Since Gerry Conway has been getting a lot of harsh criticism over on this thread, I thought it worth reminding everyone that he was a very talented writer when not writing the Legion--which, it must be admitted, was outside his forte of straight super-hero tales.
One of Conway’s most interesting creations, to me, was Secret Society of Super-Villains, which lasted 15 issues between 1976 and 1978. The SSOSV name has since recurred in various DC titles but often with tenuous connections to the original series. Futhermore, the series itself did not survive with its original vision intact for very long. I suspect that DC became skittish about publishing a comic book consisting solely of villains (and one ambiguous anti-hero, Manhunter), which may explain why Captain Comet was thrust into the series early on as a member of the team, and why the book subsequently focussed on his attempts to capture his former super-villain colleagues. By the end of its short run, SSOSV had become a “round-robin” book with readers writing in to request which villains they wanted to see on the team and no characters who had consistently been the focus of the book since the beginning.
However, SSOSV was at the time of its inception one of the “darker” books DC published (though positively tame compared to today’s concept of “dark” comic books). It challenged the reader’s conception of what a “team” was supposed to be like and the behavior of the individuals who made up that team. What follows are my recollections of SSOSV (all issues of which I still possess, but they are locked away in storage, alas.)
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
SSOSV #1 began with veteran Flash rogues Mirror Master and Captain Cold completing a robbery and quarrelling over their shares of the loot when a rock is thrown through their hideout window. Wrapped around the rock is an invitation for both of them to attend the first meeting of something called “The Secret Society of Super-Villains.” (“Attend or die,” the invitation shown on the splash page reads.) Intrigued, the two villains show up at a skyscraper in downtown Manhattan, where Camille, a beautiful woman with a French accent, ushers them in. There, they meet other villains who have received the same invitation: fellow Flash rogues Captain Boomerang and Gorilla Grodd, renegade Green Lantern Sinestro, Batman foe Copperhead, and the Wizard, an enemy of the Justice Society of America (then located on Earth-2). Furthermore, Camille, the French usherette, transforms herself into Star Sapphire – a new version of an old Green Lantern enemy. (Gotta have one token female villain, and Catwoman – who is erroneously listed in one caption – was unavailable.)
Introductions are barely underway when the villains are attacked by the Justice League of America, who act slugglishly out of character. The villains soon realize that they are fighting robots and easily trash them. At last, their host—Manhunter—makes his appearance.
A martial arts-type character who starred in his own backup series in Detective Comics, Manhunter entices the villains into joining the secret organization by appealing to their own “enlightened self-interest.” In exchange, they’ll have fellowship and access to the skyscraper, which contains private quarters, a swimming pool, and all the modern conveniences of any other super-team. The organization, he says, is supported by a secret backer who, for the moment, prefers to remain anonymous. Intrigued, the villains agree to play along, at least for now. Satisfied, Manhunter selects two “members”—Grodd and Copperhead—to perform a little initiation test.
The two villains are dispatched to steal a golden globe of some import from its hiding place in a lighthouse. I don’t remember what the globe was or if we were even told its purpose, but it doesn’t matter. Copperhead is shot by one of the guards while retrieving the globe and drops it into the water. Disgusted, Grodd abandons him and returns to the SSOSV alone. There, Manhunter remains mute when asked for more information about the team’s secret backer.
Several things have always stood out to me about this issue. First, the SSOSV is set up to be a “bad guy” version of the JLA, complete with a headquarters that would make Donald Trump envious, a membership consisting of familiar characters, and initiation tests. We are set up to think that these characters—who are portrayed as loners and losers in the books in which they regularly appear—are going find that which all super-teams implicitly promise: a sense of belonging.
Yet the last two scenes undercut that expectation by having Grodd callously abandon the wounded Copperhead, and then by having Manhunter and the rest accept without question Grodd’s version of the incident (which involves Copperhead betraying the SSOSV). These protagonists, we are reminded, are villains: selfish, greedy, and manipulative. They aren’t going to change just because they are now part of a “team.”
Another aspect that stands out is the over-reliance on Flash villains, who comprise half of the initial eight-member lineup. The Flash’s Rogues Gallery was extremely popular in those days, and understandably so, as its members were easily indentifed by simple gimmick powers or devices. (In addition to the four mentioned, other rogues included Weather Wizard, Trickster, Pied Piper, and Heatwave.) Also, many of them had worked together before as an unoffical team, and had built-in camaraderie. They provided, I suspect, a credibile core for an official team--more so than, say, Luthor or the Joker might (though Luthor would eventually put in an appearance with the SSOSV, and the Joker--later the villain most requested by fans--was scheduled to make an appearance before the book’s untimely demise.)
Lastly, the book was off to a very good and ominous start. Who would back a team of super-villains and why? Unfortunately, the answer to this question would thrust the book into a completely different and less-than-satisfying direction, but–for awhile, at least—SSOSV promised something new, exciting, and radically different from standard super-hero fare.
As time allows, and if there is interest in this thread, I’ll post more reflections.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Continue please! Outdoor Miner wrote something about SSoSV, from the standpoint of Captain Comet, in the Klordny apa, and it's interesting to read your perspective too.
Posted by Kent Shakespeare on :
Conway did good with Firestorm, his own creation, and his JLA had its good points as well.
I just think he wasn't that well suited, or interested, in Legion, but I also think he was stretched too thin at the time (writing 5+ books), and that the editor of the time (Jack C Harris, I think) was ill-suited to being captain of what should have been DC's cutting edge team book of the time.
Posted by Stealth on :
quote:Originally posted by Kent Shakespeare: his JLA had its good points
I agree. But I think Conway's JLA would be a lot more fondly remembered if he had ended his run with the excellent story where they track the missing Atom to a microscopic universe. That was his original intention, as he spelled out in the last page of that story, saying farewell to JLA readers and saying it was time to move on. I don't know what went on behind the scenes that caused him to return to JLA, but it was a terrible mistake -- he did a really bad arc about animal-people and then he did the Martian Manhunter arc that laid the groundwork for the dreadful JL Detroit. I'm sure that the editors are more at fault than Conway for that debacle, but he could have chosen not to return to JLA. What could Conway have been thinking?
Posted by Kent Shakespeare on :
Actually, I found even the "microcosm" story (I think that's what it was called) to have already shown Conway was worn out on JLA; I didn't even follow the story to its end.
The JLA annual (#2 I think) that intro'd the Detroit league wasn't bad in and of itself, but everything that followed was.
Posted by Set on :
I loved SSOSV back in the day, and both Manhunter and Captain Comet quickly became favorite characters. The villains themselves often suffered in their comic-book appearances from undercharacterization (since they were usually only seen ranting at their archnemesis), and so this book got to open up the view of some of them, showing them interacting with people other than, say, the Flash.
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
quote:Originally posted by Set: The villains themselves often suffered in their comic-book appearances from undercharacterization (since they were usually only seen ranting at their archnemesis), and so this book got to open up the view of some of them, showing them interacting with people other than, say, the Flash.
That's one reason why I loved it, too, Set. There's a scene in # 3 or 4, I think, where some of the villains are sitting around the pool, and Captain Boomerang poses a question to Wizard, who replies with a rude mind-your-own-business remark. Boomerang responds with something like, "I was just trying to be sociable, mate. You don't have to bite my bloody head off."
It was very interesting to see "ranting and raving" super-villains behaving like normal joes.
