Showing posts with label
justice society of america v.3.
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Showing posts with label
justice society of america v.3.
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Justice Society of America (vol.3) #21 (January, 2009)
"One World, Under Gog, Part VI: Saints and Sinners"
Story - Geoff Johns & Alex Ross
Pencillers - Dale Eaglesham & Jerry Ordway
Inkers - Nathan Massengill & Bob Wiacek
Colors - Hi-Fi
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor - Harvey Richards
Editor - Michael Siglain
Cover Price: $2.99
It's been a long time since we covered the Justice Society... partly due to my having moved in late October... but also, because I didn't (and still don't) have one of the Kingdom tie-ins.
Well... I'm tired of waiting, so we're going to soldier on through. Also... what better way to ensure the issue I'm missing finally surfaces, than to review what came after it, right? Ya know, it's like finding ten-thousand things when all you need is some other thing... or something.
Either way, let's get to it!
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We open just about where we left off... Gog is still looming large, and importantly, it's been seven days since he arrived... or, emerged... or whatever it was that he did when be burst out of that mountain. He's surrounded by worshipers, including half of the Justice Society... a few of whom he had given "gifts" to. Suddenly, the rest of the Golden Agers arrive to pull the civilians to safety.
Safety? From Gog? Well, yes... Sand helpfully explains that during one of those tie-ins, it was discovered that Gog was "rooting" himself to the Earth... a process which takes, get this, seven days! After "permanently linking" to a planet... he will be able to destroy it.
Gog appears to find the resistance adorable... and vows not to leave. He maintains that he is here for the betterment of Earth and her people... but the heroes ain't buyin' it. He scans the field before him and spots a weakness... Citizen Steel. Gog finally offers to grant Nate his wish. After thinking on it, Heywood tells him to pound salt.
The Society uses this brief distraction to launch a full-on assault on the giant god. Gog responds by blasting Jay Garrick with a bolt of lightning... and the intention of turning the Flash into living lightning strong enough to power an entire continent! Just like he changed those warmongers into trees... Gog is still adamant that his first priority is Earth and her people.
At this point, Superman-22 decides he's seen enough and literally punches Gog's lightning bolt... which is a pretty amazing visual.
The Society again launches an attack... but this one is far more successful. They're beating him so bad he starts vomiting Kirby Krackle! I don't think I've ever been beat up so bad... but it looks delightful.
Well... now Gog's ticked. He looks at the Justice Society as a group of ingrates... and proceeds to revoke his earlier "blessings". Dr. Mid-Nite's blindness returns... Starman's insanity acts up... Sand's nightmares flare up... Damage's face gets all blistery... and for good measure, Gog decides he'll fill Citizen Steel with intense pain.
Off to the side, Superman-22 and Magog are duking it out. Superman manages to get the upper hand... and forces David to see what his "god" is doing to the Justice Society. Magog knows this ain't cool... and approaches Gog about his behavior...
... at which time, the giant undoes his blessing as well!
--
Man, I've missed this series!
Now, as we approach the end of this arc, the other shoe finally drops. Despite all of his power, Gog is nothing more than a parasite! The most interesting thing about this is... I dunno, it's sorta morally ambiguous. Gog is not unlike Galactus in that he's just doing... what he does (unless of course, I missed something in the tie-ins).
Sure, he "sells it" a bit better... but, despite how ominous and sinister he is... it still isn't clear that he has bad intentions. His "gifts" as they were, are legit. Mid-Nite's vision did come back... Damage's face did go pretty... Thom's mind did clear up... David did come back to life... I mean, that all happened. Galactus wouldn't waste any time with such things, sure... but his intentions (maybe like Gog's) aren't vindictive, but born out of necessity/nature.
It's weird upon reflection... it feels as though this issue had a lot going on... and at the same time, not a whole lot. It's just one of those issues. Still really good... still beautiful to look at... still highly recommended. I'm trying to remember how I received this the first time around... especially since we had a bit of a break with the tie-ins (that I didn't buy back in 2008) and the Power Girl/Earth-2 story. I wonder if having a few months "off" from the main Gog story hindered my enjoyment/satisfaction with what this issue brought to the table.
