World's Finest #6. Or not, as the case may be.

A few hours before getting home and sitting down to write this, a tweet from bleedingcool caught my eye. It was announcing a new article, entitled Why Do People Hate Azazal Anyway - Blast From The Past By Paul O'Brien. Now, the article was basically an excuse to reprint one of Paul's best ever review from the sadly offline thexaxis.com (now incorporated into housetoastonish.com), blasting Chuck Austen's The Draco storyline from a few years back, but it did get my brain's nostalgia centre a-buzzin'.

The X-Axis was a review site that ran from 1999 to 2006 before the regular updates shifted to a blog format, before its current incarnation. Written by British X-Men fan Paul O'Brien, it set itself the not-so-modest task of reviewing, in full, every X-Book that was released on a weekly basis, as well as dives into the history of the X-Men. It was a tremendously fun site. I don't remember how I discovered it, but once I did I was hooked, looking forward to its weekly updates with glee. One of its many strengths was Paul's ability to puncture pomposity and pretension whilst making you laugh and despair at the state of Marvel comics (but only a little bit), which considering he was looking at the X-Men books, he was able to do on a regular basis. To this day, I can only look at a week when Marvel backends an entire line of books or a ridiculous amount of crossover titles into one release and think of Paul's many tirades against such practices.

I miss the X-Axis. Reading Paul's brilliant one-line decimation of the entire Draco storyline makes me want to go back and randomly dip into his previous reviews. But I can't, as the site has long-since expired. Thankfully this Saturday is a podcast Saturday for the House to Astonish team, and when I get home from work there will be another episode of House to Astonish waiting for me in my itunes. If you haven't already listened to this great podcast, go on and give it a try. I think you'll like it.

And here's what you won't like. I made a mistake and was trying to force World's Finest #6 into the Man of Steel timeline like a round peg into a four-dimensional hole.

Confused? Not as much as I am!

Here's the rundown of the situation. World's Finest takes as its conceit the fact that each issue takes place a year apart, on the anniversary of Harrison Grey's death, with the time just after the first meeting of Superman and Batman in Man of Steel #3 as its starting point. Man of Steel covers six years in Superman's life, from his public debut to the discovery of his origins, and my eagerness to chronicle this era of Superman's history led me to... well... be lazy. As with each issue of World's Finest, #6 is subtitled 'Year Six', and knowing that Man of Steel #6 effectively concluded the sixth year of Superman's career, I quickly filed this issue away under pre Man of Steel #5-6 (I have reason to conclude that a sizeable gap exists between Man of Steel #4 and 5 - just take a look at Luthor's hairline! - and tend to view the final two parts of the series as being almost continuous.).

Of course, several months after my poor piece of filing, I come to read the issue for the first time in a few years. And stuff just doesn't add up. How can Batman and Superman know each other's civilian identities and openly display this knowledge before Adventures of Superman #440? What about Mr Mxyptlk? Superman seems awfully familiar with his modus operandi, despite the fact that they have yet to meet. The Daily Planet newsroom seems awfully familiar if you were reading comics in 1988 (look, there's Allie), but seems like  avery different place to the newsroom we see in Man of Steel #5.

I could have attempted to write a lovely snarky review pointing out the cockups in continuity, but the error is mine. Six years on from the first meeting of Superman and Batman (there is no hard evidence to suggest how much time has passed between Man of Steel #3 and World's Finest #1) puts us at least several months after Man of Steel #6, and with the vagiaries of comic book dating, this issue fits in very nicely post Adventures #440, more than likely between Action Comics #600 and the start of the Return to Krypton storyline that started in Action #601 Superman #18.

So, my apologies for my mistake and for the wall of text that comprised this post.

Next of World of Superman: We get back on track and check up with Lex Luthor's first attack against the Justice League in Justice League: Incarnations #3

World's Finest #5

Ok, I got back to this issue and got some panel scans uploaded, as well as fixing the unexpected truncated synopsis - sorry, recap fans!

At the back end of last week, the final episode of my stint on Amazing Spider-Man Classics went live. A few hours beforehand I strapped on the 'phones and mic and recorded my final contribution, almost two months to the day after the first attempt at recording. With the news that the hosts of the podcast are going to change their recording schedules - apparently, recording a podcast for 7 hours straight, the equivalent of a working day, is pretty hard even if it's not the middle of the night - this makes me the longest guest star on ASMC. Oh yeah, I am amazing!

