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blogging by Andrew Wickliffe

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  • All-Star Comics (1976) #71

    All-Star Comics (1976) #71

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    Paul Levitz (script)

    Joe Staton (pencils)

    Bob Layton (inks)

    Adrienne Roy (colors)

    Ben Oda (letters)

    Joe Orlando (editor)

    Even leaving aside the delightful implication Green Lantern and the Flash are sharing a bedroom as part of GL’s rehabilitation (Joan does not appear, wink wink), this issue of All-Star once again succeeds thanks to the absence of the Justice Society.

    The issue opens with Huntress, Star-Spangled Kid, and Wildcat fighting the Strike Force at Gotham Stadium. We’ll get a little about Earth-2 Gotham City’s political shenanigans and—apparently—continued crime problems in the exposition, but writer Paul Levitz is just filling out the text boxes before the big reveal about the Strike Force. They’re financed by a large private family fortune, with a familiar name attached to it, and it’s going to change All-Star Comics forever.

    Presumably.

    Before that character’s declaration of a new dawn at the end of the comic, Levitz has to get us through Huntress’s unmasking and Star-Spangled Kid’s rescue. Huntress and Wildcat leave Kid to go off and get more help from the Justice Society. Too bad literally all of them are too busy to answer the call. The comic checks in on the aforementioned Green Lantern and Flash, as well as Superman, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Power Girl, Dr. Fate, and Dr. Mid-Nite. Levitz acknowledges there are, like, ten other heroes they could be checking in on, too, who are also too busy to save the world.

    Because even without Psycho Pirate brainwashing them all into being jerks, the Justice Society all still feel like they aren’t responsible for the safety of the planet they’re sworn to protect. With great power comes little responsibility.

    Anyway.

    Wildcat and Huntress will try to get a rescue squad together and fail. Along the way, Wildcat will notice—it takes a while because he’s a blockhead—Huntress knows way too much about Justice Society policies and procedures to just be a random superhero. She reveals her secret identity to him, along with some implications about her backstory rather than information, and they get back to the task at hand.

    Huntress is going to figure out the solution to their problems thanks to good old-fashioned comic book detective work—meaning noticing something amiss and it turning out to be the singular clue—but it’s a nice change from the normal bickering fifty-somethings. Don’t worry—despite over a dozen issues working with Power Girl, Wildcat still doesn’t like headstrong young women, so the issue retains some of that series flavor.

    Outside of him being a lacking (but far from the worst, actually) sidekick, the Huntress and Wildcat Hour is fine. Penciller Joe Staton, somewhat assisted by inker Bob Layton, has a handful of decent action panels. The artists put the work in on the emphasis panels and hurry through the medium- or long-shots (they’ll go from the issue’s art highlight immediately to a proportionally challenged splash page). But, again, it’s relatively fine superhero comics. Levitz is engaged with the Huntress, and the artists are flexing (as much as they can).

    The Strike Force is still embarrassingly silly for all involved, of course, between their origin and their gadgets (laser tanks and such). It’s an okay comic, which isn’t bad for All-Star.

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  • The Spirit (March 23, 1941) “Dipsy Dooble”

    The Spirit (March 23, 1941) “Dipsy Dooble”

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    Will Eisner (editor, script, pencils, inks)

    Joe Kubert (colors)

    Sam Rosen (letters)

    The Dolans—both Commissioner and Ellen—are back this strip after a few weeks off. The Commissioner’s sick of Ellen just going to teas or dances; it’s high time she settles down with a husband or gets herself a job. Ellen’s already ahead of Dolan (a theme this strip)—she’s got a new job as a boxer’s manager. She’s found a poet palooka named Winthrop Boombershlag (because Eisner was in a fun mood). The Commissioner doesn’t approve but is interrupted by the Spirit’s call.

    Spirit’s calling to report information about a plot to kill Winthrop Boombershlag in the ring. The reader already knows about it because the opening scene features the bad guys (including the evil scientist, who appears to be a racial caricature of some kind, but they lost their nerve to put the finishing touches on). Then the reader knows about the danger in the second scene with Ellen and the Commissioner, and goes into the Spirit’s briefing scene knowing more than anyone. Except Ebony, who’s overheard the bad guys (presumably some time after the opening scene).

    Commissioner Dolan’s not interested—and Ebony doesn’t have information about the other boxer, though the reader knows the mad scientist has deadened all Dipsy Dooble’s nerves to make him a more lethal opponent–so it’s a good thing Spirit pisses off Winthrop. Without the delightful page of Winthrop’s feats of strength and their eventual payoff, Commissioner Dolan may never have listened to Spirit’s plan, which would have narrative repercussions.

    The resolution’s a lot of fun, with Eisner and studio keeping things moving once we’re in the ring, but Ellen and Spirit don’t get to catch up at all. It’s an interesting narrative actuality of the comic strip—sometimes you’ve got characters to use without much reason to use them, so they fit another function. Here, it’s Ellen’s boxing manager career, which gets no resolution. Her character development had veered towards romance with Spirit, but she’s all business—especially since her star (and only) client Winthrop Boombershlag is very protective.

    The result’s a good strip, but not one with anything particularly standout. They’ve never really done a character like Winthrop as comic relief, and it’s interesting to see Eisner lean heavier on comedy beats. The finale’s got some excellent visuals, the fights have some excellent visuals. It’s all very well-executed comics.

    Commissioner Dolan and the Spirit doing bickering bits, however, need a little more work. They get into it over Ebony’s reliability as a witness, and it gets personal for both of them rather quickly. It resolves on a comedy beat, and they do get to bond a little at the very end, but the strip’s seemingly satisfied with contriving whatever type of friendship they need (or don’t need) for the plot.

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  • Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes (1978) #235

    Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes (1978) #235

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    Paul Levitz (1), Gerry Conway (2) (script)

    Mike Grell (1), George Tuska (2) (pencils)

    Vince Colletta (inks)

    Jerry Serpe (colors)

    Milt Snapinn (1), Ben Oda (2) (letters)

    Al Milgrom (editor)

    Joe Orlando (managing editor)

    Hang on, it’s Vince Colletta inking both stories? I knew he was on the strange backup from Gerry Conway and George Tuska (Tuska on Legion is fun). But Colletta also inks Grell on the feature. And I think it’s been my favorite Grell art on Superboy… probably ever? So, sometimes, stars align.

    While it’s still not great art, and lots of the costume designs seem to be geared towards silliness over function, Grell takes advantage of the story to really showcase Superboy, which doesn’t happen often. The opportunity arises here because of the plot—the Legion is doing their annual brainwashing of the Boy of Steel when an alert comes in, and because Brainiac 5 doesn’t know how to keep circuits separate, the brainwashing gets interrupted. They have to go save a research station with Superboy, who is susceptible to dangerous future information because of that interruption.

    The research station is the most important in the Federation, called “Life Sciences,” and all the scientists are very surprised Superboy has never heard of it. Writer Paul Levitz will pepper the story with Superboy’s suspicions based on (literal) intergalactic eavesdropping and good old twentieth-century critical thinking, but there’s not a mystery here. The reveal isn’t anything the reader could’ve really guessed (other than Superboy’s guess being suspiciously insipid). And the way Levitz writes around the reveal—potentially the most fascinating insight into the (at best) sociopathic Legion of Super-Heroes ever—needs a reread just to parse all the connotations. It retcons almost the entire series, but everyone’s blasé about it.

    Despite all the accouterments—and not just the subplot about revolutionaries who want the Federation’s secrets (the ones Superboy also can’t know)—it’s got a very Silver Age vibe, just in terms of character development. Grell’s pencils don’t clash with that vibe, either. Maybe his ability to tell these Silver Age-y stories with Bronze Age futuristics is what Grell brings to Legion.

    Contrasting the feature’s Silver Age story in Bronze Age fashion is the backup, which has Conway doing a complicated flashback-based trial story. The Legion’s in trouble for not helping some politician’s son. Both the politician and the Legion needed to get the magic blood of an alien beast; it brings you back from the… You know, I was going to contrast the backup with the Tuska pencils as the more “Bronze Age,” but no, these are both really very Silver Age-y takes. Conway brings a bit more confusion to it, which gives Tuska a lot of fodder, but the core story’s Silvery.

    And it’s awesome to see Tuska do the Bronze Age costume designs for some of the Legion. The flashback stuff with the monster isn’t great—not bad, just not great—but the eventual Legion theatrics are a lot of fun, visually.

    The issue’s got a big reveal in the feature and the protracted setup in the backup, but neither requires any Legion foreknowledge. Just general awareness. It’s a great onboarding issue, though maybe not the best art the book’s ever had or the best writing, but if readers are into the modern (and retro) takes, this issue’ll let them know Legion’s for them.

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  • Briefly, TV (10 December 2025)

    Down Cemetery Road (2025) s01e05 “Slow Dying” D: Sam Donovan. S: Emma Thompson, Ruth Wilson, Darren Boyd, Adeel Akhtar, Adam Godley, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Sinead Matthews. Sometimes bewildering (the quirky walking theme amid disintegrating flesh and child murder), sometimes bad (Wilson’s maybe, maybe not trigger warning backstory somehow equivalent to actual years of torture). Thompson’s great. Show’s terrible at suspense when someone isn’t in imminent danger, which presumably happens next episode at the shootout at the O.K. Corral. Not disappointing so much as dejecting. Humbug.

    Down Cemetery Road (2025) s01e06 “Neglected Waters” D: Börkur Sigthorsson. S: Emma Thompson, Ruth Wilson, Adeel Akhtar, Darren Boyd. The show might just be bad is this episode’s thesis statement. It’s some ginned up suspense without any pay-off (just misanthropy and, maybe soon, an ingrained misogyny, which will be a flex and a half considering the assignment). Wilson finally gets a better episode than Thompson, but mostly because Thompson’s episode’s atrocious. Cheap thriller narrative devices abound.

    Down Cemetery Road (2025) s01e07 “Lights Go Out” D: Börkur Sigthorsson. S: Emma Thompson, Ruth Wilson, Adeel Akhtar, Darren Boyd. Assuming the novel doesn’t rely on Black British men in black hooded jackets looking the same with “artful” lightning. We do finally get the explanation of the title (not worth the wait), and lots of deck chairs get moved for the finale. There may be a good 104-minute movie if you cut out the fluff. Also, maybe not.

    Down Cemetery Road (2025) s01e08 “What Will Survive” D: Börkur Sigthorsson. S: Emma Thompson, Ruth Wilson. So, no, not a good show. One hopes the novel leans more into the hard-boiled detective stuff for the finish, too. Thompson and Wilson get squat this episode, which opens with another reset of the stakes. Maybe with some smart cutting (of whole subplots and characters) you could get an okay movie out of it. But probably not.

    Pluribus (2025) s01e01 “We Is Us” D: Vince Gilligan. S: Rhea Seehorn, Miriam Shor. Great hour of entertainment but there’s no indication of the show. The first act is about a signal from outer space, then lead Seehorn takes over. We get a little about her life as a successful but artistically bereft fantasy pirate romance author (which may be filler). Until she’s in a nightmare, just trying to get safe. We’ll see.

    Pluribus (2025) s01e02 “Pirate Lady” D: Vince Gilligan. S: Rhea Seehorn, Karolina Wydra. Possibly over-full (and rushed) episode establishes Seehorn’s place in the new world, including why she’s the normie who gets the TV show. The utopian hive mind stuff would work better if there weren’t the beyond ostentatious “wealth porn” angle, which seems anti-environmental. The episode’s third act and jingoism is a little off, too. Big questions, TV answers.

    Pluribus (2025) s01e03 “Grenade” D: Gordon Smith. S: Rhea Seehorn, Karolina Wydra. Will any of the happy people ever need to act with more depth than a customer service representative training video? Might not be worth watching the show, which continues to be competently executed basic television. But making Seehorn the whole show and not giving her anything more than a movie trailer’s worth of emotional content is getting tedious.

  • Briefly, Movies (10 December 2025)

    Ben-Hur (1959) D: William Wyler. S: Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet, Martha Scott, Cathy O’Donnell. Most of the three and a half hours is an excellent historical adventure epic about Judean Heston trying to avenge himself upon former best friend Boyd, now a Roman thug. Along the way, there’s shoehorned references to the contemporary Jesus’s adventures. Then the third act is a hilarious deus ex machina, literally washing away all the stakes. Epic bummer.

    The Cat Creeps (1946) D: Erle C. Kenton. S: Noah Beery Jr., Lois Collier, Paul Kelly, Frederick Brady, Douglass Dumbrille, Rose Hobart, Iris Lancaster. Fun enough thriller about an assortment of suspects getting knocked off while reporter Brady tries to make nice with his girl, Collier, who’s also a suspect. They’re on an isolated island with an old dark house and everyone’s got the motive. Brady’s performance is at eleven and delightful, and the rest of the cast is solid. Especially mysterious Lancaster.

