Innovation's '91 DS Comic, Book 2

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And here's the twentieth page:

(Click here for a 1328X1996 version (without any of the artifacts that the forum's system created when downsizing the image))

Note the panel and the dialogue that was skipped in the slideshow...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And here's a version of the twentieth page without the dialogue bubbles:

(Click here for a 1995X3000 version)

Interesting that Allie's turtleneck is so blue in this version, yet it's closer to purple in the comic...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Wrapping up the ads for the '91 Series tapes from MPI's 1993 catalogue, here's the one for Dec -

(Click here for a 792X1600 version)

- and, of course, it just so happens the tape was released 26 years ago today. Though something that's odd is that there's no mention of the extra footage that's included on the tape. I wonder if when the '93 catalogue was printed that was something that wasn't planned yet? It is mentioned in subsequent catalogues, however...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Here's the first page of the letters column (the twenty-fifth page) from Book 2, Issue 4:

(Click here for a 1328X1996 version (without any of the artifacts that the forum's system created when downsizing the image))

Interestingly, the background in this issue is white rather than the mustardy design they had been using - but what's more interesting is the mustardy design background comes back for Book 3, Issue 1, so who knows why they skipped it in this issue? Though, as questions go with this comic, I suppose that's a minor one.

Though perhaps what's even more interesting is that Scott Rockwell addresses how David Campiti has moved on to "greener freelance pastures." A euphemism for abandoning a sinking ship? Well, we may never know. And at the point of this issue's release (October of '93), we had no idea how quickly the ship would be sinking (considering December's release of Book 3, Issue 1 was the last issue released of this comic series and Innovation closed its door at the end of December).

[Uncle Roger]

I was quite amused by Dominique Lamssies rather blunt critique of the book. She seems to have a very odd take on the book. If she's so completely repulsed by the book, what makes her think that anyone would be interested in what she has to say? And what unpretty things might we have heard from her if Innovation had not imploded? Ah, to be twelve years old again.
I decided to Google her. She has a considerable online presence, mostly related to horror fiction. I'm sure that it's her. There can't be two people in Oregon named Dominique Lamssies. Similar writing style, with similar quirks. She claims to hate 1970's Hammer films but is wild about Countess Dracula and Ingrid Pitt. Though perhaps not in that order.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

If she hated Book 2, Issue 1 so much, what did she think of the Barrettstown storyline in Book 1? Was it passable to her solely because Julia and Barnabas were a part of it? One does have to wonder...

Though be that as it may, I can understand why Book 2, Issue 1 may have come as a shock to her because a great deal of it is dominated by Nathan, Fred and Pete, characters that had no relationship to the '91 DS Series. However, that being said, Vicki and Barnabas play a substantial role in the proceedings, and Fred and Pete are simply a means to an end to put Vicki in danger and have Nathan and especially Barnabas react to that. Though simply judging by Issue 1, one has no idea that Fred and Pete have already served their entire purpose, nor is there any indications of the great scenes Willie, Julia and Barnabas will be involved in when it comes to future issues. Perhaps Dominique might have held off judgment and waited a bit longer before she jumped the gun and condemned the first installment before she saw what foundations it was setting for future issues in Book 2.

Though with all that being said, in Dominique's defense, one thing that might have contributed to her displeasure that Book 2 wasn't a continuation to Book 1 is how Maggie Thompson may have given a wrong impression when she briefly summarized Barnabas and Julia exploits in Book 1 in her essay on the inside cover of Issue 1 and then wrote "Now that they have returned to Collinwood, the story continues with events not shown to viewers." That could easily be interpreted as Book 2 being a continuation of Book 1 so it should have been phrased differently, especially when it turns out that, as David Campiti explained in SG, the events in Book 2 take place before the events in Book 1. One might think as editors with full knowledge of the timelines for Book 1 and Book 2, David Campiti or Scott Rockwell might have caught that and corrected it - but, well...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Here's the second page of the letters column (the twenty-sixth page):

(Click here for a 1328X1996 version (without any of the artifacts that the forum's system created when downsizing the image))

Note that this page contains a graphic of Nathan from Page 4 of this issue.

