From: Jess Nevins <[j j nevins] at [ix.netcom.com]>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.info,rec.arts.comics.dc.universe
Subject: Kingdom Come #4 Annotations
Date: 27 Jun 1997 10:14:00 -0700

         Kingdom Come #4 Annotations

All descriptions, unless specifically noted otherwise, are done
moving left to right and top to bottom within a panel or a page.

Cover     Dave Van Domelen notes that Superman, on the cover, is lit
from above, which is how the central figures on the previous covers
were shown. The rest of the cover is also lit from above, rather than
below, which is unlike the previous covers.  Superman is also
looking down, like the Spectre and Captain Atom on the cover to
issue 1 and the Batman on the cover to issue 2; this would seem to
imply that Superman's role in the judgment to come will be
somewhat similar to the Spectre's.
     Ed Mathews points out that the covers of the four issues of
_Kingdom Come_ are each primarily done in one of the four colors
used in the four color process used for periodicals - cyan (blue),
magenta (red), yellow, and black.
     As a number of people noted, the titles to all four issues are
quotes from the opening to the old, black and white _Superman_
television show.

Page 1 (159). A close-up version of Norman McCay's vision seen in
issue 1, page 2. We see Alloy, King Crimson, Hawkman, Blue
Devil II, Spartian (silhouetted on left, raising a spear), Wonder
Woman, Superman, Atlas, Kongo, Captain Marvel and Red Arrow.
The Waid/Ross Annotations also note "the green flame is The
Green Lantern's and the earth is shattering beneath Superman and
Captain Marvel's battle."
     The quotation is the same quotation that began the series, in
issue 1, page 1, from Revelation 8:5.

Page 2 (160). The final battle. One would hope that this issue sets
to rest Waid's mostly-unearned (IMHO) reputation for "not being
able to end a saga properly."  This is Ragnarok, as threatened - the
final clash of the gods.
     From the top: Green Lantern, Kabuki Kommando, Iron
Butterfly (legs/feet only), Hippieman (seated), Wing II, Jeepers
(above and to the right of Ray II), Ray II, Rag Doll, Magog, Alloy;
moving left, Fantom of the Fair, Marley (running), Killer Moth II
(taking WW's spear in his shoulder), Stealth II; moving right,
Donna Troy, Bulletman II, Phoebus, White, Black Manta II,
Death's Head Moth (below Black Manta II), Demon Damsel; on
ground level, from left, Aleea Strange (in flight, firing), Stripes
(prone), Horny Toad, Bloodlust, Spade (on his side), Red Robin,
Swastika, Blue (on all fours, spitting blood), Tokyo Rose, Jade
Fox, Iron Bow, Wonder Woman, Stars (flying), and Black Mongul
(silhouetted to the right of Wonder Woman).
     Wing II is the _Kingdom Come_ version of the GA hero
(and sidekick to the Crimson Avenger) Wing. His appearance here
completes the Seven Soldiers of Victory analogues.
     The sketchbook for Captain Marvel, written by Mark Waid,
says this about the Captain Marvel-Superman battle: "My
inspiration for their fight, in fact, was Wally Wood's classic _Mad_
magazine parody `Superduperman vs. Captain Marbles.'" Mr.
Waid, that's just too cool.
     The Kingdom Come Revelations supplement says this about
Captain Marvel: "Captain Marvel, the Marvel family and the whole
Fawcett Comics lineup were always huge childhood favorites of
mine. From the first time I saw the live-action Saturday morning
TV show Shazam! as a child, I've been a fan. In my earliest
perceptions of DC's highest pantheon, I always saw him as a top-ranking member because the amount of promotion and
merchandising that DC did for the character in the mid-1970s. It's
been harder for me to understand why the character was not used
more often in years since and why his appreciation level, especially
because of what he meant to comics history, was not greater. This
has been a major goal for both Mark and me, from the time of the
absolute first ideas of this series, to help enhance and reinstate the
Shazam myth.
     "My earliest concept was that of a showdown battle
between Superman and Captain Marvel, which was mostly inspired
by the classic Wally West art for Harvey Kurtzman's parody from
_Mad_, Superduperman. Also I hung on the idea created by Gerry
Conway in the _Superman vs. Shazam! Limited Collector's
Edition_ from the 70s, where Captain Marvel imagined that he
could use the magic lightning that would normally hit him to strike
Superman instead, and prey upon his weakness to magic. They
never followed through on this concept but it stuck with me ever
since.
     "Another idea we had the chance to fulfill is that Marvel is
just an adult version of Billy Batson (as C.C. Beck's art would
strongly hint, as did that of almost everyone who followed him) and
that eventually, he would grow up to be that same man. I presented
Batson in the story mostly wearing a black tuxedo to harken back
to an early 1940 story where the out-of-costume Captain Marvel
(the only time I ever saw this happen) takes Sivana's daughter
Beautia out on a date. With Marvel's costume I only added a
couple of things beyond what Jerry Ordway has brought back (like
the shirt flap and button), and those were to identify his belt as a
true sash (which he did wear at one time) and to make all yellow-colored bits of the costume into gold.
     "The character has been a longtime personal favorite of both
Mark's and mine, and it's been one of my greatest desires in my
career to add something to his presence as a preeminent superhero
icon."

Page 3 (161). From the top: Cathedral, The Flash (backdraft), Iron
Curtain, King Crimson, Blue Devil II, Dragonknight, Hawkman;
moving down and to the right, silhouetted: Monkeeman, Pinwheel,
Spartian, Atlas, Kongo; on the ground: Superman, Aquaman II,
Captain Marvel, Vigilante IV, Red Arrow, 666, and Salamander
(being blown off-panel right).
     S.L. Post was the first to correctly guess that King Crimson
was the _Kingdom Come_ Crimson Avenger, based on the sun
symbol, the yellow ridge on its head and the overall crimson color
of the figure. Good call. "King Crimson" is also the name of a
seminal progressive band from the 1970s.

Pages 4-5 (162-163) Norman McCay's plea to the Spectre to "Do
something! For the love of God, make it stop!" and the Spectre's
refusal to do so raise the troubling question as to why the Spectre
can only punish, not prevent. Although I suppose this ties back into
the age-old question of evil - if God can prevent evil, why doesn't
S/He?

