Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #110

TITLE: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #110

PUBLISHER: Marvel

COVER DATE: January 1986

COVER PRICE: $0.65

24 pages


WHAT I REMEMBER...

As I mentioned last time, I've never really been a huge Spider-Man collector. I enjoy the character well enough, but don't have the passion to follow his titles day in and day out. With that being said, it doesn't mean that I don't read 'em every now and again.

This issue holds a special place in my collection, as these four issues were the first Spider-Man books that I recall buying fresh off the racks. I remember enjoying his appearances in Secret Wars, and definitely thought his new costume introduced there was bad-ass, but for some reason it never spurred me to start picking up either of his two regular titles.

Eventually, however, I did buy a few issues and it was with this storyline that I started. I couldn't tell you what finally spurred me to buy a few, but I'm glad I did. This particular arc was pretty intense, compared to what else was out there at the time. It definitely struck a nerve, and when I think of good Spider-Man storylines, this one always jumps to the top.

It's actually been quite a while since I've reread it, so I'm curious to see how it holds up to today's standards. Peter David's one of the best writers out there, not super flashy by any means, but he's consistently good just about every time he puts pen to paper. I have faith that this issue won't disappoint, but still...this was Peter David's first comic book work, so the chance for some clunkiness is still out there.

Finally, with this issue Peter David takes the lead with the most issues reviewed by a writer here at the Random Longbox. The funny thing is, he did it with no help from his 10 year run on The Incredible Hulk, of which I have the whole shebang just waiting to be picked for a review sooner or later. He's got a ways to go before he catches up to Curt Swan, who currently holds the record for most books reviewed, but with the sheer number of Peter David books I have in my collection it's bound to happen sooner or later.

All My Sins Remembered

• Writer: Peter David
• Layouts: Rich Buckler
• Finishers: M. Hands
• Colorist: Bob Sharen
• Letterer: Rick Parker
• Editor: Jim Owsley
• Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The conclusion to the Death of Jean DeWolff storyline begins as both Spider-Man and Daredevil are racing to the home of J. Jonah Jameson to avenge the death of Betty Brant at the hands of the Sin-Eater. Little does Spider-man know, however, that Betty is not quite dead yet as she managed to duck under JJJ's desk as the Sin-Eater fired his shotgun.

Just like he killed a priest who opposed capital punishment and a judge who coddled criminals, he has come to take down JJJ because he's against the idea of masked vigilantes. While not having any particular beef with Betty, he promises to kill her so that she can deliver a message to Jonah in the afterlife.

Betty shows she has a little life left in her as she grabs a letter opener and stabs him in the leg. That maneuver buys her a few moments, which is all she needed as Spider-Man comes crashing through the window and is surprised to see her alive.

The thought that Betty was dead, coupled with the other senseless deaths brought about by the Sin-Eater, have pushed Spider-Man to the edge. He arrived before Daredevil, and while he's fighting solo he shows a level of bloodlust that Peter rarely shows.

The Sin-Eater doesn't really stand a chance against an enraged Spider-Man, and now unmasked he's at his mercy. He apologizes to Spider-Man, but it's too late. Spider-Man tells him to save his apology for the one who deserves it, Jean DeWolff!

It's at this point that Daredevil catches up to him and sees Spider-Man on the verge of beating the Sin-Eater to death. He jumps in between the two, as Sin-Eater is obviously defeated, but Spider-Man will not be brought out of his bloodlust quite so easily. With Daredevil now between him and his prey, he becomes the new target of Spider-Man's rage.

Daredevil uses this to his advantage and taunts Spider-Man into following him as he leads him away from the Sin-Eater. Leading him away frm Jonah's house, Daredevil keeps him distracted enough that he is able to get a few lucky blows in and pummels him into subconsciousness.

Over the next couple of pages we get an awful lot of exposition that brings us up to speed with the chain of events that brought us here, so here's the super quick rundown.

The Sin-Eater was none other than Stan Carter, the actual police detective in charge of catching the Sin-Eater! With him in custody, the citizens of New York are not happy as they now have reason to fear both the criminals and the police. The rest of the force is put on alert as demonstrations start to crop up outside of police headquarters.

