Storylines That Fizzled Out

[dan bailey]

It's the Superboy from Earth-Prime, who first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 and then in Crisis on Infinite Earths #10. In Infinite Crisis, he became the "big bad" of the DCU, at least as far as Geoff Johns is concerned.

I'm pretty sure I never bothered reading the final few issues of COIE, & I've noted before that Infinite Crisis was so horrible that I never got around to reading the final issue or two. DCCP #87 I've owned for only a year or so; it was one of the last I obtained in putting together a full run of the series. Haven't read it.

[Schnitzy Pretzelpants]

I'm still not really clear on who or what Superboy-Prime was vis-a-vis any & all other Superboys, other than perhaps a really bad joke.

I'm pretty sure my life, such as it is, is easier that way.

You miss nothing. Your assessment is correct.

The last 5 years of comics have convinced me that I need to return to my roots with this hobby, and start collecting back-issues from bygone eras again.

The New 52 has done little to dissuade me from this resolution.

[David Walton]

I haven't read much of DeMatties's professional work, but it's hearing about things like this that makes me think he was probably much better at writing analyses for the letters-page than at writing the comics themselves.

You couldn't be more mistaken! JMD has written a wide range of classic storylines. His grasp of villain psychology is second to none, but he's also at the top of his game with mystic material.

If you want to look into JMD's best mainstream superhero work, check out Going Sane, Kraven's Last Hunt, his Spectacular Spider-Man run with Sal Buscema, or Spider-Man: The Lost Years.

I'm also fond of his 80s Cap run, where he first collaborated with Mike Zeck. He hadn't reached the heights he'd later achieve by that point, but still very, very solid (and the conclusion was derailed by an editorial decision behind the scenes).

[David Walton]

Now that I think about it, did the whole storyline about Peter and Mary Jane Parker's baby getting kidnapped get swept under the rug? I stopped reading anything new about that time. I know that Spidergirl from another timeline was supposed to be their baby, but I'm talking about in the regular Marvel Universe timeline.

According to Glenn Greenberg, this is what happened. Editorial knew they wanted the baby dead, and Osborn was the hatchet man for the job. But they didn't want to be explcit about it, because the whole idea of Norman having the baby killed en utero was just too morbid. So knowing full well that the baby was dead, they left it ambiguous so as to avoid controversy and to keep from pissing off fans. Glenn argued that approach was unfair to readers, but he was overruled.

[Venomous Mask]

Spider-Man: The Lost Years.

That's an amazing story. It along with The Trial of Peter Parker make up for any shortcomings in the Clone Saga.

[Eumenides]

I haven't read much of DeMatties's professional work, but it's hearing about things like this that makes me think he was probably much better at writing analyses for the letters-page than at writing the comics themselves.

DeMatteis is a fine writer: have you never read his run on Captain America and the JLI/JLE runs he co-wrote with Keith Giffen?

[pinkfloydsound17]

Had to post it. How does this come across in the story? Serious or campy because I sure as hell am laughing hard now.

[Ish Kabbible]

For over 40 years I've wondered what was the resolution to the original Secret Six story from DC comics.
7 issues came out between 1968-69. Written by E. Nelson Bridwell with art by Frank Springer it told the story of 6 highly trained specialists who were blackmailed by the mysterious Mockingbirdto perform his assignments. The comic was obviously modeled after the tv show Mission Impossible
It was hinted that Mockingbird was one of the 6 in the team but the series abruptly ended with no reveals. Was this ever addressed in some other DC comic?
I always loved those new late 60s DC comics titles (Hawk and Dove, Creeper, Inferior Five,Anthro, Angel and the Ape,Spectre etc) that were launched to challenge the rise of Marvel Comics.

[Ed Love]

For over 40 years I've wondered what was the resolution to the original Secret Six story from DC comics.
7 issues came out between 1968-69. Written by E. Nelson Bridwell with art by Frank Springer it told the story of 6 highly trained specialists who were blackmailed by the mysterious Mockingbirdto perform his assignments. The comic was obviously modeled after the tv show Mission Impossible
It was hinted that Mockingbird was one of the 6 in the team but the series abruptly ended with no reveals. Was this ever addressed in some other DC comic?
I always loved those new late 60s DC comics titles (Hawk and Dove, Creeper, Inferior Five,Anthro, Angel and the Ape,Spectre etc) that were launched to challenge the rise of Marvel Comics.

it was addressed with the then "new" Secret Six in ACTION COMICS WEEKLY. The original Six are brought back for a mission but are killed en route. Mockingbird then blackmails/extorts a new Six to take their place, one a son of one of the originals. Hints were dropped that Mockingbird is again one of the original six and who didn't die in plane crash. Eventually, the identity/identities of Mockingbird are revealed. The big reveal is supposedly based on the notes or intent of the original creator, who he planned for Mockingbird to be.

