Wednesday Comics #12 (of 12)

Here we have the final issue (for now) of Wednesday Comics, a terrific idea that just fell a little short of the mark.

The fault lies with the writing of some of the strips, which I'll get to in a minute. But the artists get nothing but praise - they used the medium to show off their skills, and while a couple of the strips weren't to my taste, one can't expect to like everything in a variety pack like this.

So what's wrong with the writing? Well, it's largely a matter of format. Some of the strips were designed to be read a page at a time, once a week - while others read like a 12-page story. They'll work great in the inevitable collection, but in this format, they weren't as effective.

So let's run down the strips one at a time and hand out those final grades (one for story, one for art):

- Batman features great art and a thin story that might work a little better in the collection. Forgettable.
Grades: Story: C+ / Art: A-

- Kamandi is the best strip in this comic and manages a dramatic, action-packed yet heartfelt story, very much along the lines of Prince Valiant. Fantastic art.
Grade: Story: A / Art: A+

- Superman is another strip that will work fine in a collection, though half of the story is annoying, as Superman spends his time whining about being an alien on Earth. Dude, you can change the course of mighty rivers and bend steel in your bare hands - lighten up! I do like the art, though, and there's a nice cameo in this final strip.
Grade: Story: B- / Art: A-

- Deadman wraps itself up with a bow here, although the story didn't work as a weekly. But taken as a whole it's pretty good, with lots of supernatural roughhousing. The art is original and fun.
Grade: Story: B+ / Art: B+

- Green Lantern was a near miss for me. The art is a lot of fun, with a good Silver Age, Darwyn Cooke-ish feel to it, but the story was mighty thin, and doesn't read as a weekly. Still, always good to see GL in action.
Grade: Story: C+ / Art: B+

- Metamorpho is the wackiest strip in the lot. Neil Gaiman and Mike Allred have fun channeling the goofy spirit of those original '60s adventures. I'm not sure it was a complete success, but it was fun to follow along.
Grade: Story: B+ / Art: A-

- Teen Titans is one of the strips that just didn't work for me. The story was nearly incomprehensible and the art didn't help. I'm not even sure I understand what happened here, but luckily, I don't really care.
Grade: Story: C- ; Art: C

- Strange Adventures was a truly bizarre take on the adventures of Adam Strange - but I liked it a lot! Surreal, unique, weird - but it offered a fresh look at a classic character, with lots of science fiction and Edgar Rice Burroughs riffs squeezed in there.
Grade: Story: A / Art: A-

- Supergirl - This is another of my favorites, although the story's on the light side. But it's a fun romp, and the artwork is a delight. Any strip that includes Krypto the Super-Dog and Speedy the Super-Cat is ok by me.
Grade: Story: B+ / Art: A

- Metal Men - Despite only having 12 pages of story, this adventure just seemed to drag on for the longest time. To its credit, though, it does have the "feel" of those original Robert Kanigher adventures. It's all redeemed by the fantastic art - probably the best in the issue.
Grade: Story: B- / Art: A+

- Wonder Woman - This is the other strip that just hasn't worked for me at all. Add the teeny tiny panels that strain my aged eyesight (excepting issue #11) and the lettering that's hard to read, and you end up with a story that's very difficult to follow. I think this one was a victim of the printing process, but I gave up on reading it early on. Sorry.
Grade: Story: C- / Art: C+

- Sgt. Rock and Easy Co. - The strip I thought I'd love but didn't. The art is incredible but the story was slim. Rock spent 12 weeks being abused, tortured and shot by Nazis - not my idea of entertainment. The story twist at the end doesn't redeem a weak story.
Grade: Story: C- / Art: A

- The Flash and Iris West - This is one I really wanted to like. The art is excellent, but the story tried a little too hard to get cute with the reader, and ended up losing its emotional punch. But it does manage to end on a high note.
Grade: Story: B- / Art: A-

- The Demon and Cat Woman - The title characters "meet cute" to wrap up this story. This was one that worked out fine by the end, although there was some doubt early on. The art is quite good.
Grade: Story: B+ / Art: B+

- Hawkman - This was a good effort, although it lost its focus on the hero by the end, as the rest of the Justice League (and especially Aquaman) take some of the glory. Still, a darn good strip.
Grade: Story: B+ / Art: A-

So that wraps up this initial effort at a weekly version of the old Sunday Comics. I think it was a valiant effort, and I'd love to see this kind of thing on an annual basis, with some fine-tuning.

My advice: the artists and writers should be assigned to read some of the Prince Valiant collections to get the feel of the format, and it would be nice to see even more variety in the strips - humor, strips for kids and grown-ups - the sky's the limit!

And surely our old pal at Cap's Hobby Shop still has some good advice for us.