman: The Brave and the Bold Friday nights on the Cartoon Network.

Challengers of the Unknown

Challengers of the Unknown

An adventure comic of the late 1950′s the Challengers of the Unknown has since become an institution for DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, the series centered on four adventurers who believe that they are living on borrowed time. Each man an expert in his own field, they decide to team up and brave any hazard that they can find. They are also drafted into service when the US government finds itself with no other option and considers sending anyone into action as being a death sentence.

The quartet is made up of jet pilot Ace Morgan, powerhouse Rocky Davis, daredevil Red Ryan and the brilliant Professor Haley. Kirby would later re-use many of the ideas in the creation of the Challengers of the Unknown in his work for Marvel creating the Fantastic Four. Later, computer expert June Robbins joined the team adding a feminine touch to the series.

A comic book of high octane action and over the top adventure, this was just pure Kirby. After Jack moved on to develop other ideas, the series was canceled but was revived several times over the years.

In 2004, Joeph Loeb and Tim Sale brought the team back in a big way with their mini-series known as The Challengers of the Unknown Must Die!.

Numerous creators (such as Howard Chaykin and Steven Grant) tried their hand at reviving the core concept of the Challs and inserting new members and storytelling techniques to sell the team to a more sophisticated modern audience with mixed results.

In Mark Waid’s Brave and the Bold series, however, the team returned in classic silver age form. As part of an adventure involving the search for Destiny of the Endless’ book, the Challs learn that while the book is capable of tracking every occurrence in existence, it has no idea what to make of the Challengers, who are living outside of their appointed lives by surviving an accident that should have killed them.

Most recently, the Challs have been set to appear alongside Batman in this Friday’s episode of the Brave and the Bold cartoon.

One of the most enjoyable comics of its era, the Challengers of the Unknown hearken back to a time when comics were influenced by the then-popular death-defying daredevil flicks of the day. If you have never read the Challengers of the Unknown, there is a fantastic (and cheap) Showcase collection waiting for purchase at your local comic or book shop.

Or you can simply pull up a chair this Friday and see them in living color.

Who knew it would take this long for a Challengers of the Unknown cartoon to happen?

Comics on sale 12/30/09

An odd week, this Wednesday’s new comics are a thin lot. Look for an unusual amount of independent comics such as Alterna Comics’ the Chair, Jesus Hates Zombies Lincoln Hates Werewolves and The Deadbeat to name just a few available as part of IndyComicBookWeek.

For the guys in tights comics, the big boys are dishing out their biggest stories to date. These ‘event comics’ either excite or repel readers it seems. The promise to forever change the status quot is no small thing and even when it is delivered that can turn off many devoted fans.

Make no mistake, this is where you separate the comic readers from the comic fans.

DC COMICS

Blackest Night #6 (Of 8), $3.99
I’ve been more than a little disappointed in the output of DC Comics in the past five years or so. They had me with the Countdown to Infinite Crisis where nearly every monthly comic published by them seemed to coalesce into a complete story. Sadly, that story failed to finish with Infinite Crisis (though it’s a decent story in its own way) or in the year-long weekly series 52 (a fantastic series that had almost zero impact on the rest of the DCU) and don’t get me started on Countdown and Final Crisis.

That said, why am I promoting Blackest Night? For one thing, it’s a story that is written by one of the best guys working at DC these days, Geoff Johns. Johns has returned several DC characters to a state of popularity after other creators had damaged them almost beyond repair. The work that Johns has done for the Green Lantern franchise is just awe-inspiring. I can’t imagine an animated feature, never mind a live action film, without the stories penned by Geoff Johns reinstating the emerald guardian as a prominent super hero.

The story of Blackest Night has been built up in both Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps over the past few years with hints here and there of an impending War of Light that could threaten all of creation. In the Blackest Night series, events have been slow moving but it has been an interesting ride. So many characters have been killed and turned into evil Black Lanterns that there almost definitely a massive reset button just waiting to pressed in issue 8. Or could something even more inventive be done? With the recent announcement of a series of original graphic novels aimed at the book market, perhaps DC Editorial is planning to reinvent itself in some way?

We’ll have to wait and see.

MARVEL COMICS
Across the street at the House of Ideas, the culmination of seven years of crossover event comics is on its way in the shape of… another crossover event comic. Leading up to this event have been several landmark stories including Avengers Disassembled, House of M, Civil War and Dark Reign. Editor in chief Joe Quesada has stated that it has all been leading to the 2010 story that will finally tie up these story lines and perhaps give the heroes, readers and creators a chance to pause… before the next big thing comes along.