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
(Reflection continued)
SSOSV was a book in transition from even before it was born. Some time after the series was well underway, DC printed the original, unpublished version of issue #1 in an issue of Amazing World of DC Comics, the house organ available only by subscription or special order. This version of the SSOSV contained a smaller cast, comprising (as I recall) Manhunter, Mirror Master, Captains Cold and Boomerang, Star Sapphire – and Clayface (a Batman villain). This version ended with the villains discovering the identity of their mysterious backer—Darkseid—and pledging to work together to prevent his conquest of earth.
For some reason, the writer’s vision of the SSOSV differed from that of the editor’s (I can’t recall if Conway was involved at this point or not), so the issue was re-written and re-drawn as it appears in SSOSV #1. It’s just as well; the unpublished version reads a little too similar to standard super-hero comics of the time: Even villains unanimously band together and become de facto heroes once their common world is threatened. The revised SSOSV featured a larger cast with more unpredictable character dynamics (as we shall see), and effectively built the suspense by withholding Darkseid’s identity until later.
But SSOSV didn’t stop transitioning even after it hit the stands. The second issue thrusts the book into an unexpected direction by adding to the already crowded lineup a token super-hero: Captain Comet.
From the cover, it isn’t obvious that Captain Comet is, in fact, a hero, as he is shown planting a fist across the jaw of the issue’s guest star, Green Lantern, while other SSOSV members cheer him on from the street below. The scene is duplicated inside the issue, where it is given a clever twist originating in the fact that few fans in 1976 had heard of Captain Comet.
The esteemed captain had, in fact, starred in his own series in Strange Adventures in 1950-51, before disappearing from comics. He was a “man of the future,” born when a comet happened to pass by earth, granting him--it was believed--abilities such as super-strength, flight, and clairvoyance. He became a hero for a time, but eventually grew bored with being so far advanced from the rest of humanity. He left earth to explore the galaxy and now, after 25 years, he returns home clueless about modern heroes and villains. When he sees Green Lantern chasing after Gorilla Grodd and the SSOSV’s newest recruit, Hi-Jack (also a member of the card-themed Royal Flush Gang, villains of the JLA), he figures he knows who the oppressor is, so he lays into Green Lantern. So powerful is Captain Comet that he knocks GL out (despite the latter’s protection from physical harm by his power ring), and flies the startled villains away.
Back at the SSOSV’s skyscraper, Grodd and Hi-Jack relate the incident to the others out the captain’s earshot. They agree to play along with his ignorance of their status and welcome him into their organization. Lonely after his years in space, Captain Comet gratefully accepts. (This, strangely enough, makes Comet the third “Captain” on the team, behind Cold and Boomerang.)
Later, while Comet visits the grave of his former mentor, he realizes he has eavesdropper—Manhunter. The two chat, and Comet lets it slip that he knows his new comrades are villains. (You can’t pull the wool over someone who is clairvoyant, one might suppose.) Before the conversation can proceed any further, they are attacked by Mantis—no, not the scantily clad Avenger, but Darkseid’s minion of the same name.
We subsequently learn that Darkseid is, in fact, the SSOSV’s secret backer. He had sought to use the villains to further his conquest of earth and eternal search for the anti-life equation. But Manhunter had his own agenda and was secretly planning to foment a rebellion of the SSOSV against the dark lord. He was about to confide his intentions to Captain Comet when Mantis became alerted to his betrayal and attacked.
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
When issue # 2 was published, I had mixed feelings about Captain Comet’s addition. In some ways, introducing a hero into the book undercut the very concept of a team of super-villains. As I suspected, Comet soon became the star of the book, taking the focus away from Mirror Master, Captain Cold, and the others. This was disappointing, as SSOSV was really the only place to see other sides of these villains, as mentioned in a previous post. There was a chance here to do more than portray them as one-dimensional bad guys bent on conquering the world or robbing banks. Much more about their motivations could have been explored, but such opportunities were lost once the focus of the book shifted to Captain Comet and Darkseid.
On the other hand, Captain Comet was a fairly unconventional hero for the time. His super-hero career was now 25 years old; that meant he was well into middle age and was drawn as such, at least in the early days. He also represented a somewhat old-fashioned view of heroism that put him out of synch with the rapidly changing world of the 1970s; he was a throwback to a gentler time when it was easier to tell the heroes from the villains.
Yet Cap was not a buffoon, and his naïveté was quickly resolved. Fortunately for him (and us), Mantis’s interference gave him a reason for sticking with the SSOSV a bit longer: not knowing who the real heroes were, he had no choice but to aid the team in opposing Darkseid.
As for Darkseid, I had only recently encountered this villain through the short-lived Return of the New Gods series. I never quite bought into the Kirby-created mythology surrounding Apokolips and New Genesis, so I wasn’t thrilled at Darkseid’s presence in SSOSV and, subsequently, JLA. However, he did make a credible threat that forced the SSOSV (or most of it) to band together.
But how do villains become heroes overnight, even when their homeworld is threatened? The answer is they don’t—or at least not all of them, as the next few issues would demonstrate.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
HWW, please keep these thoughts and reviews coming! SSOSV is a series sorely lacking in my (and my father's) colletion and I've only ever read a handful of issues. I'm generally a fan of the concept, the villains included and Captain Comet, so I'm interested in your ongoing analysis.
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
Thanks, Cobie. More is on the way.
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
(Reflecton continues)
The Darkseid storyline continued in issues # 3-4, wherein Manhunter and Captain Comet persuade the rest of the SSOSV to join their rebellion—or, rather, most of the SSOSV. Sinestro and the Wizard, neither native to this earth (Earth-One in the old continuity), secretly agree to hang back and see which way the battle goes. Meanwhile, the other villains join the fray against Darkseid’s minions, including Mantis, Kaliban, and the Black Racer (a rather silly looking character who flies on skis and who doesn’t actually do anything in this battle; Darkseid sends him away before he can contribute).
In one memorable scene, Grodd’s fight with the Neanderthal-like Kaliban spills out onto the streets of Manhattan. Outmatched, Grodd pretends to surrender and then, while Kaliban is off guard, delivers a shattering blow that renders his opponent unconscious. Grodd then reminds the reader that there is “no honor . . . among thieves” before passing out.
During a respite, the other SSOSV members confront Sinestro and the Wizard over their refusal to lift a finger during the fight. The two otherworldly villains rebuff their teammates and a fight breaks out, during which the Wizard transports Hi-Jack into another dimension (from which he returns without explanation in a subsequent issue of JLA!). Sinestro and the Wizard then take off, leaving the SSOSV very short-handed during the final confrontation with Darkseid. Nevertheless, the villains put up enough of a fight that Darkseid grows weary of the battle and seeks to retreat in a boom tube. Knowing that if Darkseid returns with more underlings the cause will truly be lost, Manhunter leaps into the boom tube after him and sets off a bomb—killing himself in the process.
The abrupt resolution of this storyline brought about significant changes in the direction of SSOSV. Manhunter’s sudden demise removed the book’s most sympathetic character and the one who held the SSOSV together as a team. It was Manhunter’s powers of persuasion that convinced the villains to go along with the idea of a team in the first place. It was he who reached out to Captain Comet in friendship. And it was he who straddled the line between hero and villain in a way that the latter could not. Manhunter was portrayed as a mysterious character who could manipulate others for his own agenda, yet whose motives were (or at least we were led to believe) noble. More than any other character, Manhunter became the central focus of the first few issues of SSOSV, and his absence significantly diminished the book for the remainder of its run.
