A fine sendoff for Ms. Cruz

Green Lanterns Vol. 9: Evil’s Might
DC Comics
Creators: Dan Jurgens, Mike Perkins, Marco Santucci, Scott Hanna, Hi-Fi, Andy Troy, Pete Pantazis, David Sharpe and Wil Quintana
Release date: June 2019

I guess you could say that I’m a Jessica Cruz fan.

My first exposure to the character was her debut in the pages of Justice League (The New 52 version) No. 31 during the “Forever Evil” event. She was created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver. Now, for the purists among you, I know her true first appearance was in The New 52 Green Lantern series, issue No. 20, a few months earlier. But that was just a closeup on her hand, and I didn’t read that issue. So, I was first exposed to Jessica Cruz in Justice League when she appeared in full view both on the cover and the interior.

Jessica stood out among Earth’s many Green Lanterns for a number of reasons. She had issues before taking possession of a power ring; she was introduced as someone so very agoraphobic that she could no longer leave her apartment. Her natural anxiety was only increased when an alien ring from an alternate universe tried to assume control of her life. That’s right, Jessica’s first ring was from the Crime Syndicate’s Power Ring. The Latina heroine was at first terrified of the power the ring gave her and the control of her life it sought in return.

I continued to follow the character in the pages of Justice League. She gained confidence alongside the other heroes of the League while also briefly dating the Flash. She was a fine addition to the team at that time. When the “Rebirth” era came along after The New 52, Jessica and the other newbie GL, Simon Baz, both became stars of their own title, Green Lanterns, with an “s,” and Jessica was also one of the stars to headline the new title Justice League Odyssey following the “No Justice” story arc. As much as I liked the character, though, neither of these titles held my attention for long.

Enter Dan Jurgens, a writer and artist whose work I very much enjoy. Jurgens was the writer of Green Lanterns when that title recently ended. I’d been curious to try the title again when Jurgens took over the writing chores, but “Evil’s Might” was the first arc to really grab my attention. This storyline featured not only Jurgens’ writing, Mike Perkins’ fine art style and Jessica Cruz as one of the lead characters, but it also promised a story featuring the return of Hank Henshaw, the Cyborg Superman, a character created by Jurgens way back in 1990 in Adventures of Superman No. 465.

I’m not really giving away spoilers about the big bad of the story since he appears on the cover of this trade. Cyborg Superman is one of those villains I love to hate. He’s right down there with Black Manta, Solomon Grundy and Gentleman Ghost as one of my “favorite” villains. And he’s a great choice for a villain to face off against the entire GL Corps and the Guardians with his ability to access and manipulate any kind of technology. Cyborg Superman, imprisoned in the Arctic Fortress of Solitude, manages to gain access to the Guardians’ central power battery on Mogo and through it, nearly all of the thousands of GLs across the universe.

This trade did not disappoint. The story features not just Jessica, but the entire GL Corps, in a gripping story that held my attention and kept me turning the pages. Perkins’ art was gorgeous to look at. But the real attention grabber is how this volume ends, nicely showcasing Jessica’s growth since “Forever Evil.” At the end of this story, she announces that she feels she has grown enough and is confident enough to leave Earth and seek other adventures and discoveries among the stars.

Perhaps this was meant to explain how she is alone out in space at the beginning of Justice League Odyssey. I prefer to think of her boldly exploring, overcoming the fears that once held her captive back when she was stuck in her apartment. I wish her Godspeed on her explorations and hope this is not the last we see of this fine character.

And Happy New Year's, too

Wishing everyone a safe and happy New Year's celebration and many more comic. And in the spirit of starting the year off right, here's another comic-themed happy New Year's illustration for your enjoyment. Come back next week for more comics talk!

The Seeds of Light Are Sown

Star Trek/Green Lantern: Stranger Worlds tpb
DC/IDW
Creators: Mike Johnson, Angel Hernandez, Mark Roberts, Andworld Design, Chris Cerasi, Sarah Gaydos, Jim Chadwick and Michael McCalister
Release date: September 2017

This book is a sequel to Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War which brings these two franchises together.

Permanently.

You see, it begins with the end of the DC Universe. (Spoilers if you didn't read that first volume.)

The first series takes place an unspecified amount of time after the events depicted in "The Blackest Night" crossover event from DC Comics. Nekron arises once again, and having learned from his past mistakes, the first thing he does this time is take out Kyle "Ion" Rayner, the person able to harness the energies of all the rings of the emotional spectrum at once. With Rayner out of the way, everyone else seems pretty helpless to stop the embodiment of entropy from claiming much of the DCU.

In a last-ditch effort to salvage what he can, the last remaining Guardian of the Universe, Ganthet, takes six power rings — blue, violet, yellow, orange, indigo and red — and uses them to open a rift into a parallel universe. All surviving ring-bearers are also shunted into this parallel reality — Sinestro, Carol Ferris, Larfleeze, Atrocitus, Saint Walker, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner and Killowog.

The new reality they find themselves in is the 23rd century that contains the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon and Romulan empires and the U.S.S. Enterprise — the contemporary versions from the J.J. Abrams film reboot, if that matters to you. All of the ring bearers are now stuck in this new reality.

Oh, and Nekron is there, too.

But that's the first volume of this tale, which I certainly encourage you to read. There isn't a lot of material in volume two to catch new readers up to speed. But the first volume is worth the time if you have any interest in either franchise.

