G. I. JOE YEARBOOK #3 (March 1987)

One of my first comics. Purchased when in withdrawals, after the show’s cancellation.

This is one of the many follow-ups to “Silent Interlude.” Perhaps the first. Also an early Ron Wagner job.

BATMAN #514 - January 1995

One Night in the War Zone

Credits:  Doug Moench (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Joe Rubenstein (inker), Ken Bruzenak (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Robin provides Batman with a list of the three worst offenders released during Two-Face’s scheme: Strake, McCone, and Cheung.  Strake targets his former partner in the drug trade, McCone invades the home of the man who testified against him, and Cheung searches for people who cheated him out of gambling profits.  All three are located in Battergate, an area of Gotham nicknamed “the war zone.”  One by one, Batman locates the fugitives and incapacitates them.  Sirens continue to blare after he’s finished, reminding him that Batman’s work is never done.

Irrelevant Continuity:  I thought the worst neighborhood in Gotham was supposed to be called “the Hub,” as seen in the earlier chapters of this crossover?

Review:  The emotional hook for this issue is Dick Grayson’s struggle to truly become Batman, a job he knows he isn’t suited for and doesn’t expect to keep for much longer.  This would seem to be a better avenue to explore than the previous arc’s relentless pushing of Two-Face as Dick Grayson’s personal boogey man, but the story doesn’t really make being Batman seem like such a bad job.  There are no moral quandaries, nor are any of the fugitives pursued by Dick particularly challenging threats.  On the bright side, the issue has solid artwork by Ron Wagner, and there’s more than enough action to distract from Dick’s half-baked character crisis.  Judged mainly as a one-issue action story, this is fairly entertaining.

LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #62 - July 1994

Devils

Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Ron McCain (inker), Willie Schubert (letterer), Digital Chameleon (colors)

Summary:  Robin and Nightwing follow Bruce’s trail, while he’s being ambushed by another group of ninjas.  Their master, a man twice Bruce’s size, soon appears.  After defeating him in battle, Bruce declares the only way to end Shiva’s game is to kill the master.  Robin and Nightwing walk in right after Bruce delivers the fatal blow.  Meanwhile, Jean-Paul’s search for his father’s killer leads to another gunrunning ring.  Their enforcer is a large cyborg that Jean-Paul eventually defeats by triggering a box of explosives.

Review:  I hope you wanted more ninja fight scenes, along with even more pages of Jean-Paul beating up gunrunners.  (This time aided by a cyborg that looks oddly reminiscent of the McFarlane Toys action figure “Overt-Kill II.”)  This chapter is at the very least nice to look at, as the dependable Ron Wagner is paired with a Janson-esque inker, but for the bulk of the issue we’re stuck with even more repetitive fight scenes.  Dixon tries to break the monotony by having Bruce and Jean-Paul’s fight scenes parallel each other, which does lead to a fairly shocking cliffhanger.  We all know Jean-Paul is so far gone he’ll kill an opponent, but having the true Batman kill probably drove fans overboard at the time.  Thankfully, it all turns out to be an elaborate ruse, although I now wonder how many readers of Legends who didn’t pick up the next chapter in Robin were left believing that Bruce really did kill this guy.  Outside of that cliffhanger, which turned out to be a fake-out anyway, it’s another dull chapter.

THE BOOK OF FATE #8 - September 1997

Better Off Dead

Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: Vera snaps out of her spell as a process server knocks on the door. He assures Vera that Jared isn’t dead and revives him. He then hands him a summons for Sentinel’s lawsuit and leaves. Later, Dr. Occult greets Jared in an alley, giving him his card and inviting him to talk. Inside the Conclave Monolith, a mystery woman is informed of Dr. Occult’s actions. Meanwhile, personifications of the Apocalypse continue to appear, killing innocent people.

We Get Letters: Every letter printed in the letters page is negative this issue. Most of them are from established readers that are upset that the new Fate’s continuity makes no sense (as opposed to the entire storylines that make no sense). The editors respond that giving Fate a new origin was necessary in order to sell the importance of the “final” Order vs. Chaos war (which honestly makes no sense to me). They also assure the fans that DC would never change Alan Scott’s origin…“He is, after all, the original Green Lantern!”

