Tag Archives: Bob Haney

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Showcase Presents Metamorpho Vol. 1

Showcase Presents Metamorpho Vol. 1

First Published: October 2005

Contents: The Brave and the Bold #57 (December 1964-January 1965), #58 (February-March 1965), #66 (June-July 1966), and #68 (October-November 1966); Metamorpho #1 (July-August 1965) to #17 (March-April 1968); and Justice League of America #42 (February 1966)

Key Creator Credits: Bob Haney, Ramona Fradon, Charles Paris, Joe Orlando, Sal Trapani, and others

Key First Appearances: Rex Mason/Metamorpho, Sapphire Stagg, Simon Stagg, Java, Urania Blackwell/Element Girl

Overview: Soldier of fortune Rex Mason will go anywhere and risk his life for the right price. Millionaire Simon Stagg has not only the money to hire Mason, but he also has the beautiful daughter Sapphire, who is deeply in love with Rex. Add in Simon’s aide Java, an unearthed caveman whose origin is never explored, and we have the makings of a cast for a new book.

Rex Mason and Java have been sent to find the Orb of Ra in a hidden pyramid along the upper Nile. Mason finds the Orb but is exposed to a deadly dose of radiation. Rex survives but finds that his body has been changed. Initially, Rex can change his body into any element found in the human body. (Over time, that rule has been relaxed, allowing Rex to change into any element.) With near invulnerability, Rex Mason becomes the reluctant hero known as Metamorpho, the Element Man.

While waiting for Simon Stagg to find a way to change Rex back into a normal man, Metamorpho serves the world as a super-hero, fighting the oddball menace of the month. At one point, he encounters Urania Blackwell, who has been similarly affected by the Orb of Ra, turning her into Element Girl. She starts out as a foe, becomes a sidekick of sorts, and then fades away into the comic book character limbo until she receives her final story in the pages of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series.

Along the way, Metamorpho crosses paths with other heroes in the DC Universe, such as the Metal Men and Batman. He is offered membership in the Justice League but turns them down. becoming the league’s first standby member.

Why should these stories be Showcased?: Following his success with the Metal Men and the Doom Patrol, Bob Haney was tasked with developing another hero for DC. Borrowing pieces from each of those teams, Haney and Ramona Fradon created Metamorpho. While the stories remain firmly rooted in the 1960s, the character and, more importantly, the possibilities of the character are very intriguing. In many ways, Metamorpho feels like a Marvel character stuck in the DC Universe. Rex is an interesting character, and you should give this collection a look.

Footnotes: The Brave and the Bold #66 is also reprinted in Showcase Presents Metal Men Vol. 2.

The Brave and the Bold #68 is also reprinted in Showcase Presents The Brave and the Bold Batman Team-Ups Vol. 1.

Justice League of America #42 is also reprinted in Showcase Presents Justice League of America Vol. 3.

Metamorpho #17 promises the next issue, but the series was canceled there midway through a four-part story. Bob Haney had the chance to finish the story in a backup feature in Action Comics #413 (June 1972) and #414 (July 1972).

If you like this volume, try: Metamorpho: Year One from 2007. Created by Dan Jurgens, Mike Norton, and Jesse Delperdang, this six-issue miniseries (and available as a trade paperback) gave a modern spin on everyone’s favorite element man. Serving as host of a TV reality show, “Treasure Hunt”, Rex Mason travels the world for fame and fortune, and to hopefully one day win the heart of Sapphire Stagg. But digging through a hidden pyramid, Rex stumbles upon the Orb of Ra and is once again transformed into Metamorpho. Can he find a cure to turn him back into a normal man? Jurgens has been an unsung hero at DC for over 20 years now and does not get enough credit for his stories. This is a fun modern-day look at a classic DC superhero.

