FROM THE LONGBOXES: Amazing Spider-Man #30-35 by JMS & JRJr – Part III

Forgot to post this on Wednesday, so here's a Sunday bonus. The final installment in my short series on J. Michael Straczynski's & John Romita, Jr.'s run on Amazing Spider-Man that originally ran at the In the Mouth of Dorkness blog.

Enjoy.

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS

One of the best things about J. Michael Straczynski’s run on Amazing Spider-Man (at least up to the point I stopped reading, which was when JRJr left the book and Mike Deodato came on as artist) was his characterization of Peter Parker. JMS had a firm hold on what makes this character tick. Despite being older, Peter is still a person who takes very seriously his responsibility to his family (Aunt May and, though she is gone at this point, Mary Jane) as well as his responsibility, as Spider-Man, to the populace at large. This does not mean his exploits as Spider-Man are not nerve-wracking. This is why Spidey has always been a wise-cracker, spewing ridiculous jokes to cover up the fear he feels. It’s a common defense mechanism and one that has been a part of this character from the start. And JMS’s dialogue smoothly fits into this aspect of the character.

JMS also has Peter moving forward in his civilian life, having him become a science teacher at his old high school, as another way for him to give back to the community. This is a natural extension of the Spider-Man template set forth by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko back in the early sixties where they had him graduate high school, move on to college, and have evolving relationships with the likes of Betty Brant and Gwen Stacy. Again, it fits the character and is a nice way of “showing” readers who Peter Parker/Spider-Man is rather than telling us through some dull expository caption boxes. It’s a subtle bit of storytelling that too few writers in comics miss out on, even today.

The pacing of this story is also excellent. There’s an ebb and flow to the narrative that allows readers to enjoy the story and experience the emotional crescendos when they arrive. One of the best bits of writing advice I’ve gotten came from the DVD commentary by JMS for the final episode of season one of Babylon 5. He discussed how one should have a quiet moment prior to a major disruption in the narrative – whether it be an emotional disruption or an alien attack or whatever – in order to make that emotional instance resonate with the audience. And JMS deftly weaves the quiet moments with the “big” ones in this storyline.

Straczynski also sets things up nicely. He doesn’t have any resolutions come out of left field. The way Spider-Man defeats Morlun is reached through a natural progression of events, none of which feels forced or hackneyed. The way Morlun goes on about feeding on a pure totemistic host, and Ezekiel’s surprise arrival that catches the villain off-guard and bloodies his nose – offering Peter an opportunity to study what manner of creature Morlun is – all make sense and feel like the events they are (the villain monologuing, Ezekiel helping Peter) before you realize that they have secondary consequences (the opportunity for Peter to survive this primal force). It’s wonderful storytelling.

And that brings me to another aspect JMS brought to his initial storyline. He incorporated Peter’s scientific background when he had Peter take Morlun’s blood and analyze it for a possible way of defeating him. This is something I have rarely seen utilized in Spider-Man comics. It was refreshing. This has always been a cornerstone of the character, and yet it is hardly used within the stories. Peter’s webs were originally created by him, a scientific breakthrough that he tried to sell to some scientists way back in issue # 18 – a deal that fell through when they discovered the webs dissolved in minutes.

Yeah, editors have made his webs organic – actually an extension of Peter and emanating from his wrists – and I can’t say where the “continuity” stands on this aspect right now, and I’d rather not think about that. Ugh.

Bringing this aspect back into the book, accentuated by Peter’s decision to become a science teacher at his former high school, was something I greatly appreciated.

And John Romita, Jr’s artwork has never looked as good, in my opinion. He draws a lithe, ballet-like Spider-Man who is wiry and able to contort his body in a manner reminiscent of a spider and, again, a body type that hearkens back to Steve Ditko’s seminal work.

AN HISTORICAL NOTE: Initially, Jack Kirby was tapped to draw Spider-Man and he finished five pages of an initial story. But Stan Lee discarded that and chose to have Ditko draw the book. He obviously made the right choice. I don’t know the reasoning, but it seems to me that Kirby’s blocky style really would not fit with the character of Peter Parker – a teenage bookworm with a slight physical frame – whereas Ditko’s lithe artwork was a perfect match for the young hero.

