The Comics Rack

THE DON ROSA ARCHIVES I: THE PERTWILLABY PAPERS

   Much as I try to keep track of what books are out there, every so often one slips in under the radar. And when that book knocks my socks off, not only do my feet get cold, but I wonder why I didn't know about the book sooner. Case in point...The Don Rosa Archives I: The Pertwillaby Papers!
   I've been a fan of Rosa's work since the late 70s when he worked on the "Information Center" of the Rocket's Blast Comic Collector. Rosa, or as he was known in those days, Keno Don Rosa, replied to comic questions in the IC and also added spot drawings that were downright excellent (editor James Van Hise knew how to pick 'em), often featuring Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge and the nephews. In 1976, Rosa also began to produce a regular comic story called The Pertwillaby Papers. I don't remember what part I started on (distribution of RBCC was a bit of a problem), but I know I enjoyed the the adventures of Lance Pertwillaby and was saddened when they ended in 1978.
   The book at hand reprints the entirety of Rosa's pre-duck opus, episode #1-140 including the never before reprinted college sequences that were done as a daily strip (while later episodes were done as comic book pages) and a 1982 chapter for the final, uncompleted adventure, that was never used (I will mention here that Fantagraphics did reprint the "Sub-Zero" and "Vortex" sequences in magazine format under the title Don Rosa's Comics & Stories, but this is the first time that the entire Pertwillaby Papers have been collected). Taken as a whole, these are downright fun stories. Lance Pertwillaby, a college student at the beginning of the strip, seems to find himself involved in a series of increasing complex adventures, beginning with an element that destroys all surface friction, to Incan treasure, lost Nazi loot, a journey to the center of the earth due to a black hole, and finally ending with the time travel adventure that was never completed. Along the way, we meet a large supporting cast, including Lance's girlfriend, Feather and the evil Professor Smyte.
   What makes these stories so remarkable is the comic, yet serious, style that Rosa brings to the strip. Each story, from the early dailies to the comic book serials, has a style that is very reminiscent of the Barks' Duck stories in tone (which should be no surprise), but is still unique and combines many cultural references with some actual works of fiction (Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth). There are also veiled references throughout to Barks' Duck stories that many will find humorous. It is fascinating, however, that Rosa created what is probably one of the few adventure comic strips during an era that worshipped super heroes. It is equal parts slapstick and Indiana Jones...many years before Indiana Jones made his first appearance. Rosa's art is fairly crude at the beginning of the stories, but rapidly develops into the style that we know today from his work on Scrooge and Donald. Sharp-eyed readers will also notice a similarity between the Incan sequence and the first Scrooge story Rosa produced in 1987: a similarity that Rosa freely admits in the introduction to the book, since he swiped the idea from himself.
   That is the good news. The bad news is that I really don't know how you can go about obtaining this book, which is something I recommend you do if you are a fan of Rosa's Duck work. The publisher if Gazette Bok of Norway and they have a page on the Internet where they talk about both this volume and its sequel (which features Captain Kentucky and is not near as much fun as Pertwillaby) which you can find by clicking this link (Gazette Bok). The site does not mention price, but only gives an email link for ordering information. I know that I found my copy a couple of years ago and paid $30 for it, so that should give you an idea.
   Really can't come up with anything else to say about this one. It is fun, it is well worth the time to seek it out and it is definitely worth the time invested in the reading. Not only will you get to see the development of one of the great storytellers of our time, you will also get to read some nifty stories that are truly original.

For more on Don Rosa, see The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Companion and Walt Disney's Donald and Scrooge.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN FAMILY VOL. 1

