Well, a little Maguire is better than none.

This series ran for like two and a half years, but Maguire's name on the cover sold me on this one: from 2013, World's Finest #12, "The Price of Fame" Written by Paul Levitz, pencils by Kevin Maguire, Geraldo Borges, and Robson Rocha; inks by Kevin Maguire, J. P. Mayer, and Wayne Faucher.

I'm not entirely up on my post-New 52 continuity, but I believe this was set in the modern Earth-2, where Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman had all apparently died while taking out Darkseid? Pardon me if I'm in error; Huntress does have a line about them landing on that earth; but currently Power Girl was an up-and-coming tech mogul in her secret identity of Karen Starr, with Huntress as her slightly-surly bodyguard. This month, Karen finally gets a meeting with rival/potential partner/maybe love interest Michael Holt, that goes abyssmally wrong when he reveals himself as Desaad! A more hands-on, and handsier, version than usual; but he mentions being in exile there: either unable to return to Apokolips, or maybe not having an Apokolips to return to. Desaad only lets Karen and Helena see his true form, while his bodyguards defend their boss, unaware he was a monster.

Unfortunately, Maguire doesn't do the whole issue; and while Borges and Rocha do a good job, there's a sudden shift to costumes mid-issue, as Huntress beats up some Yakuza types in search of intel. Power Girl isn't thrilled about having to leave a party for that, since after years of being Superman's secret weapon, she dug being famous. But, fame is fleeting, as the press seems to turn on Karen Starr, despite a very cheesecakey Time cover. And things go worse: Karen's Cambridge lab is blown up, drawing the heroines away, for Desaad to Boom Tube in tanks, wiping out her main office, and killing her assistant. Furious, they resolve to go underground, until they can find and end Desaad...which, I think took them a few issues.

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Aw, man, Cooper doesn't even make the cover!...'Copper'? That doesn't sound right.

Oddly enough, I've never picked up the Showcase collections for the Metal Men; partly because I never see the first one, and partly because I already have the Walt Simonson issues in the should-never-be-out-of-print Art of Walt Simonson. Also surprising: I didn't already have all of this one: from 2011, DC Comics Presents: Metal Men 100-Page Spectacular, mostly written by Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis, mostly drawn by Kevin Maguire!

While this starts with a reprint of the Bob Haney-written Silver Age: the Brave and the Bold #1, the rest is the complete run of back-up stories from Giffen's 2009 Doom Patrol, which I have most of but I don't think I added it to my pull list until it was already on the chopping block for cancellation. The Metal Men stories are fun, but that's all they are: there's barely a lick of development or drama, but maybe that's the way to go with them? They're largely resistant to change, or change and then quickly change back--malleable, you might say! One change should have stuck, though: the addition of new team member, Copper; but one running joke is that most of the team seems to forget her on a regular basis. (I thought she was from Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire, but Copper was actually an earlier addition, from 2007's Superman/Batman #34!) I'd love to have her back in the lineup again, like she took two years off to hitchhike across Europe, then just told everyone she had been there the whole time, and they bought it...I wondered if maybe the guys weren't building up to something, like the reason Magnus and the others never remember her was that she was some kind of plant; but now I kinda doubt that: in the last couple stories, they gave Magnus his own lab assistant/wacky sidekick, which really feels like overegging the pudding there. Read more!

Way back when I was a teenager, my family and I would be up near Glacier National Park most of the summer, but for my birthday would usually go into Kalispell for a movie. Which means when I was 15, we went to see Howard the Duck...man, I don't think I've ever watched it since, but I'm pretty sure I don't need to. That was coming at a time where superhero and comic book tie-ins were few and far between, and I so wanted it to be good, and nope. I hadn't read any of his comics at that point either, and while I know some of his history (and that of creator Steve Gerber) I don't have any great attachment to him. But I did get a few cheap ones recently, and this one's got old man Steve Rogers, Daredevil, She-Hulk, Spider-Man, the Savage Land, and Kevin Maguire! Well, that's got to be worth a look, right? From 2016, Howard the Duck #7, written by Chip Zdarsky, art by Kevin Maguire, color art by Joe Quinones and Jordan Gibson.