This time, it’s called Siege and will deal with the trickster God Loki influencing Norman Osborn to go over the edge and declare war on Asgard. This will set Norman’s Avengers and H.A.M.M.E.R. troops against not only the immortals of Asgard but Doctor Doom as well who is their current ally. Loki also recently furnished Doom with the means of creating an army of cyborg Asgardian zombies, so things could get nasty.

A special promotional book called Origins Of Siege #1 will be available this week providing the necessary information that will bring anyone not in the loop up to speed. Though I can hardly imagine a newbie coming on board at this point!

Additionally this week, look for the promotional calendar and Avengers ID card as freebies at your local comic shop.

Doctor Who and the End of Time (part one)

David Tennant as Doctor Who

I’m still fighting a nasty cold but I wanted to write this while the viewing was still fresh in my mind. I apologize if my stream of consciousness gets muddy.

I had intended to review two regeneration stories from the Classic Doctor Who to show how difficult they are to construct. As examples I had chosen Planet of the Spiders (Doctor No. 3, Jon Pertwee) and Logopolis (Doctor No. 4, Tom Baker) as they not only served as the final adventure for that Doctor but also closed the book on a specific period of the program.

Doctor Who - Jon Pertwee

In Pertwee’s case, the old regime led by producer Barry Letts was on the way out and incoming series producer Phillip Hinchcliffe was on his way in. The story reflected a lot of the ideas regarding Eastern philosophy that Letts held dear and a humbling of one of the most powerful and massive egos the Doctor has exuded in Doctor No. 3. It has it’s problems (goofy special effects, goofier spiders) but it encapsulates so much of what the team was shooting for in those final episodes.

Doctor Who - Tom Baker

Logopolis is another story entirely and I must confess I have never fully understood what the point of the story is. I grasp the plot, but as a final adventure of the most beloved version of the Doctor played by Tom Baker it makes so very little sense. A runaround of complex mathematical ideas and the Master’s chicanery, it’s not exactly one of the better stories of the Classic Doctor Who series aside from that final moment where we see not only the Doctor but in my opinion the actor Tom Baker himself realize that the ride he has been on for the past 7 years has come to a stop. It’s a classic moment interrupted by obnoxious flashbacks to previous villains, but it still makes the grade for me.

I had decided to leave out Caves of Androzani as it hits all the right marks and has enough love going for it.

Doctor Who - Christopher Eccleston

I will give another feather for RTD’s cap that aside from writing a good introduction to the series for new viewers (no mean feat!), he also included the Daleks in a regeneration story for Doctor No. 9. Of course they had nothing to do with that Doctor’s regeneration, but never mind. Despite its numerous problems, Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways is actually a very good regeneration story. RTD’s script tied up several ideas, had the Doctor who had previously found himself frozen with inaction finally possessed of the kind of self-confidence the viewers had been waiting for and deliver the kind of threat to the largest army of Daleks ever visualized on screen.

Sure, it had all these out of place references to reality programs that RTD thought was funny, and the regeneration itself was a mess… and don’t get me started on the reveal behind what Bad Wolf means… but never mind. I rarely give the guy any acclaim.

So given the fact that I have established that final stories in which not only the Doctor but the production staff are leaving are difficult yet RTD has managed to compose at least one regeneration story that I liked… I sat down to watch End of Time part one on BBC America. Before I begin with the official review, let me just say how lucky modern fans are that they are getting the opportunity to see new Doctor Who one day after the UK audience. That is so very cool. Imagine being a fan in the olden days and having to wait at least a year to see the new series and when it arrived there you were watching Colin Baker wondering what had happened. It’s also wonderful that modern fans get the chance to experience the one-week wait for the next part.

However, the new episode is such a sordid mess that it almost feels cruel that after waiting so long for the stars to align so that fans of this cult series can see a new episode so soon that they are given a half-baked mixture of ideas that fail to combine into a single story.

Plastic Man

Plastic Man by Jack Cole

Created by Jack Cole, Plastic Man is a wonderful character who captures the spirit and perverse mind of his creator. A cartoonist for Playboy, Cole had a way with the line that is rarely seen. As such, his creation was an oddity in many ways. While there are many stretchy characters out there today from the well known Mister Fantastic to the lesser known Elongated Man or even more obscure Thin Man, Plastic Man was a creation that stood apart from them all.

