We mentioned this back in 2021, and we're just getting around to it now; that counts as timely for me! From 2004, DC Comics Presents Hawkman #1, featuring "Visitors Day" Written by Cary Bates, pencils by John Byrne, inks by Lary Stucker; and "Love is in the Air" Written by Kurt Busiek, pencils by Walt Simonson, inks by Bob Wiacek. Cover by José Luis García-López and Kevin Nowlan; in homage to Murphy Anderson's cover to Hawkman #6.

This was one of eight tribute issues to DC editor Julius Schwartz, and the last one to blog here! In "Visitors Day," extra-dimensional aliens visit Julius on his subway ride to work, to tell him about alternate realities, and that his cover story--Hawkman vs. a flying gorilla--could poke a hole in the multiverse, if it isn't resolved. Hey, that's the creative team's problem! Schwarz hashes out a plot with (I presume) Gardner Fox to resolve the problem.

But, I liked the second story better: "Love is in the Air." Hawkgirl is interested in the quaint earth "rituals" surrounding Valentine's Day, but Katar's mind is occupied with both museum work and Hawkman stuff, since both the Shadow-Thief and Matter Master were at large. (There's a brief appearance from Mavis Trent, a supporting character I just love: she's basically stalking Carter Hall, with Shiera right there!) Shiera feels slighted that Carter's all business and stomps off, and Carter has a talk with Commissioner Emmett, who asks how they got together, prompting a tale involving a savage winged gorilla! No spoilers, but it reminds Carter how important Shiera is, and he takes the time to Valentine it up right. (Shadow-Thief and Matter Master killed dozens and stole the Declaration of Independence--I'm joking, they were caught later.)

There's a Julie Schwartz tag for all of them, but you can check out the other tribute issues with the Atom, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Superman, Adam Strange, and the Justice League of America. Read more!

Eee, that got dark in a hurry.

I wish these tribute issues had included not just the cover of the original issue, but the story as well; since I sincerely doubt Green Lantern #31 was this much of a downer. From 2004, DC Comics Presents: Green Lantern #1, featuring "Penny for Your Thoughts, Dollar for Your Destiny!" Written by Brian Azzarello, pencils by Norm Breyfogle, inks by Sal Buscema; and "Feel Something" Written by Martin Pasko, pencils by Scott McDaniel, inks by Andy Owens. Cover by Brian Bolland, in tribute to Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson. 

"Penny for Your Thoughts, Dollar for Your Destiny" starts as a lark, with GL (Hal) in Coast City, selling power rings for a dollar! The JLA arrives in short order, to see what's up--actually, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman arrive, followed in short order by the Flash, who later points out they forgot to pick up Aquaman again. While confused at what Hal's up to, Flash is up for buying a ring, but didn't have a buck on him; so he's shoved out of line by a rather large--and hirsute--'woman.' Although the heroes don't seem to pay a lot of attention to 'her,' that was obviously Gorilla Grodd in drag: Hal captures him, apologizing that "power rings only fit on fingers, not #@%!! dirty paws like yours..." The ring sale was a trick to lure Grodd out, and Hal says he'll buy back the rings he sold next. (Wouldn't all those people have flown off, in different directions? Hal's whole morning is going to be shot.) 

The denouement is a bit off, though: the JLA'ers leave together in the invisible jet, and Superman muses that Hal's power is only limited by his imagination, and he may be the most powerful of them all. Flash counters, we're talking about Hal here; and they all have a hearty laugh, because god Hal's dumb. Batman over-explains the joke, though; leaving them all wondering, what if they had the ring...or if one of them did? It feels a little mean, and not quite right; but Breyfogle's art is great. 

In "Feel Something," Hal isn't selling the rings: Ollie comes to him because a grifter pirates a TV transmission for an ad selling power rings, only $89.99! For, as Ollie puts it, "some hunks of plastic you should only find in a gumball machine." Ollie can't figure out why Hal isn't more pissed off about this, either: he had put the grifter away before, "the sweat shop king of Star City," who probably used slave child labor to make his fake rings. GA and GL catch him at another of his tapings, and Hal has to stop Ollie from beating the grifter to death, although Hal later admits he only stopped him because he might've killed him himself. The grifter reminded Hal too much of his father's abuse; worse, Hal had to use a lot of will to keep his thoughts away from the rage his father taught him. This was a Hal with grey on his temples, which would've been relatively shortly before his heel-turn as Parllax. Also, this particular issue would have been published just two months prior to the last issue of Kyle Rayner's Green Lantern run, and almost feels like the last time DC would be down on Hal Jordan. (Actually, thinking about it; I don't think these were "in-continuity," and that Hal's dad has since been portrayed as the bestest, since Hal is the bestest...)  

The only Julius Schwartz tribute issue left to cover here is the Hawkman issue, which I might have around here somewhere? Someday.