Incidentally, this was...around Secret Wars, since out of the assortment of HtD's I got in a pile, the numbering is a mess. There is an editorial footnote joke in the very first panel, as head of Parker Industries Peter Parker schmoozes with society types at a party, fishing for info for Howard and She-Hulk. They're trying to track down her missing client, Gary Stark--no relation to Tony, although he almost certainly didn't tell people that. Gary's described as making his bank off of knockoffs and untraceable burner phones, which were used by the mob, so the district attorney's office was after him as well: namely, Matt Murdock! She-Hulk isn't thrilled to see him, but he's there when Peter tells Howard Gary went missing with some other millionaires, on some kind of dinosaur safari. Ergo, the Savage Land. Matt wants to go, but She-Hulk vetoes a blind guy going on that trip, so he says he'll send his pal Daredevil instead. (His secret identity being secret again, for like the eighth time.) Spider-Man, who had asked his friend Peter for help, shows up and figures for a Savage Land trip, "we better ask Grandpa for the car." Enter Steve Rogers! Currently older than dirt, but okay. With Howard and his Skrull um, super-powered assistant Tara, they're on their way by the fifth page.

Stretching to get a look around, Tara gets grabbed by a passing pterodactyl, and my favorite joke of the issue ensues: She-Hulk jumps after her, right into the way of Spidey's web-line. I really don't think She-Hulk has ever warmed to Spider-Man. Howard gives Spidey a sick burn about his "spider-sense" being self-centered, before they find "Savage Park." That seems familiar somehow...Daredevil thinks he hears something and takes off, with She-Hulk right after him, since she didn't want DD beating any info out of her client. DD counters the guy's guilty as hell, and that info could net bigger bad guys. (I think I have the fairly recent 2015 She-Hulk issue with her vs. Matt, defending old man Steve! Their rivalry seems pretty recent, then.)

The bad guy here, Dave, had a plan to use his partner Janice's cybernetic helmets to control dinosaurs for a theme park; but then changed his mind and decided to hold his rich guests for ransom. (Which I'm not sure he ever asked anyone for, but when you're riding a tyrannosaur around you've got other things going.) Dave quite rightly points out this "bunch of city folk in sexy outfits!" might not be the best match against dinosaurs; while Steve tries to use one of the helmets to override Dave's control. Somewhat surprisingly, it fails, possibly because he was old and beat; but Spidey realizes Howard might be able to better connect with the dinosaurs, since birds descended from them. That does the trick, which Howard absolutely takes credit for.

Steve suggests rounding everyone up to head home, but Howard asks, why not stay a bit? Is anyone in a hurry to get back to New York, their crappy jobs, or Deadpool? He might have a point. This was a fun book, although even only two years out from it, it feels like a snapshot of a specific time now gone! Parker Industries and Old Man Cap are long gone, and I know She-Hulk went through some stuff since too. At least Daredevil still has a secret identity...as of right this second, I think.


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"The End" Week: Legion Lost #16 and Legion of Super-Heroes #23!

I actually have a small pile of Legion last issues next to me right now (and at least one Legion-related book!) but we'll double-down on what, unbelievably, is still the most recent of their finales: from 2013, Legion Lost #16, "Last Stand" Written by Tom DeFalco, pencils by Andres Guinaldo, inks by Mark Irwin; and Legion of Super-Heroes #23, "Aftermath" Written by Paul Levitz, art by Kevin Maguire.

The previous, pre-New 52 Legion Lost replaced the then-ongoing Legion books, and followed several members lost, and presumed dead, on the other side of the galaxy. This LL was an ongoing title to this point, and featured several members lost, and presumed dead, in the 21st century. (The Legion traditionally has a large cast, but none of the main characters overlapped between the two Lost books!) Unfortunately, they're a bit buried this issue, which also features Caitlin Fairchild (of Gen 13) Warblade (of WildC.A.T.s) a future version of Captain Atom (Adym), and the reboot version of the clone Superboy! And other characters with names like Leash, Thraxx, Harvest, and Daggor...and my eyes just glazed over typing that.

Several characters are redesigned to within an inch of their lives: Fairchild and Warblade are virtually unrecognizable. Although a couple Legionnaires are recovered, and a time loop seemingly closed, the villain is still up to whatever he's up to, and the team is still trapped in the past; and I don't believe either has been seen since. And I had a vague idea that New 52 Superboy's origin/status quo had been rejiggered since then as well.

Meanwhile, in the 31st century, we at least have Kevin Maguire art! Even if large chunks of the team are missing or dead, after the Fatal Five disrupted the United Planets' technology across several worlds. Brainiac 5 is trying to get the lights back on and lead the team, even though no one really trusts him to do that. Shadow Lass quits, before the Science Police come down to tell them the Legion is being disbanded. What's left of the team doesn't seem up to fighting it.

