Dionysus Wept is the place to get the latest news on the next sensation in sequential art. As well as the universe-expanding musings of writer Eric C Hayes.
ALL STAR SQUADRON #50 COVER PRICE - $1.25 COVER DATE - OCT 85 WRITER - ROY THOMAS PENCILERS - MIKE CLARK & ARVELL JONES
As you might expect, the heroes of EARTH 2 are busy fighting the evil Axis Powers. But I learned from this issue that the ALL STAR SQUADRON(including Shining Knight, Amazing-Man, Tarantula, Firebrand and others) had a splinter group called the ALL STAR BATTALION(including Hawkman, Sandman, Spectre, Dr Mid Nite and others,) and they're all in for an inter-dimensional surprise! The story starts out with an improbable kidnapping of the mighty ALL STAR BATTALION by a crew of Nazi thugs. It also seems as though The Monitor is still dealing in black market weapons, because the Nazis now have the technology to rocket these superheroes out of their dimension. While this is happening, Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters appear on Earth 2 before Plastic Man and Phantom Lady. Inexplicably, they quickly convince Plas and Phantom Lady to accompany them to fight THEIR Nazis on Earth X.
WHAT'S THIS GOT TO DO WITH CRISIS? The most important events revolve around Harbinger's recruitment of Firebrand into the fight to save the multi-verse. Harbinger starts showing off by stopping time, changing Danette into Firebrand, flying through the walls. But ultimately gets punked when some of The Monitor's technology is activated by the Nazis and halts their exit by creating a time barrier. Luckily, Harbinger is able to knuckle-up and plow through the barrier with Firebrand. The resulting feedback kills the Nazi scientist tinkering around with Monitor-Tech. So what's Firebrand got that the other All Stars don't? We'll find out in the main title.
WHO PULLED A CLAVIN? Probably the racist jerk that doesn't have the gosh darned common courtesy to insult Amazing-Man out of earshot.
DC COMICS PRESENTS #78 COVER PRICE - $.75 COVER DATE - FEB 85 WRITER - Marv Wolfman PENCILER - Curt Swan My analysis of DC's CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS begins with DC COMICS PRESENTS #78. Written by Marv Wolfman and pencils by Curt Swan. With a run of 97 issues between 1978-1986, DC COMICS PRESENTS was a Superman team-up book pairing the "Man of Steel" with a variety of heroes from the DC Universe. The book begins with a punch-up between the faceless giant Chun Yull and Superman's band of heroes. Chun Yull's hails from Saturn's atom-sized world of Klaramar and he's pissed! Along with his group of "Forgotten Villains," they're fixing to rule ALL time and space with their brand of unpleasant sorcery. Luckily, the heroes(including Animal Man, Congorilla, Immortal Man and others) and villains(including The Atom-Master and Ultivac) are able to break the Triad's ring of evil magic and restore balance to both space and time.
WHAT'S THIS GOT TO DO WITH CRISIS? The final page features a cryptic conversation between Lyla and The Monitor(who is almost completely obscured by a hefty Captains chair.) Looks like they've been "monitoring" the events of this issue. The are also discussing the sham of the council they've been providing for Earth's villains. Hmmm... Seems as though The Monitor began appearing, along with his assistant Lyla, in numerous DC Comics titles beginning in 1982, three years before the Crisis began in July 1985; these appearances made it seem that he was some sort of weapons dealer for supervillains. This was all part of the setup Wolfman and the staff of DC Comics planned for the Crisis, showing the Monitor currying favor with villains such as Maxie Zeus, prior to calling on the heroes. The Monitor was depicted in the shadows for all of his appearances in DC's mainstream superhero titles, and his face was first revealed in one of their few remaining non-superhero titles, the war comic G.I. Combat issue #274.
WHO PULLED A CLAVIN? Easily Congorilla. He may well be a legendary explorer and adventurer, but Congo Bill don't know sh!@ about football. Check him out here making a righteous tackle on Chun Yull. Only to proclaim himself a natural quaterback? C'mon Congo Bill!
As I spend my days awaiting the fate of my comic project, DIONYSUS WEPT. I have decided to delve into the epic DC COMICS universe-shattering tale CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS. Internet source for all things factual, WIKIPEDIA, describes CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS as:
"a 12-issue American comic book limited series (identified as a "12-part maxi-series") and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then-50-year-old continuity. The series was written by Marv Wolfman, and illustrated by George Pérez (pencils/layouts), with Mike DeCarlo, Dick Giordano, and Jerry Ordway (who shared inking/embellishing chores). The series removed the concept of the Multiverse in the fictional DC Universe, and depicted the deaths of such long-standing superheroes as Supergirl and the Barry Allen incarnation of the Flash."