Review: Giffen advances the main storyline incrementally, as Fate’s death in the previous issue is dismissed quickly so that the focus can return to the Apocalypse characters and Sentinel’s lawsuit. And Dr. Occult appears, which may or not mean something to someone familiar with obscure DC continuity. This is followed by another vague scene, which has an unnamed blonde woman from the Conclave question if Dr. Occult is planning to train Fate in the mystic arts. Maybe this shouldn’t bother me, but it’s annoying to see character after character appear with no explanation. I have no idea if I’m supposed to know who they are, or if they’re intentional mysteries. If Mystery Blonde Lady is an established character, would it kill Giffen to have one of her female servants identify her by name?

I’ll give Giffen the benefit of the doubt and assume that the Apocalypse subplot pages are intentional mysteries, but even these scenes are a drag on the book. Almost a third of the issue is consumed with pages of possessed women turning people into dried out corpses. There’s no discernible advancement of the plot, and the scenes feel needlessly padded. Bring back the rats, please.

THE BOOK OF FATE #7 - August 1997

Signs
Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: Jared finds himself pursued by rats. He escapes by tricking them into falling several stories off a building. With Arnold away, Jared turns to his sister Vera for help explaining the phenomenon. She appears to be Jared’s ally, until she receives a mysterious phone call. Vera then pulls out a gun and shoots Jared in the back. Meanwhile, the other personifications of the Apocalypse discuss Pestilence’s actions, and Sentinel testifies to the Conclave that Jared has mystical possessions that are rightfully his.

I Love the ‘90s: Jared is uncomfortable using the internet. Vera tells him to just “point and click.”



Review: This is absurd and entertaining, as opposed to most of this series’ run, which has been absurd and irritatingly confusing. Using an army of literal rats as the manifestation of Pestilence is probably the cleverest use of the concept I’ve seen in comics, and of course Ron Wagner easily does the concept justice. That cover alone is enough reason to love Ron Wagner. How many books on the stands in August 1997 could grab your attention like this? Regarding the story, Giffen is setting up a handful of new storylines, and bringing back the Senator character from the previous arc. Now we know he’s some personification of the Apocalypse, information that for some reason couldn’t be conveyed during the previous month’s utterly pointless crossover. Oh, and Sentinel has turned against Fate, which according to the letters page, is apparently a tie-in with whatever books Alan Scott was appearing in at the time. I don’t have a lot of faith that any of this will have a coherent conclusion, but hopefully I can get something out of the story while enjoying the pretty pictures.

THE BOOK OF FATE #6 - July 1997

All that Glitters…(Convergence Part One)

Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: Following a series of disagreements, the Conclave dismantles. Later, Fate’s apartment is invaded by shock troopers for the House of Emerald. They claim he’s harboring a fugitive, but can’t find any evidence. After they leave, Fate discovers a gem in his refrigerator. The gem turns into Topaz, who warns Fate of a conspiracy to destroy the Conclave. The Emerald soldiers return to fight, and once Topaz realizes Fate is unwilling to help him, he disappears. When the Emerald soldiers also leave, Fate is arrested by local police.

Irrelevant Continuity: This begins a crossover with the other DC “weirdoverse” titles, Night Force, Challengers of the Unknown, and Scare Tactics.

Review: Perhaps the most enjoyable issue of the series so far, the reader now has an idea of what Keith Giffen can do when he isn’t indulging in endless weirdness for weirdness’ sake. The Conclave, for the first time in this specific series, are actually clearly defined (an arbitrating body dedicated to resolving “disputes of any mystical nature”), which goes a long way towards making this issue tolerable. Not every aspect of the story makes perfect sense yet (Sentinel has discovered two peaceful alien races who’ve slaughtered each other, while a U.S. Senator is apparently puking out these aliens in his toilet), but there’s a basic plot here that’s easy to grasp -- a group called the “Gemlords” have manipulated the Conclave and staged a coup, which is setting the stage for their bid for world domination. This works as a painless premise for a storyline, and there’s enough room for Giffen to showcase more of Fate’s obnoxiousness, which is actually entertaining this time (his continued attempts to brush Topaz off and just ignore this mission are pretty funny). This is the rare occasion that a crossover helps a title gain focus; not that I’m particularly interested in a “weirdoverse” crossover, but I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt.