A former crook named Eel O’Brien, he encountered a strange type of acid that seeped into his skin, turning him into a pliable freak of nature. Rescued by a monk and protected from the police, O’Brien turns over a new leaf and decides to use his new shape-changing abilities for good. After changing his features and hiding his eyes with a large pair of goggles, he dons a rubber costume to fight crime as Plastic Man. Seemingly impervious to harm, Plastic Man can twist his body into any shape imaginable, making him a force to be reckoned with. His bizarre sense of humor makes Plastic Man into a comical hero similar in ways to Popeye, but like Popeye his prowess is truly incredible. It seemed that there was nearly nothing that could harm Plastic Man if he had his wits about him.

Joined by the eggplant-shaped sidekick Woozy Winks, Plastic Man may have fought for justice but he did so in his own way, often using his flexible frame to conceal himself as anything from a briefcase to a lampshade to eavesdrop on crooks before foiling their plans. Comic book historian Art Spiegleman wrote in his biography of Jack Cole that one could see Cole using Plastic Man’s body to direct the reader’s eye throughout the narrative as a kind of pointer.

Don’t let Spiegleman’s over-analysis put you off, though. Jack Cole’s Plastic Man strip is one of the most wonderfully crafted and easily accessible comic books ever made alongside Will Eisner’s the Spirit. Each issue has enough action, laughs and ingeniously drafted images to impress anyone.

Purchased by Warner Bros. along with the other Quality Comics characters in the 1970′s, Plastic Man was given a successor referred to at times as the son of Plastic Man from Earth 12. The first Plastic Man was also shown in the pages of All-Star Comics alongside the other Quality Comics characters known collectively as the Freedom Fighters.

Multiple Earth confusion aside, Plastic Man had arrived at DC Comics. Much like Captain Marvel, however, DC couldn’t really figure out what to do with him. Aside from a regular feature in Adventure Comics, he was almost unknown to readers until a Saturday Morning cartoon arrived from Ruby-Spears in 1979. Part of a block made up of other comedic heroes such as Mighty Man and Yukk, Fangface and Fangpuss, and Rickety Rocket, Plastic Man was a minor hit with kids. This was also around the time that the character started to turn up in numerous marketing pieces from bed linens to coloring books alongside Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

Complete Plastic Man Cartoon DVD promotional piece

Later inducted into the Justice League of America by Grant Morrison, Plastic Man was officially one of the heavy hitters. Incoming writer Mark Waid was overjoyed by the opportunity to write one of his favorite characters and it showed as Plastic Man became the focus of some of his issues, raising the character to a higher level of importance so that readers no longer asked why anyone would want Plastic Man in the JLA in the first place. Subsequent writers including Rick Veitch and Joe Kelley have taken up the task of continuing to develop the bad guy turned good in Plastic Man’s persona, making him a fan favorite.

Plastic Man in the JLA

Plastic Man by Kyle Baker

In 2003, the famous cartoonist Kyle Baker developed a Plastic Man monthly series that became a cult hit in no time. The series utilized Baker’s unique cartooning talents in making for a distinctive comic while the story lines were sophisticated enough that they attracted the attention of the non-super hero art set of readers who usually shunned this kind of thing. It is a beautiful series and easily approachable to both sides of the guys in tights/guys with real life problems fence. Unfortunately, rumor has it that Warner Bros. had decided to further their plans to develop the character into new projects and were averse to having a monthly comic that didn’t fit that mold. No matter the real story, the untimely cancellation of the Plastic Man series remains a real head scratcher.

Despite the rumor of some kind of wide release Plastic Man relaunch, nothing ever came aside from an aborted animated series for the Cartoon Network.

Unused 2006 Pilot

In 2008, Plastic Man appeared as a guest star in the children’s animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The episode depicted Plastic Man as being a recently reformed hoodlum who was still proving himself as having put his crooked ways behind him to Batman. The art style, voice acting and writing perfectly captured the character. For fans of Plastic Man, this was a magnificent moment and there were more to come as the hero proved popular enough with writers and viewers to bring back several times.

Plastic Man in Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2009)

More recently the Wachowski brothers attempted to get a Plastic Man feature film off the ground with aims to have Keanu Reeves as the title hero… no kidding. Plans seem to have fallen apart on this project but expect to hear more in the coming months as nearly every superhero ever created is likely to have a movie in the works… even Hawkman.