This second volume picks up some time after the events in the first book, and there have been some changes in the meantime. Scotty is able to help Starfleet reverse engineer the various power rings — up to a point. Starfleet security personal now have white rings as standard issue gear — rings capable of generating personal force fields and firing phaser-like power beams. As for the original ring-slingers? They have some problems to deal with in this new reality. All of their rings were supercharged during Ganthet's shunting them off to their new reality, but even a supercharged ring eventually can run out of juice. Since no power batteries were brought with them from the DCU, none of them have a way to recharge, no matter what color of the spectrum they represent. That's where this story begins.

The various surviving DCU refugees are finding their places in this new reality. Hal and Carol now serve alongside the crew of the Enterprise. Saint Walker, Guy, John and Killowog are also working with Starfleet. Sinestro has become emperor of the Klingon empire. Larfleeze had a short alliance with the Romulans — all of Larfleeze's alliances seem to be short-lived — but in this new series, he is seeking other things to claim as his own. And Atrocitus had a brief alliance with the Gorn, but he abandons them when they prove less than useful helping him find a new way to charge his red ring.

The inclusion of all the other related Lantern characters adds to the drama of both stories, but Sinestro and Hal take center stage in this second volume. Sinestro's use of fear plays nicely against the dynamics of the Klingon empire for a time, but he's not content to simply sit and rule a portion of the universe. Meanwhile, Hal craves the importance of being out in space with the Federation's flagship crew, but he and Kirk — especially the Chris Pine version of Kirk — are so similar that they can't help but like each other any more than they can help butting heads over who's giving the orders.

I confess, the ultimate solution to the power needs of the various Lanterns' rings seems a bit of a stretch to a longtime Trek fan. A previously unknown race is discovered, one that Starfleet might have run across before if they truly existed in this reality. The introduction of another individual familiar to Trek fans also seems like a bit of a stretch here. But having pointed out both of those plot contrivances, this is still a solid, enjoyable read if you're looking for a fun adventure and are willing to simply accept a few twists at face value.

Getting A New Lease On Life (In My Collection)

Green Lantern: Rebirth 1-6 (2005)
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Ethan Van Sciver and Prentis Rollins, artists

Getting back to actual comics this time out, today's subject was a surprise for me. I don't mean I'd never read this miniseries before; I read it when it came out. But these issues had been placed on the "sell" pile as part of my ongoing effort to winnow down my collection. I remembered liking the story that returned Hal Jordan to Green Lantern prominence, but Hal isn't one of the core characters I intend to keep following on a monthly basis. I've previously discussed how just because I'm selling an issue does NOT mean I did not like it; rather, I am selling off quite a few comics I liked very much. Again, I just don't have the space to continue to keep the thousands of comics I own(ed).

So there I was, taking some time to scan cover images prior to adding issues to my site of comics to sell, when I came to the cover of Green Lantern: Rebirth No. 4 and noticed Green Arrow on the cover. "Oh yeah, Ollie made an appearance in this series, didn't he," I thought to myself, and flipped the book open while issue No. 3 was still being scanned. Low and behold, issue No. 4 opens in the middle of a scene with Ollie in it that is obviously continued from the previous installment.

Now, Green Arrow, aka Oliver Queen, IS one of the characters I have a pretty extensive collection of and plan to continue with, although his personal New 52 reboot has been pretty hit-and-miss so far for me. I hadn't remembered that Ollie had such a presence in this story arc, but flipping through issues 3 and 4 made me decide to re-examine the series more closely before putting it up for sale. Upon rereading Rebirth, it is clear that this is primarily a Green Lantern story, as expected. First and foremost, it is a Hal Jordan story. It is also a pretty important story for the Green Lantern Corps as a whole. And while it is not a critical piece of Green Arrow history, his involvement in the story is a pretty major one. But what finally made me decide to put this series back into my collection to keep is how key this story is to the overall DCU.

Many members of the Justice League and Justice Society play roles in this story and several other heroes from across the DCU have cameos. And while the exact nature of what is to come is not revealed in this story, seeds planted here play a major role in the Sinestro Corps War, then Blackest Night and finally Brightest Day, other series that affect the greater DCU and that I intend to hold onto.

One development in particular — the changing relationship between the restored Hal Jordan and Batman — begins in this series and is continued in a number of places including early issues of the 2007 relaunch of The Brave and the Bold, another favorite series I am holding onto. I'm not a fan of Batman never getting along with anyone, ever. But as one of the few non-powered members of an elite fighting team, I think the Dark Knight would have a healthy dose of skepticism when it comes to a former comrade turned rogue announcing that he is "all better now." True to that characterization, Batman was slow to trust Hal Jordan again after the whole Parallax episode, and that begins right here.

Is this series without flaws? No, it's not perfect. But as I've come to expect from a Geoff Johns-penned story, it is a good read that takes you on an emotional roller coaster and plays up many key aspects from what has gone before as a treat for long-time readers while still being accessible to newer fans. And while I don't care for Ethan Van Sciver's interpretations of a handful of characters, by and large, his work on these larger, "epic" story lines is very pretty to look at and pulls a reader into the story quite nicely.

As I'm going back through my collection of comics, I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to do with most of them. There might be a few I wish to reread one last time before selling them, but in the end, they will still be sold. Space in our house is a finite commodity, and now that we've added a third person, albeit a small one, my share of that space is shrinking. But there have been a few that will catch my eye as I work my way through characters and titles that will grab me and make me question my initial judgment. This was one of those stories. Check it out for yourself and see if you agree.

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I'm Guessing Alan Scott Will Be The Lead Here

Earth 2 3-4
DC Comics
James Robinson, writer
Nicola Scott, artist

James Robinson is certainly playing with longtime readers' expectations in this series as several familiar faces are being used in seemingly unfamiliar ways on this DCnU version of Earth 2.

