5 Questions With Paul Kupperberg

Paul Kupperberg is one of the most accomplished comic book writers of all time, and you couldn't go a month in the 1980s without seeing Paul's name on a DC Comic. Paul is also a prolific writer of both fiction and non-fiction books, and his latest is an exciting Kickstarter called Direct Creativity: The Creators who Inspired the Creators. 

Direct Creativity is a collection of new one-on-one talks with 18 comic book creators about the people, comics, books, movies, and television that sparked and inspired them and drove them to create. The line-up of talent includes D.G. Chichester, Mike Collins, Gerry Conway, Mike DeCarlo, J.M. DeMatteis, Dan DiDio, Marc Guggenheim, Joe Illidge, Barbara Kaalberg, Tom King, Mark Millar, Mindy Newell, Mike Avon Oeming, Chuck Patton, Christopher J. Priest, Rick Stasi, Roy Thomas, and Mark Waid. You can find the link to the Kickstarter at RIGHT HERE or at https://kck.st/3ugsnCr. 

Paul was kind enough to answer 5 questions for Mark Belkin of DC in the 80's about creativity and working at DC comics in the 1980's. On to the interview!

Multiverse Birthing Like What What <3.

QUESTION 1

Mark: Your new Kickstarter is a book asking 18 creators "Who, or what, inspired you most in your development as a comic book creator?" I would like to ask you, who, or what, inspired your work at DC in the 1980s? And did that change from the books you worked on in the beginning of the decade to the ones you worked on at the end?

Paul: My inspirations are baked in from childhood and they haven’t changed, although there have certainly been countless additions to them since. But early on I discovered the Mort Weisinger era Superman comics, The Adventures of Superman TV show, the Fleischer Popeye cartoons, the books of Edgar Rice Burroughs...really, if it was on TV or in the movies or on the newsstands, I was fair game. Jules Feiffer’s 1965 The Great Comic Book Heroes, which reprinted for the first time ever a bunch of Golden Age DC, Timely, and Quality stories was massively influential, and it was the book that made me aware that human beings could actually make comic books for a living. Mind blown!

For a lot of fans of my vintage, their holy trinity is Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko, and while I liked their stuff too, mine was Julie Schwartz, Carmine Infantino, and Gil Kane. Those were my guys and I studied everything they did. And it was a reprint of “The Flash of Two Worlds” from The Flash #123 (June 1961) in a 1965 Flash Annual that made me not just a reader, but a fan for life because the newspaper the Barry Allen Flash picks up once he’s crossed the dimensional barrier and is in Keystone City is dated “June 14, 1961.” June 14 is my birthday. The Multiverse was born on my birthday!

A classic Doom Patrol continuation by Paul and the wonderful Joe Staton.

QUESTION 2

Mark: Who were some artists that you really enjoyed working with at DC in the 1980s? Any fun stories you'd like to share?

Paul: I got into comics in 1975, when the business was just 40 years old, so a lot of the people who created the comic book industry were not only still alive but still active...DC’s then president and production manager Sol Harrison had done color separations on Famous Funnies #1 and Action Comics #1! So I loved when my stories would be drawn by guys I grew up reading, like Irv Novick, Curt Swan, Kurt Schaffenberger, Jim Aparo, Dick Giordano, Steve Ditko, Jerry Grandenetti, Dick Ayers, Jose Delbo, or Don Heck, but it was also cool to be paired with the new guys, like Don Newton, Marshall Rogers, Romeo Tanghal, Alex Saviuk, Howard Chaykin, and, of course, my friend and collaborator in every decade since the 1970s, Joe Staton.

QUESTION 3

Mark: Were there any team ups you wish you could have written in DC Comics Presents? Who would have been the artists?

Paul: I can’t really think of any unrealized DCCP team-ups at the time. I was fortunate, I suppose. Schwartz bought all the stories I pitched him for the title and would also throw team-ups he wanted to do my way. He even bought a Superman/Vigilante crossover from me (DCCP #92), which was I think, the only time a character from a non-Code series ever appeared in the book.

 Darkseid is so much bigger than everyone. Seems like an unfair fight.

QUESTION 4

Mark:  What was it like writing the second Super Powers series? Working with Jack Kirby? And having to write for such a huge tie and cartoon tie in? Dealing with Kenner?