JRJr knows how to draw comics, especially action-packed ones like Spider-Man. And he does not disappoint here. When Spidey first faces Morlun, the double-page spread we get from JRJr is fantastic, a whirlwind of these two larger-than-life characters pummeling each other. It’s a collage of images without panel borders that gets across the frenetic pace of the battle. It really is a masterfully drawn spread that showcases the unique properties of comics storytelling.

But, though this may not be his strong suit, JRJr can also evoke emotion from the quieter moments of the story. It’s these moments that help punctuate the action and give it the emotional tenor necessary in a story like this. Thankfully, JRJr is not afraid to let these softer moments breathe within the larger narrative. He understands, better than a lot of artists, how to tell a comic story effectively and give readers a full and satisfying experience. Having a veteran of his stature, who can also hit deadlines, on this book with JMS was a good move on Marvel’s part. It really elevated the first half of Straczynski’s tenure as writer on Amazing Spider-Man and is a major reason why this first storyline won the 2002 Eisner award for best serialized story.

And finally – JMS went there. He finally had Aunt May discover that her nephew is Spider-Man. And the way JMS handled that was brilliant.

But that’s best saved for another time.

-chris

FROM THE LONGBOXES: Amazing Spider-Man by JMS & JRJr - part 2

It's new comics Wednesday, so here's another piece from my writing over at the In the Mouth of Dorkness blog. enjoy!

NOTE: SPOILERS AHEAD! BIG TIME!

First go read part I, then come back.

Okay.

Peter, bloodied and severely bruised, goes to Ezekiel to accept the offer of sanctuary this enigmatic businessman with eerily similar spider powers had proffered earlier. But it is too late. Morlun has touched Spidey and can now track him no matter where he hides. And, despite having extra-normal powers – or maybe for that very reason – Ezekiel declines to assist Peter in his battle with Morlun. If he did that, Morlun would be able to latch onto his scent, as he’s done to Peter, and he would come after Ezekiel next to leech him of his own totemistic powers. Ezekiel has too much to lose. He can’t forsake all he’s amassed for a fool’s errand.

So Spider-Man returns to the maw of destruction created by Morlun, and he must save a young child from this primal force of nature before going on the attack with his fists and his webbing. Nothing stops Morlun, and Peter realizes he needs to get some breathing room. But he stays within his enemy’s field of vision so that Morlun will remain fixed on the prize and not go after anyone else.

But first, in a nice touch by JMS, Peter calls the school to tell them he won’t be in. Too often, questions within the hero’s private lives (such as why would Clark Kent not be missed from the Daily Planet if he was off in space for weeks at a time as Superman) are never confronted, let alone answered. Having Peter do this in the middle of a battle not only firmly establishes this new status quo in Peter’s life, but it is also another example of JMS exhibiting Peter’s conscientiousness, which is a hallmark of the character.

Then the battle continues, with Morlun devastating Spider-Man in his relentless onslaught. Hardly able to move, after Morlun smashes him into a building with a lamppost, Spider-Man snags the bumper of a car with his webbing and lets it drag him along the paved road in order to get away, if only for a moment. Once he’s put some distance between himself and Morlun, Peter takes a moment to call Aunt May and tell her how much he loves her. He realizes it may be the last opportunity he has to do this.

And then Morlun is on him again, driving Spidey toward the docks.

But out of nowhere, Ezekiel knocks Morlun down from behind. With the enemy momentarily confused, Spidey and Ezekiel pour it on, bloodying Morlun’s nose before he regains his edge and sucks the energy from Ezekiel, who falls into the bay. Morlun, having quenched a bit of his thirst, leaves Spider-Man to look for his friend, content in the certainty that he will feed on him soon enough. And he returns to his aide, Dexter – a human liaison who wished to be close to power and has been helping Morlun make his way through New York – in order to prepare for the final battle.

But this altercation gives Peter something he hadn’t had before. He takes the bloodied timber from the dock and examines it at home. In so doing, he discovers that Morlun’s cells are made up of an amalgam of every kind of animal cell – the purest forms of DNA Peter’s ever seen. That is why Morlun needs to feed on a pure totemistic life-form, so that he can recharge those cells before they break down.

And that’s the key for Peter. He needs to dilute the purity of his Spider powers. To do that, he considers seriously Ezekiel’s earlier question: “Which came first, the radiation or the power?” Which is to say, did the radiation give the spider the power with which Peter was infected, or did the spider already have that totemistic power and inject Peter with it when it knew the radiation was going to kill it?