Overall... like I said, definitely recommended. We're heading toward the conclusion... and I really can't wait to re-experience it. Mostly because, I forgot how it all rolls out.
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Justice Society of America (vol.3) #7 (September, 2007)
"Indestructible"
Writer - Geoff Johns
Penciller - Dale Eaglesham
Inkers - Ruy Jose & Rodney Ramos
Colorist - Jeromy Cox
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor - Harvey Richards
Editor - Michael Siglain
Cover Price: $2.99
When I was entering the latest Lightning Saga-related Justice Society of America reviews into the Review Index, I discovered that... for whatever reason, when I jumped ahead a couple months back, I also skipped issues #7 and 8! Haven't the foggiest idea why... I must've thought The Lightning Saga went on far longer than it did (not that it didn't feel overlong at times!).
Welp, we're all about filling in gaps here... and since my Justice Society longbox is one of the few I can actually access without putting holes in the wall (moving is an absolute delight... I recommend it to anyone... ahem), I guess we might as well continue along!
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We open up with a recap on the life and times of Nate Heywood. We already know all of this... his grandfather was the original Commander Steel, his cousin Hank was the Steel who ran with the Detroit-era Justice League. His story went a bit differently, as he chose to pursue athletics... he suffered an injury, which led to a pain-killer dependency... and ultimately to an amputation. During the most recent Heywood family picnic... the Nazis attacked!
We join Nate in the present as he wakes up from a horrible nightmare. His peripheral vision picks up a vision of Captain Nazi attacking his young cousin... and pulls himself out of the bed to stop him. A couple of observations... One: he's hallucinating, and Two: He's also standing... on two feet!
Dr. Mid-Nite enters to inform Nate of everything that has gone down over the past little while. Turns out, when he pierced Reichsmark's throat... and had that liquid metal ooze vomited onto him, it was absorbed into Nate's own skin... and somehow, while transmuting his normal skin into an organic metal, also regrew him a whole new leg and foot! It's not all good news, however... he also can no longer feel anything, so there's that.
Body-issues aside, Nate laments the fact that his entire family was killed in the attack while he survived. Mid-Nite informs him that that's not entirely true. We zip over to St. Anthony's Hospital... and learn that Nate's niece and couple of nephews got out alive. He excitedly attempts to enter the room... however, his new stronger/heavier body proves to be quite the menace. Fearing that he would crush his loved ones should he even try to touch them, he backs off... Mid-Nite suggests that the Justice Society might be able to help him.
We shift over to Opal City to join Starman... and good news, it's Sloppy Joe Day! He grabs his tray and is about to chow down... when he finds himself joined by Superman! He's still a bit salty over the Legionnaire's deception during The Lightning Saga, and is looking for some answers.
Next stop, the Justice Society's... refinery? Mr. Terrific, Dr. Mid-Nite, and Hawkman (in a welding visor!) are coating Nate's new body with an alloy that will restrict his movement enough to help him not to... you know, crush his loved ones. With a FASSSH, Nate emerges from the vat... in a very patriotic uniform, and he ain't all that pleased.
He proceeds to ream out his new pals... he doesn't see himself as a hero... and having never been in the military, doesn't feel worthy of wearing the uniform of Commander Steel. He is interrupted by an entering Power Girl, who delivers news of the American Supremacist Party coming out in support of the Fourth Reich... and are currently holding a group of NYU students hostage.
Back in Opal, Starman sorta-kinda fills Superman in on the Legionnaire's plan. It's still silly Starman, so it doesn't make all that much sense... we get some cryptic commentary on multiple Thoms... and Three Worlds... Superman's inability to help... and future-speedster XS. Superman's confused... and so am I. Superman's Legion story will continue in the pages of Action Comics... and maybe we'll get around to them soon.
Back at NYU, the Justice Society gets into place. Nate is instructed to wait outside... which is probably for the best, as he's leaving great holes in the ground with every heavy step... plus, he really doesn't know what he's doing just yet. Power Girl lets him know that they'll just throw things (meaning bad dudes) at him.
