Justice Society of America (vol.2) #1 (1992)

Justice Society of America (vol.2) #1 (August, 1992)
"Home Again"
Writer - Len Strazewski
Penciller - Mike Parobeck
Inker - Mike Machlan
Letterer - Bob Pinaha
Colorist - Glenn Whitmore
Editor - Brian Augustyn
Cover Price: $1.25

You ever buy a comic book for the wrong reason?  Let me qualify that... you ever buy a comic simply because you believed it was going to go up in value?  Not because you cared about the story or the characters... just because you thought one day you'd be able to resell the thing at a profit?  I'd love to be able to answer "no" to that question... but if I'm being honest, I was bit by the speculator bug a time or three myself.

It was the Summer of 1992 when that damned bug sunk its teeth into me... and the three books I specu-bought were Spawn #1... Robocop versus Terminator #1... and the book we're going to discuss today, Justice Society of America #1.  Looking back... and hell, even at the time... I kinda felt gross about buying these books with no intention of reading them.  My collection was quite slim... and consisted primarily of X-Men family books.  To give you an idea... I kept my books in several short stacks on a shelf in my closet... when I came home with a Spawn... or Robocop/Terminator book... it just became its own pile.  Almost like I didn't want these to intermingle with my "real" comics.  Like they just didn't belong...

I mentioned Spawn #1 above... this was quite possibly the most uncomfortable purchase of my youth.  I remember it just showing up at the shop... like, outta nowhere.  When Youngblood hit, we knew it was coming... but Spawn just showed up.  Not sure if it just wasn't on our radar, or what... I know I kinda talked myself out of caring about it... I was so fed up with not being able to afford the McFarlane Spider-Man back issues that I'm pretty sure I displaced my anger toward ol' Spawny.

Anyhoo... we show up at the shop at some point in the summer of '92... and find that we're not alone.  Now, our comic shop was basically an unglorified utility closet built into the side of an old house.  When me and my buddy were there alone it was cramped... on this day, we found ourselves sharing air with a heavyset dude in a suit jacket and tie... probably in his mid-late 40's.  He was loud and obnoxious... and had every copy of Spawn #1 the store ordered on the counter.  He and the shop owner were arguing... he wanted to buy out the entire stock... well over 100 copies.  The owner, being surprisingly reasonable put a cap on his purchase... he could buy 20 copies, and no more.

The dude was being a jerk... said he'd just do a bunch of separate transactions.  Said he'd just give his business to the other shops in the area.  Just a real ass.  He turned to my friend and me, and started bragging about flipping these books... I don't wanna use the old speculatory chestnut of "putting the kids through college", but I can't outright discount that it wasn't said.

Instead of kicking this jerk out, the owner kept trying to reason with him... and turned to us for help.  He pointed out that we were likely there for a copy ourselves... and at this point, we were both really psyched to buy it!  I'd hate to have met a snake oil salesman... I'd have been such an easy mark.

The dude hands both me and my friend a copy... laughs at us for "only buying one copy" (I mean, whattayagonnado with ONE copy of a comic book??)... and goes back to arguing with the shop owner.

Ultimately, we pay and leave.  As we're getting on our bikes, the dude (I almost called him the "old dude" before realizing I'm gonna be pushing 40 pretty quick) comes out, and brags that he was able to wrangle 25 copies (at $1.95 per... so $48.75 before tax) out of the shop owner... and then... THEN... offers to sell some copies to us, at $10 a piece.  You can't make this stuff up!

Okay, back to the JSA.  This was advertised as being the "first ever" Justice Society of America #1... when, in actuality it wasn't even the first one that year.  In 1991 there was a Justice Society of America 8-issue miniseries.  Either way, we bought into the hype... Added bonus, this issue featured an appearance by the soon-to-be-dead Superman... so clearly, this book would eventually cover a down payment on a mansion... right?

Before moving on to my spoilery synopsis... just a check on the current "value" of my speculator books of 1992.  From ComicsPriceGuide.com, I found the following for "(9.0) Very Fine/Near Mint":

Spawn #1 - $11.05
Robocop v Terminator #1 - $2.76
Justice Society of America #1 - $9.20

Not a bad haul... it's just too bad that these were all ridiculously overprinted and are quite often found (at least locally) in the cheap-o bins.  In the past year I've seen multiple copies of all three of these in Half-Price Books quarter-bins.  Twelve-year old Chris would've had a stroke!