So, Peter injects himself with that same radiation, in order to dilute his totemistic purity and give Morlun something poisonous to feed on instead. And when Morlun tries to take Peter’s spider force, he burns with the radiation. Spider-Man now has a weapon, and with every punch he pours more radiation into Morlun – weakening him, changing him, making him vulnerable.

As Peter pounds on Morlun, he realizes that just defeating him isn’t enough. Morlun is a primal force that cannot be stopped in any conventional manner. Only through such an extreme scenario as this one, in which Peter injects himself with a near-lethal dose of radiation, is there any hope of defeating him.

Peter realizes Morlun must die. But can he do it?

And then Dexter, Morlun’s aide, comes out of the shadows and shoots him, wrenching the decision away from Peter. Part of Dexter’s services to Morlun included providing sustenance for the centuries-old vampiric being. It may have made Dexter feel important at first, but it hurt – a lot – and the toll it took on him was overwhelming. So, seeing his opportunity to be free, Dexter takes it.

And we, and Peter, will never know if he would have made that ultimate choice. It is a question that will haunt Peter for a long time, and it’s a perfect, emotional ending for this initial story from JMS and JRJr.

Except that this wasn’t the end. There still needs to be a cliffhanger, a reason for readers to come back and buy the next issue. There has to be the denouement. And JMS provided one helluva denouement.

When Peter had called Aunt May earlier to tell her he loved her, she had offered to pick up his clothes and take them to the cleaners. But, with Morlun on his trail, he didn’t have time to answer then.

So Aunt May decides to go to Peter’s and pick up his clothes – always wanting to do for her nephew, it makes complete sense. Peter is sleeping, and had taken no time to put away his tattered costume when he arrived home earlier. He is so exhausted from his battle with Morlun, that his spider sense does not warn him of Aunt May’s arrival.

And she sees his bloodied body and his Spider-Man costume, and realization hits her like a lightning bolt from a clear sky.

But that story is reserved for another day.

-chris

FROM THE LONGBOXES: Amazing Spider-Man by JMS & JRJr part 1

It's new comics Wednesday, so here's another piece from my writings over at the In the Mouth of Dorkness blog.

Enjoy,

In 2001, Marvel decided to make a big splash with their books and re-energize a number of titles. These included New X-Men from Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely, Daredevil from Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev, and Amazing Spider-Man from J. Michael Straczynski & John Romita, Jr. It was a great time to be reading comics, and, for me, this was the first time since John Byrne was working regularly for them that I took any notice of Marvel comics. I mean, come on – Grant Morrison did Animal Man and Bendis did Torso, and I loved those books. How could I not pay attention?

But, for me, the biggest news was that JMS was going to be writing Amazing Spider-Man. This was huge. I love Babylon 5, and, for my money, it is the best science fiction television show ever to hit the airwaves. The evolution of characters, the laying down of story seeds in the first season that payoff two or three or four seasons later, the big ideas coupled with fully realized alien races and political intrigue – JMS kept me excited and wanting more throughout the entire five seasons of this seminal science fiction show.

So when he was hired for Spidey, I was all in.

And the first storyline, encompassing issues 30-35 and entitled “Coming Home,” did not disappoint and ended up winning the Eisner award for best serialized story that year.

In interviews, I remember JMS stating he wanted to stay away from the typical Spider-Man villains and create new characters for his run. And he dropped everyone into the deep end of the pool with the first issue when he introduced Ezekiel.

A successful businessman – something we don’t discover until shortly after we first meet him – Ezekiel knows an awful lot about Spider-Man, including his origin, his powers, and who it is beneath the mask. Ezekiel also has very similar powers to those of Spidery. And, to top it all off, he tells Pete that maybe everything he believed about his life as Spider-Man is wrong.

Ezekiel claims that Peter’s transition into Spider-Man isn’t merely a random occurrence. He asks Peter, as the two of them stand atop the Empire State Building:

“Did the radiation enable the spider to give you these powers?

Or was the spider trying to give you those powers before the radiation killed it?”

And Peter’s mind is blown. This puts everything he’s believed since that fateful day into question, and Peter doesn’t know what to think. And then, Ezekiel is gone.

