I’m back, these creators are back and these villains are bad

Dear Super-Villains 
DC Comics 
Creators: Michael Northrop and Gustavo Duarte 
Release date: April 2021 

Hello, Kiddie Cops, and welcome back to the first new blog post in a spell.

I initially stopped posting here for two reasons. First, I’d recently started a new job that was taking up more of my time. Second, my comics buying was dropping to very few titles at the time, and I was getting a little worried that I might be just talking about the same handful of titles over and over again. I didn’t want the blog to suffer because of that.

Jump ahead almost two years, and I’m still not really buying that many new monthly comics. But I am still buying and enjoying a handful of new titles every month. My decreased regular pull list has allowed me to try some new things. And buying fewer new comics each month has allowed me time to read some of the many, many comics, trades and more that I’ve purchased over the years but never had a chance to read before and to finally re-read some favorites I haven’t explored again in several years.

Now, this blog has always been about celebrating comics that I love. You try some new things and not every one of them is going to be to your liking. But I don’t want to dwell on comics I don’t like. If I didn’t like it, why spend more time with it and make myself continue to feel bad about it? I’d much rather give a shout out to creators, characters and projects I enjoyed in an attempt to help others discover the same delight for themselves.

And I’ve found myself doing just that over the last several months again. I just wasn’t doing the celebrating here. I was writing much shorter bits of praise for some recently read comics, then sharing those thoughts on other platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. In the past few months, I’ve shared praise for books like The Marvels Project by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting; Batman Universe by Brian Michael Bendis and Nick Derington; Point of Impact by Jay Faerber, Koray Kuranel and Charles Pritchett; The Booster Gold hardcovers – The Big Fall and Future Lost – by Dan Jurgens; Pulp by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips; the two Robin Archives from DC Comics; Infinite Frontier Nightwing by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo and Adriano Lucas; and Somerset Holmes by Bruce Jones, Brent Anderson, April Campbell and Ed King.

There’s nothing really wrong with posting about comics on those platforms. I’m sure I will continue to do so. But my comics-related posts on those platforms were mixed in with other kinds of posts – politics and job and family and real life, those kinds of things – and not likely to be seen by too many people outside my immediate circle of followers and friends.

At one point, this blog had a decent following, and if I start posting regularly again, it may have more of an audience again, giving my attempts to promote good comics a potentially wider audience.

Which brings us to this digest-sized modern original graphic novel, a sequel to the popular book I reviewed in my last post here nearly two years ago. Once again, the book focuses on some inquisitive youngsters who email their questions to super-villains this time instead of the members of the Justice League. As you can likely tell from the image above, the villains featured include Harley Quinn, Lex Luthor, Catwoman, Grodd, Giganta, Sinestro, Black Manta, and for some reason, Katana.

Michael Northrop’s words and Gustavo Duarte’s illustrations make for a whimsical, fun follow-up tale to Dear Justice League that I heartily recommend. To my taste, this volume was a little more loose than the first volume, but what do you expect from a group of villains all vying for the top spot? They’re not going to act the same as the heroes, obviously.

Dear Super-Villains is absolutely another fun read. Check back soon for something else from the realm of comics that I’ve recently read and believe might be worth your time to check out.

Something a little different — snippets from my pull list

I’m going to take brief looks at six titles on my current monthly pull list, all released during this past month of April. While these six titles do not comprise my entire pull list for April, they are the lion’s share of it. My more limited finances of late have taken a definite toll on what I’m willing to plunk down for today’s comics. But I’d rather save my money for books I’m enjoying reading. That makes sense, right?

Titans No. 36 (DC Comics) — This is the final issue of the Rebirth Titans title. While the book has failed to recapture the heights of the Wolfman/Perez era of the Titans characters, I was one of the people who enjoyed Dan Abnett’s take with the relaunch. His version of the characters read true to their respective personalities to me; the stories just weren’t all that riveting, especially as the title was held hostage more and more by the overall DC Universe. The new mission for the Titans in the wake of the team’s forced break-up and then the events of “No Justice” just didn’t seem as strong as focusing on the bond these people share with each other. Add to that the loss of several key characters other writers had plans for, and this title just seemed doomed several months ago.

Fantastic Four No. 9 (Marvel Comics) — I like a lot of Marvel characters, but I’m sure it comes as no shock to regular readers of this blog that I collect a lot more DC titles. But I decided to give the 2018 relaunch of Marvel’s first family a try based on past writings by Dan Slott. So far, he hasn’t disappointed. His first arc was a bit *meh* for me, dealing as it did with where the FF members have been for so long. But the long-anticipated wedding of Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters, quickly followed by the latest face-off between the FF and Dr. Doom, which concludes with this issue, were both great reads. These books prove once again that comics can be fun. More titles should follow this example.

Justice League Nos. 21 and 22 (DC Comics) — This is one of those titles that is killing others like Titans. Believe it or not, I like more issues than not of the sweeping epic Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV are weaving with Justice League since its relaunch in 2018 following “No Justice.” I do. But there have been a few clunkers in the past 22 issues. And the problem with having your sweeping epic take over so many titles and story lines and months of publishing time without a resolution is that at some point, it becomes easier to simply ignore the entire thing than to keep up with it. I haven’t reached that point yet, but I think about it more with each passing month. Comics are an ongoing medium meant to continue ever onward, but individual stories are not.

Star Trek: Year Five No. 1 (IDW Publishing) — I have liked a lot of what IDW has done with its Star Trek license, including the Year Four series they did several years ago. This is only the first issue, so it is pretty early to judge with much accuracy, but this series debut seems like a good one. There are references to previous episodes of the television series to please the die-hard fans. The characterizations seem pretty accurate, and the premise, at least so far, seems well laid out for any newbies. I have high hopes for this title.