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It's Friday the 13th, what could be more unlucky than your own stuff trying to light you up?

From 2004, DC Comics Presents Justice League of America #1, featuring "Secret Behind the Stolen Super Weapons" Written by Harlan Ellison and Peter David, art by Joe Giella; and "Mayhem of the Mysterious Marauders!" Written by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Dustin Nguyen, inks by Richard Friend. I had a beat-up old copy of the original sitting around and waiting to be blogged: From 1967, Justice League of America #53, "Secret Behind the Stolen Super-Weapons!" Written by Gardner Fox, pencils by Mike Sekowsky, inks by Sid Greene. Yeah, turns out I already blogged it in 2015!

In "Secret Behind the Stolen Super Weapons," in 1967 Julius Schwartz is working another late night, feeling like a "bigamist leading two separate lives" split between his family, and his other family "with red capes and green lanterns and super-speed and magic lassos." The Justice League of America appears to him, accusing him of being a bit ungrateful. Julie fights them, turning their weapons against them, even turning Superman's blood into liquid Kryptonite, before realizing it was a bad dream. The JLA gives him the okay to take a couple days, maybe punt the deadline a little bit, since they love him. Even if they fight sometimes.

As traditional for the Julius Schwartz tribute issues I've read so far, one story goes more fanciful, the other more traditional, and "Mayhem of the Mysterious Marauders!" is the traditional one; albeit with a time-travel spin. Flash, Batman, Green Arrow, and Wonder Woman are getting dressed up for an awards ceremony; when they're attacked in their headquarters with their own weapons. Flash is tied up by someone seemingly as fast as he was, and the League was seemingly defeated by another JLA, the team from the future. The Time Lord was going to attack the young, inexperienced team at their public appearance; but having somehow gotten word in advance the JLA subs in the current guys and kick the crap out of him. The past-JLA wonders what they missed, while the future Flash, Wally, is grateful for the chance to see Barry. Geez, it's at least the second time I can think of off the top of my head--JLQ #3 for one.

In the sixteen years since this one came out, Schwartz's legacy has been reassessed a bit; or more accurately tarnished; with multiple accusations of inappropriate behavior. I don't know if the JLA would think of him as fondly now; but that wouldn't be the last time DC turned a blind eye to that sort of thing.
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This is the fifth of eight DC Comics Presents Julie Schwartz tribute issues that we've looked at, but after Atlantis Attacks that feels like real progress! So far we've blogged Adam Strange's, the Atom's, Superman's and the Flash's. Today we've got from 2004, DC Comics Presents: Batman #1, featuring "Batman of Two Worlds" Written by Geoff Johns, pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Joe Giella; and "The Ratings War!" Written by Len Wein, art by Andy Kuhn; with an Adam Hughes cover homage to Carmine Infantino's Batman #183. (The classic cover features a Batman '66 style logo on the TV; the modern one has the logo from the then-current the Batman cartoon.)

I was kind of prepared not to like Geoff Johns's opening story, since it featured what felt like modern excess: actors portraying Batman and Robin at each other's throats, with 'Batman' the prime suspect when 'Robin' is found dead on a rooftop. Tim is mildly traumatized but not so much as to not work the case, and goes to the autopsy; while Batman interviews his counterpart, who has been taken into custody but curiously not unmasked. (Unmasking him could be a violation of his civil rights!) Batman is curious why the two actors had once been so close but had fallen out; but there's more to it then that. In fact, it's a nice twist I won't spoil here, so nyaah!

Len Wein's story is pretty good as well: a low-rated TV station has a breakout hit with "The Adventures of Batman and Robin," a new show created with live footage of the Dynamic Duo in action. Batman kind of hates the show undermining his mystique--well, that and the narration. And that it's suspicious someone has been on the spot to videotape them so often: nowadays I suppose it would be a YouTube show pasted together from cell phone cameras. There's a nice twist here as well, so just go find this one. The first story was reprinted in a Carmine Infantino trade, but I'm not sure if most of the rest of the Julie Schwartz tribute issues have been reprinted. If they were packaged with the original issues the covers were taken from, it would be worth getting.

Hmm. Just realized I don't think I have the Green Lantern one of these. Have to keep an eye out.
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There were eight DC Comics Presents Julie Schwartz tribute issues, and we've blogged Adam Strange's, the Atom's, and the Flash's. Maybe we'll get to them all eventually, but I just got today's book! From 2004, DC Comics Presents: Superman #1, written by Stan Lee and Paul Levitz, art by Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone, and Keith Giffen and Al Milgrom; with a cover by Adam Hughes based on Nick Cardy's cover to Superman #264.