It is interesting to note, however, that this Manhunter’s demise did not have to be the end of the character. Manhunter, after all, was a clone (his complicated back story was revealed in Detective Comics), so a new clone could easily have been brought in to take his place. But this did not happen; Manhunter’s role in the SSOSV ended—as did Darkseid’s. Naturally, the dark lord survived the bomb and would next show up in the pages of JLA. But his interest in conquering the earth through the villains or even in punishing them for their rebellion was conveniently forgotten.
Instead, the book abruptly shifted direction as the remaining villains scattered and reverted to their criminal ways.
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
Issue # 5 followed the exploits of Sinestro and the Wizard as they encountered a new “partner,” one con artist extraordinaire named Funky Flashman. A thinly veiled version of Marvel honcho Stan Lee, Flashman regaled the two villains with his blustery sales pitch and lofty plans. The Wizard seemed more taken in by this than Sinestro; in fact, the latter’s patience ran out after the cigar-chomping Flashman blew smoke in his face. Enraged, Sinestro left and vowed to raze the Sinister Citadel (the SSOSV’s skyscraper headquarters) to the ground. He was prevented from doing so and captured by Captain Comet and (if I recall) Green Lantern (who had forgiven the good Captain for his earlier assault).
After Darkseid’s defeat, Captain Comet had at last been “found” by the JLA, who agreed that they and their hero colleagues should mentor him until he was absolutely certain who the heroes and villains were these days. This convenient setup allowed Cap to be paired with guest-stars such as Hawkgirl, Kid Flash, and Green Arrow and Black Canary during the next few issues. These heroes aided Cap as he tracked down and captured his former SSOSV teammates. (It seems he felt responsible for the villains getting away.) In issue # 6, for example, Cap fought the other two “captains” on the team, Cold and Boomerang, plus the pirate-like Captain Stingaree, in a tale called “Captains Cataclysmic.”
In hindsight, it’s easy to conclude that the book was struggling, as such radical changes in direction are rarely necessary for a book with healthy sales. In addition to the guest-heroes, guest-villains were also utilized, including Trickster, to allow for different combinations of villains and an ever-changing line-up. This approach also allowed DC to resurrect and reinvent some truly obscure villains, such as ex-Wonder Woman foe Angle Man, who joined in SSOSV Special #1 (an extra-thick, annual-sized format).
But to the credit of Conway (or whoever may have succeeded him as writer), the book was more than just a hero/villain-of-the-month team-up. An attempt was made to develop Captain Comet as a character by giving him a romance with a new female character, who turned out to be Star Sapphire in disguise. (This rather trite plotline was salvaged by at least one scene in which Star Sapphire, in her other identity, told Cap that, unlike most men, he truly listened to her. This suggested the possibility of real feelings developing between them. Unfortunately, nothing came of it.)
Although the original Darkseid storyline was quickly terminated with issue # 4, the remaining issues did have a lot to offer, not only in terms of who might show up, but also in the twists and turns the story would take as various villains vied for control over the Secret Society of Super-Villains.
Posted by MLLASH on :
Ah, SSoSV... along with TEEN TITANS, ALL-STAR COMICS and FREEDOM FIGHTERS... some of my favorite 70s DC books.
They were weird, different and offbeat.
I can remember being horrified that Grodd would abandon Copperhead... that the Wizard seemingly destroyed Hi-Jack... and that Manhunter died so early on (he was an early fave).
I too have all these issues, though the first 3 or so are near-to-tatters. I's *REALLY* like to see a color trade issued (ala the recent Paul Levitz ALL-STAR run, which I bought despite having all the issues in fairly good condition). I'd buy trades of the 70s SSoSV, TT and FF in a heartbeat.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
There's supposed to be an SSoSV Showcase edition coming out, date unknown. These issues seem to be really hard to find - turned up nothing on eBay nor at some of the on-line retailers I checked. A trade would be very nice indeed.
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
(Reflection continued:)
Secret Society of Super-Villains ended the way most comics of that period ended—that is, it just stopped. More, it stopped in mid-story. The book fell victim to the infamous DC Implosion of 1978, which saw massive cancellations as the company cut back on its output. Most of the comics cancelled during that period had only been launched within the previous couple of years (Steel, Karate Kid, Black Lightning, Firestorm), while others had been revived from previous runs within the last two years (Teen Titans, All-Star Comics), so it seems that DC had launched a rapid expansion during the mid-‘70s that didn’t pan out. Also, many of these cancelled series featured “second-string” characters or even new creations (such as Steel and Firestorm) that didn’t really have a chance to catch on with the public. Their acceptance was further hampered by substandard art on most of these titles. It would be a couple of years yet before George Perez and other artists would defect from Marvel to help revitalize DC (as did a number of writers and editors, such as Marv Wolfman and Len Wein, who, along with Perez, helped kick-start DC’s revival in 1980 with New Teen Titans). But at the time, there was the sense that series like SSOSV were lesser titles from a company that no longer seemed to care about developing new properties. Established characters such as Superman, Batman, the Flash, and the JLA were doing just fine, but innovative approaches to super-heroes were given a cursory nod and then abandoned when they failed to “catch on.” Perhaps this also explains why the original Darkseid storyline of SSOSV was so quickly resolved.
This is not to suggest that such titles were totally bereft of talent. In fact, it was more often the writing that sustained them, especially SSOSV. As I noted earlier, Conway (or whoever may have succeeded him as writer) developed the latter part of series into an unpredictable round-robin of super-villains, sometimes relying on votes cast by readers. Conway turned an obscure hero from the 1950s into the central focus of the book and developed that hero, Captain Comet, into a character the reader cared about: Cap, in his naivete, first found himself allied with criminals, then he stayed with those criminals by choice in order to confront a greater threat. When that threat was over, he spent his time rounding up his former teammates, often assisted by other, established heroes of the day. In the midst of all that, he even found time for romance with a woman who, despite her own evil secret, may have had real feelings for him.
Conway kept the reader guessing what was going to happen next: Nothing was certain in SSOSV—how could it be in a book populated with villains? It is for all of these reasons that I so fondly remember SSOSV after all these years, despite its 15-issue run.
What I remember less, unfortunately, are the details of how some of the later storylines progressed. I remember the Wizard allying himself with Funky Flashman, for example, only to be jilted by Flashman when the latter found a new and more powerful ally, Lex Luthor (a write-in vote from the readers). But Lex was such a megalomaniac that the association didn’t work out. As Lex left the new Sinister Citadel (which had replaced the original building headquarters), Flashman decided to get even with him by calling the police! There’s Lex, one of the greatest super-villains of the DC Universe, walking out of a building in disguise only to be apprehended like a common thug. It was this sort of ironic turnabout that characterized SSOSV.
Somewhere in all this, Gorilla Grodd returned to lead up his own team under the SSOSV name. Grodd had been absent since his collapse on a Manhattan street following his battle with Kaliban back in issue 3 or 4. But now he had grandiose plans of his own (whatever they were) and recruited the likes of Angle Man, Bizarro No. 1, and Poison Ivy. Grodd’s storyline took up the entirety of SSOSV Special # 1, but his plans, too, ended in defeat and with him being incarcerated back in Gorilla City.
