Thursday, May 03, 2012

80-Page Thursdays: All Star Comics 80-Page Giant!



Another Thursday, another 80-pager: from 1999, All-Star Comics 80-Page Giant, with stories by Mark Waid, John Ostrander, Tomy Peyer, and more; and art by Adam DeKraker, Denys Cowan, David Ross, and more. We looked at the Joe Kelly/Duncan Rouleau Spectre/Starman story "P.O.V." before, but let's check out the rest:

Waid opens with a story that remembers the original Atom's main motivation for being a hero: he was barely five foot one, and being a superhero gave him an outlet to get back at everyone that made fun or picked on him for his height. But, charging in on a stealth mission, Al picks up a suspension from JSA chairman Hawkman; which leaves him getting angrier and angrier. Dr. Mid-Nite helps out with a bit of therapy, teaching Al to reach his non-violent happy place. Which leaves him too mellow to help Wildcat and Mid-Nite against the Gambler...

In "The Way of the Amazon," Wonder Woman tries to work with Phantom Lady and Liberty Belle, before finding a surprising embodiment of Amazon ideals. Then, Hourman faces a radium-powered foe, "The 90-Minute Man." Next, Firebrand and the Shining Knight fight a Nazi-raised Thor in the White House in "Thunderstruck."

Next, in "Waking Nightmare," the Nazi dream assassin Kali Guri turns Wonder Woman and Hawkman against each other, and only the Sandman can save them. Finally, in the present, Jack Knight boxes with Wildcat, and we see what Jack's made of...even though he was probably pretty close to retiring at that point. "The Ropes" also features Stargirl as a ring girl, which she's probably a bit young for...
Jack usually had tattoos, before losing them in space...
I got this issue for a dollar, but it's not bad.

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