Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2.fluke 9/24/84; site vax4.fluke.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!mhuxn!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!fluke!moriarty
From: moriarty@fluke.UUCP (The Napoleon of Crime)
Newsgroups: net.comics
Subject: Comics News (rather amazing bit of news at end)
Message-ID: <2797@vax4.fluke.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 16-Oct-85 02:50:43 EDT
Article-I.D.: vax4.2797
Posted: Wed Oct 16 02:50:43 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 18-Oct-85 00:04:29 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: The Institute for Criminal Masterminds
Lines: 93

Phew!  After two weeks with my Macintosh out of commission, I
haven't had the chance to report some of the news seen in snatches 
in the trade press, most notably the CBG (I do most of my posting
from home).  However, there's a lot here to make up for; the most
recent info at the bottom of this article seems nothing less than
flabbergasting.  So let's get going...

--------------

This has been reported elsewhere, but Marvel Epic comics
STARSTRUCK, TIMESPIRITS and SISTERHOOD OF STEEL will be
cancelled (at issues 6, 8, and 8 respectively).  Speaking for
myself, I'll miss TIMESPIRITS very much -- this was one of the
finest creations to come out of the whole EPIC enterprise. 
SISTERHOOD OF STEEL was enjoyable as a "foreign legion" comic
which substituted psuedo-historical detail and political intrigue
for swords-and-sorcery or outer-space trappings.  I never warmed
to STARSTRUCK, but I have to admit that the artwork was some of
the finest I've seen anywhere.  Hope that Eclipse or First decides
to pick these titles up; I am amazed that TIMESPIRITS was doing
poorly enough in sales to have this happen.

NEIL THE HORSE will end with issue #14, which is not much of a
surprise, given the amount of reprint material that has been
published in the last few issues.

DC has cancelled OMEGA MEN and BEST of DC, and Marvel has
cancelled INDIANA JONES.  

COMICO will be releasing a JONNY QUEST comic book.  No, the
cartoon series is not planned for rebirth anytime in the near
future...

Steve Gerber, late of various duck magazines, will be scripting a
regular monthly SPECTRE book for DC.  Apparently the Spectre is
being planned for a total re-vamp...  Gene Colan will pencil.  Gerber
describes it as "Miami Vice meets Stephen King" [ack ack].

Howie Chaykin, after leaving AMERICAN FLAGG!  art chores to Joe
Staton, has got a number of projects going, all high-visibility:  A
SHADOW four-part mini-series, called "Death is Cobalt" (I look
forward to this -- The Shadow is a character without the kind of
depth which makes him interesting as a character to me; but when
done with style (e.g. Kaluta) it can be extremely entertaining.  And
I think you'll agree that Chaykin has style...).  Also a
Wolverine/Nick Fury graphic novel (with Scorpio (Nick's brother)
as the villain).  The last is a series of graphic novels for First
which are like "Damon Runyon and Phillip K. Dick collaborating on a
prime-time soap" (now, don't try this at home, kids...).

And finally, a little ground-rumbling: starting in July, 1986,
SUPERMAN will end.  And begin again.  What?  Well, SUPERMAN has
been published for more years than I've non-graced this planet, and
it's always been as "Volume I, #nnn".  Starting in July, Volume I
ends, and Volume II begins.  And it will be written and illustrated
by John Byrne, who has become a freelancer (but says he will stick
with the FF and HULK comics).  Apparently the character is being
"refined" -- CRISIS allows Byrne to completely dump any
characters he doesn't want.  Basically, it sounds as if he is going
to use it.  He mentions that the standard characters will be back
-- Lois, Jimmy, Perry, and Luthor will still be there.  Lana will
also be alive, but in a "substantially altered form" (as a toaster?).  
The JLA will be around, but in a background role; and Batman and
Superman are not on particularly good terms with one another.  Oh, 
yeah, The Kents are still alive.  You think I'm making this up, don't
you?!  It's in the CBG,  for crying out loud!  No Superboy, no
Supergirl, no Krypto, no Kandor, no Zones of any kind.  Only Uno
survivor of dat Doomed Planet Krypton.

How do I feel about it?  Sounds good, as I haven't bought hardly any
Superman issues in the last few years (any that didn't have the
Ambush Bug in them, anyway).  Actually, it sounds delightful; but
it strikes me as amazing how CRISIS will leave some characters
completely shattered (Supes) and others probably untouched (BLUE
DEVIL).  Discussion?  Comments?  Taunts?  Egads, folks, we're
talking about one of the three most popular fictional characters in
the "Free World" (or "Cheap World", as some of us call it).

Well, I've got two Stupid People's Courts (one for Jim Shooter, heh
heh heh), two movie reviews, one TV review, a Macintosh notice,
three comics reviews, Henry's SOUTHERN KNIGHTS complete
nit-picking review and the premiere BLAST FROM THE PAST column
to do (oh, and a wedding to go to), so I better finish this off...

                           "He was sweet and sincere and giving and good... 
                            AND A CHERISHED NEIGHBOR UNDESERVING OF SUCH A 
                            FATE!!
                           "Nevertheless, better him than me.  Amen."

                                        Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
ARPA: fluke!moriarty@uw-beaver.ARPA
UUCP: {uw-beaver, sun, allegra, sb6, lbl-csam}!fluke!moriarty
<*> DISCLAIMER: Do what you want with me, but leave my employers alone! <*>