And unlike Dominique Lamssies' letter, it's nice to see that for the most part the letters on this page are enjoying what Maggie Thompson has come up with.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Here's the twenty-first page:

(Click here for a 1328X1996 version (without any of the artifacts that the forum's system created when downsizing the image))

Note the one bit of dialogue that was skipped in the slideshow...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

In case you're wondering, yesterday's slideshow installment was the last to feature Nathan and the Gorgon sisters. From now on only Barnabas, Vicki and Willie will be featured. (Sadly, the slideshow saw the last of Julia in October, David in November, most of the other Collinses back in March, and Joe back at the end of August.)

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And here's the third (last) page of the letters column (the twenty-seventh page):

(Click here for a 1328X1996 version (without any of the artifacts that the forum's system created when downsizing the image))

Note that this page contains a graphic of Thenno from Page 5 of this issue, a graphic of Willie from Page 7, and a graphic of the Perseus statue from Page 8.

Also note two corrections, one of which we wondered why it hadn't been made, and one of which we might have suspected would never be made. But thankfully with the latter Charles J. Sperling called them out on it. Though given the errors we've seen in these comics, describing David Campiti as a DS trivia expert might have been Scott Rockwell giving him a bit too much credit, but...

And along with those mentioned, David, Liz and Roger also appear in Book 3, Issue 1...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Here's the twenty-second page:

(Click here for a 1328X1996 version (without any of the artifacts that the forum's system created when downsizing the image))

Note the panel that was skipped and all the dialogue in it... And sharp-eyed fans will recognize the Vicki portion of the panel as being based on a publicity still for the '91 DS...

Also note that it's now New Year's Eve, so everything that takes place in Book 2 takes place in a little over a week...

And in case you wonder, this is not the last time Willie will say "Geez," his favorite word in these comics, apparently - nor is it the last time the comics will use the less common alternate spelling rather than the more accepted "Jeez." 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And here's the twenty-eighth page, more thoughts from Maggie Thompson, this time about the Gorgons:

(Click here for a 1328X1996 version (without any of the artifacts that the forum's system created when downsizing the image))

Note that this page contains a graphic of Nathan from Page 15 of this issue, a graphic from Page 13 of this issue of Thenno and Allie offering money to the lady who runs a shelter, and another graphic of Allie and Thenno from Page 13...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Here's the twenty-third page:

(Click here for a 1328X1996 version (without any of the artifacts that the forum's system created when downsizing the image))

Note that more than half the panels and several bits of dialogue (including Willie's last "Geez") were skipped (although, one panel doesn't have dialogue)... And sharp-eyed fans will recognize that more publicity stills from the '91 DS were used as inspiration...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Here's the twenty-fourth page:

(Click here for a 1328X1996 version (without any of the artifacts that the forum's system created when downsizing the image))

Note that all the panels and all the dialogue have appeared in the slideshow... And it's fitting that this slideshow's last entry, which takes place on New Year's Eve, appears on the forum on New Year's Eve...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Page 29 is the same ad I'd mentioned in reply #71 that appeared in Book 2, Issue 1 for Anne Rice's The Queen Of The Damned and Anne Rice's Interview With The Vampire comics. Page 30 is the same ad for Innovation's Beauty and the Beast poster that I've also mentioned. Page 31 is the same ad I'd mentioned for Quantum Leap. And Page 32 is a new ad for something called Lucifer's Hammer. Which brings us up to the inside back cover:

(Click here for a 1328X1996 version (without any of the artifacts that the forum's system created when downsizing the image))

Presumably the Barnabas T-Shirt the MPI portion touts is the same one that I shared the ad for in reply #187. And as with MPI's own catalogue, it's interesting that there's no mention of extra footage on Volume 12 of MPI release of the '91 Series...

It's nice to see they were once again promoting the DS Resurrected book from PomPress - something they hadn't done since the back cover of Book 1, Issue 3. Interestingly, this version ups the "Rare, Never-Before Published Photographs" from "Over 150" to "Over 200"...

And probably the less said the better when it comes to dating Book 2, Issue 4 as being July of 1993...