Fanzing 7 - June 1998 - Thoughts at 3:00 am

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THOUGHTS AT THREE A.M.
by editor … I forgot my name

A couple of news items first:

Fanzing has made Ed Dillon's DCHQ an official sister site. This new partnership is a great arrangement, since it gives Fanzing a lot of publicity through Ed's newsletter. Fanzing will focus on fiction, in-depth articles and an ever-changing array of artwork, while DCHQ concentrates more on the publications of the DC company, with info and previews on comics for the next three months, plus an art gallery and his all-new online newsletter…and on that:

Ed had a recent catastrophe in which his entire mailing list of over 1500 subscribers was wiped out. He has now switched over to the ListBot system (the same one Fanzing uses). If you previously received Ed's newsletter announcements, or if you'd like to join his mailing list now, just put your e-mail address in the area below and click the button. (You'll need to click "Back" to return to Fanzing.)

I hope you enjoyed this month's comic book quote, which was from Action #642. If you haven't read it, it's a fantastic tale in which Hal Jordan lies near death, prepared to hand over his Green Lantern ring to another individual without fear. One of those summoned, Clark Kent, urges Hal to fight for his life. Another, Deadman Boston Brand, counsels him to surrender to death. Deadman believes rather strongly that Hal should die a hero's death while he can and take his place in heaven with the other great men and women of the past.
I just bought this issue last week. Reading it for the first time now, after all that happened during Emerald Twilight, is rather creepy! It brings an all-new level of intensity to Elliot S! Maggin's story, as though Deadman knows Hal's future. Could it be that Deadman knew Hal would not get another chance at a true hero's death?
If you get a chance, pick it up. It truly is an enjoyable issue, with several different art teams contributing. My only complaint about it is the needless sexism of the "fearless" men assembled at Hal's selection. Elliot S! Maggin seems conscientious of it, which is odd since he's the writer and could easily have added a few females to the choices. Instead, he has Clark Kent make a comment about the Guardians being backwards in their thinking, which has never been the case.
As I've raided the back issue bins of my local comic shop, I also discovered the series Damage. It's an enjoyable series. Not great, but it has its moments. If your shop is having a sale, that would be a good one to pick up (especially issues 8-15). Another series that's good if you're paying less than cover price is the slow-and-uneven-but-it-has-its-moments Primal Force.
One last thing, completely off the subject of comics: my Sanyo CD player motor just gave up the ghost. One of my technically-minded friends tells me that these things usually die from two things: either a busted motor or a busted laser. If that's the case, someone out there must have one with a busted laser and a good motor, right? So, does anyone out there have a Sanyo CDP-55 motor, or know where I could find one? Just click the e-mail graphic below!

THIS ISSUE:

The Golden Age, Thomas Era & Beyond

Green Lantern: The Movie

DCU Humor

Art Challenge Results

Swimsuit Art Challenge

Sector 2814 Art Gallery