Panel 1: Norman McCay, The Flash (backdraft), Hawk II, King
Marvel, Marley (blown off his feet), Spectre, Iron Butterfly, Dove
III, Shade III, Phoebus, two Pepperguard, Phoebus, Fantom of the
Fair, Mantis II (tackled by Avia), Avia, Alloy, King Crimson, Wing
II (below King Crimson), N-I-L-8 (below Black Manta II),
Death's-Head Moth, Black Manta II, The Green Lantern and
Tornado.
     That _may_ be Madman, the alternative comic hero, just to
the right of The Green Lantern's shield.

Panel 4: Starman VIII, Bulletgirl II, Brainiac's Daughter, The Ray
II, Wonder Woman, Spectre & McCay, Red Robin, Tokyo Rose,
Hourman III, Red Robin, Pepperguard (below Red Robin's leg),
J'oan J'onzz (to the right of Tokyo Rose), Power Woman, White
(silhouetted, below Power Woman), Bloodlust, Manotaur, Aleea
Strange (legs and rear visible just below Manotaur's left arm),
Bazooka Joe (behind Manotaur), Catwoman II, Trix, and Jade Fox.
     The Waid/Ross Annotations note Red Robin "breaking the
pelvic bone of Tokyo Rose."
     Bazooka Joe is a new character.

Page 6 (164).  Panel 2: Vigilante IV, Midnight, Captain Marvel,
Red Tornado II, Aquaman II, 666, Ibac, Stars, Thunder, Superman,
and Red Tornado I (based on the helmet shape).

Page 7 (165). As anticipated, Secretary General Wyrmwood is
playing a somewhat major role - in this case, the nuking of the
heroes, as was oft-anticipated on Rec.Arts.Comics.DC.Universe -
hardly much of a surprise, of course, given his name. Dave Van
Domelen usefully points out that Wormwood authorizes three
bombs, and that the Biblical star called "wormwood" destroyed
one-third of the Earth. Craig Kostelecky quotes Ross as saying that
Wyrmwood was based visually on Director Skinner, from "The X-Files."
     Long-time comic fans are obviously meant to believe that
the pilot standing at attention in panel 3 is a Blackhawk; the
Blackhawks were crack pilots in World War Two comics - first in
_Military_, then later in various DC comics after DC bought the
rights to the character.  This pilot may be the same Blackhawk that
appeared in issue 2, page 26, panel 1.  However, his crest has
changed, and is no longer the recognizable Blackhawk symbol. 
This may have been a simple error on Ross' part, though. The
Waid/Ross Annotations state that this is a Blackhawk pilot, so the
change in the crest is likely a mistake.
     Quite a few people seem to want to believe that the pilot is
Tim Drake, the current Robin in DC continuity.  The card set
indicates that Tim Drake joined the CIA, though, and not the
Blackhawks.  
     As Scott B. Casteel caught, the lefthand man in panel 6 is a
dead-ringer for Mark Waid. Elayne Wechsler-Chaput points out
that the right-hand man is a lookalike for Dan Raspler. And Martha
Thomases notes that between them is Pete Tomasi.
     The Waid/Ross Annotations point out that the UN symbol
"is a combo of the classic one and the old JLA shield."

Page 8 (166) Yeechang Lee notes that Secretary General
Wyrmwood has a relatively small office - surprising, given the
evident power of the "New United Nations."  Yeechang Lee also
notes the New UN's shield, which resembles the pre-Giffen JLA log
(and for Scott Casteel the _Superfriends_ symbol), Wyrmwood's
family photo, and the "World's Best Dad" coffee mug.
     Ed Mathews notes that Wyrmwood's speech on pages 7 and
8 is "close in flavor to the declaration of war that President
Woodrow Wilson made re: WW1 against Germany. It is said that
after he had his speech in front of Congress and was granted his
`wish,' that he went back to his quarters and wept," in something of
the same way that Wyrmwood reacts here.

Page 9 (167). McCay's statement, in panel 3, that "any instant now,
there will be fatalities" seems somewhat curious to me, as in a fight
of this sort, with unchecked superpowers, people would (I assume)
be killed from the very beginning.

Panel 1: Superman, Buddha, Atlas, Hourman III, Golden Guardian,
Starman VIII, Von Bach, "Wildcat III," Sandman IV, Bulletman II,
Vigilante IV, Red Tornado I and J'oan J'onzz.
     Immodesty and nitpicking are unbecoming, of course, in
annotators as in anyone else, but - the Waid/Ross Annotations
made a mistake here. They identify the silhouetted, tailed figure
fighting Starman VIII as "Wildcat III" - but Wildcat III is on
Batman's side, and won't appear until page 10 (168). This figure
has a tail, so it _may_ be Catwoman II.

Panel 2: Powerman, Bazooka Joe, The Ray II, Kabrini, Human
Bomb, Wonder Woman, Black Mongul, Hourman III, Von Bach
and Sandman IV.

Panel 3: Kabrini, Human Bomb, Robotman III, Tusk, Power
Woman and Manotaur.

Panel 4: The Flash (backdraft), Goblin Lord, Aquaman II, 666,
Donna Troy, Kongo, Tiger II, Norman McCay, Cathedral, Horny
Toad, Joker's Daughter II, Red Robin and Red Arrow.
     Tiger II is the _Kingdom Come_ version of Tiger, the
heroic sidekick to the original Judomaster.
     Ex1Machina notes that throughout this series Joker's
Daughter II is always quite dour and serious - quite the change
from her father, and another example of the generational-clash
theme of _Kingdom Come_.

Page 10 (168). Enter the...cavalry?
     Phantom Lady II, Black Canary III, Nuculoid, Lightning,
Fate, Batwoman II & Ace II, Wildcat III, Steel, Menagerie,
silhouetted figures within Fate's cloak, Dragon (silhouetted), Zatara
II (silhouetted), Samurai (silhouetted), Condor, Batman, Bat-Knight, Tula, Obsidian, Dinah Queen, Flash IV, Nightstar, Bat-Knight, Red Hood, Oliver Queen, Green Lantern VI, Blue Beetle
II, Creeper.
     Among the many lovely touches of this series is the heroes
emerging from Fate's cloak here.
     This is our first good look at Blue Beetle II in his battle
armor. The Sketchboard card has this to say about him: "`I may
have let Alex down on this guy. His version of the Blue Beetle was
fabulously redesigned, but I barely used him in costume - oops! It's
just that in the context of _Kingdom Come_, I had so much more
fun playing with his nebbishy-scientist alter ego, Ted Kord. As
Bruce Wayne's technological right hand, Ted was a hoot.' - Mark
Waid"

Page 11 (169). Panel 1: In flight: Midnight, Nightstar, Shining
Knight II, Green Lantern VI, Killer Moth II, Blue Beetle II, Red
Tornado III. On ground: Vigilante IV, Horny Toad, Blue,
Aquaman II, Golden Guardian, 666, Doc Smog (tucked under
Flash IV's left arm), Flash IV, Spade (tucked under Flash IV's right
arm), Kabuki Kommando, Atom-Smasher, Buddha, The Batman,
Wildcat III (his foot), Bazooka Joe, and a Bat-Knight. 