THE BOOK OF FATE #5 - June 1997

Last Dance

Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: Two-Face abandons his fight with Fate, allowing a new superhero, the Image, to make his presence known. Fate forces Image to fly him to a Chaos area; he then enters the strange world and punches out Chaos. Order suddenly appears with the Image at his side. He demands Image and Fate fight, but is knocked unconscious by Image’s body after Fate throws his superhero representative at him. Suddenly, Fate stands next to an adolescent boy in the middle of a theme park.

Irrelevant Continuity: Letter writers are complaining that the origin of Jared Stevens has been revised from the Fate series without any Crisis/Zero Hour efforts to justify the change. The editorial response is essentially that Keith Giffen wanted to start over and they let him.

Review: More random, not particularly entertaining, nonsense. Two-Face is dismissed after a handful of pages in order to introduce Not Funny Generic Superman Parody #629, the Image, into the illogical plot. (And why is he named “the Image” if he’s meant to represent traditional superheroes? Image’s heroes were far closer to Fate than this hero back in the ‘90s.) Casually dropping Two-Face is a terrible move; not only does Ron Wagner draw him incredibly well, but an adventure with Two-Face could’ve served as a nice non-hallucinogenic change of pace for the book. Instead, we get more unfunny scenes of random gibberish that are supposed to make Fate look cool, when in truth, Fate’s one of the more annoying “attitude” characters in comics. Pairing him with a Superman analogue solely to make fun of traditional heroes doesn’t make Fate seem edgy or daring, it just exposes his dull wit and irritating persona.

THE BOOK OF FATE #4 - May 1997

What If They Threw A War And Everybody Came?

Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: Jared is able to escape the war between Chaos and Order because neither side can touch him. His dagger vibrates, pointing like a compass towards Gotham City. Jared arrives to discover a Chaos-possessed Arkham Asylum. He’s thrown inside and forced alone with Two-Face, who claims he was left to fend for himself in Arkham after he rejected Order and Chaos. He handcuffs himself to Jared, who punches Two-Face and drags him outside. They emerge inside an “Order Patch.” The handcuffs revert back into Two-Face’s coin, which he flips to its scarred side.

Irrelevant Continuity: Jared is called “Fate” for the first time by the possessed Arkham Asylum building.

Review: I think I can grasp the basic idea behind this issue: Order and Chaos can’t directly harm Jared, so Chaos has manipulated him into entering Arkham Asylum, where Two-Face is sure to do the job. I don’t totally grasp the significance of the “Order Patch” and the handcuffs changing into Two-Face’s coin, but I’m going to assume that this is Order playing his part in the assassination.

I can certainly understand why Order and Chaos would be interested in Two-Face, and using him is a clever move on Giffen’s part, but I’m not sure why he would be a better assassin than a million other characters in the DC Universe. He looks cool, he fits the basic theme of the title, but he’s not particularly suited for the role he’s been given. Regardless, Two-Face looks amazing under Wagner’s pencils, and it’s certainly possible that Giffen has more in mind for the character. This is the most enjoyable issue of the series yet, although that’s mainly because it features a character I actually recognize and can understand.

THE BOOK OF FATE #3 - April 1997

No title or credit is listed for this issue. Based on the previous issues, the creative team likely consists of...
Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: Jared defeats Sentinel after he foolishly unwraps the cloak on Jared’s arm and unleashes a monster. When Jared returns home, his view of the world is warped into chaos. He follows a neighbor, Cindy, to Arnold’s apartment, hoping to find answers there. Jared’s perceptions return to normal outside, where he’s surrounded by a sea of blackness. The agents of Chaos and Order appear, hoping to recruit him to their respective sides. Jared refuses to take a side, and with both fearful of his powers, Chaos and Order initiate their war.

