Wishful Thinking: (Bring back) SUPER POWERS

Pics from kennersuperpowers.com

As a child of the 80's and a big comics fan, I don't know why I never got into DC/Kenner's Super Powers line. Was it too expensive? Or not as prevalent in toy stores as other lines I was into, like He-Man and G.I. Joe (and later on Ninja Turtles)? I remember owning (or at least holding) a Jack Kirby-drawn mini-comic (which later became a regular comic-sized mini-series). I also remember a few of them were re-released (or repainted) as part of the 1989 Batman movie.

I guess just I wasn't as into it as those other lines, perhaps a feeling of snobbery ("G.I. Joe is cooler and hipper than that old fogey Superman!") which I now regret. I remember feeling hyped up in watching the commercial for the figures:

One of the great things is that they just didn't do the major heroes, but lesser-known characters many fans would not have expected, like Firestorm, Dr. Fate, Darkseid and many others.

They still remain, even today, some of the finest toys. The sculptures were amazing, capturing their iconic looks, further enhanced by the colorful paint jobs. Their designs were evocative, or directly influenced, by the "style guides" of artist Jose Garcia Lopez in the 80's.

The Batman of my childhood

Still, I can't imagine not begging for some of the more major characters (Superman, Batman), if I saw them lining up the shelves at the local Toys R'Us, but I don't remember them as being prevalent as other toy lines. No, my memory of them is as already-valued items in a collector's market.

Mattel currently has plans to release a wave of figures paying homage to the Kenner line, but these are just their newer, DC Universe Classics line re-painted and repackaged in facsimile boxes.

Hm, not quite what I was wishing for

It would be nice if DC re-released or remade a full-blown "comeback"  of the 3 3/4" scale, minus the action figures, with some added articulation, featuring not just the old line-up but expanding into newer characters (Deadshot! Blue Beetle!).

Other figures designed by JGL

FLASHBACK FAVE: THE PUNISHER

In celebration of recently getting a most-wanted, sort-of-hard-to-find Marvel Universe 3.75" figure of the Punisher, I wanted to discuss in-depth the character, dissecting his enduring appeal, underrated comic stories (with a special focus on my personal peak reading period - the 80s), cool bad-ass moments, and a mini-review/rumination of his current action figure incarnation.

Above all, the appeal of the Punisher lay in his iconography - skull costume and (unlike most superheroes) without mask, as well as his one-track reason for being, his end goal, and his overall arc as a character: Kill criminals. Simple (and simple-minded), yes, but "revenge"-themed characters have always been attractive to many; who hasn't thought of taking up arms or inflicting pain (or worse) against a person that has done us wrong or committed some transgression? Or vent one's bottled-up anger or frustration out into the world? The Punisher exemplifies that, in the guise and label of superhero.

Making his first appearance in the pages of Spider-Man, the Punisher subsequently made a few cameo-like appearances as a misunderstood, often villainized nuisance for the virtuous hero to stop. He made his formal debut in the early 80's with the Circle of Blood mini-series, written by Steven Grant and superbly drawn by Secret Wars and G.I. Joe cover artist Mike Zeck (except for the last issue). This was followed by an ongoing regular series, scripted (mostly) by Mike Baron (Nexus), featuring rough, scratchy art by Frank Miller inker Klaus Janson. These stories readjusted the character as more adventurer than cold-hearted vigilante, toning down his previous one-note excesses ("I.Must. Punish."), and resembling, as one observer pointed out, the Remo Williams: Destroyer series of books. In hindsight, despite its popularity (inspiring spin-offs like War Journal and War Zone), many stories were serviceable at best, but rarely memorable. Only through the eyes of nostalgia and fondness (in a 12-year-old, fanboy/geek kind of way) do some of the issues carry any weight or relevance.
Walking into a comic store in the 80s and seeing this:

How can this not blow your mind as a kid? Some of the comics also hit that sweet spot ("whoa, cool"). Here's a few:

1. Punisher: Return to Big Nothing - Looking back at this gorgeous hardcover, one thing that sticks out is, despite its familiarity (having been created by the COB team of Grant and Zeck), how raw, edgy, and a bit more mature it seemed (at least at the time), than previous Punisher stories. Which shouldn't be surprising, it was an Epic graphic novel, which should have been a big sign that this was not your typical in-continuity tale. (It featured the character having - off-screen - sex.) Another interesting take was showing the character as a cocky blowhard who was brought down and embarrassed by his superiors. Years later, more hardened and badass, he takes down those same people, now criminals, primarily as rectification in the story's plot, but also (though unstated) as sweet revenge for how he was treated all those years ago. Yeah, pretty relateable.

Not your typical 80s comic scene

2. Punisher #14 - Pretty simple and straightforward - Punisher becomes substitute teacher, slaps down a few students and bullies, but takes out a larger (underground) network of criminals and dealers, in the end emphasizing the importance of education (um, yeah)...

Teaching is my life?