We've got two versions of "Secret of the Phantom Quarterback!" here, and I'm not positive I've ever read the original version. (The back-up story, "The Headband Warriors of Krypton!" has been reprinted more!) Stan and Darwyn's story is a retro-flavored number, with a scientist inventing a robot to impress his lab assistant, and using it as an invisible quarterback to trounce the local golden boy, in a game guest-refereed by Superman.

The second version is a little closer to the original, as fading quarterback Steve Lombard abuses an experimental steroid treatment, which accidentally turns him into a energy-radiating menace. Maybe not quite invisible, though. Superman takes Lombard for a little jog on his "cosmic treadmill" (he has one too?) to burn off the energy. Lombard is disappointed to realize his career is over, but had heard there was an opening at the Daily Planet for a sportswriter.

Looking back, I mention getting the Julius Schwartz Justice League of America issue, but I didn't blog it! Wonder where I put it...
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In 2004, DC Comics had a eight issue "fifth week" event celebrating the legacy of editor Julie Schwartz. Over the years, we've checked out Adam Strange and the Atom's issues, and today we have the Flash! DC Comics Presents: the Flash #1, featuring stories by Denny O'Neil and Geoff Loeb, with art by Ed McGuinness and Dexter Vines and Doug Mahnke and Mark Farmer.

Loeb and McGuinness's story is a fairly traditional story, with Barry Allen testifying in court against a mob boss who hires Deadshot to kill him. Barry fakes being on life support (using Martian Manhunter to help keep Iris calm) and then takes down Deadshot...as well as Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang, and the Trickster on his way. But it's his forensic knowledge that clenches the case, as he finds Deadshot's bullet embedded in a stack of Flash comics at a newsstand.

O'Neil and Mahnke's tale is more old-school yet more inventive: Flash stops by to visit his pal Julie Schwartz, who's about to get zapped by an alien! Flash gets zapped, and the alien explains he's a "peace officer from another dimension," and thought Julie was a wanted criminal. The zap Flash took will cause his molecules to slow down and fall apart inside of fifteen minutes, unless he can make a hundred and sixty-eight people aware of his plight in that time, while heeding two languages simultaneously. (The alien admits the laws of his reality are "odd-ish.")

Julie had moved the Cosmic Treadmill to a storage closet, and grabs a convenient artist for the Flash to take back in time two weeks and draw up a new cover. Flash then runs it over to the printing plant, switches out the cover, then returns to the present where the new issues are just about to hit the stands. Flash then gives out 168 issues, saving himself. (I'm not sure why 168--I had thought it referred to the issue number the cover homages, but that was #163.)
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Now I want an Atom-strapped-to-grenade figure.

We took a look at Detective Comics #627 a couple years back: that issue featured four different versions of Batman's first appearance in "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate." (There's even been another version since!) Today's book has two versions of a story based on the cover of an earlier book: from 2004, DC Comics Presents: the Atom #1, featuring stories from Dave Gibbons and Mark Waid, art by Pat Olliffe, John Livesay, Dan Jurgens, and Jon Bogdanove; based on Julie Schwartz's idea for Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson's cover for the Atom #10!

In Gibbon's story, while foiling a robbery at his pal Professor Hyatt's, the Atom ends up falling down the time pool and getting trapped on Earth-Prime! There he meets Gardner Fox and Julie Schwartz, who help save the Tiny Titan by tying him to a live grenade and getting a Yankees pitcher to throw him at the time pool! Fox tells Atom Schwartz's ideas usually work out, but I have to wonder if the Atom was just too polite to tell them, "hell, no."

Waid's version features a new mob boss in Ivy Town, "Mr. Originality." He had the bright idea of trapping the Atom in a thermometer, then strapping him to a grenade, so it's not unreasonable that his men are too scared of him to turn state's evidence. But working the case, the Atom finds the boss is an unwitting accomplice, a sci-fi writer! Still, that may be tough to convince Chronos!

We saw the Adam Strange Julie Schwartz tribute some time back; there are six others left. I know I have at least three of 'em...somewhere.
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Talking to Dale the other day, this issue came up: DC Comics Presents: Mystery in Space #1, with stories from Grant Morrison and Eliot S! Maggin; art by J.H. Williams III and Jerry Ordway. This ish also featured an Alex Ross cover, and a Harlan Ellison tribute to renowned editor Julie Schwartz.

The first story is pretty good, but in eleven pages Morrison is able to tell a great Adam Strange story, that explains and refines a number of his traditional plot points; but also explains why Schwartz would choose a brainy archaeologist as an unlikely pulp sci-fi action hero. It's a nice piece of writing and perfect for a tribute book like this. Re-reading it again, I hope this version of Adam Strange (and Alanna, and Rann) make it into the new DC: instead of being gritty and pseudo-realistic, his Rann is fantastic and dangerous.

There were eight tribute issues to Schwartz, but I only recall two others off the top of my head. I'll have to look into that, but have a good weekend!

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