These two issues not only give us the secret origin of Green Lantern -- a heavy-handed affair just dripping with forced emotion -- but also introduce us to Capt. Al Pratt, the Atom. Pratt, it seems, was in the military during the Apokolips invasion of five years ago and came out of that conflict with some pretty fantastic new abilities. In the fourth issue, he seems to display super strength, but he has also been able to alter his physical size, growing to about twice his normal height. He has been working as a covert, powered agent of the military and is quickly dispatched to shut down the activities of Hawkgirl and the Flash before they have a chance to even figure out what they are supposed to do. So, is the Atom one of the good guys or not?

The bulk of the third issue is devoted to Alan Scott being given his powers and adopting a ring to focus his energies through. Scott, the sole survivor of the train wreck we saw in the second issue, is transformed into the Green Lantern by the Earth itself, being given the power of the Green, which would seem to make him this world's answer to -- Swamp Thing? Arguably, Alan Scott was the elder statesman hero of the Justice Society in the old DC Universe, at least since the Earth 2 version of Superman was wiped from continuity in 1985's Crisis On Infinite Earths. Several times during his transformation into the Green Lantern, both Scott and the emerald fire that represents his raw power refer to this world's fallen Kryptonian hero and the fact that Scott must now assume that role, becoming the Earth's ultimate champion.

These issues also introduce a new villain -- Grundy. The new character, an avatar of the Grey, the decay that eternally opposes the living, vibrant Green, has some similarities in appearance to the old swamp monster Solomon Grundy who frequently fought Earth 2's heroes of old, but he also closely resembles Nekron from the Blackest Night story arc in the old DCU.

Great Expectations

I want a director's cut of DC Comics' The Mighty by Peter J. Tomasi, Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee. Well, OK, not a "director's cut" exactly -- I guess in comics we call them an Absolute edition. I want to get inside the creators' heads on this story.

First a little set-up: Tomasi sold me on this book, so I tend to credit/blame him solely for it, and for that, I apologize to co-creator Champagne and artist Samnee. I've seen both their names attatched to other projects I've liked, and feel they do solid work, as a rule. But I bought this book because Tomasi was one of the writers, and I was on a Tomasi high at the time of the book's debut last year.

Peter J. Tomasi was an editor on several DC books who decided he wanted to write and bring forth some of his own ideas first-hand. His first writing gig for me was when he took over the reigns of Green Lantern Corps. I don't hate Green Lanterns, but I also don't seek them out on a whim, but I was getting into the Corps book, as well as the main GL title, in the run-up to Blackest Night. And Tomasi was doing a good job; he had a huge cast of characters but was still telling interesting individual stories. He made me care about some of these alien GLs I'd never even heard about before. Then he blew me away taking over writing for Nightwing after Marv Wolfman. Tomasi got Nightwing, if not in EXACTLY the same way I do, at least in a way that felt right to me. Tomasi's Dick Grayson acted like he had spent a great deal of time learning under the Batman and leading the Titans but was still his own person, capable on his own and capable of being lighter in tone than Batman while still more serious than Changeling/Beast Boy. Tomasi's run on Nightwing was cut way too short by the companywide One Year Later event.

So along comes The Mighty. I don't recall if this is true or not, but when The Mighty was first solicited, I was under the impression that it would be an ongoing series, not the 12-issue limited series it became. Take a Superman-like character and introduce him to a world without superheroes of any kind -- been done before many, many times. But I was willing to give the book a try based on what I'd seen so far from this writer. The first couple issues introduce the main characters. They convey a sense of wonder at this being, Alpha One, with all these abilities and his fantastic origin, all seen through the eyes of the "point-of-view" character, Gabriel Cole, the person all of us kids who grew up reading comics want to be and can identify with.

When the book starts to take a somewhat darker turn, hinting that things may not be all that they seem, I again recognized a familiar plot twist that has been done to death. But even "supposed hero has a hidden, dark agenda" can be done well when handled by a writer (or writers) who really knows his craft. That was the case here. Hints were dropped, tidbits revealed, but in a way that you wanted to know more, you suspected where you were being led but became engrossed in the journey and the way the tale unraveled so that you were hooked for the full ride. I even began to suspect that Alpha One's "dark agenda" might ultimately have a perfectly normal explanation, something which would make all he had done seem perfectly rational in this new light, some knowledge he had that we, like Cole, weren't privy to.

Maybe that's where things got derailed a bit.

I became so invested in this story along the way, I began to project where I thought the story was headed. With each new "bad" action by Alpha One, I began to thrill more at the explanation I became certain was coming but couldn't see how it would make sense. I wanted this book to surprise me at the end with honest justifications for Alpha One's actions that would justify him as a hero once again, in not only my eyes, but Cole's, too. When that didn't come, the actual ending of the story, as nice as it was, left me feeling a little underwhelmed.

Don't get me wrong: this is a good story, and I recommend it as such. But I can't shake the feeling that the ending doesn't quite live up to the beginning and middle for me. Maybe that's just me because it didn't end how I thought it might. Maybe that's because it ended prematurely if this was intended to be an ongoing series that got canceled. The ending it has certainly could lend itself to sequels or continuation of some sort.

That's why I want an Absolute edition of The Mighty. I want to know what Tomasi and Champagne were intending, if they considered other directions and lengths for the story. I guess I'm still looking for that "more satisfying" ending somewhere in their notes, thoughts or musings. Of course, your mileage may vary.

Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle

This little gem was re-released in 2008 as Marvel Premiere Classic Hardcover Vol. 9.

It collects Iron Man Nos. 120-128, written by David Michelinie and Bob Layton, illustrated by John Romita Jr. and Carmine Infantino and inked by Bob Layton. And it was previously collected in trade paperback form under the title The Power of Iron Man, which was my first exposure to the stories.

