Human Bomb #1 Review!

Cover of Human Bomb #1.
Art by Jerry Ordway.

I enjoyed this issue a whole lot more than the bulk of  the Phantom Lady series. Even a tad more than The Ray, but we'll have to ride it out to see how it progresses. As it stands, this issue moves at a clip, getting introductions underway and moving right into the action. Perhaps things are getting more exciting now because some threads from the three series are coming together. Uncle Sam, who debuted at the end of The Ray, is already central to the current story.

Jerry Ordway provides full (and beautiful) art for the cover and interiors. No doubt this influences my impression of the book. But hey: comics are a visual medium and the quality of the art is going to affect the reader's impression, no?

The new Human Bomb's story begins three years ago in Afghanistan, where Sgt. Michael Taylor's troop of five Marines was ambushed not by Taliban, but by men in black body suits and gas masks. The men were shocked unconscious, and he apparently did not remember the incident afterwards.

Phantom Lady #4 Review!

FINALLY.

Finally, in the last issue, the dialogue and story kick in to prime Palmiotti/Gray gear.

I feel sort of bad for harping on the art in this series, however it continued to disappoint. I can't think of much else to describe it except "serviceable." :(

Here's the page that I loved reading most. The personality of each character starts to shine and come off the page a bit better ...

DC's Who's Who: Quality Pages

From the cover of Who's Who #2;
art by George Pérez.

I never once looked to these profiles when writing my book for any kind of background information, probably because I always prefer to go to the source (original stories) for those things. But it occurred to me I might find something interesting, so I dug out all of my old Who's Whos and scanned the entries for Quality's characters.

There's some gems here in the art. Most notably, Brian Bolland draws Lady Blackhawk, and Murphy Anderson draws the lion's share of the rest. A couple are pretty bad, but it's clear that the artists had to do a minimum of research in order to render the supporting cast and historical details. William Messner-Loebs (very crudely) drew the Human Bomb—who knew he was once an artist? Jerry Ordway, as always, turned in a gorgeous Black Condor.

Phantom Lady #3 Review!

Phantom Lady #3 (Dec. 2012).
Cover by Stephane Roux.

Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti pick up the pace with a knock-down battle with the mercenary, Funerella. This villainess is a rather good choice for an arch foe. She first appeared in the pre-DCnU era, in Freedom Fighters #4 (Feb. 2011), written also by Palmiotti and Gray.

She's an amped up zombie with absolute control over her undead form, and over those she infects. Funerella's power extends to the ability to deteriorate inanimate matter, too.

It seems Phantom Lady's black light isn't as effective against her, either. In fact it's coldness seems to have an affinity for her. When Doll Man shoots her in the head, it does not kill her—she's already dead.

Plastic Man on DC Nation

Nothing tops the Freedom Fighters' appearance (plus Plastic man!) on Batman: The Brave and the Bold (November 12, 2010; watch a bit here).

But Plactic Man appears fairly regularly in DC's Cartoon Network shows. This includes Young Justice, where he is a member of the Justice League.

And there are the following shorts starring Plastic Man:

• Super Hero Sketch Artist
• Boobtube
• The Many and the Fowl

But did you know you can also play the Plastic Man games, Danger in the Secret Passage (easy) and Plastic Attack (hard for a game idiot like me)?! They're inspired by his appearances on Batman. Plas first appeared in the series' second episode and eight times total. It ran from 2008-11.

DCnU Roundup: New Solicitations

Catching up to the DCnU Blackhawks!

Before we get to the new stuff, some housekeeping... The DCnU Blackhawks series is a while gone, but I still had a couple of adventures to log. These are included now in the profile at Cosmic Teams! It includes the last issue of their series (#8), and their origin from DC Universe Presents #0.

Phantom Lady #4

I guess DC forgot to add this issue to its solicitations. OMG.
In this concluding issue, Phantom Lady goes to head-to-head with the most unusual adversary of all: Funerella!
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, with art by Cat Staggs and a cover by Stephane Rouz. 

Human Bomb #2

• John discovers the secrets of his metahuman gene. • Who are the Men in Black?
Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art and cover by JERRY ORDWAY
On sale January  9, 2013

Human Bomb #3 

The Human Bomb and Joan lead a military invasion into a hidden C.R.O.W.N. installation.
• They discover an alien invasion is in the works!
• Plus: The Human Bomb discovers his new abilities!
Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art and cover by JERRY ORDWAY

On Sale  February 6, 2013

Phantom Lady #2: Review!

