Issue 119
THE MISSING MASQUE
Review by Jim Johnston
Screenplay (aka Story): Paul Monsky
Cinematographer (aka Artist): Ed Coutts
Painted Cover: Ed Coutts
20 pgs. black and white
Published 2003
Synopsis
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While searching for a missing Diana Adams (the "Missing Masque"), Rio Rita
and the Blue Bulleteer find themselves in a perilous situation.
Story
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Rio Rita, in her guise as starlet Rita Farrar, searches for the missing Diana
Adams which takes her to the bar of notorious Detroit gangster "Philly" Accardo.
Unfortunately, Accardo sees through the disguise and Rio Rita is taken prisoner.
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Meanwhile, the action shifts to the gangster hideout where Diana Adams, in
her persona as a society playgirl, is being held prisoner. In spite of her
helpless appearance, handcuffed and with her ankles bound, she is able to
effectively fend off the lecherous advances of Wiley, one of Accardo's weasily
henchmen.
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Back at the bar, things look bleak for Rio Rita. Held at gunpoint, she is
bound, gagged, and unceremoniously dumped into the trunk of a car and driven
to the gangster's hideout.
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All is not lost, however. From the shadows, the Blue Bulleteer observes the
action and follows the gangster's car to their country hideout. She makes
a dramatic entrance at a moment of extreme danger for Rio Rita. Unhappily,
she is ambushed from behind and made a prisoner, bound and forced to suffer
the indignity of being unmasked by the villains.
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While the gangsters discuss the fate of the 2 captive heroines, death or
slavery in a wealthy foreign harem, Wiley is dispatched to prepare Diana
Adams for shipment to her new owner. However, the valiant heroine has other
ideas and easily turns the tables, incapacitating Wiley and skillfully freeing
herself.
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The ruckus this causes distracts the remaining villains, so the Blue Bulleteer
and Rio Rita decide it's their turn and strike back against their captors
and tormentors. In an excellent fight sequence, they blitz the gangsters,
overwhelming them and freeing themselves. Wiley manages to escape, under
cover of the confusion, but is tracked down and sent off to a richly deserved,
long prison sentence.
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The final page depicts a much older Wiley being released from prison. There
is a hint that he might seek revenge on Miss Masque.
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Especially liked:
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Speaking generally, the story had an enjoyable, genuine old-school, pulp/noir
flavour. The story "construction" was very well done. As the adventure unfolded,
the tension steadily builds as the ladies all become prisoners of the villains.
This leads to an action-packed climax in which the villains are defeated
in an excellent fight sequence, with a satisfying little coda (the capture
of the last villain), and, at the end, a tantalizing hint that there might
be a sequel. Another satisfying aspect of the story construction is the
"balance." Villains who particularly mistreat a specific heroine suffer a
righteous come-uppance at the hands of those same heroines.
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Commenting specifically, I really liked how the story demonstrated the strength
of character and courage under adversity of the ladies. Even when they are
all captive, they do not panic. Instead they remain calm and demonstrate
that they can take care of themselves. For example, on page 5, though apparently
completely helpless, Diana Adams is able to effectively fend off the unwelcome
advances of Wiley. Another example, on page 9, bottom right panel, although
threatened with facial mutilation (and death) if she does not cooperate,
Rio Rita remains unfazed.
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I really liked how the heroines were all shown to be smart and resourceful.
For example, page 12, top 3 panels, when Diana Adams decides it's time to
get ready to "make her move," Diana is able to easily and expertly remove
her handcuffs.
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The ladies were shown to be sharp, tough, and alert all of page 15. To begin
the climactic fight scene, the Blue Bulleteer and Rita silently agree that
it is time to counter-attack. They fight in tandem, cooperating to defeat
the gangsters.
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The ladies all look our for each other. The basic premise of the story is
that Rio Rita and the Blue Bulleteer go out looking for their missing comrade.
During the big fight, it is Diana's timely arrival into action that saves
the Blue Bulleteer from a bullet in the back.
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Also, during the big fight, though still bound, Rita is able to make her
way to a light switch and shut off the lights, giving the heroines a distinct
advantage, and when this bold moves draws the gangsters' gunfire, the Blue
Bulleteer reacts immediately, taking out the gangster and saving her comrade.