Then it was time for the Wizard to return—but this was a new, improved Wizard. Gone was the magician’s attire with top hat, which he had worn probably since the Golden Age. This Wizard sported an orange costume with a green hoody and looked more like a vagabond than a magician. He returned to exact his revenge on Flashman (by transporting the con man penniless to a slum!), then availed himself of Flashman’s resources to assemble yet another SSOSV: Star Sapphire, the Floronic Man (formerly Jason Woodrue, an Atom and JLA villain), Blockbuster (Batman’s mindless bruiser foe), Professor Zoom--the Reverse Flash, and possibly others.
At last, the Wizard revealed his reasons for coming to Earth-1 in the first place. Remember that all of this took place in DC’s original multi-verse, in which the Justice League of America were said to reside on Earth-1 and the Justice Society of America on Earth-2. On Earth-2, the Wizard was a member of the Injustice Society, recurring enemies of the JSA. Tired of his original team’s endless defeat at the hands of the JSA, the Wizard came to Earth-1 in search of new allies to help him destroy the JSA once and for all. Having at last found the team he sought, he returned to Earth-2 to take on and defeat the likes of Dr. Mid-Nite and the Golden Age Atom.
And that’s where SSOSV ends.
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
Well, it wouldn’t be the DC Universe if plotlines were left unresolved and characters disappeared for good. The storyline was subsequently picked up in Justice League of America. Disappointingly, it didn’t pick up where it left off, so we never got to read the SSOSV’s battle with the JSA. Instead, a paragraph on the JLA letter’s page merely summarized how the JSA defeated the villains. In the JLA story, the Wizard teleports the the SSOSV (same lineup) into the JLA’s satellite headquarters, where, in a bizarre turnaround, the villains switch bodies with the heroes. The JLA then spends the next issue finding a way to reverse the switch. (It is here, incidentally, where we discover that Hi-Jack has mysteriously returned safe and sound. Remember Hi-Jack? He was banished to another dimension by the Wizard back in SSOSV # 4. Inexplicably, he shows up in prison where the JLA-in-villain’s-bodies tricks him into revealing some key piece of information. Hey, who needs a summary to explain things?)
Needless to say, the Wizard and his gang were defeated and returned to their rightful bodies. According to the Wikipedia entry on SSOSV, the villains learned the heroes’ secret identities while they were occupying their bodies. I don’t remember this aspect of the story or how it was resolved. It could be that Green Lantern used his power ring to cause them to forget. It could be that the villains carry those secrets with them to this day. (And wouldn’t that make a good premise for a sequel?)
And this, for all practical purposes, is where the original SSOSV comes to an end, at least so far as a continuous thread that began with the team in SSOSV # 1. When the SSOSV appeared again--in a subsequent JLA storyline about 20 issues later (in the 190s)--it featured a largely unrelated team led by another JSA foe, the Ultra-Humanite. As I recall, only the Floronic Man returned from any previous lineup.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by He Who Wanders: Needless to say, the Wizard and his gang were defeated and returned to their rightful bodies. According to the Wikipedia entry on SSOSV, the villains learned the heroes’ secret identities while they were occupying their bodies. I don’t remember this aspect of the story or how it was resolved. It could be that Green Lantern used his power ring to cause them to forget. It could be that the villains carry those secrets with them to this day. (And wouldn’t that make a good premise for a sequel?)
I think this was another retcon, HWW, that was picked up on recently in a JLA storyline that followed Identity Crisis. Many of these same villains you mentioned returned suddenly remembering the knowledge they'd learned while in those characters' bodies. It was explained that Zatanna had lobotomized their memories (as it was explained she had done to Doctor Light and even Batman during ID Crisis) and were out for vengeance.
It was a so-so story and an obvious attempt to build the ID Crisis retcon. Sorry, I can't exactly remember the resolution, though. It was one of the last stories in the previous JLA series before the recent relanch, and I think it was called "Crisis of Conscience", I believe.
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
Thanks for the info, Lardy. It's good to know that the story line as picked up on, if only 25 or so years late.
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
(Reflection concludes:)
So, when all is said and done, what is the legacy of SSOSV, if any? I think its principle legacy was in legitimizing the idea that a team of villains could carry a book. This idea was exploited much more successfully a decade later with Suicide Squad. Of course, that team was not composed of villains on the loose who joined of their free will. The Suicide Squad consisted of prisoners who undertook dangerous missions for the U.S. government in exchange for reduced sentences, a la the Dirty Dozen. Still, some of SSOSV’s themes carried over, such as a team whose members could not be trusted, a constant sense of unpredictability, and an ever-rotating cast. (Ironically, the most consistent member of the Suicide Squad was Captain Boomerang, who put in only minor appearances as an original member of the SSOSV.)
Another theme popularized by SSOSV was the idea that the book’s central figure—the leader of the team—could be unexpectedly killed off. This is an important legacy: It’s always been an unwritten rule of popular culture that the leader of a team is considered to be the main protagonist, and you don’t kill off your main protagonist. But Manhunter’s demise would be repeated in books as far-ranging as Alpha Flight (Vindicator), Suicide Squad (Rick Flagg), and Blood Syndicate (Tech-9). In some cases, the death of the leader results in a relatively minor character coming to the fore as the new leader, which can thrust the book into a different and more interesting direction. Suicide Squad, for example, truly prospered when Amanda Waller became the new focus of the book.
A third legacy, of course, was the revival of Captain Comet. Cap would never quite take his place among the pantheon of DC heroes, but he’s still a player in the field. Ironically, the next book he “starred” in also put him on a team that included amoral and untrustworthy characters: L.E.G.I.O.N. It seems that Cap just can’t tell the good guys from the bad guys.
On a personal level, SSOSV was significant for me in several ways. I can’t remember if it was the first time I encountered Gorilla Grodd in a story, but he quickly became one of my favorite SSOSV members. This is significant because I was not (and still am not) a fan of comic book gorillas. I don’t understand the fascination some fans hold for talking, super-powered apes. To me, they just look, well, silly.
Yet Grodd’s betrayal of Copperhead in issue # 1 is anything but silly. It shows Grodd to be trecherous but also competent. Recognizing that it’s time to flee, he flees (even though it means leaving a teammate behind). He lies to the rest of the team in order (I assume) to protect his own standing. And, in issue # 4, he tricks a much stronger enemy into thinking he’s surrendering and then attacks and defeats that enemy.
While Grodd’s actions are deplorable, they are, at least on some level, understandable. Heroes would not behave this way (or at least the DC heroes of that time wouldn’t), but Grodd is not a hero. He’s a practical warrior who does what needs to be done. He wins because, to him, winning is everything. I do not agree with this philosophy, but I admire a character (and a writer, Conway) who can bring such ambiguities to the fore. Grodd invites the reader to ask: What would I do in this situation—would I, in fact, do what Grodd did, or would I take the high road (and possibly lose)?
(It’s worth noting that, given the moral climate of comic books at the time, Grodd’s victory is temporary. He passes out immediately after defeating Kaliban. Even so, he apparently gets away as he is not seen again until the SSOSV Special—and then he is captured.)
SSOSV also deals with another significant ambiguity: It was a team composed of outsiders. Unlike a later super-team of that name (the Outsiders), the SSOSV were truly outcasts: criminals shunned by society not because of some accident beyond their control (e.g., Metamorpho), but because they chose to use their incredible powers and skills to prey on others. Yet even criminals seek to belong, to fraternize with others of their kind, and to have a place to call home. By bringing these themes to light, SSOSV followed the popular 1970s trend of romanticizing criminals by treating them as sympathetic characters (e.g., the film Dog Day Afternoon).