Jonah returns from his business trip to the news that Spider-Man has saved the life of his wife and secretary in his very own home. That's one more debt that JJJ owes Spider-Man that will more than likely go unpaid.

Back at police headquarters, we get more backstory about Stan Carter as they are visited by a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. He informs the police chief that Carter was a test subject in a drug enhancement program earlier in his career. It seems S.H.I.E.L.D. was experimenting with their own version of a super soldier serum. It worked, but also had unstable and unpredictable side-effects. The program was deemed too dangerous and was mothballed.

All of this new info means that it's possible that Stan Carter will be able to avoid responsibility on an insanity plea. That's the last thing this city needs to hear about.

The police decide to transfer the Sin-Eater to Riker's Island, and it's here that we catch back up with Spider-Man and Daredevil. Watching the transfer from a nearby rooftop, they debate the difference between justice and vengeance. Spider-Man still sees a big difference between what he does and what the Sin-Eater did. Daredevil is trying to show him that everyone deserves their day in court, even the Sin-Eater, whom Spider-Man was unwilling to give that option earlier in the story.

It's an argument left for another time, as the demonstrators on scene have succumb to mob rules and decide to take out the Sin Eater. Daredevil jumps down to protect him, but Spider-Man is still hesitant to expend any effort to protect the Sin-Eater.

The wild mob proves too much for Daredevil's heightened senses and hey are soon overpowered. He's at the mob's mercy as he calls out to Spider-Man for his help. What catches him by surprise, is that Daredevil called him by his first name!

With the death of his uncle and Gwen Stacy still hanging over him, Peter finally swings down to help out Daredevil as another innocent life lost on his watch would be too much to bear. Together they disperse the mob and get Carter secured at Riker's.

With everything wrapped up, Peter and Matt have a little unfinished business. Matt explains that he was able to use his enhanced hearing to figure out that Peter Parker and Spider-Man shared the same heartbeat and were the same man. He lets Peter know his secret identity as Matt Murdock, and the debate about justice and the law is back on...albeit on more friendly terms now.

Luckily for them, I guess, one of Aunt May's elderly friends has done something rather rash. It seems that in all of the recent simmering civil unrest, one of her friends took his old service pistol on the subway and shot three young punks who were hassling him.

Why is that lucky? For now Matt Murdock will demonstrate how the court system uses law to administer justice fairly by arranging representation for Aunt May's friend.

SO, WHAT DID WE LEARN...

...not even Peter David was able to escape the first time writer's curse of too many words. Granted, this was a different time and stories were told in a different fashion, but the story really hit a brick wall about half-way through as it shifts gear from slug-fest to morality tale of civil unrest.

The moral turmoil that Peter goes through seems a little heavy-handed, but not having re-read the previous three parts, I'm willing to give Peter David the benefit of the doubt that it got set up more thoroughly along the way.

Still, wordy as it was in parts, I like what he was trying to do with comparing and contrasting the extremes of masked vigilantes. Bringing in Daredevil to play, pardon the pun, devil's advocate for the justice system was a nice touch.

The art by Buckler and Hands was good, but also seemed to miss a step once the story switched gears. The fight against Sin-Eater and the showdown between Spidey and DD was very well rendered, but as soon as the exposition starts the artwork got a lot rougher and less defined. It was a vast difference from the first half, and definitely took me out of the story for a moment or two.

I'd forgotten that this was the issue where they learned each other's secret identity, so that was a pleasant surprise. Even more so, as it's a stark contrast to the state of the Marvel Universe over the last 5 years or so where everyone distrusts everyone and deals with the devil have rendered all of this moot anyway.

That's the great thing about longboxes, as we'll always have the good old days right at our fingertips.

All characters and artwork reproduced are (c) Marvel Comics

Related links for your surfing pleasure...

• Rich Buckler's official websites here and here
• Peter David's official website
• The Hipster Dad takes a spoiler-free look at an old copy of the trade collection
• Tom at the Fortress of Soliloquy once posted about this storyline too

Spider-Man 2099 #1

TITLE: Spider-Man 2099 #1

PUBLISHER: Marvel

COVER DATE: November 1992

COVER PRICE: $1.75

22 pages


WHAT I REMEMBER...

1992.

