"EVIL" MATT JONES AND HIS COMICS.

From the Archives
Episode One: David Letterman & His Doorknob
By: Matthew Jones

Welcome to my new column, From The Archives, for all my fellow comic book enthusiasts! Rather than give the readers of Dirt Culture a review on a comic book that’s been released recently, I’ve decided to dig deep in my archives of comics to find a true gem to review. I’ve done this because if you really wanted to know what DC’s Final Crisis or Marvel’s Secret Invasion storylines were all about, you can already read a plethora of reviews out there already. Everyone else has beaten me to the punch of dissecting, critiquing, and giving an opinion on these “event” books. I’d rather do something different than rant or rave about books that everyone else is already ranting or raving about. For the record, I thought both of those events sucked, so why give them any more attention?

Instead, lets all go back to year 1984. The world was a much different place then, as far as comic books go, that is. Comics hadn’t quite gotten as dark as they are today, nor were they written with the intent of being collected into a graphic novel. You could actually read one issue of a comic book and get the same amount of satisfaction from it as you would today from a 6-issue graphic novel collection, if not more. Comics had a much lighter feel back then, and no other book than Avengers # 239, where the great David Letterman made an appearance, can prove that point.

David Letterman certainly wasn’t the first celebrity to appear in a comic book, nor would he be the last. He was definitely one of the more memorable celebrity appearances in comics though, and if you have read this issue then you know what I’m talking about.

To give you a brief synopsis, the super-hero Wonder Man (not to be confused or associated with DC Comics’ Wonder Woman) is struggling with his acting career, but gets a break by being offered a guest-spot on David Letterman’s show. The show asks Wonder Man to bring some of his Avenger buddies with him, so he brings along Beast, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Mockingbird, and Black Panther. A throwaway villain by the name of Fabian Stankowicz, who won the lottery a few issues prior and decided to use his winnings to create machines to fight the Avengers, just so happens to be in the studio audience with his machinations hidden all over the set.

If you can suspend disbelief further, Stankowicz unleashes his doomsday machines while Hawkeye is talking to David Letterman. The audience thinks the whole thing is a prank for their amusement, but they couldn’t be further from the truth. The machines are actually very deadly, and the Avengers wind up having quite a situation on their hands.

Paul Shaefer, who has been David Letterman’s main music-man for almost his entire career, is unsure whether the whole thing is staged or not, and instructs the band to start playing music to go along with the mayhem. Stankowicz, whose goal in life is to gain the spotlight and become a villain in the same league as Dr. Doom and Magneto, goes onstage and begins talking to David Letterman. Letterman uses the situation to bide time for the Avengers to take care of the situation, but quickly realizes they have their hands full and takes Stankowicz on himself! Grabbing an oversized doorknob (which I can only assume was supposed to be a prop for a gag on the show), David Letterman bashes the “villain” over his head, which gives the Avengers the ability to take the machines down, as control over them was in Stankowicz’s hands. Stankowicz is arrested, the Avengers congratulate themselves, and David Letterman saves the day! Not a bad way to end a comic!

What makes this such a great issue is the dated feel it has. Not only do you see David Letterman with a full head of hair and acting like he used to actually act on his show back then, you also see a pre-bald Paul Shaefer. The humor of the David Letterman Show is completely evident in the issue, as is the banter between Letterman and Shaefer. It brings back a real sense of nostalgia to those of us who gave up on watching David Letterman’s show over the past few years.

Added to the comedic value of seeing David Letterman in this issue, Avengers # 239 is also a benchmark in the Marvel continuity. This is the issue where Beast announces he is leaving the Avengers to start up his own team, the Defenders. It’s also the first appearance of Hawkeye and Mockingbird as a married couple in the Avengers. There are quite a few bits of comic knowledge all throughout this issue, and those who enjoy comics will find much to love in this book.

I bought this issue at my local comic book store for about $3 a couple of years ago. This isn’t exactly a rare comic book, so tracking it down should not only be easy, but affordable. This is a comic book that should be in everyone’s collection, whether you’re a DC fan or a Marvel fan. There’s something for everyone in Avengers # 239. Do yourself a favor and procure a copy for yourself!

Join me next time as I delve deeper in the archives and dig up another comic book that everyone can enjoy. Until next time, this is your resident fanboy Matthew Jones, signing off!