And so, the next several pages consist of Nazi-stomping action. This isn't just some superficial fight scene though... it also features some great character-building. This is some very early super-heroics from characters like Cyclone and Wildcat (II), and we get to watch them go through their paces. Very well done... really adds to what might've been a boilerplate battle scene.
The fight wraps up with Nate standing over a pile of battered Nazis. He calls out to Power Girl to ask how he did... and she seems quite pleased.
The Society finds themselves swarmed by reporters... and it's here that Power Girl introduces their newest member... Citizen Steel! We wrap up the issue back at St. Anthony's where Nate is finally able to touch and hold his loved ones.
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Glad I read this... I was wondering when the whole Citizen Steel issue was addressed, and hadn't the foggiest idea how I missed it! This provides some really good context for the Gog stories we've already covered as it pertains to Nate's willingness to be faithful.
I didn't dwell on it during the synopsis, but Nate's a rather tragic hero. It's nothing Earth-shattering... well, I mean, when we walks he does literally shatter the Earth... but, you know what I mean. He can't feel things... not knowing his own strength, he risks injuring anyone he touches. He's got a bit of Robotman-esque tragedy in him. Can't feel the breeze, warmth, all that jazz. Fair enough... his presence adds a "doomed" wrinkle to this incarnation of the Justice Society.
The Superman/Starman chat is kinda mind-boggling, but fun. I always think of this issue because it's Eaglesham variant cover features Superman watching Starman chow down on a Sloppy Joe. That's one variant that I'd actually be interested in tracking down. We get a decent amount of breadcrumbs here. I can't remember if I ever made it through the Superman and the Legion story arc in Action Comics, so I can't speak to that... yet. I just hope it winds up being a bit more satisfying than The Lightning Saga.
Overall, worth a read. Some nice character beats here... and amazing Eaglesham art. It is definitely an important chapter that lays a bit of the groundwork for what's to come.
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Justice Society of America (vol.3) #6 (July, 2007)
"The Lightning Saga, Chapter Four: Three Worlds"
Writer - Geoff Johns
Penciller - Dale Eaglesham
Inker - Ruy Jose
Colorist - Jeromy Cox
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor - Adam Schlagman
Editor - Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $2.99
A storm's on its way... prepare for the Penultimate Lightning!
If you need to/want to catch up:
Chapter One: Justice League of America (vol.2) #8
Chapter Two: Justice Society of America (vol.3) #5
Chapter Three: Justice League of America (vol.2) #9
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We open up with Superman explaining his weird and wacky history with the Legion of Super-Heroes... and boy, is he getting into it! Power Girl asks why they left so abruptly... and what's the deal with these lightning rods anyway? Superman mentions the hazards of time-travel, especially when it comes to memory. He even brings up an archival-adventure they had called "The Legion of Three Worlds" that nobody can remember! He says the last time he remembers seeing the Legion was during the "first" Crisis. Well, we could argue that... but we won't.
Anyhoo... dem lightning rods, right? They were used by the Legion after the death of Lightning Lad (Adventure Comics #304). It was sort of a game of Russian Roulette where lightning would strike (and kill) a Legionnaire... and it would somehow bring Lightning Lad back to life. The gang played this game in Adventure Comics #312... and it looked like Saturn Girl was the thunderstruck sacrifice. Turns out it was actually Chameleon Boy's shape-shifting pet Proty taking the form of Saturn Girl that bit the big one. Still with me? Okay... we said all of that, so we might say this... looks like the Legion is planning to give the lightning rods another go-round.
Speaking of the Legion, we join them as they fly in the skies over a densely-wooded/jungle area. We can see here that despite Star Boy/Man's memory blocks being off... he's still pretty loony. Since we're skipping around this volume at this blog, we know all about the time he'd spent on Earth-22.
The land... and they must be in the right place, because nearby we see Liberty Belle, Wonder Woman, Damage, Hourman, and Black Lightning tracking the final Legionnaire. We join them as Jesse is trying to sell Diana on dating the new Mr. America. They come across one of the Secret Society's old bases... and Jefferson steps in to zap the door off it's hinges. What they find inside is not one Legionnaire, but... three?