A few days later, Ezekiel finds Peter at his new job, science teacher at his old high school. He invites Peter for pizza to discuss what he thinks he knows about his powers. Ezekiel tells Peter about these totemistic forces that used to walk the earth, race memories that still haunt our DNA. These forces were ones that could bridge the gap between humans and other species. Ezekiel claims that Spider-Man is one of these totemistic forces. As he explains, you can judge a hero (or man) by his enemies. One type of hero attracts the same type of enemy, and in the case of Spidey, he’s attracted a lot of totemistic pretenders – Doctor Octopus, the Vulture, the Rhino, the Lizard, and the Scorpion, to name a few of his rogues.

After their pizza, Ezekiel invites Peter to his office building where he offers Peter sanctuary in a specially built panic room where he can hide from the evil that is coming to hunt him down. Peter declines, worried that whoever may be after him would put innocents in danger in order to draw him out. And, having battled numerous enemies through the years as Spider-Man, he feels no need to run and hide. He’s done this before. He will do it again. And he always comes out on top.

AN ASIDE:

I loved this new perspective JMS took with regard to Spider-Man’s powers and origin. There was an outcry from loyal Spidey fans who denigrated such a reworking of Peter Parker’s story – and many posited a strong argument that this new idea took away the strength of the character, i.e. a forlorn teenager accidentally endowed with great power who must come to terms with his new reality and realize that with such power comes great responsibility. The randomness of the spider bite plays into this depiction of the character very strongly, and I can understand how some might perceive this as undermining the character. But, for me, I always took Ezekiel’s story with a heavy grain of salt, intrigued by this notion but content to believe it was only a possibility and nothing more.

But I digress

The evil coming to hunt down and feed on Spider-Man is the other major character JMS introduces in this first story arc, Morlun. A vampiric creature who feeds on the life-force of those who have totemistic powers, Morlun believes, as Ezekiel does, that Spider-Man is one of these totemistic forces. It has been a long time, possibly centuries, since Morlun fed on a pure totemistic force. So he is determined to capture Spider-Man. And he is a badass. With inhuman strength on a level that allows him to effortlessly shake off Spider-Man’s strongest punches, unyielding stamina, and the ability to track his prey anywhere once he’s come in to contact with them, Morlun does not stop for anything. This is something Spidey learns very quickly, when Morlun uses Spider-Man as a rag doll in their initial confrontation.

Worn down and fearing for his life, Peter goes back to Ezekiel. He is ready to take the sanctuary now. But it is too late. Morlun has touched Peter. He can track him anywhere now, sensing him even within a full-proof hideaway such as Ezekiel constructed. Sanctuary is no longer an option.

It is at this point, that things look bleakest for our hero.

To be continued …

-chris

From the Longbox: Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame part 2

So, yesterday I started discussing this little superhero gem, published in 2000 by DC comics with a script from Neil Gaiman and art by an amazing array of talent. But, I never got into the actual story. Rather, I found my missive running along the interesting tangent of the genesis of this book - a story shared with much more detail in the introduction to this volume by Gaiman and the afterword from Mark Waid, then-editor at DC.

Anyway. The story itself. As Adam Murdough - host of his own CGS spin-off podcast, Murd's Time Bubble - said when he was reviewing the book on his latest episode, reading this book is like being "punched in the gut by the fist of excellence."

I am an avowed fan of Gaiman's work, but until listening to the recent Time Bubble episode, I had forgotten about this comic sitting in my Gaiman longbox. I re-read Sandman and his Miracleman on a fairly regular basis, and there are a number of books with short stories by Gaiman that I enjoy revisiting as well. But this one, for some reason, has sat for years. And, after reading it again last week, I don't know why.

This was a really fun comic. It had a Silver Age sensibility, particularly in the ease with which Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) and Clark Kent (Superman) get along in their human identities - which was the main continuity problem DC editorial had with this story when it was initially written in 1989. And that Silver Age sensibility is enhanced by artist, Mike Allred's, depiction of this initial chapter. Hal has a problem, and he's come to Metropolis to seek out Clark in order to talk things out. Hal is bothered because there is no Green Lantern Corps anymore after the Guardians left and the main power battery was destroyed (which may have been fallout from events in Millennium, but I can't say for sure).