Nightwing No. 59 (DC Comics) — The Rebirth Nightwing title has been hit-and-miss with me, and I dropped it some time back. While some of the stories were good, many of them seemed to be re-treading ground already covered in the title’s previous incarnations. The changes to the title character since his being shot in the pages of Tom King’s Batman did not inspire me to pick the title back up. What did was the promise of Dan Jurgens coming onboard as the writer. I like both Jurgens’ writing and his art. I’m buying the next few issues hoping he will bring back the character I enjoy — one of my top three favorite characters, in fact. This is only the first issue and there’s leftover baggage to be dealt with from the previous writers. This issue wasn’t great, but I’ll give Mr. Jurgens a few more to win me back to Nightwing.

Criminal No. 4 (Image Comics) — No surprise here for longtime readers of this blog, I’m sure. I love most everything this creative team — Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips — has collaborated on from Velvet to Kill or Be Killed to Scene of the Crime to previous incarnations of this very title. This latest version of Criminal is more of the same, and I love it.

So those are some of the titles I’m currently buying. What are the rest of you buying? And have you thought about why lately? Sometimes reflecting on your buying habits from time to time can be a good thing.

Happy collecting! And come back in two weeks for some thoughts on a Batman comic from my youth!

That was a letdown … or was it?

Green Arrow (2016) No. 50
DC Comics
Creators: Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Javier Fernandez and John Kalisz
Release date: March 2019

I generally avoid talking about comics that disappoint me. I’d rather tout the ones I’ve enjoyed than waste time dwelling on disappointment. Especially since someone may have liked said book even if I didn’t.

I’m making an exception with this latest issue of Green Arrow, the Rebirth series finale, because I care so much about the character, I dislike the way he has been treated in stories of late, and I hope a change is coming soon. This issue was touted as a huge “event.” Whether or not it truly was remains to be seen. But the story seems a huge disservice to the character whose name is on the book.

Oh, and there will be spoilers, so read on at your own risk.

Green Arrow annual No. 2, released almost a year ago, was a tie-in to the "No Justice" event. The book as a whole depicted Oliver Queen’s activities while much of the rest of the DC Universe dealt with the "No Justice" crisis: Oliver stayed on earth, not really knowing what the other heroes were doing off-planet, but still having to deal with repercussions from those events. The annual ended with the Martian Manhunter giving Oliver a box containing “the key to destroying the Justice League should the need arise” for safekeeping. The exact contents of the box were left a mystery.

Now comes issue No. 50 of the ongoing Rebirth Green Arrow title, an abrupt end to the series, and the contents of that box are revealed when the federal government comes looking for it. It seems the powers that be know Ollie has it, they want it, and they enlist Black Canary’s help in getting it.

Green Arrow goes through a lot to keep the box he was entrusted with from falling into government hands. Along the way, he thinks to himself that he doesn’t even know what is in the box. So he looks. And finds the box apparently empty. This leaves Oliver feeling duped and unappreciated by his peers.

That is a common theme of much of the Rebirth run of Green Arrow. That theme also dominated a lot of the New 52 version of the character. And it is part of why I stopped buying the book on a regular basis. Yes, Oliver can be off-putting and is known for challenging authority and the status quo. But that should not be his sole personality trait to the point that no other heroes like or respect him as a hero. Yet that seems to be how Green Arrow is most often characterized in the last decade.

I’m old enough that my personal “golden age” for the Justice League is the satellite era. The heroes of the DC Universe have strong personalities and may disagree or even fight with each other from time to time. But at the end of the day, these people all basically like and respect each other. They embrace their diversity, and that is what makes them the strongest force for good.

Along with the abrupt ending to the current Green Arrow series, it has been announced that a relaunch will shortly follow. I am hopeful that the relaunch will correct this mischaracterization of Green Arrow. Why? The final pages and the last panel of issue No. 50.

I don’t agree with everything Ollie says as he strips away his GA costume and changes to street clothes in the panels above. But maybe those statements signal a change in how the character will be portrayed going forward.

Even more, that very last panel of the book shows the “empty” box glowing from inside with a green light. My hope is that indicates the box is not empty. Perhaps some security measure conceals the contents from being visible most of the time. And if that is true, it signals that other heroes in the DCU do respect and like Ollie for what he brings to the table.

Please DC, let’s have more of that.

Open your comics for today's lesson

Justice League of America Nos. 118-119
DC Comics
Creators: Elliot S! Maggin, Dick Dillin, Frank McLaughlin and Julius Schwartz
Cover dates: May and June 1975

I was listening to a news report the other day about the latest advances using radio telescopes to find and contact extra-terrestrial life. I confess, I was only half listening as I did some work around the house, but it seemed as if the commentator on the news program was describing how the telescope was being adapted to search for sounds, not merely light, from out in the galaxy. She went on to discuss how advances had made it possible to search a vast swath of space simultaneously as opposed to a single point in space at a time.

Here's the part I may have heard wrong, but it sounded like the newscaster was comparing the current technology used with that of the tech available when scientists first began listening for radio signals from space with radio telescope technology — just a few years ago. Again, I may have heard incorrectly what the newscaster was saying. But I know the idea of using radio telescopes to listen for signals from space is much older than just a few years. I know this from a number of sources, just one of which is comics. One of my favorite childhood Justice League stories was set in motion by the use of a radio telescope and a misunderstood message.


I now own these two issues, but my first exposure to this two-parter —"Takeover of the Earth-Masters!" and "Winner Takes the Earth!" — was in a paperback novel-sized, black-and-white reprint book published by Tor Books. These two issues of Justice League were reprinted with the story from issue No. 130 all wrapped up in a cover swiped from issue No. 102.