In other news, I finally got to see Scott Pilgrim vs The World a couple of nights ago. Here in the UK, the film's release came a couple of weeks after the US release, and I've been waiting for my work schedule to allow me a proper night out before I went to see it. I absolutely loved it. I've only read the first three volumes of the series, but what I say adapted on the screen had the tone and feel of the books, and was far funnier than I expected it to be. The only moment that took me out of the film as Aubrey Plaza's portrayal of Julie, which just didn't feel like it fitted with the rest of the film. Everything else was absolutely brilliant, but props have to go to Brandon Routh, who made Todd so wonderful to watch. his delivery of the 'Tell it to the cleaning lady on Monday' speech was worth the price of the ticket alone. What I really enjoyed was that the theatre was mostly full, with quite a few people who I would guess had never read or heard of the original books, and who thoroughly enjoyed theirselves. It's nice for this geek to watch other people enjoy one of his loves, especially when it's one that doesn't occupy a space in the national consciousness like Superman, Batman or Spider-man does.

However, as great as Scott Pilgrim vs The World was, it had no Superman or Batgirl in it. I wonder what does... oh yes! This!

No scans as of yet, it's rather late for me to start scanning stuff in. I hope to get back to this later this week and pop a few in, in particular the panel where Superman and Batgirl start to fly.

A Woman's Work


Words: Karl Kesel
Pencils: Dave Taylor & Tom Morgan
Inks: Robert Campanella
Color/Separator: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Clem Robins
Associate Editor: Joseph Illidge
Editor: Darren Vincenzo
Special Thanks to Barry Kitson and Peter Doherty
Cover Artists: Dave Taylor & Robert Campanella
Cover Date: August 1999
Release Date: 16/06/1999

Six Years Ago. Two burglars attempt to break into the Gotham Public Library, but are stopped by the appearance of Batgirl. The crooks attempt to escape, but are caught by Superman. Batgirl acts nervously around Superman, until he explains that he is not timing her, and that he is not in Gotham on a case but on personal business. Batgirl unmasks the criminals, telling Superman that they are from Metropolis and affiliated with The 100. Surprised, Superman accepts Batgirl's offer to team up and work out what The 100 wants in Gotham.


In an abandoned warehouse, The 100 attempt to recruit a Gotham mobster to their organisation. The meeting is interrupted when Thorn comes crashing through a window on a motorbike. She takes out several of the goons, but one manages to whack her with a wooden plank, knocking her out.

Batgirl introduces Superman to Commissioner Gordon, informing Gordon that they will be working together. Batgirl leads Superman to the car belonging to the crooks, which she had disabled before tackling them. Searching the interior, she discovers that Batman has beaten them to the evidence. Following his notes, Batgirl prepares to ride her motorbike to the location, when Superman decides to try a different way of travelling. Grasping her, he lifts her into the sky. As they fly, Superman asks why someone as bright and upbeat as Batgirl would emulate Batman. Batgirl explains that for all of his darkness, she feels that he is the only one in Gotham who can see 'the light in the distance'.


As The 100 tie Thorn to a chair, she comes too and escapes. Giving chase, the crooks are surprised when the lights go out. In the darkness, something attacks them. The leader manages to escape, getting to his car. Turning on the lights, he is shocked to see Batman in front of him, crashing his car. Crawling from the wreckage, he is confronted by Thorn, whose lust for vengeance is tempered by the intervention of Batman. Superman and Batgirl arrive, with Batgirl wondering what The 100 wanted at the library. The leader confesses all - The 100 intended to plant evidence showing that Barbara Gordon had embezzled library funds, thus giving them leverage over Commissioner Gordon. To protect themselves, The 100 kidnapped the library's accountant, intending to kill her and place Barbara as the number one suspect. Superman takes Batgirl to the accountant's house whilst Thorn takes her leave of Gotham. At his house, the accountant answers his door to Barbara Gordon. Suddenly, Batgirl attacks, revealing Gordon as an imposter, who is quickly apprehended.


After the events of the night, Batman and Superman meet on the skyline of Gotham. Superman tells Batman that Batgirl is going well and doesn't need more training. Although Superman's advice is unsolicited, Batman values what is said, surprising Superman. Batman then confesses that he never thought that someone as dark and tortured as Thorn could have come out of Metropolis. Referencing Thorn's past, Superman wonders if there is a similar tragedy in Batman's past. Although he doesn't want to talk about it, Batman suggests that one day he will do.