Paul: Writing the second Super Powers series was fun. I approached the story like a 1960s Justice League of America adventure by breaking the heroes up into teams and sending them off on their individual odysseys before reuniting at the end to confront the bad guy. JLA was a favorite title of mine growing up in the ‘60s, so I was paying homage to that. I wish I could say I actually worked WITH Jack Kirby on that one, but when I wrote the scripts, I didn’t know he would be drawing them. Of course, I was thrilled when I found out it would him, but we never had any contact during the project. I handed in the scripts and Jack drew them as I wrote them. 

I didn’t think of Super Powers as a licensing tie-in, like I did when I’d written the Masters of the Universe comics for DC a few years. These were the same DC characters I’d been writing for a decade and reading for 15 years before that. I never had to deal with Kenner. That’s what editors are for, but I don’t recall any problems or feedback from them on my stuff.

QUESTION 5

Mark: Writing complicated people is challenging. In the 1980s you wrote a few, such as Robotman, Peacemaker, Vigilante, Phantom Stranger, and Negative Woman. What mindset did you have during that era when writing someone like them?

Paul: The first decade of my work is all pretty much straight forward superhero pablum, a little less simplistic than the 1960s stuff but still pretty basic. In the 1980s, when I started working on comics about characters who were just regular people like Vigilante and the Checkmate cast, I realized that I’d been using superpowers as a crutch, to avoid writing about the characters themselves. 

Ambush Bug, A Hero's Beginnings

BONUS QUESTION 6

Mark: Please tell us about your experience in writing Ambush Bug's first story with the beloved Keith Giffen. 

Paul: Not much to tell. I went in to plot an issue of DC Comics Presents with editor Julie Schwartz and he’d invited Keith to sit in on the story conference. It was pretty unusual in my experience to have the artist in the room, but I didn’t have any problem with it. I said I wanted to do a Doom Patrol story and when we started talking about a villain, Keith said he had an idea, although the character wasn’t exactly a bad guy. He described Ambush Bug to us as “Bugs Bunny with a teleportation device” and I was sold on the spot.

Mark: Thank you Paul. Good luck on your Kickstarter!!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/writingcomics/direct-creativity  

10 Questions With Comics Writer Joe Casey!

Our great friend Michele Fiffe (of COPRA fame) reached out one day and said "You have to interview Joe Casey, he's a huge DC in the 80's guy!" Well we got super excited and co-editor Mark Belkin reached out to see if we could answer 10 Questions. Turns out in addition to being on of the best comic book writers ever, his taste in DC comics of the 1980's is impeccable. Joe Casey had classic runs on Uncanny X-Men,  Adventures of Superman, Wildcats, Cable, and two of his creations (two of my favorite comics) Godland and Automatic Kafka. Highly recommended. Also, and I didn't know this until recently, Joe was one of the creators on the cartoon series Ben 10! Without further ado, 10 Questions with Joe Casey! 

1.What was the first DC comic you remember buying?

JC: Let’s see… the earliest DC Comics I can remember holding in my hands -- and reading over and over -- were Justice League of America #137, All-Star Comics #63 and Secret Society of Super-Villains #3. I have no doubt that my folks bought all three of them for me, because I was just a grade school scrub. Y’know, when I stop and think about it… those three comics really just sum me right up, in terms of my formative tastes. But the first one I remember actually buying on my own would have to be New Teen Titans #9. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even purchase it when I first saw it. I spotted it on the stands at the first Direct Market retailer I ever knew of (Walt’s Paperback Books in Nashville, TN). That classic George Perez cover, with all of the Titans hanging by marionette strings… after I got home, I couldn’t get it out of my head. It just haunted me. I even tried to redraw that cover from memory. So, clearly, I had no choice but to go back and buy that comic book. Once I read it, I was instantly hooked… and I was no longer exclusively a Marvel kid reader. 

2. What were your favorite DC comics runs in the 1980s?

JC: There was a helluva lot to love during that decade. The Baron/Guice Flash (not to mention their two-issue Hawk story in Teen Titans Spotlight), the first two years of the Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire Justice League, the Wolfman/Perez New Teen Titans, Fleming and Von Eeden’s Thriller, the Ostrander/McDonnell Suicide Squad, the Kupperburg/Lightle/Larsen Doom Patrol, the Giffen 5YL Legion, the Helfer/Sienkiewicz/Baker Shadow, Chaykin’s Blackhawk, Miller’s Batman work, Alan Moore on Swamp Thing. 

