Action Comics #854
More EXCELLENT reading by Busiek. And seriously, the editors suck. Seriously. This is their note on the first page: "Oooops!! Hope you read Countdown #37 before opening this book! If you didn't...well, uh, we didn't really have much chance to warn you before page 1! Sorry!" Yeah, so I flipped through the issue of Countdown and discovered a scene where nearly nothing happens that isn't explained in this book. I'm not trusting the DC editors again until Countdown is over. Because, seriously, they keep pushing Countdown on us - like they realize it sucks but are completely unable to admit it. I mean, is anybody really reading it anymore? Thank you Kurt Busiek for making it largely irrelevant. I appreciate it a lot. You've made it so that I can read about Jimmy Olsen/Mr. Action without having to read crap.
This issue features the showdown between Jimmy and the Kryptonite Man, part 2, where Jimmy once again manifests his Werewolf and Elastic Lad powers, but also becomes a solar radiator. Then later, Jimmy faces off with Titano (!!!) and grows to ginormous proportions! And then just calms the super-ape down. Krypto moves in with Jimmy and helps him get the girl, too. And even if you know what happens, it's still a pleasure to read. So go out and buy yourself a copy right now!
The art is a bit shaky at first, especially when it comes to close-ups on Clark's face, but nowhere near the level of BAD that it is in Countdown, so that's fine.
All in all, an EXCELLENT issue.
Next: Aw, come on, Mom! Do we have to have Donner back? Seriously? Nuts!
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3 comments:
>> More EXCELLENT reading by Busiek. >>
Glad you liked it!
>> And seriously, the editors suck. Seriously. This is their note on the first page: "Oooops!! Hope you read Countdown #37 before opening this book! If you didn't...well, uh, we didn't really have much chance to warn you before page 1! Sorry!" Yeah, so I flipped through the issue of Countdown and discovered a scene where nearly nothing happens that isn't explained in this book.>>
Actually, I wrote that blurb. And it didn't say "go read Countdown," it says we hope you read Countdown before opening this -- after all, our opening splash page gives away their surprise ending.
Sure, we explain what's going on -- good comics should be understandable and enjoyable on their own, after all, whatever they connect to -- but the fact remains, anyone who read ACTION before COUNTDOWN got the ending of COUNTDOWN blown by the first page of ACTION.
But then again, like we said, there wasn't room for a warning earlier than that. Not unless we put it on the cover...
kdb
>>Actually, I wrote that blurb.
Whoops!
I guess I let my snark get the better of me.
Busiek's absolutely right. He didn't say "Go read Countdown", he merely mentioned that that issue contained some interlude scenes between this and last issue.
My bad.
It's actually quite interesting that Busiek himself is writing the "editor's notes" within his books. One might wonder why, but I don't. Editor's notes are one of the things I miss most about this postmodern age of comics. Sometimes they're absolutely necessary and are still omitted. Busiek obviously feels similarly. Therefore, he's taken the initiative and has begun putting them back in of his own accord. If editorial takes a cue from him, great. And if not, we'll just have to hope that Busiek ends up writing many many more titles than he is currently, and is eventually elevated to an editorial position (if such is his wish) where he can continue this fine technique.
I HAVE actually seen several books during the years that had warnings to read other books first on their covers. I can only imagine that Busiek didn't put the warning on the cover because he didn't want to tout Countdown too much.
Darn, have I been overanalyzing again?
Sorry. I'm stopping now.
>> It's actually quite interesting that Busiek himself is writing the "editor's notes" within his books.>>
Almost all "editor's notes" were actually written by the writer, not the editor. I'm not sure why they're presented as from the editor -- it likely has something to do with Stan Lee writing them himself and then having subsequent writers write them as if they were coming from him to foster the illusion that he was more involved, or DC's Silver Age posture that the editors were the ones in charge, not the writers. Or both.
But when you're reading a comic from the seventies or eighties, and there's an editor's note, the writer wrote it. Almost every time.
>> I HAVE actually seen several books during the years that had warnings to read other books first on their covers. I can only imagine that Busiek didn't put the warning on the cover because he didn't want to tout Countdown too much. >>
The cover had gone off to press before I dialogued the issue. Otherwise, I'd have done it in a heartbeat, but hadn't thought of it until it was no longer an option.
kdb
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