    Fast Workers (1933) D: Tod Browning. S: John Gilbert, Robert Armstrong, Mae Clarke, Muriel Kirkland, Vince Barnett, Virginia Cherrill, Sterling Holloway. High steel worker besties Gilbert and Armstrong have an arrangement when it comes to ladies–lothario Gilbert’s always happy to show sap Armstrong his squeeze is a loose gal. It goes haywire when Armstrong falls for Clarke, a semi-pro who Gilbert’s actually smitten with. Cool skyscraper sequences and dripping misogyny. Clarke and Gilbert do better than Armstrong.

    Isle of Fury (1936) D: Frank McDonald. S: Humphrey Bogart, Margaret Lindsay, Donald Woods, E. E. Clive, Paul Graetz, Gordon Hart, George Regas. Soggy South Seas melodrama about mysterious Woods shipwrecking on Bogart’s island. Woods immediately falls for Lindsay (who starts the movie marrying Bogart), and they have a Code-friendly pseudo-daliance. But the actual story is something else, which we find out at the last minute. The lengthy “scheming natives” subplot is gross. No good performances (Clive’s the closest). Based on W. Somerset Maugham’s THE NARROW CORNER.

    Possession (1981) D: Andrzej Żuławski. S: Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill, Margit Carstensen, Heinz Bennent, Johanna Hofer, Carl Duering, Shaun Lawton. Affected (and icky) in the extremis horror movie about maybe spy Neill’s marriage falling apart. Wife Adjani is done with him all of a sudden; it turns out there’s a lot more going on. Adjani’s got her moments, while Neill’s doing a schtick the whole time. Intentionally but so what. The end’s laughably obvious and the random misogyny’s gross.

    Rogue of the Rio Grande (1930) D: Spencer Gordon Bennet. S: Myrna Loy, Walter Miller, Carmelita Geraghty, Gene Morgan, Raymond Hatton, William P. Burt, José Bohr. Cheap, bad border Western about Robin Hood-esque bandit Bohr (a German guy in brown face doing an accent) romancing singer Loy (not in brown face physically, just spiritually–she’s got the Speedy Gonzales accent), while contending with the silly gringos not being able to catch him. It’s atrocious stuff.

    She-Wolf of London (1946) D: Jean Yarbrough. S: Don Porter, June Lockhart, Sara Haden, Jan Wiley, Lloyd Corrigan, Dennis Hoey, Martin Kosleck. Very cheap Gothic horror pretending to be a monster movie about heiress Lockhart thinking she’s a killer werewolf. Corrigan’s the tenacious inspector who also believes in werewolves. Wiley’s good as the supportive cousin, Porter’s fine as the love interest. But Lockhart doesn’t get anything to do. And Haden’s ineffective as the overprotective aunt. It just gets across the finish.

    TRON: Ares (2025) D: Joachim Rønning. S: Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Gillian Anderson, Jodie Turner-Smith, Jeff Bridges. Audiovisual feast–except during the surprisingly lackluster fisticuffs–has charisma-free Leto playing a likable Disney-fied Terminator who starts questioning tech billionaire boss Peters’s orders. Turner-Smith is good as Leto’s true believer lieutenant. Peters and Anderson’s villains disappoint. Lee’s only okay as the human lead. The script’s often quite bad; the looks and sounds are the point.

  • Briefly, TV (19 November 2025)

    All Creatures Great & Small (2020) s06e05 “Fixes” [2025] D: Andy Hay. S: Nicholas Ralph, Samuel West, Anna Madeley, Callum Woodhouse. Excellent episode for Woodhouse, West, and Ralph. Madeley gets a couple good scenes but the spotlight is on the boys. Particularly since the show didn’t follow Rachel Shenton and Imogen Clawson to London. Instead, Ralph’s working a shady racetrack, Woodhouse is psychoanalyzing a parrot, and West’s just found out he’s a shellfish. Full–overfull, really–but also achingly earnest.

    All Creatures Great & Small (2020) s06e06 “Our Hearts Are Full” [2025] D: Andy Hay. S: Nicholas Ralph, Samuel West, Anna Madeley, Callum Woodhouse. Lovely season finale finishes up one of the outstanding plot lines–or at least, finishes a major part of it–and gives Woodhouse a phenomenal acting episode. West gets a little, too, along with Ralph, but not with the considerable weight Woodhouse takes on. The vet cases are fantastic, especially how they integrate. Just an excellent, emotionally rending episode.

    Down Cemetery Road (2025) s01e01 “Almost True” D: Natalie Bailey. S: Emma Thompson, Tom Goodman-Hill, Ruth Wilson, Darren Boyd, Adeel Akhtar, Adam Godley, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett. Beautifully acted but incredibly tedious premiere about normal person Wilson getting involved in a conspiracy. Thompson’s the P.I. who will figure in at some point. Lots of setup, strained thrills. At least until the finish (it’s clear for a while it’s going to be all about the cliffhanger). Riley’s already a liability as Wilson’s husband. The finish saves it.

    Down Cemetery Road (2025) s01e02 “A Kind of Grief” D: Natalie Bailey. S: Emma Thompson, Tom Goodman-Hill, Ruth Wilson, Darren Boyd, Adeel Akhtar, Adam Godley, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett. Why is Wilson stuck in a barely middling, super predictable (once they give away the first twist) conspiracy thriller, while Thompson’s in this awesome, grieving P.I. bit? When a man’s partner is murdered, that’s got to mean something, and all that. The music’s awful. At least the acting’s good, even when the writing disappoints. Maybe next time it’ll stabilize.

    Down Cemetery Road (2025) s01e03 “Filthy Work” D: Sam Donovan. S: Emma Thompson, Tom Goodman-Hill, Ruth Wilson, Darren Boyd, Adeel Akhtar, Adam Godley, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett. Once again, Thompson gets a great episode while Wilson gets a not great episode. Still well acted, but somewhat inert as a thriller. The laughably bad music doesn’t help. However, the real problem seems to be the pedestrian tying of a private eye story to a conspiracy thriller. Punting on the backstory reveal is also a bad choice.

    The Game (2025) s01e01 “Episode 1” D: . S: Jason Watkins, Sunetra Sarker, Indy Lewis. Newly retired copper Watkins is getting bored hanging around the house when a mystery presents itself on the block, soon followed by the arrival of new neighbor Green. Is Green the infamous serial killer who escaped Watkins’s grasp years before and drove him to a breakdown? Will we find out before episode four? Green’s good, Watkins’s okay. It’s fine.

    The Game (2025) s01e02 “Episode 2” D: . S: Robson Green, Jason Watkins, Sunetra Sarker, Indy Lewis. The show’s either getting much better or it’s going to be very unaware. Watkins is much better as a selfish dude in the middle of a crisis. Not sympathetic but better. And Green sails through. But the most kudos belong to the supporting cast, who get very little reward for holding up the show. The cliffhanger’s potentially something.

    The Game (2025) s01e03 “Episode 3” D: . S: Robson Green, Jason Watkins, Sunetra Sarker, Indy Lewis, Lewis Ian Bray. Major narrative cop outs cut into the potential–not to mention the disposable nature of the supporting players–though there are some rather solid scenes. Green’s reviling in the potential villainy, which is fun to watch, but not necessarily good television. Watkins ranges in quality without ever getting good but never being too bad. Amber James remains unsung.

    The Game (2025) s01e04 “Episode 4” D: . S: Robson Green, Jason Watkins, Sunetra Sarker, Indy Lewis. Middling finish reveals hints of the show it could’ve been–the concerned neighbors looking out for one another, echoes of tragedies on the block, and so on. Instead, it’s a bunch of folks experiencing surprisingly little trauma while living in a slasher movie. Albeit one with a cast against type slasher. Watkins really hasn’t got the lead vibe down.

    Only Murders in the Building (2021) s05e10 “The House Always…” [2025] D: Jamie Babbit. S: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Michael Cyril Creighton, Jackie Hoffman, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Richard Kind. Season–not series (good thing)–finale pulls out a twist killer, then just catalogs the red herrings from throughout. They get away with it (the show, not the killer) thanks to the right balance of guest-star antics and the leads’ chemistry. Martin gets a nice showcase, and Creighton again gets to be the glue. Finer side of good.

    Slow Horses (2022) s05e06 “Scars” [2025] D: Saul Metzstein. S: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Saskia Reeves, Christopher Chung, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, James Callis. Solid finale has lots of tension at the beginning, then gets lost in all its resolutions. Oldman gets a couple good scenes, but none of the season character arcs for the HORSES perturb. The finale just wraps up the season danger, some outstanding season business, and some guest star resolution. The show also needs Lowden to start delivering. Soon.

  • Briefly, Movies (19 November 2025)

    Appointment with Murder (1948) D: Jack Bernhard. S: John Calvert, Catherine Craig, Jack Reitzen, Lyle Talbot, Peter Brocco, Ben Welden, Robert Conte. Better than last time “FALCON” entry has Calvert (sans cute dog and magic tricks) trying to unravel an art fraud deal gone wrong. Luckily for the film, director (and producer) Bernhard’s inventive on the shoestring budget, and Reitzen’s so bad as the villain, he makes Calvert seem competent. Supporting cast’s okay, and Craig’s good as the potentially fatale femme.

    Dangerous Passage (1944) D: William Berke. S: Robert Lowery, Phyllis Brooks, Charles Arnt, Jack La Rue, John Eldredge, Victor Kilian, Alec Craig. Solid budget noir about newly wealthy Lowery finding himself in inheritance-related danger. He escapes on a seedy boat, finding romance with potential fatale Brooks and mystery with the weird crew. Except then there are further–and further–DANGEROUS developments. Lowery and Brooks have more chemistry than acting chops, but it’s good chemistry. Daniel Mainwaring’s script is crackerjack-paced.

    Devil’s Cargo (1948) D: John F. Link Sr.. S: John Calvert, Rochelle Hudson, Roscoe Karns, Lyle Talbot, Theodore von Eltz, Michael Mark, Tom Kennedy. New take on the FALCON property (minus existing canon); non-actor, non-charmer, magician Calvert is the lead in this Poverty Row production. The new Falcon does magic tricks all the time and has replaced dames with his lovable dog. Dirt cheap, but L.A. location shooting’s interesting, and some of the supporting cast’s competent. Link’s direction’s no help, either.

    The Falcon in Hollywood (1944) D: Gordon Douglas. S: Tom Conway, Barbara Hale, Veda Ann Borg, John Abbott, Sheldon Leonard, Konstantin Shayne, Emory Parnell. Middling entry has Conway stumbling across a corpse at a movie studio, wrecking his vacation. Complicating matters is an old foe, who just happens to have a fetching female associate (a rather good Hale). The big problems are the cops, who aren’t any good, and annoying cabbie Borg, who won’t leave Conway alone. Borg gets the racist bits, too.

    The Falcon in San Francisco (1945) D: Joseph H. Lewis. S: Tom Conway, Rita Corday, Edward Brophy, Sharyn Moffett, Fay Helm, Robert Armstrong, Carl Kent. Conway, again with a sidekick (Brophy, who does better than he should with so little), helps out little kid Moffett, who’s got a fetching old sister (Corday, a series regular always playing a new character). Good mystery, great villain in Helm, who keeps easy pace with Sanders. Not particularly cheap in scale but the production cuts too many corners.

    The Falcon’s Adventure (1946) D: William Berke. S: Tom Conway, Madge Meredith, Edward Brophy, Robert Warwick, Myrna Dell, Steve Brodie, Ian Wolfe. Conway and Brophy head to Miami to help out Meredith, who’s in possession of an industrial formula. A couple real, cheap laughs for Brophy, and the setting’s good, but the ADVENTURE’s off. Conway’s charm can do a lot, and he’s game for new ideas–a giant fisticuffs scene–but it’s got limits. Quite indistinct for the series finale.

    The Falcon’s Alibi (1946) D: Ray McCarey. S: Tom Conway, Rita Corday, Vince Barnett, Jane Greer, Elisha Cook Jr., Emory Parnell, Al Bridge. Conway has a particularly good time this outing, which now has comely Corday as a secretary trying to find her boss’s missing pearls. The setup has the suspects all in lockdown at a hotel, but McCarey barely does anything with it. Lots of fun seeing Cook and Cook as young lovers. Parnell’s super blah. It’s lesser FALCON, but okay.