Panel 2: A Bat-Knight, Bazooka Joe, Dragon (silhouetted), Dinah
Lance Queen, Oliver Queen, Samurai (silhouetted), Mysteryman,
Red Hood, Goblin-Lord, another Bat-Knight, Golden Guardian and
Vigilante IV (credit to Andrew Farrell for figuring these last two
out).

Panel 3: The Batman, Von Bach (throwing a Pepperguard's head at
Zatara II - Andrew Farrell & Chris Rednour identified that), Zatara
II (in mid-air), Menagerie, Dragonknight, Phoebus.
     Chris Rednour and Andrew Farrell (who seems to have
good eyes for this sort of thing) note that Menagerie has turned into
the Jabberwock, from Lewis Carroll's _Alice through the Looking
Glass_. Given Ross' attention to detail, it would be no surprise if he
took the original Tenniel illustration as his model. Michael Denton
further points out that Menagerie's appearance here seems to
exactly duplicate the version of the Jabberwock that appeared, once
upon a time, on an episode of "The Muppet Show."

Page 12 (170). Panel 1: Powerman, Mysteryman, Monkeeman
(Andrew Farrell identified him), Zatara II, Von Bach, Pepperguard
(broken and held aloft by Von Bach), Magog, Aquaman II, Donna
Troy, Tula, Atom-Smasher, Marley, Monkeeman, Swastika,
Pepperguard (head).
     Von Bach: (in German) "You will be squashed like a bug!"
(Translation courtesy Waid/Ross Annotations) As Rick Hodges
points out, that's quite a thing for Von Bach to say, given that he's
using a Pepperguard to do the squashing.  Dirk Bansch and
Sebastian Weinberg correct Waid/Ross' German and note that the
correct sentence should be: "Du wirst wie eine Wanze zerquetscht
werden!"
     Sad to see Tula laying in to her father like that; her card
description - as a "seafaring malcontent" - may imply some sort of
falling out between her and her father.

Panel 3: Tyrant-Tula, The Batman, Nuculoid, Batwoman II & Ace
II, and Hawk II. 

Panel 4:  Zatara II, Bat-Knight, Von Bach, Wonder Woman, Green
Lantern VI (obscured by Batman's "Diana?" word balloon),
Batman.

Panel 5: 666, Joker's Daughter II, Atom-Smasher, Black Mongul,
Kongo, Horny Toad, Red Tornado I, and Cathedral.
     Interestingly, judging from the reaction of 666, Joker's
Daughter II, and Somnambulist to Von Bach's death, Von Bach
seems to have taken Magog's place (at least momentarily) as the
symbolic leader of the bad new "heroes." And as Marilee and the
Redheads pointed out, unlike many "bad guy" groups, there seems
to be some genuine - if not affection, then certainly concern - for
Von Bach on the part of 666 et al, and rage at Von Bach's death. 
This was one of many little scenes that show that this new
generation is not entirely devoid of affection, even if it is only for
themselves.

Page 13 (171). Panel 1: Stealth II (being roped by Wonder
Woman), Creeper, Hourman III, Magog, N-I-L-8, 666, Starman
VIII (in flight, to the left of Wonder Woman's "And we will
finish..." word balloon), Obsidian, Hippieman, Hawkman, Wildcat
III (tackling Hawkman from behind), Wonder Woman, Black
Canary III (in flight), The Batman, Red Robin, Darkstar, Kongo,
Shade III (prone behind Batman),  Dove III (prone in front of
Batman), Vigilante IV and Oliver Queen.
     Magog's shocked look - seemingly at the amount of
violence - is a nice foreshadowing of his change at the end of the

novel.

Panel 2: One wonders exactly *how* Batman heard about Wonder
Woman's fall from grace with the Amazons. Must be those contacts
he spoke of in issue 2.

Panel 4: Fate, Catwoman II, Cossack, Joker's Daughter II, Wonder
Woman, Samurai, Nightmaster, a Bat-Knight (silhouetted), Dragon,
Pinwheel, Phantom Lady II and Bloodlust.
     It's interesting that Wonder Woman - the product of a
culture in which royalty is the dominant government - should
choose "aristocratic" as an insult to lob at Batman. Granted, it fits
him, but it is still somewhat jarring coming from her lips.

Page 14 (172).  Panel 1: Wonder Woman, Batman, Living Doll,
Dragon.

Panel 2: Brainiac's Daughter, Vigilante IV, Stars, Blue Beetle II,
King Crimson, Shining Knight II, Alloy, Wing II (above and to the
right of Shining Knight II's head), Stripes, and Flash IV.

Panel 3: Steel II, Superman, King Marvel, Spy Smasher II, Captain
Marvel, Lady Marvel, Bulletgirl II, Ibac (being hit from behind by
Bulletgirl II), Trix, and Magog.

Panel 4: Mr. Scarlet, N-I-L-8 (both held inside the Green Lantern's
green net), Dinah Lance Queen, Oliver Queen, Nuculoid, Nightstar,
Iron Curtain, The Green Lantern and Green Lantern VI.
     It's quite fitting that Green Lantern VI and Green Lantern I,
father and daughter, are fighting side by side; differences between
them seem to have been erased in the heat of battle.

Panel 5: Jade Fox (credit to Andrew Farrell for identifying her), 
Shining Knight II, Blue Beetle II, Death's-Head Moth (entering the
panel from the left), Red Arrow, The Ray II, Condor, Red Hood,
Nightstar, Huntress III (credit to Andrew Farrell and Chris Rednour
for identifying her), Bulletman II, Red Robin, 666, Human Bomb,
Phantom Lady III and Bloodlust (lying on her side).
     Coincidentally (or perhaps not), Ross has shown the Condor
and the Ray II battling here; both characters were created by the
great Golden Age artist Lou Fine.  And the original Phantom Lady
and the Human Bomb were both members of the DC World War
Two superhero group the Freedom Fighters, like the Condor and
the Ray.

