It's the last week of the year again, traditionally when I do "the end" week and look at last issues I've presumably stocked up over the course of the year. Somewhat surprisingly, I only have three posts scheduled as I write this! I usually burn through more than that the first day! So, let's start with a book I know I read at least a couple of when it was running: from 1982, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century #16, "The Sellers of Souls" Written by B.S. Watson, art by Mike Roy.
The Gil Gerard/Erin Gray movie came out in 1979, and I feel like I must've seen it, in bits and pieces, about 40 times as a kid. I rarely if ever saw the TV show, however--maybe it was on past my bedtime or something? It was a sci-fi show when beggars could not be choosers so I probably would've watched it, even if it seems like it wouldn't have been great even then. The same can hardly be said for the Gold Key/Whitman comic, however: compared to even the most boilerplate Marvel or DC books, they usually came up short. This one didn't even have a painted cover, which was often a selling point for the company.
This issue, on deep space patrol, Buck gets captured by slavers. He's put to work by them as a pilot, but manages to work with the slaves to turn the tables. If this was from any other company, I'd suspect the former slaves would abuse their former masters just as badly as they had been treated; but this one doesn't go that far. The aliens are all cartoony, but more alien looking than was usually seen on the show; you have to give them that. I did kinda like the bit where Buck asks his captors why he's been kidnapped, and they're like, la-de-dah, get Mr. Fancy.
That one wasn't so great, so let's check out another sci-fi TV show tie-in comic, that surprisingly was cancelled even earlier! From 1995, Babylon 5 #11, "The Psi Corps and You" Written by Tim Dehaas, art by John Ridgway. I may have caught an early episode by chance when the series began, but I didn't start watching Babylon 5 regularly until the third season, and I wouldn't see the fifth for years. So how I came up with this comic, I have no idea; but I noticed it was the last issue a while back. DC was probably hoping this would be their next Star Trek, but no such luck. They would try a three-issue mini-series after this, In Valen's Name, and then that would be that.
Without any knowledge of the show, this issue would be a little inaccessible, since it's written as an informational presentation from your friends at Psi Corps. It's designed to come across as friendly, humanizing, and empowering; three things the unabashedly fascist Corps definitely wasn't. Imagine if, say, Marvel's mutants decided they would police themselves, make themselves useful to the normos, and quietly bide their time...waiting. The insidiousness of the Corps doesn't quite come across here, but in concert with the show it works a little better.
Since we've already looked at two sci-fi tie-in books, why not take a look at a better comic from a better show, why not? I certainly miss both the most: from 2016, Bongo Presents Futurama Comics #81, "A Touch of Medieval!" Written by Ian Boothby, pencils by James Lloyd, inks by Andrew Pepoy. Not unlike Simpsons Comics, this wasn't a book I read every month, yet one I almost always enjoyed when I randomly picked one up.
Professor Farnsworth's newest invention is the reversal ray, and Bender immediately realizes that has to go. On the way to the dump, Fry stops by the cryogenic lab where he had been frozen, trips, turns the tube into a time machine, and ends up in ye olde times. In the vein of the Wizard of Oz, everyone is there; with Sir Bender, King Farnsworth, and filthy peasant Leela.
Easily the best of the three books here! Without any announcement inside, this was the final issue before going digital only...which may or may not have happened, I'm not sure. Man, I miss that show; why isn't it on Disney+ yet?
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