BAILEY’S BOOKSHELF: S:TMOT BOOK ONE ANNOUNCEMENT

Superman- Bookshelf Logo Final

(Bailey’s Bookshelf is a new feature here at the Fortress that is replacing Collected Editions as the place where I talk about the Superman related trades, hardcovers and omnibuses in my collection.  There isn’t a huge reason for the change.  I just wanted to have a title that was a better fit for the site.)

Once again my buddy Devin Clancy comes through.

Devin posted an Amazon link to the From Crisis to Crisis Facebook page that announced that Superman: The Man of Tomorrow Book One was available for pre-order.  After checking the link I found out that S:TMOT Book One was going to reprint the issues of Superman and Adventures of Superman that take place after the books that were reprinted in Superman: The Man of Steel Vol. 9.

Excited doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel right now.

Superman (Vol. 2) #023One of the reasons for my excitement is that DC seems to be willing to continue putting out collected editions of the Post Crisis Superman.  I’ve been wanting this for years and I have written about that from time to time on this blog.  That era of Superman is unique because there was so much long form storytelling going on where events and sub-plots built on each other until eventually Superman became a weekly comic stretched over three then four then five titles.  They all had their own look and feel but there was a consistent narrative going on that was attempted with other characters but it just never popped the way it did with Superman and all that started with the comics that are going to be reprinted in this collection.

Adventures of Superman #446It doesn’t hurt that the stories are good as well.  Superman #23 featured the conclusion to the Silver Banshee story that began in Action Comics #595 and continued into Superman #17.  It was also Roger Stern’s first issue as writer on Superman and he would stay with the character full time until 1994.  Jerry Ordway started his time as both writer and penciller of Adventures of Superman starting with number 445.  That issue had the return of the Milton Fine version of Brainiac and his story would continue to run through all of the books reprinted in this volume.  Kerry Gammill began penciling Superman with issue 24 and he was the best possible artist to follow John Byrne on that title.  Gangbuster returns in this run, which is curious because Jose Delgado is in a wheelchair so what the heck is going on there?  Superman deals with the ramifications of what happened in the pocket universe.  Then, right there at the end, Invasion happens and Superman has to defend Metropolis from an attack by the Thanagarians.  It’s a fantastic run of comics that not only have an amazing mix of action and character but also lead into Exile, one of my favorite Superman stories ever

Superman (Vol. 2) #025On a very personal level this was the run of Superman where I went from trying to get the books as they came out to HAVING TO GET THE BOOKS AS SOON AS THEY COME OUT!  John Byrne got me in the door and his run on Superman will always be special to me but these were the stories that turned me from a casual reader into a die-hard, can’t miss an issue, haunting the spinner racks in the hopes that the next issue had hit the stands reader and collector.  Everything I have ever done in the fan community that had to do with Superman started with these comics.  It was my personal Golden Age for the Man of Steel and seeing them collected like this just makes the twelve year old in me so happy.

It makes the forty year old me kind of happy too.

Adventures of Superman #447Plus…it’s a hardcover.  As nice as the Superman: The Man of Steel line was (and they were some nice looking trade paperbacks) having these books reprinted in hardcover feels like DC is taking this era seriously.  Yes it’s a higher price point but at the same time I think it is totally worth it.

Then again I’m biased, so there’s that.

There is precious little info on this trade outside of the bare bones description on Amazon. They mention Dan Jurgens in the creator credit, which will hopefully be corrected because despite my love for Jurgens on Superman he didn’t work on the books reprinted in this volume.  There’s not even a place holder cover yet, which brings up the question; what will be on the cover?  To be honest any on of the covers to the books reprinted in this hardcover would work, especially the one to Adventures of Superman #446, which is one of my favorite Ordway pieces ever.

To be honest I am hoping and praying they go with some version of this house ad.

Ad- Superman Burn Out

I’ve loved this image since the very first time I saw it in the Modern Masters: Jerry Ordway book that Two Morrows put out.  It’s just such a striking ad (and a bit of a friendly poke that John Byrne was no longer with the character) and I think with some digital recoloring and some tweaking it would make one hell of a cover.

