...And Death Shall Have No Dominion!

Last time Ted sparred with a jai alai inspired villain named Overthrow. If that wasn't strange enough, Dan Garrett was resurrected from the dead and looking to bring down the man who stole the name Blue Beetle! Len Wein and Paris Cullins pick up where things left off with issue #18, and a story called "...And Death Shall Have No Dominion!"

Who's Who '87 Catalyst

Catalyst has been lurking in the background for the last few issues, so I figured it was time to share this Who's Who page by Paris Cullins and Malcolm Jones.

The Way The Brawl Bounces!

Last month we got a stand alone story that tried, in it's own way, to tackle the issue of homelessness. This month we see the best thing to hit athletics and adventurers since Sportsmaster and Casey Jones! Well...we get a jai alai inspired villain named Overthrow...that counts for something, right?. Len Wein, Ross Andru and Danny Bulanadi are back for issue #17, and a story called "The Way The Brawl Bounces!"

Who's Who '87 Carapax

It's the return of Who's Who. I realized while listening to the Fire & Water Podcast Who's Who episodes recently just how much coverage Blue Beetle got in the '87 updates! And since we've been following the arc involving Carapax recently I figured this was a good time to share this entry by Paris Cullins and Bob Lewis from "Who's Who '87" #1.

The Phantom of Pago Island!

Sometimes, the planets align, fate intervenes, and everything just falls into place. I kind of feel like that with this post. Our first Ted Kord post after a month of covering the Ghost Who Walks has the word "Phantom" in its title! Coincidence? I think not. So with the Teen Titans and the Hybrid behind us (mostly) we move into a new story...let's see what Len Wein, Paris Cullins and Dell Barras have for us this month in issue #14, and a story called "The Phantom of Pago Island!"

Prometheus Unbound!

Previously, Ted's friend and employee Curt Calhoun got doused with molten promethium, Blue Beetle and the Teen Titans took on team of super-villains known as the Hybrid, led by former Doom Patrol member Mento...who then revealed that Calhoun, renamed Prometheus, was the latest member of his team! So what happens next? Len Wein, and the art team of Paris Cullins, Del Barras and Pablo Marcos are back with the final piece to this puzzle, "Blue Beetle" #13, and a story called, "Prometheus Unbound!"

"Man In The Middle"

Last issue, Ted's friend and employee Curt Calhoun got doused with molten promethium, Blue Beetle ran into a semi-reluctant team of super-villains led by former Doom Patrol member Mento...and then the Teen Titans showed up. And that's just the big stuff...there was a LOT going on! So what happens next? Len Wein, and the art team of Paris Cullins and Del Barras are about to reveal all with "Blue Beetle" #12, in a story called, "Man in the Middle"!

"Havoc Is...The Hybrid!"

Hey there Beetlemaniacs! Can you believe it's been over six months since we looked at a Blue Beetle story by Paris Cullins and Len Wein? Shockingly it's true! Now, at least we weren't without our friend Ted! I mean, I hope you enjoyed "The L.A.W." and the resulting interview with Bob Layton, then there was "Justice League 3000", and "Convergence: Justice League International" and "Convergence: Blue Beetle". On the heels of those last two, now seems as good a time as any to get back into the swing of things with DC's "Blue Beetle" #11 from 1987, by Wein, Cullins and Barras...and a story called "Havoc Is...The Hybrid!"

High above the city, Blue Beetle taunts some crooks. Well, technically he scares the crap out of them. He's captured their getaway car with the BUG and takes them for a roller coaster of a ride, before dipping them in Lake Michigan...

...and then dropping them off at Chicago's police headquarters. Lt. Fisher spots him and like a captured monster on Scooby Doo, swears he'll get him someday. A few pages later, at the offices of Kord Omniversal, he's back claiming he'll pin Dan Garrett's disappearance on Ted (without realizing Ted and Beetle are one and the same). While Fisher follows up with Melody about the girl she reported missing last issue, Ted also spots Angie, his receptionist, trying to pack up and leave. After stealing from Ted for her uncle (Chronos), she feels like maybe she's no longer welcome. Ted though is nothing if he's not forgiving and assures her she is not just welcome, but expected to stay! From there we follow Ted down to the lab, where Murray Takamoto and Curt Calhoun are still working on perfecting their promethium alloy. Ted arrives just in time to see an "accidental" spill of molten promethium! It's about to pour right on Ted, when Calhoun leaps into action, shoving Kord out of the way...