Hey, it's Triplicate Girl... and boy is she chatty. She seems a bit misinformed as to her purpose in the present, however. She thinks the Legion has been sent back to prevent Computo from activating... and while that's an erstwhile endeavor, it ain't the one we were expecting! Worth mentioning, there's another Legionnaire lurking in the shadows, hmm...
Oh yeah, also Computo activates... and a fight is on! The sixsome of Legionnaires as well as the remainder of the amalgamated Justice League/Society of America arrives and we find ourselves experiencing one heckuva skirmish.
The fight doesn't seem to be going the way the League expected... and Hal notices something weird about their foe when he tries scanning it with his ring. A comment from Karate Kid suggests something's afoot. We shift inside the Secret Society base where we see Dawnstar "trigger-wording" that shadow-lurking Legionnaire.
When it looks as though Triplicate Girl is about to be crushed to death, Superman issues a stand-down command. As several confused heroes look on, he instructs Power Girl to use her x-ray vision. In doing so, we come to find that... Computo (and Triplicate Girl) was a lie.
An illusion, courtesy of the actual seventh Legionnaire, Sensor Girl... under which the Legionnaires were able to bug out, and venture off to face their flashy fates!
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Boy is it nice to have Dale Eaglesham back for this issue! It just doesn't look like the Justice Society without him.
Now we start off with a quite annotate-able flashback to the first time Lightning Lad bought the farm, which isn't something I was expecting to research this early in the morning (what the hell is a Proty anyway?). I found an excellent blog post from Silver Age Comics discussing the entire magilla. Worth a visit!
I mentioned in our discussion of Chapter Two that this feels like more of a passion-project in Johns' issues... and this further cements that point of view. We see that he's already laying the groundwork for 2008's Legion of 3 Worlds miniseries. I mean, that story doesn't even start for like a year and a half at this point! Wild.
I gave "props" (ugh, did I just say that?) to Brad Meltzer for keeping his Justice League-centric stories/character development bubbling away in the background of this crossover, and I gotta do the same for Johns. We get another mention of that crazy Earth-22 which will, within the next few months, absolutely take over this volume.
We're definitely putting pieces in place as we approach the climax. A great issue, though I wasn't completely on board for the Computo fight scene. I'm not sure why, but it kinda lost me there. I suppose it was necessary... just didn't dig it. Least it was beautiful to look at! I've said it before but I just love Eaglesham's two-page spreads!
Overall... like I said yesterday... if you've read the previous parts, there's really no reason not to check this one out too. Unless, of course, you hated the previous issues... but then you'd probably not be reading this piece. I think I just confused myself. Anyhoo... this sucker's been collected and is available digitally! We'll wrap this up tomorrow... also, that Power Girl's boobs cover.
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Justice Society of America (vol.3) #5 (June, 2007)
"The Lightning Saga, Chapter Two: Dreams and Fire"
Writer - Geoff Johns
Aritst - Fernando Pasarin
Colorist - Jeromy Cox
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor - Adam Schlagman
Editor - Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $2.99
Moving right along with The Lightning Saga! If you're interested in checking out Chapter One, be sure to check out yesterday's discussion of Justice League of America (vol.2) #8.
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We open at Arkham Asylum where Commissioner Gordon and the GCPD have the gates surrounded. It's feared (ha!) that the Scarecrow has done his toxin-thang... however, a certain caped crusader believes differently. Having traced the Valorium in a Legion Flight Ring, Batman and an amalgamated Justice-crew (including Geo-Force, Sandman and Starman) have just arrived on the scene. Batman deduces that this is likely not the Scarecrow's handiwork, as his gas creates illusions... and these folks are being affected by temporary physical manifestations of their worst fears.
Starman begins to panic, claiming that a "doctor... with no face" is inside and behind all the hoopla. Also, Dream Girl. The faceless Doctor is Dr. Destiny... but we already knew that. Sandman is a bit incredulous, knowing that the Dr. D's Dreamstone had been destroyed... Batman suggests that he must've found another. Fair enough...
We go "off subject" for a moment to a bit to illustrate that Geo-Force has similar powers as Starman and Sandman combined, by Geo-Force bragging that he has similar powers as Starman and Sandman combined... which really feels out of place. I mean, are we trying to make him look like a jackass here? Sure feels like it. Anyhoo, Batman pulls the team in to discuss strategy, but doesn't notice that Thom has wandered away.