These comics, to my mind at least, are Marvel Comics' version of the socially-relevant comics trend most often attributed as starting with DC Comics' Green Lantern/Green Arrow run by Denny O'Neal and Neal Adams. Those DC books had lefty Green Arrow and right-wing Green Lantern butt heads over social issues such as over-population, race relations, class warfare and drug abuse. They are credited with bringing a social conscience to comic-book stories. In Marvel's Iron Man case, the topic was alcoholism, and the writers used the star of the book to tackle the problem head-on in his own life.

But no simple preaching is found in the pages reprinted in this volume. Rather, this is good, compelling story-telling at its finest. Tony Stark (Iron Man to the uninitiated) had been dealing with a number of conflicts in previous issues leading up to No. 120 beyond the usual superhero slugfests. As these stories begin, those problems continue to get worse and grow in number, prompting Stark to turn increasingly to the bottle rather than his friends or his armored alter ego. As one might expect, rather than helping, the alcohol merely adds to Stark's problems. In that regard, there aren't many surprises in this story.

What is unexpected is how the alcoholism is dealt with by these creators. The problem isn't resolved in a matter of panels or even a few pages. Instead, they take the "hero" of the book lower than might have been expected, then allow several issues' worth of time for even the beginnings of a resolution to take shape. In this way, Michelinie and Layton make Stark's problems seem all the more real, and his eventual victory, never in doubt as this is a monthly superhero title, more powerful for its portrayal.

I had never been much of an Iron Man fan prior to reading The Power of Iron Man, and only picked up the book on a whim. This story gave me an appreciation for the character under these creators' care and has been read and re-read to the point that the original trade has almost been worn out. With that in mind, I recently purchased the new hardcover edition and re-read this story for the first time in maybe 10 years. It was well worth the price, and the writing and artwork are still spectacular! I have no hesitation whatsoever about recommending this book for anyone to whom it might be a new read or a refresher on a true comics classic.

Guest-Starring The Batman

I’m both excited about the upcoming return of The Brave and the Bold, and more than a couple of today’s comics, while not strictly Bat-books, do, in fact, guest-star a certain Dark Knight Detective. What can I say? Sometimes a theme just comes to you; other times, you have to make one up as you go along.

Tales of the Unexpected 4 (DC Comics) — Former Gotham City police det. Crispus Allen, now joined with the spirit of vengeance as the Spectre, has been keeping pretty close to his old stomping grounds. So, it’s only surprising that it has taken Batman this long to show up. And he’s none to happy about the Spectre claiming lives in his town. The lead story in this book just keeps holding my interest as a well-written, down-right creepy detective story. The Dr. 13 backup — the less said, the better.

Green Arrow 70 (DC Comics) — The Red Hood has traveled to Star City for an arms deal with the Brick. Batman has followed him. So we have GA and Bats against Brick and a former Robin. Two issues in and this story is still in the opening acts, but next issue promises to be a little more action-oriented. And writer Judd Winick is doing some nice characterization in this story.

Justice Society of America 2 (DC Comics) — I love this book right now. The sense of history. The feeling of family and legacy. I wish they would tone down Damage’s attitude just a bit as he seems a bit more angry than I remember him from previous appearances in the DCU. And, at least so far, Starman is just too crazy to safely keep around young heroes in training, in my opinion. But otherwise, this book, with just the right mix of new characters and ones picked up from other books in continuity, is a great read.

Outsiders 44 (DC Comics) — OK, no Batman in the last book. None here, either. But not just one, but two former Robins. This issue of Outsiders begins explaining where the Outsiders were during 52, and how they went from a divided super-team to everyone believing they were dead. Obviously Nightwing is part of the group, although at the beginning of the flashback, he’d be with Batman somewhere, and the Red Hood is to figure prominently in the story. I’m curious to see where this one goes.

Squadron Supreme: Hyperion vs. Nighthawk 1 (Marvel Comics) — OK, not really Batman in this one, either, but Nighthawk is obviously an “elseworlds” version of Bats. This limited series pits the two heroes against each other as expected, but uses the real-world events in the Sudan as a backdrop.

52 Weeks 37 and 38 (DC Comics) — The bulk of the first issue is taken up by the explanations about Supernova — who, how and why. Rip Hunter, Booster Gold and Skeets all figure into that mix. Plus, a quick check-in with the space heroes reveals that Animal Man is, in fact, not dead, but still in trouble. Next comes the unveiling of the monstrosities the mad scientists have been concocting and more on Montoya’s efforts to get the Question to Nanda Parbat before he dies.

Green Lantern 16 (DC Comics) — We really are back to Batman guest-starring this time as the entire Justice League descends on Russia to assist Hal. Doesn’t mean things are going well for the ring-slinger, though. In fact, the son of the late Abin Sur, the “villain” of this story, is quite happy at the end of this issue. On a personal continuity note: the League members depicted in this issue are not generic Leaguers, but rather the exact members from the new book. So obviously, this GL tale must “take place” after the new team is officially formed.

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis 48 (DC Comics) — The new Aquaman, King Shark and the Dweller in the Depths are on the “road” seeking injustices for Arthur to right when they run afoul of the Fisherman gone just a tad freaky. Y’know that goofy-looking hood he always wears? It ain’t just a hood!

Birds of Prey 102 (DC Comics) — I’m really wondering what Manhunter’s secret agenda is here. The other agents coped quite nicely without Oracle’s help. And all I can say about Lois Lane is — classy. I really think she enjoyed baiting Barbara just a little bit, but I should’ve known she’d never betray a friend.