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In the best traditions of Femforce stories and AC Comics, this story features
some clever details and fun bits. On page 8, bottom right panel, when her
kidnapers attempt to intimidate their captive by warning that "You can do
this the easy way or the hard way," Rio Rita tartly replies, "I've never
been easy." On page 11, in a twist on standard comic book cliche, the Blue
Bulleteer is unmasked, but her identity is still safe because none of the
villains can identify her. Finally, taking advantage of a quirk of geography,
the writer has one Wiley escaping the climactic fight and "heading south
for Canada (from Detroit).
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Didn't like:
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The action shifted between various locations, through the story. The shift
was sometimes a little abrupt. A few strategically placed boxes/inserts,
explaining the shift, such as "Meanwhile, at the Gangster's hideout," would
have smoothed the transition.
Art
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Especially liked:
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Speaking generally, the art was uniformly excellent! As with the story, all
the art was permeated with an authentic, genuine, noir/pulp flavour which
really adds to the story. The "tone" created by the pulp/noir flavour is
effective as it is tense and often foreboding but never dark, oppressive,
or hopeless.
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The heroines were always pleasantly presented as being fit and firm, with
naturally lithe and strong bodies, without any of the grotesque hyper-anatomy
that is typical of many newsstand comments. Also, the heroines were all extremely
attractive, but unlike the heroines in most other current comics, they never
came across as crass, vulgar, wanton, cheap, or salacious. Instead, they
are wholesome and sexy in the best traditions of Good Girl Art and AC Comics.
These are among the bedrock concepts of AC Comics and the Femforce and I'm
really very glad that these traditions are acknowledged and continued by
the new artist and new writer.
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Even when masked, the heroines consistently displayed facial expressions
which conveyed complex and subtle emotion and were entirely appropriate to
their immediate situation. There is little reliance on the stock comic book
expressions, e.g., the blank stare, some variant of maniacal or insane anger,
or simply hiding the character's face behind a non-expressive mask. Rather,
time and again throughout the story, the characters had expressions that
exactly reflected their current circumstance.
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I enjoyed the accurate and authentic period/era details, especially the cars.
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Commenting specifically, there is an embarrassment of riches. There are
noteworthy images and sequences on every page, but I will mention just a
few of the best examples. To begin, on page 9, bottom left vertical panel,
depicting a full-length Blue Bulleteer standing by her car outside in the
dark checking out the villains' hideout, the panel appears to be done in
an almost woodcut style; the image looked like it had been taken directly
from the pages of an old pulp magazine. It's a first-class piece of work!
There are similar images throughout the story but I thought this was among
the best.
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On page 10, middle left panel, aka "Hands Up!," the Blue Bulleteer comes
to the rescue with the character standing tall, with guns drawn. She looks
strong, confident, and in charge, as well as very attractive. To my mind,
the Blue Bulleteer has never looked better! Kudos to the artist!
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On page 10, bottom left, this panel consists of a relatively close-up "head
and shoulders" shot of the character as she reacts to a noise (cleverly depicted
in the preceding panel). We get a clear view of the Blue Bulleteer, as she
involuntarily turns her head to look back. We can see the surprise reflected
in her eyes (and we can almost hear the gasp escaping from her parted lips).
The Blue Bulleteer's mask does not obscure her features, instead it seems
to emphasize the eyes and lips as if it was an integral part of her face.
A skillful piece of work!
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Page 10, bottom right, the "tables turn" panel, the Blue Bulleteer gets
slugged/knocked unconscious by Big Joe, one of Accardo's henchmen. It's a
very striking scene. The viewer can almost feel the force of the blow as
Big Joe's huge fist knocks our heroine out cold. This scene is all the more
effective because of the way it contrasts with the middle, left panel discussed
above. Taken together, these panels are a very effective bit of storytelling,
showing how quickly a situation can change. This volatility makes for an
exciting story!