...and finds himself covered in the blistering liquid metal himself. Somehow, miraculously, he manages to survive and Ted arranges for him to be rushed to the hospital. Now...why did I say "accidental", in quotes? Well, just before the spill a mysterious masked figures shouts, "NOW!", and on the way to the hospital the ambulance encounters a roadblock, followed by armed men who order everyone out and then kidnap Calhoun! Ted gives everyone the slip, summons the BUG and is quickly tracking the kidnappers as the Blue Beetle. Meanwhile, we see who the masked man is...it's Mento, former member of the Doom Patrol. It seems he's created a new team, infusing the bodies of several hapless subjects with promethium...including the girl who saved Melody and was kidnapped from the hospital last issue. 

Of the six "heroes" he's created, only two seem to be ok with the idea, the others are confused and angry. It doesn't matter, Mento is able to control them, and so they reluctantly agree to his plan...to destroy the Teen Titans! Blue Beetle is ready to crash the party though. The BUG has caught up with the chopper that airlifted Calhoun and the ambulance, and Ted manages to grab the emergency vehicle with the BUG's legs. Mento sends his team to stop Blue Beetle, and retrieve the ambulance...

...and things suddenly look bad for Calhoun and Blue Beetle. Mento's team quickly bring down the BUG, and recapture the ambulance. At that point, when all hope looks lost, the Teen Titans arrive on the scene!

Holy moley! There was A LOT going on this issue, almost too much. It was a bit difficult to track of it all. I read, and re-read it a few times before sitting down to do this recap. I guess it's a reminder of all the plots and sub-plots Len Wein started on this run, some of which sadly were never resolved. As for the guest appearance of the Titans...I'm on the fence. I know that around this time the Titans were one of DC's top attractions, outselling even the the Justice League, and I did read their book for a while, but it never really clicked for me. So, while the guest spot makes sense in a cross-promotional kind of way it really didn't do much for me. Oh, well...it's only part one, maybe Mento will succeed and destroy the Teen Titans? No, we know that won't happen...but a guy can dream right?

DC's December Solicitation is Blue!

No, not a new series (sadly) but a SHOWCASE collection of the Len Wein/Paris Cullins run!

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: BLUE BEETLE TP
Written by LEN WEIN and JOEY CAVALIERI
Art by PARIS CULLINS, BRUCE PATTERSON, CHUCK PATTON, ROSS ANDRU, GIL KANE and others
Cover by PARIS CULLINS and BRUCE PATTERSON
On sale JANUARY 28 • 584 pg, B&W, $19.99 US
This value-priced title collects the entire 24-issue run of BLUE BEETLE from the 1980s, including the Beetle’s battles against DC Universe villains Chronos and Dr. Alchemy. Includes appearances by The Question and the Teen Titans in stories from BLUE BEETLE #1-24.

"Timepiece!"

Len Wein, Paris Cullins and Dell Barras return with issue #9 of "Blue Beetle" from November 1986 (cover dated February 1987) with a "Legends" Cross-Over! "Legends", for the uninitiated, was DC's first post-Crisis cross-over event that saw the world (under the influence of Darkseid by way of Glorious Godfrey) turn against it's heroes. It also led to Blue Beetle joining the Justice League...but lets not get too far ahead of ourselves!

Right off the bat we know this is a "Legends" story. Why, you ask? Because immediately after Blue Beetle rescues a little old lady from a gang of punk rock muggers, she beats him with her purse, and screams "Down with superheroes!" If that doesn't drive home the "Legends" tie-in, I don't know what would.

While that happens in the city, out in the suburbs we get the pay off to on of the ongoing plot threads. Angela, Ted's receptionist who has been stealing bits and pieces of tech, finally sees what her uncle has been up to. Apparently, we learn through a brief monologue, he's been recuperating after a dust up with Batman and some issues with the time stream...he is none other than, Chronos, the Time Thief! Angie finally decides its time to stop him and tries to call the cops, but he freezes her with his stopwatch, and disappears into the night. 

Ted brings the BUG back to base, and laments the goings on of G. Gordon Godfrey, wondering if things keep going this way will there be a place in the world for superheroes...or Blue Beetle? In Death Valley, geologist Cassandra Sharp "dies" in a sandstorm, but is quickly scooped up by two shadowy figures in a helicopter. Not only is Ted's professional life taking a hit, his personal life is too. In the offices of Kord Inc. Ted and his girlfriend Melody watch the President announce an executive order requiring all heroes to cease activity. 

The announcement is followed by some choice words about superheroes from Godfrey himself. Ted turns off the TV, but Melody wanted to hear what Godfrey had to say, "Maybe the man has a point", she says. The two argue briefly until Melody decides she's done discussing it and needs to get back to work. 

