Monday, June 10, 2013

Summer 2013 Day 17 : June Mini Reviews are Ready

Actually I set aside a bit, for the rest of the year... but I want to put a bit more content in then start posting mini reviews... which I finally started today, rotating each review from the 70s and 80s, 90s and 2000s. Stay tuned for more reviews coming up.

80's Mini Review : Adventures of Superman #441

Adventures of Superman #441
June 1988
Publisher - DC Comics
John Byrne & Jerry Ordway - Script, Penciller, Co Plotter
Dennis Janke - Inker
Anthony Tollin - Colorist
Albert Deguzman - Letterer
Renee Witterstaetter - Assistant Editor
Mike Carlin - Editor

Probably a good time to bring up the mischievous little imp from the 5th Dimension, the one with the hard to remember how to spell name Mxyzptlk... I'm calling him Mixxy for short... ever since the 18 issue magic mushroom mind trip that was Action Comics in the New 52. This will be far easier to grasp, I assure you.

In "The Tiny Terror of Tinseltown" Superman finds himself fighting a large burger wielding singing corporate shill for Big Belly Burgers in Hollywood, under the watchful gaze of Mixxy floating above a freshly altered Hollywood sign sign changed to read as Mixxy' s name.... hmmm... burgers... anyway after smashing belly boy Superman makes quick work tricking Mixxy into saying his name backwards, rearranging the Mixxy sign to say Mixxy' s name backwards.

But since Mixxy only stays away for 90 days he bounces back quickly... by not leaving. Yeah, apparently sick of the whole backwards name gag Mixxy has decided to change the rules... right after we watch a page of Cat Grant back in Metropolis basically being called a cougar by her eventually killed by crazy Toyman kid Adam... you think this Toyman May never see the light of day again, but the New 52 did just turn Vandal Savage into a serial killer so... nah. Then there is a page with Lois, then back to Superman and Mixxy... who can't seem to make his mind up on his new weakness... until 7 pages later when he tries to smother Superman in Smurfs, until he's inspired to challenge Superman to trick him to paint his face blue... don't get used to this, he drops it almost immediately after this issue.

Sigh. Then we have a page with terrible Brainiac, not Supergirl Supergirl, and Mr blow up LexCorps holdings shadowy guy before getting back to Superman... who only takes 5 pages to make Mixxy leave in a huff... then an alien ship arrives near Jupiter and we're done.

Bleach. Not one of my favorite Mixxy tales, the issue is a bit distracted with several stories going on at once, and when we do see the Mixxy stuff it is short and pointless with a pointless change to Mixxy that might as well never happened as it doesn't stick as far as I know. And for the record? This iteration of Supergirl doesn't interest me none. A 2 out of 5.

Next 80's look?
Remember when Checkmate had its own Prestige format title? Here, let's remember it together. Checkmate #1-#3.