Review: Ironically, the story about chaos infecting reality is the easiest to follow so far. I still don’t pretend to understand the specifics of the continuity, but there’s enough here for me to get the broad strokes. Both Order and Chaos want Jared on their side, probably because they’re both terrified of the Artifacts of Fate, and some kind of war is brewing between them. I still find Chaos’ speech pattern annoying, and everything Order says is needlessly cryptic, but at least I can pick out some semblance of a plot. And I didn’t even mind the weirdness for weirdness’ sake this issue. Ron Wagner draws the trippy landscapes beautifully, and there appears to be some logic behind most of this insanity, like when Jared perceives Cindy as a roach because she’s carrying a Kafka book.

THE BOOK OF FATE #2 - March 1997

Carnal Beckoning

Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: Jared discovers that he no longer needs sleep, forcing him to kill time in the middle of the night with Arnold. Arnold gives him advice on how to deal with the artifacts, and reveals that he’s created a Fate website. When Jared leaves Arnold’s home, he’s confronted by Sentinel, who places a “message from the Conclave” inside Jared’s head. Sentinel then confronts the nearby agent of Chaos, only to be possessed by the entity. The possessed Sentinel violently breaks into Jared’s home. Meanwhile, an agent of Order appears in India.

I Love the ‘90s: Jared describes the sudden movement of his face emblem as “Whoop! There it is!” (And I have no idea what he’s talking about, since the emblem’s in the same place it was in the previous issue.)

Total N00B: So, at some point Alan Scott dropped the Green Lantern title and went by Sentinel? Is he also de-aged at this point, because he certainly appears younger here than he was in Justice Society of America. Also, Jared already knows Sentinel somehow, and they have some connection to something called “the Conclave.”

“Huh?” Moment: Jared is horribly embarrassed to be purchasing “Cocoa Buffs” (later called by their real name) cereal as a favor to Arnold. Why? The story treats this as totally emasculating, but I’ve never heard of any stigma attached to grown men buying sugary breakfast cereal.

Review: Oh, more stuff that makes no sense. The book is still assuming that everyone has a full run of Fate, which puts this reader at a severe disadvantage. I’d love to read a good ol’ fashioned Jim Shooter ravaging of this comic, because large sections of the story are just opaque. Who is Arnold? How does he know Jared? How does Arnold seem to know so much about the occult? Or is he just guessing about this stuff? Why did he start a website? Why does Jared not to seem to care that Arnold’s setting up an online business on his behalf without his consent?

At the very least, Jared and Arnold do have some kind of chemistry going, so their conversation scene isn’t a total loss. Unfortunately, it’s followed by a pointless fight with a new incarnation of Alan Scott I’ve never seen before, which ties in to their connection with a mysterious group (?) known as the Conclave. And then, an unnamed monster attacks Alan Scott and possesses him, setting up another fight with Jared, who I guess I’m not supposed to be calling Dr. Fate yet. As a subplot, an unnamed figure in white reflects on India and the great monument he’ll build there. Finally, in the letters page, an editor’s note refers to the lead character as a “small time black marketer,” an idea that hasn’t clearly been expressed in the actual comic yet. That’s followed by a series of letters making obscure references to the previous Fate series that I’ve never read. Seriously, if I wasn’t already a fan of the art (and kind of obligated to keep writing about the series), why would I want to buy the next issue?

THE BOOK OF FATE #1 - February 1997

Lament

Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: Explorer Jared Stevens discovers the Tomb of Nabu when an old man leads him through an invisible entrance in the desert. Jared discovers the old man is the previous Dr. Fate, Kent Nelson. When Jared takes the Artifacts of Order, Kent and his wife Inza are restored to their youth and disappear. Soon, Jared is caught in a battle between Order and Chaos that leaves his body badly burned. Using the cloak of Dr. Fate as a bandage, Jared’s skin is healed. He returns home, only to discover his employer Marsh doesn’t believe his story.