At a secluded warehouse, Chronos accepts a shipment of clocks and other equipment, then kills the delivery men. Meanwhile Ted, Calhoun and Takamoto try another test creating, a promethium alloy. Sadly, it fails...just as the head of S.T.A.R. Labs, Garrison Slate, shows up to check their progress. Down at the police station, Lt. Fisher debates the President's declaration with another officer. Fisher is quite happy with the decision, heroes are a menace. Frank, the other cop, isn't so sure...in fact "Since he first showed up in town the Blue Beetle has defeated Firefist, the Madmen, Doctor Alchemy, the Muse..." Fisher cuts Frank off there, and promptly kicks him out. While on Pago Island, Conrad Carapax finds a door. A door that leads to "whatever Dan Garrett was searching for", or as we know...Jarvis Kord's lab! Finally back at Kord Inc. Melody and Ted are talking again...and realizing that Angie never showed up for work. Ted swings by her house and finds her, frozen in place. After bringing her back around with a simple shake, she reveals to Ted that her uncle is Chronos. Ted is about to call the cops, but figures presidential order be damned, this is a job for Blue Beetle!

Not a whole lot of Blue Beetle action this issue, but I think it worked out anyway. After shifting over to the Showcase '94 stories the last few months I think this actually turned out to be a pretty good way to get back into the core series...plenty of reminders of the various plot threads, and at least one new one. Great art from Paris Cullins and Dell Barras, and spot on writing from Len Wein as always! See you back here next week for some more Blue Beetle adventures!

"Henchman"

Len Wein, Paris Cullins and Dell Barras return with issue #8 of "Blue Beetle" from October 1986 (cover dated January 1987), the issue promises..."You've seen him all your life...but you've never really known him...until now!"

Interesting bit of trivia...this is not exactly the same Blue Beetle we saw in issue #7. This is the first post-Crisis issue of the series, and Ted himself already had a post-Crisis appearance in "Legends" #2 prior to this...so nothing's really changed... 

The issue opens with a man waking up to his alarm clock. His wife points out that it's his birthday..."the first day of a brand new life!" The man, Ed Buckley, has mixed feelings but heads to the shower to start his day. After getting himself dressed he's surprised by birthday wishes from his wife and daughter, and a gift. A new tie. Ed is off to a job interview and the tie is perfect! Things seem off to a great start for this "average Joe" until he bumps into an old friend on the street. Rudy lets Ed know if he's looking for work "the man in charge is still lookin' ta fill his dance card!" and slips him the info. Ed says he's through with that kind of work, and we start to connect the dots...Ed is a former criminal who's trying to go straight. He reaches his destination...an interview at Kord Omniversal! 

Sadly, Curt Calhoun and Ted Kord don't have good news for him. While Ed seems qualified, they don't have any openings right now (why they're interviewing without any openings is a mystery!). So Ed does what any normal rehabilitated criminal in fiction would do...he goes to check out the "job" Rudy mentioned. So, who does Ed end up going to work for? "One of the biggest names in the biz...", the Calculator!

The guys hit a potential snag early though, when the Calculator announces that he only needs 6 guys for the job, so he's going to have to send some guys on their way. First guy to go? Nope...not Ed! Some guy who announces he used to work for the Atomic Skull (Calculator thinks Skull "is such a loser!") When even henchmen can't get work you know it must be tough times in the post-Crisis DC Universe! After selecting his crew (which includes Ed...because about halfway through the issue it's pretty clear he's the main character of this story), the Calculator reveals his plan, and discusses the benefits package.** Ed gives his wife a call to let her know he's got to work late at the "new job" and heads to the join the Calculator's crew at their destination, the Consumer Electronics Show!

No sooner do they arrive than Ed runs into Ted...and a job offer! Ted has reconsidered his position from earlier and tells Ed to check in with Calhoun first thing in the morning. 

Ed finds himself in a pickle now. Bail on the Calculator and he puts his wife and daughter's lives in jeopardy, stay and risks blowing his shot at an honest job with Kord Omniversal. The Calculator begins his assault and Ed makes the call to put his family first and hope for the best. He catches a glance of Ted Kord making his way to an exit, but decides to let him go...he can't shoot Ted! The Calculator starts collecting up as many electronics as he can, and decides when he's done with that he'll ransom everyone back to their respective companies...until Blue Beetle appears on the scene!

BB recognizes Ed while working his way through the henchmen. It's a pretty easy fight but the Calculator uses the distraction to get the drop on Beetle, preparing to smash him in a trap created by his helmet. 

That's when Ed's conscience gets the better of him and he takes a shot at one boss to save the other one. Furious, Calculator blasts Ed, but that gives Blue Beetle an opening and he destroys Calculator's keyboard, disabling the helmet. Blue Beetle approaches the seriously wounded Ed to find out what happened. The last page reads like the ending to a great classic gangster movie, something with Bogart or Cagney. I'll let it speak for itself...

