Just a few books left from my shipment of August-release comics, so let’s jump right into what remains.
Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes 21 (DC Comics) — So they did manage to bring back Dream Girl, or did they? Maybe Brainy’s just crazy with heartbreak like Ralph Dibny over in the pages of 52. Still can’t make up my mind on this book. Subsequent issues haven’t been as good as the first arc, in my mind, nor as good as the work this team did on Empire a few years ago, but it’s just good enough to keep me hoping it’ll get better.
New Avengers 23 (Marvel Comics) — This Civil War tie-in examines how Jessica “Spider-Woman” Drew reacts to the registration act. The previous two issues focused on Captain America and Luke Cage; they were great. This issue, not so much. In fact, I was initially happy to see Brian Michael Bendis bring Spider-Woman back in New Avengers, but I’m just not sure I care for the convoluted mess they made of her origin in the recent Spider-Woman: Origin, and I didn’t much care for this book, either. Is she helping the good guys? Is she helping the bad guys? Is she making it look like she’s helping the bad guys to better help the good guys? Do the bad guys know this and use that against her, so she really is helping the bad guys? Know what? I don’t care anymore.
Jack of Fables 2 (DC Vertigo) — Another solid issue from Bill Willingham. This series is off to a good start, just like its parent title.
Justice League of America #1 (DC Comics) — The story moved along rather slowly in this book, but then Meltzer likes his set-ups. I like the focus on Red Tornado and Arsenal joining instead of Green Arrow. Some of the other focus characters make this seem like an interesting group. And while I’m really OK with the fact that Nightwing won’t be in the JLA, what does Wonder Woman have against him? For that matter, based on what is happening in her own title, why is Diana Wonder Woman here?
And that’s the last of my most recent shipment of new comics, which brings us back to the past of 1985 for some ...
Retro-Reviews
Crisis On Infinite Earths 8-9 (DC Comics, 1985) — Not only is the Barry Allen Flash killed off, but we find out why villains have been disappearing — they’re up to something. Brainiac and Luthor — both Earth-1 flavor — organize all the villains in a bid to take over the five remaining earths and succeed in ensnaring three of them before their plans are shut down. We also spend some time with various members of the New Teen Titans, which brings us to ...
The New Teen Titans 14 (DC Comics, 1985) — The Tamaranean ship we’ve seen heading for earth in the past couple issues arrives to take Starfire home. Nightwing and Jericho go along for the ride, thinking the Crisis is over and suspecting something sinister among the Tamaraneans. And Mento gives the rest of the team some trouble as the helmet drives wearer Steve Dayton insane. Oh yeah, and Arella is still looking for her daughter, Raven. This is an important issue of this book in that it helps set up several major storylines to come, but is also kind of a placeholder-type story as the events in Crisis are still ongoing and we don’t want to give away the ending.
Crisis On Infinite Earths 10-12 (DC Comics 1986) — The Spectre shows up and warns the assembled heroes of five earths that the Crisis is NOT over. Instead, the Anti-Monitor has merely fled to the dawn of time in an attempt to quash all life before it begins. The heroes follow and the Anti-Monitor and the Spectre battle it out, drawing power from the others.
The plan works and it doesn’t work. Life is allowed to develop, but instead of a multiverse, only one universe is created. Most of the heroes from the previous battle wake up to find themselves home and things seemingly normal again. But as they investigate, they learn that this new single earth combines elements from the histories of each of the previous ones while eliminating others. Some heroes and lives are seemingly unchanged, other heroes exist, but noone remembers them because their histories have been “erased.” It is also learned that while weakened, the Anti-Monitor still lives, and yet another assault is launched. More heroes are lost, including Kole, the Earth-2 Robin and Huntress and the Earth-1 Wonder Woman. When the villain is finally dispatched, few lives are left unchanged.
Last Days of the Justice Society of America Special 1 (DC Comics, 1986) — Even though this book came out almost a full year after the final issue of Crisis On Infinite Earths, it is written to be a follow-up to the Crisis. The older heroes of the Justice Society did not fare well in the Crisis. Noone remembers the elder Superman or Wonder Woman. Wildcat was crippled. Robin and Huntress were killed. This story was created to give the surviving members a heroes send-off while still moving them out of the way of newer, younger namesakes, some of whom — such as Wildcat, Dr. Mid-Nite and Hourman — debuted in the Crisis itself.
Those remaining heroes learn that the Spectre is left unconscious after his battle with the Anti-Monitor at the dawn of time. Unchecked, his powers combine with those of the Spear of Destiny, allowing Adolf Hitler to change history at the end of World War II, slaying the Justice Society members and destroying the world. This was achieved when Adolf used the power to bring about the Twilight of the Gods, or Ragnarok, from Norse mythology. The only way to preserve the normal time stream is for the JSA heroes to merge with their counterparts from Valhalla and eternally wage that final battle, over and over again. I just re-read this book, and even though the events herein told are later reversed, this is a worthwhile tale, largely because it is lovingly written by that great re-creator of the golden age, Roy Thomas. He gets these older heroes and allows them to shine in a fight they cannot win.
History of the DC Universe 1-2 (DC Comics, 1986) — This two-volume, prestige format book reveals the Monitor tapes and the recording of the altered history recorded by his assistant, Harbinger. It gives a broad overview of how some of DC Comics’ historical characters fit together in this new single earth, as well as providing some hints of what was to come in the coming months. It is also the point where my filing system goes the most nuts.
The recent Infinite Crisis explains continuity errors as Superboy-Prime punching against the barrier that separates him and his companions from the sole remaining earth after the events of Crisis On infinite Earths. I plan to use that excuse offered by DC Comics itself. However, shortly after the end of Crisis On Infinite Earths, several heroes’ origins were revamped. The trend continued for 10 or 15 years, at least to the 1995 annuals which all had a “Year One” theme. No matter when these things were released, the bulk of them have been placed at this point in my comic book collection filing system. The history of the new earth was different from what it had been. What better place to “make” such changes and explore them, in “chronological order,” as we catch back up to the titles I was collecting in 1986?
So, while retro-reviews before the Crisis were focusing on The New Teen Titans and The Warlord from DC, The Thing from Marvel, and Jon Sable, Freelance from First, it will be a little bit before we catch back up to those stories where we left off. I think it’ll be an interesting bit of jumping around when we pick up next time.
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