This story is set in motion by a frustrated researcher operating a radio telescope. (Why researchers in the DC Universe are wasting time trying to locate and prove the existence of extra-terrestrial life when Superman and several other aliens are openly running around on the planet isn't raised in the issue, by the way.) Anyway, this researcher — named Dr. Hubble — is frustrated by his lack of results and grumbles to himself, "There's no worse trouble on Earth than this radio-telescope has been! I'd have to be a super-being to communicate with other worlds!" Unbeknownst to Dr. Hubble, he accidentally transmits this message, which is received in a garbled form so it sounds like, "There's ... trouble on Earth … super-being … ."

The alien who intercepts the message mistakenly believes the people of Earth to be enslaved by evil super-beings and dispatches a bunch of lifeforms named Adaptoids to help. These creatures land and are quickly confronted by concerned Justice League members Aquaman, Black Canary, the Flash, Red Tornado and Superman, all of whom are defeated rather handily

A couple, quick side notes: The Adaptoids land on Earth in what the being in charge calls their "raw form" — vaguely circular pink blobs. (Remember, my first exposure to this story was a black-and-white reprint; so I didn't know they were pink in color and always thought the Adaptoids looked a lot like the single-celled alien creatures in the original "Star Trek" series episode "Operation: Annihilate.") Anyway, in the middle of the battle with these five Leaguers, the Adaptoids change their shape — a bottle-like torso with three spindly legs and one eye stalk/tentacle coming out of the top. Again, the being in charge of the Adaptoids refers to this as their evolution "into the form that is perfect for survival on Earth – infinitely superior to the human body!" But then when the five Leaguers renew their attack on the Adaptoids, they are again pink blobs and remain so for the rest of this tale. So they reverted? Why?

The five Leaguers are again defeated and retreat back to the JLA satellite. The second issue opens with the Adaptoids announcing that they have decided all humanity is a disease that needs to be exterminated. Additional Leaguers show up to challenge the Adaptoids in various locations. But Green Arrow, Elongated Man, Batman and the Atom fare no better. The original five dispirited heroes beam their teammates to the satellite to save them, but the Adaptoids follow and a battle royale ensues 22,300 miles above the Earth. I won't ruin the ending of the story for anyone not familiar with it, but the League is finally saved by the timely intervention of yet another longtime member.

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!

You want to talk dark? Now this is dark!

Dark Knights one-shots
DC Comics
Release dates: October 2017 onward

Short post today, but I had a couple thoughts to share about the Dark Knights: Metal one-shots I've read to date. As of this writing, I have read Dark Knights: Metal No. 3 and the various crossovers and one-shots through Flash No. 33 and The Drowning.

Overall, I'm liking the series and looking forward to how it is all going to play out. Of the various tie-in crossover titles, they've been decent; the more you care about the characters involved, the better they read, but that's usually the case with tie-in titles. I'm sad to say that The Drowning has been the weakest of the one-shots so far. It was the first one I pre-ordered because the title indicated that it would be Aqua-centric. And it was an OK story, just not quite as good as some of the others.

But dark story lines seem to be all the buzz these days, how dark is too dark, is dark good or bad, etc. I'm not here to say that just because something is dark it's automatically either good or bad. Depends on the story, and whether or not it works for me as a reader. Let me tell you, this series earns the label "dark," to be sure.

The Red Death and The Devastator were the two most strong. Want to know just how dark these books are? I read a number of them in one sitting. I came away entertained and satisfied that I had gotten my money's worth. But after reading about six of these Dark Knights titles one after another in one evening, I came away feeling a little depressed. That's how dark these books are. And I have not yet received my copy of The Batman Who Laughs, which I fully expect to be the darkest yet.

That's my two-cents' worth.

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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If you enjoy reading this blog, you can get more by liking my page on Facebook and/or following me on Twitter. And of course, if you are looking for a good deal on some of the comics I am selling off to make room in our house, please check out my main Steve's Comics For Sale site or the StorEnvy version of the site.

An Attitude Adjustment For Grid Made Me Feel Much Better

Justice League 29
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Doug Mahnke and Keith Champagne, artists

A few weeks ago, I was lamenting the new designs that went into the New 52 versions of the Metal Men as they appeared in Justice League No. 28. Their new designs were clunky and over-rendered. Despite having malleable, shape-shifting bodies, when standing, each one is drawn with an unnecessary number of grills and fenders and ornamental attachments that seem to serve no real purpose other than to give future artists headaches.

I didn't really have an issue with the story itself, just the designs of the Metal Men.

This issue gives Gold, Iron, Lead, Mercury, Tin and Platinum even more chances to shine — story-wise — as they join Cyborg in taking down Grid, Cyborg's now-sentient former armor. The Metal Men don't spend much time standing around this issue, so there were fewer chances for the artwork to bother me and more chances for the robotic heroes' sense of fun and adventure to shine through in the battle. I definitely like Geoff Johns' take on these characters. If this can be how the team is written going forward, sign me up for more of them.

Just please give them a simpler re-tooling in the chassis department!

I've Been Reading A Lot Of Disappointing Books Lately

Justice League 28
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Ivan Reis, Joe Prado and Scott Hanna, artists

I enjoy reading comics, so I want to talk about the ones I enjoy, not the ones that didn't live up to the potential I hoped they could have. But there have been several in the past few days that just didn't meet my expectations going in.

In the case of this issue of Justice League, continuing the "Forever Evil" crossover, the story itself was good: Cyborg got a complete makeover in the previous issue after all of his cybernetic parts split off, decided to call itself The Grid, and joined the other-dimensional Crime Syndicate that has taken over the world and imprisoned most of the League. This new, much more streamlined Cyborg 2.0 seeks out Dr. Will Magnus, creator of the Metal Men, to help him counter-attack the Syndicate, so this issue serves to introduce the New 52 versions of the Metal Men, who all act pretty much as they did before the New 52 reboot.