If DC is planning to relaunch the Freedom Fighters, they're going to have to amp things up. Here I can't help compare Phantom Lady to the advance sketches for Grant Morrison's Multiversity (starring DC's Charlton characters). Even without words, I can sense that something bold is in store for readers—while casting lower-tier characters. What's to lose, after all? In reviving characters outside of the DC mainstream, I've admired great works like Darwyn Cooke's Spirit, Azzarello's First Wave, and some of the recent Red Circle/Archie licensing written by Straczynski. 

Why bother to write any B-list (or lower) property conservatively? Isn't it precisely these characters who benefit from breakthrough storytelling and characterization? They've less to prove, and fewer expectations to which they must adhere. Palmiotti and Gray's very earliest reinterpretation of the Freedom Fighters did exactly this. Their Stormy Knight was a layered Phantom Lady; their Human Bomb was sleek and tragic; the Black Condor leapt off the page with power. Was it wrong of DC to return to the same well so soon, for the DCnU version?

... Last month, Jennifer Knight had been abducted by her quarry, Cyrus Bender, and Dane Maxwell had become the victim of his own experiment—shrunk to the size of a doll! ...

Bender tortured Jennifer instead of killing her. When he and his men left, Dane came to her rescue—in costume, sporting a mask and armor outfitted with a jet pack and laser weapons. When they returned to his lab, he bestowed her with weapons of her own. One that allows her to become intangible. The others were gauntlets controlled by a neural interace woven into the hood of her uniform. With them, she could fashion shadowy matter into any form.

Doll Man's debut, from Phantom Lady #2 (2012).
Art by Cat Staggs and Tom Derenick.

The two spent some time at Calvin City Lake where they trained and Jennifer coined her own codename: Phantom Lady. In turn she suggested some for Dane, settling on Doll Man because his clothes were made for dolls (he doesn't like it). While sparring, Dane experienced the nature of her shadows: like death, a different plane, claustrophobic.

After they began their costumed campaign against the Benders, Cyrus hired his own meta-muscle: Funerella. Notes: Calvin City was the home of the Golden Age Atom. Funerella was a villain in the 2010 Freedom Fighters series; she looks the same here. (#2)

The art is a little bit better in this issue and showing more sex appeal in the lead character. Still, when I read it there is some sort of disconnect. The writing is solid, the art is competent, but added together, the experience is not exciting. 

Phantom Lady #2-3

UPDATE: Preview is available at DC

DC has solicited the second issue. It looks like you can see the wristbands that the most recent Phantom Lady used. Those bangles had massive space-warping powers, used for teleportation and the like.

• PHANTOM LADY’s crusade to avenge her family’s death lands her in the hands of her worst enemies.

• Her tiny teammate, DOLL MAN, is on the way to save her.

Written by: Justin Gray,Jimmy Palmiotti; art by: Cat Staggs, Richard Perrotta; cover by: Stephane Roux

On Sale Date: 

Sep 26 2012

BTW I LOVED the National Comics: Eternity issue! I'll be writing that up. Buy it! It was the perfect reinvention of the character and I really hope to see more of it.

UPDATE: Phantom Lady #3 is on sale 31 October 2012 and DC says...

• Phantom Lady and Doll Man face the frenzied fury of Funerella!
• Can the newly formed duo stand a chance against this villain’s strange powers?

Funerella was a villain created by Palmiotti and Gray for 2010's Freedom Fighters series.

Human Bomb #1!

Who knew that this would continue? Just announced: another Quality character mini-series, following The Ray and Phantom Lady—the Human Bomb!

There's something new going on this time around, though. The book is part of other books called "Beyond DC Comics—the new 52." Other titles include those based around TV shows and "Elseworlds" concepts. This appears to put Quality characters back on their own Earth again.  Grant Morrison's project to define DC's parallel Earths, Multiversity, is still slated for publication, and after that we my know more about DC's preference for multiple Earths and who lives where.

And very exciting news for me: art by Jerry Ordway! No hint from the solicitation that this character borrows from any Quality history. The character is Michael Taylor, a name which has no relation to any of the other iterations of the Human Bomb.

HUMAN BOMB #1
Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI Art and cover by JERRY ORDWAY

On sale DECEMBER 5 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 4, $2.99 US • RATED T
• Ex-Marine and war veteran Michael Taylor discovers a conspiracy to use human bombs to destroy the United States! But how can he possibly stop them when he could be their ultimate bomb?