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Showcase Presents The Unknown Soldier Vol. 1

Showcase Presents The Unknown Soldier Vol. 1

First Published: November 2006

Contents: Star Spangled War Stories #151 (June-July 1970) to #188 (June 1975)

Key Creator Credits: Joe Kubert, Bob Haney, Robert Kanigher, Archie Goodwin, Jack Sparling, Gerry Talaoc, Frank Robbins, David Michelinie, and others

Key First Appearances: The Unknown Soldier

Story Continues In: Showcase Presents The Unknown Soldier Vol. 2

Overview: Two brothers from a Kansas farm enlist in the Army at the onset of World War II, and are assigned to the same unit serving in the Philippines. Trapped in a foxhole, one brother jumps on a live grenade to protect his sibling. While the grenade killed the first brother, the second brother is horribly disfigured. Given the option of a medical discharge, the disfigured soldier turns it down, wishing to remain on duty. His late brother had made a comment that one man in the right place can affect the outcome of a battle or a war. He takes on the designation of The Unknown Soldier, and returns to the front lines, undertaking special missions.

These stories are generally one-and-done stories, which alternate between the European and Pacific fronts. The stories follow a predictable formula, all the way down to the page layouts to start each story. Towards the end of this volume, we get two multi-issue stories. Otherwise, these stories could be read in any order.

Why should these stories be Showcased?: This is an interesting volume. From a historical perspective, these stories should be showcased. Anything that Joe Kubert worked on should be reprinted, and his art shines brighter in the black & white format. My concern is that I don’t think this is Kubert’s best work in the medium. I think you need to read his Sgt. Rock stories to really experience a Kubert war comic.

Footnotes: Star Spangled War Stories #157 reprints a Sgt. Rock story where Easy Company encounters an unknown soldier but not “The Unknown Soldier”. That original story, from Our Army At War #168, was reprinted in Showcase Presents Sgt. Rock Vol. 3.

If you like this volume, try: Joe Kubert’s book, Fax from Sarajevo: A Story of Survival. Based on communication from European comics agent Ervin Rustemagić, Kubert put together a disturbingly real look at what modern warfare looks like, detailing the Serbian takeover of the agent’s homeland. Rustemagić and his family survive for nearly two years before finally escaping Sarajevo for good in 1993. During this time, Rustemagić would communicate with the outside world via a fax machine, giving updates of the situation. One of the recipients of the faxes was Kubert, who later worked with Rustemagić to turn this into a graphic novel. Released in 1996 by Dark Horse Comics, Fax from Sarajevo received multiple awards both within the comics industry as well as within the publishing industry.

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Showcase Presents The Brave and The Bold Batman Team-Ups Vol. 1

Showcase Presents The Brave and The Bold Batman Team-Ups Vol. 1

First Published: January 2007

Contents: The Brave and The Bold #59 (April-May 1965), #64 (February-March 1966), #67 (August-September 1966) to #71 (April-May 1967), #74 (October-November 1967) to #87 (December 1969-January 1970)

Key Creator Credits: Bob Haney, Gil Kane, Mike Sekowsky, Neal Adams, Ross Andru

Key First Appearances: Time Commander, Copperhead, Hellgrammite, Bork

Story Continues In: Showcase Presents The Brave and The Bold Batman Team-Ups Vol. 2

Overview: In the mid-1960s, Batman was reaching to new heights of popularity. Along with the weekly television show, the character could be found across a variety of titles, such as Batman, Detective Comics, World’s Finest, and the Justice League of America. So why stop there? If the Batman and Robin team-up is so great, wouldn’t a team-up with Batman and <character of the month> be just as great? Absolutely!

The Batman team-ups collected in this volume are an interesting mix. We get team-ups featuring many of his teammates from the Justice League, such as Flash, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, and Hawkman. There are “unusual” team-ups with the supernatural characters, such as Deadman and the Spectre. And then there is the downright confusing team-ups, such as Sgt. Rock during the days of World War II.