   One of the interesting highlights of the Weisinger era was the development, and expansion, of the supporting cast for Superman. Starting off with a small core that was limited to Lois Lane, Perry White, Jimmy Olsen and Lana Lang it eventually expanded to include a large portion Krypton, the Kents, Supergirl, Pete Ross, Lucy Lane, numerous aliens and even Batman, Superman's closest friend during the Silver Age. Eventually, some of these characters were spun off into their own solo adventures and the umbrella title for this large supporting cast became known as "The Superman Family."
   The volume up for review this time around, Showcase Presents: Superman Family Vol. 1, takes a look at a couple of these supporting characters. Apparently in a desire to keep things chronological, the book reprints Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #1-22, Showcase #9 (the Lois Lane tryout issue from 1957) and the first Lois Lane solo story from Superman #28 (1944). For those of you who are fans of Lois, I'm sure this volume will be a bit of a disappointment, but for those who are die-hard Olsen fans, like me, this latest book is a wonderful trip back to simpler times.
   How best to explain Jimmy Olsen? Jimmy is a young adult with a boyish quality and is probably somebody we wouldn't mind being. He has no exact age and always addresses those around him as Mr., Mrs., or Miss, suggesting that he is much younger than those around him. On the other hand, he has his own apartment, his parents are never mentioned and he has a regular job as a cub (a young, or inexperienced) reporter for the Daily Planet. He can pilot a helicopter, drive a car, shoot a gun and seems to be pretty good with his fists. He has money problems, is highly intelligent and his adventures have introduced him to kings and queens, space aliens and common stret thugs. Oh, and by the way...his closest friend and pal is a god-like being known as Superman.
   All of these facets to the character were, I'm fairly sure, planned by the editorial "powers that be" at DC to create a character with broad appeal. Yet what is most interesting in these early stories, all of which are credited to Otto Binder, is that they don't have the "wacky" quality of the 60s Olsen stories. Most of the stories presented here (and notice I say most) are within the realm of probablity, or normality, for the world that Jimmy inhabits. After all, if you can accept Superman, you can accept time travel, signal watches, and pseudo-science gone wrong. The best stories revolve around Jimmy and his desire to do what is right, regardless of the circumstances. If he gets in over his head, the signal watch brings Superman to the rescue. The weakest are the "Jimmy gets super powers and..." plots that seem to stretch the boundaries of the fantasy world that Jimmy inhabits In other words, Jimmy is the human, the person we identify with, and Superman is the "more than human", the person we cannot be. Once Jimmy reaches the same plane as Superman, the stories are not near as much fun. The character of Superman is also different here and he seems softer and more fun-loving than in his own adventures.
   Artwise, the work of Curt Swan is always a pleasure and nearly all of the stories and covers are by Swan with inks by Ray Burnley and Stan Kaye. Swan was a very talented artist and it is the details of his work that are most impressive. Guns look like guns, cars look like cars and the story settings all have a satisfying and distinct look to them. Swan was also a master of facial expression and, under his hand, the characters show a wide range of emotion while maintaining a distinct look that keeps the reader from becoming confused as to who is who.
   I have purposely skipped mention of the Lois Lane stories, simply because I have always found most of the character's adventures to be rather dull, dealing as they do with one of two plots: "what is Superman's secret identity?" and "How can I get Superman to marry me?". The stories here did nothing to change my opinion, except for the solo Lois story from Superman #28, where she is portrayed as a spunky reporter. That is the Lois I enjoy! The adult Lana Lang is introduced in one of the Showcase stories, beginning a long-running love triangle that continued into the late 60s.
   All in all, this is a fun and enjoyable collection of stories that should keep you entertained and bring you a chuckle or two. Granted these stories are from a simpler time, but they are solid stories that don't digress into the inner angst that seems to motivate today's modern comic heroes.
   Showcase Presents: Superman Family Vol. 1 has an SRP of $16.99.