Hal is feeling lonely and a bit in need of some sympathy. This conversation brings readers up to speed with the current (or retro, as the case may be) status quo. And with this scene, it is obvious that Gaiman is having fun with the opportunity to write these heroes. As Hal is talking, we see a quiet "meow" in the background, and then Clark - still in his suit - takes to the sky, only to return, two panels later, with a cat that was obviously stuck in a tree. It's understated and it's that cliche many think of when considering Superman, but it works terrifically because Gaiman doesn't bring any more attention to it than Clark does. Nothing is stated. Hal continues talking. And Superman does what Superman does - rescue cats from trees. Hal also mentions Mogo during his discussion of the remnants of the Corps, stating that "Mogo doesn't socialize," which is a nod to Alan Moore's short story of the same name (if you've not read this one or are unaware of Mogo and what type of entity he is, then seek out either Green Lantern Corps Annual 2 or 3, where the story originally was published, or you might find it in the Alan Moore DC collection) and, again, a little tidbit thrown in by Gaiman to give readers in-the-know a smile.

Clark and Hal foil a mugging - directed at them - quite easily and head to an art gallery, which is having a big opening that night. In the crowd we see Gaiman, speaking with two others who might be Mark Buckingham (the artist for this portion) and possibly Bob Schreck, who was the editor for the story. Clark and Hal discover a green lantern, similar to Alan Scott's, down a side hallway - a green lantern discovered in the prologue by the Blackhawks in 1949 - drawn in a moody style by the great Eddie Campbell. The two decide to investigate, Hal hoping to charge his ring with this lantern, and *boom* the heroes are sent into limbo in a burst of green flame.

There the two meet up with Deadman. This part is drawn by the inimitable John Totleben, and his style fits beautifully with this section. Deadman has some sarcastic quips while relating to the two heroes where they have ended up, and then he tries to leave. But Superman is in front of him in a blink, to which Boston Brand (Deadman) says, "you really are Superman. Jeez." Again, it's a fun little bit that evokes the traditional characterizations of these heroes, but with a modern sensibility that does not bog down in needless exposition or stilted dialogue. It's a nice mix, and it's something that seems to be missing from modern comics and has been for some time.

We then get a brief interlude with the Phantom Stranger - engimatic and mysterious, as we would expect with this character. It is wonderfully illustrated by Matt Wagner and gives readers all they would need to know about this character if this were their introduction to the Phantom Stranger. And yet, it does not feel like those first few pages of every Marvel comic in the early eighties, when the characters would have a conversation about everything they'd experienced in the prior issues. Like Frank Miller during his Daredevil run, Gaiman is able to re-tell the necessary details of these characters without it feeling forced an unnatural. It's a tough thing to accomplish, and Gaiman does it with aplomb.

Next we get Superman and Green Lantern in hell, as drawn by Eric Shanower and Art Adams (an inspired artistic pairing). And again, Gaiman characterizes these characters so well, and in a manner that feels fresh. Superman as he hovers above the fiery pits, is unable to move, anchored there by his human sympathies. With his supervision, he is able to witness the suffering of all the tortured souls in hell. And his inability to do anything paralyzes him, a single tear trailing down his face. Meanwhile, Hal is trying to wake up Clark, to get him to help take them out of there. But nothing works until one of the demons in this realm tries to pierce Superman's flesh in order to feast on him, and pulls Clark from his reverie, as Hal falls toward the flaming pits - having been unable to hold on to Clark's leg. Hal uses his ring again, and the mixture of his power with the magic of the lantern (which has been causing all this mayhem with Hal's ring) sends them away again.

We then find the Phantom Stranger, drawn elegantly, by Jim Aparo, who has made his way to the art show where Hal and Clark began this strange trek through the magical realms of DC. He finds the hallway that Hal closed off to the others, and investigates.

And, we return to Hal and Clark, who are now inside the lantern. This section is drawn by Kevin Nowlan, and it made me wish he was doing more work today. But I digress. They meet the entity that lives within the lantern. It tells them how they can return to the land of the living. And then the Phantom Stranger joins them. He tells the heroes they are being duped. The lantern (its entity, a green flame) wants their power so that it might wreak chaos across the world. The Stranger tells Hal that he can control the flame's power, that Alan Scott did it. And then Hal realizes what he must do.

And Hal and Clark return to the world of the living, and the Phantom Stranger takes the lantern for safe keeping, because it is an object of magic, and one that he can tame, or at least keep in check.