Phantom Lady #1: Review!

As always, the writing team of Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray deliver a fresh take on two iconic Quality Comics characters, Phantom Lady and Doll Man. Amanda Conner's gorgeous cover drawing really channels the spirit of this heroine, but the interior art by Cat Staggs though competent, does little to elevate Phantom Lady's legend as a sex symbol (a lost opportunity for DC; there's a lot of fandom surrounding this character).

Robert Bender murders Jennifer's parents. From Phantom Lady #1 (2012). Art by Cat Staggs and Tom Derenick.

The new heroes are Jennifer Knight (originally Sandra Knight) and Dane Maxwell (originally Darrel Dane). Their personal lives are intertwined, having known each other since childhood. And they share a romantic connection (so no Doll Girls on the horizon here!).

Jennifer's story is similarly tied into that of her father's, Harry Knight, a renown writer for the Daily Planet. When Jen was six, Knight's stories about Robert Bender, head of the Bender crime family, earned him and his wife a ticket to early graves.

Quality Comics Indicia: Early indicators

When I was writing the book, no copy of Quality's first issue, Feature Funnies #1 (Oct. 1937), was available to me. Well it still isn't available, but a gracious collector, Todd Warren, has hooked me up with another collector who was willing to take a solid picture of its indicia! (Incidentally, I just provided my coverless paper scan of issue #2 to the DCM. Now to get my issue of Uncle Sam Quarterly uploaded!)

Indicia from Feature Funnies #1 (Oct. 1937)

There is something curious about the indicia in the first line, where it inexplicably reads "VOL. 9." This seems too deliberate to be a typo. Volume numbers were used regularly by periodicals of the time and reliably counted the years of publication. This would have meant that whatever "predecessor" would have begun in 1929.

What's interesting is that this year is the same in which George Delacorte launched Dell's The Funnies. That book actually continued in publication through 1939 and there are no similarities in the content between it and Feature Funnies (in fact, some of the strips in Dell's book later moved into National's). Famous Funnies by Eastern Color ran from 1934–1955.

The same volume designation appears in Feature Funnies #2. This opens up a whole lot of questions, especially because of something Will Eisner said, which nags me to this day. Eisner stated,

Phantom Lady Preview is Up!

Out this week! DC Comics has released a preview of this mini-series:

When she was very young, Jennifer Knight watched her parents get killed by Metropolis’ oldest and strongest crime family: The Benders. Cut to years later and an adult Jennifer is following in her father’s footsteps by taking on the crime world as a reporter … and as a super hero! Phantom Lady to be exact. But will she experience the same fate as her parents when she tries to infiltrate the next generation of Benders? And don’t miss the astonishing origin of the diminutive hero Doll Man!

Featuring a cover by Amanda Conner with Paul Mounts, PHANTOM LADY #1 is written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti and is illustrated by Cat Staggs and Tom Derenick.

The description reveals the change in her alter ego's name from Sandra or Stormy, to Jennifer. It remains to be seen whether she has any personal scientific connection to her powers and gear. The original Phantom Lady was the inventor of her fantastic powers, which came from her "black light wristbands." 

The preview's pages reveal that this Phantom Lady uses special goggles for night vision and "3-D relay vision, and can "shadow slide," or transport herself via shadows. This is a change that echoes the super-powers of Nightshade and Obsidian (neither of whom have a DCnU presence as of yet). 

SIDE NOTE: Notice the awesome logo for Doll Man, which riffs of the original Quality logo!

Original Logo

Logo from Phantom Lady #1

More here...

National Comics: Eternity #1 (Sept. 2012)

Wow! Go and read this right away!

I'm becoming a devotee of Jeff Lemire's writing. This one-shot reads like a teleplay. I wouldn't be the first to speculate that for Warner Bros., DC functions as a sort of R&D lab. If so, this comic book is a great pilot. By the time you're done, you want this to be a TV show.

In a recent interview at Comic Book Resources, Jeff Lemire gave up some surprising tidbits concerning the nature of the DCnU, saying:

"As far as I know, and I might be corrected on this, the "National Comics" titles are out of continuity because I know that there is a Madame Xanadu one and it has nothing to do with the New 52 Madame Xanadu. So no, I don't make any reference to any other DC Universe character. It is a self-contained, totally out-of-continuity take on the character. We just kept the original name and stuff."

Also, he'd originally wanted to include Eternity in his Justice League Dark title.