3. If you could go back in time and write for DC comics in the 1980s, what comic would you like to do? It can be anything you want, a re-boot, or taking over a book.

JC: Listen, I tried to write for DC Comics in 1987! I had the balls to send the great Dick Giordano a Batman fill-in script that I wrote on spec when I was just a punk teenager. Got a very encouraging, handwritten note back from Dick, which I still cherish. But to answer your question… to this day, I would’ve killed to take over for Mike Baron when he made -- in my humble opinion -- his all-too-early departure from Flash. Other than that, maybe DeMatteis’ gig dialoguing the Justice League books. 

4. Tell me all your thoughts on Jack Kirby, the Fourth World, and what that might mean to you?

JC: I have no doubt that Kirby is an influence on anyone who works in superhero comics. Even if he’s not a direct influence, believe me, he’s in there. He’s always been there for me. But I was actually first introduced to the Fourth World characters in the Secret Society of Super-Villains series and then the JLA/JSA/New Gods crossover in Justice League of America #183-185. From there, I eventually inhaled the pure power of the deluxe Baxter reprints of New Gods and I never looked back. At that point, most of those original back issues were still somewhat getable, so I got as many of them as I could afford. And here’s an exclusive tease… that Fourth World material means a lot more to me now than it ever has, for very practical, career-related reasons.

5. Your first DC work was on Superman and the Flash. How did the 1980's runs on those characters affect your runs on those books?

JC: The first Superman comics I even cared about were written by Alan Moore -- the annual with Dave Gibbons and the two “finale” issues of Superman and Action. After that, I was definitely caught up in the excitement of the Byrne revamp. Some of those Byrne/Wolfman/Ordway issues definitely had an impact on my own work, especially when I spent my three years plus on Adventures of Superman. And I can tell you I was damn proud to be writing what I considered the “legacy” title. As for the Flash… well, from my previous answers, it should be obvious to one and all that I have an unhealthy, unconditional love for Mike Baron’s Flash relaunch. I can’t even tell you exactly why it hit me so hard when it first came out… or why it still sticks with me. I was already a big Baron fan from Nexus and Badger and his other indie work. And while I’d read random issues of the Barry Allen Flash series over the few years previous, it was never a must-buy for me. But the Baron relaunch, for the age that I was at the time, just seemed so modern, so cutting edge. Not that it was particularly groundbreaking comics (it wasn’t)… not that I didn’t bump on the differences between the Wally West I knew from New Teen Titans and Baron’s take (I did)… but it had a certain vibe and a narrative voice that just spoke to me. Props to editor Mike Gold (my absolute favorite DC editor of that period), who encouraged Baron to abandon just about everything that was associated with the previous Flash, including his famous Rogues Gallery, which seems inconceivable now. So it's much more than an influence… it’s literally embedded in my DNA as a writer.    

6. How did your admiration of DC in the 80's inspire your work on some of your most popular books/runs/creations; Wildcats, Automatic Kafka (<3), and Ben 10?

JC: You can draw a direct line from any of my “experimental” work straight back to the DC that published Thriller, Swamp Thing, Ambush Bug, Ronin, The Shadow, Dark Knight Returns, Animal Man, Black Orchid, Watchmen, Chaykin’s Blackhawk, Giffen’s 5YL Legion of Super-Heroes and other comics that definitely pushed the envelope when it came to “mainstream” comics. When I broke in as a full-time professional, I made it a personal mission to try and evoke the vibe of those 80’s comics in the ones that I wrote. 

7. Who were some of your favorite writers from the 1980s?

JC: David Michelinie, Mike Baron, Matt Wagner, Howard Chaykin, John Ostrander, Robert Loren Fleming, Keith Giffen, Steve Englehart, Walt Simonson, Frank Miller, Alan Moore. 

8. And subsequently, who were some of your favorite artists?

JC: Paul Smith, George Perez, Alan Davis, Trevor Von Eeden, David Mazzuchelli, Jackson Guice, Luke McDonnell, Howard Chaykin, Gene Day, Dave Stevens, John Romita Jr., Kyle Baker, Todd McFarlane, Kevin Maguire, Bart Sears, Paul Chadwick, Bernie Mireault, Frank Miller, Steve Rude, Erik Larsen, Ty Templeton, Dave Gibbons, Walt Simonson, Matt Wagner, Bill Sienkiewicz, Bob Layton, John Byrne, Keith Giffen, John Totleben, Brian Bolland. 

