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Sunday, September 27, 2009

DC Super Friends #19 - Nov. 2009

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Comics Weekend "Head of the Class" by Sholly Fisch and Dario Brizuela.

Like I mentioned last month, from now on the Shrine will be looking at every issue of DC Super Friends from now on, since it (still!) is currently the only place where Classic Aquaman can be seen regularly. Plus, its just plain fun!

This issue opens with two young, would-be super-villains trying to get into some sort of secret hideout. One of them, Mind-Grabber Kid (who first appeared way back in a 1969 issue of Justice League of America!) gets right in, but the second one has more trouble.

After coming up with several names for himself, and being rejected, he settles on Clown Boy. The guy at the door thinks for a moment, and let's him in:
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Turns out the guy running this School for Villains is named Headmaster Mind (another old DC baddie), and he's training a whole bunch of youngsters to become super-villains.

We meet Georgia Sivana, The Ant, Black Flame, and Black Alice, and Headmaster Mind tells them they're ready for their first crime--but first, they have to send a clue to the Super Friends, because "That's what villains do."

Later, we see that Headmaster Mind does just that:
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He takes all the young villains to the Metropolis Zoo, where the plan is to steal an elephant and a whale. When he's asked why, Headmaster Mind explains its the first step of a plot to take over the world.

Mind-Grabber Kid asks what if they don't want to do that (as opposed to, say, just stealing stuff), but Headmaster Mind dismisses him.

The Super Friends show up, but are surprised to learn that these young kids have some formidable powers, and the heroes initial reluctance to be too rough on "A bunch of kids", as Flash calls them, leads to them being temporarily outmatched.

Mind-Grabber Kid is upset when he finds out that Headmaster Mind's plan involves allowing the Super Friends to be trampled to death by rampaging zoo animals, and after some prodding by Wonder Woman, talks Black Alice into turning the Super Friends loose.

Some of the other teen villains are still listening to Headmaster Mind, like The Ant, who gets nabbed by...well, just read:
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...I love that! "Correction--Aquaman's after you!"

The Super Friends round up the other villains, and Headmaster Mind, and after they're all put in the pokey, they take time out to thank Mind-Grabber Kid and Black Alice:
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You gotta love it when Aquaman gets the last word!

Aquaman doesn't get a whole lot to do this issue, but that one moment of him grabbing The Ant is great--it would've worked just as well in a more "adult" Aquaman story.


Frequently, my favorite part of DC Super Friends is the letters page, which regularly feature li'l tykes' drawings of their favorite heroes. This issue has this letter and drawing by future F.O.A.M. member Kharfe Irby:
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...I could look at drawings like this all day!

4 comments:

Richard said...

I said where else Mind-Grabber Kid has appeared in a comment on the very post you mention above! Is it that you don't trust me? You think I'd lie about something like this? Or you think I just make stuff up? Yeesh!

Andy Luckett said...

You know, Rob, when I read the "Correction--Aquaman's after you!" scene, I thought you might highlight it here. I agree, it's another standout moment for Artie in a very enjoyable comic.

Wings1295 said...

Fun stuff! Love the tie-ins to DCU history without worrying about the big C - continuity! :)

And the kid pic is sweet! :)

rob! said...

RAB-

so you did--I completely forgot about that, sorry! duly corrected.