Page 15 (173). I suppose it would have been too much to hope for
that Ross would have kept the original, charmingly-eccentric design
of the Blackhawk fighter/bombers. The Revelations supplement
says this about the Blackhawks planes: "The Blackhawks' presence
as the military's special unit air force seemed to be appropriate,
even with the irony of this onetime hero group delivering the final
Armageddon to the superhumans. The use of the planes was, more
than anything else, an excuse for making use of a wonderful
futuristic airship design that my friend John Olimb had done. My
former schoolmate had designed this craft ages ago, creating
numerous illustrations as well as making a small model of it. I knew
someday I'd borrow this bizarre design from him."
     Marilee Stephens usefully points out that Batman and
Wonder Woman - two of the grimmer characters in _Kingdom
Come_ (Batman because he's The Batman and Wonder Woman
because that's the attitude she's developed) are fighting in the bright
blue skies, while Captain Marvel and Superman, two of the figures
most faithful to the heroic ideal, are slugging it out down in the
blood and gore of the battle-field.

Page 16 (174). Panel 2: Starman VIII, Nuculoid, Captain Marvel,
Superman, Tusk, Wildcat III, Blue Devil II, Golden Guardian,
Robotman III.
     Captain Marvel's use of the "Shazam!" lightning as an
offensive weapon in this way is not new, exactly, but given Captain
Marvel's usually genial nature, it is a rarely-seen move on Marvel's
part. As Virgilio Velasco Jr. and Scott Casteel point out, Captain
Marvel is using the speed of Mercury to move out of the way
before the lightning can hit him, which would seem to be the way
he was able to crack the gulag open at the end of issue 3 without
turning into Billy Batson. Mike Sterling usefully notes that Captain
Marvel came up with this tactic in the _Superman vs. Shazam_
treasury edition from 1978: "If I shout the magic word, then zoom
away at super-speed, the magic bolt will strike Superman instead of
me! And since Superman is vulnerable to magic..."
     The Waid/Ross Annotations note "the body-wired pilot
climbing out of (the) wreckage of the Tusk armor."

Page 17 (175).  Panel 2: Fate, Darkstar, Ray II, Condor, Bat-Knight, Cathedral (getting thumped by the Bat-Knight), Magog,
Nightstar, Red Robin.
     Nightstar's grief over her father's wounds is still another of
the nice touches in this issue. Mark Bernstein notes that Nightstar's
pose and facial expression seem to be taken directly from the
famous photo of the weeping protester at the Kent State University
killings.

Panel 3: Lightning, Tornado, Black Mongul (using his sword
against the Bat-Knight), Killer Moth II, Horny Toad, Flash IV,
Flash III, and Thunder (credit to Andrew Farrell for correcting my
error here).
     Note Flash IV's concern for her fallen father.

Panel 4: Monkeeman, Dinah Lance Queen, Hourman III (fighting
Trix), Trix, Red Hood, Tokyo Rose, Oliver Queen, Aquaman II,
Red Arrow, Green Lantern VI, Nuculoid, Green Lantern I, and Mr.
Scarlet.
     As the Redheads got but I somehow missed in my first few
readings, Trix has just shot and killed Dinah Queen in this panel.
     This panel shows several conflicting loyalties at work:
Oliver Queen shooting at Green Lantern I and having shot him a
couple of times already; Green Lantern VI (formerly with Batman's
group) moving to protect her father against Oliver Queen; Red
Arrow moving to stop Oliver Queen, his "father." (Virgilio Velasco
Jr. points out that Roy Harper was Oliver Queen's legal ward,
rather than his adoptive father, as I originally wrote).
     Scott Casteel points out that the Green Lantern I is being
hurt by the wooden arrows of Oliver Queen; Alan Scott's
traditional weakness was wood, which was the only material his
ring could not affect.

Panel 5: Black Canary III, Nowhere Man, Trix's head (as Andrew
Farrell and Dave Van Domelen pointed out, clearing up my
confusion over what that thing was), Nightstar, Red Robin,
Batwoman II & Ace II (kudos to Jacquelyn Koh Lian Ngee for
clearing this one up for me), Catwoman II, Oliver Queen, Dinah
Lance Queen, Red Arrow, Red Hood.
     Still another nice touch is Nightstar flying the hors-de-combat Red Robin out of harm's way, as is the reaction of the
extended Queen clan to Dinah's death.

Panel 6: As Marilee Stephens points out, the smile on Captain
Marvel's face seems to say that he sees what's going on almost as a
game.

Page 19 (177). This is nit-picking, of course, but those
fighter/bombers are probably going at a good clip - at least a couple
of hundred miles an hour. All Wonder Woman and Batman should
have been able to do is wave to them as they shot by.
     Yeechang Lee usefully points out the resemblance of the
bombs to the post-Crisis rocket that brought the baby Kal-el to
Earth.  As Scott Casteel points out, there is symbolic irony at work
here: "the object that brought the first superhuman to earth would
be the last thing that removes (i.e. kills) every last superhuman on
earth."
     The pseudo-Blackhawk symbol which was seen on the
pilot's jacket on page 7 (165) is visible on the top of the plane in
panels 1 and 2.
     Although I continue to doubt that the pilot is Tim Drake, his
whisper begging forgiveness would be more poignant if it was Tim
Drake who was bombing his adoptive father, the Batman, as well as
many of his former friends from when he, Drake, was Robin.

Page 20 (178). As Scott Casteel points out, Superman uses his own
speed to grab Captain Marvel and move him into the path of the
lightning, to revert him back to Billy Batson.

Page 22 (180). Panel 1: Blue Devil II, Powerman, Mysteryman,
Nuculoid, Spartian, Blue, Shining Knight II, Aleea Strange,
Pepperguard, King Kull, Zatara II, Buddha, White, Snapper Carr,
Kongo, Red, Phoebus, a Bat-Knight, Darkstar, Fantom of the Fair,
Dragon, Power Woman, a Bat-Knight, Mr. Mulch, Mantis II,
Catwoman II.
     Other side of the fire, in the lower right (below panel 4):
Vigilante IV, Brainiac's Daughter, Midnight, J'oan J'onzz.
     Gutter area, in the upper/lower right (behind panels 3 & 5):
Tornado, female Thanagarian, Blue Beetle II, Black Manta II,
Goblin-Lord, Bulletman II, Oliver Queen, Red Hood, Pinwheel &
Hawkman.

Page 23 (181). Panel 3: Catwoman II, Menagerie, Golden
Guardian, Buddha, Superman, Billy Batson.
     As Chris Rednour points out, Menagerie here has turned
into Tars Tarkas, the mighty four-armed green-skinned Martian
warrior and friend to John Carter in Edgar Rice Burroughs' _John
Carter_ series.

