Daily Archives: 8 July 2012

Daredevil 167 (November 1980)

This issue opens at a Long Island estate, but there’s no geographic reference so for a minute or two I thought it’d be Daredevil in Beverly Hills. It could be quite easily, since the estate is the center of the issue. When David Michelinie does take the action back to Manhattan, it’s just for a panel or two of a determined Matt Murdock.

Michelinie’s script, and his focus on keeping the action in one general setting, feels “low budget” but it works. He has a compelling enough mystery, a lot of good action opportunities for Frank Miller and Klaus Janson and a creative twist at the end.

The third person narration occasionally goes overboard, but the art–never spectacular, always solid–grounds the issue.

There’s a filler backup showcases Daredevil’s extremely expensive pad and his gizmos. If Matt and Foggy are always broke, how’d he afford the pad? Robbing banks?

CREDITS

…The Mauler!; writer, David Michelinie; penciller, Frank Miller; inker, Klaus Janson; colorist, Glynis Wein; letterer, Joe Rosen. Dark Secrets; writer, Michelinie; penciller, Miller; inker, Janson; colorist, Wein; letterer, Michael Higgins. Editor, Denny O’Neil; publisher, Marvel Comics.

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Swamp Thing 66 (November 1987)

Veitch sure does write a lot. This issue is packed–and not just because Veitch has excerpts from a superhero psychology book as narration. Abby goes for an awesome trip when Alec discovers how to free her soul. There’s a process to the procedure and Veitch carefully goes through it. Under Veitch’s pen, Swamp Thing is still lyrical, but it’s a logical lyricism.

While Abby’s off on a tour of the afterlife–with the soul of the real Alec Holland–Constantine is getting Jason Woodrue messed up on a tuber so he can get information. It requires Constantine to break into Arkham. The narrating superhero psychology book author works at Arkham, knows Constantine; their reunion is fun and maybe Veitch’s best writing in the issue. Except his Batman postscript.

Veitch does seem to forget Abby went to Hell, but maybe she didn’t remember the trip? I mean, I can’t either.

CREDITS

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; writer and penciller, Rick Veitch; inker, Alfredo Alcala; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Karen Berger; publisher, DC Comics.