Friday means many things to many people. For some, Friday means we just stop. For others, it is time to go. For others still, there are various pauses, punctuated by movement.
At iFanboy, Friday means it’s letter column time.
You write. We answer. Very simple.
As always, if you want to have your e-mail read on the any of our shows or answered here, keep them coming — contact@ifanboy.com
I was wondering was if you guys think it’s better for a superhero to go out with another superhero or if it’s better when they have civilian relationships.
Tim V.
I’m reminded of an episode of Roseanne called “Good-bye, Mr. Right” by Dunston Checks In writer Bruce Graham. It’s 1990. Jackie’s seeing this really swell guy named Gary during her years as police officer. They’re sweet on each other, but he’s constantly at her about leaving the force so he doesn’t have to worry about her getting hurt. One day Jackie tackles a naked guy she suspects to be carrying a gun and they tumble down a flight of stairs. This lands her in the hospital and eventually in DJ’s room on bed rest. Gary gives her an ultimatum. Either she turns in her badge and allows him to support her, or he walks. Because of her injury, Jackie knows she’s destined for desk duty anyway, but she doesn’t tell the guy that. Because this was a job she loved and the rewards were well worth the assumed risks, Jackie takes issue with the boyfriend’s demands. They ultimately part ways, and Dan never ends up helping Gary fix up the used bike they’d had their eyes on. It’s a difficult situation in that these two — Jackie and Gary, not necessarily Dan and Gary — really seemed happy together. Even though Jackie ultimately leaves the force and goes on to try her hand at safer gigs like acting, truck driving, and loose meat food service, it’s a shame that her beloved vocation as police officer was such a point of derision. We understand her irritation at Gary’s guilt trips, but we also kind of get the guy’s anxiety, and the very human desire to position a loved one out of harm’s way.
And that’s just one of the reasons a crime fighter/civilian relationship can be so taxing. Sometimes it works, as is the case with Clark Kent and Lois Lane. They’ve seemingly found an understanding. It doesn’t hurt that Superman is mostly invulnerable and Lois operates as if she is too. Peter Parker has had mixed success with this kind of thing. And though a relationship with Black Cat would probably make his life easier and less prone to difficult decisions made at bridges, the heart wants what the heart wants.
But is a metahuman/metahuman relationship free from the kind of stresses implicit in a relationship between a costume hero leading multiple lives and an ordinary mortal? Sometimes it’s even more strenuous. You have ensemble drama coming into play, with the near incestuous soap opera dynamics of a superhero team. It’s not just like dating someone from the office. It’s like dating someone from the office who you’ve seen in alternate dimensions and with whom you’ve defeated Galactus through ethically questionable means. There’s a lot of baggage there. That said, many have made it work. Mister Miracle and Big Barda. Reed and Sue. Liberty Belle and Hour Man. That’s not to say that their marriages or relationships are consistently stable. Sue has left Reed because Reed was totally being a dick. The thing is, superhero comics are the height of melodrama. And that means nobody stays happy forever. Relationships crumble, even if they eventually heal themselves. Relationships change. And weird things happen. Like Rogue and Magneto. Or Rogue and the Sentry. Or Rogue and…
Well. You get the idea.
As with everything, it all depends on the person.
Unless you’re Batman. Then you shouldn’t date anybody. Because you’re a life ruiner.
Paul Montgomery
Oftentimes we’ll get e-mails from people asking us to help them identify a book they remember from years ago. Sometimes we can help, sometimes not. Here are two of the latter.
I’m stuck at work and completely hopped up on cold medicine and without any desire to do any work. Anyway, I wanted to ask specifically about two old books I remember fondly but could not find after my big reorganization effort. Either of you guys own or have any memory of the following books?
1) The Last Days of the Justice Society of America — this was a Post Crisis one-shot to basically get rid of the rest of the JSA that was still around after Crisis on Infinite Earths. It dealt with the fact that the JSA’s memories of their own history were now wrong and didn’t match what everyone else remembered. And then at some point for reasons I can’t come close to remembering either The Spectre or Dr. Fate somehow transports the consciousness of the JSA into the bodies of the Norse Gods (I shit you not). And there the JSA battles forever against the forces of evil trying to prevent Ragnarok. Every time the battle ends it starts all over again in a crazy time loop. This supposedly removed them from the DC Universe for all time while technically not killing them and maintaining their heroic status.
2) Either a Batman or Detective Comics Annual — in this story we meet Batman’s opposite number, the flip side of the coin. Basically, some guys parents were bad guys and gunned down by the cops so the kid swears vengeance on law enforcement or justice or some such thing. He trains and becomes a badass assassin and travels the world killing policemen and detectives and anyone working for the good guys. He comes to Gotham, lots of fighting and at some point bad guy figures out Batman is Bruce Wayne. The bad guy then beats the crap out of Alfred and vandalizes Bruce’s parents gravestones. And that’ all I remember. So, ring any bells for anyone? Any chance these could be collected somewhere, and if so could you recommend a way to find out?
Mike in Boston, MA
and
I was wondering that may be you could help me, I’ve been looking for some data about a comic I’ve read when I was very young (I am 53) it was about a group of air fighters (jets pilots) that fought against Nazi army or something very like that, I suppose they were called: Halcones de oro (Golden Hawks) or something like that, could it be possible to you to tell me something about them. I really don’t know if the where DC Comics or Marvel Comics characters, the were a bunch of 6 guys with silver jets, no special powers I could remember.
