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Classic Fury of Firestorm #10 Review & Aquaman #30 – FIRE & WATER #87

Continuing THE FIRE AND WATER PODCAST coverage of the classic Fury of Firestorm series from 1982! 

Firestorm and Aquaman: The Fire and Water Podcast

The 87th episode of THE FIRE AND WATER PODCAST is now available for your listening pleasure! THE FIRE AND WATER PODCAST is the official podcast of FIRESTORM FAN and THE AQUAMAN SHRINE.

This episode Rob and Shag have ringside seats for the fight with Hercules in Aquaman #30 by Jeff Parker, Paul Pelletier, Sean Parsons, Alvaro Martinez, Raul Fernandez, and Rain Beredo. Next, the return of the Hyena in The Fury of Firestorm #10 (Mar. 1983) by Gerry Conway, Pat Broderick, Rodin Rodriguez, Gene D’Angelo, and Adam Kubert. Finally, we sprinkle in a dash of Star Wars and Futures End chat!

You can find the 87th episode of THE FIRE AND WATER PODCAST on iTunes. While you’re there, please drop us a review on the iTunes page. Every comment helps! Alternatively, you may download the podcast by right-clicking here, choosing “Save Target/Link As”, and selecting a location on your computer to save the file (30 MB).

As always, thanks to my co-host Rob Kelly, Sea King of THE AQUAMAN SHRINE, for doing all the post-production on these episodes! Opening theme, “That Time is Now,” by Michael Kohler. Special thanks to Daniel Adams and Ashton Burge with their band The Bad Mamma Jammas for our fantastic original closing theme! This episode brought to you in part by InStockTrades.com!

Have a question or comment? Looking for more great content?

The Fury of Firestorm The Nuclear Man vol II #10 cover by Pat Broderick and Dick Giordano! Interior story and art by Gerry Conway, Pat Broderick and Rodin Rodriguez! Click to enlarge!

Fury of Firestorm The Nuclear Man #10 cover by Pat Broderick and Dick Giordano

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12 Comments

  1. So you are going to TELL us about this page with Doreen in apparel barely approved by the Comics Code, but not SHOW us? Don’t you guys have a Tumbler or something? I seem to recall you mentioning it in EVERY FRICKIN’ SHOW!!!

    Don’t tease us, fellas! It ain’t right!

    Maybe this near comic code violation has to do with were-people. I have an old, ratty, dog-eared World’s Finest issue from the late 70s that I bought (or had bought for me) off the stands. In it, Black Canary disrobes in front of some werewolf-like creature that breaks into her apartment. She’s in shadow, but there is little left to the imagination. Now THAT skirted those Code edges for sure. Made quite an impact on me at age 4 or so! Thanks DC!

    As for the JL movie…I think you’re right Rob. I actually enjoyed MOS for what it was, but I can’t say the direction these films are going in is my ideal choice for a DCU movie series. Having said that, I feel I may be getting too negative as well. I think because Marvel Stuidos seems to be doing everything so near perfect (well, except for Iron Man 3), it makes it hard for this DC boy to not see the flaws in the “plan” at DC. But going forward, I’ll try to put on my positive hat more often than not, and just be glad we’re going to get to see these characters share the screen together. Not sure about putting all the eggs in Snyder’s basket but…wait, I’m being negative again. UGH!!!

    Re: Aquaman’s strength; I think amping up his strength level is definitely a direct correlation to putting a fork in that “Aquaman is lame” issue. I think Arthur’s strength was always underplayed, and inconsistently portrayed at best. Kind of like Spider-Man. Sometimes he can pick up a car, other times he doesn’t seem to be stronger than your average joe. It’s nice to see Aquaman get to cut loose and get in a knuckle-duster with someone.

    Great Feldstein bit at the end guys. One of the greats!

    Another fun excursion into geekdom!

    Chris

  2. Anj says:

    Thanks for another great show.

    I also have this feeling that both ‘Superman vs. Batman’ and the JLA movie will be rough. That is all built on the foundation of Man of Steel, an utterly flawed and sad interpretation of the Superman character. Horrible.

    The Hyena storyline in Firestorm was my favorite of the early issues, especially given the lycanthropy concerns Shag mentions in the review. I always thought the cover for Fury of Firestorm #12 was fantastic. Scary.

    I’d love to hear more from Shag about the Hyena here being a mystical were-creature. In the original series, I thought it was more a special suit Summer was wearing. Didn’t she have mechanical drill claws at one point there? I prefer this version much more.

