Reading pre-Moore Supreme - Supreme #9

  

Supreme issue 9 was published in January 1994. The story was by Ripley (rumored to be a pseudonym for Rob Liefeld). The story, script, lettering and editing was by Kurt Hathaway. Brian Murray is back doing the pencils. And Chris Ivy is on inks.

The fight between Supreme and Thor continues...

 

Supreme has figured out Thor's confusion... that he thinks it's still WWII and he wants revenge on Hitler... but for reasons that continue to not make any sense, chooses to say nothing. Why? Because we need the fight to rage for three issues. EXTREME!

After several more pages of fighting, Supreme finally fesses up that the war is over. But Thor refuses to believe it. Because if it's true, what kind of idiot would know that and have continued to fight for three issues? Oh, right.

And then, randomly, Supreme decides it's time to knock Thor out and it's nice and easy.

 

Why didn't he do that three issues ago? Ugh.

Supreme decides to keep Thor's hammer and drops Thor off at the top-secret, covert, corporate military group that he just quit. Why not?

 

Remember the serial killer Grizlock? He's working in his lab on a radioactive boulder that is Supreme's weakness. Hey, that sounds familiar! 

 

 

This synthetic radium, "happens to possess the very same properties that Supreme posseses." I guess we know where Supremium came from. Grizlock exhibits a lot of the hallmarks of Dax...

  

 

Apparently, Grizlock has had this program going for the 14 years he's been in prison, just waiting for the return of Supreme.

Supreme flies to the grave of Louise Masters, the Lois Lane type character Grizlock killed. Supreme remembers that he was the world's first superhero. He says that Louise and his friend Billy were killed days after Supreme left for outer space. We see on her gravestone that she died in 1946. So, according to this, Supreme left Earth soon after WWII.

 

Supreme then goes off to visit Charles, better known as Kid Supreme.

 

 

Apparently, Charles could "borrow" a portion of Supreme's powers. 

 

They talk a little and then Supreme hurries off. To go after Grizlock? Heck no! 

To go talk to Max the journalist!

This Supreme guy sure has his priorities straight.

Reading pre-Moore Supreme - Supreme #8

 

Supreme issue 8 was published in December 1993. Ripley provides the story. Kurt Hathaway does the story, scripting, lettering and editing. Shawn McManus does the pencils and the inks.

This is such an aggravating issue. Basically, Thor was fooled into working for Hitler during WWII. He learned of his error and after some kind of delay, is now back to do it. In fact, that's what he tells Supreme.

 

Not understanding what Thor tells him explicitly, Supreme decides to just fight Thor.

Ugh.

Meanwhile Max has convinced her editors to let her do a live interview with Supreme. The only problem, she doesn't know how to get ahold of Supreme to agree to it.

The long-forgotten subplot of the serial killer Grizlock continues with him returning to his secret lab. And he immediately starts shouting at the top of his lungs. Why? 

Because it's EXTREME!

The fight between Supreme and Thor continues. And despite Thor explaining exactly why he's there...

 

...Supreme is like, "Is it possible he doesn't realize--" that Hitler is dead. 

This is so stupid.

Also stupid, the fight is going to continue on for a third issue. yay

Interestingly enough, Shawn McManus, who handles the art here, illustrated two of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing issues and, later, with his daughter Leah Moore on Wildstorm's Wild Girl.  He also worked on Sandman and a number of other good series. He's definitely better than what he got to work with in Supreme.

Reading pre-Moore Supreme - Supreme #7

 

 

Supreme issue 7 came out in November 1993. The story is by Eric Stephenson and someone named, I kid you not, Ripley. Pencils and inks are by Shawn McManus. Kurt Hathaway has now taken over the writing, lettering and editing. That's efficient. Just have the letterer try to make it all make sense.

The superpowered beings from the future are known as Starguard and we get their roll call in one of those weird rotated double-page splashes Extreme used to love doing: 

 

They're here to offer a warning. What's the warning? "...be ready--ready to conquer the menace when it arises." That is really helpful. Before they can say more, their emergency alarm goes off and they have to hurry and deal with it... because Ripley and the other writers don't really understand how time travel works. Sigh.  

We then get back to the weird plot about the reporter, Max. Apparently now she's incredibly mad about Dulles airport blowing up... because her dad was inside! 

This is brand new information that isn't presented in any kind of believable way. It's like they realized that her motivation made no sense, so they decided to one up it... to the EXTREME!

Anyway, Max confronts Supreme, demanding he take responsibility, which SHOCKER, he does not.

There's a whole thing about Heavy Mettle being scrapped, which is just about as boring as when Heavy Mettle was active. 

We cut to Thor, who is in Germany, demanding to be taken to see Adolf Hitler. 

 

Thor has returned to kill Hitler, not realizing it is 1993. Supreme flies off to deal with Thor.

I can't wait to see how they resolve this. Maybe by sitting down and having a metaphysical debate about whether gods can exist if no one believes in their mythology anymore?