The problem is, the only real change I can see that the New 52 has brought to the Metal Men is that they all got a bad case of the uglies, especially Iron, Lead and Mercury.

These three, in particular, look as if they are wearing armor they should be able to remove. All six of the Metal Men — also including Gold, Tin and Platinum — look a lot more robotic than they used to. Now, I know that they technically are robots. But their respective responsometers not only give them their distinctive personalities, but each of the Metal Men also has complete control over his or her shape, allowing them to be able to shift and form tools and such from their bodies. Based on that fact alone, they should have very streamlined, fluid bodies, but especially when seen next to Cyborg's own new chassis, they look very clunky.

I've looked through the issue several times and can't find any kind of design credit. So maybe Ivan Reis, Joe Prado and/or Scott Hanna designed the new looks for the Metal Men. These guys have wowed me with their art in the past, so I would hate to think that they are responsible for this mess. Rather, almost the entire New 52 redesign came from Jim Lee, another artist whose past work I have enjoyed, but who seems to have gone overboard with the unnecessary costume details and seams and such in the New 52. These look to me like they are more of Jim Lee's bad design work for the reboot.

Here's hoping the Metal Men's appearances soften over time.

Silver Age Greatness Presented Poorly

The Secret Society of Super Villains tpb
DC Comics
Gerry Conway, David Anthony Kraft and Bob Rozakis, writers
Pablo Marcos, Rich Buckler, Dick Ayers and Ric Estrada, artists

This collection has been promised for a while now. The name Secret Society is currently being used in The New 52! and previous solicitations have indicated that this 1976 series was to be collected first in Showcase form and now in this more traditional trade collection.

I'd never read any of this series when it was coming out initially. My comics buying habits then were much more sporadic, limited to occasional trips with my mother to the grocery store and whatever they had in stock at that time. But in the intervening years, I've read other books that contained ads for this series or even referenced it. So I was curious about this gathering of rogues.

Now that I've read this volume, I wish they had gone the Showcase route instead. Showcase volumes are massive 500-plus page collections printed in black and white to keep the price lower, but they cram a whole lot of stories into those pages. And one other thing Showcase volumes typically do is include related material.

Now this full-color trade includes an extra. There are actually two versions of Secret Society of Super Villains No. 1 included along with reprints of issues 2-10. There's a text piece accompanying the second version of No. 1 that explains two creators had different but similar ideas for developing the series. That second, unused version of the story is included to show how things might have gone slightly differently for SSoSV with its slightly altered cast line-up and different chain of events. That's a nice touch, to be sure.

But what is missing from this trade, but likely would have been included in a Showcase-style collection, is the story originally published in  Super-Team Family No. 13, a part of the same story from this book which takes place between SSoSV Nos. 9 and 10. The nature of SSoSV is that characters come and go as the story requires; there is no set cast. Several guest heroes and villains appear for a portion of the story, then move on. Some of these guest-stars include Green Lantern, Black Canary, Hawkgirl, the Trickster, the Creeper, Sinestro and Jack from the Royal Flush Gang. In the story arc begun in issue No. 8, for example, Kid Flash is along to assist regular series hero Captain Comet. Between issues 9 and 10, however, Kid Flash leaves and the Atom is introduced to the story. All of this happens in Super-Team Family No. 13, so you won't see those things happen in this trade.

Another reason for including the extra but vital issue here would be to balance out the inevitable second trade collecting the rest of the 15-issue run of SSoSV. This trade could have collected the first seven issues of the published series plus the alternate version of No. 1 for a total of eight stories. Then the second collection could be issues 8-15 plus the Super-Team Family story for a total of nine stories. But by collecting 10 issues plus the alternate No. 1 in this first trade, there are only five issues left to go; that's kind of a slim trade.

Back to the stories themselves, as originally published, the members of the Secret Society are assembled by an unknown benefactor. The initial invitees include Captain Cold, Mirror Master, Gorilla Grodd, Star Sapphire, Sinestro, Copperhead, the Wizard, Captain Boomerang, Shadow Thief and Manhunter. The various members come to San Francisco, where they find a secret headquarters, a butler and the Justice League. Fearing a trap, the villains attack and defeat the League, which turns out to be robots instead of the real heroes. This was all an initiation test, and there will be more.

The title suffers from a touch of schizophrenia with the multiple writers, or maybe that cast was simply too large to keep straight. In the second issue, Shadow Thief is gone with no reason given. In his place is High Jack, Jack from the Royal Flush Gang trying to start a solo career in crime. Grodd and High Jack are performing another initiation task when they run into Green Lantern, the real one this time. But before the battle goes far, another person intervenes.

Captain Comet, a space-faring hero from comics of the early 1950s, makes his return here. He has mutant abilities which allow him to fly and alter his appearance. He also has some telepathy and telekinesis, as well as super-strength. In story, Captain Comet, born Adam Blake, has been away from Earth for 20 years and has come home for a visit. He stumbles upon Grodd, High Jack and Green Lantern and incorrectly assumes GL is attacking the innocent Grodd and Jack. Captain Comet helps the villains escape and becomes an honorary member of the Society.

His mental powers allow Captain Comet to quickly learn his error, but he continues to stay with the Society to learn their plans and the identity of their mysterious benefactor. Then vows to round up all of the members of the Society while he re-learns about life on Earth. During the course of the series, several other villains and heroes come and go, and a number of other series and adventures are referenced as the various villains plot and scheme, sometimes against each other.

All in all, this series really was great fun, and I am glad that I finally had a chance to read these issues. I just wish the powers-that-be at DC had re-read the issues first so they would have known to include the extra story that is a missing chapter in this SSoSV collection.