Irrelevant Continuity: This series is a follow-up to the previous Dr. Fate ongoing, Fate.

Total N00B: Judging by the letters page, Jared Stevens is apparently an established character from the Fate series, even though he remains skeptical about the existence of Dr. Fate during the story’s opening. I also don’t know if the characters Jared mentions repeatedly throughout the issue -- his ex-wife Holly, her father (?) Marsh, and his “alleged best friend” Arnold Burnsteel -- have already appeared. The story certainly acts as if we should know who they are.

Review: My knowledge of Dr. Fate is limited to his Super Powers action figure and his appearances on the ‘90s Superman cartoon. Consequently, I have no idea what this is. On a basic level, I get it. Unlikely hero finds mystic artifacts and gains super powers, sure. But there’s a sense that as a reader, I should already know all of these characters and attach some kind of significance to Jared Stevens becoming the new Dr. Fate, (if in fact that’s the title he’ll go by in this series) and that’s the real failing of the story. It’s far too cryptic to truly be enjoyed, and as a main character, Jared Stevens is too much of a cliché at this point to be engaging. He’s Ben Grimm without the charm and a PG-13 potty mouth; he’s no hero, but maybe, just maybe, he’ll learn about true heroism as the months pass.

I do have some faith in Giffen’s ability to make this work; it’s just such a tired formula, even for 1997, that I’m not thrilled with the set up. The art, however, is everything I hoped it would be. Not to oversell it, but the combination of Ron Wagner and Bill Reinhold almost resembles Joe Kubert inked by Klaus Janson. Even when the story itself doesn’t make a lot of sense, the visual storytelling is always clear, and the figures look recognizably human and natural. This may not be the most appropriate art team for a goth Dr. Fate reboot, but so far they’re the highlight of the series.

WOLVERINE # 84 – August 1994

Things That Go Bump In The Night!

Credits: Larry Hama (writer), Ron Wagner (breakdowns), Reinhold/Younger/Palmer/Milgrom (finishes), Yancey Labat & Matt Banning (art assist), Pat Brosseau (letters), Steve Buccellato (colors)

Summary

More and more Hunters in Darkness invade the arctic research station. Dr. Smith dies of her wounds, as Wolverine and James and Heather Hudson plan their next move. Harry Tabeshaw is convinced that the Hunter he captured was the last living one, wondering if these others might have been displaced in time. Biologist Dr. DeLong speculates that the Hunters are following the oldest, wisest Hunter and are developing a strategy. Wolverine decides to go outside and find the loading suit that Sverdrup was wearing when he was killed. The others pop flares and thermite to cover him from the nearly blind Hunters as he runs outside. Meanwhile in another section of Canada, the android Albert runs a search for Wolverine and discovers the Hunter in Darkness’ pheromone signature. He questions how the Hunter could still be alive, since Albert and Elsie Dee last saw him in the eighteenth century. Elsie Dee tells Bloodscream the story of how they traveled through time. They discovered a skeleton with adamantium claws in a Siksika burial ground, which tested out to be over two hundred years old. Spiral agreed to send the pair back in time to save Wolverine, but they were unable to find him in the eighteenth century. They befriended the Hunter in Darkness there, who apparently has a special bond with Wolverine. Back in the present, Wolverine puts on the loading suit and fights the Hunters. The oldest Hunter and Wolverine recognize one another, although Wolverine doesn’t understand why he looks so old now. The Hunter stares into his eyes and then leaves, and the others soon follow. Later, Harry Tabeshaw takes Wolverine to visit Silver Fox’s grave.

Continuity Notes

Wolverine first met the Hunter in Darkness in a flashback in Wolverine #34. He saved the Hunter from a bear trap in the woods, during the period when Wolverine was running wild in the wilderness before the Hudsons discovered him.

