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      i,
      folks.
      Like
      the
      title
      says,
      this
      is
     
     
      |
      Panelology,
      a
      column
      dedicated
      to
      criti-
     
    

    
     
      cal
      appraisals
      of
      comic
      books
      and
      such
     
     
      related
      illustrative
      fiction
      genres
      as
      graphic
     
     
      novels,
      trade
      paperbacks,
      and
      the
      like
      (panelology,
     
     
      incidentally,
      is
      a
      word
      coined
      by
      comics
      histo-
     
     
      rian
      Dr.
      Jerry
      Bails
      for
      the
      study
      of
      comic
     
     
      books).
      As
      time
      goes
      by
      this
      space
      will
      feature
     
     
      in-depth
      reviews
      of
      current
      comics
      projects,
     
     
      but
      to
      start
      the
      year
      off
      we
      have
      a
      few
      short
     
     
      notes
      on
      a
      variety
      of
      ongoing,
      upcoming,
      or
     
     
      current
      books
      on
      the
      market,
      in
      no
      particular
     
     
      order.
      This
      random
      sampling
      will,
      |
      hope,
      give
     
     
      you
      a
      taste
      of
      the
      comics
      scene
      and
      a
      preview
     
     
      of
      some
      of
      this
      column’s
      panelological
      ponderings
     
     
      to
      come.
      Enjoy:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Su
      Adv:
      ‘Su
      c-
     
     
      io
      i
      H
      I:
     
     
      (ongoing
      monthly
      comics
      from
      DC)
     
    

    
     
      By
      the
      time
      you
      read
      this,
      the
      big
      blue
      boy
     
     
      scout
      will
      be
      back
      from
      the
      dead...and
      so
      are
      his
     
     
      sales
      figures.
      The
      seemingly
      endless
      story
      of
     
     
      Superman's
      apparent
      demise,
      the
      subsequent
     
     
      pretenders
      to
      his
      name,
      and
      his
      triumphant
     
     
      (albeit
      hard
      to
      swallow)
      resurrection
      is
      only
     
     
      now
      wrapping
      up,
      but
      there's
      still
      a
      lot
      of
      plot
     
     
      threads
      to
      tie
      up
      and
      the
      super
      books
      still
      hold
     
     
      some
      promise.
      Sure,
      the
      old
      “back-from-the-
     
     
      dead”
      trick
      is
      one
      of
      comics’.
      hokier
      numbers,
     
     
      but
      it
      was
      inevitable
      and
      the
      series
      writers
      did
     
     
      a
      good
      job
      of
      chronicling
      the
      death,
      rebirth,
      and
     
     
      its
      ramifications
      for
      Superman’s
      world
      in
      an
     
     
      affecting,
      comprehensive
      and
      genuine
      manner.
     
     
      Even
      if
      Supes
      himself
      is
      still
      a
      bit
      bland,
      this
      latest
     
     
      storyline
      has
      helped
      bring
      out
      some
      of
      the
      best
     
     
      strengths
      of
      the
      current
      Superman
      line:
      solid,
     
     
      seamlessly
      integrated
      continuities
      and
      one
      of
     
     
      the
      most
      engagingand
      colorfully
      varied
      support-
     
     
      ing
      casts
      in
      comics.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      loodli
      loodbath:
     
     
      (multi-part
      story
      line
      running
      through
      various
      DC
     
     
      Comics
      Annuals)
     
    

    
     
      Yet
      another
      umpteen-part,
      super-colossal
     
     
      crossover
      extravaganza
      dominates
      the
      DC
     
     
      Comics
      line
      of
      Annuals,
      the
      yarn
      this
      year
      being
     
     
      a
      plague
      of
      alien
      nasties
      who
      kill
      folks
      to
      suck
     
     
      their
      spinal
      fluid
      (yum).
      It’s
      the
      usual
      premise
      of
     
     
      a
      common
      threat
      drawing
      together
      the
      various
     
     
      characters
      featured
      in
      each
      annual,
      but
      the
      twist
     
     
      this
      timeis
      that
      a
      few
      of
      the
      survivors
      of
      the
      alien
     
    
   
   
    
     
      12/X-Press/September
      9,
      1993
     
    
   
   
    
     
      attacks
      find
      themselves
      mutating
      into
      superhu-
     
     
      man
      beings,
      some
      choosing
      to
      use
      their
      powers
     
     
      for
      good
      and
      others
      pursuing
      evil.
      The
      end
     
     
      result:
      a
      batch
      of
      brand-new
      heroes
      (“new
     
     
      biood”)
      joining
      the
      veteran
      super-types
      in
      a
      war
     
     
      to
      vanquish
      those
      spinal
      fluid-sucking
      beasties
     
     
      once
      and
      for
      all.
      Reminiscent
      of
      Predator,
      the
     
     
      series
      is
      heavy
      on
      gory
      action
      and
      about
      as
     
     
      subtle
      and
      thought-provoking
      as
      a
      boot
      to
      the
     
     
      head,
      but
      it
      has
      spat
      out
      a
      few
      interesting
      new
     
     
      characters,
      and
      they
      may
      be
      the
      only
      lasting
     
     
      impact
      this
      latest
      Annual
      hoopla
      has,
      if
      any.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Knightfall/Knightquest
     
     
      (ongoing
      storyline
      running
      through
      Batman,
     
     
      Justice
      League
      Task
      Force,
      Catwoman,
      Robin,
     
     
      etc.)
     