Keep reading...

New Things Quality

A few things to note…

Women of the DC Universe:
Phantom Lady Bust

1. Quality Collectibles!

I started a page at Cosmic Teams devoted to collectibles based on Quality characters. See it here!

2. Kid Eternity news!

There's a new interview at Comic Book Resources with Jeff Lemire, who is penning the return of Kid Eternity! Lemire gives up some surprising tidbits concerning the nature of the DCnU, saying:

"As far as I know, and I might be corrected on this, the "National Comics" titles are out of continuity because I know that there is a Madame Xanadu one and it has nothing to do with the New 52 Madame Xanadu. So no, I don't make any reference to any other DC Universe character. It is a self-contained, totally out-of-continuity take on the character. We just kept the original name and stuff."

 Also, he'd originally wanted to include Eternity in his Justice League Dark title.

I'm sensing a theme...
Classic Photography #1 (Autumn 1956)

3. Arnold Magazines!

I've been quietly adding to this section, which focuses at length on Arnold Publications, the offshoot of Quality Comics by Busy Arnold that limped along when the comics ended, from 1956-1958. I daresay it's the most complete list yet, although I'm still missing a few cover scans.

The rarest of all are the pulp digests, which never appear on ebay. I found two on Amazon.

I'll publicize it more when I've written it more fully, but it already contains lots of notable scans from the issues I've acquired:

• Introduction
• The Sweats
• The Pin-Ups
• The Digests

Protoplasman (Big Bang Comics)

Plastic Man was parodied lovingly by Big Bang Comics, a publisher who specializes in that sort of story. Created by Gary Carlson, Protoplasman was more about channeling the magic of Jack Cole than simply renaming a popular character. These stories are a lot of fun, and while the art doesn't capture Cole's unbridled sense of composition, it's a solid homage. The first issue of Big Bang Presents (2006) also contained editorial comment about the road to Proto. Carlson had many proposals to do a Big Bang version of Plastic Man, but found them all lacking until meeting artist Mort Todd. Todd's drawing style mimicked both Cole's early Plastic Man style, and the later horror style of the pre-Code 1950s. The first issue jumped right into his story, and the origin was told in his second appearance, Big Bang Presents #3…

Covers of Big Bang Presents #1, 3, 4 (2006–07). Art by Mort Todd.

DCnU Quality Watch 5: Phantom Lady!

DC is finally putting the horse in front of the cart by showcasing one of their most fan-favorite properties—Phantom Lady! (Go ahead and Google her; there's some kind of untapped potential there.)

Phantom Lady #1, will be written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti. The cover art is by a personal favorite, Amanda Conner, though sadly she does not illustrate the interiors. That's being done by Cat Staggs and Rich Perotta. Out August 29.

What's more, "joining her will be her partner-in-crimefighting, the diminutive dynamo known as Doll Man."

I'm a tad disappointed—but not surprised—that there's no real homage to the look of the Quality heroes here. Will these be Stormy or Sandra Knight? And is that Darrel Dane or Lester Colt? (Their Ray did not recycle any previous alter egos.) But hopefully this will sell well enough to warrant what seems to be in the works: another Freedom Fighters revival. 

As DC puts it:

“Phantom Lady and Doll Man is an exciting return to the roots of the characters as pulpy, street level crime fighters with a few new twists and some heavy sci-fi overtones,” Justin Gray told THE SOURCE. “We took the best of their original core concepts and updated them with no relation to our previous work on Phantom Lady and Doll Man in the Freedom Fighters. You're getting in on the ground floor of the origin story of two people whose lives intersect and a common threat that transforms them into pretty amazing and engaging superheroes.”

“I have to say I am really enjoying what Jimmy and Justin have created,” said Cat Staggs. “It is a wonderful take on a classic character. The story itself leans towards a gritty crime noir, which is something I am a huge fan of. Getting to draw this on a daily basis is a dream! I can’t wait for fans to see it!”

It all started with Matt Baker's original
reinterpretation of the heroine in 1947.

Gray and Palmiotti are rather becoming veterans at reimagining the body Quality. They most recently reinvented the Ray, and updated the Freedom Fighters within the last decade. This mini-series will also follow the relaunch of Kid Eternity in National Comics #1, out July 25.

Phantom Lady gained fans and notoriety in the late '40s/mid-'50s when Jerry Iger (she was created in his studio for Quality) took her to Fox then Ajax. Her original Quality adventures were short-lived. They ran from Police Comics #1-23 (August 1941–October 1943).