So, while there wasn't much Ted, or Beetle for that matter, this turned out to be a great issue! Len Wein delivered a solid story, especially considering how little we saw of our hero, and Paris Cullins was great as always, and really nailed it on that last page!


*Interesting bit of trivia #2...the issue opens with Ed Buckley waking up on his birthday...I wrote this entry shortly after waking up on my own birthday!

Hero Heritage #2

Another gem from the 1991 DC Comics Cosmic Cards...here's the Dan Garrett "Silver Age" card, from the Blue Beetle "Hero Heritage" subset... again with some sweet art from Paris Cullins, this time inked by Robert Campanella.

"Gang War"

It’s time for Blue Beetle #7 and “Gang War”*…the conclusion to the Muse/Question story arc. But wait! We lost someone on the way to the party…Bruce Patterson is no longer inking Paris Cullins’ pencils. Instead Del Barras is handling the job.

Last month, and the month before that, Blue Beetle and the Question found themselves teamed up against the Muse and his gang(s). Not just that, the last issue ended with them cornered by the Muse in an old theater! What happens next?
 
Tied up, and surrounded Blue Beetle and the Question appear to be in some serious trouble. The gangs have all signed on with the Muse and his plan to dominate Chicago. All they need to do now is eliminate the old mob, and our heroes. His first order of business? Muse asks for a vote on what to do with the captured heroes. “Kill‘em!” seems to be the popular response. Luckily Ted still has an ace up his sleeve…or rather, a remote control to summon the BUG which crashes through the wall just as Muse is about to make our heroes into Swiss cheese with an UZI. Chaos ensues as the police sirens signal law enforcement’s approach and the gangs scatter like bugs when the lights come on. Muse makes his getaway by tossing a smoke grenade leaving BB and the Question to deal with the cops…which Ted does with a strobe flash from the BB gun. 

We get a brief interlude as Angie the receptionist contemplates bashing her uncle’s head in while he tinkers with the Kord Omniversal electronics he’s forced her to steal. But she just can’t do it.
 
In the meantime, high over the windy city, Vic tells Ted he’s thinking about calling it a night. The gangs have scattered, and while they now know the plan…there’s not much they can do until Muse resurfaces. That’s when Ted pulls a Batman and unveils some new tech, “Snoopy” a small beetle shaped robotic drone with a camera and a microphone that can act as their eye in the sky. Even better? He’s built dozens of the things!
 
Don Vincent Perignon gets a rude awakening, literally, when the Muse sneaks in for a late night chat. “Psst, Pops…wake up! Hi. Can we talk?” he says, with a gun in the old mobster’s face. The two trade insults for a few panels, while Muse offers advice, “Get out of business Pops…while you still can!” Don Vincent doesn’t plan to give up so easy though…not after years building up his business. After all, he wants to leave his business to his son. Muse decides to bounce on the bed, giving the Don a moment to pull the sheets out from under the clown faced villain and call for help. Before the thugs can come to his aid though, Muse tosses a tear gas canister and leaps through a window. Geez he’s a slippery one, isn’t he? Richie, the Don’s son, comes in to see if his father is ok? He’s pretty ticked though that someone would try to scare him out of business and ruin the legacy he wants to leave for his son. “If these punks want a war…we’re gonna give ‘em one!”
 
Another interlude. Jeremiah Duncan, Kord’s chief chemist, meets his blackmailer in a dark parking garage. He hands the shadowy figure a package, and says it should finish his obligation. The figure says it does…for now, but Jeremiah will need to come up with “more of the same next week, and every week thereafter!” before disappearing into the shadows.
 


At that same time, the gangs collect at Wrigley Field…and so does “Snoopy”, which means Blue Beetle and the Question can’t be too far behind. Unfortunately, neither is Don Vincent’s mob. One of member of the youth gangs, a guy that looks like Marlon Brando in “The Wild One” decides that if Muse doesn’t show he can step up and lead the gangs. Not everyone feels the same, but it’s ok…the mob is here to snuff out the competition. As guns are drawn and fists begin to fly, two familiar figures drop from the night sky to join the fight. Beetle and Question throw down with the thugs. The BB gun flashes, punches and kicks are thrown, jokes about critics are made…and then Muse tosses another smoke bomb as part of his grand entrance. This time, he’s looking to put an end to things. He asks everyone to give up on his bad idea. “Go home, all of you…before somebody gets hurt!” Muse has now done a complete switcheroo. This doesn’t sit well with Brando, who grabs a gun and opens fire on Don Vincent. Muse leaps into action “NO! Don’t shoot him…he’s my…father!” With that, the son takes the bullets meant for his father. Ted and Vic tackle the gunman as the Don comforts his dying son. Richie gasps, “Didn’t want anyone hurt Papa…just wanted to put you out of business…so I could lead my own life…” he follows that with some Shakespeare before taking his final breath. Then, after a moment of silence, the heroes, the gangs, and the mobsters give Richie a slow clap that builds to a round of applause and the curtain falls with a final, black panel.
 