Bob Haney wrote the majority of these stories, and seemed to be given carte blanche to do whatever he wanted within the pages of the book. These stories have often been described as taking place on Earth-B (for Bob Haney). The art features some of the best artists at DC during this era, with Mike Sekowsky, Ross Andru, and Neal Adams doing some of his earliest work for DC.

Why should these stories be Showcased?: This is a fun, fun book. You see Batman in goofy pairings that would never happen with the modern dark-and-brooding Caped Crusader. This volume gives us a look at the changing DC Universe during the late 1960s. Wonder Woman’s second appearance in this volume is during her white jumpsuit, no powers Diana Prince era of stories. Neal Adams redesigns Green Arrow’s outfit into his most familiar costume and goatee in his second appearance in the book. We get one of the first encounters between Batman and the Teen Titans, which started the ongoing storyline of Dick Grayson/Robin trying to get out of Batman’s shadow and become an equal hero in his own rights. As long as you keep in mind that some of these stories should fall outside of the ongoing continuity, you will be fine!

Footnotes: The Brave and The Bold was an anthology title that started in 1955. In 1959, it became a try-out book for new characters, such as the Suicide Squad, the Justice League of America, Cave Carson, and Hawkman. Later debuts include the Teen Titans and Metamorpho. Issue #50 featured the first “team-up” with Green Arrow and the Martian Manhunter. With issue #74, Batman became the permanent host of the title, teaming him up with all kinds of characters in and out of continuity.

Who’s Who / Reprinted Elsewhere:
#59 – Batman & Green Lantern
#64 – Batman & Eclipso
#67 – Batman & Flash
#68 – Batman & Metamorpho / Showcase Presents Metamorpho Vol. 1
#69 – Batman & Green Lantern
#70 – Batman & Hawkman / Showcase Presents Hawkman Vol. 2
#71 – Batman & Green Arrow / Showcase Presents Green Arrow Vol. 1
#74 – Batman & Metal Men
#75 – Batman & Spectre / Showcase Presents Spectre Vol. 1
#76 – Batman & Plastic Man
#77 – Batman & Atom
#78 – Batman & Wonder Woman and Batgirl / Showcase Presents Batgirl Vol. 1
#79 – Batman & Deadman
#80 – Batman & Creeper
#81 – Batman & Flash
#82 – Batman & Aquaman
#83 – Batman & Teen Titans / Showcase Presents Teen Titans Vol. 2
#84 – Batman & Sgt. Rock
#85 – Batman & Green Arrow / Showcase Presents Green Arrow Vol. 1
#86 – Batman & Deadman
#87 – Batman & Wonder Woman

If you like this volume, try: The Brave and the Bold Archives Vol. 1. As mentioned above, The Brave and the Bold became a team-up book with issue #50. This archive edition collects the first eight team-up issues. These issues are written by Bob Haney, with the exception of issue #52 written by Robert Kanigher. Each issue has a different artist, so this is a great example of the various art styles on DC during the early 1960s.

#50 – Martian Manhunter & Green Arrow / Showcase Presents Green Arrow Vol. 1
#51 – Aquaman & Hawkman / Showcase Presents Aquaman Vol. 2 / Showcase Presents Hawkman Vol. 1
#52 – Sgt. Rock, Lt. Cloud & Tankman Stuart / Showcase Presents Haunted Tank Vol. 1
#53 – Atom & Flash
#54 – Kid Flash, Aqualad & Robin / Showcase Presents Teen Titans Vol. 1
#55 – Metal Men & Atom / Showcase Presents Metal Men Vol. 1
#56 – Flash & Martian Manhunter
#59 – Batman & Green Lantern

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Showcase Presents Teen Titans Vol. 1

Showcase Presents Teen Titans Vol. 1

Showcase Presents Teen Titans Vol. 1

First Published: April 2006

Contents: The Brave and the Bold #54 (June-July 1964) and #60 (June-July 1965), Showcase #59 (November-December 1965), and Teen Titans #1 (February 1966) to #18 (November-December 1968)

Key Creator Credits: Bob Haney, Nick Cardy, Bruno Premiani, and Marv Wolfman

Key First Appearances: Donna Troy/Wonder Girl, Mad Mod, Leonid Kovar/Starfire

Story Continues In: Showcase Presents Teen Titans Vol. 2

Overview: After working in the shadows of their mentors for years, the teenage sidekicks get together to form their own super-hero club. Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad are brought together by chance. Add in Wonder Girl in the second appearance of the teenage heroes, and a new team is formed, the Teen Titans.

