Issue(s): NFL Superpro #4
Cover Date: Jan 92
Title: "The sanctioning"
Credits:
Fabian Nicieza - Writer
Jose Delbo - Penciler
Mike DeCarlo - Inker
David Wohl - Assistant Editor
Bob Budianksy - Editor

Review/plot:
A hero is nothing without an arch-villain. It's by the arch-villain that we can judge what the hero is made of. If the hero can contend with the likes of Dr. Doom or Magneto, then we know they've got the right stuff. So let's take a look at NFL Superpro's mastermind villain, Sanction.

Ha ha ha ha! Oh god! He looks like a Gobot.

The funny thing is that the colorist just does not give a shit. First of all, he's just flat yellow, all the way down. Secondly, the part of his face that is exposed under his mask, as opposed to being covered by that secondary yellow film or whatever, changes from panel to panel. In the above panel it even covers his eyes. But here's two more variations.

One thing you have to say for Sanction is that he knows what comic he's in, and he's much more willing to make football allusions than the stubborn Superpro. I appreciate the "home-field advantage" line, and as we'll see, that's not just talk.

Sanction has kidnapped Phil Grayfield's quasi-girlfriend, who, he learns, was not aware that Phil is NFL Superpro. Although, thanks to Sanction, she is now.

Meanwhile, Superpro's partner Ken Reid has made some improvements to the Superpro armor, including a helmetcam.

And here is Superpro making some football allusions himself, although from his posture i'd say he's doing so grudgingly.

Suprepro goes to rescue his girlfriend but winds up on Sanction's deathtrap of a football field.

Sanction shows up right away, and is beaten pretty much right away too.

With "Let's do it!", Superpro manages to be even more generic and less inspiring than Dazzler's "Go for it!".

Since his weapon systems are taken down immediately, Sanction is forced to rely on his deathtrap stuff.

He makes it across the field and rescues Jane.

Banal banal dialogue.

As always, NFL quickly resorts to generic tough guy talk. He just can't keep up the football jokes. One step away from, "Imma kick you!".

Compare to Sanction, who is much more in-theme.

Sanction winds up getting knocked off the building and knocked out, and it's said that evidence recorded by Superpro's helmetcam will ensure that he is put in jail. It's also said that Sanction's ego will keep him from revealing Superpro's ID. But Jane now knows the secret.

This is Fabian Nicieza's last issue.

Quality Rating: D

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• Tim Pressman, the football player that was cleared of being tied to Sanction's gambling operations in NFL Superpro #1, is back on the field again. Sanction has in fact been behind all of the capers that NFL Superpro has dealt with in the regular series.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Why couldn't he just untie her hands? Did he really have to rip up the goal post? I bet he isn't going to pay to fix that either.

@Robert Doh! Fumble!

Maybe he's just thinking outside of the box.

I had a Gobot. I think Sanction is better designed. :P

A hero is nothing without an arch-villain. It's by the arch-villain that we can judge what the hero is made of.

If you're rly looking for a "villain" worthy of the NFL you'd need a Congressman who refuses to write off a new billion dollar tax payer funded stadium or a medical physician who won't falsify concussion reports.

A villain? How about a villain that steals millions from people and takes away their livelihood because he refuses to acknowledge the simple science of The Ideal Gas Law?!?!
Free Brady
Send Goodell to the Negative Zone

I don't remember ever seeing this series, I wonder if it was even released here in the UK.

One amusing thing is the artist Jose Delbo had just spent a few years drawing literally hundreds of Transformers, and he always seemed to prefer drawing humans to robots... but when he's asked to design a villain for NFL Superpro, clearly the Transformers had worn his brain out as he just draws a totally identikit Transformer. (Not to be cruel to Jose, who was nearly 60 at this point and who I hear is a nice guy.)

Jonathan is correct, Jose Delbo was a Transformers artist :)

Anyway, Superpro needs to return. He's such a bad character that he just begs to be reinvented for challenge's sake...

Maybe I'm weird that way, but I like crazy returns like that. For once, I'd love to see a big DC crossover where the big bads would be the Super-Sons returned to existing :)))

Because hey! That's exactly the thing that was done with Squirrel Girl - and it worked...

Ah, here it is a muggy, overcast 4th. of July in my neck of the woods, and I'm wailing away the morning hours reviewing the NFL Superpro series. Anyhoo, judging from the short, tight skirts and do-me pumps worn by Jane Dixon, the series did predict the wave of sex-kitten sideline reporters to come (Erin Andrews, Jill Arrington, Melissa Stark, Lisa Guerrero, et al). Also, I agree with Robert that ripping up the goalpost instead of untying her hands was 'Pro being a showboat, maybe a veiled commentary on the ongoing brouhaha over end-zone celebrations? At any rate, that rescue move seemed pretty out of bounds to me.:)