Checkmate 10 (DC Comics) — Pawn 502 gets lucky, or does he? This story arc concludes and I have to say: This is what this comic should be about. The heroes of Shadowpact were involved in this story line. That’s OK. Checkmate operates in a world filled with superheroes and supervillains; that fact should be acknowledged. But by and large, this should be a spy series. This story was. Kudos.

Fables 57 (DC Vertigo) — Snow and Bigby take the cubs to visit their grandfather, the North Wind, and the children promptly get into trouble — very dangerous trouble. Plus, a peek in on Pinnochio and Gepetto reveals a rather nasty temper on the part of the Adversary. Have I mentioned that I like this book? A lot.

That’s all we have for today, Kiddie Cops, because that closes out the comics I have until the next box arrives in a week or two. That means I’m caught up, which means next time we’ll have some more retro-reviews from 1987. However, that may or may not be next Tuesday as I will be out of town for a few days. See ya next time.

Time To Play A Little Catch Up

January is better than half over, and I’ve yet to post a single tidbit about the December releases. Let’s rectify that just a little bit right now.

52 Weeks 30 and 31 (DC Comics) — Not sure I enjoyed the glimpse of Batman’s activities as much as I expected. This issue almost seems as if Dick and Tim are abandoning Bruce to his demons. We also get some glimpses into the beginnings of plots from the Mystery in Space and the Omega Men miniseries. We also learn that while Supernova is not a reincarnated Superboy (no surprise there), he is someone we are familiar with under an assumed name. Right now I’m figuring the safe guess is Booster Gold trying to start over.

Captain America 24 (Marvel Comics) — I was a little disappointed in this issue, the last of the Civil War tie-ins for this title. This comic read more like a fill-in issue to me. There was the big reveal of Arnim Zola at the end, but I’m not that familiar with this WWII villain, so that wasn’t an emotional moment for me, really.

Green Lantern 15 (DC Comics) — This book was also a little disappointing. This Wanted: Hal Jordan story arc was supposed to include guest appearance by Green Arrow, Batman and others who have yet to make an appearance.

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis 46 (DC Comics) — This issue, on the other hand, was a nice surprise. I don’t dislike Kurt Busiek’s run as writer on this title or his “new” Aquaman, but I like the classic hero better. This is the first of a two-part tale featuring the classic Artie, which is A-OK with me.

Powers 21 (Marvel Icon) — I read the image issues of this series in trade paperback form, reading complete story arcs in one sitting. It’s a bit of a change reading these single issues as they come out. I still like the story lines Bendis and Oeming are creating, but things seem to drag a lot more by comparison. It’s also sad how the only remaining letter column in comics today has so many inarticulate idiots who give fans a really bad name.

Teen Titans 41 (DC Comics) — I like Geoff Johns’ writing. I like the Titans and the legacy the team has. So why don’t I like this title so much of late? Maybe Bombshell hit it with her taunts to the newly revived Joseph Wilson, “The glory days are over, Jericho. The Teen Titans will never be the family they once were. ... No one trusts anyone. Hell, they don’t even like each other.” Hopefully, now that this arc is winding down, that will change.

Batman 659 (DC Comics) — Grotesk from John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake begins, and it gets off to a good start. Classic Batman comics here.

new universal 1 (DC Comics) — I have never read any of the original New Universe comics in the concept’s first go ’round, so I’m coming into this series with no knowledge of how things were done before, no insight about in-jokes and special tribute moments. But I also have no preconceived biases about the series. After this first issue, it looks promising.

Agents of Atlas 5 (Marvel Comics) — This series surprised me. I fell for the teaser of a double agent last issue pointing to Venus. That is what I was supposed to think so I’d be surprised when the double agent was revealed to actually be M-11, sort of.

Detective Comics 826 (DC Comics) — Dini is having a wonderful run on this book; this one is another done-in-one great.

Outsiders 43 (DC Comics) — I’m not quite sure what it is, but this story arc that ends with this issue just feels like a final story line of a title. Maybe just because I’m losing interest, although I am curious about the flashback story beginning next time.

Manhunter 26 (DC Comics) — Excellent return to a great comic. Glad to have Manhunter, Andreyko and Pina back.

Nightwing 127 (DC Comics) — This issue was a little confusing and jarring, not quite as good as Wolfman’s first two. I like Nightwing’s focus as he struggles to free himself from the deathtrap, but some of the recap/backtracking took a couple reads to figure out.

Welcome To tranquility 1 (Wildstorm) — Another promising start to a new series, but this one is almost a little too cartoony. I’m not ruling it out yet, but I’m hoping for great things from Gail Simone.

Special Bonus Review
Sandman Mystery Theatre Book 1: The Tarantula (DC Comics) — This trade collects the first four issues of the 1993 series by Matt Wagner and Guy Davis re-imagining Wesley Dodds’ Sandman character from the WWII era. While these stories are set in the late 1930s, they include a darker, more modern storytelling style which makes these books not for the faint of heart. But the book is well worth a read if you like noirish, gritty crime drama.

Silver Age Redux

We’re closing back in on the “present” — 1986 — as we look at superhero revamps following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths. So far, we’ve seen the changes in Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, the Justice League and Robin, as well as a collection of villains. Next up is Captain Marvel as DC tries once again to introduce the denizens of Fawcett City into the DCU.

The Power of Shazam! (DC Comics, 1994) — Jerry Ordway updates the lives of the wizard, Shazam, Billy Batson, Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, Black Adam and Sivana, among others. Things start out with Billy and Mary’s archeologist parents and explode from there.