So once again I am put in the position where I have to wait for more info.  Hopefully this book won’t be announced for one date and then get delayed by six months like Superman: The Man of Steel Vol. was.  As always I implore you to pre-order this book, which will make it more likely to be produced.  Here is a friendly link to the Superman Homepage Store and I encourage you to order the book there because I write for the Homepage and I want to support the home team.

I am so excited for this hardcover.  April can’t come fast enough.

FROM CRISIS TO CRISIS EPISODE 82: SEPTEMBER 1991 PART 2

Episode 82: September 1991 Part 2

Welcome to the eighty-second episode of From Crisis to Crisis: A Superman Podcast! This podcast has a simple premise; examine just about every Superman comic published between Man of Steel #1 in 1986 to Adventures of Superman #649 in 2006 in an informative and hopefully entertaining format.

Part index. Part commentary. Part history lesson. All podcast.

This week Michael and Jeffrey conclude their look at the Superman books with the cover date September 1991. First up is Superman versus the Parasite; Round Two in Adventures of Superman #482. Then, in Action Comics #669 Superman teams up with the vigilante known as the Thorn to fight Intergang as the Lanes meet the Kents for the first time! Then there’s the Elsewhere in the DCU section, an e-mail is read and the boys make an announcement about a movement that you the listener can help make happen. What is that movement? Listen to the episode and find out!

You can subscribe to the show in two ways. First there is the RSS Feed and there is also the iTunes link .

If you want to comment on the show or contact the hosts you can always private message Mike and Jeff, at the Superman Homepage, leave comments here or at the Homepage or here or email them by clicking this link.  All questions, concerns, fears, trepidations and cheap shots are welcome.

Seriously, let us know what you think.

Next week: October 1991 begins with Superman: The Man of Steel #4 and Superman #60.

FROM CRISIS TO CRISIS EPISODE 79: AUGUST 1991 PART 2

Episode 79: August 1991 Part 1

Welcome to the seventy-ninth episode of From Crisis to Crisis: A Superman Podcast! This podcast has a simple premise; examine just about every Superman comic published between Man of Steel #1 in 1986 to Adventures of Superman #649 in 2006 in an informative and hopefully entertaining format.

Part index. Part commentary. Part history lesson. All podcast.

A new format and a new monthly Superman title kick off this week!

Mike and Jeff are back with the last episode of 2010 and even though they recorded this one on the day before Christmas Eve the Superman books they discuss have an August 1991 cover date. In Superman: The Man of Steel #2 we meet Sgt. Belcher and Rorc, two minions of Cerberus. They continue Cereberus’ attack on Lexcorp and threaten reign down destruction on the city if their demands are not met. Then, in Superman #58, Cadmus, through the Bloodhounds, capture Superman. It seems that the director of Cadmus believes Superman to be a threat and boy is Superman peeved about that. Finally in Flash #53 Superman and the Wally West Flash have to save Jimmy Olsen from a madman. Add to that Jeffrey’s elsewhere in the real world and you have a full episode of From Crisis to Crisis.

And now…the scans!

Continue reading FROM CRISIS TO CRISIS EPISODE 79: AUGUST 1991 PART 2

FROM CRISIS TO CRISIS EPISODE 76: THE E-MAILS RETURN

Episode 76: The E-Mails Return!

Welcome to the seventy-sixth episode of From Crisis to Crisis: A Superman Podcast! This podcast has a simple premise; examine just about every Superman comic published between Man of Steel #1 in 1986 to Adventures of Superman #649 in 2006 in an informative and hopefully entertaining format.

Part index. Part commentary. Part history lesson. All podcast.

Mike and Jeff could not get their schedules together in time to record this week so the e-mails return in full force! So this episode is all about you the listeners and the boys go off on all kinds of tangents based on the questions asked. Topics include Superman II: The Donner Cut, what Jeffery and Mike would do if they wrote Superman, how their wives feel about the show and much, much more. Jeff and Mike feel bad that they couldn’t deliver on the episode they promised but they hope you like this episode anyway.

