Femforce Special Number 2

Review by Jim Johnston

Main Feature - "Hood Winked"

Plot - Eric Coile

Dialogue - Bill Black

Pencils - Eric Coile

Inker - Mark Heike; Steph' Heike (uncredited)

Published 2001

Synopsis

• 1939 - In Mexico, undercover agent Rio Rita Farrar and FBI agent Craig Williams destroy a heroin smuggling operation run by Nazi sympathizers. The two heroes vow to meet again.
• 1942- In Washingon, Craig Williams, in his guise as "The Hood," interrupts a kidnap attempt at FBI Headquarters but is unable to prevent Nazi super-villain, the Vulture's Claw, from stealing away FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. As the Nazi's make their escape, the Femforce arrives and, mistaking the Hood for a Nazi agent, a tense stand-off ensues with the heroines confronting the masked FBI agent. The misunderstanding is resolved and old acquaintances are renewed but not before the Nazi's have made good on their escape. Evil's triumph is short-lived, however, as the hero's work together to locate and free Mr. Hoover, foiling the evil scheme of the Vulture's Claw.

Story

• Mexico - 1938: Ruggedly handsome, two-fisted FBI agent Craig Williams arrives in the nick of time to rescue undercover agent Rio Rita Farrar from the fiendish tortures of local Nazi sympathizer and agent, Juan Scaramacho. Working together, Rita and Craig destroy Scaramacho's operation, a drug-smuggling set-up intended to raise money for the Axis cause. The villains all die in a fiery explosion from which the heroes barely escape with their lives. A romance appears to blossom between the two agents as they share a passionate embrace and Craig vows, "We'll meet again...You're too much woman to ignore!"
• Washington - 1942: America is at War! On duty at FBI Headquarters, Craig suspects a plot against J. Edgar Hoover. He bursts into Mr. Hoover's office as the Hood (his new superhero secret identity). Inside he finds Mr. Hoover confronted by a disguised assailant who reveals himself to be the Nazi villain, the Vulture's Claw. As the costumed indivual's in his office square off to battle, J. Edgar Hoover decides that the Hood is overmatched and he secretyly summons the Femforce. Miss Victory, She-Cat, the Blue Bulleteer and Rio Rita receive the call at Femforce Headquarters and immediately charge into action.
• Before the heroines can come to his aid, Mr. Hoover's fears are realized as the Vulture's Claw overcomes the Hood who falls victim to a gas attack. The Nazi seizes the FBI Director and using a jet pack flies he flies away with J. Edgar. The Hood is left, dazed and confused, to explain the situation to the Femforce, who have just arrived. Confronted by the carnage, and confused by the Hood's incoherence, the Femforce demand an explanation but the Hood is unable to reply. She-Cat jumps to the conclusion that the Hood is a Nazi agent and leaps to the attack. The Hood fends her off, seemingly confirming the Femforce's suspicion that he is an enemy.
• Desperate to pursue the Vulture's Claw, the Hood is forced to take drastic action and he grabs Rita and holds a large knife to her throat. The Femforce cease their attack lest their comrade be hurt. Taking advantage of the respite, Craig reveals himself to Rita as the FBI agent she knew so many years ago. Rita is surpised and pleased to see him again and they kiss, much to the dismay and confusion of the rest of the Femforce. Rita then explains to her teammates how she and Craig Williams first met and Craig recounts how he became the hood. With the explanations complete and the confusion resolved, they all focus on rescuing Mr. Hoover. Rita informs her teammates that they will be able to rescue the FBI Director because he is wearing a tracking device.
• At the secret off-shore hideout of the Vulture's Claw, the nefarious Nazi proceeds with his fiendish plan. Mr. Hoover is strapped into a mind control device which will re-arrange his brain making him into a zombie slave who will reveal all U.S. Government covert activities. Plus, the vile villain has dressed Mr. Hoover in the cutest little cocktail dress with matching black pumps, a necklace made from a single strand of pearls, and matching pearl earrings. The Vulture's Claw intends to send the FBI Director ack to the United States in that get-up in order to humiliate and discredit him, as well as end his career. The fiendish fascist throws the switch and the zombiefication process begins, but, then, in the best tradition of Golden Age comics the Hood and the Femforce burst in to save the day.
• A battle royale ensues and in the confusion of combat, the Vulture's Claw is able to zap the Hood and escape with the Director, again. The villain intends to relocate at yet another secret base in Cuba. The Hood and the Femforce take off after him in hot pursuit. Overtaking his getaway plane, the Hood literally disarms the Vulture's Claw in the final combat and, assisted by Miss Victory, he rescues J. Edgar Hoover as the Nazi plane crashes into the sea.
• Back in Washington, the director congratulates everyone on a job well done. After the heroes have gone, J. Edgar gets back into his dress (it seems he has developed a taste for this kind of thing). In the final panel, the daintily attired FBI Director joyfully states, "This could be the start of something big!"
• I really liked -
  1. We learn the "origin" of J. Edgar Hoover's alleged cross-dressing habit/fetish. It is a wonderfully fun and subversive bit of story telling.
  2. Craig and Rita's romance. I like how it implies that character's have lives beyond their heroic duties. I was pleased to see that it was also implied that their romance would continue after the story ended. The romance was a nice background story and it was nice to see it worked into the main storyline.
  3. The 3-panel recap of Craig and Rita's 1st meeting in Mexico. Instead of simply reprinting the original panels, we go entirely new art and dialogue which is humorously pointed out by the editor. It is typical of an AC comic that they would take the time and effort to give us this little bonus.
  4. Also, I really got a laugh out of how this flashback featured one of the oldes cliches in the book as during their escape Rita falls and twists her ankle and Craig gets to carry her to safety (lucky fellow).
  5. Special Note: I'd like to say a few words about the dialogue. It was a real joy to hear/read authentic AC dialogue again. It was sharp and clever and fun. Everything that everyone said was exactly suited to the situation. Plus, it always sounded exactly like what I would expected the characters to say. I especially enjoyed She-Cat's dialogue, all wise-cracking and aggressive, just like the character herself.