But SSOSV does not really have a chance to romanticize its villains, as there are very few scenes of them developing camaraderie. As I noted previously, Captain Boomerang tries to start a conversation with the Wizard and is told to mind his own business. Sinestro and the Wizard become secret allies due to their common status as aliens on Earth-1—but their alliance proves temporary. Even the two “heroes” of the book, Captain Comet and Manhunter, are prevented from developing friendship by the interruption of Mantis, the conflict with Darkseid, and Manhunter’s sudden demise. If anything, SSOSV shows how criminals are doomed to remain outsiders: their attempt at bonding has failed.
(A point of personal privilege: Another reason why SSOSV is significant for me is that it provided me with one of my first publishing credits: I wrote a “hero history” of the team for an issue of Amazing Heroes, a comics news magazine, in 1985.)
When all is said and done, the Secret Society of Super-Villains was an innovative approach to the idea of villains starring in their own comic book. It was certainly not the first comic book to “star” villains–both Joker and Cobra preceded it—and later books such as Suicide Squad would take the concept and run with it. But SSOSV was probably the first book to show a team of villains as villains, without glossing over their selfish, manipulative, and criminal behavior, and without turning them into noble “heroes” who recognize the error of their ways and repent. SSOSV showcased the ambiguities of its villains but did not romanticize them. That it provided a vehicle for reviving forgotten characters such as Captain Comet and Angle Man was the icing on the cake. For all of these reasons, SSOSV deserves to be remembered.
Posted by MLLASH on :
iirc, it is Bob Rozakis who handles the later SSoSV issues. I remember being floored that he who handled the bulk of the groovy 70s Teen Titans issues that I so loved also had a hand in the SSoSV as well as the Freedom Fighters, other 70s DC titles I loved.
Rozakis should be recognized and celebrated!
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
You could be right, Lash. Rozakis seemed to be writing everything at DC in those days.
Posted by MLLASH on :
I dug through my box of keepers last night, and found my old (OOooooold!) SSoSV issues... flipped through them, and Rozakis is the writer on the middle issues... Conway is the writer on the last issues. BTW, I couldn't find # 2 _or_ #15, and I *KNOW* I had those issues. I was also missing the ALL-Captains issue, which I don't think I ever had. Still had the SPECIAL and the Super-Family team-up issue or whatev that was.
I demand a TPB, complete with the next issue (the unpublished # 16) from CANCELLED COMICS CAVALCADE.
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
Thanks for doing the research, Lash. Let me know if there's anything else I've misremembered.
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
quote:Originally posted by MLLASH: I demand a TPB, complete with the next issue (the unpublished # 16) from CANCELLED COMICS CAVALCADE.
It appears as though Lash's demands are being met!
I WILL SO BE BUYING THIS. Unfortunately, there's no way it can collect the complete series in 1 hardback. Or can it??
It lasted 15 issues but comics were shorter back then, like 17 pages IIRC. Of course, there's also the annual-sized SSOSV Special (whose cover is pictured in EDE's link) and the Super-team Family appearances.
Oh LORDY let it include all of those!!! # 16 (the never-published issue) would just be icing on this sweet sweet cake.
>socks away $40 for August<
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
I'd guess it would have to be 2 volumes...
Posted by MLLASH on :
The SSoSV Special doesn't happen until the latter part of the run but I suppose they could fit it in anytime after Grodd's fight with Kalibak that happens around issue 4-5 without messing up any continuity. Hmmm.
This just fires me up to buy it even more to help ensure a 2nd volume.
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
For the record, here's a breakdown of possible contents (based on the previously solicited contents of the never-released Showcase Presents version of SSoSV), via someone at the DCMBs:
That's 514 pages total. Which, if the 208 pages on Amazon is accurate, suggests that it would be about 2 volumes.
Posted by lancesrealm on :
There was also a SSoSV tabloid. Does anyone have this? Does it have an original story, or is it a reprint?
Posted by MLLASH on :
There was an SSoSV tabloid?!?!?!?!? I missed that completely somehow.
Posted by MLLASH on :
quote:Originally posted by Eryk Davis Ester: For the record, here's a breakdown of possible contents (based on the previously solicited contents of the never-released Showcase Presents version of SSoSV), via someone at the DCMBs:
That's 514 pages total. Which, if the 208 pages on Amazon is accurate, suggests that it would be about 2 volumes.
Definitely dump DC SPECIAL # 27, I say. That cuts 34 pages. I'll say dump SSoSV 17 as well, UNLESS they get someone to finish the rough pencils which I thoroughly doubt. That cuts 17 more pages for a total of 61, bringing the count down to 463, which is definitely do-able for 2 volumes.
I think the other items are essential, but if they were to dump anything else it would likely be the never-published SSoSV 16 from the Cancelled Comics Cavalcade.
That reduced the page count by 18, for 445 pages-- easily done in 2 hardback volumes.
I will gladly pay the price for these nice versions of comics that meant so much to be as a kid and are so scarce and expensive these days. I hate to take out my originals much for fear of messing them up further.
After this, this leaves only Groovy 70s TITANS and Freedom Fighters that will need reprinting, to make me a happy happy lad!
Posted by lancesrealm on :
My mistake, Lash. I was thinking of one of the "Secret Origins of Super-Villains" tabloids, of which there were 2, I think. It was C39 (1975) that I was thinking of.
Posted by MLLASH on :
Oh yeah!! I vaguely remember those in ads... though I never bought them.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I've got to complte our collection of this! I've never read these issues all the way through.
Flash villains + Batman villains + Captain Comet + Darkseid = OMZG!
Posted by MLLASH on :
At the CBS today, I looked into SSoSV back issues. While # 1 was $18, the rest ranged from $4 to $9.
My collection is missing a few issues that somehow vanished over the years (a rarity for me), and the rest are pretty ratty.
Anyhoo, since the hardback will def. reprint about the first half of the series, I scored # 15 (final issue) for $4 today. Wanna make sure I have all the later issues in case they don't issue a 2nd hardback to finish the series.
Posted by Dev Em on :
What are you missing?
Posted by MLLASH on :
I'll have to double check but I know from earlier in the thread I'm missing # 2 (which surely will be in the hardback) and the "all-Captains" issue which is somewhere in the middle of the run and MIGHT be included in the hardback.
Posted by Dev Em on :
This issue...
Posted by MLLASH on :
Yep, I'm missing that one!
Posted by Dev Em on :
I gotta grab something at my parents before I can send something out to Cobie. Let me check my copies of what I have...I got them in a quarter bin at a store closing sale years ago. Let me know soon what else you might need.
Posted by MLLASH on :
GASP!!!!! BRB....
The only issues I am totally missing now are # 2 and # 6. I have all the others since I bought the vanished # 15 today.
Wow, this is awesome. Condition is unimportant to me, the ones I have were read 100 times when I was little. Thanks for checking!!!!!
Posted by Dev Em on :
Yep. Lemme see if I have those. I should know by this weekend.
Posted by Dev Em on :
I'm finally gonna get to read the end of that SSoSV vs. JSA story it looks like!!
Posted by MLLASH on :
Wait, this makes NO sense... 208 pages does NOT jibe with EDE's page count totals posted earlier, even after dumping rough-pencils SSoSV 17 and every cover.
Something's not kosher. *bites nails*
Posted by MLLASH on :
The answer might be in the wording:
Sinestro, Gorilla Grodd, Captain Cold and more star in stories from SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS #1-15, DC SPECIAL #27, DC SPECIAL SERIES #6, SUPER-TEAM FAMILY #13-14, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #166-168, CANCELLED COMICS CAVALCADE #2 and THE AMAZING WORLD OF DC COMICS #11.