    Frankenstein (2025) D: Guillermo del Toro. S: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Christoph Waltz, Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, Charles Dance, David Bradley. Very fathers and sons adaptation blows the first half on Isaac’s one-note FRANKENSTEIN. One-note as far as writing, not acting; Isaac’s always chewing on the (elaborate but bland) CGI scenery. Elordi’s fantastic as the Creature, with lovely Wrightson-esque make-up. Del Toro tries in the wrong places, including a BRIDE nod. Shelley deserves a lot more.

    Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) D: Héctor Babenco. S: William Hurt, Raúl Juliá, Sônia Braga, José Lewgoy, Milton Gonçalves, Miriam Pires, Nuno Leal Maia. Beautifully acted almost-rumination on masculinity, love, gender, and avocados loses its way in the second half when it ceases pretending to be a character study. Hurt and Juliá–as cell mates with secrets who bond over Hurt’s recollections of an old movie–are phenomenal. Hurt gets a great hour, Juliá far less; neither get enough at the finish.

    The Madness of King George (1994) D: Nicholas Hytner. S: Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren, Ian Holm, Anthony Calf, Amanda Donohoe, Rupert Graves, Geoffrey Palmer. Thoughtful, deliberate account of King George III’s inexplicable dissent into debilitating mental illness. Hawthorne’s mesmerizing in the lead; director Hytner gets great performances–no small parts-style–from everyone. Everyone’s great; loyal queen Mirren, scheming prince Everett, and unorthodox doctor Holm are obvious standouts. Strong script from Alan Bennett (based on his play). Third act bumps, but not excessively.

    The Phantom of the Opera (1925) D: Rupert Julian. S: Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, Mary Philbin, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Gibson Gowland, Snitz Edwards, John St. Polis. Handsome adaptation of Gaston Leroux novel successfully casts Chaney’s PHANTOM in a monstrous, fascinating but never sympathetic light. Unfortunately, damsel-in-distress Philbin’s performance is so affected and histronic, she’s not really able to convey terror (reliably). Kerry’s a little better as her beau. Chaney’s great, though. Okay overall, but the first act really shouldn’t be the most compelling.

    Queens of the Dead (2025) D: Tina Romero. S: Katy O’Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Nina West, Tómas Matos, Margaret Cho, Jack Haven, Quincy Dunn-Baker. Ground zero for the zombie invasion is at a drag show where the headliner has bailed and there’s endless (amusing) drama about the show. Good performances but not enough character work for anyone; Spivey’s excellent, O’Brian seems poised for a good lead eventually, and Cho’s hilarious. Unfortunately, QUEENS doesn’t do anything with them or anyone else. But not bad.

    Search for Danger (1949) D: Jack Bernhard. S: John Calvert, Albert Dekker, Myrna Dell, Ben Welden, Douglas Fowley, Michael Mark, James Griffith. Thanks again to director Bernhard (who loves that L.A. location shooting even more this time) and the supporting cast (particularly Dell, Dekker, Welden, and Fowley), the final “FALCON” picture survives Calvert’s wanting lead performance. This time he’s trying to unravel a complicated double homicide with too many suspects. The conclusion, complete with an “ah ha” moment, ties everything nicely.

  • The Spirit (March 16, 1941) “Introducing Silk Satin”

    The Spirit (March 16, 1941) “Introducing Silk Satin”

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    Will Eisner (editor, script, pencils, inks)

    Joe Kubert (colors)

    Sam Rosen (letters)

    Satin is an incredible strip. It’s a mostly action strip, with three master thieves planning a team-up heist in Central City. They’re all displaced from Europe: Cedric’s British, Anton’s French, and Satin’s… Satin. They’ve also got an American sidekick monikered “Asphalt,” who doesn’t figure in much except during the setup.

    The strip opens with men all waiting for Satin to arrive; she shows up with a bullet wound. They all get excited watching her dig it out before getting down to the heist planning.

    The main action takes place at a ball; the thieves are going to do a switch on a famous medal, only the Spirit’s wise to them. He interrupts Satin dropping off the goods, and they get into a multi-page fight scene. By the second page, it’s clear they’re both enjoying it, which is a vibe from the weekly newspaper comic strip for the whole family. To be clear–Introducing Silk Satin is neither sexy nor horny, but Spirit and Satin clearly think rolling around with one another is sexy. And Eisner knows how to visualize it, which is accomplished, albeit arguably unnecessary. Though without Spirit’s pent-up frustration at loving to wrestle with the lady criminal but knowing it’s wrong, there’s not much to the strip.

    The setup seems another of The Spirit’s WWII-aware but not directly referenced strips, but once the rolling around starts, it’s all about flexed muscles, exposed flesh, and unexpected lust. Spirit and Satin’s first rumble seemingly leaves him addled and vulnerable, which she exploits, only to discover she too is unable to dismiss her feelings.

    It’s the most human Spirit’s been in ages, partially because he’s clearly losing control.

    Art’s great, the comic bits are awesome—their tussle gets interrupted, leading to a turning point but also a good comedic beat amid the action—and the other thieves are always mugging out at the reader to emphasize the humorous potential in one moment or another. Again, it’s accomplished, but it’s accomplished at being about the good guy and the bad girl getting horny for each other.

    And it’s infinitely impressive how well Eisner and studio pull it off.

    Ebony pops in for the last few panels to give the story a postscript but also wonder why Spirit’s not in a friendly mood. Will Satin return? Perhaps… and it’ll be interesting to see if Eisner’s able to find a narrative more “Sunday Funnies” than late-night cable.

    Magnificent comics.

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  • The Spirit (March 9, 1941) “Toy Planes”

    The Spirit (March 9, 1941) “Toy Planes”

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    Will Eisner (editor, script, pencils, inks)

    Joe Kubert (colors)

    Sam Rosen (letters)

    Spirit and Ebony are on the job for the G-men, trying to crack a spy ring planning on destroying munitions factories with “robot planes.” The robot planes, as the Spirit will later explain, are really aerial torpedoes. The villains launch them from Europe with such precision, they don’t need adjustment until they near their target, when a light signal can aim them.

    And, so, when it comes time for the Spirit to counter these intercontinental missiles, he will utilize Toy Planes. And Eisner and studio get away with any potential silliness because the art is moody and gorgeous. Turns out the Eisner studio’s really good at dramatic silhouettes and vehicles. Even the fisticuffs are outstanding. Right up until the last page, Planes is a recent art standout. It’s still a recent art standout with the poorly conceived finish, where Spirit has to make his report; that scene just doesn’t deliver narratively or visually.

    Not to mention portraying the G-men as flakes, which is a tad odd for such an otherwise jingoist strip (and recurring plot line). Eisner’s still staying coy about the home nation of the baddies, with one named Hogh—is it supposed to be Danish because Denmark was occupied, or is Hogh just a European name?

    Still, the strip is getting much bolder about the Nazi threat. These villains aren’t fifth columnists; they’re actual Nazis who fly over in their superior, silent airplanes. They’re planning an invasion. It’s approximately nine months before Pearl Harbor, and the Nazis have flying torpedo planes and silent running. Despite their disbelief at the autoplane, they’ve got better technology, and it might be enough to beat us.

    While it’s an action strip, with beautiful art, fantastic action, and the Spirit unveiling his gliding suit, it’s also a comic strip in newspapers telling readers to be on the lookout. Report those potential Nazi invaders. So, you know, it’s like a public service announcement, really.

    But they’re still not saying Germany.

    Ebony’s around almost the entire strip, helping capture the bad guys, and he’s got a bunch during the toy plane sequence. He’s the Greek chorus for some of the toy vs. robot plane battle, which would be fantastic if not for the (racist) caricaturing. With the caricature… well, there’s a lot going on with Spirit this strip. Lot to think about, lot to enjoy, lot to appreciate, some to question, some to regret.

    Well, right up until the end, when it doesn’t go anywhere. Not with the art, not with the alarm-raising, not with anything. Dolan’s been absent before, but his absence has perhaps never been felt more greatly than on this last page. Still a great strip, just got that off finish.

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  • All-Star Comics (1976) #70

    All-Star Comics (1976) #70

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    Paul Levitz (script)

    Joe Staton (pencils)

    Bob Layton (inks)

    Jerry Serpe (colors)

    Ben Oda (letters)

    Joe Orlando (editor)

    Last issue, writer Paul Levitz found a Hallmark moment amid the chaotic infighting of quinquagenarian white male superheroes and their surrogate daughter (Power Girl), whom they all berate or dismiss. Sole exception: Dr. Fate; respect. Though maybe not once we get to the end of this issue, but then, grace.

    Anyway.

    It was a watershed moment for the series. It was a good comic and not because it was Wally Wood doing Flash Gordon-esque Justice Society. So it’s unfortunate this issue features villains out of a toy commercial. They’re an elite team of super-criminals in tactical gear with laser guns, and they’re also elitist. They mock the cops for being poors. They are… the Strike Force.

    If it were campy or corny, it’d be better, because then there’d be something to talk about. Instead, there’s not. Levitz is either checked out or trying to be condescending to fourth graders in a comic book aimed at a thirty-something (or older) audience? It’s bewildering. And not the progression one would hope after last issue.

    But it’s All-Star, so it’s been worse.

    The issue opens with a direct continuation of last issue, but instead of having soul-searching monologues, the assorted heroes—after pummeling one another for most of last issue—are having a Justice Society guest-star get-together. There’s too much with Superman (he’s oddly charmless without that Golden Age face) and not enough with Wonder Woman. It’s like there was a Wonder Woman editor yelling at her to get out of the comic. But after the cool kids leave (in addition to the Trinity, this means (yet again twerpy) Robin, Starman, Hourman, and Dr. Mid-Nite, who should not be the cool kids), the regular cast decides it’s time to take a week off. Hawkman hasn’t been there for his recently kidnapped wife, Dr. Fate’s got to Dr. Fate, Green Lantern needs a new job, which Flash is giving him before taking Joan on vacation.

    They leave Power Girl, Star-Spangled Kid, and Wildcat in charge because none of them have any lives outside superheroing. Kid immediately takes their assignment to mean turning off the monitors and having a day off to play board games. Wildcat’s already been whining about bad life decisions, so Power Girl leaves. She’ll go actively superhero instead of mope, taking with her a follow-up to last issue. But go read Showcase.

    Levitz is falling right back into what made the comic so annoying—they’re either actively jerks or, at least, wanting company. Kid and Wildcat go to the bar, leaving Huntress to come in—still in shadow but with a boot visible now. They’re going to go get in trouble at a bar, then go fight the bad guys. They were on the monitor just as Kid turned it off, but Huntress has seen them. So we’re going to get the regular cast with Huntress in for Power Girl (but in her own thread), along with a check-in with Dr. Fate, who has been unintentionally imprisoning his wife for almost forty years—more next issue on that one (sort of).

    But the main plot is the Strike Force wreaking havoc, because apparently, Police Commissioner Bruce Wayne is also taking the day off and doesn’t deploy the cops with the Kryptonian killers. And it’s all pretty bad stuff. The Huntress stuff is the best, but it’s also not the Strike Force or the regular cast, meaning it’s a little unfair to compare.

    Disappointing after last issue.

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  • Briefly, TV (26 October 2025)

    All Creatures Great & Small (2020) s06e03 “Captain Farnon?” [2025] D: Stewart Svaasand. S: Nicholas Ralph, Samuel West, Anna Madeley, Rachel Shenton. The show feels comfortable enough after the season jump ahead–with Shenton finally getting down to the village for a bit–it’s a surprise when the episode slows down in real time. Ralph’s got the Tricki Woo breeding subplot, West and Woodhouse have the bickering because West’s not communicating one. Sublimely goes from busied to precise. Madeley’s awesome.

    All Creatures Great & Small (2020) s06e04 “Jenny Wren” [2025] D: Brian Percival. S: Nicholas Ralph, Samuel West, Anna Madeley, Rachel Shenton. Heartstring-pulling–in all the best ways–episode about Imogen Clawson’s future potential. Meanwhile, Woodhouse has a culture clash with his paramour’s family, and West still can’t figure out how to communicate. Excellent episode for Shenton, Woodhouse, Clawson, and Tony Pitts, with some delightfully unexpected character interactions. It quickly gets emotionally intense and stays there. Great vet cases, too.

    Only Murders in the Building (2021) s05e07 “Silver Alert” [2025] D: Jessica Yu. S: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Michael Cyril Creighton, Logan Lerman, Christoph Waltz, Renée Zellweger. The gang heads out to the country to Waltz’s weird mansion, thinking they’ll catch the billionaires plotting. Instead they find them playing board games for the future of the MacGuffin. Only then everyone figures out it’s a MacGuffin. Maybe they’ll pull this off? Like, Short and Gomez are really good this episode, and Waltz’s fun. But it’s still iffy.