Art

• Splash Page - It could be seen as a concept page - a full length Hood charges towards us brandishing his trademark axe while head shots of the Femforce - one in each corner of the page - look on in surpise and confusion. It's very impressive and rather clever and it establishes the Hood as the central character in this story.
• Generally - Eric Coile deliberately drew this story in the style of Jack "King" Kirby, as a tribute to his work. I believe Eric's homage is entirely successful. Just like an authentic Kirby comic everyone seems "pumped up." All characters seem to run faster, fight harder, and smile broader than almost anything available in newsstand comics today.
• I really liked -
• 1. The entire opening fight sequence on pages 2-6. Right from the cliffhanger opening (depicting a captive Rio Rita chained upside down and facing torture) to the fiery destruction of the villain's lair, the action never lets up. This sequence is a great introduction to Eric's "Homage to Jack Kirby" style. Not only is the artwork great, it looks truly authentic. Plus, even though all the character's are "pumped up," never once do their postures, poses, or expressions ever appear to be exaggerated or "over the top" (as if it were a parody). Instead, all the actions and especially the expressions of the characters exactly suit the story.
  2. Page 13 - upper left panel - depicting two Femforcers, Rio Rita and the Blue Bulleteer, confronting the Hood. I really like Laura's "two-gun" pose. It's classic.
  3. Same page - bottom right panel - depicting the Hood apparently about to slit Rio Rita's throat - A bit of background explanation is in order. This story was originally inteded to be a back-up story told over three Femforce issues. This panel would have been the end of chapter 1 and it would have been a great way to end the chapter. The image, a tight close-up of the Hood holding a blade to Rita's throat is very effective. It would have kept us all on tender hooks until the next issue.
  4. Page 14 - big top panel - This is the 1st panel of "chapter two." It repeats and expands the action from the last panel on page 13. It is a 3/4 page panel depicting a full-length Hood still holding the blade to Rita's throat. The remaining Femforcers have surrounded him and are calling for his surrender (and warning him not to harm their teammate). It's an intense scene. Even if there had been a long time between issues this panel would have immediately and economically reminded the reader of what happened previously. This panel really focuses the action and reinforces the tension.
  5. Page 18 - big bottom panel - depciting the Hood and the Femforce literally bursting in to rescue J. Edgar Hoover. This one is a great show-stopper.
  6. Page 21 - middle horizontal panel - a great group shot. All the heroes are present and they receive thanks from Mr. Hoover for a job well done. Everyone has big smiles as befits a happy ending.

Second Feature - "Tara: Grudge Match"

Plot - The Count

Script - Bill Black

New Dialogue - Bill Black

Layouts - The Count

Art - Norman Hardy, Jr.

Synopsis

• This story is from the AC archives and was re-worked for this issue, including the addition of new up-to-date dialogue.
• TV Schlockmeister Hidalgo Romero engineers a mud fight between Tara and Madame Boa in order to increase his ratings. However, his schemes are revealed and the ladies join forces to give him his come-uppance.

