So I don’t know how I missed this…
…but in my discussion about those Search for Swamp Thing preview pages, I somehow overlooked a big alteration to the previously-run cover image for the first issue. Pal Dorian pointed out to me yesterday that where the image had previously shown Zatanna before:
…the image accompanying the preview now shows Hawkman:
In my post about Brightest Day #24, I said I was all for any Hawkman vs. Swamp Thing action, if only to follow up on the mostly unrealized promise of this next issue blurb from Swamp Thing #24 (1976), the last issue of that series:
Actually, I hope they keep changing the ad. Maybe one of the Blackhawks can be in Hawkman’s place next time.
Hawkman vs Swamp Thing? Maybe this will happen:
http://www.swampthingroots.com/images/fanfic/st_v1_025.jpg
Daily Planet: July 5th, 1976. “HAWKMAN BATTLES SWAMP THING IN PORTLAND— Reports come in that Swamp Thing has been sighted in Portland, Oregon, and Carter (Hawkman) Hall is off to investigate. And before the creature of the murk can explain himself, he’s in the middle of a battle royal with the Winged Wonder! What will be the outcome? Ask David Kraft, Ernie Chan and Fred Carrillo! They’ll tell you to check out the answers in “The Sky Above” in SWAMP THING #25, on sale the week of July 5th.”
By the third week in July 1976, everyone was going “WTF?” Where’s that SWAMP THING issue with the battle with Hawkman?
And then they were asking about that JOKER issue with the Clown Prince’s battle with the JLA, the month after that. 1976 was the year of stealth cancelations.
ST and Joker were no-shows in 1978’s CANCELLED COMICS CAVALCADE.
BTW, Did anyone ever ask Dave Kraft about what happened to the story? Inqiring minds want to know!
That changing ad reminds me of that Bill Shatner vs. Naomi Price commercial.
They should have had Perez draw the ad, then every hero on Earth who survived Brightest Day would be in it, staring down Constantine, wondering why he suddenly looks so young and what tricks he has in store!
Supes looks pissed. Maybe he thinks old smokey is actually Manchester Black…
John: “Of course I’m looking young for this, mates. I’m a master of disguise.”
Zee: (turns into Hawkman) “As am I.”
John: “Well played, Zatanna. Now change back, before I bloody puke!”
Unrelated : http://mlkshk.com/p/2L7T
So in this series, Zatanna becomes the new Hawkman?!?
If Hawkman’s not wearing fishnets, I’m gonna want my money back.
Zatanna was reminded that the club house had a strict “No Girls Allowed” policy. “It was boring anyway,” she said in disgust as the boys stood around watching the annoying limey guy do smoke tricks with a pack of menthols.
With Hawkman present, it does resemble this cover:
http://www.comics.org/issue/41187/cover/4/
I blame Hypertime.
They just need to redo the background in the next iteration: PORTLAND, OREGON!
Swamp Thing’s biographer Liz Tremayne lives in Portland.
This could all be coming together.
Zatanna first appeared in an early issue of HAWKMAN, so the replacement make sense in getting everything back to basics.
Maybe “Portland, Oregon” will be the title of DC’s big 2012 event…