Somehow I don't think comics will ever be as good as they were in 1992. I'm not talking about a quality level, as the technique and craft of telling comics gets better with each passing year. No, I'm talking about comics on an emotional or gut-level.

You had the X-titles in full swing (granted this was the post-Claremont era, but it was still decent), Image was just starting, the Superman titles were building towards something huge (and ultimately something hugely destructive), new titles and new concepts were being introduced...

I truly don't think there was a time when I wasn't enjoying comics more than in the early years of the 1990's. Alas, it was soon apparent that the foundation was not as strong as we all had though it was and the bottom fell out. That however, is a topic for another day, for I don't want to rain on the parade of the book we are here to talk about today.

Spider-Man 2099 #1 is one of those books from this era that I still have some fondness for today. I haven't re-read any of these since their original release, but I still remember how much I enjoyed this title when it first came out.

2099, for those unfamiliar, was Marvel creating a new corner of the Marvel Universe set more than 100 years in the future. I guess 2099 had more of a ring to it than 2092, but whatever. The idea was to take familiar Marvel characters and re-imagine them for the not-that-far-off future. It's kind of a hokey concept, and with the initial launch of titles there was only one that really grabbed my attention...and that was Spider-Man 2099. I read them all, at least for a year or so, but Spider-Man 2099 was the only one that showed a spark of being something above and beyond a cash grab on an existing Marvel archetype.

By this time, I was also a huge fan of Peter David from his groundbreaking run on The Incredible Hulk, which was in it's glory during this period. Rick Leonardi was an artist that I was aware of for the occasional guest stint he'd had on Marvel's mutant titles, and the two of them together on a Spider-Man title was too good to pass up.

I'm eager to see just how this book holds up, some 18 years later. I'm hoping it still reads just as good, as I don't need my memory of this time period tarnished with any further blemishes.

Spider-Man 2099

• Writer: Peter David
• Penciler: Rick Leonardi
• Inker: Al Williamson
• Letterer: Rick Parker
• Colorist: Steve Buccellato
• Editor: Joey Cavalieri
• Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

This story starts out like every story set in the near future should...with flying cars! And who should be out for a joyride in their flying car, but a group of teenagers. Even in the future they're still a menace.

While a menace they may actually be, the officers of the Public Eye are actually chasing a bigger fish this day...Spider-Man 2099!

The story begins in medias res, which is a good thing as that means that we get a nice, two-page spread of the new Spider-Man in action. It's a cool technique that still allows David and Leonardi to take their time in fleshing out an origin story over multiple issues, but at the same time letting our eyes feast on the great design and visuals from Rick Leonardi.

I've always loved this costume, as it's got the simplicity of the Venom redesign, but with the classic Spider-Man colors. The finger claws give him a realistic method for sticking to surfaces that also adds to the sleek design. Lastly, the tattered web cape is for the most part nonsensical, but it works. I love the look of it, and it allows for some visual flair on the part of the artist to add another sense of movement during the fight scenes.

This particular fight scene with the local gendarmes gives us a good look at the new Spider-Man in action, dispatching the two officers on their flying motorcycles with relative ease. This looks like the Spider-Man that we're familiar with, as he jumps around and contorts his body in gravity defying positions. We soon know, however, that this is someone different as the wisecracks are decidedly absent during this mostly silent fight.

After losing the police, Spider-Man 2099 reverts to his secret identity and returns to his high-rise apartment. Miguel O'Hara, we find out, is a man with a lot on his mind.

The first of Miguel's supporting cast we are introduced to is his maid/hologram/personal organizer/answering machine (the future is truly awesome...and quite comely) Lyla. While she replays all of his holo-messages, we start to get glimpses of some of the conflict that happened leading up to our hero's transformation.

To ease Lyla's concerns over his general well-being, Miguel begins to recap the past few days that got him to this point. In the flashback, we see that Miguel was much more the carefree, one-liner spewing, smart-ass genius that we have associated with Spider-Man. He works for a massive company called Alchemax, doing some sort of research and development in their genetics department. He has little patience for his company-hack assistant, who is the constant target of his jibes.

He soon finds himself backed into a corner by Tyler Stone, the head of Alchemax, who wants to push the research faster than Miguel had intended. A volunteer of sorts is provided, who won't necessarily be missed if things go awry.

