Tag Archives: metamorpho

Metamorpho The Element Man #3 continues the retro pastiche journey through the Swinging Sixties

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Metamorpho The Element Man #3

Metamorpho The Element Man #3 continues the title’s retro pastiche journey through the Swinging Sixties with period accurate dialogue (With some modern touches/jokes) from writer Al Ewing and day-glo visuals from Steve Lieber and Lee Loughridge. The latest stop on my favorite current Big Two comic’s magical mystery tour is classic spy fiction beginning with lots of pun on James Bond movie names and continuing with lots of gadgets and one-liners. However, Metamorpho #3 isn’t one-note and contains plenty of the adventure fiction type escapes that the character is known for as he, Urania Blackwell, and most importantly, Java, investigate an Olmec-type pyramid that has a very non-Olmec head on it, that of caveman-turned immortal-turned Gotham police commissioner, Vandal Savage.

Even as he introduces very modern concepts like social media influencers and popular music standom, Ewing’s script remains very Silver Age with tongue firmly planted in cheek. A lot of comedy comes from the banter between the unlikely team of Metamorpho, Urania, and Java trying to navigate the literal maze of the pyramid featuring well-placed one-liners about modern pop culture coming from a millennia-old caveman. Plus there’s Vandal Savage channeling Blofeld (Sans cat.) with cheesy one-liners as he interacts with his ally The Mad Mod (Whose panel time is shorter than last issue, but has some of the most hilarious dialogue known to comicdom.) and finally, our intrepid heroes. Like his work on modern superhero comedy/satire classics Superman’s Pal: Jimmy Olsen and One-Star Squadron, Lieber’s skill with facial expressions helps drive Al Ewing’s verbal jokes home. This is definitely a comic where you read a second time and discover all the background jokes (Vandal Savage looking fondly at a sabretooth tiger skull.) although Steve Lieber’s art isn’t dense and lets the story breathe.

Java had all the best lines in Metamorpho #1 and #2 so it’s fitting he gets his own little dramatic arc in issue three, and his actions drive the issue’s narrative with Metamorpho himself doing an elemental take on the third wheel role. The main conflict of the story centers around his rivalry with Vandal Savage. It’s interesting to see the interplay between a man whose key motivation is honor, and another who will do anything to get power. And there’s also lots of setup for future incidents in Metamorpho edging on over-exposition, but it also reminds me a lot of old school Chris Claremont-style comic book plotting where subplots would be introduced in early issues and become the main plot down the road. But mostly it reinforces the corporate sketchiness of Silas Stagg, and how maybe that’s not a guy you want to owe a life debt too.

One of my personal type of panel layout or storytelling device in superhero/science fiction/adventure comics is the hideout cutaway. In Metamorpho #3, Ewing and Lieber have even more fun with it by combining an old fashioned maze with a cutaway. Basically, the reader has to “solve” the layout to get to the inner chambers of Vandal Savage’s temple with Metamorpho and Urania and rescue Java from Vandal Savage. There are all kinds of booby traps, explosions, and frustrated Metamorpho and Urania faces, and it turns what would be a basic transition scene into the most memorable moment of the comic. It shows the uniqueness of comics medium while also continuing the weird will they/won’t they tension between Metamorpho and Urania as well as raising the stakes for the showdown versus Vandal Savage.

Al Ewing, Steve Lieber, and Lee Loughridge don’t rest on their laurels in Metamorpho The Element Man #3 and tell a visually creative spy story that also fleshes out Rex Mason’s supporting cast and connects this sideshow of a title to the larger DC Universe without feeling like a late period MCU flick. There’s a lot of Jim Steranko’s Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD in this issue’s DNA, but Metamorpho #3 is funnier and more madcap just like its titular protagonist.

Story: Al Ewing Art: Steve Lieber
Colors: Lee Loughridge Letters: Ferran Delgado
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.2 Overall: 9.1 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Comics Herstory: Ramona Fradon

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5607-2050-6129-1-aquamanRamona Fradon’s comics career began in 1950 after she graduated from Parsons School of Design. She is one of the most notable artists of the Silver Age, and has created and helped shape a number of characters in DC’s lineup.