I Liked It

Trinity War (Justice League 22-23, Justice League Dark 22-23 and Justice League of America 6-7)
DC Comics
Geoff Johns and Jeff Lemire, writers
Ivan Reis, Rod Reis, Oclair Albert, Doug Mahnke, Mikel Janin, Joe Prado and Eber Ferreira, artists

Maybe all of the hype -- nearly two years' worth of it -- was a bit much for this crossover, but I did enjoy it.

"Trinity War" has been teased ever since the launch of DC's New 52. At the end of Flashpoint, the line-wide crossover event that led to the re-starting of the entire DC Universe, a character named Pandora makes her first appearance, reshaping the re-created timeline. And then she made an appearance in each and every single No. 1 issue of The New 52 titles DC launched in 2011. From that point on, "Trinity War" was teased and fans began to speculate exactly what it would be.

There hasn't been nearly as much online hate about "Trinity War" now that it is over -- at least, not that I've seen -- as often follows events like this one. The main criticism, when I have seen any, has been that the crossover didn't really end, it just led into the next event comic. I say that isn't a valid criticism of the story because it was announced ahead of time that "Trinity War" would lead into Forever Evil. Also, because the story isn't really finished, I reserve final judgment on this tale until it is wrapped up. But for these six pieces of the overall tapestry, I enjoyed reading the story and look forward to more.

If you haven't been reading the books (or this blog or anything else comics-related online), the Justice League is the big seven -- Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern and Cyborg. Justice League Dark is a bunch of magical and/or supernatural characters banded together in much the same way. JL Dark is led by John Constantine and includes Black Orchid, Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Frankenstein's monster and others. Justice League of America is a relatively newer team formed by the U.S. government as a secret weapon in case the feds ever need to challenge the Justice League. That team includes new Green Lantern Simon Baz, Hawkman, Stargirl, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Catwoman, Katanna and Vibe and is led by Col. Steve Trevor.

The newly created Shazam is also in the mix, although not part of any team yet. After defeating his enemy, Black Adam, in previous issues of Justice League, Shazam tries to do the right thing and return Adam's ashes to his home country of Kahndaq, a particularly troubled Middle Eastern hot spot. The presence of an uninvited superhuman in Kahndaq threatens to start an international war, and the Justice League sets out to stop Shazam's innocent mistake before it escalates. Knowing only that the Justice League has illegally entered Kahndaq, the Justice League of America is sent in after them. Already you have dozens of superhumans converging on a spot where it is dangerous for them to be; each feels they are there with the best of intentions, but the more who keep showing up, the worse the situation becomes.

Add to the mix Pandora. She has now found the mysterious box she is known for having opened, thus releasing evil into the world in the form of the Seven Deadly Sins. She has the box but cannot open it to try to put the Sins back where they belong. In seeking out someone pure enough to open the box, Pandora finds Superman and Wonder Woman and tries to have Superman open the box. Immediately after, Superman begins to show physical signs of being ill, as if the box has corrupted the Man of Steel. Superman is still reeling when he joins his teammates in Kahndaq, and while there, he kills another hero with his heat vision. That act serves to splinter the various heroes into three groups: one group takes Superman into custody and guards against the threat of more lethal actions, a second tries to track down Pandora, suspecting that she is behind Superman's malady, and a third tries to explore other theories for the Man of Steel's behavior. All of which leads to the secrets behind not only Pandora's box, but the real power behind the formation of the Secret Society of Super-Villains, and leads directly into the aforementioned Forever Evil series.

Rather than being the big event itself, "Trinity War" is really more set-up for Forever Evil, the main event. When looked at in that fashion, this really is a good set-up, and I'm very curious to see what happens in Villains' Month and the main Forever Evil title.

Technically, "Trinity War" is a six-part crossover in the books mentioned above, but events in the current issues of both Trinity of Sin: Pandora (which I also read) and Trinity of Sin: Phantom Stranger (which I did not) flesh out parts of the search for various factions following Superman's fatal heat vision malfunction. I found the Pandora issues to be more focused on her character development and not essential to "Trinity War," and as I didn't feel I missed anything by not reading Phantom Stranger, I'm guessing it was the same.

Did I Miss The Name-Dropping?

Justice League 18
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Jesus Saiz and Gary Frank, artists

This was an interesting little one-off issue of Justice League. In the wake of the battle against Atlantis, the League decides it needs to beef up its numbers. On his own initiative, Cyborg called in a number of non-members to help the League toward the end of that battle. All of those participants, plus a few others, are invited to the League's base to be considered for membership.

I find it interesting that this decision to add new members is not longer. Between the Darkseid arc, the formation of the team, and the Graves arc, when things jump ahead five years to the current time, the League had decided to add new members with disastrous results. We don't know much about that time as we've only heard about it as a past event with few known details, but it is brought up as a reason to keep the League at its current seven members every other time someone suggests adding to the ranks. Not so this time.

Anyway, all of these prospective new members are invited via The Grid, an invention of Cyborg's that allows him to connect with any and all electronic devices anywhere on the planet to not only send messages but "watch" everyone, too. Kinda creepy, in an NSA sort of way, but it also moves Victor into very much the role that Oracle used to play for the superhero community in the previous DC Universe. Unfortunately, it also gives the bad guys of the quickly forming Secret Society of Super-Villains a way to gain access to the League by simply traveling back along the same pathways Cyborg is using.