9. If you could pick any DC comic to do a Crisis crossover issue with, from that time, what comic would it have been?

JC: Jeezus… y’know, I’m gonna say Infinity, Inc. Because history has shown us that Roy Thomas wasn’t too crazy about Crisis in the first place. So maybe I’d be doing him a favor, because I would definitely be into it. Plus, there’s a good chance it would’ve been drawn by Todd McFarlane during his wacky page design phase. But, to be honest, as much as I love the original Crisis (and I do), it was Legends that really connected with me. 

9b. How about Legends crossovers?

JC: If I had to choose, I think the BLUE BEETLE series could've been better served using LEGENDS as a way to push that series more into the spotlight. Not that I didn't read and love what Len and Paris were doing... but it was a bit too old school and the character was featured in LEGENDS to such a degree that maybe his series could've taken better advantage of the particular energy that was in the air in late '86/early '87.

10. What character who was big in the 80's, that may be forgotten, deserves some shine today?

JC: A few years ago, I would’ve easily answered, “Wally West”. But DC has taken some steps recently to rehabilitate the character. So that leaves only one answer for me: Thriller. The concept, the characters… it’s all so cool. A seminal book for me. God forbid DC collect the Fleming/Von Eeden issues, at least…!

DC in the 80's wants to thank Joe Casey for such a great interview! When we asked Joe if we could promote anything for him, he said "I think the most fun thing you could mention as "promotion" goes is that I've got some pretty big DC plans over the next few years. And i do mean BIG." WOW! That sounds exciting. Can't wait to find out what it is. Until next time. 

1989 Toy Biz DC Comics Super Heroes

As I have frequently harped about (and someday I'll even write an article about them), the Kenner Super Powers Collection action figures made a pretty strong impact during my formative years and most likely led to my die-hard love of DC comics during that era. Unfortunately, the last series of Kenner figures were released in 1986 and that was pretty much that. This was a shame because I was five years old at the time, and unless they were still on the shelves at my local department store there was no way I was going to be able to add more DC heroes/villains to my collection...

...and then, in 1989, Toy Biz released a line of 5" DC comics action figures -- aptly named:

(Just to be clear: this branding was used on quite a bit of DC comics merchandise at the time, and not just limited to the Toy Biz action figures. Here's an example I previously wrote about. Nevertheless, this was the logo that set my little heart racing when I was perusing the toy isles.) 

While 99% of action figure collectors will unanimously agree that the Toy Biz 5" figs were vastly inferior to the Kenner figs released several years prior, at the age of eight years old I really didn't care. All I knew was that the drought was over -- I actually didn't realize there was a distinction between Kenner and Toy Biz, I just thought "Hey, new DC action figures! And they're the same scale as my Super Powers Collection! I need these!".

The Toy Biz DC Comics Super Heroes had some pretty low-key advertising. So low-key, in fact, that I couldn't find any comic book or magazine ads promoting them. All I could find was this vintage TV ad on YouTube courtesy of Sum Square Stories (they have a really extensive archive of 80s and 90s commercials, do check them out): 

If memory serves correctly, the Toy Biz DC action figures were released in two waves, and the first wave included the three Batman 89 characters along with Mr Freeze, the Penguin, Riddler, Robin, Superman, Wonder Woman and Lex Luthor -- so we can essentially thank the Batman 89 film for Toy Biz picking up the license and making that first wave of figs. The second wave was thanks to The Flash TV series from 1990 -- this led to the release of Aquaman, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Two-Face and Flash action figures. Normally I'd discuss the action figs by order of release, but for this one I'm going to start with all the super heroes.

