Buckingham was inking Bachalo on this series, so his impression here isn’t the worst thing ever. It’s kind of like when Kurt Russell’s son plays a young Kurt Russell.
I always liked Chamber-who I guess was created to poke fun at Cyclops. Banshee in the Celtics jacket is a nice touch. My fuzzy memory for the early 1990s tells me DeFalco used to wear a NY Jets jacket that was the same color and style.
I don't know if he's necessarily meant to be a Cyclops parody. I think they wanted a mutant who was severely limited in a manner similar to Cyclops and the 90s solution is guy whose powers destroyed most of his chest. Or that Bachalo just wanted to draw a guy that way and they came up with a story/mutation to explain it.
My favorite Circus of Crime story is that issue of Super Villain Team Up where Sub Mariner and The Shroud run away from a mob of powerless peasants but aren’t afraid to fight the Ringmaster and crew. Imagine the heroes would rather take their chances with you than a bunch of normies with torches and pitchforks. How humiliating.
He did a Wolverine fill-in around this time too (Bloodscream iirc, might have that one). They were still throwing fill-ins his way well into the early 2000s (Captain America #24 springs to mind).
The Circus of Crime were good Silver Age style villains. I think there could be a place for them in certain stories with certain characters in 1997 but most definitely not Generation X. Some characters just belong to some eras. I assume if they are still around today they’ve been banned word for assaulted beyond recognition.
Princess Python was burned alive and disfigured (her snake died) and then she got killed in a car bombing. The Clown became a gamma mutate. Ringmaster lost a finger (Punisher shot it off). Don't know about the rest, nay, I don't care about the rest. They're probably all back now to normal now though. It's not like Marvel maintain continuity these days.
Yes, the Circus of Crime is the villain equivalent of people who jump the turnstile at the subway, or the malicious gossips in an office, but we, as mostly small time a-holes (no Hitler or Jim Jones) can identify with them and see that our own attempts to commit shit acts of pettiness can be successful occasionally. This was Stan Lee's goal with them!
Circus of Crime is goofy Silver Age fun. Love 'em!
I was not alive in the 60s. Maybe Circuses were much less shit back then?
Wow, you made me want to buy this issue. Mark Buckingham seems like imitating Chris Bachalo with those over the shoulder looking shots.
Buckingham was inking Bachalo on this series, so his impression here isn’t the worst thing ever. It’s kind of like when Kurt Russell’s son plays a young Kurt Russell.
I always liked Chamber-who I guess was created to poke fun at Cyclops. Banshee in the Celtics jacket is a nice touch. My fuzzy memory for the early 1990s tells me DeFalco used to wear a NY Jets jacket that was the same color and style.
I don't know if he's necessarily meant to be a Cyclops parody. I think they wanted a mutant who was severely limited in a manner similar to Cyclops and the 90s solution is guy whose powers destroyed most of his chest. Or that Bachalo just wanted to draw a guy that way and they came up with a story/mutation to explain it.
The Circus of Crime can take my money!
Hope they don't get you into bother with the IRS.
@@SonofNimrodIdiot No. Apparently that's a Son of Nimrod thing. ;-)
My favorite Circus of Crime story is that issue of Super Villain Team Up where Sub Mariner and The Shroud run away from a mob of powerless peasants but aren’t afraid to fight the Ringmaster and crew. Imagine the heroes would rather take their chances with you than a bunch of normies with torches and pitchforks. How humiliating.
There was also an issue of Hulk in the run up to 300 I liked.
The Dragon Man one. Yep, I had that ready as a cutaway but didn't use it. I knew it would strike right at Robert's feels.
TIL Tom DeFalco wrote an X book. In the 90s, no less. Kind of shocked they let him anywhere near that. Even by 97 he was seen as a throwback.
He did a Wolverine fill-in around this time too (Bloodscream iirc, might have that one). They were still throwing fill-ins his way well into the early 2000s (Captain America #24 springs to mind).
The Circus of Crime were good Silver Age style villains. I think there could be a place for them in certain stories with certain characters in 1997 but most definitely not Generation X. Some characters just belong to some eras. I assume if they are still around today they’ve been banned word for assaulted beyond recognition.
Princess Python was burned alive and disfigured (her snake died) and then she got killed in a car bombing. The Clown became a gamma mutate. Ringmaster lost a finger (Punisher shot it off). Don't know about the rest, nay, I don't care about the rest. They're probably all back now to normal now though. It's not like Marvel maintain continuity these days.
Yes, the Circus of Crime is the villain equivalent of people who jump the turnstile at the subway, or the malicious gossips in an office, but we, as mostly small time a-holes (no Hitler or Jim Jones) can identify with them and see that our own attempts to commit shit acts of pettiness can be successful occasionally. This was Stan Lee's goal with them!
If the Circus of Crime added Hitler and Jim Jones to their roster, maybe I'd take them a bit more serious as a credible opponent.
you have sunk to a new low attacking one of the most adaptable and enduring baddies
Just wait until I get started on Fancy Dan and the Enforcers.
Appalling writing from DeFalco. Your criticisms would feel justified based on this. Disagree with your cheerless shitting on them though.
Good writing from DeFalco on the Banshee bits (and the bit where they all say "no" to going to the circus). The conclusion is so unbelievably naff.