Story

• Tara and Madame Boa appear on Hidalgo Romero's trashy TV talk show. Hidalgo is angry because, thanks to Tara, his exploitative, reality based T.V. show, "Survival of the Fittest," will not have a 2nd season. Concerned for the safety of the flora and fauna of Jungle Island, Tara has withdrawn permission for the show to be filmed there.
• Tara is supposed to be a guest on the TV talk show, but she is really a target. She is double-teamed by Madame Boa and Hidalgo during the interview segment when Madame Boa states that she was to be a contestant on the Survival of the Fittest show but is now out of a job. Madame Boa accuses Tara of being responsible for and indifferent to her plight and Hidalgo accuses Tara of having a lesbian relationship with Janis Lawson.
• Tara is confused and overwhelmed by this barrage of accusations. Then, Madame Boa accuses Tara's father of being an industrial pollutor. That sets Tara off and the two ladies get into a good old fashioned knock down, drag out, brawl. Hidalgo directs Madame Boa to bring the action over to a large trough of "genuine Mississippi Mud" so that the audience can be treated to the spectacle of "mud wrasslin'." The two combatants both wind up in hte mud and get down and dirty. Meanwhile, Hidalgo tries to pass off this vulgar spectacle as an opportunity for the downtrodden (Madame Boa) to strike back against their oppressors (Tara).
• Tara responds to this self-serving lie by reminding everyone that Madame Boa is a known and convicted felon. The Jungle Girl presses the attack and soon gains the upper hand. Ever the weasel, Hidalgo goads Tara into removing Madame Boa's bikini top. He congratulates himself on how well things are turning out. He thinks, "If Tara gets topless, I'll have a million-dollar video!"
• Tara wins the bout putting Madame Boa in a painful and humiliating submission hold. The Jungle Girl demands that Madame Boa take back what she said about Tara's father. Madame Boa does so and further reveals that Hidalgo coerced her to goad Tara into the fight, telling her that if there was no fight she would not get paid.
• Unexpectedly, Hidalgo is confronted by Phyllis Tenafly, from the Legion of Decency. She denounces him as a cheap, sleazy panderer and vows that her organization will get his show off the air. Impressed by her rant, Hidalgo cynically invites her back to take part in another salacious episode.
• Meanwhile, back at the mud wrestling trough, Madame Boa surrenders and Ms. Tenafly informs the combatants that they are both losers, victims of another one of Hidalgo Romero's schemes. She tells them that a Legion of Decency investigation has revealed that Hidalgo's original intent was to record the Grudge Match and sell the uncensored video tapes on the Comedy Channel. Angered at being used and incensed that their tapes would be marketed at such a bottom of the barrel venue as the Comedy Channel, the ladies join forces. They gang up on Hidalgo and give him his comeuppance - a mud dunking he richly deserves.
• What I liked-
  1. How sympathy was created for Madame Boa by revealing her to be a pawn and a victim of the real villain, Hidalgo Romero.
  2. How Hidalgo is revealed to be totally cynical and amoral, just like a "real" villain he'll do anything to achieve his goals.
  3. Solidarity in the Sisterhood or Women Working Together - Phyllis Tenafly (conservative activist) reveals Hidalgo's sleazy scheme and Tara and Madame Boa (heroine and villainess) unite to give him a richly deserved comeuppance.
• What I did not like-
  1. The story itself was a little thin. Essentially, it was just the set-up for an extended fight scene. I would have liked to have seen more background and build-up, and perhaps a couple of happy ending type panels.
  2. Ms. Tenafly stayed on the sidelines. I would have liked to have seen her take an active role in Hidalgo's mud dunking.

Art

• What I liked-
  1. Although the story is short, we are treated to several full length views of Tara and Madame Boa. The ladies both appear strong and robust but never overly muscled or "buff."
  2. The facial expressions (always a personal favourite) were good. A couple of noteworthy examples include:

     Page 5- bottom left panel - Tara's look of angry triumph

     Page 6- Tara's expression (big top panel). This one is especially good. Tara's expression of angry righteous indignation exactly reflects her words and is perfectly rendered by the artist.

  3. Page 3 - Big bottom panel - interesting overhead P.O.V.
  4. Page 6 - Big top panel - Tara's submission hold on Madame Boa. This one is almost a guilty pleasure (the hold is a bit extreme).
• What I didn't like-
  1. Page 1 - Large bottom panel - Madame Boa's pose/posture. Now I understand what the artist was trying to achieve here, contrasting Tara's dignified and lady-like posture with Madame Boa's relaxed and rather vulgar pose which helps to define the characters. However, I know in my heart and have been repeatedly and reliably informed that no black woman would ever strike that pose in public and especially not on TV.
  2. There was very little background in any of the panels and what there was appeared to have been hurriedly sketched in as an afterthought. This made the panels appear empty and was especially noticeable in the large panels.

Back