Teenage super-heroes have the same issues as any other teenagers of the 1960s. Boys don’t understand girls, and girls don’t understand the boys, and the grown-ups don’t understand the teen-agers. A lot of these stories have similar plots where the Teen Titans are called in to help settle a dispute between the adults and the teens of some unheard town. The generic villain of the month will show up, never to appear again in any DC comic.

The strength of this volume is the featured characters in Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Wonder Girl. These four formed the core of all versions of the Teen Titans to follow for the next fifty years.

Why should these stories be Showcased?: I will be the first to admit that I give a pass to any story written by Bob Haney. As seen with his stories in The Brave and the Bold during the Batman team-up era, Bob Haney gave the reader a fun read with each and every issue. Continuity was only observed when it benefited the story. He often broke the fourth wall to address the reader directly. And he would do his best to work in the then-current slang of the time. The Bob Haney Teen Titans were teenagers first and super-heroes second. If you like Bob Haney stories, by all means pick this up. If you are a continuity nit-pick, this volume may not be your cup of tea.

Footnotes: The name “Teen Titans” was not introduced until their second appearance, in The Brave and the Bold #60. For their first appearance in The Brave and the Bold #54, it was billed as “Kid Flash, Aqualad and Robin”.

Teen Titans #18 was co-written by Marv Wolfman in one of his first published stories for DC Comics. In 1980, he and George Perez recreated the Teen Titans, making it one of the most popular titles of that decade.

While Speedy makes a few appearances in this volume, he does not officially join the team until Teen Titans #19, which is collected in Showcase Presents Teen Titans Vol. 2. At the end of the 1970s series, Speedy is retconned into the origin story of the Teen Titans, making him one of the original founders of the team, along with Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Wonder Girl.

So who is Wonder Girl?: OK, this can be really confusing, not only for readers but even within the offices of DC Comics. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, a favorite story to tell in the Wonder Woman comic was an adventure where Wonder Woman would team up with earlier versions of herself as first Wonder Tot and then Wonder Girl. The key to remember is that Wonder Girl was just a name that Diana used as a teenager, before growing up to become Wonder Woman. In the 1960s, Bob Haney wrote Wonder Girl stories as a back-up feature in Wonder Woman. However, his stories were written as if Wonder Girl and Wonder Woman were two separate people. So when it came time to do a second issue of the teenage sidekicks, Bob Haney naturally decided to include Wonder Girl, who was now considered to be Wonder Woman’s younger sister, in the team that would become the Teen Titans. As a result, The Brave and the Bold #60 is considered to the be the first official appearance of Wonder Girl. Sad to say, Wonder Girl’s origin story would only get more complicated in the years to come…

If you like this volume, try: the 2003 Teen Titans series, originally launched by Geoff Johns and Mike McKone. This was a fresh take on the Teen Titans concept, using the next generation of teenagers using the code-names of the legacy characters (the Tim Drake Robin, the Conner Kent Superboy, the Bart Allen Impulse/Kid Flash, and the Cassie Sandsmark Wonder Girl). Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire (three of the four new members of the Wolfman-Perez Teen Titans of the 1980s) serve as the adult mentors to this new generation of Titans. There is a lot of fun energy found in the early issues of the series, but it quickly grew up as outside influences, from DC editorial and from the real world, changed the direction of the series. All of Geoff Johns’ Teen Titans stories have been collected into one large, 1,400+ page omnibus, but there are smaller trade paperbacks available as well.