But if you know anything about me, and you probably don't, a 12-issue maxi-series just isn't gonna cut it. This uber-comic-event at DC COMICS was truly innovative and comprehensive, including almost all of DC's titles and characters. My research led me to what appears to be a definitive CRISIS reading order posted on comic news site COMIC BOOK RESOURCES. Here is the list:
001 DC Comics Presents 78 002 All-Star Squadron 050 003 Crisis on Infinite Earths 01 004 Detective Comics #555 005 Detective Comics #556 006 Detective Comics 557 007 All-Star Squadron 051 008 All-Star Squadron 052 009 All-Star Squadron 053 010 Swamp Thing v2 #039 011 Firestorm - Fury of Firestorm #041 012 Infinity, Inc 18 013 Atari Force 018 [1984] 014 New Teen Titans 013 015 Green Lantern v2 194 016 Detective Comics 558 017 Crisis on Infinite Earths 02 018 Batman 389 019 Batman 390 020 Swamp Thing v2 #040 021 Crisis on Infinite Earths 03 022 Batman 391 023 Swamp Thing v2 #041 024 Green Lantern V2 195 025 Saga of the Swamp Thing #42 026 Crisis on Infinite Earths 04 027 Swamp Thing v2 #043 028 Warlord 097 029 Vigilante 22 030 DC Comics Presents 086 [ Superman & Supergirl ] 031 Omega Men 26 032 DC Comics Presents 087 [ Superman & Superboy of Earth Prime ] 033 DC Comics Presents 088 Creeper 034 Saga of the Swamp Thing #44 035 Wonder Woman v1 327 036 Wonder Woman v1 328 037 DC Comics Presents 094 [ Superman & Harbinger & Lady Quark & Pariah ] 038 Infinity, Inc 19 039 Justice League of America v1 #244 040 Infinity, Inc 20 041 Infinity, Inc Annual 1 042 Legends of DC Universe 80-Page Giant #1 043 Crisis on Infinite Earths 05 044 Saga of the Swamp Thing #45 045 Infinity, Inc 21 046 Swamp Thing v2 - 046 047 Infinity, Inc 22 048 All-Star Squadron 054 049 All-Star Squadron 055 050 All-Star Squadron 056 051 Superman v1 413 052 Crisis on Infinite Earths 06 053 Infinity, Inc 23 054 Infinity, Inc 24 055 Legion of Super-Heroes v3 013 056 Legion of Super-Heroes v3 014 057 Legion of Super-Hereos v3 015 058 Legion of Super-Heroes v3 Annual 01 059 Crisis on Infinite Earths 07 060 DC Comics Presents 095 Hawkman 061 Legion of Super-Hereos v3 016 062 Legion of Super-Hereos v3 017 063 Legion of Super-Hereos v3 018 064 Wonder Woman v1 329(Troia - HQ Scans) 065 Crisis on Infinite Earths 08 066 JLA - Incarnations #05 067 Deadman - Dead Again 01 068 Flash v2 #149 069 Flash v2 #150 070 Superman v1 414 071 Blue Devil 017 072 Omega Men #31 - Crisis Issue 073 Omega Men 32 074 Omega Men #33 075 New Teen Titans 014 076 Crisis on Infinite Earths 09 077 Green Lantern v2 196 078 Justice League of America v1 Annual 3 079 Blue Devil 018 080 Blue Devil 019 081 Firestorm - Fury of Firestorm #042 082 Superman v1 415 083 Crisis on Infinite Earths 10 084 Justice League of America v1 #245 085 Crisis on Infinite Earths 11 086 Green Lantern #197 087 Amethyst - Princess of Gemworld v2 #13 088 Crisis on Infinite Earths 12 089 All-Star Squadron 57 - Kaleidoscope 090 All-Star Squadron 058 091 All-Star Squadron 059 092 Legend of Wonder Woman (1986) #01 (of 4) 093 Legend of Wonder Woman (1986) #02 (of 4) 094 Legend of Wonder Woman (1986) #03 (of 4) 095 Legend of Wonder Woman (1986) #04 (of 4) 096 Oz Wonderland War #3 097 Green Lantern v2 198 098 Infinity, Inc 25 099 The Losers Special #1 100 All-Star Squadron 060 101 DC Comics Presents 096 [ Superman & Blue Devil ] 102 Animal Man #10 103 Animal Man #18 104 Animal Man #22 105 Animal Man #23 106 Animal Man #24
Thankfully, the illusion of collectibility of these comics is gone. They were produced in such large quantities and preserved so lovingly by their owners, that they haven't gone up considerably in value. I purchased the entire 12-issue series in an ebay auction for less than $20 with...shipping included! While they've gone up from their original $.75 cover price, they are still considerably cheaper than their contemporary counterparts. More often than not, I will be using MyComicShop.com as my primary marketplace for the issues from the above list. They offer reasonable prices with a reputation for accurate quality-grading of their product. Check out the SECRET IDENTITY PODCAST, as they have been my inspiration and will be covering CRISIS as their annual Summer Reading Project.