For more info on Plastic Man including fantastic images, I highly recommend the Plastic Man Platitudes blog.

Batman and Robin/Batman Vs. Robin

Cult phenomenon to the comic book world Grant Morrison is having the time of his life. After establishing himself as a top creator with his run on Doom Patrol, he developed the Invisibles, a series that the writer described as being not so much a comic book but a magical spell on his readers. Several comic books later for both Marvel and DC Comics and he is now writing the brand new series Batman and Robin.

Before you can guess at what this can mean, let me explain that Bruce Wayne is no longer Batman (he is currently lost in time rediscovering himself thanks to Darkseid’s Omega Sanction) and Tim Drake is no longer Robin (he has moved on to a new identity, Red Robin – no relation to the restaurant chain).

Batman and Robin by Frank Quitely

In his mentor’s place stands Dick Grayson, finally graduated to the place of Batman. Filling the role of Robin is Damien, the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, former leader of the League of Assassins.

Pretty complicated, huh?

The series is also distinctive in its look thanks to artist Frank Quitely. The two comic greats had already proven themselves to be an ideal team on the All Star Superman series and a run on the New X-Men as well. For all the twists and turns that are apparent in this series, it appears that Morrison is just getting started.

Grant Morrison met with ComicBookResources.com to talk about what he has planned for 2010 including the upcoming Batman Vs. Robin:

In January, you kick off a new arc featuring the art of the aforementioned Cameron Stewart. Can you tease any details about what’s to come?

Well, it’s called “Blackest Knight,” with a “K.” It’s not a direct tie-in to “Blackest Night,” but it draws on the atmosphere and the themes of “Blackest Night,” and along the way it explains what the hell’s going on with Bruce Wayne’s skull. The one Black Hand was carrying around. It is quite obvious, if you’ve been following events over the last year, and a lot of Batman readers have already figured it out, I have to say.

This is our version of a Batman crossover team-up event – done in three issues and set mostly in England. We have the Knight and the Squire. Death and rebirth. And Batwoman’s in it. It’s a micro-”Crisis” [laughs].

Knight and Squire will be appearing in this arc. What does Britain’s dynamic duo bring to a storyline?

I’ve loved those characters since I revamped them a bit in “JLA.” And I’ve built up a huge, detailed backstory for them now, so I can always flip little elements of that into every new appearance. There’s just something about the idea of the “English Batman” who can’t handle his father’s death and blows all his inheritance on drink and drugs and women. He had to be dragged back from the gutter by this tough little working class girl and her mom. So there’s a great class thing with the two characters. She’s a street kid and he’s an aristocrat. Their adventures have little echoes of the Steed and Peel “Avengers,” and there’s a bit of “Doctor Who” in there, too. This three-issue arc is a kind of mash-up of every British comic or cult TV show in a way. But with Batman.

Batman is making the trip himself because Robin is struggling back at home.

Yeah, in this one, we see Batman working with a couple of different partners. Dick Grayson’s good at working with other heroes, of course. He’s with the Squire for most of the first issue, and then he’s with Batwoman in the next one, Robin’s spine was shot to fuck by Flamingo, so the idea was to do “Batman and Robin” as “Batman and…Someone Else” for three issues. And it sets up the next arc, which is ‘Batman vs. Robin.’

Is that fallout from how the fight ended with Red Hood and the Flamingo in the last arc?

You’ll see how it develops soon enough, but basically Talia starts calling in favors [laughs]. Damian’s put in a difficult position and his loyalties are put to the test. All of this has been about testing that kid. He’s learning the hard way what it takes to be a hero in Batman’s world, and it’s not over for him yet.

It’s not like he’s the first character you’ve created and introduced to the DCU proper, but the son of Bruce Wayne is a pretty significant addition to the Batman mythos. Is that a feather you wear proudly in your cap?

Oh yeah, it’s nice, but someone could just as easily come in after I’m done and shoot him in the head so, you know… What’s been fun for me is the way readers are really starting to warm to the character, because I always thought we had something really good here and a lot of readers just hated Damian when he first appeared. But the more they get to know him, the more they’ve started to get into him. And that’s been the best thing for me, to see people actually warming to the character now that they can see he’s going through massive changes in his life and his value system. He’s constantly developing new facets. And that’s always fun to read and to write.