WALT DISNEY TREASURES-DISNEY COMICS: 75 YEARS OF INNOVATION

    Occasionally, a book comes out that make you scratch your head in disbelief: not because it is so bad, but because it is so good. This was my experience when I picked up a copy of Walt Disney Treasures-Disney Comics: 75 Years Of Innovation. Often, these overview type of books are filled with lesser quality stories, as if the publisher is saving the better material for their regular books. With this volume, however, great pains seem to have been taken to present not only quality material, but also an overview of the type of material produced by all of the Disney liscensees worldwide from 1930 to 2004.
   The book begins with an excellent introduction by Gemstone editor Dave Gerstein, in which he gracefully praises the Disney line, while putting the stories in the volume into an historical context. Quite frankly, I've never realy considered Disney to be an innovator in the field of comics. After all, Disney has had its ups and downs regardless of the publisher (many of us would just like to pretend that the last days with Gold Key never happened), but their comic content has always been conservative in both story and art. As I read through the book, however, I found the introduction (and the well cited table of contents) to be invaluable in putting the comic stories in perspective. Disney comics may not be innovative, but, through Gerstein's introduction, I think I have a better feel for the changes that all the Disney characters have gone through over the years.
   The comics themselves need very little comment here, except to say that this is one of the few collections of this type that I have read where it is truly a "best of ". Gottfredson and Taliaferro are represented (and expected), as are Barks and Rosa, but the book also includes Walt Kelly, Al Buettner, Al Hubbard and Paul Murry. Not only that, but you also get stories from Italy, Denmark, Holland, Sweden and Brazil by the likes of Scarpa, Ferioli, Milton & Jippes, Branca and Fukue. Mickey, Donald and Scrooge are well represented, but the book also includes Bucky Bug, the Gremlins, José Carioca, Brer Rabbit, Chip and Dale, Pluto and, what I consider the lower end characters Super Goof, Fethery Duck and Arizona Dipp. Seems like a lot, don't it? Gerstein's introduction, however, puts it all together.
   I only have a few minor quibbles over the book. The cover looks more like an advertising poster rather than a book cover. Much of the text it contains could have been reserved for the back of the book and then the Don Rosa drawing (a variation on Four Color #386), which also includes a Rosa Mouse (*gasp*), could have been blown up to a larger size. I also question, although not very loudly, the selection of some of the contents. I have no problem with Li'l Bad Wolf, but why was Scamp overlooked? I would also question why the work of Ub Iwerks was skipped without even a mention. After all, he was the first artist on Mickey and at least one strip would have paid tribute to his efforts.
   These matters aside, this is one of the items that definitely belongs on your sagging bookshelf. Walt Disney Treasures-Disney Comics: 75 Years Of Innovation has an SRP of $12.99 and, at that price, is a bargain!

E-MAN: RECHARGED

   Over the years, I have seen more than enough reboots, returns, revivals and new directions to know that the vast majority have been failures. So, it was with great trepidation that I answered an email from Randy Buccini, the editor of the new E-Man: Recharged comic from Digital Webbing. Randy asked if I would care to review the new comic, based, I'm guessing, on what I had to say in advance of the comic's release. I sent him my address and, since these things often don't pan out, didn't really give it a second thought until I stopped by the post office a couple of days ago. There, a carefully bent envelope (thank you, USPS!) from Digital Webbing had been lovingly stuffed into my PO box. When I got home, I opened the envelope, flattened out the comic and prepared to be disappointed. The last preparation was unnecessary, however, since, in terms of E-Man, lightning has struck twice.
   When E-Man first appeared from Charlton Comics in 1973, Charlton was going through a period of expansion. Besides publishing the first work of many new artists (Mike Zeck started there, as did Don Newton and also that Byrne guy [wonder whatever happened to him?]) the company also willing to try some new ideas and concepts. The stories coming from Marvel and DC were good, but tended to be more relevant and realistic than in times past. Warren was all doom and gloom. So, along came E-Man, drawn in a comic/super-hero style by Joe Staton and written with tongue firmly planted in cheek by Nick Cuti. With a small supporting cast (Mike Mauser and Teddy Q) and lots of humor, E-Man proceeded to take the usual super-hero conventions and twist them around.
   Fotunately, the new E-Man: Recharged has recaptured the old magic that made the first run so enjoyable. There are no attempts to update the characters and no grim and gritty. The story just takes up as if no time has passed since the last appearance: a welcome change in this era of company wide crises. E-Man is still an innocent (think Reed Richards crossed with Li'l Abner) and Nova Kane is still an exotic dancer and college student (think "cheesecake"). Mike Mauser still likes horseradish and onions (although he does use a computer) and Teddy Q continues to add visual humor in the backgrounds.
   Yet through it all, there is a sense of fun that just doesn't exist in the comics of today. E-Man and Nova are both indestructible, but they aren't put into situations of extreme peril. The main point of the story is that they have to use their abilities to solve the problem set before them. In fact, the closest comparison I can think of is Jack Cole's Plastic Man. In the world that Cole created, Plastic Man just "is" and the world of Cuti and Staton's E-Man is no different. E-Man and Nova just "are". They accept who and what they are and invite the reader to suspend any disbelief in what is going on, by acting as if what they are doing is normal.
   There are some wonderful bits, here, both visual and written. Nova, as always, looks great (I really had a crush on her back in '73). Staton adds many visual bits to the panels, such as small items in the panel backgrounds, signs on storefronts and even the gum stuck to Mauser's shoe in the last panel. Over the years, his art has become a bit more angular than it once was, but he is still able to draw characters who are recognizable from panel to panel (something missing from today's comics) and the only minor quibble I have is that the panels seem a bit cluttered at times, with the characters set too far forward in some of them. Cuti's story is extremely well done, with just the right amount of flashbacks to bring new readers up to speed. The dialogue is also excellent, with many small asides that has the characters poking fun at the story ("...an abandoned--yet fortunately fully functional--amusement park."). I've also always enjoyed the character names in E-Man and Cuti does not disappoint in this regard, since the main villain is named Seymour Clearly: a pun you will need to read the story to fully understand.
   If I was to choose one word to sum up E-Man Recharged it would have to be FUN. I had fun reading it, the creators obviously had fun writing and drawing the story and the characters have fun taking part in their adventure, even though they seem to be aware that they are in a story-
   Alec: "Pretty long flashback."
   Nova: "Yeah, but I really needed the break."
   With dialogue like that, how can you go wrong? Even some 30 years after Cuti and Staton first introduced the characters, E-Man and Nova are still able to make me chuckle.
   E-Man: Recharged is a one-shot, has an SRP of $3.99 and should be available now (and, before I forget, thanks to colorist Matt Webb for using a color palette that isn't based on various shades of warm poop!).

CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER VOL. 1

   I don't read many new comics anymore, mainly because of cost (which is outrageous), but also because the art and story are just not what they used to be. Colors are too dark, very few artists seem capable of drawing a character the same way twice and the stories seem to be stretched or compressed from their normal length so they can fit into that all-important trade paperback. Often, I think that today's creators, from the editorial staff on down, still have the mindset that has plagued comics for years, but now with a twist: that the readership turns over every few years, and whatever happens today can be changed in next year's "Earth-Shaking" company-wide crossover.
   One of my favorite characters is Captain America and during a discusion with my local comic dealer, he happened to mention the there were some good things coming out in Captain America at the hands of writer Ed Brubaker. I haven't read any Cap adventures since the "Heroes Reborn" fiasco of a couple of years ago, so, I was a bit interested in what Brubaker was doing with the character. Some more discussion ensued and I finally ended up ordering the trade paperback of Captain America: Winter Soldier Vol. 1.
   Even a couple of weeks after finishing the book, I'm still mulling over what I read and trying to decide whether I enjoyed it or not. The basic story is the first arc in what I've been told may be three or four arcs, so I realize that the collection is not a complete tale, but only the first part and, on that level, it succeeds quite well. The character of Captain America is well done, as are the supporting characters of Nick Fury and Sharon Carter. The basic premise of the story, Captain America is having flashbacks that may or may not be what really happened coupled with a mystery involving the Red Skull and the Cosmic Cube, is well structured and stands up with my memories of previous Cap tales. Maybe not the best, but far from the worst (remember Rob Leifeld's attempt at doing Cap?). No, the basics are all there, but...
   My first problem with the book is the sub-plots. I've got nothing against a good sub-plot, but to suggest that Nick Fury may have some information that will destroy Cap's world seems a bit far fetched (last panel of issue #5). After all, we are talking about a character who has been through numerous changes already, the least of which being that he is some 20 years out of his time. Exactly what Nick can know is a mystery, one that may be interesting, but it does seem a bit clichéd. And it does raise a question: what original change can be made to a character who has been in print for nearly 60 years? Well, that may be part of the second sub-plot(s) that concern Bucky. Seems that, as revealed in the middle of issue #5, Bucky had a dark side and he functioned as a sort of costumed commando, who was capable of killing, if necessary. Why? Again, I question why this particular part of the legend needs to be re-written, but I'm willing to follow along to see what happens. The other portion of the Bucky story is that if Cap's flashbacks are correct, Bucky didn't die the way they told us years ago...and I'll leave it to you to read the story to find out. As to how this fits into things, I'll wait and see, with great trepidation.
   The biggest problem with this collection, then, is not so much the story, but the art. Steve Epting draws the majority of each issue, with flashback sequences done by Michael Lark and the final issue of the collection is done by John Paul Leon and Tom Palmer. The Lark sequences are quite well done and the Epting sequences less so, since Epting seems incapapble of drawing the same character in the same way twice. The Red Skull is pretty easy, but Steve Rogers and Nick Fury both change, often from panel to panel, but, in many cases, if it weren't for the progression of panels, I'd wonder just who was who. This problem is also not helped by the coloring of the book. I'm not sure when it was decided that every story at Marvel had to take place either at night or during a heavy cloud cover, but this entire sequence, starting with the cover, seems to be an attempt to make a dark comic. All colors are muted, even during a sequence that should be in daylight: the sky is the wrong color and the colors of buildings in full sunlight are too dark. And, exactly why are all skin tones done in shades of warm pooh? Can't understand how all these characters live and work in the dark, but have tans to rival George Hamilton.
   So, I have find myself with a kind of mixed recommendation for this one. The story has promise and may actually go somewhere, but the art is a big stumbling block for those of you who may remember when comic characters were known as "four-color". There is also an extrememly well written final story in the volume, which deals with the end of Jack Monroe, AKA Nomad, and that raises the collection a bit higher in my estimation, but, in the long run, it is all up to you.
   Captain America: Winter Soldier Vol. 1 has an SRP of $16.99, which is cheaper than buying the individual issues.