Page 24 (182). Panel 1: A Bat-Knight, Bulletman II, Lady Marvel,
Stealth II, Marley, Blue Beetle II, King Marvel (below and to the
right of Blue Beetle II), Atom-Smasher, Superman, King Crimson,
Alloy, Hawkman, Steel II, Phantom Lady III, Black Manta II, Red
Tornado III, Obsidian, Green Lantern I, Green Lantern VI, Hawk
II and Iron Bow.

Panel 2: Green Lantern VI, Green Lantern I, Flash III, Flash IV
(who, as the Waid/Ross Annotations point out, just deposited her
father inside of Green Lantern VI's protective shield), Magog
(doing the same for Trix, as the Waid/Ross Annotations point out),
Trix (who the Waid/Ross Annotations point out is reattaching her
head), Avia, Creeper, Obsidian, The Cossack, Swastika (getting cut
by Cossack), Norman McCay, Von Bach's body, Salamander,
Manotaur, Sandman IV, Atom-Smasher, a Bat-Knight, Flash IV,
Bill Batson, Superman, Tula (thanks to Andrew Farrell for clearing
up her identity here), Donna Troy & a Monkeeman.

Panel 4: Norman McCay, a Thanagarian, Blue Devil II, Blue Beetle
II, and Fate.

Page 25 (183). Panel 4: Superman, Magog, Tokyo Rose,
Manotaur, Blue Devil II, Wildcat III, Bill Batson, Norman McCay.
     I'm more and more coming to admire the way that
Waid/Ross show Magog actually trying to help his fellow
metahumans in this issue; it's understated, but very effective in
showing Magog trying to change and grow.  Jacquelyn Koh Lian
Ngee sees Magog as stunned by the carnage surrounding him, and
helping to save lives when he can, rather than throw himself into the
free-for-all. Jack Grimes notes that Magog has given up his "golden
calf idol" head gear at this point - more symbolism.

Page 26 (184). Some have questioned how Captain Marvel could
have caught up to Superman so quickly - but Cap has The Speed of
Mercury at his disposal, after all.  And, as S.L. Post points out,
Superman's vulnerability to magic rendered him particularly
vulnerable to Captain Marvel's lightning bolts; while Superman may
be faster than Cap normally, at this point in the story he's probably
weaker, and slower, than Captain Marvel.

Page 27 (185). Red Hood & Red Arrow; Flash IV; Blue Beetle II
& Black Racer (uh-oh); Avia, Scott Free, & Big Barda (opening a
Boom Tube to take Scott to safety - according to the Waid/Ross
Annotations they do in fact escape); Dinah Lance Queen, Oliver
Queen & Black Canary III; Stripes (thanks to Andrew Farrell for
figuring out who that was), 666 & Creeper; Power Woman &
Darkstar; Wildcat III; Tula & Donna Troy; Hawkman; a very sober
and somber-looking Magog, pulling Tokyo Rose to safety & Green
Lantern VI; Zatara II; Captain Marvel.
     The weeping Oliver Queen embracing the sadly dead Dinah
Lance, as their crying daughter looks on, is another very nice touch
in this series full of wonderful artistic flourishes.
     Dave Van Domelen notes that Captain Marvel said
"Shazam!" three times in the last panel, thereby insuring his own
death, as the bomb will explode while he is in the form of Billy
Batson.

Page 29 (187). As Andrew Farrell noted (correcting my original
impression), panel 5 would seem to be the source of Norman
McCay's vision in issue 1, page 45, panel 2.

Page 30 (188). The Waid/Ross Annotations list the dead as the
following: a Bat-Knight, Robotman III ("liquid metal hardened into
stone), Black Mongul, Red Arrow, Red Hood, Black Canary III,
Oliver & Dinah Queen, King Crimson, Alloy ("mostly melted
away"), Stealth II, Nuculoid, Superman (alive, obviously),
Catwoman II, Atom-Smasher, Aleea Strange, a Bat-Knight,
Creeper, 666, Phoebus ("burned into the ground"), Blue Beetle II,
Sandman IV, Blue Devil II, Bulletman II, Wildcat III, and Golden
Guardian.

Page 31 (189). Panel 5: Spectre & McCay, Buddha, Bulletgirl II,
Manotaur, The Flash, Trix, Fate, The Ray II, Joker's Daughter II,
Swastika, Magog, Green Lantern I, Green Lantern VI, Thunder,
Vigilante IV and Hawkman.

Page 32 (190). Panel 3: Flash III, Trix, Fate, Joker's Daughter II
(silhouetted), Ray II, Green Lantern I, Green Lantern VI, Magog
(helping Green Lantern VI to her feet), Thunder.
     Jack Grimes points out that Flash III is probably looking for
his daughter, Flash IV.
     This is the second time Magog has survived an atomic
explosion.
     The expressions of the Ray II and Thunder in panel 3 are a
reminder that even battle-hardened superbeings can be shocked by
carnage of a sufficient scope.
     Note the entrance hole made by Superman in the UN's
building in panel 5.

Page 33 (191). Virgilio Velasco Jr. and Leo Castillo point out that
the Filipino text is done in "rather poor grammar. Presumably, it
should read `Nandito na ang sira ulo!  Papatayin niya tayo!' In
English, this means `The lunatic is already here! (or "Here comes
the madman!")  He's going to kill us!'" Steve Gustafson notes that
the translated Greek is "My God! He's going to kill us all!" and the
French is "Run! Run for your lives!"

Page 34 (192). Scott B. Casteel points out that McCay reaches
Superman's human side by calling him "Clark," the name that
Superman had been ignoring and denying throughout the entire
series.

Page 35 (193). McCay's speech here about Superman's wisdom
and judgment is, I think, a reaction by Waid/Ross to the judgement
of some (many, perhaps?) of the younger generation of readers that
Superman is a "big blue Boy Scout," and as such not worthy of the
reader's respect.  Waid/Ross, through McCay, are reminding these
historically-ignorant readers why Superman, more than any other
superhero (with the arguable exception of The Batman), is an iconic
figure, with a great deal of symbolism invested in him.

Page 36 (194). Three more nice artistic touches are Green Lantern
VI's power, in panel 2, seeming to staunch the neck wound of
Swastika (thanks to Jonathan Woodward and Jack Grimes for
correcting me here), Green Lantern's arm in a glowing-green sling,
and Joker's Daughter ducking under Fate's cloak as she emerges
into the UN building.