READ MORE at Cosmic Teams!

• Phantom Lady
• Doll Man
• The Ray
• Freedom Fighters
• Kid Eternity

Arnold Magazines: Man's Exploits #1

After publishing Quality Comics, Busy Arnold began Arnold Magazines in late 1956. I'm in the process of writing up a larger article on this subject, but wanted to share some spicy scans from one of his mens' adventure magazines, Man's Exploits. These images are from issue #1 (June 1957), and the cartoons are by Bill Ward (signed "McCartney"). 

As I was finishing the Quality Companion, I was just learning more about this endeavor and it is covered briefly. My work online seeks to catalog the entire operation, which was edited by Quality’s Al Grenet and Dick Arnold. Jim Amash spoke with both of these men for Alter Ego #34 (March 2004). George Hagenauer also wrote a sidebar in that issue, “Busy Arnold’s Other Magazines,” which summarizes the genres of this era nicely. All were published either bimonthly or quarterly.

This issue was part of the largest category of magazines,  the men's adventure magazines, or "sweats": Rage for Men, Man's Exploits, Gusto, and Courage. Each of these also contained spreads with ladies posed in various states of dress on beaches, in nature, and in the boudoir.

I have to abundantly thank Frank Motler (a men’s magazine indexer) and Phil Stephensen-Payne (who runs Galactic Central). They selflessly offered their knowledge and data to me during this process. Galactic Central compiles information from many sources and includes checklists and cover images. 

[ spicy images after the break! ]

Read the work-in-progress at Cosmic Teams: Arnold Magazines: The Sweats

DCnU Quality Watch 4: Eternity! and more

ITEM #1: National Comics!

Wired has broken the news that DC Comics will publish a new title, National Comics! This was the name of the classic Quality Comics title which ran for 75 issues, from July 1940–Nov. 1949.

The original comic book is known for it's anchor character, Uncle Sam, who was relieved of cover duty by the Barker. The characters mentioned in relation to this new title include one called "Eternity" (DC's own solicitations mention the name "Kid Eternity"). The cover image confirms that this is indeed a revival of Kid Eternity. Originally, the character had no alter ego. He was named "Christopher Freeman" by E. Nelson Bridwell at DC Comics, when he was reintroduced in 1977's Shazam! #27 (Jan-Feb 1977).

The official solicitation reads:

NATIONAL COMICS: ETERNITY #1
Written by JEFF LEMIRE Art and cover by CULLY HAMNER
On sale JULY 25 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
An exciting new series of stand-alone comics that feature unique takes on classic characters! JEFF LEMIRE (ANIMAL MAN) and CULLY HAMNER (RED) bring a contemporary approach to the hero we used to know as KID ETERNITY! Can introverted medical examiner Kid Eternity solve a deadly crime in just 24 hours?

These creators are top notch! I'm looking forward to it very much. And wondering what they'll do with the cover logo ;)

ITEM #2: The Ray #3-4

This four-issue mini-series has concluded with an intriguing Quality-related teaser! Read the profile at Cosmic Teams to see how Lucien Gates came to meet this tall, commanding government agent...

ITEM #3: Blackhawks #6-7

This series is one issue from its demise, but it's doing so at breakneck speed! I'm sad this one never had a chance. It has action galore. Try to keep up by reading the profile at Cosmic Teams!

Blackhawk: The Movie Serial (1952)

It's refreshing to find one thing related to Quality Comics that is so thoroughly covered that I have nothing to add!

I recently won this issue of Serial World #11 (Summer 1977), which was all about the Blackhawk Movie Serial made in 1952, starring Kirk Alyn. The article even includes an interview with Alyn, plus a full summary of every episode.

I contacted its former publisher, Norman Kietzer, and he was so kind as to permit me to reprint it for fans online! Please visit Norman's web site at the Westerns and Serials fan club!

The article itself was pretty cleanly scanned and contained a number of great photo stills from the serial, too. I've included all of that in the online version, and uploaded the images for your perusal below.

See the photos after the jump... 

>> Read it at Cosmic Teams! BLACKHAWK: A SERIAL WORLD FILMBOOK by Eric Hoffman

Quality Comics Hero Profiles

Captain Triumph is created!
From Crack Comics #29 (1943).
Art by Alfred Andriola.

As I've mentioned before, with the Quality Companion still in print, I'm afraid that I have taken a lot of my original content offline, for now. Once the book goes out of print, I may repost it.