MEN OF MYSTERY #58-59

After a short hiatus, AC Comics is getting back on track with their comic releases and here are two more isues of their flagship title, Men of Mystery

#58- An all-Fawcett issue, featuring Spy Smasher, Mr. Scarlet and Pinky, Don Winslow, Commando Yank and Ibis the Invincible. All of the stories in this issue are better than average, with the Spy Smasher story (featuring Baron Blizzard) probably the strongest. The Mr. Scarlet entry is good, Commando Yank poorly drawn (though a good WWII story), Don Winslow (temporarily assigned to the Coast Guard) battles the Scorpion in fine fashion and Ibis takes on Karnok in a story that straddles the River Styx and is an excellent example of the early work of Kurt Schaffenberger. The centerpice of the issue, however, is a 10 page illustrated biography of Carl Pfeuffer, written by P. C. Hammerlink (Pfeuffer is also credited with 2 of the stories in the issue). I had seen Pfeuffer's name in numerous AC comics, but had not realized how varied his career had been, particularly in that he was the main aritst on Sub-Mariner after Everett and was quite comfortable illustrating super-heroes, as well as westerns. Ordinarily, I would give this issue a lower rating because of the sparse credits on the stories, but the Pfeuffer bio makes this an issue you should definitely add to your collection.

#59-An all-Quality issue, under a way cool Doll Man cover by Bill Black. Some excellent stories this issue, including a Doll Man adventure by John Spranger and 2 Lady Luck shorts by Klaus Nordling and a Kid Eternity story. Not so excellent stories feature Manhunter and T-Man. Doll Man has always been a favorite of mine and Spanger's art is a blend of serious and Eisner-ish cartoon work that works very well in this instance. Similarly, the Lady Luck stories, which ran a back-ups in the Spirit Sunday section, have a cartoonish quality to them, this time by way of Jack Cole, that make them a joy to read, especially since so few of them have ever been reprinted. Of the rest of the stories, Kid Eternity is always great fun to read, but Manhunter and T-Man were often "B" charcters and this time around T-Man is a "C" or "D" due to the tremendous amount of text that someone managed to cram into the story. Major lack of credits this issue would make it a 3 out of 5, but the mix of Lady Luck, Doll Man and Kid Eternity bring this one up to a 2.