It's funny to consider that all 25 copies of Spawn #1 that speculator bought (if we are to believe the "value" posted above) would barely cover one three-credit Community College class (textbook not included)... much less a full four-year tuition.

Wow, that went on far longer than I thought it would.  If you're still with me, thank you... Now (finally) on to the book...

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We open as a crowd piles into Gotham Stadium.  They are there to celebrate the the return... and subsequent retirement of the original superheroes, the Justice Society of America.  We follow a young boy and his grandfather entering the stadium... and perhaps in an ironic commentary on the speculator market, the lad mentions that his gramps' JSA bubblegum cards are probably worth a fortune!

Among the spectators is Lois Lane and Clark Kent.  Clark is mesmerized at the sight of the Society, and mentions that they've provided folks in "his line of work" with tremendous inspiration.  Lois comments that she hopes they have as much time together as the JSA... hmm, well I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Lo... but come November... well, I don't wanna spoil it.

Gotham's Mayor does the honors of introducing the members of the JSA... Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, Flash, Doctor Midnight, Hourman, Starman,Wildcat, the Atom, Johnny Thunder, and the Sandman.  We read the Society's thoughts as their roll is called... they all express a measure of melancholy, and embarrassment over the fuss being made.

Before the celebration gets going, the monster from the cover of Fantastic Four #1 burrows its way up from under the ground... right in the middle of the stadium.

The Society puts up a decent fight, however, this is a job for Superman!  When the Man of Steel hits the field, all the JSA can do is watch in awe.  Superman makes short work of the beast... and when the smoke clears, it appears that Sandman (Wesley Dodds) has had a(nother) stroke.

We jump several months into the future.  It's Saturday morning at the Full Cup Diner, and Jay Garrick and Alan Scott are enjoying their weekly cup'a coffee (and doughnuts).  We get an update on Wes, he's still in a wheelchair... but is once again able to speak.

The pair talk about just how much has changed... and all they'd been through.  During the Armageddon: Inferno miniseries, the team members had some of their youth restored... and by this point, it's beginning to slip away again.  Though they're both technically retired, Alan still wears his ring... and Jay is more than happy to run across the country for his morning paper.

A woman with a long blonde ponytail is watching from the bar... and when the waitress drops her tray, she exhibits some speed powers of her own.

Over the television, news of a paramilitary group taking over a nuclear power plant is reported.  The fellas look knowingly at each other, and know their morning's just gotten a bit more interesting.  Green Lantern lets out a raucous 90's "Not!" and they're off to the races.

Flash and GL arrive at the plant, and neutralize the threat... with ease.  The pair share ridiculously fun banter as they wallop the geeks... puns, jokes... sarcastic remarks... just great fun!

With the day saved, one of the plant guards remark that this isn't the Green Lantern he's used to... after all, he doesn't have that terrible red bowl haircut.  The older guard scoffs... and states that these aren't the heroes they've been "stuck with" lately... they're the real deal... they're the originals!

As the two old friends leave the scene, Jay turns to Alan and asks about retirement... Alan's reply is yet another "Not!"

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Man, this was a blast!  Totally wasted on the 12 year-old me... that's for sure.  I really couldn't appreciate this team when I was a kid... and if I'm being honest, I doubt I even tried!  Looking back now, I'm glad there was a book like this for fans of the Golden Age characters... especially in seeing them interact with the contemporary (at the time) DC Universe heavy-hitters.

The Justice Society have always been the elder statesmen of the DC Universe to me... which is probably why I had such a difficult time with the New-52 Earth 2 characters.  It just didn't feel right... wasn't quite sure who the audience was for young Jay Garrick, and young Alan Scott.

The scene with the pair having their Saturday morning coffee and doughnuts was wonderful.  It's just as you would imagine... these two recounting old war stories, and talking about how much different things are "these days" really adds a level of scope to the overall DC landscape.  Its history is rich... and wonderful.  There is still room for a team of "codgers" in this world.

Seeing Alan and Jay in action at the nuclear facility was a hoot.  This is purely an exhibition of what they can do... and I love that they actually appeared to be having fun while fighting crime.  They were making jokes and puns while staring down a nutcase who had designs on causing a nuclear meltdown!  You can tell that they've missed the crime-fighting lifestyle... it's just who they are at this point.

The writing was great... even with those ninetiesisms "Not!"... you really get a feel for these folks, though Flash and Green Lantern are most certainly the stars of this issue.  What can be said about the art of the late Mike Parobeck?  Phenomenal.  I've said before that I'm not too keen on the DC animated universe style... but this is great stuff.