    Lastly, it seems that the whole New 52 Universe is a dystopia. And Futures End looks completely bleak, even darker than the Flashpoint world. I feel that at the heads of DC keep thinking that ‘darker and darker’ is the way to get readers. And I think it simply isn’t working. I, for one, would welcome the old continuity back.

  3. Kyle Benning says:

    “GANOSHA?!?!” Isn’t that Genosha, as in Genetics? You know cuz it involves mutants and their genes.

    I love Rob’s pick for the Instock Trades….Shag’s not so much. I’m definitely going to have to look into that Ramona Fradon book.

    Another great issue of Aquaman, it was a lot of fun, and it’s good to see a short little fun arc that is action packed. I agree Pelletier’s art is getting stronger with each issue, I really look forward to when he can get caught up and see what he’s able to do when he can tackle the whole issue and not feel rushed. The back-up or assistant art team was much stronger this issue as well. All around great issue, I haven’t looked at sales numbers, but I hope that the book is still reeling in the high numbers it was getting early on, because Parker’s run thus far has been fantastic!

    I’m stoked about Star Wars!!! I get to take my soon to be born son to see Star Wars in the theater, do you know how amazing that is?!?! The first Star Wars movie I got to see on the big screen was the Empire Strikes Back special edition (the only special edition movie worth watching) and was just blown away. I was already a huge Star Wars fan, but that was life changing! I can’t wait to share the experience with my kids for this next trilogy, and am very excited and optimistic that this new trilogy will succeed where the prequels failed.

    So FCBD has come and gone, and Futures End did not disappoint, its a very intriguing premise. While a dark violent future is nothing new to the DCU, especially since 2002, it definitely has a kind of Anti-Life Equation Final Crisis type vibe to it, but with 4 awesome writers you can bet it will be executed a whole lot better!
    I don’t see the New 52 ending, with as many problems as there have been (and there have been many) there have still been some successes. I think that Aquaman has undoubtedly gotten the star treatment courtesy of the New 52 and reached new heights of popularity for the modern era. I think the same could be said for Jonah Hex, Barry Allen Flash, and even Batman. Snyder’s Batman has been the best the character has been since the Chuck Dixon days. So some characters have definitely benefited. For some reason, I just don’t see DC bringing back multiple earths and having ongoing titles devoted to characters or teams on parallel earths. That would be incredible and I think it would have a huge fan following, but sadly I don’t see it happening. We live in the heyday of the “Shared Universe” where every single character and story has to coexist so that any guest star can crossover into another book, ironically this causes so many editorial issues for an editorial staff that has proven they quite aren’t up to the task. I don’t see DC publishing multiple books devoted to single earths that they can’t constantly tie into with their other books. It would be great as a reading standpoint, and very enticing for new or relapsed readers. Oh I can pick up this unconnected #1 issue without having to read any other DC book or know what is happening in the baggage of the other 51 titles? Wouldn’t that be a new reader’s dream situation? Or even a publisher’s dream? DC is constantly coming out with new waves of #1 titles, the problem being that few readers who aren’t already reading their books jump on. Cool I can get a new #1 issue, but the problem is that new #1 is firmly rooted in a universe that is tightly knit together and I haven’t read any of it since its inception. That’s got to be a little intimidating. If this new #1 existed on its own, and the incoming reader didn’t have to know anything about Trinity War, Forever Evil, or the Justice League titles, I think this new wave formula would be much more successful. Sadly I don’t see DC (or Marvel for that matter) embracing that concept, so instead I would settle for a psuedo-Crisis, where they brought back many of the parallels earths, and if nothing else, did another merging of worlds taking the best from Pre-Crisis Earths 1 & 2, Post Crisis New Earth, and New 52, returning characters to their more iconic roots and picking the best of each era. They’d definitely want to keep New 52 Aquaman and Jonah Hex around, but grab either Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths or Byrne’s Post Crisis Superman and have him replace New 52 Superman. Use current New 52 Barry Allen, but grab post-Crisis Wally West. Obviously this type of situation would have the same fallout that the New 52 had, another half-ass semi-reboot where some stuff changes and others doesn’t, pissing off numerous fans in the process because their favorite version of Character X didn’t make the cut. But you know what, maybe this time they could plan it a little better, get multiple inputs from their whole creative staff not just Jim Lee and Geoff Johns, and execute everything a little smoother. Ideally they’d just embrace publishing books about multiple earths and eras so that readers could pick which universe and version of their favorite character they wanted to follow. A simple way to do that would be to bring back the Retro-Active titles they did the summer of 2011, and expand that line to cover more eras (how about some Golden and Silver Age love) and extend the coverage to more than just Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Superman, Batman, and the Justice League, and cover other characters like Hawkman, The Atom, Aquaman, Green Arrow, and the JSA. Slap an advertisement for the Showcase Presents volume covering that era of the character represented in the Retroactive issue and you got yourself a winner.
    It’d be pretty simple, you do a 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s book for each character or team. So a new issue comes out every 2 months. You charge $5 an issue which has 2 stories, 1 reprint, and 1 new story. Boom. You now get $30 a year out of every Superman fan who despises the New 52, and trust me there are a lot of them. For characters like Flash where multiple men have had the same identity you have something like a 40’s Flash with Jay, a 50’s Flash with Barry, a 60’s Flash with Barry and Jay (reprinting Flash #123 of course), a 70’s Flash with Barry, an 80’s Flash with Barry and Wally teaming up, and then 90’s Flash with Wally solo. Can you honestly tell me that DC Fans New and Old wouldn’t be all over that stuff?

