Not The Daniel Radcliffe Movie: THE WEIRD #1 (JLI 23)

[tcampbell1000]

I wasn’t sure whether to include this one, or quite where to put it. It’s from mid-1988, but it includes a mostly earlier lineup of Justice Leaguers. And it has a droll, JLI-ish sense of humor, but in the end, the JLI and Superman are secondary players. The Weird is the hero of his own life, and that life attains more meaning from its brevity.

Some strange energy shows up and hovers over Metropolis. It does no harm on its own but sends out powerful force waves when provoked. This draws the attention of not just Superman but Captain Atom and the JLI, plus one other unexpected figure. You’ll never guess who. Seriously.



I have not the faintest idea who Dr. Yamada is supposed to be, although a scene we'll show later suggests he's a STAR Labs scientist. There’s nothing about him online (except this post, now). Was he a last-minute substitution for the early Justice League’s Doctor Light? Is he a fan who won a contest? We’ll never see him after this issue, so who knows.



The greatness of Wrightson’s pencils peeks through now and then, despite this poor reproduction (sorry) and the hit-or-miss inking.

After knocking Guy for a loop, the light splits into two probes. One hits a genetic research center and browses all its data. The other crashes a funeral.




To quote Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated, “You stole a body? Rockin’.” Five pages of gradual formation and dramatic buildup later...







I hate to get down on Guy when he's being civil, but...

Anyway, the Weird revives, moaning, "Material existence...so painful. How do you stand it?" Still, a growing sense of purpose pulls him to his feet, and when J'Onn J'Onzz tries to sit him back down, he shoves J'Onn back.




As you can imagine, Batman's not going to let it lie there. But the Weird can fly, is selectively intangible, and can manipulate various forms of energy, making him just about uncatchable. He knocks out most of the Leaguers and slips away to deal with personal business.





“Is that really you? I’m so weirded out right now!”
“HI, SO DADDED OUT RIGHT NOW, I’M WEIRD! WAIT, LET ME TRY THAT AGAIN.”

Saturday and Monday, we’ll cover the rest of the Weird miniseries before doing JLI #22 on Wednesday.

Comments

[iamrman]

I wasn't even aware of this character. Being a Starlin creation probably didn't help.

[julian]

I saw #1 in various New England Comics 50 cent bins, but I never did read it. Thank you for the dose of Wrightson art.

[agharta75]

"That voice - like something out of a grave!"

Your fault, Batman, for throwing off the vibratory pattern. He took your voice.

[cygnia]

I vaguely remember the ads for this back in the 80's -- was curious about the actual plot.

[beyondthefringe]

Funnily enough, the Weird won't be seen after the end of this initial series until, guess who, Starlin brings him back in 2006's Mystery in Space. And in the New 52, he's briefly part of a Stormwatch team.

Now enjoy this bizarrely obscure character, whom I remember from when he first came out.

[scorntx]

Why is there this inexplicable feeling that he was part of the Stormwatch team during that brief (and dare I say, weird) bit when Starlin happened to be writing?

[beyondthefringe]

ding ding ding give the commenter a prize.

[scorntx]

Woo-hoo, a prize!
(man, that $50 bracket's a tough 'un.)

[numeronone]

Kim Jee-woon: "Say...this gives me a great idea for a movie!"