In theory, this story should work. We're far enough into Batman and Superman's relationship to start to challenge what each character thinks they know of each other, and their preconceptions of each others cities, having only experienced the extremes in previous stories, is a good place to start. Starting to introduce the extended families (if Thorn can be considered to be part of Superman's extended family) also works as well. We're also working towards a softening of Batman, as opposed to a hardening of Superman. The problem is that all of these elements are filtered through the plot line of Thorn and The 100, a minor and obscure supporting character and criminal organisation from Metropolis.

So, the reason why this review is up a little later than expected is because I dived into this issue thinking I knew who Thorn was. As it turns out, she's someone completely different to who I was expecting her to be, having anticipated the Rose and Thorn version of the character. And once I worked out who she actually was, I realised that it didn't really matter to the issue. There are plenty of subtleties to Thorn's character, but in terms of this story the important thing is that she is a darker, Batman-esque character originating from Metropolis, in a move to help blur the lines between Batman and Superman's worlds. Unfortunately, contrasting her with Batgirl, a far more established and recognisable character in the Batman family, only serves to highlight Thorn's obscurity.

The final scene is probably the most successful part of the issue. For me, it's the first time Superman and Batman approach each other not only as equals, but as colleagues, not competing with each other or trying to prove a point. It feels like their modern relationship, with grudging respect for each other but each being their own superhero. Most notable is Batman's not-quite-a-refusal to talk about his personal history. Superman's gentle, respectful probing into his past elicits the response the one day Batman will tell him about his past. For Batman to be in a position where he considers revealing his most personal secret highlights how far the two heroes have come since their combative first meetings.

The Geeky Bits: I honestly can't remember when Thorn next makes an appearance, and considering my difficulties in identifying which Thorn I am reading, I don't think knowing her next appearance would do me much good! This version of Thorn isn't the schizophrenic Golden-Age-wife-to-Alan-Scott-and-mother-to-Obsidian-and-Jade character, but the schizophrenic Bronze-Age-anti-hero. So, I hope that makes things clear.

Next on World of Superman: It's our final visit to World's Finest for some time, as Batman and Superman take on Mr Mxyptlk, and continuity takes a beating.

World's Finest #4

Hey guys. I'm a very tired writer tonight, having spent the day riding around Central London on my bike as part of the Mayor of London's Sky Ride. It's been a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend the day, with thousands and thousands of fellow cyclists of all ages riding through what are normally some of the most congested streets in the city. I think the highlight of the day was either riding through the tunnel along Victoria Embankment, just south of St Paul's Cathedral, where a Samba band greeted the cyclists along with a huge banner proclaiming 'Make Some Noise' (which we did), or queuing up by Westminster Bridge, waiting to move into Parliament Square, just as Big Ben struck midday.

In other comics-related news, the second of my two guest appearances on Teenage Wasteland: An Ultimate Spider-Man Podcast went up over the weekend. Covering issues #75-#78, it's my favourite of the five podcasts I recorded recently. You can hear me summarise Spider-Man in poetry, reveal my true feelings towards Joe Quesada, and get very angry at the presence of a full moon. No, not because I'm a werewolf, but for a far more insidious reason.

Year Four: Underworlds


Writer: Karl Kesel
Penciller: Dave Taylor
Inker: Robert Campanella
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Letterer: Clem Robins
Associate Editor: Joseph Illidge
Editor: Darren Vincenzo
Cover Artist: Dave Taylor and Robert Campanella
Cover Date: July 1999
Release Date: 19/05/1999

Four Years Ago. Batman has been hacking military surveillance satellites, discovering that he is not the first person to do so, and that whoever has been before him has focused them on Suicide Slum in Metropolis. With the anniversary of Harrison Grey's death only a few days away, Batman smells a rat, and he heads to Metropolis.