On her homeworld, Dream Girl feels like the Legion was disappearing like a bad dream; while Bouncing Boy mentions in other universes, where "Steppenwolf didn't send Superman to his doom," maybe things turned out differently. Bwah? That may be referring to Earth-2, so was this ever really "our" Legion? Well, it probably was, but this would be a way to leave the door open for another version down the line. Which has been hinted at, but hasn't turned up yet.

Man, I went out of my way to find both of these, and they didn't do it for me. Two Legion Last issues should do it for this year, the rest may have to keep...
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Art Adams, Kevin Maguire, and Ty Templeton on this one? Sold!

And Bizarro? Whoa, I'm already sold, quit selling! From 1990, Superboy #8, "But Am It Art?" Written by John Moore, pencils by Jim Mooney, inks by Art Adams. Cover by Maguire and Templeton.

This series was based on the syndicated TV show that ran four seasons from 1988 to 1992, which was run late night Saturdays in my neck of the woods, so I rarely saw it. Still, even if this wasn't the traditional continuity, with a college-age Clark; it's still a pretty recognizable Superboy. Even though Lana Lang is in this one too, Clark spends a lot of the issue with his co-worker at the Herald, photographer Janelle Cisernos. Unlike Clark, she's not devoted to journalism, just an art student working on the side; but she's observant and does a good job. Good enough to notice Clark's kinda buff, not good enough to notice he's Superboy! Still, when Bizarro returns from space, Janelle gets the idea to use him as part of her art installation. With mixed results: Bizarro is mostly harmless, and kept docile with cartoons, but apt to get riled if they're interrupted.

There is a subplot about Bizarro's instability, and how he might explode; but white Kryptonite stabilized him to the point where he only blows up a little. Bizarro heads out into space to make his own art, while Janelle is a surprise success. "Am over."

Looking at the cover gallery, I feel like I read more of this series than I saw the TV show; and I watch a lotta TV! But I don't think I watched Lois & Clark or even Smallville regularly. Love Supergirl, though.
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Now, if I find the ones I already bought...

The local comic shop knows if they put a full run of a limited series in the dollar bin, I'll usually grab it right up. But every once in a while other stores come through, too; although now I think I should have a tag for when I buy an issue I already have because it's right there and it's easier than trying to find it. But this was still cheaper than the trade: from 2008, Batman Confidential #17-21, "The Cat and the Bat" Written by Fabian Nicieza, art by Kevin Maguire.

This was a five issue arc, billed as the first meeting of Catwoman and Batgirl. As Barbara Gordon, Batgirl borrows a notebook of her dad's, Commissioner Gordon; which Catwoman promptly steals. Batgirl had been trying to figure out the coded notes in order to see if Gordon knew anything about Batman's secret identity, but hadn't been able to crack it, so it could be anything. After a chase sequence running a couple of issues and through a nudist club, Catwoman explains she needs the notebook to save a life, and they team-up against the Russian mob; which has brought a big-name Batman villain in to decipher the code. Eventually Batman shows up, not super-impressed with the whole thing.

I think I actually bought the third and fourth issues a couple of weeks back, and had the fifth one somewhere...but it's nicer to have them all together at once. Grabbed all five at a Hastings for ninety-nine cents an issue, and a steal at that price!
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Kevin Maguire should never do a 'Got Milk?' ad. EVER.

I still have a few issues of Acclaim Comics Trinity Angels, although I never did get the whole series. Sometimes, a book comes out at just the wrong time: aside from Acclaim's forthcoming collapse as a company, the series debuted in 1997, and was about three sisters who are brought together again by magic, as they are the only line of defense between humanity and some messed-up monsters, like Mad Cow there. So, it was Charmed, with more super-hero elements and more outre monsters, a good year before that series premiered.

Creator Kevin Maguire, of Justice League International and other stuff, drew the first five or so issues, before falling behind and ending up just writing and doing covers for the last seven. Interestingly, the Barbella sisters had more individualized (and slightly more revealing) the first few issues; but Maguire soon realized they were a nightmare to draw on a repeated basis. And in the first issue, they wake up in a forest and don't recognize each other, since they look different as the Angels.

Scans from Trinity Angels #9, "Fearful Reunion!" written by Kevin Maguire, pencils by Robert Walker and Jamal Igle, inks by Miehm, Adams, McKenna, and Almond; and #1, written and penciled by Maguire and inked by Dan Panosian. If you see issue #12 in a quarter box...
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