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Page 15, "The Ladies Strike Back!" features man of the aspects that I most
liked about the art. The artwork is energetic and dynamic. The ladies are
shown to be smart and cool-headed, as well as strong, tough, and drop-dead
gorgeous. Each and every facial expression is entirely appropriate to the
character and situation. To elabourate, the page depicts the Femforcers launching
a counter-attack against their captors. In the top left panel, the Blue Bulleteer
and Rita silently agree that the time is right and, together, they unleash
a devastating and coordinated attack depicted in the following panels. Each
panel depicts a "money shot," that is to say a head butt or a kick. The reader
can almost feel the force of each blow as it connects solidly with its' target.
The gangsters' pain and dismay at this turn in their fortunes is clearly
reflected in their faces and postures. This contrasts with our heroines,
who look strong and confident and whose faces reflect the concentrated effort
they're putting into their attack, as well as a trace of triumph and satisfaction
at striking back against their captors. In the final 4 small panels, Diana
arrives just in time to disarm and punch out a gangster who is about to shoot
the Blue Bulleteer in the back.
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In addition to the great art, Page 15 is especially enjoyable because it
shows the ladies getting back at the villains after being "on the ropes"
for so long.
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Page 16, bottom middle panel, another "in the dark" image. This one depicts
the Blue Bulleteer delivering a hard knee to Big Joe's solar plexus. Our
heroine looks especially strong and dynamic as she effectively incapacitates
her well-muscled opponent. This image is all the more satisfying since Big
Joe was the one who knocked her out and later unmasked her. Laura's hard-eyed,
angry facial expression is especially great! To my mind, she seems to be
expressing something like, "You think you can sucker punch and unmask me
and get away with it!?! It don't think so! This is what you get for messing
with the Femforce!"
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Page 19, bottom right panel, Miss Masque arrests Wiley, who has been at large.
The scene depicts Wiley as he flees his hideout attempting to once more escape
from the Femforce. He runs into Miss Masque, who, with guns drawn, informs
him that it's "Time to go to jail!" Since Wiley was the villain who spent
a lot of time pestering/harassing the captive Diana Adams, it's great having
her heroine persona be the one to arrest him. It provides a sense of closure
and continuity to the story (as with Laura taking down Big Joe). Miss Masque
stands tall and looks strong, resolute, and very much in control. I'm pleased
that the character is finally in uniform/costume since she has spent most
of the adventure as Diana Adams. Diana Adams, society playgirl, is attractive,
but it's good to see Miss Masque, crimebuster! In contrast, Wiley looks weak
and defeated. His sweaty face, with a look of fear and surprise, tells us
that he realizes it's all over.
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Didn't like:
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There's nothing I didn't like about the art.
DRIPLOMACY!
Review by Jim Johnston
Story: Mark Heike
Penciler: Gianluca Cerrutelli
Inker: Silas Dixon
7 pgs. black and white
Published 2003
Synopsis
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Lauren Mason/Yankee Girl is faced with personal indignities and unexpected
challenges while acting as a replacement Guest of Honor at a government function,
but she rises to the occassion and saves the day.
Story
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Lauren is contacted by Ms. Victory, who explains that she and Paragon have
been unexpectedly called away on a "special case" and asks if Yankee Girl
could cover for Ms. Victory at an official government reception for a joint
Russian-U.S. technology exchange. Lauren reluctantly agrees after being assured
thatt here wouldn't be any fighting involved. "You'll just have to show up
and look good," Ms. Victory assures her.
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Delayed by security concerns while enroute, Lauren arrives at the Kennedy
Space Center, site of the reception, at the last minute just as a suspicious
looking waitress, working at the visitor's cafeteria in that same complex,
learns of the reception and sees an opportunity.
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Lauren is hurried out onto the stage where all the dignitaries have already
assembled. The stage is dominated by a huge tureen of potato soup (the
traditional Russian gift) suspended above the platform. To her dismay, Lauren
learns she is expected to make a speech.
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Meanwhile, the suspicious waitress reveals herself to be Cherry Bomb, the
long-forgotten, but still totally committed, Communist sleeper agent. Armed
with an "experimental Soviet Soybean Rifle"(!) designed to silently shoot
beans! she is intent on assassinating the Russian Science Minister (head
of the trade delegation). She believes that this will spark a war between
the USA and Russia which will lead to the re-birth of communism in her homeland.