Superman saves a young mother and her child from an inferno in Suicide Slum. He discovers that another child is trapped inside, but before he can save the child, Batman appears, saving the kid. The fire chief shows Superman a high-tech incendiary device that has been found at two previous fires, and Superman prepares for a long night. He meets up with Batman, surprised to discover that his presence in Metropolis is seemingly unconnected to Grey's death. As the two heroes examine the device, Desaad presents more of the devices, along with a powerful technological gauntlet, to Bruno Manheim and Intergang. As one of the gang checks their monitoring of Superman, he and Batman make an appearance, taking out the crooks despite their advanced weaponry. Desaad tests Superman to see if he is a New God by opening a Boom Tube. Superman is transfixed by what he sees through the tube, the war between New Genesis and Apokolips, and inadvertently allows Desaad to escape. Batman brings Superman back to the present, where Superman states that despite not knowing his origins, he is not from that world.

Superman rounds up the rest of the crooks, whilst Batman goes to check out a hunch. He had interrogated the technician monitoring Superman, discovered that he was just taking advantage of pre-existing monitoring, realises that he hadn't seen anyone enter or exit the building, and discerns that there must be a hidden entrance. He soon locates it, discovering underground tunnels that lead to a vast, hidden pseudo-military complex, called Cadmus. As Cadmus soldiers contain an escape of DNAliens, Batman discovers the cloned body of Jim Harper, undergoing memory implantation. Digging further, he discovers the truth of the complex and confronts Director Westfield with the fact that the facility is trying to clone Superman. Westfield admits this, and that they have had trouble doing so. Batman leaves, promising to keep an eye on the project.


Afterwards, Superman shares dinner with survivors of the inferno, whilst Batman returns to Gotham, determined to see Dick Grayson's school play.

So, this is pretty much the Batman and Superman meet the crazy world of Jack Kirby issue, introducing the New Gods into the series (despite Superman having met them twice already, reaching an understanding of their nature and conflicts in Jack Kirby's Fourth World #20) as well as giving us our first glimpse of Project Cadmus, a Kiry concept that would be a key cornerstone of the Superman stories in the first half of the 1990s. It's a chaotic issue, relying on the reader's pre-existing knowledge of these concepts and offering up highlights (Desaad, Boom Tubes, DNAliens, The Guardian) without really touching on why these are important. The Cadmus pages in particular feel more like Batman being given a 'best-of' tour of the facility rather than constructing a coherent story with these elements. Sure, there's the running thread concerning the monitoring of Superman, but once Batman arrives in Metropolis, this takes a back seat to the more pressing need to show off the work of Jack Kirby.

There's a wonderfully surreal moment, where Batman is sneaking through the corridors of Cadmus, and we see a guard who appear to be Obelix from the Asterix series. The posing of the other guard, especially his face, is very reminiscent of the art of Albert Uderzo. The panel is very obviously an homage to these comics, but for the life of me I cannot work out why this would be. It may be Dave Taylor's way of honoring the 40th anniversary of the publication of the first Asterix strip (in October 1959). Normally I like homages to other works, and I'll happily get behind Asterix, one of my favourites as a child, but I have to say, seeing Obelix in Cadmus did derail my reading of this issue as I sat there for a few moments wondering what was going on.

I really wanted to like this issue. Project Cadmus was one of my favourite things about the Superman books in the 1990s (even the Mickey Cannon era), and I was genuinely sad when the last remnant of the project, Dubbilex, died at the start of the World of New Krypton storyline.However, the rushed nature of how the concept is presented to us leaves me cold to the issue. In fact, this issue is the first of several in the World's Finest series that don't quite do it for me. Up to this point, the references to specific continuity have been fun, minor elements. However, with a few exceptions, from here on in the continuity will drive the story rather than flavouring it. At times, it can and will distract from the core purpose of the book, examining the relationship between Batman and Superman. For example, I would happily have not had Desaad in the book if it meant that we could have dealt with the frosty ending to the previous issue.

The Geeky Bits: If I've got my issues straight, then this is the third meeting between Superman and the New Gods. And if I've got my issues straight, then we won't see them again until Darkseid takes center stage in the Legends crossover. Project Cadmus, however, stays out of sight until 1998's Superman Annual #2.

Obelix's next appearance will be in 2001's Asterix and the Actress.

Next on World of Superman: As this is World of Superman, not World of Obelix, I must reluctantly put down my Asterix volumes. Instead, I'm going to see how much of a blog post I can get out of a three-page story with no dialogue. If it takes me a week to write, then I really have gone to live in Lazy Town, and you all have permission to throw rotten fruit at me.

