Letters to Mightiest Mortals #5

[Lissilambe]

Tell us what you think!

Take care
Don

[eric the pilot]

This series just gets better and better.

It opens up with a great scene that really touches on the uneasy balance the heroes of the world would have on conventional law enforcement - I think it's telling that the cops that work the street are more appreciative of Captain Marvel's efforts than those on the legal side of things who are a little more removed.

It's fascinating to see how different Ms. Kent's reactions to Captain Marvel are from most people in Fawcett, nice to see that not everyone (who isn't a radio shock jock or villain) loves him unconditionally, no matter how good and pure he really is. Makes for a richer tapestry that way.

The scene in the hospital is well-crafted as well, shows the uneasy relationship between Tim and the boys (and rightfully so) but even his smugness is perfectly captured. As if last issue wasn't enough to want him to be stomped in a brutal manner, this one definitely seals it.

Loved the scene between Cap, Nick and Mary - it leaves a lot of questions as well as gives us a sign of how truly good the people of Fawcett are. If ever a city and it's champion deserved one another - it's these guys. The mystery of how Billy knows Mary is something I look forward to seeing develop in the coming issues.

The scene with Sabbac shows us something I think most people don't really figure on in the super hero genre, the notion of the balance of power - taking one person out, while doing good, can sometimes also help strengthen another opponent, and never is this difficult chess game illustrated better than in this series and this scene.

Ah, and we come to the introduction of Minerva, yet another great introduction to the litany of characters you're working with. It's always fun to see Cap dealing with women, especially when they seem to be interested in him - I think the dichotemy of whether or not Cap and Billy are the same or different really plays well here in light of his interraction with women who seem to be attracted to him.

And what can I say to about the last scene except that I hope everyone takes note of this. It leads to easily my favorite take on a character that you write, and leads to one of the finest stories I've ever read, so just the promise of things to come leaves this one ending on a great note.

Hell of a ride as usual Don.

Roy's cover is great as well - I like the ghosted images of the two men as they stand over Kit's body, a great touch that really helps to sell the story. An equally impressive job!

[>>Riz!]

very good issue. It took me a while to find the time to read it, but it was worth the wait. I now have less time to wait for the next issue ;D
I would have liked to see a little bit more of Freddy and his thoughts while sitting at Kit's bed in hospital. But all in all a very good read.

[rocketeerz]

Good issue. I've been very behind on my reading and I'm trying to get caught up, and this flowed fairly easy (as usual).

I thought the hospital scene was very well done. Got a good feel for how everyone felt, and the slightly strained dynamic between Tim and the rest was pretty evident.

I also felt that it's starting to show that Billy and Cap are almost like different people. Maybe that's me though.

Nice job and good cover.

[Lissilambe]

As I've mentioned elsewhere, the goal is to leave the reader to his own devices as to whether Billy is in an adult, super-powered body, or if he switches place with Captain Marvel. So much of the fun of the golden age characters was this uncertainty, that was absolutely played up on (such as the Christmas issue, where Cap and Billy buy each other presents for the big family get together). So you aren't imagining anything, Pat, indeed there is that question mark for the reader.

I'm very happy to see that the emotion is a strong enough pull. I left myself so little room to get the impact of how important Kit was to Freddy, that it's tough to make the emotional resonance seem deep and authentic. Glad to see it's working. As for Tim, I'm hoping that, despite his being Sabbac, people can look past his villainy enough to see that at his core, he's a real person with a desperate need for his own family, and a lot of what's happened has been spawned by that. He's not meant to be sympathetic, but the goal was to build a real person, not just a mustachioed black hat to be beat upon later down the road.

Thanks for all the nice words, all of you, and don't you worry, more mystery and excitement to come!

Take care
Don