WOW! That was an oddly dark and unexpected ending! Sure the Richie/Muse bit was kind of obvious…but him dying while quoting William Shakespeare? Didn’t see that coming! Having the Question join his Charlton buddy Blue Beetle was fun. I wonder if DC ever considered having the two costar in a regular team-up book? Another light month as far as subplots…I guess that’s both good and bad. Finally Del Barras’ inks give the book a little different look. Ted appears a little thicker more bodybuilder than acrobat. Not bad, but different.
 
Haven’t posted this recently, so for you new readers…here you go!
 
Remember you can follow me on Twitter @KordIndustries1
Like me on Facebook at Kord Industries
Email me at kordindustries2013@gmail.com
 
 
*Look at that…two issues in a row where the cover blurb and story title match up!

Hero Heritage #1

Here's a fun find...going through some old boxes I came across a set of 1991 DC Comics Cosmic Cards (try saying that 3 times fast).

Here's the Dan Garret "Golden Age" card, from the Blue Beetle "Hero Heritage" subset... with some sweet art from Paris Cullins and Karl Kesel

"Face Off!"

,It feels like 1986, so it must be time for another Blue Beetle adventure with Len Wein, Paris Cullins and Bruce Patterson! It's Blue Beetle #6..."Face Off!"*

 Last month, Blue Beetle and the Question found themselves jammed up in a junkyard and deciding to team up against the Muse and his gang(s). What happens next? Read on!

We join BB and the Question on the BUG as they work out a game plan. They've managed to grab one clue...an invite to the big gang meeting. It's a simple piece of paper, with the masks of comedy and tragedy, Thalia and Melpomene, and the message "Tonight at midnight! You know where! Be there!" Ted uses the BUG's on board crime lab, but it doesn't reveal any fingerprints or clues. The duo does deduce that the meet will take place at a theater...and they agree to split up and try to pinpoint the location. As Ted starts to explain how to use the BUG's sky-wire, the Question simply jumps...and Paris Cullins NAILS it in a beautiful sequence! Take a look!

Afterwards, once the Question has returned to his civilian identity of reporter Vic Sage, we get a cool cameo, by a cabbie named Paris and his passenger, Len, who recognize the newsman.

Quick cut to the Boss of Bosses, Don Vincent Perignon. He's butting heads with his son Richie, who reports that he hasn't found out who's been organizing the gangs and turning them against the family. Don Vincent is really ticked by this punk who's trying to take over...he wants to be able to leave his "legacy" to his son, but Richie doesn't want it! Richie wants to break into show business, but the Don frowns on the idea. Richie is an only child, and since he has no other children, his father needs him to take over!

Ted swings back to Kord Omniversal. We find out that Takamoto and Calhoun have continued to work on the Promethium project...and may be closer to a solution. Angie is still stealing parts from the lab for her crazy uncle...but after a short talk with Ted she swears to herself that if her uncle keeps making her do this, she'll...kill him! Melody notes that Ted's "walk in the fresh air" has done him some good. (I guess fighting gangs in a junkyard with a faceless partner has a way of putting a spring in your step) Ted dabbles with the lab computers and makes a discovery that pulls him away from Melody yet again. She has to be getting suspicious, right?

Other plot points? Lt. Fisher stops trying to pin Dan Garrett's death on Ted, and instead stirs up some trouble at a gym full of Mr. Clean look-a-likes. Carapax tries tunneling his way deeper into the mysteries of Pago Island...until a tunnel collapse stalls his plans...for now. And Vic Sage catches some heat from his boss...until he comes up with a clue to the gang issues.

But now...the moment we've all waited for...midnight! The place? Chicago's "once legendary Globe Theatre". Gangs pour in through every door and window. Black jacketed greasers, muscular bald guys (maybe Fisher's gym buddies?), some guys that look like Zartan's Dreadnoks from G.I. Joe. It's pretty obvious these guys don't like each other...and tensions begin to rise, until the Muse arrives. He explains that he's the one that's been helping them, acting as a guardian angel, and his plan to unite them into an awesome army capable of overthrowing the old syndicate. Blue Beetle has been watching from the rafters and is just about to head back to the BUG when the beam he's on collapses, He's thrown to the wolves, outnumbered one against hundreds for about 6 panels, until the Question appears on the scene. Unfortunately for them, just like the cliffhanger of the last issue, the Muse steps in, this time with an uzi instead of a rocket launcher..."You've all had a chance to prove how tough you are! Now, I think, it's my turn!"