World's Finest #3

Don't panic everybody! This isn't the World's Finest miniseries as recently covered on From Crisis To Crisis. This one is much better! It's safe to read on!

Year Three: Light In The Darkness


Words: Karl Kesel
Pencils: Dave Taylor
Inks: Robert Campanella
Colors/Seps: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Bill Oakley
Associate Editor: Joseph Illidge
Editor: Darren Vincenzo
Cover Artist: Dave Taylor and Robert Campanella
Cover Date: June 1999
Release Date: 21/04/1999

 Eight Years Ago...


Illuminata and her two henchmen rob a truck full of money in Gotham City. Clark Kent steps forward, proclaiming that it looks like a job for Superman, before struggling to remove his civilian clothing, confusing the villains. He then threatens to use his heat vision, before struggling to reach a fast sprint. Illuminata uses a flash bomb to blind him, but having been distracted by the events, they are arrested by Commissioner Gordon. In the tussle, a gun accidentally goes off, striking Superman and dropping him to the ground. Policemen come to his aid, and discover a kevlar vest underneath his costume. With Bruce Wayne overlooking, Gordon comes to the conclusion that 'Superman' is just another member of the public who has gone a little crazy and gently escorts him to Arkham Asylum for evaluation.


At Arkham, 'Superman' joins Jeremiah Arkham for an evaluation. His power either fail or he refuses to display them like a performing animal. Jeremiah persuades him to spend the night . As 'Superman' is led to his cell, the various inmates of Arkham react to his presence. Concerned about Superman, Bruce Wayne contacts Perry White to find out what has happened to Clark Kent, telling White that 'Superman' has been locked up in Arkham. After the call, White celebrates with Jimmy and Lois - Clark has gained access to Arkham Asylum for his undercover story.


That night, in his cell, Superman bemoans that he really cannot see through the lead-based paint. Suddenly his door unlocks, and Illuminata is standing there, having assaulted a guard to steal his keys. She has been busy, having already released the other inmates. Flying off, Superman quickly encounters Scarecrow and Penguin, both of who are surprised to discover that 'Superman' is actually Superman. Superman then follows The Riddler through the corridors, before discovering a scene orchestrated by Two-Face where both Mr Freeze and Poison Ivy stand ready to kill two members of staff at the same time, with Superman only able to intervene and save one of them. Superman chooses to melt Mr Freeze's gun, whilst Batman arrives to take care of Ivy. With the villains apprehended, Batman realises that the Joker is missing.


Batman and Superman enter the kitchens, where they are attacked by the Joker. Batman quickly overpowers Joker, but the two heroes are told that the Joker had caught Illuminata in the pantry. Opening the door, Superman discovers that the Joker has cut off her eyelids.

After order has been restored, Batman angrily confronts Superman over his assumption that Batman would act as backup on the anniversary of Harrison Grey's death. Batman insists that they are not partners or a team, and when Superman suggests that Batman's training of Robin is a reaction to their past team-ups, Batman suggests that the reverse is true. He suggests that Superman's night in Arkham was a reaction to his previous comment that he wouldn't last the night in Gotham. Superman denies this - he was originally going to write an exposé on Arkham with the intention of having it shut down, but his experiences have led him to change the focus of his article, calling for more funding and resources. The work being done there is too important to shut down, as is Batman's. Despite reaching an understanding, Superman has taken Batman's original words to heart, and suggests that the next year they try to remember Harrison Grey in their own ways. The two part company.

Ah, it's nice to return to a series that builds a relationship between Superman and a hero whose presence actually affect the Man of Steel. One of the strongest things about these earlier issues of this World's Finest miniseries is that, with large gaps in the history of the relationship between Batman and Superman, Karl Kesel is unafraid to have the heroes make mistakes with each other. The relationship that is in place by the time the two of them are heading up the JLA is one forged through adversity and across the years. Here, Superman makes some assumptions about the nature of his and Batman's working relationship that are wrong. The end result appears to be what he assumed would happen, but the reasons for the result are very different from what he expected, prompting him to re-evaluate his relationship with his most notable ally.