And so, finished with their metaphysical adventure, Hal and Clark go up to the top of a skyscraper to finish their discussion and eventually go on their way. This part was drawn by Xeric award winner Jason Little, and doesn't fit so well with the rest of the book. But it is a testament to Gaiman that he gave Little this opportunity (it is assumed that it was Gaiman). And, as he did with the opening, Gaiman gets cute (or Silver Age-y) with the story. Hal and Clark return from the top of the skyscraper, and land in front of a movie theater that is havinga Michael Douglas retrospective and played "Fatal Attraction" that night. And, as the camera pulls in closer to Hal as Clark flies off, the marquee in the background eventually only shows the final six letters of the movie title - action - in a panel where Hal tells Clark, "The place is all yours. If you see what I mean."

And that would have been the wrap up of the Action Comics Weekly experiment as the reins were handed back to Superman as the only character in Action Comics.

As I said, this is a really fun story and is well worth checking out if you've never read it.

Hopefully, I wasn't too long-winded. I plan on making this a semi-regular series here. We'll see how that goes. It all depends on me finding time to read old comics and write about them. And, if you have any thoughts on that, one way or the other. Let me know.

thanks,
chris

From the Longbox: Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame

Comic Geek Speak is my comic podcast of choice, and each of the members of this great group have their own spin-off podcast, which means more content for my iPod - great!

One of the spin-offs is from Adam Murdough, known as Murd, titled Murd's Time Bubble. The conceit of this podcast is that Murd, who came to comic collecting relatively recently, has compiled this massive stack of back issues in his quest to "catch up" with the decades of history of this medium - and, in particular, the collective mythologies of DC and Marvel. And, he has piled up his comics in chronological order, so that he can read them in the manner in which they were published to get a better overall feel of the universes of DC and Marvel. And Murd is roughly ten years behind in his current comic reading (though he does dip into earlier books as well as current ones in order to add his own point of view to current episodes of CGS). Thus, Murd's Time Bubble was born, allowing Murd to discuss his "current" comics with the CGS audience, and allowing us to enjoy - or discover - some older books we hadn't considered for some time. It's a lot of fun.

Anwyay. The latest Time Bubble had Murd discussing Neil Gaiman's superhero story - Green Lanter/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame. This was a story that had been commissioned for the culmination of the year-long experiment of Action Comics Weekly back in the mid-80s, which was an attempt to do a weekly anthology book incorporating Superman (who had a two-page continuing strip drawn by Curt Swan each week) Green Lanter, the Blackhawks, Deadman, Phantom Stranger, and various other DC comics characters. After a year though, it was obvious the book was not selling well, and DC chose to return to the monthly iteration of Action Comics with Superman starring in the book.

But, they needed a final issue to tie up all the loose ends. So, Neil Gaiman - who was still a year away from debuting his revolutionary Sandman series - was tapped to write this issue, and Bob Schreck was fortunate enough to have that as his very first editorial assignment upon moving over to DC. Gaiman had fun writing the story and suggested Mark Buckingham - a then-unknown creator with whom Gaiman was collaborating on Miracleman for Eclipse - as artist. Things were all set to go, and then Mike Carlin, Superman editor at the time, read the script and realized that it did not work within the new DC continuity post-Crisis on Infinite Earths.

The main problem was that, in Gaiman's tale, Hal Jordan and Clark Kent were good friends and knew each other's secret identities. But, with the new DC reality, editorial had decided that too many people in the pre-Crisis DC continuity knew Superman's secret identity and they wished to change that. Thus, Hal Jordan could not know Clark Kent was Superman, and the main thrust of Gaiman's story - the reason that brought these two heroes together - was now unacceptable to the mandates of continuity. They asked Gaiman if he could change that portion of the story, but the rest of it did not work without that friendship and Gaiman politely declined. And the story went into the file cabinet. And the script was lost.

But, in 2000, with Gaiman a bona fide superstar in the comics field - and a New York Times best-selling author as well - it was thought that this story could finally be printed in a one-shot special. And so, after going through some hoops to find a copy of that original script, DC published Gaiman's Superman/Green Lantern with art by a who's who list of stellar talent:

Eddie Campbell
Mike Allred
Terry Austin
Mark Buckingham
John Totleben
Matt Wagner
Eric Shanower
Art Adams
Jim Aparo
Kevin Nowlan
Jason Little
with a cover from Frank Miller

I'd actually planned on discussing what was inside the book in this post, but I felt I've gone a bit long, so I will save that for next time. For now, just know that, if you enjoy Neil Gaiman's writing and like a good superhero story, this book is right up your alley - a modern comic tale with a Silver Age feel.

I'll be back tomorrow to discuss the actual story.

Thanks,
chris