As per usual, it's not just enough to look at the figure. To get the WHOLE experience you need to check out the packaging, too. The images in this article come from various sources (including pics of my own pics), many of these were images found doing media searches. I try to credit the source when I can, but if these are any of your photos and I didn't credit you, please feel free to drop us a line so we can come correct. Alright, upwards and onwards. Let's start with everybody's favorite Kryptonian:

1) Superman

The motion blur photography signifies Superman teetering from the ring's effects. 
image source: ebay.com

  

This was arguably the most popular figure in the toyline (that wasn't Batman or Joker) -- partly because the Richard Donner Superman films had cemented Superman as America's favorite super hero of the 80s and because 1988 was the 50th anniversary of the Man of Steel. I personally had no interest in this guy since I still had my Super Powers Collection version at this point (without cape, of course). Unlike his Kenner counterpart, this Superman didn't have any special power action feature, but came with a special 'kryptonite' ring instead. While Toy Biz chose not to directly rip-off Kenner and create 'power actions' that were triggered by squeezing a fig's arms or legs, they did try clever things to imitate power actions [sometimes it was a hit, and sometimes it was a miss]. Case in point: this Superman figure would start jerking sporadically if you held the kryptonite ring close to his chest. Why? Magnets. I actually found that to be pretty innovative. While most collectors trash this fig as the 'inferior' Superman, I did acquire one later in life from a dealer selling a bulk of DC figures and I was surprised at how well-constructed he was and could've been a dead ringer for my Super Powers Collection Superman.

SuperPowersWiki.com really went in-depth on describing the differences between the Kenner and Toy Biz versions of Superman, and this is a must read for anyone who is generally interested in the differences between the Kenner and Toy Biz figs.

Kenner on the left, Toy Biz on the right.
image source: www.superpowerswiki.com

2) Robin

image source: ebay.com

While Robin was absent in the Batman 89 film, it didn't mean that Toy Biz was going to exclude him from their first wave of DC figs. After all, what's a Batman without a Robin? If you cranked Robin's right arm upward he had a lever in his back (that was conveniently concealed by his cape) that, when pushed, would cause his right arm to come down in a 'karate chop' motion: 

Toy Biz Robin: Front and back. 

Image source: mine.

He also came with a grappling hook and (I'm pretty sure) the same batarang that Toy Biz Batman came with. Some Robins came mispackaged with Lex Luthor's handgun, which some collectors informally refer to as 'the Jason Todd variant'. Similar to Superman, I already had a Super Powers Robin so I wasn't really chasing this one down. As a kid I was very economical, so why would I need two Robins? One was just fine. I'd rather use the money I would've spent on the second Robin on another character I didn't have yet. I did get a Toy Biz Robin later on in life...

Super Powers Robin on the left, Toy Biz Robin on the right.
Image source: me

...and you can see, in a side-by-side comparison with the Super Powers Collection Robin, that they were more or less the same scale and build. Very similar molds, too. I'd probably argue that one was just as good as the other.

3) Wonder Woman

image source: ebay.com

You know what? I have nothing but great things to say about this fig. I didn't own the Super Powers version, and was lucky enough to the Toy Biz version in a clearance bin at my local Zellers sometime in 1991, so yeah... this fig brings back lots of great memories. That being said, I'm sure the Kenner version was superior in sculpt and quality, but I had no qualms with this version.

Wonder Woman came with a lasso (gold-colored thread) that she was able to 'throw' with her right arm when you pressed a button on her back. Because of this, her right arm was always sticking straight up like that eager kid in class who was dying to answer the teacher's question. No complaints here -- at least my JLA now had some diversity. 

Toy Biz Wonder Woman. Image source: mine.

4) Green Lantern

image source: ebay.com

This truly was the crappier version of Green Lantern. I had the Super Powers version and nothing could hold a candle to that one. I wouldn't have even looked twice if this was on the toy store shelves. First, it had some sort of squirt pump mechanism that caused water to shoot from his right fist. I truly disliked action figures that involved water running through them -- too many things could go wrong and they tended to get rusted quickly. [The Joker fig also involved a squirt mechanism, FYI.] Second, the actual mold looks shoddy: it looks like Hal is wearing a bright green turtleneck under a pale green sweater, and what's with those screws in the back? Yup, not a fan. The only thing I like about this fig is his little lantern accessory and the plastic ring he came with. That's not to say that I wouldn't pick him up if I found him for cheap somewhere, but I'm not actively chasing this one down. 

images from ebay.com

5) Aquaman

image source: ebay.com

I didn't own a Super Powers Collection Aquaman (and I still want one to this day), so I would've jumped at the opportunity to grab this if I had seen it on the shelves back then. Let it be known that I have never seen this fig... either carded or loose... anywhere. It's a true anomaly to me.