    Only Murders in the Building (2021) s05e08 “Cuckoo Chicks” [2025] D: Jessica Yu. S: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Meryl Streep, Richard Kind, Renée Zellweger. Did they just save the season? It’s a big turnaround episode, thanks mostly to Streep getting every morsel off the scenery. It’s kind of cruel Zellweger’s one note Martha Stewart is opposite her. The circles Streep runs are something. Really nice character moments, lots of laughs, and a genuine surprise at the end. Great balance of guest stars too.

    Only Murders in the Building (2021) s05e09 “LESTR” [2025] D: Jamie Babbit. S: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Michael Cyril Creighton, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Richard Kind, Jermaine Fowler. The penultimate episode puts everything on the line with the case and the building. Then it (initially) inexplicably messes with the stakes (with Gomez nicely getting the good scene if not arc), before a dynamite second half. Returning supporting cast members make for a fun time. And Short and Martin eventually do get to their moments, too. Real good.

    Slow Horses (2022) s05e03 “Tall Tales” [2025] D: Saul Metzstein. S: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Saskia Reeves, Christopher Chung, Aimee-Ffion Edwards. Brilliantly done bridging episode has Scott Thomas and Oldman simultaneously figuring out what the season villains are plotting. Oldman’s in lockdown with the team while Scott Thomas is interrogating Chung, who gets to show some actual range for the first time. There’s also a lot of saboteur intrigue and reveals, though special guest star Nick Mohammed isn’t really delivering.

    Slow Horses (2022) s05e04 “Missiles” [2025] D: Saul Metzstein. S: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Saskia Reeves, Christopher Chung, Aimee-Ffion Edwards. Excellent direction, acting, and a surprise ending cap the episode, which opens with Oldman thinking through a part of the mystery and showing off. The second half is Lowden and Edwards trying to investigate and potentially protect assassination targets, with varying levels of success. Once again, Nick Mohammed is over his head, but James Callis finally gets to flex.

    Slow Horses (2022) s05e05 “Circus” [2025] D: Saul Metzstein. S: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Saskia Reeves, Christopher Chung, Aimee-Ffion Edwards. Excellent setup for the finale has little fallout from last time, instead showcasing supporting players Ruth Bradley and James Callis. It’s (presumably) to get the board in shape for the HORSES to come through and save the day next episode; superbly executed. Though not enough for still regular Scott Thomas. And there’s some concerning repetition from last season’s wrap.

  • Briefly, Movies (26 October 2025)

    Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) D: George Roy Hill. S: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross, Strother Martin, Henry Jones, Jeff Corey, George Furth. Superlative Western about outlaws Newman and Redford’s luck running out as the world’s changing and they aren’t. Spectacular filmmaking–Hill’s direction, Conrad L. Hall’s photography, John C. Howard and Richard C. Meyer’s editing standout–essays William Goldman’s patient, lush screenplay. And then, of course, there’s the acting. Redford, Newman, and Ross are all fantastic. Some great bit players, too.

    A Date with the Falcon (1942) D: Irving Reis. S: George Sanders, Wendy Barrie, James Gleason, Allen Jenkins, Mona Maris. Professional cad Sanders once again finds himself embroiled in a mystery, this time at the expense of meeting fiancée Barrie’s family. Sanders is charming throughout, thank goodness, because Barrie spends most of her time either complaining about Sanders being a cad or catching him with other women. The mystery’s half-baked, and Reis’s direction is wanting, but Sanders delivers.

    The Falcon and the Co-Eds (1943) D: William Clemens. S: Tom Conway, Jean Brooks, Rita Corday, Amelita Ward, Isabel Jewell, George Givot, Cliff Clark. Despite Conway being a profound creep (his romantic pursuit is Ward, the–hopefully–legal age daughter of an old paramour), it’s a swell FALCON. Conway’s investigating a mysterious death at a girls’ school, where everyone (who isn’t coming on to him) is a suspect. Clemens’s best work directing on the series. Brooks is fantastic as the moody drama teacher.

    The Falcon in Danger (1943) D: William Clemens. S: Tom Conway, Jean Brooks, Elaine Shepard, Amelita Ward, Cliff Clark, Edward Gargan, Clarence Kolb. DANGER gives Conway a fiancée sidekick with Ward, who’s still hysterically jealous after telling him to help damsels Brooks and Shepard. Long, but Conway’s found his (somewhat less slutty) groove (and Clark’s his best ever as the cop antagonist). The mystery’s great until the messy, unrewarding third act. Ward’s amalgam character’s an interesting idea, but the execution fizzles fast.

    The Falcon in Mexico (1944) D: William Berke. S: Tom Conway, Mona Maris, Martha Vickers, Nestor Paiva, Mary Currier, Cecilia Callejo, Emory Parnell. After a somewhat protracted setup in the city (which city, what supporting players, don’t ask), Conway’s on his way to MEXICO to uncover a potential art forgery. Vickers doesn’t impress as the ingenue, but Maris is great as her suspicious step-mother. Paiva’s profoundly uncomfortable Mexican caricature has an explanation, if not a point. Competent outing.

    The Falcon Out West (1944) D: William Clemens. S: Tom Conway, Carole Gallagher, Barbara Hale, Joan Barclay, Cliff Clark, Edward Gargan, Minor Watson. Fun–albeit frequently racist–outing with series regulars Conway, Clark, and Gargan heading out to a ranch to investigate a murder. Conway’s there to help grieving almost-widow Gallagher, but gets distracted by capable cowgirl Hale. Conway’s getting better at the detective scenes but worse with the caddish behavior material. Great Roy Webb score. Off finish but great rhythm.

    The Falcon Strikes Back (1943) D: Edward Dmytryk. S: Tom Conway, Harriet Nelson, Jane Randolph, Edgar Kennedy, Cliff Edwards, Rita Corday, Erford Gage. Conway’s first solo FALCON is a whodunit with wartime espionage trappings. He’s framed for a war bonds heist; somehow, lovely ladies Corday and Nelson figure in. Plus, Randolph’s back to perturb the plot whenever needed. Conway’s charming (though less believably mindlessly horny than unmentioned George Sanders), Dmytryk’s direction’s nicely moody, and it moves. The resolution’s a little pat, though.

    The Falcon Takes Over (1942) D: Irving Reis. S: George Sanders, Lynn Bari, James Gleason, Allen Jenkins, Helen Gilbert, Ward Bond, Edward Gargan. Fascinating mix of Sanders’s slutty (no other word) adventurer FALCON and a Raymond Chandler adaptation. Sanders (fiancée now off-screen) moves from lady to lady (Bari as the good girl, Gilbert as the bad), while sidekick Jenkins is constantly assaulted by man mountain Bond, who’s looking for revenge. Plus, series cop Gleason’s around (and pressuring Jenkins). Often very noir.

    The Falcon’s Brother (1942) D: Stanley Logan. S: George Sanders, Tom Conway, Jane Randolph, Don Barclay, Cliff Clark, Edward Gargan, Keye Luke. Sanders, still in New York but with an almost entirely new supporting cast (and no fiancée to be cheating on), goes to greet visiting brother Conway, only to find a corpse, instead. Incredibly efficient, albeit derivative (same jokes, plot points, and character setups as last FALCON entry), baton passing entry. Randolph’s likable as the good girl. Some racism, however.

    Münchhausen (1943) D: Josef von Báky. S: Hans Albers, Wilhelm Bendow, Ferdinand Marian, Käthe Haack, Hans Brausewetter, Marina von Ditmar, Brigitte Horney. Often racist, always sexist, tedious, terrible (just because it’s literal German Nazi propaganda, either) tale of how young fräuleins can’t get enough of fifty-year-old Albers. Who’s magic and immortal. The narrative arc itself could be worse–but the pieces along the way are awful, so the finish flops. The single imaginative sequence (the moon) isn’t worth it.

    Underwater (2020) D: William Eubank. S: Kristen Stewart, Vincent Cassel, Mamoudou Athie, T.J. Miller, John Gallagher Jr., Jessica Henwick. Ocean floor and monsters of the deep versus determined gaggle of survivors lacks competent directing and writing, but the special effects aren’t bad. Director Eubank cares about nothing but getting Stewart soaking wet and scantily clad. She and Cassel manage not to embarrass themselves; everyone else has a bad part (in addition to bad writing). Except charisma vacuum Miller.

  • The Spirit (March 2, 1941) “Dead Duck Dolan”

    The Spirit (March 2, 1941) “Dead Duck Dolan”

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    Will Eisner (editor, script, pencils, inks)

    Joe Kubert (colors)

    Sam Rosen (letters)

    Argos is a singular Spirit strip. Not because of its formal artistic qualities, which are strong in places, particularly in the establishing shots, and altogether perfectly fine. Rather, its content and connotations. The strip’s about a regular Joe who encounters a space alien and can’t get anyone to believe him. Eventually, this fellow—Sam Smith—will enlist the Spirit’s aid. And the Spirit’s not sure whether or not to believe him, because even though they’re hunting giant robot monsters in the cemetery, turns out Spirit’s got bad eyes. Especially on foggy nights.

    First, the most obvious—aliens exist in the Spirit-verse. Eisner presents it as a “what do you think?” but the Spirit’s evidence is conclusive. I mean, as far as within the context of the story, it’s conclusive. So… neat. It doesn’t really matter. It does allow for this strip having a bit of a horror vibe—even though the alien means Sam Smith no harm (and, arguably, no one any harm), Sam’s repulsed and must find allies to help him destroy.

    The alien told Sam only primitive minded beings are racist, and, if you’re always so violent, you’re going to kill yourselves off. Sam’s going to take them out to prove the opposite. And the Spirit’s going to help.

    The strip’s almost entirely from Sam’s perspective. Even when the Spirit takes over, it’s just for exposition’s sake; even though Sam’s not present in the finale, the conversation’s about Spirit’s adventure with him. We find out about Sam’s racist lodge brother, his unsympathetic landlady, and his ability to bust out of jail. While briefly in custody, Sam finally finds someone who believes him–a prisoner in a straitjacket compares Sam’s story to Jesus’s.

    It’s actually kind of hard to understand the point Eisner’s trying to make with the interaction. Best to take it objectively, but the other implications are fascinating. Contradictory and fascinating.

    But then Sam meets up with the Spirit on his way to the tallest, most likely spot for a spaceship takeoff around, which just happens to be in Wildwood Cemetery. Spirit flies Sam around and acts as a sounding board. He’s superfluous, just as superfluous as Commissioner Dolan, who takes Sam’s statement. It’s a Spirit strip because it’s Eisner and studio and Spirit and Dolan, but it’s a sci-fi horror thriller appropriate for newspaper readers.

    I’m leaving out Sam Smith’s moral imperative; with it, the strip’s far more fascinating than “are aliens for real” could ever be. And the strip taking Spirit out of the driver’s seat (in his scenes) is a milestone.

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  • The Spirit (February 23, 1941) “Invasion from Argos”

    The Spirit (February 23, 1941) “Invasion from Argos”

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    Will Eisner (editor, script, pencils, inks)

    Joe Kubert (colors)

    Sam Rosen (letters)

    Argos is a singular Spirit strip. Not because of its formal artistic qualities, which are strong in places, particularly in the establishing shots, and altogether perfectly fine. Rather, its content and connotations. The strip’s about a regular Joe who encounters a space alien and can’t get anyone to believe him. Eventually, this fellow—Sam Smith—will enlist the Spirit’s aid. And the Spirit’s not sure whether or not to believe him, because even though they’re hunting giant robot monsters in the cemetery, turns out Spirit’s got bad eyes. Especially on foggy nights.

    First, the most obvious—aliens exist in the Spirit-verse. Eisner presents it as a “what do you think?” but the Spirit’s evidence is conclusive. I mean, as far as within the context of the story, it’s conclusive. So… neat. It doesn’t really matter. It does allow for this strip having a bit of a horror vibe—even though the alien means Sam Smith no harm (and, arguably, no one any harm), Sam’s repulsed and must find allies to help him destroy.

    The alien told Sam only primitive minded beings are racist, and, if you’re always so violent, you’re going to kill yourselves off. Sam’s going to take them out to prove the opposite. And the Spirit’s going to help.

    The strip’s almost entirely from Sam’s perspective. Even when the Spirit takes over, it’s just for exposition’s sake; even though Sam’s not present in the finale, the conversation’s about Spirit’s adventure with him. We find out about Sam’s racist lodge brother, his unsympathetic landlady, and his ability to bust out of jail. While briefly in custody, Sam finally finds someone who believes him–a prisoner in a straitjacket compares Sam’s story to Jesus’s.

    It’s actually kind of hard to understand the point Eisner’s trying to make with the interaction. Best to take it objectively, but the other implications are fascinating. Contradictory and fascinating.