Page 195. According to the Waid/Ross Annotations, crowd
members include "William Moulton Marston...Harry Peter...Jerry
Siegel...Joe Shuster...Martin Nodell, Bob Kane...Bill Finger."
     William Moulton Marston created Wonder Woman. Harry
Peter was Wonder Woman's original artist. Siegel and Shuster
created Superman. Martin Nodell created the Green Lantern. Kane
and Finger created the Batman. Their presence here, at the end of
the age and the potential beginning of a new age or end of _all_
superhero ages, is quite fitting.

Page 38 (196). An understated, but effective, touch on page 37 and
here is the unmasking of Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern
I, and the Ray, which is a nice, symbolic way of reinforcing
Superman's words.
     Yeechang Lee points out that the flag to the right of
Marvel's cape is the state (country?) flag of Puerto Rico.
     Matthew Daly points out that the end of the quote in panel
5 of page 5 (15) of issue 1 - "Behold, I shew you a mystery, we
shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed..." - is "But we shall all
be changed in a flash." This omission may be coincidental on
Waid's part, but if not it is yet another Biblical parallel to the events
of _Kingdom Come_

Page 39 (197). Another page of very nice touches: the exchanged
glances of Selina and Bruce; the King gently helping a victim; Lord
Naga pushing a mop (how the mighty have fallen, indeed), Ibn al-Xu'ffasch being affected at having a patient die in front of him, and
Batman's comforting hand on his shoulder; Luthor emptying the
bedpans (credit to Mark Coale and Mario Di Giacomo for catching
this); and the laugh-out-loud moment of Bruce's gibe at Luthor.
     Yeechang Lee, among others, points out that al-Xu'ffasch is
not wearing a prison collar, unlike the other MLF members, which
might imply that he was working with his father all along. Kevin L.
Gilbert points out that there seems to be some sort of hierarchy
among the MLF members based on the severity of their past crimes;
King, Selina and Nygma, who are basically just thieves, get
relatively light duties, while Luthor and Naga - murdering, world-conquering types - get the more demeaning work.
     The symbolic change in the color of the Bat-Knights and
Bruce's t-shirt is, of course, obvious, yet well-done nonetheless. As
a few folks pointed out, Batman's new colors are the same shades
used by the International Red Cross.
     Jose De Leon and Leo Castillo point out that there is a nice
symbolism/irony in the ruins of Wayne Manor being rebuilt into a
hospital, given that Thomas Wayne (Bruce's father) was a
prominent physician.

Page 40 (198). The reconciliations here are very nice and quite
fitting.
     Rick Hodges and someone whose name I didn't get (sorry)
point out that the Amazon wearing the black bathing suit in panel 3
is wearing the same outfit that Wonder Woman wore in the original
contest to determine which Amazon would leave Paradise Island as
Wonder Woman. Steve Gustafson notes that "the dark-skinned
figure on the far left of the....coronation scene is probably meant to
be Philippus, the commander of the Amazon guard."
     Red Robin's crest - clearly visible here - is interestingly
similar to the pseudo-Blackhawk crest (seen on page 7, among
others). This similarity may be just coincidental, though.

Page 41 (199). Magog's chastising of Swastika is another nice
touch. Ross has this to say about Magog on the card set: "We
designed him to represent everything we dislike about modern anti-heroes - all those kill-first, talk-later types. But he wound up
looking so cool and possessing such depth that we ended up liking
him anyway." Which may explain why he gains a sort of redemption
by the end of the series, rather than dying in the way that Von Bach
does.
     The presence of men on Paradise Island would seem to
imply that the traditional, pre-Crisis restriction against men on
Paradise Island (if a man set foot on Paradise Island, the Amazons
would lose their powers) has been done away with.
     Albert Tsuei notes that Ragnarok, in Norse mythology, was
supposed to consume the old gods, leaving only a few survivors
who would lead and beget the new generation of kinder and gentler
gods, which seems to fit right in with the end of _Kingdom Come_.
     Note that we finally get a name for the Lantern's "Emerald
City" - New Oa - which, as Jack Grimes (among others) wonders,
may be where the superbeings are now residing. Or perhaps, as a
few others remarked (sorry, I missed your names), superbeings are
now living on Paradise Island.
     The Waid/Ross Annotations point out that Alan Scott is
sitting beside Martin Nodell and is wearing his GA ring on his left
hand (as he did originally) and that he cufflinks shaped like the
Silver Age Green Lantern's lantern.
     Ex1Machina points out that Joker's Daughter II has
undergone a drastic makeup change, with a tear now tattooed
beneath her eye.  This in turn might be a reference to the modern
tradition of female gang members bearing a tattoo teardrop for each
loved one who has died; it may be that Joker's Daughter II felt that
way towards Von Bach, which would put her reaction on page 12,
panel 5 in a somewhat different light.
     One wonders what the Amazons have to say to Manotaur's
appearance; such a blatantly mythological beast, and one with
unpleasant cultural/symbolic connotations for the ancient Greeks
(and presumably/especially the Amazons), would no doubt cause
quite a stir.

Page 42 (200). Again, more parallels between Magog and
Superman; Superman is, in essence, trying to "fix" Kansas by
himself, just as Magog was in issue 2. In this case, though,
Superman is doing it right. As Sam Lysinger points out, Superman
is back where he started - in a farm setting, with Krypto, working
alone, with Wonder Woman visiting him. However, unlike before,
Superman - now Clark - has reconnected with humanity, (and his
Kansas roots, as Mark Bernstein notes), and is on a real farm,
rather than in his Fortress of Solitude.
     Good to see Krypto again, too.

Page 43 (201). Mark Bernstein also points out that the image of the
plow seems to be a reference to the Biblical "beat your swords into
plowshares." Perhaps the plow is made out of the remnants of the
Gulag?

Page 202. The KC Revelations segment says this about our first
glimpse of Jim Corrigan: "When we finally see him as Jim Corrigan,
his features and hair should seem familiar to the readers of
_Kingdom Come_. Hopefully they'll feel as if they already know
him in that he has a visual similarity to Norman McCay. The idea is
that he is a younger version of Norman, who becomes his teacher
and guide at the end of our series."

Page 45 (203) As with Superman and Wonder Woman, we end
where we began - with Norman McCay preaching (in this case, as
Dave Van Domelen notes, from a version of Revelation 22:21). But
now his faith is renewed and his congregation (which includes Jim
Corrigan and Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster)
made whole and given hope, just as the new generation of
metahumans now has leadership and a reason to have faith.  His
congregation also includes people of all ages, as opposed to the
small group seen in issue 1, page 16.
     The Waid/Ross Annotations point out that Lynette Ross,
the real life model for Ellen (the late wife of Norman McCay) is
sitting beside Jim Corrigan.