Legends of the DC Universe 6: Robin and Superman (DC Comics, 1998) — Through team-ups in the pages of World’s Finest, Superman is almost as much an influence on the man young Dick Grayson will grow up to be as Robin’s “father,” Batman. This story reflects that influence and pays homage to those classic silver age tales by teaming the Man of Steel and the Boy Wonder.

The Brave and the Bold: Flash and Green Lantern 1-6 (DC Comics, 1999) — This is yet another tribute to the friendships and team-ups of the silver age, focusing on the friendship between Hal Jordan and Barry Allen. But along the way, their various extended families and relationships also play a role, so there are cameos by Iris West, Carol Ferris, Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, Ralph and Sue Dibny, Wally West, Oliver Queen, Dinah Lance and Roy Harper.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight 127-131 (DC Comics, 2000) — “The Arrow and the Bat” brings Green Arrow and Batman together and let’s the sparks fly between these two intense and explosive personalities. Along the way, both heroes are forced to examine the reasons why they put on their respective costumes and battle crime.

Batgirl Year One 1-9 (DC Comics, 2003) — Batgirl Barbara Gordon was another character changed pretty drastically by the Crisis, but mostly by accident. The character wasn’t seen much in the few years preceding Crisis. During the various revamps of Batman’s origin, the Dark Knight’s supporting cast was changed to the point where it was no longer possible for Barbara to be Police Commissioner James Gordon’s biological daughter and still be the right age to be Batgirl. So Barbara becomes Gordon’s niece, and later, his adoptive daughter. Still intact is the young girl’s fascination with Batman. This series also shows how others also inspired the young Batgirl, heroines like Black Canary.

The Batman Chronicles 9 (DC Comics, 1997) — Another element retained in Batgirl’s new origin is the infatuation Robin had for the new crime-fighter and how Batgirl felt the same way, up to a point. In the silver age, the two young heroes shared a number of adventures together. The first story in this comic shows more of that budding relationship that wouldn’t mature until several years later.

Legends of the DC Universe: Flash 15-17 (DC Comics, 1999) — These three issues focus on an early adventure of the Flash, or rather, his alter-ego, police scientist Barry Allen, and showcases a number of the Flash’s colorful rogue’s gallery.

Short entry today, but not as much time this time around. Check back next time for more stories revamping the past of the DC Universe in the wake of Crisis.

Everything You Know Isn’t Wrong ... Just Some Of It

Welcome back for some more retro-reviews, the kind that show some of the changes introduced in the aftermath of the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Not everything changed, of course. As far as I know, there were no major changes in the origin of the Barry Allen Flash, for example. But subtle changes were introduced in the origins of some heroes in the years following the Crisis. Krypton, for instance, became a sterile, emotionless world. Joe Chill was no longer the gunman who killed the Waynes, being replaced with a nameless shooter who was never caught. And Wonder Woman was no longer exactly a contemporary of the other Silver Age heroes. Continuing with these re-imaginings ...

Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn II 1-6 (DC Comics, 1991) — The first Emerald Dawn miniseries introduced some personal weaknesses into the character of test pilot Hal Jordan. Along with meeting the dying Abin Sur and inheriting the GL power ring, the growth Hal underwent in the story was learning to take responsibility for his actions.

In this series, the newly responsible Jordan turns himself in and is sentenced to serve 90 days in jail for drunken driving. At the same time, the Guardians of the Universe assign Hal a trainer, someone to teach him the GL ropes, someone who has excelled at being the best GL by keeping his own sector of space in order — Sinestro. This series gives readers just as much insight into Sinestro’s psyche as it does that of Hal Jordan. It also gives us some early brief looks at the lives of some future Lanterns.

The Man of Steel 5 (DC Comics, 1986) — This issue re-introduces Bizarro as a creation of Lex Luthor’s failed attempts to clone Superman. This new/early version of the creature never speaks and eventually sacrifices himself to help another, proving that there was some part of Superman in him after all.

Green Arrow: The Wonder Year 1-4 (DC Comics, 1993) — This series came out of Mike Grell’s successful run on Green Arrow. He takes GA’s previous origin and expands it so that the part readers knew before is just one small portion of an overall tapestry. The only real glitch this series’ placement causes is that by the end of the story, Oliver Queen is wearing the costume designed by Neal Adams in the 1970s. But since this is Ollie’s origin as Green Arrow, he really should have the green tunic and leggings with the red boots and gloves. But it’s a minor detail.

Catwoman annual 2 :Year One (DC Comics, 1995) — All of DC Comics’ annuals in 1995 played off the Year One theme. Many of them included “modern” framing sequences, so they won’t show up in my collection until the other comics from 1995. This one however, is a story firmly set in the past, yet Selina Kyle has obviously been Catwoman for a little bit when the events unfold. This story expands on the details of Selina’s backstory from Batman: Year One and the Catwoman minseries from 1991, adding in a martial arts element to explain some of the skills the character was regularly using in her own title at the time.

Legends of the DC Universe 7-9: Green Lantern and Green Arrow (DC Comics, 1998) — This story is obviously an early pairing of these two heroes, occurring before superhero team-ups became a common thing. The two heroes meet in an Asian nation and confront their ideological differences.

Legends of the DC Universe 26-27: the Joker and Aquaman (DC Comics, 2000) — Now this tale doesn’t so much change established continuity as it builds upon what has gone before. During the classic Englehart/Rogers run of Detective Comics, they had a truly perfect Joker story called The Laughing Fish. At the end of the story, the Joker disappears into the Gotham River and is presumed dead. In this story, the fledgling hero called Aquaman happens to be swimming by and thinks the Joker is merely a drowning surface-dweller. The naive hero offers the “persecuted” villain a place under the waves before he learns the Joker’s true nature.