Fradon was hired by DC following her graduation, and began working on Shining Knight. Shortly after, she became a regular artist on Aquaman. She gave life to Topo, Aquaman’s intelligent octopus sidekick, and was a co-creator of Aqualad. Aquaman was a signature character for Fradon, whose graceful art fit the character well. She worked on Aquaman for a full decade, from 1951 to 1961. During this time, Fradon and Marvel artist Marie Severin were the only women drawing superhero comics for a mainstream publisher.

superfriends37After taking a break in the 1960s to raise her daughter, Fradon returned to co-create the DC character Metamorpho, whose powers stemmed from his ability to control elements. She drew the first several issues of Metamorpho before taking another leave. Fradon returned full-time in the 1970s, again drawing for DC. Once back at DC, Fradon worked on several issues of Plastic Man and House of Secrets. She also penciled most of the run of Super Friends, a successful tie-in comic to the animated television show.

Throughout the 1980s, Fradon moved from comic books to strips, and penciled Brenda Starr after the strip’s creator, Dale (Dalia) Messick, retired in 1980. Fradon drew Brenda Starr until her own retirement in 1995, citing women’s interest as the reason for the strip’s longevity and popularity. Since her retirement, Fradon has still worked in illustration and has contributed to a number of anthologies. According to Catskill Comics, she is still accepting commissions at age 89. She is also set to be a guest at San Diego Comic Con this year.

Ramona Fradon’s contributions to comics are undeniable. Her art is iconic, and defined the classic Aquaman. She humanized these larger-than-life beings, giving them expressive faces and bodies that portrayed recognizable emotions and expressions. Her talent was and is still widely recognized, and she was the third woman to be inducted into the Eisner Hall of Fame with her inclusion in 2006.

DC Announces a Legends of Tomorrow Anthology Series

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LOT_1_cover_colIn a show of synergy between television and comics, DC Comics has announced the Legends of Tomorrow Anthology Series!

It’s four powerhouse tales in one colossal comic, as some of comics’ most legendary talents launch new tales of Firestorm, Metamorpho, Metal Men and Sugar and Spike—that’s right, Sugar and Spike!

This new anthology series will reunite several characters from DC Comics’ rich history with the writers that made them fan favorites: Gerry Conway returns to Firestorm, Len Wein will handle the writing chores on Metal Men, Aaron Lopresti will pen Metamorpho, while the always interesting Keith Giffen puts his own unique spin on one of DC’s more offbeat titles, Sugar & Spike.

FIRESTORM, written by Gerry Conway with art by Eduardo Pansica and Rob Hunter:

Firestorm is back! To save Jason Rausch, Firestorm will need to retrieve Danton Black’s stolen research from Professor Stein’s lab. But if Jason can’t fuse with Ronnie by the Firestorm Protocol…who can?

METAL MEN, written by Len Wein with art by Yildiray Cinar and Trevor Scott:

Doctor Will Magnus’ Metal Men may be the next step in robotics technology, but when the mysterious cyber-terrorist known only as Nameless comes after them, they may have met their match!

METAMORPHO, written by Aaron Lopresti with art by Aaron Lopresti and Matt Banning:

Metamorpho—a prisoner of millionaire industrialist Simon Stagg! Now, the only person who can save him is Stagg’s beautiful daughter, Sapphire!? But can they defeat Stagg’s prehistoric bodyguard, Java?

SUGAR & SPIKE, written by Keith Giffen with art by Bilquis Evely:

The last time we saw Sugar and Spike, they were still in diapers! Now, they’re grown up, and they’ve become private investigators who specialize in cleaning up embarrassing problems for the DCU’s greatest heroes. Sugar & Spike’s first assignment: retrieve a cache of Batman’s retired costumes that have been stolen by Killer Moth!

Legends of Tomorrow #1, with cover artwork by Aaron Lopresti will be on sale March 9th, 2016 with 80 pages at $7.99 US.