Toy Biz Aquaman included a little switch on his back that, when flicked, would cause his legs to kick giving the impression he was swimming. He also came with a huge trident weapon and a little plastic seahorse. 

images found on ebay.com

Apparently there's a 'green armed' variant of this Aquaman. I've never seen it in person, but I have seen it for sale online. I don't think there's a huge bump in price 

image source: ebay.com

6) Hawkman 

image source: ebay.com

Super Powers Hawkman was, bar none, my favorite Super Powers figure. I'm fairly certain that it contributed to my lifelong love of Hawkman, particularly the Tony Isabella and Dan Mishkin ongoing series from the 80s (we cover this and more in our 'Reboot' issue of Baxter Stock). While I didn't NEED another Hawkman action figure, I was always curious if he'd been improved on from the Kenner version. Unfortunately, I had also never seen this fig in person (either carded or loose) my entire life, and am still watching for one. Not only is this figure hard to find in the wild, but nobody seems to have any good, high quality photos of this fig. Thankfully, Cool Toy Review has a really nice gallery of hi-res shots: 

image source: www.cooltoyreview.com

From the pics I've examined, the big difference between Toy Biz Hawkman and Kenner Hawkman is that the Toy Biz Hawkman sculpt looks a bit 'boxier'. His wings still flapped, but only thanks to the button on his back that you pushed (versus the squeeze-the-legs 'power action' the Kenner version had). His included weapon/accessory was a mace with a reaaally long handle -- most likely to emulate a flail/morning star. Someday I hope to acquire one of these.

7) The Flash

 

image source: ebay.com

Rounding off our roster of re-made series one Super Powers Collection super heroes, we've got the Flash (presumably Barry Allen). I already had the Kenner Flash and didn't need another one, so I had no interest in this fig -- but that didn't matter since I'd never seen him on the toy store shelves. Now that I think about it, I don't think ANY wave 2 figures from this toyline ever made it to my local department store. This is probably a good thing since I did pick one up a few years ago at a flea market and have to agree that it is much crumbier than the Kenner version. By comparison, the Toy Biz Flash seemed like a very fragile wind-up toy: he had a crank on his back that you wound up in order to make his arms pump and cause his loose head to bobble (giving the illusion of him running).

Toy Biz Flash: front and back.

Image source: me

It's only when you stand the Kenner and Toy Biz Flash side-by-side with each other that you see just how much bigger the Toy Biz version is. The trend I'm noticing is that the Toy Biz figs had longer legs than their Kenner counterparts -- this sometimes made them fit awkwardly in the Super Powers Collection vehicles. 

Super Powers Flash on the left, Toy Biz Flash on the right

This could be Kid Flash (Wally West) standing next to the Flash (Barry Allen), really.

image source: mine

As previously mentioned, a new Flash TV series was being released in 1990, so Toy Biz offered this exact same figure in alternate packaging making the 'Flash' logo the central point of attention on the front of the card:

source: ebay.ca

Toy Biz released ANOTHER Flash action figure, this time with a 'turbo platform' (aka: a platform with wheels you propped Flash on, pulled back and released in order have it go hurtling forward). I've never actually seen this figure in stores or in person, so I can't tell you if he was sturdier than the other Toy Biz Flash. Regardless, here's the figure on card:    

image source: ebay.com

The Ubernerd, Beyond Lonesome blog wrote up a really in-depth review comparing the two different versions of the Toy Biz Flash. Highly recommend you check it out if this kind of stuff interests you.

I recall once seeing a carded Toy Biz Flash with the TV version of the Flash (in costume) as the image on the card. I believe I saw it in Wizard magazine or Hero Illustrated (or one of the hundred other 'comic magazines' available at the time). I can't find any info about this anywhere, so it may have been a custom job or I'm just misremembering what I saw. If you know what I'm referring to, leave us a comment.

Alright, that's enough for one article. In our next article, we'll take a look at the supervillains that were released for the Toy Biz DC Comics Super Heroes toyline. See you then!