    Great issue of Firestorm, always like Hyena as a personal villain to Firestorm, being his (awful) girlfriend’s sister. And Rob with the Clarissa Explains it All reference, man Nickelodeon had some great shows back then, but that show was not one of them haha. Still a nice reference, and undoubtedly the show that launched Melissa Joan Heart’s (brief) career. Rob’s right, that is a nice subtle detail that is often missed (by myself included), that is a nice little extra effort that the art team does, to prevent Ronnie from being in permanent outfit mode. I have no complaints about this issue, more Gerry Conway goodness and always good to have Pat Broderick back on art. Pat has done some great work throughout his career, but I think his Firestorm stands out as his best!

    Another great episode of the best Comic Podcast out there! Fan the Flame and Ride the Wave!

  4. Sean Koury says:

    Let me know when the paperback of your post comes out, Kyle. 😉

  5. Hi-ho, Little Russell Burbage from Baxter Beach, Florida here.

    I guess I have to be the minority, but I *hated* this month’s issue of Firestorm. Now before you get all Doreen Day on me, hear me out.

    There’s the main villain there on the cover, looking incredibly masculine. Then there is the flashback Hyena on pages 9 and 10, also looking very masculine. But this Hyena is supposedly Summer Day!?! She’s a girl, fellas!! I mean, come on…the character is buck naked, right? It’s not a suit, right? I gotta say, Al Milgrom is the only artist who drew The Hyena right. (BTW, why is older sister Summer Day, but younger sister isn’t Spring Day, or Another Day?)

    On a related note, two more things you guys said that I also noticed, but not in a positive way: on page 4 with the extreme closeup of Firestorm’s eyes. Uh…no pupils at all!?! Really? And check out Ronnie’s wardrobe on page 13: short-sleeved red shirt. Then on page 21 he’s suddenly wearing a jacket. Now I hear Shagg say, “Come on, he was cold, he put on a jacket!” Okay, fine, but immediately after that he is at Prof Stein’s apartment, and he’s now wearing a long-sleeved shirt!?! So either he and Doreen did the deed at his place and he changed his clothes, or the artists messed up.

    BTW, is it just me, or does Prof Stein seem to recall his adventures as Firestorm now? On page 7 he clearly thinks, “It’s affecting our reactions as Firestorm.” Uh…how do you know, Professor!?

    I’m sure I hated this issue just because I hate The Hyena. If he/she was drawn less masculine or more feminine or maybe just more like a hyena, I’m sure I would have liked this issue more.

    Hee hee Hee hee haha haha!

  6. Anj says:

    Hmmm …. I don’t think you have read this story before Russell.

    Your concerns about the Hyena will be addressed!

  7. Anj,
    I have not read this story before. I quit on the original Firestorm series maybe an issue or two before. I did, however, read the original Hyena appearances in Firestomr vol. 1 and in FLASH. And I remember thinking, HE’s a GIRL!?! So….yeah. Not a fan of buck naked characters having big reveals, if you know what I mean, haha hee hee.

  8. Martin Stein Returns says:

    Firestorm has super strength. Remember FOF #35 where he lifts up an *iceberg* over his head that Killer Frost dumped on him? Martin had to cajole Ronnie into lifting it by being a dick to Ronnie and calling him a dumb jock, which gets Ronnie mad enough to lift the iceberg. The iceberg clearly must weigh a few tons.