The Man of Steel 6 (DC Comics, 1986) — The final issue of the Superman re-vamp shows us Clark’s revelation that he is really from the planet Krypton, information he did not possess before that point. Clark, as well as Jonathan and Martha Kent, learn this from Jor-El himself, via hologram. The revelation of his alien origins prompts Clark to wonder about his future, but he concludes: “I may have been conceived out there in the endles depths of space ... but I was born when the rocket opened on earth, in America. ... It was Krypton that made me Superman ... but it is the earth that makes me human!!” And thus the stage is set for the new Superman.

Batman: Shadow of the Bat annual 3: Year One (DC Comics, 1995) — Yet another Year One annual, but the Batman-themed annuals in 1995 all focused on villains. This story is a story, then, about Pamela Isley, Poison Ivy Year One, showing the first encounter between the Queen of Green and the Batman.

Catwoman 38-40 (DC Comics, 1996) — This three-issue story arc is subtitled Catwoman Year Two. Batman and Catwoman cross paths again, and each feels attracted to the other. Catwoman initially springs the Joker, Penguin and Two-Face from lock-up in an effort to distract Batman. The other villains don’t much like being someone else’s decoys and their machinations end up pushing together the Bat and the Cat.

Detective Comics 575-578 (DC Comics, 1987) — Having dealt once again with Catwoman, Batman gets his own Year Two treatment, going up against a new villain named the Reaper in this four-issue arc. It also has Batman questioning his decision never to use guns in his war on crime.

JLA Year One 1-12 (DC Comics, 1998) — We’ve spent a great deal of time re-introducing a number of heroes, and even had a few of them team-up from time to time. But eventually, there would come a day when a threat arose which no single hero could overcome alone ... oops, wait, wrong company, but you get the idea. Eventually all of these heroes had to get together, and one fine day, the Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Black Canary and Martian Manhunter did just that. Green Arrow, Batman and Superman also play their respective roles. And Hawkman comes along as a representative from the legendary Justice Society to make sure the “kids” don’t screw up. In addition to the drama, this story includes some great character moments, especially the fact that noone can hear Aquaman’s mumblings when he talks in their early adventures. Seems sound waves travel better in water than air, and he’s never had to speak up before. Along the way, the team also meets other heroes such as the Doom Patrol, the Metal Men, the Blackhawks and the Freedom Fighters.

Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet (DC Comics, 1997) — While the members of the new Justice League get used to each other, back in the Batcave, Batman is getting used to his new partner, a young lad named Dick Grayson, aka Robin, the Boy Wonder. This is the tale of Robin’s first real trial-by-fire.

Robin Year One 1-4 (DC Comics, 2000) — Next, Robin gets the Year One treatment in a four-issue prestige series depicting his first encounters with some of the worst of Batman’s growing list of rogue’s — characters like the Mad Hatter and Two-Face. But even those villains are no match for Batman’s wrath when Robin disobeys orders and is stripped of his costumed identity by his mentor.

Lex Luthor: Man of Steel 1-5 (DC Comics, 2005) — This story is a typical early match-up between Superman and his arch-nemesis, but it is told from Luthor’s perspective. In yet another bid to out-do Superman, Lex creates his own female superhero with the intent of using her to best Kal-El, then do him in. Batman guest-stars.

Batman: Full Circle (DC Comics, 1991) — This prestige format one-shot brings back the Reaper for a rematch with Batman.

Teen Titans Spotlight 11: The Brotherhood of Evil (DC Comics, 1987) — Few of these re-vamps seem to focus on villains, but this one does. It looks at the formation of the New Brotherhood of Evil, villains who would later take on the New Teen Titans. But the Titans group is not in existence at this point. Instead, a government agency is tracking the movements of the Brain and Mallah as they gather recruits, including a teleporter named Warp. Agents sabotage Warp’s power, sending the new group to an alternate reality where they meet future versions of Tin-Tin, the character created by Hérge, and his friends.

And, I think that’s far enough for today. Believe it or not, we’ve covered the majority of the re-vamps on our way back to comics which occurred in 1986. Again, not every character got a major overhaul following Crisis, and some who did, established the new changes within the context of “current” stories. So, there’s really not that much more to go to “catch up.”

The Way It Was ... At Least For The Next 20 Years

OK, so to recap just a bit, the last bunch of older comics we discussed finished out the Crisis On Infinite Earths and moved the surviving members of the Justice Society into limbo. Most heroes’ lives continued from that point, some with subtle changes, which would be explored in stories over the next decade or so. Some of those stories included flashbacks to the past, but included an in-story contemporary framing sequence. Those tales are placed whenever they would occur in my collection. But other stories, especially a number of miniseries established a new status quo for various heroes, and the events those tales relate are set firmly in the past. Following the Crisis in my “chronological” collection are a number of these tales.

Very little was revamped initially with the Justice Society, at least not in print. Initially, the characters were in limbo. But there have been a few more recent tales told of the old JSA without Superman and Batman. For example ...

JSA: Strange Adventures 1-6 (DC Comics, 2004) — This miniseries focuses on the writing efforts of Johnny Thunder as he tries to chronicle a bizarre tale of The Justice Society as a novel. The books are written by novelist Kevin J. Anderson and illustrated by Barry Kitson and Gary Erskine and make for a fun read.

Following that tale, we jump ahead quite a bit to pick up the Superman revamp by John Byrne, but only the first two issues, so far.