Kind of ridiculous, yes, but a couple of things that I remember fondly: That kickass, tragic (is Punisher shedding a tear?) cover -

and being exposed, for the first time, to Pinoy artist Whilce Portacio (kababayan!). And although his art's somewhat fallen out of favor in recent years, at the time, his hard edges and line details were absolutely mind-blowing.

3. Punisher War Journal #6-7 - Punisher. Wolverine. Meeting for the first time, and maybe the last! - teased the cover. What more needs to be said? This one also featured art from an up-and-coming superstar, Jim Lee, with an interesting story of Punisher taking a "break" from vigilantism to become a big game hunter/tracker for a group of suspect scientists in Africa, only to confront Wolverine, out on a an animal-rights revenge vendetta. The confrontation was brief (maybe too brief), but had some nice, nifty moments...

Typical badass moment for Wolvie

As well as dinosaurs.

4. Punisher War Zone #1-5 - The story is simple and solid - Punisher goes undercover in the mafia - by tough guy scribe Chuck Dixon, and the art (with a balls-to-wall debut cover) by John Romita Jr. (departing his elegant Daredevil/X-Men style) is big, loud and burly; off-putting to some, but a nice play/twist on the overly big, hatchy Image art style beginning to take root during this period.

Cool moment: When the Punisher, at his lowest (beaten and chained to car detonated to explode), encounters the big heavy, who was built up in previous issues to be a government-sanctioned badass to be an antagonist, is actually revealed to be an old army buddy who aids, then teams up with him to cause chaos at the story's climax.

5. Daredevil 183-184 - Really hard, dark and edgy at the time, still packs a punch all these years later. Frank Miller, working at the peak of his powers, introduces the first meeting between the two, and - like most Marvel team ups, - starts off awkward, with the two fighting it over differences in ideology. Unlike most team-ups, the don't end up joining forces, but rather end up resenting one another, a sentiment that still continues to this day.

Beyond that, the story itself, about hard drugs - Angel Dust - being introduced into a middle-school, and its tragic repercussions,

The Punisher ouvve wouldn't be complete without acclaimed Garth Ennis. His first mini-series brought the Punisher back from irrelevancy - bringing a stripped-down, back-to-basics approach to his character, while injecting the series with high-octane violence and gross-out, slapstick humor reminiscent of his Vertigo series Preacher. While that series was popular, his follow-up series pushed the character into darker, more serious and mature territory. Dour and grizzled, the Punisher takes down white slavers, white collar day traders, corrupt government officials, i.e., villains closer to our real world. Ennis and his collaborators pushed the Punisher to a logical, nihilistic conclusion.

Punisher's had many action figures in different scales come out over the decades, most notably several versions of the still-popular Legends 6 inch line (which includes the 2004 movie version, as well as his current Thunderbolts incarnation), usually packed to the gills with weapons and accessories. For small-scale collectors, choices were rather slim - the Showdown version, which I missed out on, and Marvel Universe's first two versions, which were decent, but the bulky arms, wide grips, and lack of several articulation points made these figures less-than-great in hindsight.
Hasbro's rectified that with their latest iteration. With an improved buck (used on the Jim Lee Cyclops, new Daredevil and some others), this is probably the best 3.75" version of the vigilante. Some of its features include improved articulation - with the arms able to fold 90 degrees at the elbow; a better head sculpt (harking back to the "fine Italian features" of the original John Romita design), complete with widow's peak haircut; the head's ability to look slightly up; thigh holsters for two pistols, and the best part -  hands that can hold smaller weapons, which now means he's compatible with many G.I. Joe weapons and accessories! Punisher's now got an arsenal! Overall, a really great figure.
One minor complaint is that when the figure was first revealed, it had clean paint and molding for its white parts (skull, gloves, boots). When the figure was finally released though, it had a blue-ish paint wash which sort of muddied the look. Not terrible, but the original would have been better.
Another nitpick is the price: Locally, Marvel (and most Hasbro) figures have upped their cost in recent waves, so collectors such as myself have had to pick and choose what they really want, forgoing the completist route (sigh).

UNDERRATED: 2010's A-TEAM

Truth be told, I don't remember any individual A-Team plot or story from the 80's T.V. series. Like most people, what I remember most was the iconography of the characters - cigar chewing master-of-disguise-cum-leader Hannibal, suave ladies man Face, psychotic pilot "Howling Mad" Murdock, and, last but not least, tough guy B.A. Baracus - as well as the over-the-top, cartoonish violence and slo-mo climaxes of the action scenes. As a fan of G.I. Joe, A-Team represented a live action version, with fuller (compared to a cartoon, anyway) characterizations, real fiery explosions and (non-blood-letting) gunfire.

Still beloved after all these years

It was especially the character B.A.'s distinct, memorable look - mohawk and gold chains - and the sheer charisma of actor Mr. T that propelled him into an 80's icon, and the show itself, while never a critical darling, becoming a well-reminisced fan favorite. (It was reported that NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff conceptualized/pitched the show as 'Dirty Dozen-meets-Mad Max, and Mr. T - then coming off a memorable turn as Stallone opponent Clubber Lang in Rocky III - drives the truck'. Another genius Tartikoff idea: scribbling "MTV Cops" that became the genesis of Miami Vice.) Oh, yeah, plus they had one of the best T.V. intros of all time:

So when the news hit - not surprisingly, in a Hollywood landscape thought by most to be devoid of original ideas - that they were looking to make a large-scale modern remake, kids, teens and other nostalgia fans of the 80's had a mixture of both excitement (A-Team!) and trepidation (Remakes!).