Give it a look should you get the opportunity... as I mentioned above, this is a cheap-o bin standby.  Actually, the entire ten-issue series is pretty easy to come by on the cheap.  I'm not entirely clear why/how this (ongoing) series only made it ten-issues... not sure how strong the sales were... either way, it's too bad this team didn't get a decent-sized run.

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Not really a Letters Page, but good enough for me:

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Wonder Woman (vol.2) #20 (1988)

Wonder Woman (vol.2) #20 (September, 1988)
"Who Killed Myndi Mayer?"
Writer & Illustrator - George Perez
Based on an Idea by - Carol Flynn
Finisher - Bob McLeod
Letterer - John Costanza
Colorist - Carl Gafford
Editor - Karen Berger
Cover Price: $0.75

Here's one from the "check out that cover" collection.  Like, really... check out that cover!  Tell me that wouldn't just jump off the racks at you... 

Wonder Woman is not a title I really ever followed (with very few exceptions).  I grabbed this out simply because of its cover... in fact, this is one of those books that I will "rescue" from any cheap-o bin I find it in!

Can the story inside even hope to match the awesomeness of the cover?  Let's find out...

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We open with three Chinese gangsters fleeing from Wonder Woman.  They turn to fire their guns... shots that Diana effortlessly deflects with her bracelets.  She snares one with her golden lasso... and demands answers... the question of the day is...

We shift to a report being written by Police Inspector Edward Indelicato.  He recounts the recent events surrounding the murder of Myndi Mayer... the "Publicist of the Stars".  Her body was found in her office, minus her face... surrounded by photos of her clients... including one Wonder Woman.

A forensics specialist checks in, and informs them that she was holding a bloody letter-opener and that there was plenty of cocaine on Ms. Mayer's desk.  The cleaning lady (who reported the murder) gave an ID of a stocky bearded fellow wearing a "Common Sense" band jacket who happened to be on the scene.

Inspector Indelicado and his partner Lt. Shands decide to follow up on the tip, and pay a visit to Ms. Mayer's secretary... Christine Fenton.  They fill her in on the details, and show her the police sketch of the "Common Sense" fella.  She immediately identifies him as Steve London, Myndi's former art director... who was just canned one week prior.

It doesn't take long for London to be sought for questioning.  He's not a difficult man to find... as he's currently having his letter-opener wound treated at a local hospital.  The officers pull him away, and begin a semi-official interrogation.  The alcohol-stinking London claims to not be able to remember whether or not he killed Myndi... however, states that he can't imagine that he would.  He shares the events of his last day under her employ with Indelicado and Shands.

He describes Myndi as being something of a shell of her former self... her coffee reeked of booze, and it appeared as though much of the control of the company was now in the hands of one "Skeeter" La Rue.  Myndi is up in arms about the 153 recent lawsuits filed against her and her company.  She goes on to hand London his walking papers.  London claims that his former assistant Deni took the news particularly hard.

We shift to Wonder Woman checking in on what looks like a Chinatown gang lord, Mr. Choi.  She wants answers about Skeeter La Rue.  Choi plays like he hasn't the foggiest idea what she's on about, and orders her to leave.  His "heavy" gets involved... only to get soundly trounced.  Wondy cinches in the lasso of truth, and learns that La Rue is holed up in a Bedford Warehouse.  Before heading out she puts Choi to sleep.

Indelicado continues his report... behind Mayer's building a shotgun was found... covered with Steve London's fingerprints.  The Inspector and Shands decide to follow up by paying a visit to Ms. Deni Hayes, Steve's former assistant.  They ask her about being out drinking with Steve London just prior to Myndi's murder.  She claims that she took Steve out to tell him about Skeeter La Rue being a cocaine dealer... Myndi's dealer, in fact... which kinda explains how he's taken so much control so quickly.

Deni continues... she took the proof of Skeeter's dealings straight to Myndi, who was less than impressed.  She threatens to fire her if she doesn't cut the crap.  She claims that in sharing this story with London, he became enraged and stormed out of the bar... just moments before the murder.

Thinking the case is all but closed, Indelicado and Shands return to the precinct.  Once they arrive, they are informed that "someone" is there to speak with them about the Mayer case.  The Inspector opens his office door to find himself in the presence of Wonder Woman (and friends).