As always, this blog will serve as my tether to reality as I immerse myself in this infinite realm of vibrating universes.
Is the murder, mutilation, torture and drug use contained within DIONYSUS WEPT suitable for kids? Renowned American author Gerard Jones would say...YES! I came across an article that Mr. Jones penned on MOTHER JONES titled VIOLENT MEDIA IS GOOD FOR KIDS where he claims that media violence can be beneficial. Jones details his release from a sheltered childhood thanks to the famed Marvel Comics character HULK. Jones goes on to site research:
"Fear, greed, power-hunger, rage: these are aspects of our selves that we try not to experience in our lives but often want, even need, to experience vicariously through stories of others," writes Melanie Moore, Ph.D., a psychologist who works with urban teens. "Children need violent entertainment in order to explore the inescapable feelings that they've been taught to deny, and to reintegrate those feelings into a more whole, more complex, more resilient selfhood."
As a parent, this is comforting. Especially watching my son draw pictures of people getting mowed down by subway trains. Or surfers getting eaten by sharks. All day I've been patting myself on the back for exposing my impressionable son to the beneficial effects of media violence. Yay Dad! My violent stories destined for the pages of DIONYSUS WEPT are doing the youth a great service! So far, the response to my project proposal has been flattering. Stay tuned for the destination of DIONYSUS WEPT.
Below is a video where Gerard Jones discusses the impact of video game violence on children.
With the completion of the cover art and final tweaks on the interior pages, DIONYSUS WEPT is poised to make its debut. All that remains are some logistical issues that need to be ironed out. But what better time than now? And what better place than C2E2? According to their site, C2E2 – short for the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo – is a convention spanning the latest and greatest from the worlds of comics, movies, television, toys, anime, manga and video games. From a show floor packed with hundreds of exhibitors, to panels and autograph sessions giving fans a chance to interact with their favorite creators, to screening rooms featuring sneak peeks at films and television shows months before they hit either the big or small screen, C2E2 brings the best of popular culture to downtown Chicago! Sounds like as good a place as any to pitch this gut-checking journey into sequentialism. I'll be talking up DIONYSUS WEPT to all the major publishers in comics. And I won't be coming home until a satisfactory deal is struck. Viva la Comics!
Fresh of the easel of master illustrator John Van Fleet comes the cover to DIONYSUS WEPT. In this single image, John has expertly captured the book's dark mood and rich history. Like any super-talented artist, Van Fleet has exceeded what has been asked of him on this project. The portrait is positively haunting! This fella doesn't appear too happy...does he? All that's left is to design the title logo. And then I'll be presenting it to discerning publishers eager to make their mark on storytelling through the magic of sequential art. I'm hoping that John will be doing covers for the entire series that I've envisioned. Let me know what y'all think!
It is with great excitement that I announce veteran comic book artist John Van Fleet has signed on to provide the cover image for DIONYSUS WEPT! While the interior illustrations of this ground-breaking comic are in the gifted hands of Marc Borstel, Van Fleet will bring his "urban grit" to the cover. Avid comic readers will recognize Van Fleet's mysterious style instantly. That's because he's worked on some of DC COMICS most popular titles, including BATMAN! I met John at WIZARD WORLD/BIG APPLE CON in October '09. He and his partners were there promoting their studio and their innovative techniques for 3D modeling and video game design. But it's his unique painting style that caught my eye.
From a Q&A with Comic Book Resources: Some describe Van Fleet's artwork as moody and mysterious, but the artist doesn't see it quite that way.
"I don't see my stuff as being that dark," said Van Fleet. "I mean I use a lot of black but I use it as a color and as a design tool, so I see it differently I guess. I have been told a lot of things about my art, some I see, some I don't. The most common is it's dark and moody, I like a good urban grit is all."
Fleet trained as an artist alongside an impressive list of others. "I went to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. We had a great class. George Pratt, Kent Williams, Mark Chiarello, Scott Hanna, just to name a few. [We] were all in the same group and we are all working in Comics."
As a long-time BATMAN collector, it's an honor for me to be working with the man who illustrated one of my favorite all-time issues. BATMAN #663 is remembered by most as a comic/novella written by, master-author, Grant Morrison. Titled THE CLOWN AT MIDNIGHT, this spooky tale chronicles the Joker's bloody escape from Arkham Asylum. The 3D modeled illustrations from Van Fleet that accompanied the prose created a creepy tone worthy of BATMAN'S most dangerous adversary. Here's one of John's haunting images from the book.
Born and raised in the small town of Stanhope, New Jersey, John credits his childhood freedom in the 1960's as the source of his creativity. Now living in North Carolina, John feels blessed to have the company of his wife, kids, dog, friends and family. I hope to have Van Fleet's completed cover available for viewing, along with Marc's completed interiors, at the MoCCA Art Festival the weekend of April 10-11. See y'all there.
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