Although Superman has worked in Gotham prior to this issue, this is the first time he is exposed to the true darkness that inhabits the city. Magpie, for all of her showy theatrics, was a troubled woman and therefore elicited sympathy from Superman. The various Batman villains in Arkham Asylum, at their most demented and powerful, profoundly trouble Superman. When he comes across Illuminata, strapped to a chair with her eyelids sliced off so that she can never close her eyes, he is told by her to turn the light off as it is too bright. Instead of closing the door and quietly extinguishing the light, Superman is so shocked and reviled by what he sees that he cries out in shock, ripping the light bulb from the ceiling. Although he denies putting Batman's decree that he wouldn't last a night in Gotham City, this is very much a trial for Superman, one that he passes unscathed, but not unaffected by what he has seen. Although match-ups between Superman and Batman's villains are rare, each of them is taken seriously, with a respect for the potential for violence and loss of life that Superman gets from this encounter.

I really enjoyed the opening of the issue, where Superman pretends to be a well-meaning but deluded super-hero wannabe. Dave Taylor does a great job with the art in this opening scene, presenting subtly wrong images of Superman in action. I particularly like the detail on 'Superman's' hair, which is deliberately almost-but-not-quite right. I'm not so much of a fan of Taylor's portrayal of the Bat-villains, however. His Joker seems too ordinary, his appearance being at odds with the horrific act he commits. He is a lot creepier on the very striking cover that adorns this issue. I particularly like the way that Batman takes up the whole cover, and yet it's possible to not even notice that it's him unless you take in the small element of non-silhouette at the top of the image.

For me, this is one of the strongest issues of World's Finest, building on the first two issues whilst telling its own story, without being distracted by events that would define the later years of Batman and Superman. And in a few days, we'll be checking out the next issue.

The Geeky Bits: I missed out on creator bios the last two issues thanks to some interesting continuity pieces that needed addressing. And talking of those, this is the first time that Superman encounters The Joker.

Karl Kesel is one of the few people to have worked on the post-Crisis Superman as writer, artist and inker, although never at the same time. He is best known as the creator of the clone Superboy, a 67-issue, 6-year run as writer of Adventures of Superman, and as the writer of 59 issues of the Superboy series, in three runs from the first to the last issue. His main work as a penciller was on the Superman issues of the Time And Again arc, and he was the inker for the majority of John Byrne's run on Superman.

Next on World of Superman: Well, it's not the biggest leap in time that we've made (that honour belongs to an almost 100,000 year jump from World of New Krypton #2 to The Kents #1), but we're leaping ahead an entire year to see how Superman and Batman react to the third anniversary of Harrison Grey's death in World's Finest #4.

Superman/Shazam!: First Thunder #4

Good gravy, how the time flies. It's been a busy old week over here behind the scenes. There have been more than a few distractions from the actual business of writing about Superman. As well as the already linked podcasts (Amazing Spider-Man Classics Episode 13 and Teenage Wasteland: An Ultimate Spider-Man Podcast Episode 37), the Amazing Spider-Man Classics team wrangled the next episode into shape, added in some extremely dodgy renditions of various television theme songs, and released it as Episode 14. As before, I joined the team, and had a great time whilst doing. it.

In addition to this, a twitter papertrail led me to the SFX 200th Issue Celebrations. I started collecting SFX with issue 37 (Uma Thurman on the cover, promoting Gattaca), and stopped about 100 or so issues later. It's a big part of how I became a SF fan, and I think it's fair to say that without the magazine's glowing coverage of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, which started long before the series made its way to the BBC, I may have overlooked the brilliance that was and is Joss Whedon until a lot later. A more direct influence on my comic reading is the article they did to celebrate the finale of Preacher, which turned me onto that series, and in turn to the idea that comics didn't have to be about men in capes and tights. The linked site is a special even they did for their 200th issue, whereby they link one feature from each of their issues. It's a great piece of nostalgia, especially for any Brits out there. Remember the days when the best we had in the UK was Bugs?

Anyway, that's enough distractions. We have some serious business to get down to.


First Thunder Part 4: Men And Boys! Gods And Thunder!


Writer: Judd Winick
Artist: Joshua Middleton
Letterer: Nick J Napolitano
Associate Editor: Tom Palmer Jr.
Editor: Mike Carlin
Cover Artist: Joshua Middleton
Cover Date: Febuary 2006
Release Date: 21/12/2005

Back in Metropolis, Clark relaxes in the Daily Planet newsroom, fending off questions from Lois Lane concerning his scoop from Fawcett City. Meanwhile, Dr Sivana is relishing the fact that he is about to rid himself of Captain Marvel. He doesn't care that this involves murdering a child, and that there is a possibility that the child being targeted might not even be the right one.