One of the things I didn't care for at the time was the deconstruction of the various non-super specialty teams DC had.

[Polar Bear]

I always loved those new late 60s DC comics titles (Hawk and Dove, Creeper, Inferior Five,Anthro, Angel and the Ape,Spectre etc) that were launched to challenge the rise of Marvel Comics.

From about a decade later, I love many of the the DC Explosion titles and the contemporary Marvel titles (Super-Villain Team-Up, The Champions, etc.).

I want to get the Creeper and Hawk/Dove hardcovers, but they're not cheap! I'd buy an Inferior Five softcover collection, but I'm not sure it's worth tracking down those back issues.

[Scott Harris]

Avengers had one of the all-time fizzles, in the mid-90's. Captain America, Thor and Iron Man each had a set-up issue for a major new crossover called First Sign, which apparently was going to introduce a new version of the classic Avengers villain team The Zodiac:




However, all three titles as well as Avengers were cancelled as a result of Heroes Reborn and the crossover never happened.

Similarly, in Avengers at the time there was a whole "mystery" around Madame Masque joining the Avengers and a weird metal disc she had that was of some incredible importance. That likewise vanished into the ether due to Heroes Reborn; Kurt Busiek ended up tying up those loose ends several years later in an Avengers crossover with Thunderbolts.



And in recent years, the mess Marvel made of Secret Avengers continues to irritate me to no end. The first year of the series was by Ed Brubaker and worked to set up this big storyline with Golden Age hero John Steele being re-introduced to the world, along with a huge Serpent Crown epic. And then Brubaker left the book -- on a cliffhanger -- and none of those events were even mentioned in the next issue. From what I have been able to gather, a year later those events have still been left dangling, I guess so Brubaker can theoretically finish it at some pint? Though since he's writing two Cap series now and the story hasn't picked up in either title, I guess that's not happening either. Maybe I just missed it somewhere, but everyone else I've talked to seems to have also missed the end of this story, so apparently they just decided to say the hell with it and not bother finishing the story. If I'm wrong about this, someone tell me because I really wanted to read the end of this story.

All of which, as irritating as it is, still isn't as manipulative as the folks behind Top Ten Season Two, which was a four issue mini-series... that was designed to be eight issues long. So they put out the first four issues and when you get to the end, it's right in the middle of every storyline, except there's no end to any of them because they didn't actually complete or publish the other four issues. They planned to publish them and then see if sales warranted finishing the story. A straight-up scam in my opinion.

[Ish Kabbible]

it was addressed with the then "new" Secret Six in ACTION COMICS WEEKLY. The original Six are brought back for a mission but are killed en route. Mockingbird then blackmails/extorts a new Six to take their place, one a son of one of the originals. Hints were dropped that Mockingbird is again one of the original six and who didn't die in plane crash. Eventually, the identity/identities of Mockingbird are revealed. The big reveal is supposedly based on the notes or intent of the original creator, who he planned for Mockingbird to be.

One of the things I didn't care for at the time was the deconstruction of the various non-super specialty teams DC had.

So you're telling me they revived the title 15 years later and immediately killed off the original team? Damn!!
So who was the original Mockingbird???

[Cei-U!]

I'm sure the poster of that name knows but I wonder how many other folks here know who the original Ish Kabbible was... or the identities of his two famous sons?

Cei-U!
On the verge of dating himself once more!

[dan bailey]

I'm sure the poster of that name knows but I wonder how many other folks here know who the original Ish Kabbible was... or the identities of his two famous sons?

Don't know the name(s) offhand, but if you hum a few bars of "Mairzy Doats" I can fake it.

Cei-U!
On the verge of dating himself once more!

So that's what the kids are calling it these days ...

[Ish Kabbible]

I'm sure the poster of that name knows but I wonder how many other folks here know who the original Ish Kabbible was... or the identities of his two famous sons?

Cei-U!
On the verge of dating himself once more!

Or what the connection is with Ol' Ish and comic books?