You mentioned “The Return,” so let me ask you – will “The Return of Bruce Wayne” mean the end of “Batman and Robin,” or will Bruce Wayne’s return play out in the other Bat-books, as well?

The stories in “Return” and “Batman and Robin” run parallel to one another for six months, and there are a few subtle connections between them, but they don’t really link up until the crescendo in “Batman and Robin” #16 which comes out in September 2010, I think. You could easily read both books on their own, but it’s more involving to read them together.

So will Bruce Wayne eventually be returning to “Batman” and “Detective Comics” or “Batman and Robin,” or another new title?

There is a plan, but I can’t talk about it yet. I was always going to move on after 12 issues of “Batman and Robin,” then it went to 16 and I figured that was it, I’d told my story. I figured once Bruce came back, it would go back to the traditional Batman status quo, which is kind of where I came in. But then I had an idea that seemed to me a really exciting way to continue the story in a new direction, so I’m going to stay on for that. It’s a different take on Batman and Robin, but I don’t want to say too much until nearer the time. We still have all kinds of twists and turns and shocks to get through before any of that.

(read the full interview here)

The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus

Let me begin by explaining that I have a dislike for the holiday season. I mean I really hate Christmas. I don’t mean to be a wet blanket or anything but it just does nothing for me. I won’t go into it, but it’s a time of year that traditionally leaves me depressed and confused. I have learned to offset at least one of those conditions by rewatching old Rankin & Bass specials from my childhood. These insanely bizarre and inventive specials are just so full of oddball ideas knitted together by musical numbers that I often ask my wife to confirm that they are really happening as we watch them side by side. While they don’t exactly dispel my seasonal depression, they at least make my holiday experience interesting.

I won’t bother to grade them in their levels of nuttiness, but if you can watch only one Rankin & Bass holiday special, let it be The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus.

Based loosely on the novel by L. Frank Baum (yes, the Wizard of Oz guy), the story opens with a council of immortal beings meeting in the woods to discuss the impending death of Santa Claus. The chief elder, The Great Ak, moves that Claus be granted immortality because he serves a higher purpose. A goofy yet terrifying immortal who looks a lot like a demonic bat with googly eyes questions the use of a bearded man who makes toys becoming ageless, so the Great Ak tells Santa’s origin story.

The whole thing feels like some strange comic book mini-series rebooting a character in a new way.

Claus is found by one of the wood nymphs in the Laughing Valley of Ho Ha Ho, guarded by the lioness Shiegra. Raised by immortals (and the long-lashed lioness), Claus is trained in all of the languages of the world, including those used by animals. After being shown the world of mankind by the Great Ak, Claus devotes himself to rejoining his cold heartless reality in an attempt to spread some joy. Completely befuddled as to how he can make a difference, he lives on near solitude with only a couple of mystical beings, Sheigra and his language proctor the aptly named Tingler. It is only after he finds a lost child in the wilderness and carves a wooden replica of an adorable kitten named Blinky that he realizes he has a talent at creating toys.

Thus an industry is born.

This may all sound normal enough and in most cases it is… but then the King of the Awgwas arrives and it all gets weird and crazy fast. The Agwas steal all of Claus’ toys, prompting the Great Ak to descend to world of mortals and wage violent war on the invisible demons.

Clip from the Rankin & Bass special

The only holiday special I can think of with a kick ass battle between immortals and demons, The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus will have you swearing off drink even if you are stone cold sober while watching it.

I’m not trying to dispel the craft that went into making The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus nor am I suggesting that the source material is some drug-induced hallucination but… this is just so outside from what anyone had ever seen in a TV holiday special for kids. The sincerity of the Great Ak’s narrative is made all the more heavy as we see Santa Claus declaring the first Christmas Tree a memorial to his life and legacy on Earth. It’s just so epic and grand and full of importance that you are compelled to feel sympathy and reverence for Santa in the same way that you get all teary for an action hero facing impossible odds.

Honestly, it’s like this special was tailor-made for comic book and fantasy fans (actually, it was later adapted as a graphic novel by Ghost Rider artist Mike Ploog).

In heavy rotation on ABC Family (if you can stand the iPod-listening/dancing elf in the corner of the screen), The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus has also been released on DVD with Nestor, The Long-Eared Donkey. No, I did not make that up.

I can’t admit that I understand the myth of Santa Claus and what he means to American pop culture, but I do know that he is a large part of what many think of when they say the word ‘Christmas.’ If they knew he was raised by mystical beings who battled demonic forces for his immortality… they would either be completely freaked out or completely jazzed for the season in an entirely new way.