Fernando from Argentina
Of the three books mentioned here the only one that I have any inkling of is The Last Days of the Justice Society of America Special that Mike mentioned. I don’t remember a lot about it, I just remember seeing the cover. In my collection? Someone else’s? At a store? I don’t know. I also remember a similar comic with, if I recall correctly, The Spectre looming over everyone. Or something like that. At that time, around Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC was basically sweeping the Justice Society of America under the rug, so as a kid I only vaguely knew of them, mostly from their guest appearances in Justice League of America comics.
See? See how helpful I was in that response? I always feel bad when I can’t help people who write in with questions. In fact, I’ve been holding onto these two e-mails for a while hoping I’d either figure out a way to find these books or perhaps have a dream one night where a backwards talking midget reveals the answers to me in a riddle.
So this is my solution. I’m throwing it open to you, loyal readers of the letters column, for help. Can’t anyone help Mike and/or Fernando?
You’re their only hope.
Conor Kilpatrick
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Paul on the relationship answer had me baffled. i couldnt figure out whose voice” i was reading.
also some digging lead me to believe Mike’s villain is “The Wrath”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrath_(comics)
I think Mike is talking about the Wrath in his second point. Who had a brief appearance in the 80s but saw a minor resurgence in Interest over the past 3 years with a one-off appearance on The Batman. In which case, you’d be looking for Batman Special #1 from 1984.
Could he possibly be talking about the Black Hawks in the 3rd paragraph? (Golden Hawks is the name of a Canadian Air Force “stunt” group like America’s Blue Angels.)
I remember Last Days of the JSA – I even own it. Conor’s right, it was the best way to shuffle them under the carpet. Armageddon 2001 brought the JSAers back from Ragnrok and they starred in two minis in the early 90s before disappearing again until Zero Hour.
Could that Batman story refer to this guy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrath_(comics)
The Batman comic is Batman Special #1 (1984), in which we first meet the Wrath. I haven’t read the comic, but I loved the image of The Wrath in Who’s Who. A second Wrath turned up more recently in Batman Confidential #13.
Heh. That’ll teach me to refresh before posting.
I agree with you on the Wraith/Wrath. It was a one shot Batman special. It then was reprinted in the “Greatest Batman stories ever told”. I want to say Michael Golden worked on it. The second unidentified book had to be “Blackhawks”. They have been around for quite a long time (I think they were part of Plastic Man’s publisher). Hope that helps.
The other JSA title that Connor mentions is most likely America vs. The Justice Society of America. If I remember right one of the issues had the Spectre on the cover about ready to hand out some of his patented, old-school, Old Testament judgement. The first issue’s cover has the Earth-2 Batman accusing the JSA of treason.
I think Batman Special #1 is reprinted in the Batman: The Wrath trade paperback, as a prelude to the new story.
@ed209AF “Paul on the relationship answer had me baffled. i couldnt figure out whose voice” i was reading.”
Same here! I was reading it thinking “This is brilliant, but who IS this?” and had to scroll down and see before I’d finished it.
on a side note, I had to laugh when I read about Tim’s catching up on the podcast. I did the same thing about two years ago, and I know I’ve heard other e-mail/voicemails saying the same thing. I find it hilarious that we have the need to do that. maybe Chris Arrant needs to do a “Where Do I Start?- iFanboy”.
@PraxJarvin Good research. Now, that JSA issue raises the question ” Who are the Lords of the Ultra Realm?”
Nice. Thank you Conor and everyone for your help. It was Batman Special #1 I was thinking of and I found my copy of The Last Days of the Justice Society of America Special and it was awesome. Thanks all.
@Jesse I think… it may have been some type of Fantasy Comic DC put out in 86. Written by someone like Mike W. Barr or Doug Moench or someone.
The Wrath origin sounds so similar to the origin of Prometheus in New Year’s Evil: Prometheus by Grant Morrison that I can’t help but believe Morrison borrowed from it. Prometheus was also considered to be the “anti-Batman.”
A second Wrath shows up in Batman Confidential around issue 15 or so. I remember this story being pretty good, and it does reference the original. Might be worth a read.
@kennyg I thought Prometheus was the guy Mike was asking about. I guess Wrath came first.
p.s. I like turtles.
@kennyg That’s the one I was thinking of too. NY Evil.
wow, that batman story sounds quiiiiiiite a lot like ne mesis
well i was wondering why most comics never really use that relationship dynamic consistantly. its something i’d like to see explored in more series.
To Fernando from Argentina:
Como Esta! Halcon de Oro, published by the Mexican company Novaro, is the comic you are remembering. It literally means Golden Hawk but featured reprints of DC Comics Blackhawk series. Novaro owned the erights to reprint DC Comics materail. It was called Golden Hawk because Blackhawk, or El Halcon Negro, was already being used by the publisher La Prensa, for reprinted Blackhawk stories from the Quality Comics publishers which owned Blackhawk when it was created. La Prensa had the rights to reprint Quality COmics material. Quality sold Blackhawk to DC comics which touched off a lawsuit in Mexico between rival Novaro and La Prensa for the publication rights for the title. Who did they belong to Quality or DC, and who had the rights to reproduce them, Novaro or La Prensa? For awhile, while the case was pending, both publications were being printed and sold. But just prior to the case going to court, La Prensa bowed out, giving Novasro sole rights to reprint the stories. Interestingly, because the title was SO popular in Mexico and the profits so enticing, La Prensa, legally or not in the United States, produced their own Blackhawk stories, by their own writers and artists, etc. under the EL Halcon Negro title. So, there are Blackhawk stories known only in Spanish. Also, interstingly, many of these Mexican reprints, were reprinted themselves in an Argentinian comic called Bucaneros, under the title Aquila Negra, or Black Eagle. Bucaneros was a tinier publication, digest-sized.
I hope this helps!