Out in Bedford, Skeeter is being guarded by a crew of Choi's bodyguards.  He's quite the skittish coke peddler.  Hearing noises, he sends his guards out to see what's going on.  From there, we watch him agonize as gunshots fire out in the distance.  Once that passes... there is a brief silence, only broken by Wonder Woman throwing a good through a nearby plate-glass window.

At the precinct... Wonder Woman asks who is believed to be behind the murder.  He shares what he knows, and it appears as though all fingers point to Steve London.  Wonder Woman feels that Indelicado doesn't quite believe what he's saying... and suggests that there is one true way to get to the bottom of this... and brandishes her golden lasso.

The Police Captain doesn't quite dig this idea... in fact, he thinks it's insane.  Wonder Woman, along with her companion Professor Julia Kapatelis are successful in convincing the Captain to at least let them try.  In a great line, Diana claims this is a matter of justice... to which the Captain replies "We're not talking about justice... we're talking about the law."

Shands is sent to fetch Skeeter, and Indelicado joined Wonder Woman with Steve London.  This is all a moot point, as London's legal council (and wife) don't allow him to get "tied up".  When Shands returns, he informs his partner that Skeeter's flown the coop.

The next day we learn that Skeeter's body was found... he died trying to hop an electrified fence... what a way to go!

Wonder Woman was present when this occurred... and in the moments prior actually performed her own interrogation on ol' Skeeter.  He confessed to having blasted off Myndi's face with a shotgun.  They had a contentious showdown over his using the agency as a front for his dealing... and part company, with Skeeter throwing a small bag of cocaine at her.  He returned later... shotgun in hand.  Further, he admits to having set up poor drunken visitor, Steve London as the patsy for the entire affair.  Once his confession was complete, Choi's men burst on the scene... and in the distraction, Skeeter ran away... right into the electrified fence... whoops.

As we close out, Mayer's autopsy report comes in... and we learn that she was already dead from an overdose when Skeeter pulled the trigger.

... and so, we finally learn the answer to the question "Who Killed Myndi Mayer?"

You got that right, Angel!

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I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover... but, this cover gave me the impression that this would be an interesting story... and it was.  I really found myself enjoying this!  This feels sorta kinda (but not really) like "Who is Donna Troy?" from New Teen Titans #38.  Like, this really isn't a superhero story... it's just a story that happens to have a superhero in it. 

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I have precious little experience with George Perez the writer.  I absolutely adore his art... and yet, after reading this it feels almost like a slight to simply refer to him as an "artist"... because, here he demonstrates some amazing writing chops!  I really gotta hunt down more books from his run!

Wonder Woman was always a title and character that I didn't have a whole lot of interest in.  It always felt kinda stodgy... though, I can't really put into words why I feel that way (maybe it's all the Themyscira stuff).  This issue is perhaps the perfect gateway for me to get into regular Wonder Woman reading... as it was a street-level tale... without a whole lotta "Pantheon of Gods" stuff.

This story kept me interested the whole way though, and I gotta admit... I didn't see the twist coming.  I figured straightaway that ol' Skeeter would be the sole responsible party for poor Myndi's fate (though, for a moment I thought it may have been Deni).  The twist at the end was a good one... and really underscores how pointless and evitable Skeeter's ultimate fate (and the entire investigation) was.

Definitely check this one out if you get the chance... even if you gotta dig through the (non cheap-o) bins.

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Letters Page:

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Action Comics #582 (1986)

Action Comics #586 (August, 1986)
"The Strange Rebirth of Jor-El and Lara!"
Writer - Craig Boldman
Penciller - Alex Saviuk
Inker - Kurt Schaffenberger
Letters - Gaspar
Colorist - Gene D'Angelo
Editor - Julius Schwartz
Cover Price: $0.75

Figure I ought to get with the times and take a look at one of these Rebirth books that are all the rage these days!  Let's see if it lives up to the hype... wait, whattayamean wrong Rebirth???

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Clark Kent has been suffering from recurring nightmares concerning the destruction of his home planet, Krypton.  He awakens from his dream just as Krypton explodes.  He decides this has gone on for far too long, and figures he may find the answers he seeks at the Fortress of Solitude.

At the Fortress, Superman decides to use his Mind-Prober Ray to see if he can dig a bit deeper into his subconscious.  Under the pink light of the probe, Superman's memory begins filling in bit by bit.  He comes across a stray memory wherein his parents hooked a mind-linking device between the three of them before shipping him Earthward.  This is not the Man of Steel origin... no "birthing matrix" here, Kal-El was born on Krypton.