I heartily advise that you watch The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus and decide for yourself.

Happy Holidays.

The All-Star Squadron

The most prolific and high profile fan-turned-creator in comic books has to be Roy Thomas. After starting up the WWII era superhero team the Invaders for Marvel Comics, Thomas was asked by DC Editorial to work some of his magic for their wartime time the Justice Society of America. Rather than bring the team forward into a contemporary setting, Thomas placed the adventures in the early days of World War II as America found itself part of the war against the Axis Powers. Rather than stick to the standard JSA lineup, Thomas decided to make the most of his toybox full of ideas and utilized every character available to him from the Golden Age of DC Comics such as Liberty Belle, Jessy Quick and Robotman.

Formed by a Presidential edict to combat attempts at sabotage on the home front, the All-Star Squadron took the place of the more popular heroes who had become captured by the Nazi supervillain Per Degaton. By using the Spear of Destiny, Hitler had found a way to harness occult magic to ward off the American superheroes from his shores. After America officially joined the war effort, several superheroes were compelled to enlist and serve their country in the armed forces. This left much of the ‘heavy lifting’ to the second stringers and newcomers to the superheroing realm and also provided a unique inlet to new readers.

For many readers this was not the first or even second time the World War II-era heroes had been seen. The Justice Society team members had become staples of the Justice League of America series in several annual team-ups. Even so, this was the first time characters such as the Golden Age Atom and Hawkman were shown in their element, fighting Nazis.

It may surprise some who think of showcase solo series such as Batman and Spider-Man as being the most popular comic series, but team-oriented books have their own unique appeal. It may have something to do with the reader picking out his or her favorite team member that they can connect to. In the 80′s, team books like the New Teen Titans and Justice League of America were selling well, so DC’s addition of a new team book could have back-fired by over-saturating the market. However, it soon built up its own fan base and was so popular that years later a revival in the form of JSA was possible.

A somewhat bizarre series as it was a period piece adventure series, All Star Squadron featured some of my favorite heroes such as Commander Steel (a recent creation from the 1978 series by Gerry Conway and Don Heck). Steel was an interesting character for DC as he was part of a larger legacy dating back to 1939 and forward to the contemporary time period. The All Star Squadron series was the perfect opportunity for DC to create a seamless path from its earliest days to the present day by telling stories of the DC Universe as the first of its heroes started to gain recognition in the world.

The series garnered a cult following of sorts and also allowed for a new rising star comic artist to impress readers. Jerry Ordway’s first major series for DC Comics proved to be a staggering challenge for the artist. Taking a look at nearly any issue, a reader could see so many characters cluttering the pages that you could almost feel Ordway’s wrist cramping.

Unfortunately, the Crisis of 1985 rewrote so much of DC History that the All-Star Squadron was cancelled and restarted as the Young All-Stars. Co-written by Dann Thomas, the restarted series introduced all new characters to the WWII era such as Iron Munro, Flying Fox, The Fury and Dan the Dyna Mite. I remember buying the initial issues of the deluxe format series and being excited about these new heroes who were apparently designed to take the places left open by Wonder Woman, Batman, Aquaman and Superman who had been written out of 1930′s continuity.

In time, the concept of a legacy left by the JSA was taken up again in a series called Infinity Inc. dealing with the progeny of Justice Society members. This in turn led to James Robinson’s The Golden Age mini-series, analyzing the end of the wartime era of superheroes. So interested did Robinson become that he write Starman along with Tony Harris and started polishing the many forgotten facets of DC Comics history.

Fans of the Justice League cartoon may be a little confused as the characters seen here bear a strong resemblance to the fictional heroes of John Stewart’s childhood seen in the two part adventure ‘Legends.’ Apparently Bruce Timm and his team were all geared up to produce a JLA/JSA team-up story but were stopped at the last moment by editorial who were afraid that a campy depiction of the heroes would sully the otherwise sophisticated depiction of the heroes in the popular monthly JSA series. It’s unfortunate and confusing, but still a great episode.

The Justice Guild

It’s interesting to note that today DC Comics has a rich tapestry of legacies and lineages tapping the resources found in nearly every printed comic they produced (even Amethyst!). The All-Star Squadron was definitely a strong influence on this usage of ideas that had fallen by the way-side. After you include a character like Shining Knight there really is no going back…