Inside, Thom has found a bank of monitors... all of which features his gal-pal Nura. There's a sizzle, and the monitors blink off. Batman approaches to clue him in on Dr. Destiny's standard operating procedure, before suggesting that ol' John Dee might be about to tap into the worst fear of the Arkham inmates and use it against them... wouldntcha know it, their worst fear is Batman! Not quite as impressive as Man of Steel #37, but it'll do.
While his partners fight off the colony of Batmen, Starman makes like a cartoon character and proceeds to burst through walls on his way to Dream Girl's cell. Dr. Destiny wastes no time tapping into Thom's worst fears... which include his murder (in self-defense) of Kenz Nuhor.
While the manifestation of Kenz pummels poor Thom, he is able to utter something in Interlac... which, thanks to our handy-dandy Interlac translator (see below) we know to be "L-i-g-h-t-n-i-n-g-L-a-d"... which, I dunno... there's a symbol specifically for Lightning Lad (sorta looks like Captain Marvel's "thunderbolt"), so why not just use that? Oh well. Either way, this is what snaps Nura back to wakey-ness. She slams Dr. D into a wall, revealing him to be... just some bald dude, not scary in the slightest. She and Thom embrace.
Meanwhile Superman, Red Tornado, Stargirl and Cyclone arrive at the Fortress of Solitude. Courtney comments to Maxine that she hasn't been her normal fangirly self... which can be attributed to being around the "new" (as in non-Hunkel) Red Tornado. Court suggests she chat him up... ya know, legacy and what-not... Hal and Alan get along fine, right?
Superman leads the crew into a room labelled... (thanks to our handy-dandy Kryptonian Translator) "Trophy Room and Museum". Inside, he procures his Legion flight ring, and begins telling the story of how he met the kids from the future. Among his exhibits is one featuring dozens of Legionnaires! It's really quite the scene.
While Superman continues the Secret Origin of the Legion of Super-Heroes, Maxine notices that there's a dupe in the exhibit... there are two Wildfires! Superman immediately realizes that one ain't a statue... and is, in fact the real deal. And so, he Interlacs some "L-i-g-h-t-n-i-n-g-L-a-d" to bring Drake to his senses.
Wildfire collapses to the floor warning of a great storm... before ejecting Batman's Utility Belt from his chest? Ehh??
--
Okay, we're two parts in and we've already found four out of seven Legionnaires! Moving right along...
I enjoyed this issue a heckuva lot more than the first chapter... but that could just be me digging Johns' more than Meltzer. I might be projecting (okay, I'm almost certainly projecting), but this feels like a much more "personal" story to Geoff. Like, this is a story he needed to tell... whereas, perhaps not as much for Brad.
Johns was always the guy who could stuff his stories full of nods to the past, while still making things appear to be moving forward. It's not terribly often I get a Legion reference (without a visit to the DC Wikia, anyway), so when I do get a nod to the past, boy... it's sort of a rush.
For the Legionnaire "awakenings", I gotta say, it feels pretty samey and convenient. I'm not sure why I'd expect more... especially since we're going to need the sevensome awake and assembled before we find out and deal with the actual threat of the Saga... but, it still feels like things are moving a bit too fast. I mean, you ever play an RPG where you collect party members along the way? It's like... if I'm only playing for an hour or two, and already have my entire team... it's kind of a let-down. I like meeting and aligning with new team members deeper into the story... but, maybe that's just me.
Overall, I thought this was pretty good. Having no real tether to the Legion, I can't say for certain how "right" this all feels. If I were a bigger fan of the franchise I suppose I might really love (or really hate) this story/take. As a relative neophyte, however... I guess I can say that I'm having a pretty good time with it.
As a post-Crisis kind of guy, I am a bit "iffy" on the whole Superman was Superboy thing... and while that isn't said outright, the allusions were definitely there. I mean, unless they're saying that young Clark Kent hung out in the future instead of Superboy... which, I suppose could be the direction. For all I know, it's been made clear elsewhere... and I'm just talking out my backside.
As with the previous chapter, this issue has been collected several times over, and is available digitally.
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