Needless to say, things go awry.
Luckily for Miguel, things were so awry that the suspect literally burned himself out before he could do much damage.

Horrified by what he was forced to participate in, Miguel heads to Stone's office to tender his resignation. Tyler Stone is a man not used to having things dictated to him, and he makes Miguel an offer he can't refuse. An offer in the form of a highly addictive drug called Rapture that he has slipped into Miguel's drink.

This isn't your usual ruffies, however, as the drug in question is manufactured exclusively by Alchemax. With Miguel now hooked, he has no choice but to stay employed to give him enough access to the drug so that he doesn't become a mindless junkie.

Later, in the grips of Rapture, Miguel heads to his home where we meet his fiancee Dana. Without thinking, he lashes out and accidentally clocks her in the face. Seeing his girl in pain is enough to break him from his animalistic stupor, as he explains to her what has brought him to this state.

In a last ditch effort to cure himself of the effect of Rapture, which is quickly bonding itself to his genetic structure, Miguel sneaks back into his lab after hours to use his gene-bonding therapy on himself to try to revert his genes back to how they were originally.

You just know that something is going to go wrong right about now, and that something takes the form of Miguel's much abused assistant. He sees what Miguel is up to and decides to amp up the experiment with some untested spider DNA sequence.

The machine soon overloads and out of the explosion stands a transformed Miguel O'Hara. Where once there was the easy-going, wise-cracking scientist...now emerges the beast-like man-spider of the year 2099!

SO, WHAT DID WE LEARN...

You know what? This issue was damn good!

I'm glad to say that I think I enjoyed this book more than I originally remembered liking it. Peter David has always been a solid storyteller who knows his craft inside-out, and it shows here.

We get a quickly paced story that introduces all of the main players in an economical fashion that allows for a lot of action and back story. It's just about a perfect first issue, that not only sets the stage for the rest of the opening story arc, but also starts to build a whole new world from the ground floor.

Rick Leonardi, as his partner in crime, is equally adept at setting the mood of the book with a look that is traditional in it's execution, but very moody in it's style. Right away, we get a sense of the familiar infused with a feeling of unease as the future turns out to be a somewhat ruthless place.

It's a shame that this title was saddled with the 2099 moniker, and the sub-par titles that launched with it, as I think people who haven't read this tend to write it off as a failed imprint from the period where Marvel were handing out series left and right. David and Leonardi found an interesting way to rework the Spider-Man origin, and told it in a modern interpretation that really paid off.

I guess we'll just have to console ourselves with the two solid years of story these two did give us and enjoy them for what they were...fun and fantastic super-hero stories.

Lastly, if you find my output a little slow over the next week, blame it on Spider-Man 2099 as I know I'm going back to the longbox to read the next issue...and maybe the next one after that...

All characters and artwork reproduced are (c) Marvel Comics

Related links for your surfing pleasure...

• Peter David's official website
• Marvel's 2099 webpage

X-Factor #87

TITLE: X-Factor #87

PUBLISHER: Marvel

COVER DATE: February 1993

COVER PRICE: $1.25

23 pages


WHAT I REMEMBER...

X-Factor has always held a special place in my collection. Set aside the fact that this title was the first major title launch that I remember buying off the shelf, or the fact that this was also the first speculation buying I remember partaking in, and there was still one thing that made this title something special.

Although now that I think about it, it was two things...Peter David and c-list characters.

Peter David was a writer that I had started reading on The Incredible Hulk the year before he started writing X-Factor. With his work on these two titles, he has earned a guaranteed first issue buy of anything new he starts. Peter David's writing pretty much introduced me to the concept of character. He took such care when advancing the story and made it much more than just moving the plot along at the expense of everything else. The characters in his stories interacted with the Marvel Universe as a whole, but always in a way that made you see something new or think about something differently.

Like I said in the previous post, he was a writer ahead of his time, and his stories still hold up to multiple rereads without missing a beat.

The second thing I liked about this title was the use of the c-list characters. And "c-list" is probably being overly generous in some cases. Strong Guy? Multiple Man? Really?

