Enjoying being in the moment

Infinite Frontier Nos. 2-4
DC Comics
Creators: Joshua Williamson, Paul Pelletier, Jesus Merino, Xermanico, Norm Rapmund, Romulo Fajardo Jr., Tom Derenick, Raul Fernandez and Hi-Fi
Release date: July and August 2021

I’m a big proponent of not judging a story based solely on a single chapter or collection of chapters. I’ve said that before, and I stand behind it. Don’t decide a story is crap based on something not making sense in the first or even second part when the author might have a perfectly valid rationale waiting for a reveal in the fifth or sixth installment.

With that said, I read these three middle issues of a six-part series in one sitting the other evening, and I had a definite reaction to them that I wanted to share.

To be fair, this story isn’t finished yet. I know at this point that the story won’t even be wrapped up after I read the sixth issue of this six-issue series because advance solicits have already revealed that it will lead directly into another limited series, a modern comics trend I tend to find very frustrating.

But I wanted to go ahead and share this particular reaction because at this precise point in time, I am enjoying this story as it unfolds.

The 2021 limited series Infinite Frontier is a follow-up to the standalone Infinite Frontier No. 0, which was released back in March 2021 in the wake of Dark Nights: Death Metal. It introduced the new DC concept of an Omniverse. After it ends in Infinite Frontier No. 6, the story threads will be picked up by another limited series, Justice Incarnate.

Now I don’t read all of DC’s titles each month. In fact, I don’t read most of them. But I read several on a monthly basis and have for a very long time. So it is safe to say that I am fairly familiar with the main DC continuity. And that is what had me enjoying this title when I sat down to read this middle chunk of story. I feel like I’m in on the overall story. I’m invested in the universe and its characters. I’ve been along for the ride through most of the Crises and reboots through the years.

I enjoy seeing Roy Harper in this title, and I’m invested in his safe return. I’ve read of his adventures alongside Green Arrow and the Titans for several decades. And I know who Lian Harper is to him, and would be happy to see her safe return, too.

I remember when D.E.O. Agent Cameron Chase had her own short-lived series, and it was nice to see her brought back for this series.

I didn’t read about Jade and Obsidian when they were first introduced in Infinity Inc., but I did read a lot of their adventures as part of Green Lantern, the Titans, Manhunter and the JSA. So they, too, are welcome returnees to my reading matter.

It was even nice to see old characters in a new light, like the re-imagined Hector Hammond in this story. I recognized the name before the in-story reveal that this was an old character being used in a new way.

I have concerns, too, to be sure. Everything seems to be headed toward a big Darkseid confrontation, and I’m not a huge Darkseid fan. But like I said, I just really enjoyed reading this story chunk the other night. I felt a little moreso than normal that this story was written with me and my sensibilities in mind. That’s not always the case, but for this brief bit of time, it was. And it was nice.

I hope that feeling continues. That’s what I read comics for — the enjoyment, after all.

What the hell are 'kiddie cops'?

OK, while it's not officially a comment, my wife did ask that question (or one along those lines) after reading my most recent post. So, you get the answer, too.

"Kiddie cops" is one of those terms or phrases I use occasionally in my speech which comes from something I read, in this case a comic book. Specifically, The New Teen Titans annual 2 (1983), the comic which is directly responsible for my adult interest in comics.

Both my brother and I had read comics when we were much younger, but we didn't "collect" them. We'd get random issues of Spider-Man or Justice League of America or World's Finest Comics when Mom let us buy them from the grocery store, but they'd never last long enough to be collected. But in 1983, while on a youth group trip with friends, I spotted this comic book in the spinner rack convenience stores all used to have. To be honest, I didn't recognize most of the characters on the cover, but I was pretty sure the "floating head" on the lower right was Robin, the Boy Wonder. I picked up the issue and fell in love with the storytelling and intrigue, not to mention those stunning George Perez illustrations.

The story in the comic picks up in the middle of an investigation by the New Teen Titans (Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, Changeling, Starfire, Cyborg, Raven and Terra) and Manhattan district attorney Adrian Chase. The Titans believe that Chase and his family have just been killed by the organized crime family they are pursuing. In an audiotape left by Chase for the Titans, he refers to them as "kiddie cops." I thought it was clever at the time, and the phrase became part of my vocabulary.

This issue has much more to offer those interested in comics. Chase is, in fact, not dead and goes on to become the costuned vigilante ... Vigilante. Many others would use this moniker afterwards, but Adrian Chase was the first. This issue also features an appearance by a mysterious power broker for heroes and villains named the Monitor, a shadowy figure seen in various DC titles throughout the year. He would soon be revealed as an extra-terrestrial "monitoring" and testing various meta-humans for the upcoming blockbuster Crisis on Infinite Earths series. And at one point in the story, the Monitor is called upon to provide several assassins-for-hire to slay the Titans on behalf of that nasty organized crime family. Most of the villains make their one and only appearance in this issue, but one in particular, the Asian-American assassin Cheshire, would go on to be a major presence in the DC Universe.

Probably, I won't talk about comics every time I post, but this time I did, so it makes a nice transition into another quick topic. In a previous post, I had mentioned comics to sell which I had listed on a site called iOffer. That worked pretty well for a while, but I have so many comics to sell, I ended up creating my own site listing all of them. If you happened to find your way here and are interested, check out the site at http://www.angelfire.com/comics/tsgnightwing

And so long for now, kiddie cops.