-Justin

The 10 "Most DC in the 80s Moments" of DC Rebirth #1

DC’s Rebirth #1 may be a few months old, but it did some serious reinvigorating of the DC Comics brand. I enjoyed some aspects of the New 52, but to many people, it embodied everything they disliked about DC. Some people hated the loss of legacy, some people felt they were suffering from "reboot burnout", and some just thought the stories weren’t cutting it. I would argue the Snyder's work on Batman and Brian Azzarello’s Wonder Woman were fantastic and some of the better all-time DC stories, but the New 52 was fighting a losing battle to "perception". It became a rallying cry for many on why DC "wasn’t good anymore". Agree to disagree. Now Rebirth comes along and is highly successful, with subsequent DC Rebirth titles exceeding sales and, more importantly, creative expectations. To myself and many others, Rebirth feels more like a "Refocus" rather than a "Reboot".

DC in the 80s was lucky enough to hear New President of DC Entertainment, Geoff Johns, speak at 2016’s San Diego Comic Con. He expressed that Rebirth was his temporary swan song to DC comics, for the moment, because of his recent promotion with Warner Brothers. The new position will have him writing and collaborating on all DC movie and TV projects going forward. An incredible gain to the entertainment side, but a loss to the comics side. The panel itself was called "DC Rebirth Secrets" , but nothing too secret was revealed. Geoff did speak about his collaborations with writers and artists on Rebirth titles. He would sit with the creators, and try to figure out what makes these characters great. What has made these characters survive for so long? What do the fans love about them? What was lost in the New 52 reboot that needs to return? He talked about getting to the essence of these characters and challenging the creators at DC to put out stories with lasting power. At least that’s what I got out of it. I may be paraphrasing.

The reason DC in the 80s is so interested in Rebirth is because of how many strong 1980’s DC elements were incorporated into Rebirth. DC’s strength is legacy, the constant recreations, the rich history of each character, and the classic stories told through multiverses. Rebirth #1 was chock full of those strengths.

Here are my personal top ten.

1. Page 1, Panel 1.

The face on the watch, the familiar lettering, and a story about a watch being given to a young person. For those of us who grew up reading comics in the 1980s, or loved reading comics from that era, it’s a powerful combination of images. Yeah, yeah I get it, don’t touch the characters, I’ll address that later.

We know it’s meant as a throwback to Dr. Manhattan talking about his Father. We know how Alan Moore used the clock in his storytelling, and if you were a real Watchmen nerd, you know the plot device Moore used with the clock to create a cyclical story. All in all, the story turned back the clock in many ways, and also had the feel of moving time forward. And no one stepped on the watch.

"The air grows too warm, too quickly."

2. Page 4, Panel 3.

The three Jokers. The middle Joker top is from The Killing Joke. The Joker on the left is the Bob Kane/Jerry Robinson Joker who is the original 1940s version. In the 40s and 60s, people who read comics or watched the TV show knew the Joker. By 1989, there were few people who were in touch with modern culture who did not know who the Joker was. Between The Killing Joke, Jack Nicholson and Death in the Family, Joker was elevated to 'mythical status'. When people went to the comic book store in 1989 looking for a story, how many were pointed to The Killing Joke? I know they just did a controversial cartoon version, but that iconic Hawaiian shirt and straw hat is still as 80s as you get.

Taking pictures of Babs is still as creepy as it gets.

3. Page 13, Panel 1

Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 (1985) is what got me into comic books. From the moment I saw Anthro looking at the Legion of Super Heroes world, my mind exploded. "DC Comics has cavemen and is in the future?" That was it, the concept of many times, and the multiverse, made me fall in love with the cannon. It seemed so large, so much more than just the Super Friends. Yeah they killed the Infinite Earths JUST as I got into it, but it didn’t make me love the multiverse concept ANY LESS. This panel is a call back to when Wally West took on the Flash name after Barry Allen had sacrificed his life. It’s a complete throwback to a George Perez and Jerry Ordway panel, and EVERYONE knows, those two are some of the best to ever draw comics, in any Universe.

Jay Garrick all proud of the third generation legacy character.

4.Page 20, Panel 5

I can’t speak to the Legion rings from the 70’s, but the ring here speaks to me of the Legion of Super Hero rings from the 1980s. Paul Levitz’s run on LoSH is one of the most amazingly underrated runs on a comic book EVER. And whenever Keith Giffen worked on it, well that’s some of my favorite work of all time. I think I read the "prestige format" Legion of Super-Heroes #1 [1984] ten times in a row. The shadows, the Legion of Super Villains, the 'Ambush Bug artist' being serious. It was all too much for me and is such a huge part of why I’m addicted to 1980s DC. The Steve Lightle stuff is CLASSIC as well, especially when the new Legionnaires were introduced. I could go on all day. Since Crisis, the Legion has a well-documented problem with continuity, suffering from so many re-boots, that it seems to have re-booted itself out of existence. Still, the smile (Saturn Girl?) and the ring have me feeling like its summer of 1985 again and I’m reading about Shrinking Violet and Micro Lad fighting.