    But then Sam meets up with the Spirit on his way to the tallest, most likely spot for a spaceship takeoff around, which just happens to be in Wildwood Cemetery. Spirit flies Sam around and acts as a sounding board. He’s superfluous, just as superfluous as Commissioner Dolan, who takes Sam’s statement. It’s a Spirit strip because it’s Eisner and studio and Spirit and Dolan, but it’s a sci-fi horror thriller appropriate for newspaper readers.

    I’m leaving out Sam Smith’s moral imperative; with it, the strip’s far more fascinating than “are aliens for real” could ever be. And the strip taking Spirit out of the driver’s seat (in his scenes) is a milestone.

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  • Briefly, TV (12 October 2025)

    Alien: Earth (2025) s01e07 “Emergence” D: Dana Gonzales. S: Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, Adarsh Gourav, Erana James. Lawther once again fails to deliver, dragging an already wobbly episode down at the finish. Everything is full red alert, moving pieces in place for the season finale. Ceesay also stumbles, while Chandler gets an iffy part in the script. Olyphant gets an outstanding showcase, as ever. Great special effects, not long enough action; Michael Crichton’s ALIEN 3 continues.

    Alien: Earth (2025) s01e08 “The Real Monsters” D: Dana Gonzales. S: Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, Adarsh Gourav, Timothy Olyphant. Solid enough finale with some great direction from Gonzales–including what appears to be an ALIEN 3 visual homage; warms the heart. Either way the cliffhanger goes–renewal or not–doesn’t touch movie canon; fine, but safe. No one gives a standout performance, either. This episode really showcases how sacrificing actor gristle can lead to more dramatic success.

    All Creatures Great & Small (2020) s05e07 “All God’s Creatures” [2024] D: Andy Hay. S: Nicholas Ralph, Samuel West, Anna Madeley, Rachel Shenton. Stressful, well-acted wartime Christmas episode tries giving everyone something, but only Madeley and Woodhouse get completed arcs. Woodhouse only because he can pick up some more narrative heft thanks to Madeley. Ralph and Shenton are trying to make a nice Christmas for the baby, which is barely a plot. It’s nice to see Tony Pitts and Imogen Clawson.

    All Creatures Great & Small (2020) s06e01 “Gathering the Flock” [2025] D: Brian Percival. S: Nicholas Ralph, Samuel West, Anna Madeley, Rachel Shenton. The series jumps ahead to 1945 and the war winding down. Madeley has moved away, leaving West and Ralph to their own devices. Ralph copes, West does not. Can Ralph and Woodhouse get things right? Some great moments, strong performances from Madeley and Wedt, and a cracker of a veterinary case. They handle the time jump quite well.

    All Creatures Great & Small (2020) s06e02 “Old Dog, New Tricks” [2025] D: Stewart Svaasand. S: Nicholas Ralph, Samuel West, Anna Madeley, Rachel Shenton. Great episode gets away with not addressing various changes since last time, instead continuing West’s unpleasantness and the various repercussions. Fun subplots for Ralph, home and work, and continuous nice moments for the characters nearly post-war. Outstanding work from the cast, including Hodge, who sets up a promising season plot. The optimism’s back; ditto the particular charm.

    My Life Is Murder (2019) s05e08 “The One That Got Away (2)” [2025] D: . S: Lucy Lawless, Ebony Vagulans. Meandering wrap-up to the two-parter should give Lawless more to do character development-wise but the episode intentionally avoids it. Vagulans’s trip to Fiji is a lot less interesting than it ought to be as well. It’s not bad or anything, but there’s very little payoff from this episode or last, which doesn’t work for season finale.

    Only Murders in the Building (2021) s05e04 “Dirty Birds” [2025] D: Chris Koch. S: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Michael Cyril Creighton, Logan Lerman, Christoph Waltz, Renée Zellweger. This episode feels a little like the fourth season premiere, confirming Lerman, Waltz, and Zellweger as the season adversaries (or at least level bosses). It’s a fine episode–great acting (Waltz and Zellweger are particularly delightful opposite Martin and Short, respectively)–but the season’s herky-jerky. And Gomez’s season isn’t looking good. For a final season, it’s unduly erratic.

    Only Murders in the Building (2021) s05e05 “Tongue Tied” [2025] D: Robert Pulcini. S: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Michael Cyril Creighton, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Richard Kind, Téa Leoni. Funny but thin episode gives Martin and Leoni a comedy set piece, which rocks while also being a little pointless as things unfold. Randolph’s back, which also rocks. But then Gomez is just reacting to finding out it’s the last season from a shoehorned detail. Solid Short moments and a great showcase scene for Creighton.

    Only Murders in the Building (2021) s05e06 “Flatbush” [2025] D: Robert Pulcini. S: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Michael Cyril Creighton, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Meryl Streep, Téa Leoni. Good episode for Gomez, great episode for Short and guest starring Streep. There’s also some great Dianne Wiest and Leoni, and also Randolph. It’s an absurdly good showcase for everyone (minus Martin and Creighton, who’ve had their turns already). Short and Streep get some wonderful character moments, ditto Gomez. Albeit with less oompf. Too bad the end reveal’s lukewarm.

    Slow Horses (2022) s05e01 “Bad Dates” [2025] D: Saul Metzstein. S: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas. Well-acted and fairly well executed opener respects the formula–terror attack (related to the HORSES but how)–while they recuperate from last season. Oldman gets very little this episode, mostly just yelling at Edwards, who’s this season’s loose cannon. Meanwhile, Lowden gets less likable; they do ground him better. It’s good, it just hasn’t clicked into place yet.

    Upload (2020) s04e01 “Wedding Weekend” [2025] D: Daina Reid. S: Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Allegra Edwards, Zainab Johnson, Kevin Bigley, Owen Daniels. Allo and Edwards still each have their own version of Amell, albeit with some differences in virtuality. Everyone in the real world lives with Johnson (who gets a lot and is so good she makes up for the more extreme gags), and Edwards’s wedding is imminent. Zilch about the politics or conspiracies; good acting, overly enthusiastic–nearing desperate–writing.

    Upload (2020) s04e02 “Workload” [2025] D: Daina Reid. S: Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Allegra Edwards, Zainab Johnson, Kevin Bigley, Owen Daniels. Amell’s splitting his time between bewildered and doofus, without clicking in either mode. Allo’s trying to find one of those versions, but mostly in background to Daniels’s romance arc or doofus’s honeymoon planning. Johnson continues to have the season’s best subplot, this rushed corporate espionage future spy thing. The season reveal is impressively woven, and the cast’s still appealing.

    Upload (2020) s04e03 “Spa Day” [2025] D: Jeffrey Blitz. S: Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Allegra Edwards, Zainab Johnson, Kevin Bigley, Owen Daniels. It’s Amell’s easy best episode of the season, but they also rush through the big setup. They had the money for the idea but not to take it anywhere. There’s also a bunch of filler with Amell and Edwards on their honeymoon, which is slightly less time wasting than Daniels’s plot. Johnson’s great as always, though.

    Upload (2020) s04e04 “Mile End” [2025] D: Jeffrey Blitz. S: Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Allegra Edwards, Zainab Johnson, Kevin Bigley, Owen Daniels. Well. Some good acting–maybe not from the people who needed to be giving the best performances–but a fairly big whiff of a series finale. Show creator Greg Daniels is back scripting the finish, which accounts for Allo and Amell getting to be cute, and it’s an intentional conclusion. A bad one, but certainly intentional. Oh, well.

  • Briefly, Movies (11 October 2025)

    Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025) D: Simon Curtis. S: Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Laura Carmichael, Paul Giamatti, Hugh Bonneville, Alessandro Nivola, Phyllis Logan. Dockery’s divorce sends shock waves through London society and even follows her back to DOWNTON. Meanwhile, Giamatti’s over from the States with some bad news for McGovern. And Bonneville doesn’t want to retire from overseeing the estate. Fine acting, strong moments, but it feels like mini-series hastily edited down. Especially if Dockery’s supposed to have any character development.

    The Dragon Murder Case (1934) D: H. Bruce Humberstone. S: Warren William, Margaret Lindsay, Lyle Talbot, Eugene Pallette, Helen Lowell, Robert McWade, Robert Barrat. Philo Vance (William, who does fine) investigates a blue blood going missing at a party. Despite some elaborate sets, the script’s nothing but red herrings, false starts, and bad one-liners for Pallette. Lindsay, second-billed as the missing man’s fiancée, barely figures in. Talbot’s her would-be beau but strangely not a suspect. Humberstone’s direction’s blah, too.

    The Garden Murder Case (1936) D: Edwin L. Marin. S: Edmund Lowe, Virginia Bruce, Benita Hume, Nat Pendleton, Gene Lockhart, H.B. Warner, Kent Smith. Engaging programmer has Philo Vance (Lowe) maybe falling for murder suspect Bruce; they’re exceedingly charming together. There’s a lot going on with the other suspects–layers and layers of impropriety and ick–and a genuine surprise for the finish. Marin’s direction is fine enough, with occasional superlatives. The supporting cast’s mostly good, though sadly not an under-directed Pendleton.

    The Iceman (2012) D: Ariel Vromen. S: Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta, Chris Evans, David Schwimmer, Robert Davi, John Ventimiglia. Mostly middling period piece organized crime drama about unfeeling hitman Shannon, the family he loves, and all the cameos the producers could afford. Plus Schwimmer as a doofus mob fanboy. There’s a lot, with a masterful performance from Shannon but to no end. Ryder gets worse as her character ages, fine to bad. The third act’s a truncated mess.

    Night of Terror (1933) D: Benjamin Stoloff. S: Bela Lugosi, Wallace Ford, Sally Blane, Bryant Washburn, Tully Marshall, Gertrude Michael, George Meeker. Old dark house thriller but one with a serial killer on the looser, a suspended animation science subplot, a family inheritance bickering and backstabbing subplot, a romance subplot, an anti-romance subplot, and low and high key racism. All in an unrewarding single hour. Ford’s a bland lead, Blane’s a likable damsel, Lugosi looks embarrassed as the “heathen” butler.

    The Renegade Ranger (1938) D: David Howard. S: George O’Brien, Rita Hayworth, Tim Holt, Ray Whitley, Lucio Villegas, William Royle, Cecilia Callejo. Not boring (but not any good) Western about Texas Ranger O’Brien sent to bring in righteous rebel Hayworth. She’s battling evil businessman Royle. O’Brien’s ex-pal Holt is now working for Hayworth. Also, O’Brien thinks Hayworth’s hot. And maybe innocent. Fisticuffs, romance, villainy, and shootouts occur, but O’Brien’s terrible; it fumbles. Hayworth and Holt are at least likable.

    Stir of Echoes (1999) D: David Koepp. S: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, Illeana Douglas, Zachary David Cope, Kevin Dunn, Conor O’Farrell, Jennifer Morrison. Disappointing adaptation of a Richard Matheson novel about blue-collar Bacon (with an ill-advised Chicago accent) all of a sudden seeing dead people and needing to solve a mystery. Screenwriter and director Koepp doesn’t have much interest in the mystery, mise-en-scène, characters, or performances. Some interesting visuals, nowhere near enough. A bad production more than misfire.

    Surviving Desire (1992) D: Hal Hartley. S: Martin Donovan, Matt Malloy, Rebecca Nelson, Julie Kessler, Mary B. Ward, Thomas J. Edwards, George Feaster. Theatrical (not stagy) hour-long skips the first act in depressed, bad at his job literature professor Donovan obsessing over student Ward. Lots of talking. Donovan can’t shut up, while Ward puts it into her writing. About him. Donovan’s performance’s uneven, Ward’s great when the film doesn’t hate women; Malloy and Nelson are standout supports. Not unimpressive, just unsuccessful.

    Union Depot (1932) D: Alfred E. Green. S: Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Joan Blondell, Guy Kibbee, Alan Hale, David Landau, George Rosener, Earle Foxe. Young hobo Fairbanks–in an astonishingly charismatic performance–schemes his way into a good outfit and a good dinner, leading him to meet Depression damsel Blondell. Unfortunately, some of his good luck turns out to be counterfeit dough, putting Secret Service agent Landau on his tail. Despite returning to the romantic drama–the better material–the end falls flat.

    Young Adult (2011) D: Jason Reitman. S: Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser, Collette Wolfe, Jill Eikenberry, Richard Bekins. A good–albeit pointlessly so–performance from Theron anchors this pseudo-character study. Theron’s a drunken YA ghost writer who goes home to blow up high school boyfriend Wilson’s marriage. Along the way, she reacquaints with high school nobody Oswalt. Reitman’s indistinct direction doesn’t do the film (or the actors) any favors. The smug elitist misanthropy’s a yawn, too.