Looks right, but can it deliver?

Initially reports looked promising: The studio hired Joe Carnahan, who made the kinetic, 70's-inspired, gritty cop drama Narc (which Tom Cruise was a big fan of, shepherding the film as executive producer and then-hiring Carnahan to direct M:I III, with the latter dropping out due to creative differences). He also made the less-received, but since turning into a cult-fave Smokin' Aces (even going so far as inspiring a direct to DVD sequel). So they got an atypical action director with strong character sensibilities and a unique visual aesthetic (check out his BMW short 'Ticker' for further proof). Initial casting news also inspired optimism - you had Liam Neeson, post-Taken, solidifying his status as this generation's Charles Bronson (i.e., tough old guy); handsome Bradley Cooper fitting the bill nicely (and perhaps testing his blockbuster action chops) as Face; an unexpected, but interesting choice in Sharlto Copley - then coming off a jittery, spastic performance in the acclaimed District 9 as Murdock (being a huge fan of the show, Copley sent Carnahan tapes of himself improvising in character, which ultimately won him the role); and for as B.A. - who can realistically fill the shoes of a one-of-a-kind figure such as Mr. T? MMA fighter Quintin "Rampage" Jackson, who had minor roles in a limited filmography, was the bold choice to bring B.A. to the big screen. The first trailer for the film made fans and viewers giddy, as it seemed to capture the spirit of the show...

Did it work? In my mind, yes for the most part. The story was decent - even showing a nifty origin scene of how the team got together - plus a few plot twists keeping in line with the "soldiers-falsely-accused" theme. The action was preposterously out there, with several original set pieces and moments which took the old show to its modern-day extreme. Yes, the airplane to flying tank sequence was unrealistic (A-Team? Realistic?), but it was still pretty fun and cool. Other memorable moments that stand out: the spoof of Blackwater-style contractors that get no respect; The 3-D movie at the psychiatric ward with the van busting through; Sharlto Copley's fun and wacky performance as Murdock.

The acting was solid all around - except, as many fans pointed out, for Jackson, who was sort of underwhelming in the part. Perhaps it was unfair comparisons to Mr. T (who reportedly wanted to reprise the role himself), but Jackson did himself no favors with an unengaging personality, unconvincing acting, and a few marble-mouthed line deliveries. In the end, it's difficult to say who could have made a better B.A. Perhaps no actor or personality can live up to such a standard, or even create an interpretation that will make fans forget, or make room with, the original.

Although the film earned a decent box-office, it didn't quite meet expectations (it came second to another remake - Jaden Smith's Karate Kid), and coupled with middling-to-bad reviews, plans for a sequel didn't come to pass. It's too bad - films that had similar action tropes, like G.I. Joe, were able to warrant a sequel (with a third on the way), but we couldn't get another A-Team? Looking in hindsight at what worked and what didn't, there was a good chance a second film might have been a strong improvement in terms of storytelling and overall quality.

Besides finding it a fair piece of entertainment, what else did I like? Toy company Jazzwares announced that they were making an action figure line, complete with the team's signature van! Seeing this picture online added to the initial excitement for the reboot:

Not perfect, but pretty good

The best part - they were 3.75", meaning they can fight alongside G.I. Joe, or be a subsection, or renegade counterpart of the team, laying the smackdown to Cobra. (Sidenote: Interestingly enough, the recent cartoon G.I. Joe Renegades took a page from the A-Team's "falsely-accused" gimmick) So how were the figures? It's not Hasbro-level quality, with a few paint and flimsy construction issues, but it's their uniqueness - again, the strength of their iconography - that makes them good for what they are. Locally, they were a bit overpriced, and with Pinoy fans more into G.I. Joe, they didn't exactly fly off shelves (I started a thread at a local forum extolling how cool they were, but most of the comments were either unenthusiastic or mild put-downs. No one was stoked.).

Covering multiple quadrants and media, they also produced comic books! Published by IDW, there was a 4-issue limited series, as well as 4, single-issue one shots spotlighting each member. The former was co-scripted by Carnahan himself, and was a interesting tale of one of their missions, complete with humor and action. Again, reflecting the film's lack of success, there weren't further plans for a continuing comic series either, so we couldn't read up on more original adventures.

It would have been nice to see more

Alas, it would appear that there won't be any iteration - movie or otherwise - of the A-Team in the near future. But maybe, if executives get desperate enough, and with T.V. networks continuing to develop shows that cater to specialty niche audiences - maybe a fresh, small screen reboot will come. Perhaps make it harder edged and more grounded in reality, similar to 24 or Homeland (The now-cancelled The Unit sort of resembled the A-Team), but keeping (some of) the humor and wackiness of the original? Hopefully, that plan comes together.