While this was another quick paced issue, I don't feel like it moved the story along much, and it was a little repetitive. Both this and issue #5 ended on almost the exact same note. Not necessarily a bad issue, well written and well drawn, just felt like it slowed the story arc down a bit. Oh well...there's always next time...

*It's funny...previously we've seen issue #1 with the cover "Watch Out, World!!! The Beetle Is Back And Adventuredom Will Never Be The Same!!" and a story title of "Out From The Ashes", #2 cover "In Final Conflagration With Firefist The Incendiary Man! and story "This City's Not For Burning!"...you can see the others #3, #4, and #5 for yourself...this is the first issue so far where the cover blurb and the story title match up!

Ask The Right Queston!



Ride with us now to the thrilling days of yester...er, I mean let's go back to July of 1986, when Len Wein, Paris Cullins and Bruce Patterson brought us Blue Beetle #5 (cover dated October 1986). And, as the cover proclaims, "The Question is back--and the answer is murder!"

We open with someone looking at a whole lot of notes, files and photos on Blue Beetle, that someone has questions*...and that someone is reporter Vic Sage! Vic's boss doesn't want him wasting time looking into the Blue Beetle though, not when their are gangs running wild on the streets of Chicago. And out of sheer coincidence on the very next page...a gang is running wild on the streets of Chicago! With cops hot on their tail the thugs pile into their car and speed away! One of the thugs panics "What's wrong--I thought we wuz protected!" and at that very moment someone fires a missile at the police. "See? What'd I tell ya? With the Big M backin' us we can't be stopped!!" A second shell crashes into the cops and releases...laughing gas! Hey...is the Joker moving into town? There's no time to wonder because Blue Beetle is now on the scene, following the criminals from the air in his Bug! Just when he gets close though, another explosion rocks a nearby building and Ted has to evade falling bricks, allowing the gang to getaway.

We're then introduced to the king of the underworld, no not the devil, Vincent Perignon mob boss of Chicago. Seems that gang had actually hit one of his numbers operations and he's not too happy about it. His son Richie is on the case though.

Meanwhile, at a coffee shop, Vic Sage is meeting with an informant by the name of "Rodent". The rat (haha, he's an informant, and his name is Rodent...get it?) tells Sage he's heard someone is trying to organize the "kid" gangs. He doesn't have a name, but he knows they're planning to meet at midnight!

Ted brings the Bug back to his underground hide-out for a check-up, and things look good. No damage from the falling bricks!

Lt. Fisher is still determined to pin Dan Garrett's death on Ted, but his boss has other plans. The Captain tells Fisher he needs to drop the Garrett case, or at least do it on his own time. The police are focusing on the gang problem and Fisher needs to get on board.

Ted and Melody have a brief interlude.Ted's questioning how he got here.** The conversation seems to cover both Ted being placed in charge of Kord Inc and becoming Blue Beetle (though he never tells her this). She assures him he's doing the right thing, and that under his leadership Kord Inc has grown into a force second only to STAR labs! We also learn that Ted's dad is MIA, involved with some kind of Egyptian dig before Ted steps out for fresh air...as the Blue Beetle!

Faster than you can say "gang fight", Vic and Ted are fighting side by side, as the Question and Blue Beetle of course, against an army of gang members in a junk yard! What follows is 5 pages of great action and bad puns. Putting hoods under the hood (of a car), using a garbage can to take out the trash (gang members being the trash). This all comes to a "wha-whoom" stop when another missile comes flying into the dump giving the gang members a chance to get out. BB and the Question dust off and decide to work together on this gang issue...and the starting point? Figure out who is "Big M"? Two panels later we readers know the answer...a comically clad villain named "The Muse"!

So there you have it, another fast paced, action packed issue! A lot of the previous sub-plots take a break this issue (like Angela the receptionist, Carapace back on Pago Island, and Jeremiah) which works well to move things along. And I've said it before, I'll say it again...Paris Cullins draws some amazing fight sequences...I think I'm going to have to start scanning a few panels to include with these reviews in the future...great stuff!

* get it? Questions...sorry, couldn't resist.

** This kind of statement always reminds me of the movie "That Thing You Do"...as the band in the film takes the stage the guitarist looks at the drummer and asks "How did we get here?" The response? "I led you here sir, for I am Spartacus."





The Answer Is Alchemy!