And that brings us to the title of this post. Apparently, all of this villain recruiting is not leading to a new version of the Legion of Doom as I theorized. You can understand why I might have thought that name would be used: a Legion of Doom version was part of the Flashpoint crossover that led directly into the formation of this DCnU reality, and the members we know of so far include Cheetah, Black Manta and Scarecrow, all members of the original Legion of Doom from the "SuperFriends" television show along with Luthor, Brainiac, Bizarro, Grodd, Giganta, the Riddler, Sinestro, Toyman, Solomon Grundy and Captain Cold. It just seemed a natural fit. Of course, the name Secret Society has been used a lot in the past 10 years or so, too, so I'm not upset by that choice for the name exactly. I just don't know when the name became common knowledge. It is used by the heroes of the League in this issue as a fact, but I don't recall any of the villains we've seen so far use the name, so how do the heroes know it. Doesn't sound like much of a secret, really, except maybe from the readers.

Sowing The Seeds Of More War

Justice League 17
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Ivan Reis and Paul Pelletier, artists

For anyone who hasn't already read the "Throne of Atlantis" story arc crossing over between Justice League and Aquaman the past couple issues, things wrap up here and the conflict among all three sides in this battle is mostly resolved.

I don't want to reveal the identity of the mastermind behind the battle for anyone who hasn't read the issues yet, but it wasn't Ocean Master as past incarnations led me to first believe. In fact, I honestly feel a little bit of sympathy for Aquaman's half-brother as he was duped just as much as the heroes were, and he was only trying to protect and defend his people. When Orm surrenders to Aquaman, you almost expect a degree of leniency for him despite the many deaths Orm has caused on the surface. The real culprit here is the individual who caused just as many Atlantean deaths as human ones.

But these stories don't exist in a vacuum, so while the attack on the surface by the Atlanteans is halted and the Trench are sent back to their underwater domain, this isn't exactly the end of the story. Aquaman is set up to be the new ruler of Atlantis, but they rejected his leadership in the past, so they likely don't really want him now. Also, Mera refuses to go with Aquaman to Atlantis because of her people's history with the undersea kingdom, so they are at least temporarily separated over this issue.

Orm has been imprisoned on the surface for his role in the attacks on Boston, Gotham and Metropolis. As I said, I was pleasantly surprised to see he wasn't the mastermind behind all this, and was kind of looking forward to a reality where Orm and Arthur could be on good terms with each other, but I'm not sure that sentiment will last after his imprisonment. Likely, he will come out of prison with the hatred for his brother readers are used to from before The New 52.

And to top it all off, the general public is unsure of exactly what Aquaman's role was in the Atlanteans' attacks. His attempts to prevent Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman from retaliating against the Atlanteans when he was still trying to get those two sides to talk rather than fight were televised by surface media outlets. Many people fear Aquaman was behind the Atlanteans' attacks. And this comes at a time when some of the general public are uncertain if they can trust any members of the Justice League. All that distrust and fear is furthering the moves by Steve Trevor and Amanda Waller to form their own alternate version of the League.

And lastly, we get more hints that someone is forming a third team, this one composed of villains. We saw the first hints of this in the Cheetah Justice League arc, and saw more evidence of it when Cheetah spoke of recruiting Black Manta. It looks like the next name on the villains wish list is going to be Scarecrow. Could this be the formation of this incarnation's Legion of Doom?

The war with Atlantis is over, at least for now, but tensions are continuing to build.

Oh, THOSE Are The Secrets

Justice League 14
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Tony S. Daniel, artist

I was a little disappointed with the last issue of Justice League; the art was nice, but the story didn't seem to hold much new. Having said that, though, I allowed that it was only the first half of a story.

This second half of "The Secret of the Cheetah" did not disappoint.

There really is a secret to the nature of the DCnU version of the Cheetah, one that is different from her previous incarnations, and that secret is revealed by the tribe of natives Cheetah is trying to slay while she is also fighting the Justice League. The secret isn't all that shocking, exactly, but it is different, as I said, and Johns handles the reveal in such a way that incorporates aspects of the past incarnations of the Cheetah character. That's always a nice touch.

We also begin to see some teamwork among the Leaguers in this issue. Superman was bitten by the Cheetah and transformed into a were-creature in the previous issue. Batman is concerned about his friend and needs Cyborg's help to restore the Man of Steel before Cheetah's bite kills him. Aquaman formulates a plan of attack for capturing Cheetah, and Batman willingly abdicates this chore to the Sea King, something the Dark Knight does not typically do with ease. Aquaman's plan makes use of both Wonder Woman's and the Flash's skills. Both teams are successful in achieving their goals. Nicely done, team!

Or maybe not. Unbeknownst to the Leaguers, Cheetah wanted to be captured. After she is left alone in her cell at Belle Reve Prison, she contacts someone we can neither see nor hear. She confirms that she is in place and will await the arrival of Black Manta, yet another secret.

However, there are more secrets in this issue than just the "Secret(s) of the Cheetah." At the end of the mission, Superman takes Wonder Woman to visit Smallville. The couple's "date" helps them both heal, recoup and get to know each other better. The issue ends with the pair's second kiss and the reveal that they are being spied on by someone.

I wish sometimes that Johns would get there faster, but this is becoming the team I want to read about.

Nice Action, But Something's Still Missing

Justice League 13
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Tony Daniel, artist

This issue got a lot of hype before its arrival because of its shocking revelations about the Cheetah in the DCnU. To be fair, the issue sure is pretty to look at, but I'm not seeing anything all that shocking so far. To my knowledge, the Cheetah, a Wonder Woman foe both in the old DCU and the new, has never gone toe-to-toe with the entire League by herself before, but then this is still a League that doesn't understand or employ the concept of cooperation.

The DCnU Cheetah isn't drastically different in her origin from her old incarnation. She's still Barbara Minerva transformed into a were-beast, and Wonder Woman feels responsible for her condition and redemption. Not a great deal new so far. The story's not over yet, this is just the first part, so we will see if there is more to come.

