It all started with the Big Bang! Part 14 (Issue #25)

It's the silver monthiversary at Big Bang Comics, and there's even a cover to that effect.

Isn't this an RTA gathering? The Badge and Trooper are crashing the party and hope nobody notices, I guess. They aren't even in this issue, the stories are Knight Watchman, Thunder Girl, and the Hummingbird.

Ever since he first appeared in Big Bang #22, almost every Knight Watchman story has the Pink Flamingo as its villain. As well it should; I mean, up until then his arch-enemy was probably Grandfather Clock for crying out loud. Of course, I did some skipping around during that Savage Dragon crossover -- don't get it twisted, he has other villains, like Faulty Towers, Mr. Mask, and our old pal the Quizmaster.

Anyway, this issue's plot isn't that much like the splash page (because when is anything?) -- it's more of a classic Flintstones "sudden bonk on the head causes identity amnesia". Instead of thinking himself a famous racecar driver, Jerry "Kid Galahad" Randall simply forgets his name and every personal detail after taking a nasty spill off his bike. He fights off some toughs, who like his fire and want him to come see their boss.

The Pink Flamingo (whose real name turns out to be, are you ready for this, 'Pinkerton Flemming') is basically acting the part of Fagin to these urchins, teaching them to do his dirty work and paying them in nothing but feigned affection. He doesn't recognize Jerry, because shut up you can explain that a million ways. 

Reid Randall, the Knight Watchman, however, looks for his missing nephew, only to see him fleeing the scene of a crime with his new pals. Jerry hangs back and creates a distraction to cover the others' escape, and is treated like a hero when he gets back to the pillow factory. And that's when...

Amnesia is absolutely like this, kids. If your friend isn't acting like himself, head trauma is the way to go. 

After regaining his memory, Jerry helps the Knight Watchman round the kids up as soon as he arrives on the scene. It's never mentioned whether the Knight Watchman actually put together the amnesia thing; I'm betting he thinks Jerry went undercover intentionally, a story that Jerry will go along with because it's obviously much less embarrassing.

Now, I think that's technically battery and 100% unprovoked, but get real, this is the Pink Flamingo. I'm sure arresting officers got a few licks in at Al Capone and John Hinckley, too. If you're wondering what'll happen to Brick and the other street kids, the Knight Watchman promises to find them homes. Everybody wins!

The Thunder Girl story has art that's a little outta whack, I'm not going to bother you with it. Also, it doesn't even have Binana in it, just some generic bug-eyed aliens. 

On to Hummingbird -- the Hummingbird and his pal Edgar the raven are chilling in the forest when they see a strange group of people in the infamous 'Devil's Field' area. They've, uh, been hypnotized by a fairy queen, who wants his help taking her throne back from a mad tyrant.

The Hummingbird seems to buy into all this pretty easily, although I guess the mention of science might have been enough. He hops down a hole to the fairy realm, which is sadly much too small for Edgar, and meets a bunch of pixies on the other side. They turn out to be quite small compared to the Hummingbird's six-inch frame, and I bet it must feel pretty cool to be the huge guy for once.

It's not long before he meets the crazed ruler of fairyworld or whatever, Garlon. While Garlon's goons pose no threat, the man himself is a different story, as he has tons of scientific tricks up his sleeve.

In this case, "anything" includes a noose. Luckily the Hummingbird can shrink, which allows him to escape -- and at pint size he's too small and too fast for Garlon to hit with anything. You know when a big guy can't hit a smaller, faster guy, and he's like "AAUGH STAND STILL"? That's basically what happens; Garlon also whines like a child and says this development isn't fair.

I'm almost positive he really killed that guy. 

Freed from Garlon's mind control, the citizens implore Hummingbird to stay as their new king. He lets them down gently and instead. He notices a statue of Pellinore, the queen who started all this -- apparently she died thousands of years ago. He doesn't mention meeting her because he doesn't want to look weird, and upon returning to our world, can't find any evidence that this adventure actually happened.

That's a cute ending. I like how the whole 'woah these fairies use science, bro, far out' thing gets pointed out, sort of. I have to say I'm kind of into the Hummingbird; I love Jeff Weigel's art on his stories, especially.