You can subscribe to the show in two ways. First there is the RSS Feed and there is also the iTunes link .

If you want to comment on the show or contact the hosts you can always private message Mike and Jeff, at the Superman Homepage, leave comments here or at the Homepage or here or email them by clicking this link.  All questions, concerns, fears, trepidations and cheap shots are welcome.

Seriously, let us know what you think.

FROM CRISIS TO CRISIS EPISODE 75: ARMAGEDDON 2001 PART 2

Episode 75: Armageddon 2001 Part 2

Welcome to the seventy-fifth episode of From Crisis to Crisis: A Superman Podcast! This podcast has a simple premise; examine just about every Superman comic published between Man of Steel #1 in 1986 to Adventures of Superman #649 in 2006 in an informative and hopefully entertaining format.

Part index. Part commentary. Part history lesson. All podcast.

It is episode 75 and surprisingly (though some might say disappointingly) no one dies in an epic battle with Doomsday. Instead, Mike and Jeff finish up their Armageddon 2001 talk by looking at Adventures of Superman Annual #3 (where Superman leaves Earth after a terrible tragedy and ends up hooking up with Maxima) and Armageddon 2001 #2 (where Monarch’s identity is revealed and a big ol’ fight breaks out). Between those two comics the boys give you an overview of the other ARMAGEDDON 2001 annuals in addition to delving into why the big reveal of Monarch’s identity was such a letdown despite the series being so good.

Again, no scans this week as it would just ruin the books.  Sorry.

Next week: E-mails!  Lots and lots of e-mails.

You can subscribe to the show in two ways. First there is the RSS Feed and there is also the iTunes link .

If you want to comment on the show or contact the hosts you can always private message Mike and Jeff, at the Superman Homepage, leave comments here or at the Homepage or here or email them by clicking this link.  All questions, concerns, fears, trepidations and cheap shots are welcome.

Seriously, let us know what you think.

FROM CRISIS TO CRISIS EPISODE 74: ARMAGEDDON 2001 PART 1

Episode 74: Armageddon 2001 Part 1

Welcome to the seventy-fourth episode of From Crisis to Crisis: A Superman Podcast! This podcast has a simple premise; examine just about every Superman comic published between Man of Steel #1 in 1986 to Adventures of Superman #649 in 2006 in an informative and hopefully entertaining format.

Part index. Part commentary. Part history lesson. All podcast.

Armageddon comes to From Crisis to CrisisArmageddon 2001 that is. Mike and Jeff dive into one of the major crossovers from 1991 and kick off part 1 of a 2 part episode looking the adventures of Waverider as he plies the time stream searching for the hero that becomes the greatest villain of all…MONARCH! In Armageddon 2001 #1 we see the origin of Waverider and a glimpse into a dark future for the DC Universe. The boys follow Waverider into Superman Annual #3 which shows a future where Superman goes too far leading to a final battle with…BATMAN! Then in Action Comics Annual #3 we see a world where Superman runs for President and actually wins. Its two hours of time spanning audio and we see two possible futures for the Man of Steel plus the origin of a character that will be popping up here and there in the Superman books for the next few “years”.

No scans this time out (or next time out for that matter) because these books are bigger than the average issue and have a square binding so putting that on Mike’s scanner is rather difficult and would pretty much ruin the issue.

You can subscribe to the show in two ways. First there is the RSS Feed and there is also the iTunes link .

If you want to comment on the show or contact the hosts you can always private message Mike and Jeff, at the Superman Homepage, leave comments here or at the Homepage or here or email them by clicking this link.  All questions, concerns, fears, trepidations and cheap shots are welcome.

Seriously, let us know what you think.

Next week: The second and final part of the Superman end of Armageddon 2001. Lois dies and Superman hooks up with a certain red head.