Now That's An Interesting Change

Aquaman 0
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Ivan Reis and Joe Prado, artists

This Zero Issue falls in the middle of "The Others" story arc currently playing out in this title. But since that story arc is serving to give readers a glimpse of Aquaman's past in the DCnU, a Zero Issue doing more of the same seems to fit nicely. So far, "The Others" story arc has shown readers how the dynamics of the bitter feud between Aquaman and Black Manta have changed with this new reality. This Zero Issue focuses on another Aqua-villain, also setting up things to come in the next story arc.

The issue begins six years ago with a younger Arthur sitting by his dying father's bedside. This is before the Justice League, even before the Others. As Tom Curry pushes his son to seek out his mother, the lighthouse keeper's home is surrounded by reporters and curious onlookers. The mob has been drawn to the Curry home seeking confirmation of the public statements about Atlantis and Arthur's origins made by Dr. Stephen Shin, as revealed elsewhere in "The Others."

Tom Curry dies, and a deeply distraught Arthur storms out of the house, past the mob and dives into the ocean. Months pass as the young man searches in vain for the lost continent of Atlantis. Until one (forgive me) dark and stormy night when he happens upon a small two-person vessel in trouble. Arthur saves the father and daughter from crashing onto a reef in the storm, and the next morning, after sharing with them the details of his futile search, the father tells Arthur of someone else who claims Atlantis is a real place -- a man named Vulko.

Arthur seeks out Vulko, and to his astonishment, learns that Vulko has been looking for him. Arthur's mother, Atlanna, the Queen of Atlantis, is dead. Vulko explains that she had fled Atlantis when Arthur was born so she could take him to his father, Tom Curry. But then Atlanna had to return to Atlantis to prevent Tom and Arthur from being discovered. Upon her return to Atlantis, Atlanna was forced to marry and later conceived a second son, Arthur's half-brother, Orm. On Orm's 12th birthday, his father was killed, and shortly after, Atlanna died as well. Vulko believed that Atlanna died at the hands of her son, Orm, and when he spoke up, he was driven from Atlantis by loyalists of the new king. After sharing all of this, Vulko is insistent that Arthur return to Atlantis with him as the rightful heir to the throne of the undersea kingdom, a not so subtle nod to the upcoming Aquaman/Justice League crossover "The Throne of Atlantis."

Vulko has been a part of Aquaman's story for a long time as a friend and adviser to the throne. This version of Vulko appears considerably younger than the white-haired man often depicted in old DC continuity, but among his confessions to Arthur is the fact that he has been adviser to the ruler of Atlantis since the reign of Arthur's grandfather, so he must be older than he looks.

The big change is the introduction and origin of Orm, Aquaman's half-brother. In the DCnU, Arthur and Orm have the same mother, and being a full-blooded Atlantean, Orm has taken over the throne of Atlantis, quite possibly through the heinous act of patricide. In the old DCU, Orm Marius and Arthur Curry are still half-brothers but because they have the same father, Tom Curry. Some time after Arthur was born and Atlanna died, Tom Curry had another son with an Eskimo woman. Orm was always jealous that his mother was not his father's first love as well as envious of his half-brother's Atlantean heritage and abilities. That jealousy drove Orm to adopt the villainous identity of the Ocean Master, one of Aquaman's deadliest foes, second only to Black Manta.

It's not hard to imagine these two coming to blows in this reality over the right to rule Atlantis, especially if Orm is responsible for the death of their mother. I am curious to see how Vulko and Arthur's trip to Atlantis will factor into the formation of the Others. Obviously, since Arthur did not stay in Atlantis, one can assume things do not go well there. And surely Orm will play a role in the upcoming crossover between Aquaman and Justice League.

But He Does Have The Embers Within Him

Justice League 0
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Gary Frank and Ethan Van Sciver, artists

The last several issues of Justice League have included two stories, the main JL tale, followed by a shorter story providing readers a glimpse of the DCnU version of Billy Batson. This issue has Billy take center stage as his transformation into Captain Marvel -- excuse me, Shazam! -- is completed.

Some contemporary readers have complained that Captain Marvel and his child alter-ego don't quite fit into the modern era because their Fawcett City world is just too simplistic and fun for the grim-and-gritty world of modern comics. I don't share that belief, but in an effort to modernize the character, Johns and Frank have brought us a Billy Batson who no one would call a Goody Two-shoes. This Billy Batson has been toughened by his years in the foster-care system, where he has learned to care about little beyond himself and to trust almost no one. He is a smart-mouthed, street-wise kid, but he still seems to harbor a soft spot for anyone being bullied by others.

Billy is brought to the Rock of Eternity by an ancient wizard as his pre-New 52 version was. In that incarnation, the old wizard, Shazam, granted the boy mystical powers when he spoke the wizard's name. This time around, the wizard is the sole remaining member of the Council of Wizards seen in the 2012 DC Comics Free Comic Book Day one-shot, the group that condemned Pandora, the New 52 Question and the Phantom Stranger as the world's greatest sinners.

The wizard is looking for someone who is pure good to bestow his powers upon, for only someone pure good could hope to defeat the villainous Black Adam. Naturally, the wizard finds this version of Billy not quite so pure. But Billy isn't willing to be so easily dismissed. Upon a second look, the wizard decides that the young boy has the CAPACITY for good within him, and that will have to be good enough.

Once Billy has the powers and the adult body of Shazam -- apparently, he's no longer going by the hero name of Captain Marvel since so many non-comics fans think Shazam is his name anyway -- he is transported away from the Rock of Eternity and back to join Freddy, one of the other children living in Billy's current foster home. The two boys then proceed to do things young boys would do given this level of power -- torment bullies who have gotten the best of them before.

As I said, I don't think the old version of Captain Marvel was in need of fixing, but this new version is an interesting one, and Shazam is destined to be a part of the League soon, hence his taking over their Zero Issue.

