Thursday, June 13, 2013
Bring on the Back-ups: "The Baby Who Walked Through Walls!" by Wein and Adams
Ol' Groove's been hearing some buzz about a super-hero flick coming out tomorrow (or maybe even sneak-previewing near you right now!), have you? 'Bout a guy with a red cape and blue suit from another planet who's pretty super, man! Yeah, Ol' Groove's just jivin' ya, Groove-ophiles! I'll be in line to see the new Superman flick this weekend, you bet'cha! To celebrate The Man of Steel's return to the Silver Screen, how 'bout we take a look at a quiet tale about Superman's private life from the back-up series (duh!) The Private Life of Clark Kent? From Superman #254 (May 1972), here's "The Baby Who Walked Through Walls!" by Len Wein and Neal Adams...
I dunno if this Clark will be in Man of Steel, but I can hope, can't I?
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A wonderful slice of life. Clark also solved it without powers, like a normsal person.
ReplyDeleteFeaturing Adams' daughter as the baby.
ReplyDeleteFun little story from Wein (although I've read far too many tragic real-life "just took my eyes off him/her for a second" accounts to enjoy pages five and six like I did back in groovier days), but every single frame of the artwork by Adams is just astounding.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully drawn, obviously, but what a weird story: Clark just assumes the baby walked through the wall? I'm guessing that happens more frequently in the DC Universe. Also, she sure climbed back up the stairs pretty darn quick...
ReplyDeleteNever saw this one! Great drawing from Neal Adams at his prime---before he started inking with sharpies and microns which look scratchy and terrible---just crowquills, india ink, and brush, and simple, but effective 'analog' coloring (his digital coloring is generally an overrendered mess). In seven pages Adams maintained a consistency of staying 'on model' with his characters and good storytelling/'camera' angles/facial expressions/body language which is sadly lacking in the BATMAN: ODYSSEY debacle of a few years ago. Fortunately, SUPERMAN was selling close to a million copies a month in 1972, whereas B:O sold only 20,000 copies in its final issue, so the latter will be forgotten soon enough.
ReplyDeleteChris A.
Hear!Hear!
DeleteThe Groovy Age seems more and more distant every day. Thanks for keeping it alive -- you have no idea how much it means to many of us.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading this in college -- it was the little kid's "Vootie" that I remember after more than forty years!
ReplyDeleteThank you,Mr Groove,for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed both the story and the great art
by the best inker ever to have
inked Mr Adams art (especially around 1972).
Cheers!
/Mr Anonymous
Hard to believe that a baby could give Superman the slip, but still, it's Clark Kent, not Superman. Probably a psychological factor about adopting his Clark persona. And nice to see Adams' art on Clark Kent--I knew I hadn't gone far enough back in Superman/Action back issues to get all the "good stuff".
ReplyDeleteAmazing how busy Neal Adams was in 1972 alone---he finished his run penciling the bi-monthly GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW (the AVENGERS stories were drawn for Marvel in 1971, though some were cover-dated 1972), penciled and inked this short story as well as a couple of El Diablo stories for WEIRD WESTERN TALES, and penciled the conclusion of the Ra's al Ghul saga in several issues of BATMAN. And he did so many cover illustrations---just amazing!
ReplyDeleteChris A.
Vootie!
ReplyDeletePetra Lewis: The Woman Next Door!
ReplyDeleteLois who, now...?