FROM CRISIS TO CRISIS EPISODE 73: JUNE 1991

Episode 73: June 1991

Welcome to the seventy-third episode of From Crisis to Crisis: A Superman Podcast! This podcast has a simple premise; examine just about every Superman comic published between Man of Steel #1 in 1986 to Adventures of Superman #649 in 2006 in an informative and hopefully entertaining format.

Part index. Part commentary. Part history lesson. All podcast.

This week Mike and Jeff take a look at the Superman books with the June 1991 cover date The regular creative teams took a break that month leaving us with a “fill-in” arc called Red Glass and boy is it one acid trip of a story. Over the course of Superman #56, Adventures of Superman#479 and Action Comics #666 Superman finds himself in a world where apparently he killed all of his villains in 1988 and then left Earth. Now he’s back and he can’t seem to help himself from killing everyone from Lois Lane to the Martian Manhunter to the Doom Patrol. What is the secret behind Superman’s breakdown and why do things like Kryptonite and boom boxes keep talking to him? Frankly that description makes the story sound a lot more interesting than it was but the boys cover it anyway.

After that is a brief look at Adventures of Superboy #17, some talk about the episodes of the Adventures of Superboy television series that came out that month plus the usual Elsewhere in the DCU and Elsewhere, Elsewhere features. Finally the boys have a big announcement about a format change coming to From Crisis to Crisis in two weeks.

Continue reading FROM CRISIS TO CRISIS EPISODE 73: JUNE 1991

FROM CRISIS TO CRISIS EPISODE 72: MAY 1991

Episode 72: May 1991

Welcome to the seventy-second episode of From Crisis to Crisis: A Superman Podcast! This podcast has a simple premise; examine just about every Superman comic published between Man of Steel #1 in 1986 to Adventures of Superman #649 in 2006 in an informative and hopefully entertaining format.

Part index. Part commentary. Part history lesson. All podcast.

Time and Time Again phases out and an old enemy returns in the Superman books with the May 1991 cover date. Mike and Jeffrey dive right in with Superman #55 where there’s a lot of Merlin and the Demon and at some point Superman shows up. Time and Time Again concludes in Adventures of Superman #478 with Superman once again teaming up with the Legion of Super-Heroes to stop an evil Daxamite from destroying the Moon! Action Comics #665 is next and even though Superman has returned to 1991 he doesn’t have long to rest as Baron Sunday is up to no good.

As a bonus Mike and Jeff cover Superman: For Earth, a prestige format book where Superman deals head on with environmental issues. It’s a pretty heavy handed story but it has a very important conversation between Lois and Clark. Then the boys cover Adventures of Superboy #16 where Superboy meets Superman. Finally there  are the usual Elsewhere in the DCU and Elsewhere, Elsewhere segments.

Continue reading FROM CRISIS TO CRISIS EPISODE 72: MAY 1991

FROM CRISIS TO CRISIS EPISODE 70: MARCH 1991

Episode 70: March 1991

Welcome to the seventieth episode of From Crisis to Crisis: A Superman Podcast! This podcast has a simple premise; examine just about every Superman comic published between Man of Steel #1 in 1986 to Adventures of Superman #649 in 2006 in an informative and hopefully entertaining format.

Part index. Part commentary. Part history lesson. All podcast.

Things go back to normal for Mike and Jeff this week but things definitely don’t let up at all for the Man of Steel! In this episode he faces international diplomacy and the perils of time travel. Superman #53 kicks off the Superman books with a March 1991 cover date and sees the Man of Steel having to escort the vile President Marlo as he is taken into custody. The problem? There are people that don’t want to see him stand trial and Marlo is one of those people. Then in Adventures of Superman #476 Superman gives fellow hero Booster Gold a hand with a time traveler known as the Linear Man and is blown to the 30th Century for his troubles as Time and Time Again begins. That story continues into Action Comics #663 as Superman is blown up again and lands in the year 1943 where he joins the circus.

No really. He joins the circus. Clark also gets to meet President Roosevelt and nearly encounters the Justice Society of America before the Spectre sends him into the path of a locomotive.