"Stories FROM...".
I'm thinking s few issues of SSoSV will be skipped. Oh, I hope not. Posted by MLLASH Siegel on :
The hardback drops tomorrow and I am very excited! Actually it kinda dropped today... I was at my CBS today and saw it as they were unpacking but they said they can't sell it to me until tomorrow Posted by profh0011 on :
HeWhoLSHes wrote: "Established characters such as Superman, Batman, the Flash, and the JLA were doing just fine, but innovative approaches to super-heroes were given a cursory nod and then abandoned when they failed to “catch on.”"
Seems like DC's been doing this for decades since. That's why we have like 18 different "Bat"-books.
"Instead, a paragraph on the JLA letter’s page merely summarized how the JSA defeated the villains."
Is it a safe bet that this described the events of the 2 UNPUBLISHED issues, which turned up in CANCELLED COMICS CAVALCADE (something presumably very few readers ever got to see)?
Posted by MLLASH Siegel on :
Those who get the hardback will get to see them.... at long last!!
Posted by He Who LSHes on :
quote:Originally posted by profh0011:
"Instead, a paragraph on the JLA letter’s page merely summarized how the JSA defeated the villains."
Is it a safe bet that this described the events of the 2 UNPUBLISHED issues, which turned up in CANCELLED COMICS CAVALCADE (something presumably very few readers ever got to see)?[/QB]
It's been years since I read the JLA issue, but probably.
Posted by MLLASH on :
heading to the shower... then to the CBS to get this at long last!!! PANT PANT PANT of excitement!!!!!
Posted by MLLASH on :
quote:Originally posted by MLLASH: Wait, this makes NO sense... 208 pages does NOT jibe with EDE's page count totals posted earlier, even after dumping rough-pencils SSoSV 17 and every cover.
Something's not kosher. *bites nails*
Mystery solved.
This collection contains SSoSV 1-10, DC SPECIAL 27 and "rarely seen material from AMAZING WORLD OF DC COMICS # 11".
So my excitement is lessened a little but not too much. It says "Volume One" on the front cover, so hopefully sales will warrant a second and final volume!
Posted by MLLASH on :
I read SSoSV # 1... AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT!! It holds up 100%.
This may be the only Gerry Conway comic I ever really loved. (I ended up just flipping through most of the Firestorm trade)
Lots of Roazakis-y goodness in this volume too, I'm so glad to have this. Posted by MLLASH on :
quote:Originally posted by MLLASH: I read SSoSV # 1... AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT!! It holds up 100%.
This may be the only Gerry Conway comic I ever really loved. (I ended up just flipping through most of the Firestorm trade)
Lots of Roazakis-y goodness in this volume too, I'm so glad to have this.
I'm now 7 issues in, and this title holds up SO WELL.
This comic does NOT stand still. There is NO status quo.
Members come and go like mad, and the fights are non-stop... and you never know who will show up next.
I can absolutely see why I loved this book as a kid and why I still do.
Posted by Power Boy on :
Captain Comet is pretty frickin awesome too !!!
Posted by MLLASH on :
The good Captain comes off very well in this book!
Favorite scenes so far off the top of my head:
GRODD betrays COPPERHEAD
CAPTAIN COMET fooled- at first- by the SSOSV
MIRROR MASTER and CAPT. BOOMERANG get a free lunch
VILLAINS vs. MANTIS
SINESTRO and THE WIZARD called out after the big battle for not helping.
STAR SAPPHIRE and MANHUNTER retreat; Manhunter goes to gather the remaining members of the SSOSV but Star Sapphire instead chooses to find a super-hero to fight Darkseid (she's crafty)!
The slugfest deluxe between GRODD and KALIBAK
FUNKY FLASHMAN makes the scene
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
Secret Society of Super-Villains #1: A Retro Review!
THE PLOT
A mysterious benefactor assembles Sinestro, Captain Boomerang, The Wizard (from Earth-2), Mirror Master, Captain Cold, Gorilla Grodd, The Shadow Thief, Copperhead, and Star Sapphire in order to form a "Secret Society of Super-Villains", an anti-JLA under the direction of an evil Manhunter clone. The team's first mission, in which Grodd and Copperhead attempt to steal a plutonium globe, goes awry.
THE GOOD OLD-FASHIONED SUPER-VILLAINS DEPT.
There's something bizarrely loveable about the fact that the super-villains use non-fatal force against police who are shooting at them with real guns and stuff. The contrast with the modern trend of villains who regularly rip limbs off the good guys could not be greater.
THE FAST-PACED ACTION DEPT.
This is a beautifully-paced comic, in which we get the villain team set-up and even witness their first mission in this issue.
IRONY DEPT/
Poor Copperhead, who seems the most excited about joining the villain team, ends up the first to fall!
INTRIGUING MINOR CHARACTER DEPT.
Copperhead totally underestimates the "creepy old man" in the secret govt. lab!
ARCHITECTURE 101 DEPT.
I absolutely love it when comics give blueprints of HQs, in the case the "Citadel Sinister", the San Francisco skyscraper the SSOSV make their home!
SUMMARY
This comic is definitely loads of fun, and I can't wait to read the rest of SSOSV, Vol. 1!
Posted by MLLASH on :
I AM SOOOOO HAPPY YOU GOT THIS ERYK!!!!
Posted by MLLASH's back on :
VOLUME 2 DROPS NEXT WEEK!!!! I am so there, I already left!
HEY!!!! Did EDE ever finish reading it?!?!
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
Jeepers! Did I? I don't remember reading the rest of it.
Posted by MLLASH's back on :
*blank stare*
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
I must have gotten distracted. Perhaps by accursed shiny stuff. Er... reading and more reviews to come soon!
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
Secret Society of Super-Villains #2: A Retro-Review
THE PLOT
Captain Comet returns to Earth after twenty years! Stumbling on what he believes is the evil Green Lantern attacking poor helpless Gorilla Grodd and Hi-Jack, he saves them! And they invite him to join their Society, planning to use him as a dupe against the JLA. Meanwhile, the Manhunter-clone leading the group turns out to be not-so-evil, and decides to try to lead the Society against the true mastermind of the organization, Darkseid!
SUPER-HEROES AND STYLE DEPT.
Captain Comet is shocked to discover that the men of the 70s don't wear hats anymore!
SUCH IS THE WAY OF MANTIS DEPT.
Apparently, he likes to show up and leave abruptly!
THE TRUE FACE OF EVIL DEPT.
Manhunter takes the Society to a hidden retreat to prove to them how truly evil Darkseid is! Only, it kind of looks to me like it's not much different than the average mad scientist lab, which these guys should be pretty used to. Sure, he's growing weird humanoids in test tubes, but that doesn't really distinguish him from, say, Luthor.
THE EVER-CHANGING MEMBERSHIP DEPT.
Okay, so Copperhead was out last issue, but what the heck happened to the Wizard? Hi-Jack is pretty boring as a replacement.
SUMMARY
A lot of space was taken up with the reintro of Captain Comet, but still quite a bit happened in this issue! The villains using him a dupe sure seemed like it was going to last longer, however! Man does this comic move!
Posted by superboymddjr on :
quote:Originally posted by MLLASH's back: VOLUME 2 DROPS NEXT WEEK!!!! I am so there, I already left!
hey just got an email from the company that this volume 2 is being cancelled....?