    Shag, it was amusing to hear you trying not to use a gender pronoun in relation to the Hyena and not give away your foreknowledge that of course, it’s a different Hyena, Jivan Shi. Full marks for trying, though a few “his”es slipped in there. Summer doesn’t, to my knowledge, actually change genders when she becomes the Hyena. Obviously the comics code would not let the artist elaborate on that. I think Summer’s breasts just become fully muscular and the rest… well, remains female. Likewise, Jivan I would think would remain male, but Firestorm was too busy fighting for his life to notice whether this Hyena had, well, a package.

    Okay, there’s another missive you’ll be squeamish to read on the air from me. Sorry.

  9. Martin Stein Returns says:

    Little Russell— Professor does remember their adventures at this point. In a later lettercol, Gerry said that Martin *gradually* came to remember their adventures, and that there was no particular moment of epiphany. He just psychologically overcame the barrier that kept him from remembering, but it was never a moment depicted in the comics itself.

  10. Martin Stein Returns says:

    Did Firestorm ever get injured and then split apart and was okay? Did that plot point ever come up.

    Yes. But with blank slate Firestorm. Blank Slate fought the Zuggernaut, I believe, and was viciously slashed on his side and was bleeding. When Ronnie and Mikhail both split up, Ronnie re-appeared at his dishwashing job bleeding on his side, and Mikhail reappeared in his prison cell, bleeding on his side.

    By the way, this is all off the top of my head, so it is possible I am not remembering quite correctly. One assumes that the rules for blank slate Firestorm would have been more or less the same for the original Firestorm too. If Firestorm got stabbed and he split apart, both Ronnie and Martin would have been stabbed too.

  11. Frank says:

    My brother got into gimmick covers, so he picked up Avengers #360, which I read and enjoyed enough to begin following. I liked what Harras & Epting were doing, and bought back issues of their run, but then I ended up with “The Gathering” overload. The “Blood Ties” crossover derailing of that already overly long storyline successfully bumped me off reading the title. I only came back a year & a half later for another crossover, “Taking A.I.M.,” and stuck around until the end of the first volume.

    I’m with Kyle Benning in saying “Gin-osha,” because genes and Orwell.

    I forgive the Aquaman creative team for using Hercules because I can always tell myself it was supposed to be Kirby’s Atlas until someone at DC changed their mind at the last minute again. It also helps that I’ve given the finger to the New 52, no longer buy a single monthly title from them, and only foresee buying one trade collection in the near future (Justice League United.) I do like the New 52 Wonder Woman costume, except the black boots. But then she kisses Superman and I’m SO out again.

    New 52 Aquaman is Sub-Mariner. He’s even having punch-outs with his former Avengers teammate. I see Aquaman as a Spider-Man caliber hero, but for now he’s Namor, who Marvel can’t get to work, anyway.

    Not running a podcast or having any strong inclination to curry favor, I’ll continue to bag on the JLA movie. Also, a friend of mine was telling me how he was getting a tingle from that Star Wars VII cast read photo, and I told him that was swell but for myself, I simply do not care. I’ve seen every theatrically released Star Wars film on the big screen, watched the TV movies and some of the early cartoons, had my share of action figures, and even played the CCG in the late ’90s. The prequels made me very sad, and then mad, and then the franchise left my heart completely. I tried to watch the original trilogy about a decade back, and got bored. I look at the VII cast read with the one black guy, the two girls, and all those white men sitting in a circle and think this is a thing from a time we’ve left behind. It’s Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp in a Flash Gordon revival, for all I care. It probably doesn’t help that I flipped franchise loyalty to the more thoughtful, inclusive, progressive pre-Abrams Star Trek as I got older.

    I’m much more hopeful for the “non-name” DC movies, where auteur theory could actually be beneficial. The Guillermo del Toro “Dark Universe” film or a live action Doom Patrol have a lot more potential than Leaguers in the stifling Nolanverse.

    Crisis on Infinite Earths was a grand spectacle but a lousy story. Infinite Crisis was much worse. No chance of my going back again to drink from a well with the rotting corpse of the DC Universe I cared about floating inside. Or is that just another OMAC?

    Earth 2 Chris, welcome to the minority of people who didn’t like Iron Man 3. We’re not completely alone!

  12. Oliver says:

    In the wild, I believe it’s actually very hard to differentiate male and female hyenas — their respective ‘equipment’ looks similar from a distance. So I suppose we can post-rationalize the Comics Code-approved ‘neuter’ hyenas as justifiably being similarly indistinguishable! I always thought Pat Broderick drew them suitably savage and intimidating, anyway.

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