After that the boys cover Adventures of Superboy #14, which features the return of Brimstone as well as showing how Clark got his internship at the Bureau of Extra-Normal Matters. Finally there is the usual Elsewhere in the DCU, Elsewhere in the Elsewhere and even an e-mail from one of the listeners.

Also the episode is under three hours, so y’all get a little break this week.

And now…the scans!

This is an amazing shot of Superman and Lois though as Michael pointed out during the episode Elroy has lost all interest in the conversation.

Behold the nineties in all it’s glory.

In all seriousness this is a very solid design.  Does it look dated?  Maybe but only in the sense that they don’t design characters like this anymore.  The neat thing about this character is that he has an old west, bounty hunter feel mixed with the futuristic cybernetic limbs.  This is what separates the Linear Man from the cyborg out of time pack.

This is the Wayne Boring-esque panel that Mike was talking about during the episode.  Apparently Clark did a lot of upper body exercises during his stint with the circus.

This page is a good example of how good a capeless Superman looks when drawn by Bob McLeod.  It is also a good example of how awesome the black/blue costume looked as well.

The Justice Society as drawn by Bob McLeod.  Sweet.

This is the last page of the Action Comics.  Mike mentioned on the show that he would have preferred Superman to have said, “Oh boy,” a la Sam on Quantum Leap.  Through the miracle of Photoshop we can now see what that would have looked like.

And that is it for this time out.  Hope you enjoyed the scans!

Next Week: Time and Time Again continues! It’s Nazis and Legionnaires and Dinosaurs, oh my!

SUPERMAN’S ORIGIN CIRCA 1993

Back in 1993 a magazine called  Superman/Batman Magazine hit the shelves to very little fanfare.  The main reason I remember that time so clearly is that I picked up the first issue in the gift shop at St. Luke’s Hospital during one of my Mom’s stays there right before she passed.  I bought it because there wasn’t anything else there I was interested in reading but that paritcular copy has been lost to the ages or at least lost among the many moves I made in 1994 and 1995.  Thanks to my good friend Alan Leach, Jr. I now have another copy and I am very happy for that even if there is a touch of sadness in remembering where I bought it the first time.

Superman/Batman Magazine was an interesting experiment.  It straddled the two worlds of the then current DC Universe and what has been commonly called the Timmverse of Batman: The Animated Series.  This was before Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond and the two Justice League animated series, so it was kind of novel at the time to see the rest of the DC heroes and villains drawn in that  style.  The first issue contained departments such as A Message from The Batcave, The Daily Planet [Sunday Supplement], Penguin’s Puns and Bird-Brained Jokes, Pullout (a poster of the DC villains drawn in the animated style), The Hero File (this one was about Wonder Woman) and Backstage at DC Comics (this one was an interview with Mike Carlin).  The issue also contained features on trading cards, the martial arts, an “interview” the the then dead Superman and two origin stories done as mini-comic books.  This being the first issue they had an origin for both Batman and Superman, which makes sense given the name of the magazine.

I think it is safe to say that I am known for being a fan of the Post Crisis on Infinite Earths Superman, especially when it comes to the origin.  I like that take though there really isn’t a version of the origin that I truly dislike.  What makes this version of the Byrne origin so awesome is that it was written an inked by Karl Kesel and penciled by the late Mike Parobeck.  It was only six pages long but Parobeck and Kesel packed a lot into those six pages.  So it being Friday and all I thought I would end the week on a high note and post those pages here and once again I send a big ol’ thank you out to Alan for sending me this.  You’re the best, Alan.

This origin covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time.  I was jazzed that Kesel and Parobeck included a lot of what John Byrne brought to the character, especially by showing images of the Byrne’s take on Metallo, Mr. Mxyzptlk and even Klash, the robot Lex Luthor sent after the Man of Steel in Superman (Vol. 2) #10.  These six pages continue to put a big ol’ smile on my face and I hope you liked them as much as I did.

Next week: Nothing is set in stone as of yet outside of the usual YouTube Tuesday and the latest episode of From Crisis to Crisis.  Everyone have a safe weekend and I will see you on Monday.

More to follow…