I am miffed mad! Posted by MLLASH's back on :
WHAT!!?!! I AM SO ENRAGED I CANNOT READ EDE'S REVIEW OF # 2 YET AND HAD TO SCROLL PAST IT.
I SHALL WAIT UNTIL I VENTURE TO THE CBS WEDS. (I already have the extra cash set aside for this) BEFORE I TOTES BLOW A GASKET.
Posted by MLLASH's back on :
OK, so I calmed down enough to read it... how could I not, I love EDE's reviews!!!
quote:Originally posted by Eryk Davis Ester: Secret Society of Super-Villains #2:
Man does this comic move!
Child... you ain't seen nothin' yet!
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
Secret Society of Super-Villains #3: A Retro Review
THE PLOT
This story is mostly the SSOSV vs. Mantis. Mantis takes down half the team, with Manhunter and Star Sapphire escaping, and Manhunter runs to recruit more villains, SS flies off to recruit some super-heroes to battle Darkseid.
HOLY INFLATION, BATMAN! DEPT.
A combo at fast food joint Burgie cost only $3.02 at the time of this story. Of course, Mirror Master and Captain Boomerang steal it.
SILLY POLICEMEN DEPT.
So, a couple of issues back Copperhead escaped from jail using a new version of his super-suit smuggled in to him by one of his lackies. And, apparently, they let him wear it back to jail. Fortunately, before he can use it again to exploit the lax security, someone else breaks him out!
GROOVY RETROFUTURISM DEPT.
One thing I'm loving about this series is the flyers that the villains travel in with the groovy bubble-cockpits. It totally screams Super Powers vehicles to the eight year old in me.
WEIRD FLYING STANCE DEPT.
Characters in this series have a habit of flying with massively arched backs, which looks really uncomfortable.
YOU CAN'T TRUST A VILLAIN DEPT.
The Wizard and Sinestro, neither natives of Earth-1, consider betraying their comrades!
IRONY DEPT.
Mantis tells Captain Cold early on in the issue "Your cold gun is next to nothing..."
Later, he slips and falls on the ice created by it, which hastens his defeat!
SUMMARY
I'm digging it!
Posted by MLLASH's back on :
I knew you would dig it, it's very 70s diggable!
Sbmdjr, the DC COMICS link still lists VOL 2 for tomorrow, so I intend to hit the CBS when it opens at 10am, with fingers crossed.
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
Secret Society of Super-Villains #4
THE PLOT
Tons more fighting!
ANNOYING VILLAIN BANTER DEPT.
Hi-Jack's card metaphors are getting really annoying!
THE EVER-CHANGING LINEUP DEPT.
So the Wizard and Sinestro totally ditch the SSOSV!
MAMA MIA! DEPT.
Random Italian chef guy is pretty surprised to see a nearly naked hairy man running through the streets of San Francisco wrestling a gorilla!
SUCH IS THE WAY OF MANTIS DEPT.
He absorbs Green Lantern's power and then tries to use it against Darkseid! Not too bright!
EXCELSIOR! DEPT.
Funky Flashman makes the scene, man!
SUMMARY
Another fast-paced, exciting, action-packed issue!
Posted by MLLASH's back on :
You aren't the only one annoyed by Hi-Jack, as will be evidenced shortly Posted by MLLASH's back on :
VOL 2 is in my hot hands RIGHT NOW! And I'm gonna READ it-- I'm gonna READ IT like it's NEVER been READ BEFORE!!!
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
Secret Society of Super-Villains #5
THE PLOT
It's the SSOSV vs Darkseid and Mantis, to the death!
Meanwhile, Funky Flashman offers his services as super-villain PR to Sinestro and the Wizard!
Also, meanwhile, Captain Comet visits the Justice League and makes it his mission to stop the SSOSV!
PATHETIC VILLAIN DEPT.
Poor Mantis is pretty much quashed by a trio of Flash Rogues!
ANNOYING VILLAIN BANTER DEPT.
The Rogues even tell Mantis to "knock off the pompous dialogue"!
THE EVER-CHANGING LINEUP DEPT.
Manhunter sacrifices himself to destroy Darkseid!
THE BORED VILLAIN DEPT.
Poor Black Racer just flies around on his little skis waiting for Darkseid to tell him he can touch someone. I think he's supposed to seem menacing, but the whole African-American yuppie vibe just doesn't do it for me.
BAD PR DEPT.
Apparently, Sinestro doesn't think he needs a PR Agent!
CALL IN THE CITY INSPECTOR DEPT.
Well, it's probably a good thing that Captain Comet prevents the Sinester Citadel from falling over, but I betting the thing will need quite a bit more repairs before I'd trust using it as a super-villain headquarters!
Posted by MLLASH's back on :
Manhunter's sacrifice was a big shock! And from here, the tone of SSoSV had its first of 2 major shifts in its short run...
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
The Secret Society of Super-Villains #6
The Plot
Captains Boomerang and Cold team up with Captain Stingaree! Meanwhile, a mysterious figure takes control of the SSOSV!
Holy Richard Branson!
There's a lot of private space flight going on in this issue, from Captain Boomerang's Space-Boomerang to the JLA Satellite.
The Intriguing Minor Character Dept.
Astronaut Captain James Carone puts up a good fight before being kidnapped by the bad guys. I suspect he'll do well if he's ever exposed to space-radiation and develops super-powers and stuff!
In Space, No One Can Hear You Crash Through the Side of a Spaceship
But I'm assuming there's a good explanation as to how Captain Comet does so without killing everybody on board?
Earth Girls Are Easy!, or Debbie does Captain Comet!
Jeepers! CC totally gets picked up by this chick named Debbie, who invites him in for sex a cup of coffee!
Missed Career Opportunities! Dept.
Man, that Captain Cold sure is good at making ice sculptures!
The Ever-Changing Line-Up Dept.
Oddly enough, the Wizard, despite having theoretically ditches the team a couple of issues back, appears to be de factor the only active member at the moment, if you count hanging out in the Sinaster Citadel with Funky Flashman as being "active". The Captains are all captured. But, hey, Copperhead returns with the mysterious new leader!
Summary
I particularly dug this issue!
Posted by the Hermit on :
quote:Originally posted by Eryk Davis Ester:
Earth Girls Are Easy!, or Debbie does Captain Comet!
Jeepers! CC totally gets picked up by this chick named Debbie, who invites him in for sex a cup of coffee!
This is one of those cases where the caption narration totally steals the show:
"Debbie": "Well, Adam, how's about coming up to my place for some coffee...and the bite of an apple?"
Caption: And while Adam Blake has his lunch, let's switch to the Pacific Ocean...
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
Secret Society of Super-Villains #7
THE PLOT
Lex Luthor takes over the Society, recruits Felix Faust and Matter Master and sends them along with the Wizard to take down Superman! Only it's not really Superman but Gregory Reed, the actor who plays Superman on TV and in the movies!
GROOVY 70S FASHION
Have I mentioned lately how much I love Luthor's 70s outfit?
HOLY TOUPEE!
Funky reveals that both his hair and beard are fake!
THE INTRIGUING MINOR CHARACTER DEPT.
I'm shocked Gregory Reed, whom regularly readers of Action Comics should be familiar with, never had his own series!
THE REAL MEN KNOW HOW TO COOK DEPT.
Hawkman spends the entire issue cooking Thanagarian goulash while Hawkgirl and Captain Comet take down the bad guys!