5. Page 26, Panel 2

Blue Beetle is the 1980s to me. From his appearance in Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 as part of Monitor’s team, to the Paris Cullins illustrated ongoing series, to Nite Owl, to Justice League and the bro-mance with Booster Gold, Blue Beetle encapsulates so much of what made DC special to me. There was legacy, there was comedy, there was a "this might be me someday" quality to him, and there was a level of insecurity that I related to. Something about Blue Beetle always felt so familiar. It was how people may have felt about the Lee- Ditko Spiderman stories of the 60’s. The Spiderman similarity may have been on purpose, and it certainly spoke to me. Here we see the Bug and Ted Kord. Not 'shot in the head' Ted Kord, but 'I’m cleaning the Bug, ready to do something' Ted Kord. And his legacy Jaime Reyes is right there, and they are interacting. Thank you DC for bringing back Ted Kord. I know Dan Jurgens, JM Dematteis and Keith Giffen already have, but in this book it really brought it home for me. It wasn’t some alternate Universe, this was in THE Universe. Now about Vic Sage...

Here DC, take my money.

6. Page 29, Panel 4

Pandora, a character created as an overseer to the New 52, being blown up like Rorschach in Watchmen #12 (1987). Symbolically and figuratively ending a chapter of DC Comics. “Well what are you waiting for! The sales figures weren’t there! DO IT!!”

*Note* I don’t want to post a picture of it. Just don’t.


7. Page 44, Panel 4

Constantine and Swamp Thing bickering. Swamp Thing wanting to save Abby, Constantine taking the piss out of the situation. If you don’t own Swamp Thing’s American Gothic [The Saga of the Swamp Thing #37 - #50 (1985/1986)] in any format, please go out and buy it right now. RIGHT NOW.

8. Page 45, Panels 2-5

This is it. The most 80’s of 80’s panels. Kid Flash striking the classic Barry Allen Flash pose from Crisis on Infinite Earths #2. What was he telling Batman? Why did he look so weak? Why did he look so sad?! These ate me up when I was a kid, and this story captured those feels all over again.

In Rebirth, we follow the story of Wally wanting back into reality, but realizing he has no place. Wally West, who struggled being a super hero in Marv Wolfman and George Perez’s New Teen Titans. Wally West, who bravely took on the Flash mantle after Barry Allen had died. Who starred in an amazing Mike Baron and Jackson Guice series right after Legends. Wally West, who was everyone’s Flash from 1986 until 2006. Here he is, trying to make sense of what is going on, trying to find a place in this Universe. This is an allegory to the love of the 80s and legacy that was lost with the New 52. This is DC’s Legacy reaching out it’s hand and asking “Is there a place for me?” YES THERE IS DC LEGACY. I am all about it being back.

$$$$$$

9. Page 61 (BTW. PAGE 61!?!?!?! This book was only 3$???)

Batman pulling out the smiley face with human bean juice on it.

*BOW*

10. The entire epilogue.

It’s all Watchmen stuff. Now I’m one who thought DC shouldn’t touch Watchmen ever. The only time I thought it was appropriate was when Dennis O'Neil used Rorschach in a Question dream sequence, because Rorschach was based on Question and Dennis O'Neil is allowed to do anything he wants. The movie, although I enjoyed it, killed some of the magic. As did the Before Watchmen series. They were all very good, it just lacked the magic of Watchmen. And I do mean magic because Alan Moore is a magician and it’s nutty, but I think he put something cosmic into his comic books. Whatever, you don't have to believe me, look it up. With all that said, 30 years is enough time to keep them out of the Multiverse. 30 years is a lonnnggg time. The characters exist, and honestly, I trust Geoff Johns with the DC Universe more than I would trust myself. Hopefully it’s done right, at least for now...

You can buy Rebirth anywhere you would buy comics, and I SERIOUSLY recommend it if you love DC comics from the 1980s. Thanks and see you soon!

-Mark Belkin