Review

There are a few moments I like in this issue, but overall it’s fairly weak. The extremely inconsistent art is a major problem, with four inkers doing a rush job over Ron Wagner’s breakdowns, and two more artists brought in to finish the subplot pages. For the most part, it’s just a mess. I do like the fact that Hama tries to ground the Hunters in reality by giving them hunting patterns and biological traits, and Wolverine’s final confrontation with the oldest Hunter isn’t bad. The final scene at Silver Fox’s grave is also nicely done, allowing Wolverine to be sensitive but remain in character. The Elsie Dee subplot is definitely dragging, though. Aside from following up a previous storyline with Spiral and Mojo that didn’t make a lot of sense in the first place (Wolverine #51-#53), it also relies on events that happened “behind the scenes” of previous issues, making things even more convoluted. I know that there’s at least one more issue dedicated to this storyline, but I don’t remember Hama ever getting around to finishing Elsie Dee and Albert’s story arc before leaving the book.

GHOST RIDER #27 – July 1992

Vengeance: Pure And Simple.

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Ron Wagner (artist), Mike Witherby (inker), Janice Chiang (letterer), Gregory Wright (colorist)

Summary

The X-Men recover the children of the Thieves and Assassin Guilds in the tunnels underneath New Orleans (yes, I know). Ghost Rider, Gambit, and Wolverine leave the others to track down the Brood Queen. After facing the Assassin from the last issue, John Blaze arrives and helps Ghost Rider decapitate the Brood Queen, and the X-Men help to destroy its head. After their victory, the Assassin watches overhead, promising that this isn’t over.

Review

It’s always amusing during crossovers when the most popular characters break off from everyone else and have their own adventure. This comic is definitely from the “because you demanded it!” school with Wolverine, Ghost Rider, and Gambit facing the Brood Queen on their own. It’s a good thing this wasn’t a team-up with Slapstick and Nightwatch or else nothing would’ve gotten done. It’s hard to believe that Gambit and Ghost Rider were once almost as popular as Wolverine. It’s ironic that a crossover designed to capitalize on Gambit’s popularity would introduce so many elements that would end up damaging the character.

For no real reason, the Ghost Rider/Brood story keeps on going. The X-Men already fought the Brood for an entire issue and freed Ghost Rider in the last installment. I suppose this is the “vengeance” issue where Ghost Rider repays the Brood for possessing him, and Gambit avenges Bella Donna’s death. There’s no attempt to make you care about what happened to either of them, though, so you get a pointless, repetitive issue with a predictable ending. The last Ghost Rider installment was okay, but this one is just boring.

GHOST RIDER #26 – June 1992

Blood Feud!

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Ron Wagner (artist), Mike Witherby (inker), Janice Chiang (letterer), Gregory Wright (colorist)

Summary

A mysterious ebony figure is murdering members of the Thieves Guild in New Orleans. Ghost Rider passes by the blood of a murdered Guild member and tracks down his killer. When he confronts the Assassins Guild, he discovers that they are infected with the Brood. The X-Men soon arrive in New Orleans, and Wolverine traces the scent of the Brood. The X-Men enter the Assassins Guild’s lair to discover that Ghost Rider has also been infected by the Brood.

Continuity Note

This issue establishes that all members of the Thieves Guild have a special power.

Approved By The Comics Code Authority

The Assassin kills a pregnant member of the Thieves Guild, licks her blood from his claws, and comments on how warm and salty it is.

Review

This Ghost Rider crossover issue marks Howard Mackie’s first time working in the x-canon, aside from Wolverine's appearance in a Ghost Rider special. It’s actually not a bad issue, just a straightforward story of Ghost Rider chasing a killer while the X-Men follow behind. Aside from Bella Donna’s exaggerated accent, most of the dialogue is fine and the story moves at a decent pace. Ron Wagner is a great artist, but I don’t think he’s well suited for this type of material. He does a nice job, but I prefer his work on G.I. Joe and Nth Man. He also drew some fill-in issues of Excalibur that I liked a lot, but his work here is a little bland. An okay comic, better than you might think.