I'LL EAT MY HAT DEPT.
Hawkgirl stuffs Matter Master's hat into Felix Faust's mouth!
RANDOM CAPTAIN COMET POWERS DEPT.
So, apparently, he can change ice into snow with his mind! ?????
EVER CHANGING LINEUP DEPT.
Luthor's control of the team is decidedly temporary, as Funky calls the cops on him when he leaves the Sinister Citadel!
SUMMARY
Another fun issue!
Posted by MLLASH's back on :
I always loved Funky selling out Luthor to the cops... no honor among thieves!
Posted by the Hermit on :
Just got vol. 2 in hardcover. I haven't read it yet, but was pleased to find it had the missing stories that should have been in vol. 1 (from Super-Team Family), as well as the black and white Cancelled Comics Cavalcade story and the annual JLA/JSA team-up that wrapped up the SSoSV plotlines (at least I think it did. I'll have to read it to be sure).
One odd thing: the table of contents lists both issues of ST Family as #13. Between things like that and the fact that to read the stories in the correct order I'll be switching back and forth between the two volumes makes me wonder if anyone is actually editing these things. Still, I'm glad to finally have the whole series and am looking forward to reading it.
Posted by MLLASH's back on :
Yeah I was VERY surprised to see Vol 2 contained those Super-Team Family stories when Vol 1 didn't, and they are indeed out of order. I just kinda went with it. I'm actually glad to be back into the SSoSV series proper stories now...
Posted by MLLASH's back on :
Oh and the Captain Comet/Dinosaurs story was all new to me!
Posted by MLLASH's back on :
WOW... after 30-plus years, I finally got to read SSoSV # 16 last night!!
It continues the SSoSV war with the JSA on Earth 2 from # 15 -PLUS- started the splinter-SSoSV war with the Freedom Fighters that was tantalized in those final pages of issue 15 way back in the late 70s. All in all, VERY good stuff!
BONUS-- SSoSV issue 17 is also included! Unlike 16, which is just a finished issue in black and white, issue 17 appears to be pencils only- no inks (and no cover), but it IS lettered so I am looking forward to reading it also!
The reason reading these excites me SO much, is that both SSoSV and FREEDOM FIGHTERS were both big childhood favorites, and the final issue of FREEDOM FIGHTERS (also number 15) that came a bit before SSoSV promised that the tale of the FF would continue in SSoSV-- and I never got to see that, until now!
Bob Rozakis returned to writing SSoSV with issue 16 apparently, which made the story all the better for me.
ALso, I snuck a peek ahead at the JLA stories being reprinted... Dick Dillin's art is SO great, especially on the fancy papaer!!
Posted by MLLASH's back on :
Oh, cruel fate!! SSoSV # 17 ends-- with a terriffic cliffhanger!! *facepalm* But it was wonderful to FINALLY read (most of) the stories DC promised me 30-plus years ago before the Implosion.
SSoSV 17 would have been the first 'DC Explosion' oversize issue, and we do NOT get the Star Sapphire origin story which is promised in the # 16 cover blurb, just the 17-page main story. I would assume the title was cancelled before the Star Sapphire origin was drawn.
Of note-- the SSoSV Volume 2 hardback is MUCH thicker than the Volume 1 hardback.
Posted by the Hermit on :
Here is a list of the stories in the two volumes of Secret Society of Super Villains in the order they were actually published (as opposed to the order they appear in the TPBs). The stories make a lot more sense if you read them in this order.
SSoSV # 1-4 (all in vol. 1) DC Special # 27 (in vol. 2) SSoSV # 5-9 (back to vol. 1) Super-Team Family # 13 (vol. 2) SSoSV # 10 (vol. 1) SSoSV Special (vol. 2) Super-Team Family # 14 (vol. 2) SSoSV # 11-15 (vol. 2) Cancelled Comic Cavalcade # 2 (vol. 2) Justice League of America # 166-168 (vol. 2)
Presented as a public service by the hermit. Accolades, kudos and especially donations gratefully accepted.
Posted by profh0011 on :
I wanted to thank you for this thread, and the checklist in particular. Oddly enough, I have most of these issues in their original printing (not sure why, but there it is).
While doing some research into this at the GCD (and, good God, the cover images they have posted there are ABOMINABLY bad-- on top of the already-AWFUL cover designs in the first place), I decided to also look into DC SPECIAL SERIES.
I'm surprised at how many of these things I have. This includes 2 of the 4 SWAMP THING reprints (the 3rd & 4th-- sadly, not the first 2). Also, the SUPERMAN (with Luthor & Brainiac), the BATMAN (Mike Nasser, Mike Golden and Marshall Rogers, all in one book!), the WONDER WOMAN (not 100% sure on this one, but it looks so familiar, there's a good chance I have it), SECRET ORIGINS (again, not 100% sure, but there's a good chance I went after this because of the Fourth World connection-- which, come to think of it, may be why I went looking for the SSoSV issues, as well).
These oversized items were rather attractive, especially if one wasn't buying a lot of DCs but wanted to check things out, lots of pages in a single book. But boy, talk about chaotic, as far as indexing goes. Looking at the cover gallery, I'm reminded of Dell's FOUR COLOR, or Magazine Enterprises' A-1, 2 more instances of an overall "series" where each issue had completely different contents.
It seems to me the 64-page format might have suited Jack Kirby quite well. I've read it was briefly considered for his "Fourth World" series, putting out every 2 months with all 3 series in every issue. Might have been a lot easier to collect and read that way...
But back on SSoSV... MY GOD, what a chaotic series this thing was! Just on the writers alone, it had Conway, Kraft, Rozakis, Conway again, then Rozakis again. Pencillers: Marcos, Chan, Buckler, Ayers, Jones & Vosburg. What a mess!
[ December 06, 2012, 01:24 PM: Message edited by: profh0011 ]
Posted by the Hermit on :
I think "roller coaster ride" is the more appropriate term (and I actually mean that in a good way. This series was one surprise twist after another).
By the way, I think this may have been Mike Vosburg's first published work, or at least his first series for DC. Anyone know for sure?
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
I agree with "roller coaster ride". The fact that the cast consisted of villains lent the series to a certain instability, which was reflected (intentionally or otherwise) by changes in the creative team.
One would expect the JLA, the Legion, or the Titans to have a stable lineup, clear sense of purpose, and storylines which build logically from previous ones. Not so for a team of villains who are in it for themselves.
Posted by profh0011 on :
the Hermit: "By the way, I think this may have been Mike Vosburg's first published work, or at least his first series for DC. Anyone know for sure?"
As it happens, I had a Mike Vosburg list put together awhile back.
The earliest work of his I have listed is:
THE DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU: Master of Kung Fu #4 / Sep'74 -- Circle Of Serpent's Blood SP#1 / Sep'74 -- The Master Plan of Fu Manchu (part 3) #6 / Nov'74 -- Lesson of the Locust #7 / Dec'74 -- The Past-Assasin! #8 / Jan'75 -- A Hatred For All Seasons #9 / Feb'75 -- A Contest Of Truth #11 / Apr'75 -- A Different Lesson In Blood Unchained
1ST ISSUE SPECIAL #13 / Apr'76: RETURN OF THE NEW GODS "Lest Night Fall-- Forever!" A Sectret Unveiled! Confrontation!
Then I have the 5 issues of SSoSV listed (#11-15).
Posted by profh0011 on :
Just to make it easy for those reading this thread, here's my "cover restorations" (so far)...
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
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