Now with perhaps more questions than answers... Superman needs to get to the bottom of the mind-link.  What was the purpose?  He hooks himself up to a diagnostic machine and finds three sets of brainwaves in his head... presumably his own, as well as Jor-El and Lara's.  Now how can he access them?

Superman meets with many of the greatest minds the universe has to offer... and returns some time later with all sorts of alien technology.  He hooks himself up to yet another machine, and attempts to perform a brainwave extraction into a pair of cloned bodies!  Much to his surprise... his attempt is successful, and so...

The following week, Clark introduces his birth parents to his co-workers at the Galaxy Building.  Lois, Jimmy, and Perry meet Jordan and Lora Elsworth... and are surprised to see their old pal Clark so happy.

After leaving, the three Kryptonians shed their civvies and fly off in their Super-gear.  Superman gives them a bit of a guided tour of the Earth, including sightseeing the Statue of Liberty and the Pyramids.  At this point, Superman struggles to fight off some nagging doubts he has about his "parents"... he expects the other shoe to eventually drop... but decides to just enjoy the moment.

On their way back to the Fortress, the El family even gets a bit of hero-ing time when they save a pair of hot air balloon enthusiasts.

Back at the Fortress, Jor-El and Lara look at some of Kal's Kryptonian artifacts and mourn the destruction of their home.  The scientifically-curious Jor-El meanders over to some of Kal's tech... including a(n apparently two-way) view-screen into the Phantom Zone.

A crew of criminals, including General Zod all curse Kal-El... and Superman is curious as to why he isn't upset to see Jor-El standing next to him... alive.  After all, Jor-El discovered the Phantom Zone altogether...

Superman reaches to shut off the projector, but Jor-El stops him.  Superman finds himself about to enter battle with his "parents"... who absolutely wipe the floor with him.  After the fight, "Jor-El" ties Superman to the Kryptonian rocket ship that delivered him to Earth in the first place.  His plan is to ignite the Kryptonian fuel... and blast the ship off Metropolis way.  The entire fight was being viewed by a pair of shadowy outsiders, who appear to be quite pleased.

With Superman having been launched, we find that the pair of outsiders are a couple of bet-crazy aliens called Rokk and Sorban.  Much to their surprise, Superman comes bursting through their ship!

Superman clearly ain't a happy camper, and he demands to know what's going on.  Not wanting a fight, the geeks spill the beans.  Ya see, they planted the bad dreams and the extra "brain waves" into Kal's head... they wanted to see if they could drive Superman to the point at which he'd commit murder.  They had a wager between them, and figured the best way to truly test Supes' code was by messing with his parents.

Superman decides the best punishment he can dish out is bringing them to a Prison Asteroid.  On his way back to Earth, he recounts how he maneuvered outta this jam.  Turns out, the "Kryptonian rocket" was just a facsimile he'd made... and it contained Earth fuel, which Superman could easily withstand.  Before taking out Rokk and Sorban, he knocked his impostor parents into the time stream... by flying around them really really fast.

We close out this tale with Superman sitting at the feet of the Jor-El and Lara statues at the Fortress mourning their loss, yet not completely letting go of hope.  Exhausted from his recent bout of nightmares, Superman falls asleep in the shadow of his parents.

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Okay, okay... we all know this isn't quite the Rebirth one thinks of these days, however, it was a neat hook for me to share this fun little (extremely late) pre-Crisis era Superman story.

This is an interesting way to wrap up an era of Superman... the issue immediately following this one is the second half of Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?... so this is kind of the final "regular" issue of Action Comics before the Byrne/Man of Steel reboot.

I'm not familiar with the works of Craig Boldman, however, I really enjoyed this one.  He leaves a note in the letters column (below) thanking DC for the opportunity to work on the Superman books... I'll have to see if I have any more of his stuff in my collection.  Alex Saviuk's art is, as always, very nice.  I usually associate him with Spider-Man books, but it is a real treat to see him take on Superman.

This had all the makings of the ol' "imaginary story", what with the El's coming back from the dead and all... I'm glad it wasn't, as I enjoyed seeing Superman's true reaction(s) to both finding and losing his real parents.  It all felt very real... and Superman felt very human in the final panels.  He recognizes that he may have ignored his critical thinking with the small glimmer of hope he saw... and he mourns their passing at the foot of the statues he'd erected at the Fortress until he falls asleep.  A sad... but fitting end (almost the end of the entire era!).

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Letters Page:

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