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... arcs. Eligible for the SF awards are the five Superman Family titles. The specific issues published in 1999 are: JLA #25-36 Superboy #58-69 Supergirl #28-39 Superman Adventures #27-38 Young Justice #4-15 LIMITED SERIES AWARDS: --------------------- LS1: Best Writing in a Special or Limited Series LS2: Worst Writing in a Special or Limited Series LS3: Best Art in a Special or Limited Series LS4: Worst Art in a Special or Limited Series LS5: Best Special or Limited Series LS6: Worst Special or Limited Series Note that we're taking nominations on these awards simply because of the large number of specials and limited series published by DC this yea ...

... =================== From: Jim Lesher <JLesher@npr.org> There actually isn't very much to say about Vartox. His first appearance was in _Superman_ #281 (Nov 1974) by Cary Bates, Curt Swan, and Bob Oksner. I'm told that Vartox was based on Sean Connery, as he looked in the movie "Zardoz." When you consider that Superman's appearance was based on Fred MacMurray, the choice of Sean Connery as a model for a comic book character seems very reasonable... Vartox was, ostensibly, the hero of the planet Valeron. He was their answer to Superman, except that he had been a hero far longer than Superman, and had "hyper-powers," instead of "super-powers." ...

... ? It could be Gangbuster or someone even worse!" Saying his good-byes, he leaves Earth behind, possibly for good. The next several issues (_Superman_ #28-31 and _Adventures of Superman_ #451-454) have Superman trying to come to grips with his actions and his guilt, until he is captured by the dreaded Mongul, leader of Warworld. Superman's adventures on Warworld begin in the terrific _Action Comics Annual_ #2 (1989) and continue in _Superman_ #32, _Adventures of Superman_ #455 and _Superman_ #33 (these events are reprinted in the trade paperback collection, _Superman: Exile_). It was during his time on Warworld that Superman met a long-lived bein ...

... an exploration into the history of robots in Superman comics. Section 9: The Phantom Zone Superman's Phantom Menace Scott Devarney looks at Superman #289, in which Superman must deal with "The Phantom Horseman of Metropolis", Clark goes bowling, and Superman's costumes turn into... Hostess Fruit Pies?!? The KC Mailbag EDITORIAL STAFF: --------------- Jeffery D. Sykes, Publisher and Co-Editor-in-Chief Shane Travis, Co-Editor-in-Chief and Executive Editor of Comic Reviews Neil Ottenstein, Executive Editor of STAS Reviews DISCLAIMERS: ----------- Superman, Superboy, Supergirl, Steel, JLA, Young Justice, and all associated characters, locations, sy ...

... missed a month. So sue me. This is harder to do than you realize.) The official beginning of the history of the Phantom Zone is in _Adventure Comics_ #283 from April 1961. However, like many other Mort Weisinger-edited stories of this era, it combined elements and recycled ideas from previous stories going back over a decade. So let's start at the beginning and go backwards, shall we? (Warning: I don't usually like to give away the endings of stories I review, but in this case it can't be helped.) "The Phantom Superboy" by Robert Bernstein and George Papp. On Curt Swan's cover a ghostly Superboy image puts his hand right through Jonathan Kent. " ...

... Comic Reviews Super-Family Titles Superboy #61, by Rene' Gobeyn Supergirl #31, by Thomas Deja Superman Adventures #30, by Cory Strode Team Titles JLA #28, by Anatole Wilson Section 6: New Comic Reviews Team Titles (cont) Young Justice #7, by Gary Robinson Miniseries Batman & Superman: World's Finest #1, by Simon DelMonte Superman & Batman: Generations #4, by Anatole Wilson Superman's Nemesis: Lex Luthor #2, by G.M. Nelson Section 7: And Who Disguised As... Night and Day at the Edge of the 21st Century J.D. Rummel chimes in on what needs to be done with the Superman comics and with his reaction to news of the upcoming changes. The Phantom Zone Ac ...

... #142, by Thomas Deja Section 5: New Comic Reviews Super-Family Titles Superboy #59, by Rene' Gobeyn Supergirl #29, by Thomas Deja Superman Adventures #28, by Cory Strode Team Titles JLA #26, by Anatole Wilson Section 6: New Comic Reviews Team Titles (cont) Young Justice #5, by Gary Robinson Miniseries The Kingdom #1, by Jeff Sykes The Kingdom #2, by Jeff Sykes Section 7: New Comic Reviews Miniseries (cont) Superman: The Doomsday Wars #3, by Gary Robinson Superman & Batman: Generations #2, by Anatole Wilson Specials and Guest Appearances LotDCU: Crisis on Infinite Earths #1, by Rene Gobeyn Superman: A Nation Divided, by G.M. Nelson Section 8: New ...

... ood Section 5: New Comic Reviews The Triangle Titles (cont) Superman #141, by Thomas Deja Super-Family Titles Superboy #58, by Rene' Gobeyn Supergirl #28, by Thomas Deja Superman Adventures #27, by Cory Strode Section 6: New Comic Reviews Team Titles JLA #25, by Anatole Wilson Young Justice #4, by Gary Robinson Specials and Miniseries Superman: Peace on Earth, by Shane Travis Section 7: New Comic Reviews Specials and Miniseries (cont) Superman: The Doomsday Wars #2, by Gary Robinson Superman: Silver Banshee #2, by Josh Elder Superman & Batman: Generations #1, by Anatole Wilson Section 8: The Phantom Zone The One, True, Original Superman! Episode ...

... g it to be useless. The red K takes center stage during the Krisis Of The Krimson Kryptonite (_Superman_ #49, _Adventures of Superman_ #472, _Starman #28_ (the Roger Stern penned series), _Action Comics_ #659, and _Superman_ #50 -- collected in trade paperback). Mxy turns himself into a red K rock (with derby) and tells Luthor to make a wish. Luthor's wish robs Superman of his powers. Mxy's rule is that Luthor can't tell Superman that Mxy is involved. Luthor decides that if he can't tell Superman, he can at least tell Clark Kent, who can pass on the information. Oops. Mxy pops back in and wants to know, "Who is this Clark Kent?" Mxy sets up a ne ...

... big secret to carry. The Revenge Squad failed on that mission. However, they returned 2 months (and 20 years) later to confront Superman in _Action_ #286's "Jury of Super-Enemies". Robert Bernstein and Curt Swan threw in Luthor, Brainiac, the Legion of Super-Villains and somebody named Electro for good measure. At least those are the people who sit on Superman's jury on Swan's spectacular cover. Manacled with Kryptonite, Superman stands in a glass booth thinking, "My X-ray vision reveals they've found me guilty and they're about to sentence me to the most horrible doom in the universe!" The story opens on Wexr II where we meet the leader of the ...