Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
Samachson and Kane’s “The Balloons that Lifted a City!” is a kind of odd story of a scientist who accidentally discovers an anti-gravity material in his lab. Unfortunately, while he lets go of the flask containing it, it flies out the window! Discovering that the factory from which the chemicals came had shipped their entire supply of the chemicals needed to make the formula to a balloon supply company, and the balloons were subsequently sold to a carnival, the scientist sets about collecting all the carnival balloons he can! Hopefully he can collect enough anti-gravity chemicals in time, because the city is about to be destroyed by a tsunami!
I dunno. I thought this was one of the goofier and less memorable tales in the book.
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
By contrast, Samachson and Greene’s “The Game of Science!” was goofy but definitely memorable! In this story, Dr. Mark Carwell, director of a scientific laboratory, discovers that the lab’s new invention has been stolen by their secretary, Mr. Kenton! The story basically concerns Carwell chasing Kenton around the country-side, while at the same time watching children play games at key points in the chase and using those games as an inspiration to help him catch Kenton! So, watching two boys play tag, and one crawl through a pipe that the other one is too big to fit through, only to be caught on the other side by the smart “it” who runs around the pipe to the other side instead of crawling through inspires Carwell to avoid Kenton’s trick of blocking the entrance to a cave he enters by going around the hillside to find the back entrance to the cave through which Kenton is planning on escaping. And that’s the basic premise of the story.
This story definitely seemed to me like they were up against a deadline, waiting to see if any Martians might walk in and give them a story, and just threw together this kind of half-baked idea to fill space. I suppose, though, maybe the idea was that it would appeal to the kids who were the targeted audience of the magazine? I guess there’s even a deeper message that the games children play actually serve as good training for the kind of situations you will find yourself in as an adult? Er… if you make a habit of chasing criminal thieves who steal secret inventions from your laboratory, that is!
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
I'll get back to Strange Adventures soon, but first a quick comment about Batgirl:
Sheesh! Talk about a character that they can't quite decide what to do with!
First she's a mousy, "plain Jane" librarian who becomes Batgirl for the adrenaline rush.
Then she get a makeover to become super-hot librarian chick and Gotham socialite, who seems to have no problem getting dates.
Then they ship her out of her series and off to DC to become a congresswoman, and date Clark Kent!
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
Currently reading Adam Strange!
Wow! I had no idea it was going to be this awesome! Love Rann as a setting! Love the fact that they even joke about the fact that some crazy menace just happens to appear everytime Adam travels to the planet!
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
EDE's groovy new acquisition:
Showcase Presents Young Love, Vol. 1
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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Almost picked up the Adam Strange one. If it's there the next time I have money...maybe I will.
From: Turn around... | Registered: Jul 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
Jeepers! Just read the first story from "The Private Diary of Mary Robbin, R.N."!
On her first day as a nurse, she get taken out and kissed by this doctor, who later turns out to be a total manwhore! She also gets kissed by a patient right as his girlfriend walks in, and then has to reunite them! There's crazy romantic tension all over the place!
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
Yep!
Other groovy things from Young Love #39:
A story about a Texas heiress coming home after three years in Europe to try and re-unite with her foster brother/guardian whom she's always loved! Also featuring Texas-style fist fights and people being pushed into pools!
Then there's the story of this poor girl who's lost her boyfriend to her dumb but beautiful best friend and has to suffer as the bridesmaid at their wedding! She's haunted by memories of their great times together when they used to climb mountains and perform experiments in his chemical lab and stuff! Fortunately, a car accident caused by his inept driving presents the opportunity for her to prove herself as the one who really loves him!
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
*Gasp!* I haven't actually read any more of YL Showcase, but today I got in the mail none other than SP: All-Star Squadron!
Must read!
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
I have about half the issues, but haven't read them in probably about twenty-five years.
Anyway, read the first arc tonight. Not bad, but the fairly convoluted use of time travel to use cool villains that wouldn't actually appear for several more years definitely seemed more forced than it did when I was a kid and was just wowed by the raw number of cool old heroes and villains I'd never seen before.
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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I agree the time travel elements are forced, but within the context of Roy Thomas' career -- he had spent the previous several years going through the motions at Marvel, and was finally getting a chance to work on the characters that got him into comics in the first place -- it has a certain joyful energy that I think compensates for its flaws.
Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
The stories definitely show an excitement and enthusiasm for the characters that's missing from a lot of today's comics. And there's just so much story packed into them... no wonder I read these things over and over as a kid. Even granted the fact that each issue is about 20% longer than most modern comics, there's just so much grooviness on each page!
Anyway, I read #4-6 yesterday, which gives us the Holy Grail excuse for why A-SS doesn't attack Japan, and the A-SS traveling to Mexico to prevent an uprising of mind-controlled pureblood Mayans from seizing control of Mexico and allying with the Nazis, a plotline that also doesn't hold up as well now as it did when I was a kid, but is nonetheless fun.
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
Read #7-9, all about Churchill's trip to he U.S. and Baron Blitzkrieg's attempts to assassinate him and Roosevelt. Now this is prime stuff! A beautiful blending of history, obscure bits of continuity and dynamic super-hero action! Love it completely!
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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