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Lauren stumbles through her impromptu speech as the would-be assassin draws
a bead on her target, but her aim is poor and the bullet/bean hits Lauren
in the butt instead of killing the Science Minister. Lauren thinks the Science
Minister has take a liberty by pinching her in the butt and reacts accordingly.
The bodyguards rush in to protect the Science Minister. In the ensuing confusion,
Cherry Bomb tries to get off another shot but the defective rifle misfires
and the wild shot shatters the tureen, resulting in a soup-drenched superheroine.
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Cherry Bomb attempts to escape, but an airborne Yankee Girl easily takes
her into custody. To avoid an embarassing international incident, the Russians
volunteer to take charge of Cherry Bomb and quietly get her out of the country.
The U.S. authorities agree. Though facing a long sentence in the gulag, Cherry
Bomb still manages a cheap shot when she calls Lauren fat, hitting our heroine
where she is most vulnerable. Though praised by Ms. Victory for a job well
done, Lauren still seeks reassurance that she is not fat.
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Especially liked:
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"Driplomacy" was a fun story. I liked that, but I also enjoyed how it provided
an insightful look into Yankee Girl's character during her insecure phase.
For instance, although annoyed at being delayed by airport security personnel,
Lauren is flattered that the "cute one" said she "looked good" for her age.
Later, even though Lauren has saved the day, and is praised by Ms. Victory,
she remains concerned by Cherry Bomb's "fat" remark. There are other examples
throughout the story that taken together give the reader a picture of a heroine
who, despite her power and ability, is very concerned about her appearance
and what other people think of her.
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The story demonstrated how the AC Universe perceives Yankee Girl. Lauren
is portrayed as the "Rodney Dangerfield" of the superheroines. All through
the story, she gets no respect. The airport securities guards do not recognize
her, the dignitaries are disappointed that she arrives instead of Ms. Victory,
she gets soaked with potato soup, and the villainess calls her fat. However,
although Yankee Girl has to deal with an ongoing series of indignities, the
reader never gets the impression the writer is making fun of the charcter.
Instead, she is portrayed in a way that the reader feels sympathetic towards
her. Very skillful work.
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Didn't like:
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This is a small point, and is more of a suggestion. Instead of a rifle designed
to shoot beans it might have been more appropriate if Cherry Bomb used a
high-powered, hi-tech spud gun. That would mesh with the Russian potato soup
and would echo the real-life classic novelty item, as well as still re-enforcing
the fun aspect of the story.
Art
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To my eyes, the art had a distinctive "Euro" look/flavour to it. I found
the look to be new and interesting! This Euro look was demonstrated in
small/subtle ways throughout the story. For instance, in the distinctive
hairstyles of the background characters, in the civilian outfit Lauren wore
enroute to the reception (a basic black dress with wide belt), and, expecially,
the rental car Lauren was driving.
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Especially liked:
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Lauren's easygoing pose on page 2 when she's driving the rental car really
put across the impression of someone who comes from a wealthy background
and is at ease in luxury. It's a fave image.
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In the fight scene between Yankee Girl and the bodyguards on page 6, Lauren's
mostly white costume and skin make a striking contrast with the dark suits
and sunglasses of the bodyguards. It's an effective use of the black and
white format.
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I also liked Lauren's facial expression in the above scene. Her look of anger
and outrage really suited the situation. Throughout the story, the various
characters' facial expressions are just right for whatever they are doing
or seeing or reacting to at a given time. This kind of situation specific
"facial expression" is a hallmark of AC/Femforce comic art. I am very pleased
that another artist is carrying on the tradition.
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Another tradition is what I call the "fun bit," a clever, amusing, or
entertaining detail in the story or the art that is a bonus to the reader.
This aspect is also present in the artwork in details like Cherry Bomb's
hammer and sickle earrings.
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Finally, I liked Cherry Bomb's lean physique and short hairstyle which contrasted
effectively with Lauren's more lush figure and "big" hair.
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Didn't like:
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Only 7 pages of art, but other than that, no complaints.
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