Set your Way Back Machine, TARDIS or other method of time travel to June of 1986* when the team of Len Wein, Paris Cullins and Bruce Patterson brought us Blue Beetle #4! "The Beetle Battles An Ancient Evil...The Elemental Madness Of Doctor Alchemy!"



When we last left our hero, Kord Inc's headquarters was under attack by the Madmen and Docor Alchemy had just burst onto the scene! As the two begin to tussle though, we learn BB has never heard of the bad Doctor. "Apparently, my name hasn't spread much beyond Central City..." the villain replies. We also learn that Doctor Alchemy came to Kord Inc to merge his Philosopher's Stone with the prometeum, and, after dropping it during their fight, that the stone won't work for him unless he's holding it. After a few more punches Alchemy manages to escape through a window after turning a lab table into a helium filled getaway vehicle!

Elsewhere, Angela (the theiving receptionist) surveys the damage and helps untie Jeremiah and Melody while Officer Fisher rounds up the remaining Madmen. In the meantime Ted gets out of costume and back into his civilian clothes, and just in time too! Fisher barges back into Ted's office to throw more accusations about our hero's involvement in Dan's death and promises he'll get the answers he's looking for one way or another!

Back on Pago Island, a humming noise from deep within the rocks gets the attention of Conrad Carapax...but that's all we get of this particular sub-plot for now.

In Chicago, Alchemy takes of his hood and hangs out in his seedy hotel room pondering the power he has at his fingertips. The only problem? He realizes now that he has to hold the stone for it to work. So...what's a villain to do? "I simply must become the stone!" And, so, he wills the stones power into himself, but quickly finds it's more than he's prepared for...more power than he can control!

Ted takes a few moments to chat with Melody about love and marriage, and with Jeremiah about getting beat on by thugs, before popping by the lab. Takamoto is up in arms about the prometheum being stolen, until Calhoun assures them he only got away with a small piece. That's when they get word that an out of control Doctor Alchemy has just attacked STAR Labs. Ted slips out of sight and into some blue tights before hopping in the BUG to save the day.

The incident at STAR Labs is being covered by the media...but not just anyone, it's Vic Sage. Alchemy is running wild, turning various members of STAR Labs security into elemental statues, but Ted starts to figure out that the power of the prometheum is killing him...until in one big "POUF!"  Alchemy really does get what he wanted and literally becomes the stone. Outside Sage questions** Takamoto about what happened. We don't know if Alchemy is alive or dead, but STAR is ready to work on curing him. Blue Beetle gets credit for defeating the villain and compared to the Lone Ranger. But when Sage asks if Takamoto can help him get an interview with the scarab superhero he finds that BB doesn't tend to stick around long enough to chitchat...

This was another solid issue! The pacing is quick and fun (even if somethings are handled too quickly, like the Pago island drive-by) and the art is great! I've always thought Kevin Maguire did some of the best facial expressions in comics...re-reading these early issues of Blue Beetle I'm recognizing just how good Paris Cullins is too! Shock, surprise, malice...he can do it all!

* The issue is cover dated September 1986, but Mike's Amazing World Of Comics lets us know it actually hit the shelves June 12, 1986!

** see what I did there? Questions...get it?

50th Blog Post: Paris Cullins Interview!

This is the 50th blog post here at Kord Industries, and when I thought of ways I could make this special I decided to try to get an interview with one of my favorite artists...Paris Cullins!

We had a great chat, in which we talked about, among other things, how a background gymnastics and wrestling helped him visualize and layout fights on the page, the highs and lows of Star Wars, and which countries provide the highest traffic to this blog outside the US. (We were both pleasantly surprised by the fact that Germany and Russia round out the top 3 traffic sources!)

So without further ado...I present Kord Industries interview with the one and only Paris Cullins!

Kord Industries: Thank you very much for talking with us! In prepartion I was glancing at your credits on comicbookdb.com and I was surprised to see a lot of horror titles listed. I even went back into my collection and found some of your stuff on "I...Vampire", wow! Are you a fan of the genre? What's your all time favorite horror film?

Paris Cullins: Yeah, I’m a big fan! In comics Charlton’s the “Bloody Mermaid”(Ghostly Tales #91 ) stands out as an early influence. At DC, early on, I was in the practice program doing stories for "Ghosts", "I…Vampire", "House of Mystery"…as far as favorite movies…"Hellraiser"! That movie was like Edgar Allen Poe for the 90’s! The book was good, more clinical, but the movie? You saw what changed her…it was Frank! Opened up an emotional door you can’t close and she changed! She became the monster!

KI: It looks like the majority of your work has been with DC, but you have worked with some other companies as well. What goes into your decisions about which publisher to work with?