Page 205: This epilogue is very satisfying on several levels, as well
as being (for me) a surprise. 
     It may just be me, but it seems that Planet Krypton, while
still merchandising the hell out of DC's icons, is doing it in a
slightly more respectful way, as if even they were sobered by the
events in Kansas.

Panel 1: We see the cover to _Whiz Comics_ #1 on the far left; that
was the first appearance of Captain Marvel. The long-haired
Superman waiter is a clear reference to the long-haired version of
Superman. The other waiters are dressed as Wonder Woman (circa
1941, as the Waid/Ross Annotations point out) and Supergirl. The
cook behind the counter is dressed as J'onn J'onzz, the Martian
Manhunter. And to the Manhunter's left is....Stan Lee?
     The Waid/Ross Annotations note that Ellliot S. Maggin and
Mort Weisinger are working in the kitchen and that the late Mark
Gruenwald is the J'onn J'onzz cook.

Panel 2: We see the Batman tv show Batgirl (looking here much
like Yvonne Craig, the actress who played Batgirl on the tv show)
reading a copy of _Young Love_ (the Waid/Ross Annotations point
out the issue is #105, from 1973; I'm unaware of what significance,
if any, that particular issue has). By the Batgirl clerk we see various
DC paraphernalia.
     The Waid/Ross Annotations point out that the t-shirts are
from Graphitti Designs (the folks who helped produce the KC
slipcover); that above the kiosk are the corporate logos of Graphitti
Designs, DC Comics and Warner Brothers; and that on the shelf are
the "old 1970s rag dolls of  Super Baby',  Bat-Mite', and  Wonder
Tot.'"

Panel 3. On the wall we see one of the old Challengers of the
Unknown costumes, the Bat-Ship (from the tv show), Jonni DC,
and the old 1970s DC Comics Logo. The Waid/Ross Annotations
point out the presence of Bob Kahan, from DC editorial, sitting in
the lower right.

Panel 4. The stripe on the table looks _very_ familiar. That's Alex
Ross in the booth to the right of Wonder Woman. The salt and
pepper shakers are in the form of Bulletman and Bulletgirl. The
ashtray is in the form of the helmet of Flash I (Jay Garrick).
     The Waid/Ross Annotations also point out a "Whirly Bat
coat rack" behind Clark and a 1960s costume from the Blackhawks
villain The Listener.

Page 206. The dialogue between the three is very nice. The League
of Assassins was an old enemy of the Batman, led by Ra's al-Ghul
(Ib'n al-Xuffasch's grandfather); the backstory here is that the
League found Xuffasch and raised him to succeed Ra's - which is
why he needs to overcome his brainwashing. Batman's allusion to
the "counseling" that Ib'n is receiving from Nightstar seems to
imply that we may yet see another generation of heroes - and of
Batmen.
     Batman being a caffeine addict, of course, shouldn't be any
surprise; nor should Clark's preference for milk.

Panel 1. We see the case of kryptonite (green, red, gold, blue, white
and jewel), as well as the Dial H for Hero dial. On the menu we see:
the Silver Age Flash offering "fast special;" Gin Gold Soda (the
elixir that originally gave Ralph Dibny, the Elongated Man, his
stretching abilities); the Silver Age Green Lantern, Hal Jordan; and
Superman's mischievous enemy, Mr. Mxyzptlk (spelled here in
Silver Age spelling) offering mozzarella sticks.
     The Waid/Ross Annotations note that Hal Jordan's pose
here is taken from his debut in _Showcase_ #22, and that he is
"green-lighting" other specials (a pun I should have seen coming 40
pages away). The Annotations also note that Batman's pose is
taken from the cover of _Detective Comics_ #38, when Robin
debuted.

Panel 2. The Waid/Ross Annotations point out Batman looking
(somewhat dubiously) at the Whirly-Bat.

Panel 3. In the vacuum tube we see the preserved corpse of DC's
western anti-hero Jonah Hex, which is how he remains in current
DC Continuity. However, his garb is not his traditional Confederate
uniform, but instead something closer to the costume of a Singing
Cowboy - the antithesis of what Hex stood for. The Waid/Ross
Annotations point out the presence of Amy Schmetterling, from DC
licensing, in the panel as well.

Panel 5. We see a picture of the Victor Buono character "King Tut"
from the 1960s Batman tv show (a character who never appeared in
the comic books). We also see the flashbulb Batarang. The waiter is
dressed like the Silver Age Aquaman.
     The Waid/Ross Annotations point out the presence, at the
tables behind Diana et al, of E. Nelson Bridwell (long time DC
creator & Superman authority), Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Sol
Harrison and Curt Swan (_the_ Superman artist). The Annotations
also point out that the ketchup is the Warner Brothers brand.

Page 207. Clark's spit-curl (with his glasses, the only real visual
disguise he had) has returned.

Panel 1. Batman dubiously examines the Bulletman & Bulletgirl
salt-and-pepper shakers. His distaste for them, and for Planet
Krypton, is obvious here, and quite in-character for him.

Panel 2. In the background we see the wheelchair of the Chief
(paralyzed leader of the Doom Patrol) and a "Cosmic Treadmill"
ride - the Cosmic Treadmill was a device the Silver Age Flash used
to travel through time.

Panel 3. We see on the next table over a drink in a Chemo glass;
Chemo was the sentient-toxic-waste enemy of the Metal Men.
     The Waid/Ross Annotations point out the presence, at the
next table over, of DC employees Shira Levine, David Vinson, Bob
Wayne (who occasionally posts on RACDCU), and Maureen
McTigue.

Panel 4. Bruce's coffee mug is in the shape of the Green Lantern's
Lantern.
     The Waid/Ross Annotations note: the presence of Maura
Healy (Ross' lawyer), Chantal d'Aulnis (DC vp of licensed
publications), and Jay Kogan (DC legal affairs); the Flash's insignia
on a glass and the Shazam glass from a 1970s Pizza Hut giveaway;
and the swizzle sticks in Clark's mug are in the shape of Green
Arrow's boxing glove and boomerang arrows.

Page 208. More intertextual fun.

Panel 1. Note Batman's reaction to the waiter dressed as the Robin
from _The Dark Knight Returns_. We also see Robin's Batcycle in
the background. The Waid/Ross Annotations point out the presence
of the 1950s Flying Batcave.