But it was with these second-stringers that you could let loose with some unorthodox stories, without upsetting the cash cow X-Men franchise that was the early 90's. One of the best of those stories was the issue we're reviewing today. So without any further hyperbolic ado, let's just get on with it.

X-Aminations

• Writer: Peter David
• Penciler: Joe Quesada
• Inker: Al Milgrom
• Colorist: Marie Javins
• Letterer: Richard Starkings & Steve Dutro
• Assistant Editor: Kelly Corvese
• Editor: Bob Harras
• Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story opens up with a peek inside of Rahne's dreams as she is cavorting around a cartoon world with Feral, drawn in the style of Ren & Stimpy. It turns out that she's been having a lot of these types of dreams, imagining herself in the place of whatever character is on the television when she falls asleep.

Is it just me, or did Joe Quesada model the cartoon version of Stimpy after himself?

Thanks to Guido cluing Rahne into how psychiatrists "really" work, she has her guard up when he starts asking her some questions. He answers her skepticism with a textbook diagnosis that hits her like a ton of bricks.

She has a combination of a lack of self-esteem and a need for approval from whatever authority figure is before her. Forced to confront her issues head-on, she admits that she's been carrying a small torch for Havok, as he is the team leader and local authority figure.

The doctor has one more insight that cuts to the core of her problem, and it all boils down to Reverend Craig, the man who raised her. All of her personality searching and need of approval boils down to the fact that she was denied love and respect from the reverend when she was growing up.

Angry at first, Rahne "wolfs" up. True to form, however, she realizes that the doctor (and local authority figure) is right.

Up next on the shrink's couch is Quicksilver. With Pietro being the somewhat arrogant and standoffish character that he is, he doesn't give the doctor much respect or time.

The doctor calls him on it, and Pietro goes on to explain that his mood and temperament is more a reaction of interacting with a world that moves at a snail's pace compared to him. Frustrating is the kindest way of putting it, so it should come as no surprise that Pietro has little patience for others.

True to form, Quicksilver has the last word, while finishing both the doctor's Rubik's Cube and jigsaw puzzle before he leaves.

After Quicksilver, you'd think the rest of X-Factor would be a pleasant experience, but Polaris is up next and she's not feeling very forthcoming today. After 10 minutes of silence, the doctor manages to get a rise out of her by complimenting her. She instantly gets defensive and assumes he only brought up her high I.Q. in order to make her shortcomings more pronounced. While never having mentioned her looks, she wrongly assumes that's what he is talking about.

With all of the recent issues she has had with being controlled, she's disappointed in herself that she has let the doctor get inside her head, so to speak. Realizing that he now has her attention, he lays it all out for her...she has body image issues and she tends to push against others instinctively. Kind of ironic for someone who controls the very powers of magnetism and can both attract and repel whatever she chooses.

Not ready to confront the truth, she chooses to rebuff the doctor's offer of kindness and leaves his office.

Strong Guy has the next appointment, and he has no problem spilling his guts to the doctor. Like he told Rahne, he knows how psychiatrists do what they do from experience. The doctor asks him about his previous experience and it turns out the Guido saw a lot of guidance counselors when he was a kid.

He then goes on to explain the secret origin story of Strong Guy. Back when he was a kid, he was really smart. He used jokes and wise-cracks to divert people from his nerdiness, but it only worked a little. Eventually he was caught between a bully and the girl he adored, and he ended up getting beat upon by him and his friends.

That's when his mutant power emerged, with his body enlarging to the disproportionate size that it holds to this day. It turns out the change has left Guido in constant pain, but not wanting to be pitied he covers up his pain with jokes and wisecracks.

So Guido did have a lot of experience in a psychiatrist's office, as he came prepared with his own self-diagnosis. The doctor plays the role of the reader here as well, when he says that he had "no idea" about any of his origin. I'm not sure if that was ever explained in any of his other appearances, but it was definitely the first time I remember hearing about it.

That session was an easy one, let's see if the Multiple Man keeps the streak going. It's a quick session with Jaime, as a little word association game soon brings to the surface Jaime's one fear...being alone.

That's one of the reasons that Jaime plays the role of practical joker, so that he can get a reaction out of people. The attention he gets, either good or bad, makes him feel less alone. Another ironic diagnosis, considering the basis of his mutant power.