  • All-Star Comics (1976) #69

    All-Star Comics (1976) #69

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    Paul Levitz (script)

    Joe Staton (pencils)

    Bob Layton (inks)

    Elizabeth Safian (colors)

    Ben Oda (letters)

    Joe Orlando (editor)

    This issue’s writer Paul Levitz’s magnum opus on the book so far. It’s an action-packed issue—most of the pages are just Justice Society members fighting, whether amongst themselves in the Batcave (holy set-piece, Batman!) or against the Gotham P.D. The cops zap Power Girl with some seventies Earth-Two ray guns and almost kill her; is the reaction for the cops to then try to kill all the superheroes? Earth-Two might not have Apartheid South Africa, but it’s still got killer cops.

    Cops versus Justice Society comes after some catch-up. While the heroes found out last All-Star Psycho Pirate had been controlling them and making them dicks, they then had their annual team-up adventure with the Justice League. So they’re just now having a chance to debrief and process. Someone’s trying to console Green Lantern and points out he just saved the world; Lantern whinges about it not being Earth-Two he saved. Psycho Pirate clearly didn’t give him that voluminous gallantry.

    After a little more poor communication, the team ends up in their headquarters, where Police Commissioner Bruce Wayne is waiting with his laser gun-armed cops. The Kryptonian casualty leads to fisticuffs and retreat—at this point in the comic, even though the cover promises the JSA in-fighting (and an all-new team member)—it’s a visual miss. Penciller Joe Staton will get to do better work, but he and inker Bob Layton fumble the first showdown.

    Things start to improve after there’s a “Batman slapping Robin but for a gag” moment (also, Levitz writes Dick Grayson’s obsequiousness at eleven; he’s a twerp), and then the mystery guest star appears to surveil the retreated Society. They’ve gone to a secret Gothamland hospital for superheroes. The mood’s effective, even if the scene ends with the observer noting the “good guy” superheroes are acting maliciously.

    One could put in a pin in that item, but—at least as far as this issue goes—one shouldn’t bother. Levitz throws in big red herrings multiple times just to get to the finish. The narrative contortions he successfully puts this issue through are wild. Especially considering Staton and Layton; their work is much better with the set-piece fight scene, but they’ve still got their limits. They have a good issue: the mystery observer’s second appearance is probably their best work (on the book together), and they can sell the melodramatic ending.

    The story has Dr. Fate leading the stars of this comic book against Commissioner Wayne, Robin, Hourman, Starman, Dr. Mid-Nite, and Wonder Woman. Whenever All-Star has needed a body, the writer has thrown in a character from the latter group. Robin even started this All-Star comeback; he was on the original Super-Squad. And Dr. Mid-Nite almost died once—or was it Hourman—it was at least one and probably both.

    They’re all of a sudden not second-stringers—Batman’s Red Shirts more than hold their own against the “good guys,” with Robin refusing to listen (and fighting dirty as hell), and Wonder Woman trying to get Green Lantern to chill out and let her lasso him. Starman and Star-Spangled Kid have a bad interchange, considering Kid’s supposed to be Starman’s legacy hero or whatever. But at least Levitz tries. And it gives Staton variety in the intricate fight scenes. So much foreground and background going on.

    The finale’s not a surprise, other than what threads Levitz does and doesn’t bring in.

    For All-Star, maybe the most successful issue ever. Is there any reason to believe next issue isn’t someone else being revealed to be under Psycho-Pirate’s control? No, but this issue does earn it some hope.

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  • The Spirit (February 16, 1941) “Radio Station WLXK”

    The Spirit (February 16, 1941) “Radio Station WLXK”

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    Will Eisner (editor, script, pencils, inks)

    Joe Kubert (colors)

    Sam Rosen (letters)

    WLXK is a beautifully plotted strip, with lots happening in a very short amount of time. A rather unlikely amount of time, actually, but considering part of the plot has kids listening to the Spirit kick ass on the radio and cheering along… Eisner and studio have all the slack they want.

    The strip opens with radio station owner Marion Dale refusing to let fifth columnists threaten her. They’ve promised to blow up the station if she doesn’t report an Eastern European country welcomed their invasion by a certain (still unnamed) bad guy. She reports the truth, and boom goes the station.

    Luckily, the bomb goes off during Ebony’s radio serial, which piques the Spirit’s interest, and he goes down to the station. He finds Marion very enthusiastic about his plans to foil the spies, regardless of the scant details. She’s too busy throwing herself at him. Her amorous intentions end up being the proverbial rifle on the wall, to great effect.

    After repairing the station by flying new wiring between the antennas in the autoplane, the Spirit reveals his great idea. They’re going to do a radio play about the attempts to silence the station. The idea is all the attention will piss off the wrong people, who will send thugs to the station. At that point, the Spirit will beat them up and get the necessary information to foil the ring.

    Lots could go wrong with the plan, but Commissioner Dolan happens to be listening to the radio broadcast with an acquaintance, and—again—the strip moves so well, works so well, has such good fisticuffs—Eisner can get away with pretty much anything. Especially since everyone gets in on the radio play energy, including Dolan. It’s less proof of concept for a Spirit radio series and more Eisner exploring how Spirit’s particular celebrity fits right in with radio’s fictional adventurers.

    The art is solid throughout, with some great long shots to move the story along quickly. They slow down for the fight scene, of course; Ebony’s nowhere to be found, but Marion tries her best to help. The strip’s neatest bit is how the Spirit’s fight on the radio plays out with Dolan, who’s as thrilled as the kids listening.

    It’s a great one. The end joke is a particular standout, with Eisner hanging onto the moment to get a better bit. Excellent work, start to finish.

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  • Teen Titans (1966) #50

    Teen Titans (1966) #50

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    Bob Rozakis (script)

    Don Heck (pencils)

    Joe Giella (inks)

    Jerry Serpe (colors)

    Milt Snapinn (letters)

    E. Nelson Bridwell (associate editor)

    Julius Schwartz (editor)

    Writer Bob Rozakis—and I mean this statement as a compliment—has a wonderfully juvenile vibe for Teen Titans. Their dialogue is very groovy, maybe a little too groovy for 1977 (though they are down with disco, thank goodness), and Rozakis seems to be targeting a younger audience than the cast. The Titans are all either post-high school at this point, going to college, or working jobs; Rozakis positions them aspirationally. For example, Kid Flash’s concerns about his parents being able to afford a better college for him aren’t character development fodder for Wally West, rather some didactic storytelling to let the pre-college readers know sometimes you don’t get to go to a fancy college with Robin and Harlequin.

    The issue’s setting up for next time, with strong cliffhangers for each team of Titans, and it ought to finish a little less substantial, but Rozakis (and artists Don Heck and Joe Giella) deliver an impressively solid (for a setup narrative) outing. Again, against the grain, if Rozakis were writing for the characters, the issue’s a collection of purposeful vignettes more than a story with rising action. The cover promises the East Coast Titans (Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, Speedy, Harlequin) against the West Coast team. The West Coast team is mostly retired—but still young—heroes: Hawk (without Dove), the original Bat-Girl, Golden Eagle, and Changeling. Though maybe he’s still Beast Boy.

    The issue delivers separate stories for each team and no obvious link between their adventures yet—hence why you’ll be back next time.

    The East Coast team opens the issue, with everyone in their civvies, riding the train back from Kid Flash and Wonder Girl visiting Robin and Harlequin’s aforementioned fancy university. There’s a strange disaster, followed by a strange villain fight. The disaster is odd, the villain is bizarre, the fight and heroics are just excellent superhero work from Heck and Giella. Their backgrounds are sometimes too sparse, and they lack detail, but the action moves beautifully.

    The West Coast team’s adventure involves a levitating aircraft carrier. It’s a big enough carrier to host original Bat-Girl Betty Kane’s tennis match, but not big enough to warrant any crew scenes during the match or levitation sequence outside them, being background for the heroes. Hawk is currently serving in the Navy on the carrier. He and Bat-Girl team up to save the sailors while Changeling and Golden Eagle both get involved aerially.

    Rozakis does varying levels of setup on these characters, with Golden Eagle and Changeling getting more than the others (Hawk gets the least, even giving up some of his time to establish he doesn’t know jack about Batgirl canon). The East Coast team will—thanks to their second scene—get the better character stuff, but the superhero team-up action of the West Coast team is superior. The East Coast team basically does solo heroics, West Coast works together.

    After the West Coast team meet a couple surprise guest stars, they cliffhanger, and the action returns to the Titans in their headquarters. Rozakis trades Kid Flash and Wonder Girl for Speedy, Guardian, and Bumblebee. Guardian and Bumblebee have their own subplot (including some knowing, toxic masculinity-based decisions), but it’s even more for Speedy. Robin tells him to stop being creepy about women, and Harlequin takes him to task for being a pest. It’s fantastic stuff, and where Rozakis distinguishes himself.

    Then they have to go to an action scene, which turns out to be connected to their first action sequence, and—according to the ending tag, anyway—will involve them meeting up with the other team… next issue!

    For a Bronze Age teen superhero team comic, it’s hard to imagine it can get any better; the issue’s an exemplar of the category.

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  • The Spirit (February 9, 1941) “The Substitute Spirits”

    The Spirit (February 9, 1941) “The Substitute Spirits”

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    A week has passed since last strip, and the Spirit still hasn’t let Commissioner Dolan know he’s alive. Ebony points out he’s being unkind to a friend, and Spirit’s surprised to realize he’s got affection for Dolan. Now, despite Dolan constantly trying to pull one over on Spirit, Dolan’s always concerned for him. They’ve been pals since the first strip; the strip’s used to open with a preamble mentioning Dolan being his only friend; not to mention they spent Christmas together. Spirit not thinking they’re friends is profoundly weird.

    And Ebony can’t convince Spirit otherwise, either. Spirit is happy to let Dolan think he’s dead the rest of the strip.

    In addition to mourning, Dolan’s got a concerned citizen with money very upset the cops aren’t doing anything about the fake yogi fleecing his wife. Spirit doesn’t get a pass for the racial and religious caricatures, because although the yogi is indeed a fake and completely ignorant, Spirit’s going to do accent work. So it’s cringe but less offensive than if anyone weren’t knowingly conning. Ish.

    And the “Eastern” visuals are additionally complicated by the gorgeous damn art in the fight scene. Eisner and studio do a big Buddha statue fight panel. Breathtaking page.

    Most of the strip’s great looking. Eisner intersperses the yogi mystery with Dolan and some other cops getting it in their heads—independently of one another—they should wear all blue, don some distinctive masks, plop on a fedora, and fight crime as the new Spirit. None of them are very good at it, though some of them are worse than others. The bumbling leads to a nice constraint—visually and narratively–then to the Spirit and the fake yogi’s showdown.

    While the fight is the central visual spectacle, the last couple pages are quite good, too, particularly as an example of Eisner and studio’s accomplished flexing. Spirit’s got an idea for keeping himself dead; great panels, but also a very nice visual callback to early Spirit attempts at stagecraft.

    With the humor threaded throughout, the strip moves at a fine pace. The cops get their setups—though one of them is Dolan’s assistant, Finnegan, who’s multiple times tried to arrest the Spirit, and his decision to carry on the good work is bewildering. It’s hilarious because Eisner’s only ever used Finnegan as comic relief; the implication he’s a secret Spirit fan is profound.

    The other cop, O’Rourke, may also be a returning character. He gets some very funny material, but is only interested in the Spirit II gig because he can’t get any respect at work. So he’s doing it as an ego thing, Dolan’s doing it as sincere homage, and Finnegan’s doing it for his own reasons.

    It’s an outstanding strip. The bumbling pseudo-Spirits contrast the relative calm and very moody temple, giving the strip a lot of energy.

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  • Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes (1977) #231

    Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes (1977) #231

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    Paul Levitz (script)

    James Sherman (1), Michael Netzer (2) (pencils)

    Jack Abel (inks)

    Elizabeth Safian (colors)

    Ben Oda (letters)

    Joe Orlando (editor)

    The Legion of Super-Heroes had cover title billing with Superboy for over thirty issues before this issue. It’s one officially titled Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes in the indicia. Even more—literally—they’re going up to fifty-two pages an issue. To celebrate, writer Paul Levitz, pencillers James Sherman and Michael Netzer (each handling one of the two chapters), and inker Jack Abel deliver an almost perfect space superhero epic. It holds until the very last panel, when Superboy is concerningly malevolent.

    Superboy’s mad because the issue’s supervillains—the Legion’s nemesis team, the Fatal Five—have escaped death. During their escape, the Fatal Five tried to blow up the Legion, but failed. So Superboy’s grandstanding about how he’s going to make them pay in their next appearance. It just does not play.