In the subway, Billy Batson changes into Captain Marvel, who shrugs off a hail of bullets. He leaps into the attackers, making quick work of them. Turning back to make some lighthearted banter with Scott, Marvel is shocked to see his friend unconscious, with a bullet wound to his chest. Marvel takes Scott to a nearby hospital. The doctors and surgeons work long and hard, but are unable to save his life. At the Fawcett City police station, Spec is being grilled by two detectives. Suddenly, Captain Marvel appears, ripping the door to the interrogation room off of its hinges. Ignoring the policemen with their guns on him, Marvel demands to know who sent him.


Dr Sivana is drinking to cover his disappointment at not having Captain Marvel killed. Marvel appears at the window, shattering all the glass in the penthouse. He grabs Sivana by the throat, wondering whether or not to let him live. When Sivana passes out, Marvel drops him to the floor and leaves. Coming to, Sivana decides to leave Fawcett for good.


The next morning, Clark sees reports of Captain Marvel's rampage. He flies to Mount Everest and finds Captain Marvel sitting in their spot. Superman demands answers as to why Marvel put so many lives in danger, but is taken aback to see him crying. Marvel tells Superman about Scott, that he was his best friend. Superman doesn't understand, and Marvel realises that he has to reveal his secret. He says 'Shazam' and turns back into Billy Batson, telling Superman that he feels it's too dangerous to be Billy anymore. Superman asks who did this to him.


A little while later, Superman confronts Shazam in the Rock of Eternity. He is angry that the wizard has given this responsibility to a child, removing the gift of childhood from Billy. Shazam tell Superman that Billy is a boy who needs guidance. Later on, Clark goes to visit Billy in a run down building. When Billy asks if he is from social services, Clark unbuttons his shirt to reveal his identity. Sitting down, he introduces himself to Billy.

Way back, in my coverage of issue one of this series, I teased in reply to a comment that I don't react to this series in the way I normally react to a Judd Winick comic. I normally find Winick to be a heavy-handed writer, fond of championing social issues but doing so with about as much subtlety as the time Darth Vader decided to use the Death Star to do a spot of light pruning in the garden of his holiday home on Coruscant. Wether dealing with homophobia in Green Lantern, or HIV in Green Arrow, readers have found themselves lectured by the comics they have read. Here, the social issue is homelessness, but instead of making it a focus of the story, Winick uses it as flavouring, an element to enrich the story without having Superman tell the readers that kids living on the street is A Bad Thing. It helps that the homelessness is an element of the original origin story for Captain Marvel.

Although the first three issues of the series don't do much for me, this fourth issue is far stronger. I can really get behind Marvel'sMarvel's driving seat, seeing the fears of a small boy in Marvel's actions comes across well on the page. I particularly like the way Superman redirects his anger when he sees Marvel crying, angrily defending a child's right to be a child to Shazam.

And then we get to the end of the issue, which ends with Superman stripping off to share a bed with a young, emotionally vulnerable boy. Yeah, in context of the issue it almost works as a moment where Superman puts the needs of one of his allies over his own desire to maintain a secret identity. But let's face it, there is a very uncomfortable and more-than-likely unintentional subtext to this scene that is completely wrong for the two characters involved.

The Geeky Bits: In this current age of the multiverse, Earth-53 has Superman as a fugitive, hunted by the JLA for crimes against minors. Or not...

Next on World of Superman: Superman gets locked up in Arkham Asylum. Have I taken the opportunity to skip 15 years of comics and jump right into Emperor Joker? Or have I just reached issue 3 of World's Finest?

Teenage Wasteland: A British Spider-Man Podcast

Did ya see what I did there?

Just a quick note to say that Teenage Wasteland: An Ultimate Spider-Man Podcast episode 37, focusing on the first half of the Hobgoblin story arc and featuring... well... me... is now available to download. Find the podcast here or on iTunes.

I'll see you all in a couple of days for the final part of Superman/Shazam!: First Thunder.