Havok's the last team member to sit down with the doctor, but he has a hard time actually sitting and relaxing. The doctor calls him out on it, and we find out that Alex is overcompensating as team leader, trying to live up to the legend that is his brother, Cyclops. He's so busy trying to stay two steps ahead of everything else, that he doesn't even know if his team respects him or his abilities.

Once again, the doctor cuts to the core and wonders why he just doesn't ask them himself. Still not confident in his place as team leader, he's afraid of what they would tell him if he asked.

As the doctor wraps up his long day, looking over his notes, he is surprised by the reappearance of Polaris. She has come to tell him that she is neither repressed nor overly repulsive towards other people.

To prove her point, she debuts her daringly sexy new costume. Not something that someone repressed would do, right doc?

Realizing that she has completely missed the point of their previous talk, he gives her what she wants to hear with a compliment to her looks. Satisfied, she leaves his office feeling triumphant.

Finally it's time for the doctor to report to Valerie Cooper, who is the team's government liaison. She's eager to find out just what it is that is keeping X-Factor from acting like a true team.

In a bit of reverse psychology, he asks her to give her impression of each team member. She goes on to misread every team member at the most basic level. I think we now see who is the problem that is keeping the team from becoming a cohesive fighting unit.

She storms out of his office, muttering under her breath about his request that she take "awareness training". So distracted by what he has told her, she doesn't seem to notice the many tentacled creature sneaking up behind her. She's gone in the blink of an eye, as the doctor emerges from his office and we finally get to see who he was...Doc Samson.

SO, WHAT DID WE LEARN...

This issue is still just as entertaining now, as it was back when it was first released. In fact, do yourself a favor and don't read my review. Go out and read the issue instead. It's such a cleverly and well crafted character study, that my review just doesn't do it justice.

The issue has a great sense of humor to it, finely balancing the heavier moments that occur with some of the more emotionally revealing sessions. This story was a great primer to bring everyone up to speed who was sticking around after The Extinction Agenda crossover concluded. It was a shame then, that Peter David would be gone from the title a few months later.

Joe Quesada's pencils are relatively strong here, having to pull double duty to keep the reader's eye entertained with little to no action. Some of his characters look a little stiff, but you can definitely tell that he was an up-and-coming star who would be a major impact in the coming years.

I still think he draws one of the best looking Quicksilvers that I can remember. Not that drawing the definitive Quicksilver is one's ticket to the big time, but that says something when you can make him look cool.

I'm glad that Peter David was able to come back to this title and these characters recently, as he was able to bring something new to the premise while still retaining the old feel. He really made me care for Multiple Man as a character in his initial run, so it was cool to see that he was really able to make him the center piece years later.

All characters and artwork reproduced are (c) Marvel Comics

Related links for your surfing pleasure...

• Peter David's official website
• Not Blog X took a look at this issue too
• The last time Random Longbox looked at X-Factor...kinda

Green Lantern...starring in Action Comics Weekly #614

TITLE: Action Comics #614

PUBLISHER: DC

COVER DATE: August 23, 1988

COVER PRICE: $1.50

48 pages


WHAT I REMEMBER...

This title was released back in the days when I was pretty much a full-fledged, card carrying Marvel zombie. Needless to say, I didn't have much use for an anthology title filled with a bunch of DC characters I had zero familiarity with.

I have since learned the error of my ways.

I bought this full run of Action Comics Weekly from a mail order company years ago, and while I read all of the Superman two-pagers contained within, I have yet to really read any of the other stories in any sort of a consistent fashion.

We're going in cold on this one again, with no prior knowledge of what happens. A lot has changed in my reading habits over the last 21 years, so at least I have knowledge of who everyone is in this issue. Maybe it's for the best that I never read them originally, as I'll be able to theoretically enjoy them more now.

Bring Me A Man

• Writer: Peter David
• Artist: Tod Smith
• Colorist: Anthony Tollin
• Letterer: Albert DeGuzman
• Assistant Editor: Dan Raspler
• Editor: Dennis O'Neil

The story opens up with a classic image of Abin Sur, lying near death in his crashed spaceship. Hal Jordan appears as a ghost-like wraith, watching the events the lead to his becoming chosen as the next Green Lantern of sector 2814.