    And Levitz’s intentional in this move; earlier in the issue he characterizes Superboy’s attack on the Five’s spaceship focusing on how Superboy’s righteous anger fuels his extreme power. It both does and doesn’t stand out in the moment; Levitz is just saving up headliner Superboy for big moments (this attack is his first foray into the conflict), so it comes with a punch. But it’s also a bit of a strange vibe.

    In that earlier scene, Superboy is super mad because the Five are taking advantage of a planet about to explode. According to the narration, he’s thinking about Krypton and the tragedy. It’s emotionally too much for the Boy of Steel. The Legion is on the planet, evacuating all the people, but time is running out. The psychic on the psychic planet (Levitz skates over this absurdity real fast, but there are telepaths in Legion, so sure, why not) saw the star go supernova too late.

    It’s a strange spotlight, like Levitz was assuring someone, even though Legion was officially in the title, Superboy would still get featured special.

    But once he’s got that first solo attempt out of his system, Superboy mostly syncs with the rest of the team. Levitz delights in his purple exposition with lots of second-person call-outs and thoughtful echoes in the prose. It never gets tedious; he and editor Joe Orlando always seem to know when the narration’s gone far enough and it’s time to focus on the art.

    Because even though this issue’s a giant-sized epic featuring five distinct narratives (the evacuation, examining the star, kidnapped Legionnaires, the rescue team, and the leader of the Fatal Five’s plotting), it’s a visual delight. Sherman pencils the first half, opening on two Legionnaires happening across the Five and getting captured, then cutting to the planet-wide evacuation. Great visuals, with varied panels showing off the scale of the evacuation and the rush of the Legion’s work. But where Sherman really gets to flex is Brainiac-5 and friends’ science mission to the planet’s doomed sun; the Emerald Empress with her Emerald Eye attacks them. Thanks to Sherman and Abel—and Levitz, who doesn’t go overboard with the green theme—it’s a dangerous, thrilling fight. Empress thinks she can handle the good guys since Superboy’s not with them (she’s hot for Superboy; sadly, they never get any interaction).

    The good guys have to use their specific powers in tandem to counter her successfully. Levitz loves writing about how the powers work. So he lines up action scenes so he can explain the recipe for the superpower combinations.

    All with that great art. Space superheroes comics doesn’t get better.

    The issue cuts back to the planet for another big action sequence, involving three of the Fatal Five and a growing number of Legionnaires who just can’t quite get an upper hand. Superboy isn’t there to help because he’s about to launch that attack on the spaceship and fail, which concludes the first chapter.

    A handful of Legionnaires get a little more than the others, mostly just in dialogue, though sometimes starting a lengthy scene by themselves. It’s a small planet when you can fly, so no one’s by themselves too long.

    The second half, featuring Netzer art—while not as strong as Sherman’s, is still excellent (and Netzer gets to do a fantastic, “this should be a poster” full-pager)–has the Legion figuring out the Five’s plan and how to defeat them. The reader doesn’t get all of the information on the latter, because there needs to be some surprise.

    Right up until Superboy starts humming a murder ballad, it’s smooth sailing. Levitz’s reveals all drop at the right time, Netzer’s good at conveying the variety of actions (including, of course, Legionnaires with different powers fighting bad guys who have their own different powers). Even something simple like a fight between two giant-sized individuals (good guy Colossal Boy and bad guy Validus) gets complicated with all the regular-sized flying superheroes and villains weaving in and out.

    It’s a stellar comic, with Levitz’s enthusiasm in the exposition carrying over the sillier future elements, and then the art starting at a high level and only getting better throughout.

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  • The Spirit (February 2, 1941) “Davy Jones’ Locker”

    The Spirit (February 2, 1941) “Davy Jones’ Locker”

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    Will Eisner (editor, script, pencils, inks)

    Joe Kubert (colors)

    Sam Rosen (letters)

    Davy Jones’ Locker is a straightforward strip, but only because Eisner doesn’t allow it to get bogged down. There’s plenty of potential for it to drift, and Eisner doesn’t want any of it; any tangents would affect the verisimilitude.

    The strip opens with a group of sandhogs (underground urban construction workers) deciding they’re sick of the politicians and builders taking credit for their work, so they decide to become underwater robbers. The Davy Jones of the title is their leader, who presumably came up with the idea to steal a section of the underwater tunnel they’d been working on, and use it to destroy and loot merchant vessels.

    The story takes place over eight weeks (as usual, presumably the Spirit has other cases during those weeks, but they’re unacknowledged). Jones and his crew convert their tunnel section into a base, loaded with mines. Whenever a large ship full of gold goes over them, they send up a mine, sink the ship, and collect the gold at their leisure.

    Those activities raise numerous unanswered questions Eisner avoids asking. He also avoids explaining how the Spirit, inserting himself into the investigation and taking advantage of Dolan’s reluctance to be benched when the FBI arrives, somehow commands a team of Central City’s finest. Who are armed with rifles capable of firing underwater.

    There’s lots of underwater battling, but nearly all of it happens off-page. The first skirmish between the cops and the bad guys quickly goes topside, where Ebony and Dolan worry about the Spirit. These sections are good, but nothing compared to when Spirit encounters Jones himself and the two face off. There’s a lot of mood to the art, and there’s a lot of mood to the interaction. Spirit’s at a disadvantage, so’s Jones, and they’ve got to resolve their hostilities (one way or another) before the police’s depth charges find them.

    The finale’s got a surprising amount of heart, with Eisner leaning into it to a fine result. Even though the undersea battle only gets cursory attention from the creators, it’s all the characters have been thinking about.

    Very little jealous Dolan here, and even less foreign intrigue. There’s just a single mention musing about foreign powers being behind the sinking of the ships. And we get to see the west side of Central City (at least the river) and the plains beyond. Nice landscape work throughout, too.

    Locker’s finely executed.

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  • DC Special (1968) #29

    DC Special (1968) #29

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    This special is the result of a letter to All-Star Comics about the origin of the Justice Society. Someone wrote in wondering about the canon, and, after diligently doing some research, DC staffers discovered the 1940 comics didn’t come with an origin issue for the Justice Society. The team was already together in their first appearance. So the All-Star team of writer Paul Levitz, penciller Joe Staton, inker Bob Layton, and editor Joe Orlando are doing the first-ever origin of the Justice Society of America right here.

    It’s not good. It’s not a good story, let alone good origin story. Levitz front-loads the narrative, too, and not just in terms of pacing; the Spectre will eventually show up in the comic and be able to kill anyone with a glance. He will not, however, be able to impede in any way the enemy demigod Valkryies. Now, the Valkryies—the exposition boxes point out multiple times they’re German (called to Earth on the side of the Führer), though it sure sounds like they’d know Thor (and he’d be on the Nazi side). The human heroes will either be able to jostle the Valkyries easily or they will be utterly impervious to all pain and damage.

    Including from the Spectre.

    So there are no real stakes in the comic. Not even when it comes to the team-up value. Nine of the world’s most powerful mortals (though the Spectre and Dr. Fate aren’t really mortal) meet for the first time and it’s done without dialogue and just a bunch of handshaking. None of the heroes have much personality: Superman will be a dick, but otherwise, it’s just Dr. Fate. And only because he’s the one who knows what he’s doing. And the Atom gets a lot more dialogue in the second half than anyone else. This comic is always trying to find new levels of perfunctory.

    There are a handful of solid moments. The Spectre reaching out over a Nazi fleet is cool. Except then he’s got no significant advantage fighting the Valkryies. In the exposition, Levitz routinely tracks how many heroes are fighting the good fight and how the increasing numbers and power sets never help. It’s weird. Especially when he uses it to set up Superman, who will come in and save the day, talk shit about not being some touchy-feely foreigner, which FDR will cosign, and then Supes will demand “Justice” is in the title of their club.

    The art’s often odd. The Batman take is visually very Adam West, not Bob Finger. Staton and Layton do not do a good Superman. As a reader of All-Star, which had at one point Wally Wood (and Keith Giffen) doing very careful, respectful, Golden Age Superman—-it’s jarring. Not only isn’t it good, he looks forty-five.

    But the Franklin Delano Roosevelt… good grief. Levitz writes FDR as a vapid jingoist while Staton draws him… puffy. Like exaggerated puffy; like a blowhard. It’s very strange. The Special feels like it’s being targeted at seven-year-olds in 1940, while acknowledging they’re in their forties now. By creators whose nostalgia—even when they bother with it—never comes off as sincere.

    They do get through it, which is an accomplishment for all involved–particularly the reader—but it is a combination of wasted opportunities, bad ideas, and creative limitations.

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  • The Spirit (January 26, 1941) “The Conquistadores”

    The Spirit (January 26, 1941) “The Conquistadores”

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    The strip takes place in Mexico, where the Spirit foils an attempt by some treasonous Mexican army folks to side with foreign powers to overthrow the government. The foreign powers are presumably German, but Eisner’s still not being specific.

    But Spirit doesn’t show up until page three, with the strip opening instead on a young man named Pedro arriving in town to tell everyone about enemy aircraft. No one believes him, so he keeps trying; the sequence gives Eisner and studio the chance to do some slice-of-life panels for the village. Lots of good little panels establish the setting before the action turns to the villains.

    Using their silent bombs, the bad guys take out a different village, which is explained in the expository text, but, visually, it seems like it’s the opening village. These silent bombs do all the damage and exploding of regular bombs, only with no sound whatsoever. All of a sudden, Spirit’s flying car becomes a lot less far-fetched.

    The Spirit arrives and tries to take on the baddies himself, only to get captured and dropped out of a flying plane. Luckily, he’s got those gymnastics skills and is able to save himself; he then comes across Pedro and enlists him in the effort.

    There’s a somewhat complex setup involving Pedro using the silent bombs against their makers while Spirit goes in for the direct approach. The last few pages have some wonderful art, whether Spirit’s fisticuffs or the bad guys walking around the ensuing wreckage.

    The strip feels a little forced with its politics, and, despite the villains being indistinct, spends a lot of time with them. Spirit’s never really the protagonist (it’s either Pedro or the bad guys running scenes); he’s presumably in Mexico on assignment from the U.S. government. It’s never clarified. Missed opportunity for a very humorous scene of Spirit gassing up the autoplane for his approximately two-thousand-mile trip.

    Eisner’s characterization of Mexico has the accent and portrays all of the villagers as so layabout they literally do nothing but layabout, while also putting Mexico as comparable to the United States as both countries threw off the imperial yoke. A 1941 version of ahistorical good vibes.

    The art, action, and timing make up for the rockier bits.

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  • The Spirit (January 19, 1941) “Pancho de Bool and Peppi Tamale”

    The Spirit (January 19, 1941) “Pancho de Bool and Peppi Tamale”

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    Eisner wastes no time getting this strip started—the first panel has Commissioner Dolan asking daughter Ellen what ever happened with her former beau, Homer Creep (né Creap). She hasn’t seen him since he was last in the strip, getting some loving attention from a nurse after Ellen threw him over for the Spirit; she never wants to see him again.

    So, of course, he knocks on the door with a wife in tow, one Peppi Tamale. Eisner and studio are introducing Cubans this strip, which—outside making fun of the accent—doesn’t require much buckling up.

    Homer and Peppi got married in Havana and are now on the run from her murderous thug brother, Pancho the Bull (spelled Bool because accents are funny). Pancho is on his way to Central City to find the man who’s run off with his sister.

    Hearing all this drama, Commissioner Dolan orders police protection for his house (Peppi’s going to stay with them until things blow over). The Spirit (and Ebony) hear that order on the police scanner and, thinking Ellen’s in danger—despite telling Ebony she’s a “silly” and not a love interest—Spirit zooms to her rescue.

    At the same time, the gangs in Central City are running up against Pancho and his men. And losing. So they all plan to band together and take out Pancho, except the cops know they’re planning on banding together. Dolan’s able to counter their attempted attack properly.

    Meanwhile, things at the Dolan house get complicated when Ellen pretends she’s the one in danger to get the Spirit to swoon over her—Ellen and Peppi sadly don’t pass Bechdel, but it’s nice for Ellen to have a pal for once. Except then one of the gangsters comes to the house, actually looking for Ellen as retribution for Dolan launching the counterattack on the gangs. And Ebony may not know what he’s looking for when standing guard for Pancho.

    There’s a lot of iffy sight gags for the finale (Eisner’s got a bit lined up for Pancho, not racial; the strip thinking the accent’s a laugh riot doesn’t help the bit), but also some absolutely beautiful action pages, as well as just great narrative building. It’s the first strip of the year to flex, albeit in some problematic ways. It also gives Dolan a full arc separate from his Spirit jealousy, which is nice. Well, maybe not for Dolan. The last page’s a lot of fun.