Since the main story in this issue is Shazam, the backup feature this time needs another focus. Johns and Van Sciver give us a glimpse of Pandora and the new Question in a short story titled  simply "Questions." Readers still aren't given any answers about these enigmatic characters, just more questions, but they don't have their own books to star in like their fellow Trinity of Sin member, the Phantom Stranger.

To The Death

Aquaman 10-12
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Ivan Reis, artist

This book is getting intense as one might expect from the subject matter.

Previously we have learned that Aquaman was part of a group called The Others before joining the Justice League. We also learned that all of these heroes had run-ins with Black Manta and that much of the Aquaman-Black Manta antagonism stems from the fact that these two men each killed the other's father. That's all pretty grim.

Aquaman gets some small measure of redemption in these issues as we learn that he did not mean to kill Manta's father -- he thought it was Manta he was lashing out at. The Marine Marvel was enraged at the death of his own father at the time. His father died of a heart attack during a previous assault on the pair by Manta. In a rage, Aquaman tracked Manta to a vessel at sea and lashed out at the vessel's sole occupant. Unbeknownst to Aquaman at the time, Black Manta was diving below the boat, and it was his father who remained aboard.

We also learn the "secret origin" of Aquaman's trident. It is one of six Atlantean relics discovered by The Others. Each member of the team took one of the artifacts, which once belonged to the first king of Atlantis, the individual responsible for the sinking of that ancient continent. We learn that there was actually a seventh relic and that this piece is what Black Manta is now hunting, along with Aquaman and his Others comrades. That seventh item is the Dead King's scepter, the very device that was used to sink Atlantis, and thus more powerful than the other six items. And Manta manages to uncover the scepter before Aquaman, Mera and the remaining Others can stop him. Along the way, Manta manages to slay another member of that team, Vostok.

Also, I'm certain it is no coincidence that the Dead King's scepter looks identical to the weapon Aquaman's half-brother, Ocean Master, used to wield in the old DC Universe. I think it very possible that we will see the debut of the DCnU version of Ocean Master before this arc is concluded in issue No. 13.

But before we get to that issue, it is time for DC's Zero Month. We'll have the first of those books to look at next time.

Never-Ending Stories And Commercials

Justice League International annual 1
DC Comics
Geoff Johns and Dan Didio, writers
Jason Fabok, artist

Superhero comics are by nature ongoing, continuing stories. The characters rarely undergo real change so they can continue to be recognizable as they go through their various adventures. But within that ongoing narrative, there are several beginnings and endings. Story arcs come and go, wax and wane. Plot threads get tied up and give way to new plot threads. At least the best stories do.

Not every comic has to be a done-in-one, but the reader can be left feeling unsatisfied if every story serves only to move you into the next story with never a chance to pause and take stock. But more and more, some comics seem to be just that. Not really a story in and of themselves, but merely a teaser for the next big thing, which ends up being a teaser for the next big thing and so on. That seems to be the case for this comic.

I confess, I haven't kept up with the New 52 Justice League International title. I tried it for the first story arc, but dropped the book after issue 6, largely because I didn't like the changes made in the main character, team leader Booster Gold, from his old incarnation. So I have no frame of reference going into this annual for what came immediately before. I just know Justice League International has been canceled.

This is a team falling apart and we see evidence of that as this story opens with Booster trying to salvage the team and failing. One member simply walks out following the completion of the JLI's most recent mission. Then another proceeds to attack the rest of the team, incapacitating most of them, including two new members just brought in for this annual. Booster finally manages to take down the threat, but just as he does, he is interrupted by the arrival of a future version of himself. Future Booster starts talking about things the reader knows nothing about, confusing current Booster, too, and then mysteriously vanishes. Current Booster is left to wonder about what has just happened for a page before he, too, vanishes unexpectedly. A final scene follows to let readers know that none of the various incapacitated JLI members actually died. The ultimate threat remains a mystery and the book closes with the line "To be continued in Justice League in 2013!"

People grow tired and lose interest in never-ending stories after a while, and who among us doesn't fast-forward through the commercials whenever possible or refocus our attention elsewhere when they come on; so why would I want zero resolution and non-stop teasers in my comics?

OK, Slowly Getting Better

Justice League 7-12
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Gene Ha, Gary Frank, Carlos D'Anda, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado and Jim Lee, artists

Justice League No. 7 brings us up to the current time frame after the first arc of this title took us back five years to the team's formation. Many people criticized the League presented here because they didn't work together, barely even got along. That can be excused in a team brought together for the first time, still getting to know one another and learning to gel. But the word "team" is used just as loosely in this prologue to "The Villain's Journey." It's been five years of these guys getting to know each other and learning to work together, and they still seem like they can't get along and really don't care for each other. That's not what I want long-term from this team.

Issue No. 8 serves to unite the members of the League, albeit briefly, in a little side story, guest-starring Green Arrow. Here the League is united in their dislike of the Emerald Archer and their decision not to admit anyone else to their ranks, at least for the most part. This issue serves as a diversion from "The Villain's Journey" arc, and while a good read, is more a book-length teaser for the then-newly announced Justice League of America title coming in 2013.

"The Villain's Journey" really gets under way in issue No. 9 and rolls quickly along. The villain of this piece isn't cut from the traditional pattern. Rather than seeking to achieve power, money or glory for himself, he is trying to improve the League members by teaching them first-hand about loss. What he doesn't realize is that each of these heroes does in fact know a great deal about loss already. But still, Graves manages to teach them a little about humility and responsibility.

I don't see this tale as ranking among the all-time best Justice League stories by any means, but I can see Johns moving these heroes toward the kind of characters I want to read about. As much as I appreciate that he is moving them in a positive direction, I want my Justice League heroes to already be there. I want them to be the best and brightest stars, not working toward becoming that.