The Man of Steel 1-2 (DC Comics, 1986) — The first issue re-tells the final days of a newly-technological and sterile Krypton from which Jor-El sends his unborn son’s gestation chamber into space and on a course for earth. As there was no longer any Superboy in this new single-earth continuity, Clark Kent’s youth goes by pretty quickly and he debuts in Metropolis, meets Lois and gets dubbed Superman in the second issue.

Batman 404 (DC Comics, 1987) — Next we go to Gotham City. This issue has no current framing sequence and is the first chapter in the four-part Batman Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham from several years’ worth of travel abroad to begin his war on crime. His first night out, disguised as a vagrant, does not go well. Injured, he returns to Wayne Manor where the bat crashes through the study window, inspiring Bruce to adopt a bat motif for his disguise.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight 1 (DC Comics, 1989) — Before moving on with the rest of Batman Year One or The Man of Steel, we detour for this first chapter of the five-part Shaman by Dennis O’Neil, Ed Hannigan and John Beatty. This story starts out with a flashback to two years ago while the young Bruce Wayne is still training under masters of various disciplines, this time an expert tracker in Alaska. The expert is killed, and so, seemingly, is the quarry, but Bruce is left literaly out in the cold with no gear. He is saved by an Eskimo shaman. From there, the story returns to modern times, which in this tale is a few days before and the next day after Bruce’s disasterous debut appearance. So the timing of these events coincides with the first issue of Batman Year One.

Batman 405-407 (DC Comics, 1987) — This is the rest of the Batman Year One story as the Batman debuts, befriends new Gotham cop Lt. James Gordon and saves Gordon’s son, cementing the pair’s working relationship. This is a somewhat darker, more grim Batman, foreshadowing the cynical person with trust issues he will become later.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight 2-5 (DC Comics, 1989-90) — Dialog in the second issue of this tale established that the events here take place about six months after those in the first issue. The storyline explores the concept of masks and identities, and provides some excellent insights into the mind of the Darknight Detective.

Batman and the Monster Men 1-6 (DC Comics, 2006) — Next comes this re-telling of the first Hugo Strange story by Matt Wagner. One of the conceits of this re-telling is that it bridges the gap between Batman battling mostly gangsters and common criminals to the more bizarre costumed and demented adversaries he comes to be identified with. The story ends with mention of someone called the Joker.

Batman: The Man Who Laughs (DC Comics, 2005) — explores the first confrontation between Batman and this Joker character. In fact, the first time Batman sees the maniacal killer, he assumes the man is literally just a harmless clown. This great story is by Ed Brubaker and Doug Mahnke.

Catwoman 1-4 (DC Comics, 1989) — This story, by Mindy Newell, J.J. Birch and Michael Bair, once again returns to the night of Bruce Wayne’s disasterous debut without the bat costume. That night he briefly meets a prostitute named Selina Kyle and stops her pimp from beating her up. This story fleshes out Selina’s new backstory and shows how that encounter with Bruce, and later Batman, inspire her to create Catwoman.

The Man of Steel 3 (DC Comics, 1986) — Now that Batman is firmly established in the world, we return to the Superman revamp where the two heroes meet for the first time. John Byrne puts several fun moments into this series, and some of them are found in this particular issue, including the closing scene. Superman has come to Gotham to investigate this rough vigilante operating there. Superman quickly finds Batman with every intention of stopping him from going forward with his “one-man war on crime.” Batman threatens to kill an innocent somewhere in the city if Superman acts against him using an explosive device Superman could never find in time. At the end of the adventure, Batman starts to leave when Superman reminds him of the earlier threat.
Batman: Here you go, Superman. I had it tucked inside my utility belt all the time.
Superman: You ...??? You mean, it was your own life you were risking? Why?!?
Batman: Because I knew my plan was the only way I could stop you, Superman. I also knew that with your great powers, you’d probably be able to tell if I were lying.
Superman (leaving): Well, I still won’t say I fully approve of your methods, Batman ...... and I’m going to be keeping an eye on you, to make certain you don’t blow it for the rest of us ... but ... good luck.
As Superman departs, Batman thinks to himself, “A remarkable man, all things considered. Who knows? In a different reality, I might have called him “friend.”

Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn 1-6 (DC Comics, 1989-90) — Superman and Batman aren’t the only heroes in the world, of course. Others start to be seen fighting crime and battling super-villains. This re-telling of Green Lantern Hal Jordan’s origin ads flaws to the hero, setting up the change the character would take in Emerald Twilight later. This tale is by James Owsley, M.D. Bright and Romeo Tanghal. It even features the Guardians and other GLs toward the end.

Legends of the DC Universe 1-3 (DC Comics, 1998) — This three-issue story focuses on a story from early in Superman’s career and features a villain better known to golden age fans, the Ultra-Humanite.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight 16-20 (DC Comics, 1991) — This story is important for a number of reasons, first of which, it’s a darn good tale by Dennis O’Neil and Trevor von Eeden. Batman catches a kidnapper who has abducted a small girl. He forces the kidnapper to tell him where the little girl is being held, but by the time Batman gets there, the little girl has drowned. Bruce tortures himself with guilt over not being strong-enough to reach the girl in time, and gives in to the temptation to take a man-made steroid to enhance his abilities. Unbeknownst to Batman, the drug is highly addictive, and also renders him susceptible to suggestion. Once he realizes his mistake, Batman must fight his way through withdrawal to defeat the villains. The drug he took is an early form of Venom, the chemical Bane will later pump directly into his own brain to enhance his own strength.

The Man of Steel 4 (DC Comics, 1986) — This isn’t necessarily the first meeting between Superman and Lex Luthor, but it is the one where Superman learns the businessman’s true intentions and motivations.

Hey, I think that’s far enough for today. We’ll move closer to the current events next time.