Hal Jordan seems to be surprised to find himself in this situation, so I assume the set-up happened last issue. He questions aloud why he is seeing this, and the ring begins to explain to him the motivations that lead to his being chosen as Abin Sur's successor.

According to the ring, Abin Sur was confused and panicked, ignoring standard operating procedure by commanding the ring to bring him a man "totally without fear." Normally, this is the Guardian's job, but the ring followed the commands of a distraught Abin Sur.

In scanning the human race, it discovered a discouraging fact. It found that all humans have fears, with some being more deeply troubled than others.

The ring improvises, and decides to find a man with a "minimum" of fear, and go from there.

Looking at the image of the scanned humans, I can only imagine what would've been if the ring had chosen Geddy Lee, Lee Majors, or Lando Calrissian!

The ring finally narrows the scan down to Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner. Since Hal is closer, he's the lucky guy.

Still, the ring is unsatisfied as Hal still has some minor fears. Apparently the fear of flying a "big boy" plane is first among them, as the ring finds Hal piloting what appears to be a kiddie ride at Ferris Air.

The ring's not too concerned, however, as it just reprograms Jordan's brain to make him truly without fear. Hmmm...that seems a bit on the extreme side to me.

We cut to Arisia, Hal's girlfriend at the time, excited to tell Hal her good news that she has found a job on Earth as a model. She's soon interrupted by a suicidal jumper on the ledge of the hotel in which they have been staying recently.

Inside the hotel, Hal has just finished telling his ring to revert him back to his original state before it messed with his brain patterns. The only problem is that Hal is not wearing Abin Sur's ring that performed the original procedure. His current ring says that he'll give it the old college try, but can't guarantee that he'll revert back to his original state.

Zombies? Who'd be silly enough to put zombies in a Green Lantern story?

The ring abides, just as Hal notices the jumper outside his window. Being the hero that he is, he leaps out the window to help. Unfortunately for him, he is now no longer without fear and the fact that he is now several hundred feet above the ground breaks his concentration and he falls, plummeting to the earth.

Proving that there's more to being a hero than just wearing the ring, Hal summons the strength of will to overcome his fear and manages to right himself and slowly works back up to the ledge with the jumper. Exhausted, he sits on the ledge to collect his wits, and to try and figure out just what to do next to save the kid when he can barely manage to save himself.

Hal doesn't have to worry too much, however, as the jumper has figured out Hal's secret plan all on his own. His shaky performance was all an act to show him that everyone gets scared, but the important thing is just to keep on going and to overcome. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Hal let's the jumper believe he was right. Learning his lesson, he decides to give life another try.

Hal is left alone on the ledge, resigning himself that he has to know work up the strength of will to attempt to move and get himself down from the ledge.

SO, WHAT DID WE LEARN...

Before Geoff Johns re-imagined the concept of the Green Lantern side of the DCU, I had never really had that much invested into the character. I'm therefore at a bit of a loss to know whether the revelation about Hal's lobotomy from the ring was canon at the time, or if that was an aspect of this individual story that was further explained and dealt with in it's entirety in this story.

Irregardless, I don't like it. I don't like the fact that the ring altered the bearer to be without fear. Where's the willpower to overcome fear come from, if the ring just does all the work for you.

Peter David is a talented writer that I generally enjoy, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt without having read the entire story that he knew what he was doing and that there's more to the story.

I guess I'm just spoiled, as my "golden age" with the character of Green Lantern began with Green Lantern Rebirth. It's pretty much the gold standard for how to tell a long form, superhero epic. Everything else pales in comparison, so I guess it's unfair to hold an eight page story in an anthology title to the same standard.

Don't feel too bad for Peter David, however, as my "golden age" for Hulk begins and ends with his run. It honestly hasn't been the same since.

I don't look forward to the day when Geoff Johns finally calls it quits with Green Lantern...a blackest night indeed.

Up next...Phantom Stranger!

All characters and artwork reproduced are (c) DC Comics.

Related links for your surfing pleasure...

• Peter David's official website

Stay tuned for part 2 of our review, featuring a story with The Phantom Stranger!