Superman/Shazam: First Thunder! #3

First Thunder Part 3: Titans


Writer: Judd Winick
Artist: Joshua Middleton
Letterer: Nick J. Napolitano
Associate Editor: Tom Palmer Jr.
Editor: Mike Carlin
Cover Artist: Joshua Middleton
Cover Date: January 2006
Release Date: 02/11/2005

The wizard Shazam narrates the secret origin of Eclipso. Knowing that his champion is about to face Eclipso in battle, Shazam fears for Captain Marvel. Spec speaks to the homeless of Fawcett City, looking for information on the boy he saw Captain Marvel turn into. One old man is able to give him some information, and Spec asks for a name.


Superman and Captain Marvel arrive at the site of the demonic ritual. Although Marvel doesn't recognise Sabbac, he recognises the strong magical powers within him. The two engage, but Sabbac belches fire all over them and flies away. Meanwhile, Eclipso uses the Fawcett City Solar Center to broadcast the energy from the black diamond into the sun, causing rays of black light to fall onto the city, turning anyone they touch into Eclipsos. Superman saves Captain Marvel from one of these rays, and the two turn to face their increasing problems.


Doctor Sivana observes the chaos from the top of his building. Spec arrives with a piece of paper bearing the secret of Captain Marvel's vulnerability.


Eclipso is gloating over his success when the machinery used to spread his influence is suddenly destroyed by Superman. The two fight, and Eclipso uses his posessed minions to attack. Meanwhile, Captain Marvel and Sabbac trade blows. Sabbac is gloating and monologuing, and accidentally gives away that his name is the source of his power. Superman uses his powers to vibrate the air around him, repelling the posessed people, and the uses his super-breath to provide a cushion for them to fall on. Having broken free, Superman races into the sky, and locates the cavern where Sabbac was summoned. Breaking in and destroying the seals within causes the darkness over the sun to withdraw, diminishing Eclipso's power and freeing his minions, including Bruce Gordon. With the sun returned, Captain Marvel is able to face off more effectively against Sabbac. Taunting and teasing him, Marvel makes Sabbac so mad that he yells out his name, returning to human form. Marvel then grabs the human by his mouth, preventing him from re-summoning his power.


Superman and Marvel say their goodbyes, with Superman feeling more comfortable about the world of magic, knowing that he has an ally who can stand up to that power. Marvel changes back into Billy and returns to his shelter, where he discusses the events with Scott. A noise alerts them, and suddenly they are confronted by a group of soldiers, who open fire.

So, this would be the fighting issue, then? We get a full issue of Superman and Captain Marvel vs Eclipso and Sabbac. I'm not quite sure why Eclipso needs to be here, displaying a command over his powers that wasn't otherwise present during the earlier years of Superman's life. Thematically his presence makes a kind of sense, a random element thrown into the mix as a result of Sivana's work with Sabbac, but all he does is occupy Superman and keep him from engaing with Sabbac. When the whole gist of Superman's involvement in this story is to confront his fears and concerns about his ability to face off against magical forces, giving him an easy option to back out of a fight with a supremely mystical being and having him bow out after a couple of punches feels like a cop out. But as we're talking about Superman's resistance to magic, one panel has Superman countering Ecliso's black diamond energy beam thingy with his heat vision, and succeeding. If Superman is able to face down the power of the former Spirit of Vengeance with his heat vision, then why does he have concerns about facing magical enemies? Why does he even have a weakness against such foes?

As is becoming a regular trait with this series, we have more examples of dialogue that just doesn't fit the mouths from which it springs. Eclipso taunts Superman, telling him that he smells of flesh and blood and bone, that he smells mortal. And what does Superman respond with? 'Good. I won't tell you what you smell of.' Wow, this has all the sharp, biting wit of a six year old who doesn't like being called stinky-pants. This isn't the Man of Steel, the figurehead of all heroes on Earth, and reading such poor dialogue coming out of Superman's mouth is just painful. And let's just not start of Superman vibrating the air around him to provide enough kinetic energy to repel twenty of so humans and then directing enough of his breath quickly enough to cushion their fall without blowing them away. My science-type brain kinda melted when I read that.

The Geeky Bits: Joshua Middleton is mainly known as a cover artist, although he has occasionally been an interior artist. He started at CrossGen with the title Meridian in 2000, and next surfaced as the penciller for the 2004 series NYX. However, Middleton's work is often subject to delays, partly because of his all-encompassing work that sees him pencil, ink and colour his own work. Middleton was nominated for an Eisner award for his covers for NYX in 2004.

Next on World of Superman: We finish off First Thunder! Are you prepared to cry? Because the creative team would like you to.