PC: I worked for Harvey on “Hot Stuff”, Archie, Nintendo, MTV…In my head they all had a style, everyone has a style and that’s the way you look at it. At DC, if I wasn’t working on a regular title I’d work on special projects, style guides, products like Super Powers, commercial work…that pays more than the average book sometimes.

(Blue Beetle, drawn by Paris Cullins and colored by Tim Wallace. Oh...hey! That's me!)

KI: Since this is a Blue Beetle blog, tell us about your work on that book. How’d you get that assignment? Where you already familiar with the character?

PC: The first collected comic I had was Blue Beetle! My mom was a collector and 1968…for Christmas, she gave me a collection she bought, it had like 8 issues of Blue Beetle, a couple issues of Captain Atom, some Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt…so when I was at DC and Crisis had that shot of Blue Beetle fighting Chemo, that drove requests! They wanted a Blue Beetle comic in like 2 weeks, so Len (Wein) wrote the story and in 2 weeks we were done and running to keep up! We never got to tell the story we wanted to, the origin, because we were always running and then there events like Legends and all…he’s this guy, 19-20 years old, with hormones and all, and he’s willing to close himself away and build all this…it does something. He was like Short Round to Dan Garrett’s Indiana Jones, this archeological assistant…we wanted to work on that, but never got the chance to follow up…

(Captain Atom, The Question and Blue Beetle, by Paris Cullins)

KI: One of the things I loved about your work on books like Blue Beetle and Blue Devil was your style. It always struck me as a perfect blend of comic art and what I believed were influences from animation. How did you develop that style?

PC: My work on Blue Devil came out of the 80’s manga craze, but it’s not just that, it’s a lot of things! Animation, stuff like Hanna Barbera, Space Ghost, The Galaxy Trio, Samson and Goliath, that Alex Toth stuff, Kirby, there’s Kirby in there and Ditko. Some strange Ditko connections with me actually…Ditko was supposed to draw Blue Devil, but he passed, so I got it! Then one night I’m in McDonalds at 2:00am trying to finishes pages of Blue Beetle to make a deadline and this guy walks over to see what I’m doing, and I recognized him right away! He says “Hey, that’s the Blue Beetle. Who’s drawing that now?” and I said “Some guy named Steve Ditko” then introduced myself.

KI: What are the odds of that happening? Must have been awesome! So, this provides a good lead into my next question...do you find yourself torn as a creator when characters you've worked on have changed, or as a fan do you enjoy seeing what someone else comes up with?

PC: Something like Blue Devil, it’s not about science, or sorcery or Hollywood…it was about all 3! That comic was supposed to be fun, this guy should enjoy himself, and he does…but it wasn’t the same after we left, it just wasn’t what I would buy, not what I want in my books.

KI: You did a lot of work on DC’s Who’s Who books too, including some great covers! How did that come about? Did you choose the characters you worked on or were they assigned?

PC: I did a lot of layouts for covers, for guys like Dave Gibbons, Green Lantern covers, Atari Force, Vigilante, Wonder Woman, DC Presents…I’m not going to name the artist, but someone didn’t finish a job and they needed 18 pages done in a day! I was in the corrections office, Marvel calls it something else, but at DC it was corrections, and Len comes in and says they need 18 pages of Justice League, they didn’t care how, they just needed it…so I went home, worked on it all night, in the morning, on the train…from then on, if they needed something, they called me!

KI: What are you working on now?

PC: Right now I'm doing a couple things..."The New Devil" with Gary Cohn (co-creator of Blue Devil)...we're out to make something like Blue Devil, but better! It looks like that may turn up in Heavy Metal. I have "Marcus Arena", "Monsta Deacon", I'm doing pinups and interiors for "Bronx Heroes" and some Blue Beetle and Blue Devil fanfiction too!

(Marcus Arena!)

KI: WOW! Well I hope there's a chance we can run that here at Kord Industries! Last question...if your work on Blue Beetle had been adapted into a TV series in the 80’s, who would you have cast in the role of Ted Kord? 

PC: Actually, for Blue Devil, we used…you remember that show about the stunt man? "The Fall Guy", we used Lee Majors, and Scott Bakula. Sort of a combination of them. And for Blue Beetle, it was Bruce Boxleitner and Tom Hanks!

KI: Thanks Paris! This really has been great and I hope we can do it again!

So there you have it...and he was kind enough to leave the door open to future chats, and maybe even some special stuff for Kord Industries (like that fanfiction he mentioned!)

Check him out on Facebook and at Wordpress (they're clickable!)

Thanks again to the amazing Paris Cullins, and thanks to all you Beetlemaniacs for continuing to come back and enjoy the blog!