Panel 2. The Power Girl chicken sandwich would _have_ to be a
breast cut; reportedly she was drawn, early on, with increasingly
large breasts, as a way for the artist to see if anyone was paying
attention. Power Girl has always been among the more buxom of
characters. The "Dial H for Hoagie" is a reference to the hero Dial
H for Hero (whose dial we saw on page 206, panel 1). The "Giant
Turtle Soup" is a reference to Jimmy Olsen's incarnation as Turtle
Olsen.
     The Waid/Ross Annotations note that the waitress is
carrying an hourglass in the style of the Golden Age DC hero
Hourman.

Panel 3. We see a poster for two Superman serials from 1940s:
"Superman in Scotland Yard" and "Superman and the Jungle
Devil." The "Starro the Casserole" refers to Starro, an old JLA
starfish villain.

Panel 5. In the upper left of the panel we see Quisp, the SA
sidekick of Aquaman. We also see, hanging from the ceiling,
Wonder Woman's invisible plane (from the Super Friends, as the
Waid/Ross Annotations point out) and the square planet of the
Bizarros. Hanging on the wall is Starro (reffed in panel 3).
     The Waid/Ross Annotations note the presence of Ken
Sanzel & Laura Strohl, Amy Schmetterling and Patricia Jeres.

Page 209. It is interesting to me that, of all the MLF members,
Batman mentions Vandal Savage as pulling his weight. He has
always seemed one of the least reformable of villains.

Panel 1. The waiter behind Bruce is wearing the costume of the
Silver Age Flash. Bruce seems to be handling a Hawkman figure -
perhaps a sugar dispenser?

Panel 2. The Waid/Ross Annotations note the presence of Ann Ivan
(DC direct sales) and Rich Marlow (DC retailer rep) behind Bruce
et al.

Panel 5. The Waid/Ross Annotations note the presence, behind
Clark, of Despero's chessboard, from _JLA_ #1, and a model of the
key to Superman's Fortress of Solitude.

Panel 6. Typical of Bruce, "the world's greatest detective," to
figure out Diana's surprise before she had the opportunity to
announce it.

Page 210. In panel 3 the waiter is wearing Captain Marvel's
costume; the Waid/Ross Annotations point out that the waiter is
Nick Bertozzi (DC direct sales).

Panel 4. Looks like Diana gets to surprise Bruce after all.
     With this epilogue, the Spectre's choice of the word
"Ragnarok," back in issue 3 (page 2 (112)) becomes clear. Just as
in the original Norse myths, an apocalyptic struggle has ended with
the deaths of almost all of the gods, leaving a man and a woman to
sire a new race of gods.

Panel 5. The salt shaker on the booth to the right of Bruce seems to
be in the shape of the Penguin.
     The Waid/Ross Annotations note the presence, in the booth
behind Diana et al, of Alex Ross "screaming at" Dan Raspler and
Mark Waid, and the presence of David Vinson and Charles
Kochman (DC editor of licensed publications, last seen getting shot
in issue #1).

Panel 6. This may be the only time we ever see Batman referring -
with obvious regret - to his record as a parent (long enmity with
Dick Grayson, he got Jason Todd killed, and Tim Drake went off to
the CIA).
     In the cabinet on the wall we see two of the Green
Lantern's lanterns, Superman's Phantom Zone projector, and the
Bottled City of Kandor. The Waid/Ross Annotations note the
presence of a slice of Superboy's giant cake for Smallville.
     The Waid/Ross Annotations note the presence of a promo
poster of the 1970s Superman film, and Jenette Kahn (DC
President), Julie Shwartz (DC legend), Paul Levitz, Scott
Sonneborn, Mike McAvennie, Rob Simpson, Martha Thomases (a
regular on RACDCU), peter Tomasi, Steve Korte, and Charles
Kochman.

Page 211. Awwww.....

Panel 2. The Waid/Ross Annotations point out the presence of Rich
Markow, Vince Letterio, David Vinson and Shira Levine.

Panel 3. We see Despero's chessboard again. The Waid/Ross
Annotations point out that the only piece missing is the Flash, who
was playing the chess game with Despero.

Panel 6. We see a waiter dressed as the Silver Age Green Lantern
(the same waiter from issue 1, perhaps), the old JLA satellite, a
Blackhawks plane, and a Beppo the Super Monkey doll. The
Waid/Ross Annotations add that the Blackhawks' plane is the SF-SF1, that the turtle doll is Super-Turtle, and that at the table to the
right of Bruce is Laurie Kerr, Scott Nybakken, Mike Carlin and
Maureen McTigue.

Page 212. A very nice and fitting end and beginning, I think.

Panel 2. Note Plastic Man's head - he was, as implied earlier, the
table off of which Bruce, Clark and Diana were eating.

Panel 4. The headgear in the cabinet behind Jim Corrigan &
Norman McCay are the Golden Age Hawkman's helmet, Sargon
the Sorcerer's turban, and Sgt. Rock's helmet. The Waid/Ross
Annotations add the presence of DC child hero  Mazing Man's
Helmet and DC WW1 anti-hero Enemy Ace's headgear.

Panel 5. To the left we see the equipment of the Golden Age
Sandman (seen dying in issue 1) and on the right we see the covers
of _Whiz_ #1 and _More Fun_ #1, which the Waid/Ross
Annotations point out is the first comic book DC ever published.

A very nice job, Misters Waid and Ross. Thanks for the ride.

Thanks for various notes, corrections, contributions, and good
thoughts to:

Dirk Bansch, Sam Bell, Mark Bernstein, Christopher Bird, Jason
Borelli, Jim Caldwell, Scott B. Casteel, Mark Coale, Jon
Crowhurst, Michael Denton, Mario DiGiacomo, Eric Dittman,
Ex1Machina, Andrew Farrell, Kevin L. Gilbert, Jack Grimes, Chris
Gumprich, Steve Gustafson, Mike Hazlett, Jim Heath, "Henway the
Barbarian," Rick Hodges, Paul.Kaczmarek, William S.
Kartalopoulos, David Knott, "Krypto," Yeechang Lee, Tim
Lehnerer, Sam Lysinger, Sean MacDonald, Tracy Mallon, Edward
Mathews, Brian McGinley, Gabriel A. Neeb, Jacquelyn Koh Lian
Ngee, S. L. Post, Christoper J. Rednour, Heath Rosenbaum, David
J. Snyder, Marilee Stephens and the Redheads, David W. Stepp,
Alex Tam, David Telesca, Martha Thomases, Albert Tsuei, Dave
Van Domelen, Virgilio 'Dean' B. Velasco Jr., Elayne Wechsler-Chaput, and Sebastian Weinberg.

jess