    

    
     
      By
      the
      time
      you
      read
      this,
      the
      “Knightfall”
     
     
      storyline
      running
      through
      the
      Batman
      titles
      will
     
     
      have
      concluded,
      the
      end
      result
      being
      Bruce
     
     
      (Batman)
      Wayne
      havingbeen
      crippled
      by
      Gotham
     
     
      crimelord
      Bane
      and
      turning
      the
      mantle
      of
      the
     
     
      Batman
      over
      to
      his
      new
      protege
      Jean-Paul
      Valley
     
     
      (a.k.a.
      Azrael),
      a
      rather
      ruthless
      fellow
      who
     
     
      becomes
      a
      darker,
      nastier
      Batman,
      complete
     
     
      with
      battle
      armor,
      high-tech
      weaponry,
      and
     
     
      claws
      that
      would
      make
      Wolverine
      cringe.
      As
      the
     
     
      recent
      returns
      of
      Superman,
      Thor,
      Iron
      Man,
     
     
      and
      others
      from
      apparent
      death
      or
      retirement
     
     
      show,
      supposed
      substitutes
      like
      the
      new
      Bat-
     
     
      man
      never
      last
      (the
      sole
      major
      exception
      being
     
     
      Wally
      West
      replacing
      the
      late
      Barry
      Allen
      as
      the
     
     
      Flash
      back
      in
      1985-86).
      Besides,
      Bruce
      Wayne
     
     
      and
      his
      dark
      but
      strangely
      noble
      pursuit
      of
     
     
      vengeance
      and
      justice
      are
      what
      make
      the
      Bat-
     
     
      man,
      not
      a
      pointy-eared
      costume.
      In
      method
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      personality,
      the
      new
      Batman
      is
      yet
      another
     
     
      super-thug
      in
      the
      mold
      of
      Wolverine,
      Punisher
     
     
      and
      their
      ilk,
      but
      his
      striking
      appearance
      and
     
     
      weapons
      coupled
      with
      a
      few
      snippets
      of
      unique
     
     
      and
      eccentric
      character
      traits
      make
      Azrael
      at
     
     
      least
      tolerable
      and
      at
      best
      intriguing,
      an
      interest-
     
     
      ing
      character
      in
      his
      own
      right
      even
      if
      he
      is
      no
     
     
      Batman.
      While
      Azrael/Batman
      may
      provea
      flash
     
     
      in
      the
      pan,
      two
      ongoing
      series
      spun-off
      from
      the
     
     
      Knightfall
      and
      Knightquest
      storylines
      show
      much
     
     
      promise
      and
      have
      the
      potential
      for
      longterm
     
     
      staying
      power:
      Catwoman
      (Gotham’s
      master
     
     
      thief
      and
      Batman’s
      sometime
      romantic
      interest)
     
     
      and
      Robin
      (Bruce
      Wayne’s
      partner,
      on
      his
      own
     
     
      after
      the
      new
      Azrael/Batman
      decides
      that
      real
     
     
      men
      don’t
      have
      kid
      sidekicks).
     
    

    
     
      Vertigo:
      (DC’s
      line
      of
      ongoing
      “mature
      read-
     
     
      ers”
      comics
      and
      special
      projects)
     
    

    
     
      DC
      has
      long
      had
      a
      tradition
      of
      producing
     
     
      innovative,
      cutting-edge
      comics
      like
      Sandman,
     
     
      Animal
      Man,
      and
      Doom
      Patrol.
      This
      trend
     
     
      escalated
      into
      a
      full-scale
      line
      of
      comics
      within
     
     
      the
      larger
      DC
      line,
      a
      sub-label
      called
      “Vertigo”
     
     
      under
      whose
      banner
      they-publish
      old
      favorites
     
     
      like
      Sandman
      (tales
      of
      the
      otherworldy
      denizens
     
     
      of
      the
      dreamworldand
      their
      master,
      Morpheus
     
     
      the
      Sandman)
      and
      new
      series
      like
      Black
      Orchid
     
     
      (the
      perils
      of
      a
      purple
      plant-person),.and
      Sand-
     
     
      man
      Mystery
      Theatre
      (a
      film
      noir
      masterpiece
      of
     
     
      mood,
      mystery
      and
      the
      macabre
      set
      against
      the
     
     
      backdrop
      of
      1930’s
      New
      York.
      Special
      projects
     
     
      and
      mini-series
      plumb
      even
      more
      bizarre
      and
     
     
      disturbing
      depths,
      whether
      it
      be
      the
      recent
     
     
      Jonah
      Hex:
      Two-Gun
      Mojo
      (picture
      Night
      of
      the
     
     
      Living
      Dead
      in
      a
      wild
      west
      setting)
      or
      the
      -
     
     
      upcoming
      Extremist
      (a
      disturbing-looking
      con-
     
     
      cept
      that
      deals
      with
      an
      erotic
      assassin...attack
      of
     
     
      the
      nymphomaniacal
      ninja,
      if
      you
      will).
      Some
      of
     
     
      the
      books
      can
      be
      mucho
      bizarro,
      some
      more
     
     
      than
      a
      little
      unsettling
      (the
      subject
      matter
      is
     
     
      often
      not
      for
      the
      faint-hearted),
      but
      gems
      like
     
     
      Sandman
      Mystery
      Theatre
      and
      Sandman
      prove
     
     
      Vertigo’s
      value
      as
      an
      outlet
      for
      more
      offbeat
     
     
      tales
      that
      conventional
      publishersmightn’t
      touch.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Infinity
      Crusade:
     
     
      (Marvel
      limited
      series
      with
      innumerable
      com-
     
     
      Panion
      crossovers)
     
    

    
     
      The
      latest
      (and
      last)
      in
      a
      trilogy
      of
      series
     
     
      based
      on
      the
      recycling
      of
      critically
      acclaimed
     
     
      70’s
      concepts
      into
      meaningless,
      cast-of-thou-