BUT I have just posted all of the Quality Character Profiles, albeit in truncated form. The listings of each character's stats, powers and special notes are largely intact, though. That said, there's plenty of things in my online profiles not found in the book, such as new character updates for Blackhawks, the Ray, Madam Fatal, and Von Hammer.

I also plan to continue fleshing out things like Blackhawk and the Spirit in ways that the book did not allow. For updates on these, always check back here.

(By the way, if you purchase it from TwoMorrows, you'll get a digital copy, too.)

The Barker 2000? Who Knew?

Well it's a glad day when I find out I've missed something, really!

A cover by Jack Cole.

Did you know that Quality's "The Barker" made a brief reappearance in 2005 at DC? (Thanks to James Robinson for the tip, BTW.) When I was writing the Quality Companion, I poo-pooed this feature initially, probably because I knew I'd have to read a lot of it and it wasn't a "super-hero" feature, per se. But once I dug in, I was hooked. Only the first two stories were written by Jack Cole, but Klaus Nordling eclipsed those stories and crafted a little world that I couldn't wait to revisit each time. Nordling's "Barker" was a fantastic mix of strange that bordered on super-hero. Many of the characters appeared to have super-powers but were revealed as shysters in the end. Fans clearly liked it too, because it lasted for over five years in National Comics #42–75 (May 1944–Dec. 1949) and The Barker #1-15 (Autumn 1945–Dec. 1949).

This wonderful four-part story by Mike Carey and John Lucas involved a new band of circus freaks led by another Irishman, Kitt Calahan. This was a four-part backup in Detective Comics #801-804, and some of the cast members were familiar.

The scene opened on Colonel Brand's Traditional Family Carnival, with Kieran "Kitt" Calahan (a new first name for the character), Midge, Painted Rose the tattooed contortionist, and Firestone the strong man. Kitt was about to drown his sorrows over the death of their friend, Mitchell Tomjohn the dog-faced boy, who was found dead that day. The police ruled his death an accident and the circus folk were angered when the local authorities refused to investigate further, so they decided to find justice themselves. (Detective #801)

The second Barker, Kitt Calahan ushers his doomed friend, Tomjohn, in to the tent. From Detective Comics #801 (2005). Art by John Lucas.

Stormy Foster in Lost Art from The Shade

A post at Bleeding Cool draws attention to this interesting anomaly from the (non-)pages of James Robinson's The Shade #4. It seems that these three Golden Age heroes—the Flash, Stormy Foster, and the Gay Ghost (identified by Robinson for me)—were removed from the story. The art was recently sold as part of the whole issue's set.

No doubt this has everything to do with DC's reconstruction of its universe to omit the original Justice Society. What's more, their new Earth-2 apparently has little to do with the classic Justice Society's premise or history. One wonders if the page would have remained in the book had Jay Garrick (the Flash) not appeared in it. Only time will tell whether their wartime history has a place on any sort of parallel world.

Art by Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone.

Incidentally, The Shade features a character named Von Hammer who is the great-grandson of Stormy Foster.

DC Nation Plastic Man Preview!

This clip of an animated short was just released showing Plastic Man, from Cartoon Network's new cartoon hour featuring a variety of DC properties. The style is noticeably kid-centered, which continues from the network's successful Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Plas also appeared on that show, in an episode with the Freedom Fighters (episode 221, 12 Nov. 2010)!

The fun starts Saturday, March 3, 2012 at 10am ET/PT!

Also: DC's newly redesigned web site features a character page for Plastic Man. It doesn't give any clues to his DCnU history.

DCnU Quality Watch 3: Madam Fatal

UPDATE #1!
Madam Fatal made a co-starring appearance in this month's The Shade #4.

She's no lady… from The Shade #4 (2012). Art by Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone.

Madam Fatal was still active in 1944, when Stanton became an agent of the anti-hero (and sometime villain), the Shade. The Shade employed Madam Fatal to protect his own descendant, Darnell Caldecott. Stanton posed as Caldecott's assistant, Miss Sharp. Sharp escorted Caldecott to safety, and when his life was endangered by Nazis, revealed herself as Madam Fatal. The Shade arrived soon thereafter to relieve Madam Fatal, and presented Stanton with his payment—the information he'd sought for so long... the whereabouts of his kidnapped daughter. It seemed that she eleven years earlier by Dr. Prowl. (The Shade v.2 #4)