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  • All-Star Comics (1976) #68

    All-Star Comics (1976) #68

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    Writer Paul Levitz makes a twelfth-level intelligence move with this issue; it’s not a great script—Wildcat’s “docks” accent is forever obnoxious—and the stakes are haywire, but the reveal is about the only way All-Star could move forward.

    Psycho-Pirate has been micro-dosing the Justice Society with negativity for ages. How long? Long enough to cover all their jerk moves in All-Star, which started in the first issue with the sexism? Don’t ask, just be glad it’s getting resolved. Presumably.

    And, at first, it doesn’t seem like they’re resolving anything. The heroes get back home from last issue and start bickering with Dr. Fate, who’s got no time for their malarkey. Power Girl then reminds them they’re supposed to act like teammates, and Flash whinges about it. Luckily, Fate’s got a mission to interrupt them–stopping Green Lantern from destroying the Gotham International Airport.

    Lantern’s destroying the airport in an attempt to extort money from the city, which hasn’t done enough to appreciate him as a superhero over the years. The big team fight reveals Psycho-Pirate as the real villain, and he and Green Lantern escape to parts unknown.

    After another team member defects to the other side, the good guys figure out where they’re hiding and mount an offensive.

    The subplot for the issue is Dick Grayson and Hourman getting back to Gotham City and meeting up with Police Commissioner Bruce Wayne, whose fears about Green Lantern breaking bad now seem founded. Of course, Wayne’s on a righteous crusade, and he may be blinded to the truth (hopefully it won’t turn good men cruel). If he’s even willing to listen. All-Star frequently hinges on this team of superheroes refusing to communicate with one another; maybe it’s just the way Earth Two works.

    The way Levitz has gotten the comic working has been fairly simple—if this issue does prove a turning point, anyway–because the whole thing hinges on Dr. Fate, who doesn’t have the most personality. But then no one has personality, except general sexism on the part of the boys, with some dismissiveness of the youth thrown in for good measure. Power Girl and Fate “lead” the team and feature into most of the action—one forgets Star-Spangled Kid is even there—but they’re not the leads of the story. The characters have lost their personal stakes, which allows Levitz to make every issue a good jumping on (or off) point.

    Even if the actual content of the comic, good storytelling mechanics aside, is still fifty-something white guys yelling at those damned kids, while always being proven wrong.

    Also this issue, throw in penciller Joe Staton committing to showcasing Power Girl’s… ahem… physique more. Except only in action scenes where she’s just taken a hit. Because there’s always got to be something else off; Staton and inker Bob Layton don’t bring much, but they do make one forget Wally Wood was ever on this book.

    Still—thanks to Levitz—the book seems poised for a not negative turn. Fingers crossed.

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  • The Spirit (January 12, 1941) “The Silk District Beat”

    The Spirit (January 12, 1941) “The Silk District Beat”

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    The strip’s a simple outing—Spirit helps young copper Dan Gorman, who runs afoul of the hoods on his new beat. There’s a great action sequence with the Spirit and Dan knocking heads; lots of great movement. Otherwise, the most interesting thing about Silk District is how little the Spirit’s in it.

    He’s around a bit more than he’s active—in one of his disguises (this one much better than his previous efforts, which usually just had him putting on a pair of glasses)—but Eisner takes a more global view of the story. It opens with Dan and his mom, Mom full of pride, and a local thug showing up to pay him off.

    From there, the strip shows the hoods framing Dan to get away with their latest robbery, leading to his immediate dismissal, and the Spirit interceding because he witnessed the frame-up.

    In order to be a witness (including showing up at the police station to give a witness statement), Spirit had to be hanging around the Silk District. Why didn’t he just foil the robbery or track the robbers himself? Very unclear. Other than there needed to be a “help your neighbor” message to the strip.

    While Spirit and Dan are planning to apprehend the robbers and clear Dan’s name, Commissioner Dolan is contending with the shady Squire Sampson. Sampson’s a recurring character, the legit front for numerous rackets around Central City; Dolan can’t prove anything, however, so he has to put up with it. Spirit, on the other hand, takes multiple opportunities to manipulate Sampson—positioning the strip’s narrative dominos.

    The Sampson angle adds approximately a page to the strip, which struggles to make it to the eight pages (minus one for the lovely, spoiler-y splash page). The final page of the strip has a “ladies will talk” trope, and then Spirit providing a brief recap of his adventure to Ebony. There’s also a lot of rumbling from Dolan about how he’s just got to solve the case before the Spirit.

    All very solid, with nothing distinct about it. Maybe the Spirit’s disguise is supposed to be doing more. The disguise does have certain elaborate aspects to it—and they make the Spirit uncomfortable—but they never figure into the narrative.

    Again, at least it’s not just a pair of spectacles.

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  • Briefly, TV (3 September 2025)

    Alien: Earth (2025) s01e04 “Observation” D: Ugla Hauksdóttir. S: Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, Adarsh Gourav, Timothy Olyphant. Strong comeback kicks off the science, espionage, manipulation, deceit, and danger arcs, all entwined and engaging. It also reveals it doesn’t matter if Lawther can’t deliver: Chandler, Olyphant, and Davis are giving the only real performances. Everyone else is tediously mid. It’s fine as long as the one of the trio’s there, however. EARTH’s Michael Crichton’s ALIENS, but sure.

    Alien: Earth (2025) s01e05 “In Space, No One…” D: Noah Hawley. S: Babou Ceesay. Hawley’s back directing (and writing) with a breathtaking homage to the 1979 ALIEN, albeit far more STAR WARS-aware than the original. It’s also Ceesay’s profile episode; we find out his tragic backstory, which has multiple reveals, as the flashback reveals what happened aboard the crashing ship before it crashes. Very smart, very well-directed, very safe.

    All Creatures Great & Small (2020) s05e02 “Holding the Baby” [2024] D: Brian Percival. S: Nicholas Ralph, Samuel West, Anna Madeley, Rachel Shenton, James Anthony-Rose, Imogen Clawson, Tony Pitts. Everyone gets something to do–Ralph tries to learn how to be a dad while on a vet call (with Anthony-Rose along), Shenton and sister Clawson catch up (with dad Pitts about), and West and Madeley run into complications with her Home Guard supervisor, guest star Jeremy Swift. Shenton’s arc’s maybe the best, but they’re all real good.

    All Creatures Great & Small (2020) s05e03 “Homecoming” [2024] D: Stewart Svaasand. S: Nicholas Ralph, Samuel West, Anna Madeley, Rachel Shenton, Callum Woodhouse, Imogen Clawson, Tony Pitts. The show has to resolve one of its great unresolved plot threads, and does so with aplomb. Amidst that additional chaos, the household is already preparing for Ralph and Shenton’s baby’s christening, which has brought family in town. Shenton and mother-in-law Gabriel Quigley have an awkward time together. Plus a couple fun, gentle veterinary cases.

    All Creatures Great & Small (2020) s05e04 “Uninvited Guests” [2024] D: Stewart Svaasand. S: Nicholas Ralph, Samuel West, Anna Madeley, Rachel Shenton, Callum Woodhouse, James Anthony-Rose, Patricia Hodge. Woodhouse is trying to adjust to being back home and isn’t particularly pleased brother West is indifferent to his discomfort sharing his room with Anthony-Rose. But, first, snake-hunting. Meanwhile, Ralph’s having his own adjustment as people keep asking about his medical discharge. Great episode for Woodhouse. Hodge also figures in with a nice arc. Excellent episode.

    My Life Is Murder (2019) s05e04 “Top Two Inches” [2025] D: . S: Lucy Lawless, Ebony Vagulans. Awesome–season best, in the series best–episode has Lawless and Vagulans crashing a trivia night for the Auckland elite. The intrigue plays out not quite real-time but tightly consecutively, involves a returning pest (Benedict Wall), and gives guest star Marta Dusseldorp an excellent part. Especially when opposite Lawless. Great performances all around. The format really works.

    My Life Is Murder (2019) s05e05 “Thirteen O’Clock” [2025] D: . S: Lucy Lawless, Ebony Vagulans. Very fun, often cute episode has Lawless and Vagulans investigating a mysterious death at a mysterious party at a toy maker’s mysterious mansion. The investigation is all about unraveling an unrelated secret, so there are lots of hijinks. There’s also a creepy doll, a romantic subplot for Vagulans, and… well, not much else. It’s briskly and assuredly executed.

  • All-Star Comics (1976) #67

    All-Star Comics (1976) #67

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    For this issue of “your favorite Golden Age superheroes hate working with each other and helping people in general,” the bickering is once again the main plot. The story opens with Power Girl trying to convince Wildcat and Star-Spangled Kid to investigate a giant hole in the Earth where the supervillains were suspiciously hanging out. The subterranean creatures who come out of the hole and attack the heroes convinces Star-Spangled Kid he doesn’t want to investigate.

    Power Girl has to knock him out to get him to go quietly. He had been arguing for going into the giant hole because he thought Wildcat was just being an old sexist during that first argument (of three or four throughout) with Power Girl. What changed Kid’s mind? Apparently, there definitely being bad guys in the hole. It’s unclear. The issue occasionally feels like writer Paul Levitz can’t keep track of the heroes’ petty grievances, which makes sense. The bickering never leads to anything, even when it’s potentially deadly.

    But before that level of bad teamwork, there’s Bruce Wayne’s plot line. He’s now the Gotham City Police Commissioner, and he’s got city leaders upset Green Lantern is having hissy fits and causing property damage. Wayne’s conservative in his plans, cautious. He assumes bringing in Golden Age superhero Green Lantern for police questioning will lead to Green Lantern killing police officers to avoid capture. How chill.

    Robin sends Wayne a telegram about how all the Justice Society members are acting like a bunch of jerks, which just confirms Wayne’s suspicions. Of the heroes being jerks and bad teammates. There’s no higher drama.

    Back in the main story, Power Girl activates her distress beacon, calling the team away from a nosy Robin and their latest hospitalized teammate. Flash, Hawkman, and Doctor Fate go down to help, but then Doctor Fate leaves immediately upon arrival. Presumably, Fate knew the “Middle Earth” adventure was less important than him going to visit Commissioner Wayne and telling Wayne to relax. Wayne’s internal turmoil over his friends being a bunch of jerks is unsettling the cosmic balance.

    Once the team meets up, Flash and Hawkman decide they’re not going to help Power Girl, after all. They don’t think going into the hole to investigate the supervillains was a good idea. So she can just go get killed to learn her lesson.

    Things do get to a more positive resolution, but only because Levitz manages to make Power Girl wrong in her reckless behavior despite being the only responsible adult. He doesn’t write anyone chastising her for that behavior, at least, which is a not insignificant win for this strange comic book about quinquagenarian misanthropes.

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  • The Spirit (January 5, 1941) “The Black Bow”

    The Spirit (January 5, 1941) “The Black Bow”

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    Eisner and studio start the new year one big change for the strip—The Spirit now takes place in “Central City,” and has always done so. Then there’s also the approach to the war in Europe; Eisner’s still not using the proper nouns, but this strip’s all about the influx of European refugees fleeing from the Nazis.

    The strip opens introducing the title villain and how immigrants from a particular country are terrified of The Black Bow. Fortuitously, some of these immigrants bury the Bow’s latest victim in a desolate corner of Wildwood Cemetery, where Spirit’s curious about the gaggle of old men doing an illicit burial. So he eavesdrops.

    There’s some wild present action going on this time; the inciting incident happens in October (of the previous year), then the Spirit and Ebony (who’s just around for this scene) cook up a scheme to investigate the mysterious burial. Presumably, other strips were happening during this investigation, which involves accent work, disguises, and home rentals.

    While Spirit sets himself up as a sitting duck for the Black Bow, another victim literally stumbles into Commissioner Dolan’s arms, asking for help. Dolan sees it as an excellent opportunity to get one over on the Spirit and solve the case before Spirit even knows what’s happening.

    Of course, by that time, Spirit is in the middle of spirited (no pun) fisticuffs with the Black Bow; the two acrobatic adversaries even banter at one another through the fight scene.

    It’s a good action strip. The movement during the chase (the fight starts inside an abandoned mansion, moves to its exterior, ends in its basement) is phenomenal. The banter’s solid. The patriotism is a tad much. These European immigrants are just too embarrassed to go to the cops about their problem, which they consider imported: the Black Bow’s their country’s historical extorting murderous archer. We get a little back story on that setup, but not enough. Especially not for a villain who keeps up with Spirit so much.

    1941’s off nicely to the races; we shall see if the strip continues to find ways to incorporate Spirit into current events-related adventures.

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