Justice League Europe #1 (April, 1989)
"How ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm After They've Seen Paree?"
Plot & Breakdowns - Keith Giffen
Script - J.M. DeMatteis
Pencils - Bart Sears
Inks - Pablo Marcos
Letters - Bob Lappan
Colors - Gene D'Angelo
Assistant Editor - Kevin Dooley
Editor - Andy Helfer
Cover Price: $0.75
Had so much fun checking out the first book with a "crowded elevator" shot for a cover... figure why not try another?
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We open with Captain Atom settling in at his new Parisian digs. He is expressing his lack of confidence, in both himself and his new team. He makes the mistake of "thinking out loud" within earshot of the JLE's new Embassy Chief, Catherine Cobert... who gets in a few jabs about his "famous American neurosis". The pair watch as the League's tech support team sets up the works, and Atom is seemingly relieved to learn that he's gonna get his own office.
Shortly, the fellow teammates (and tenants) start filing in... starting with the Dibneys... The Elongated Man and his wife Sue. They share some cute banter... every line of which makes me hate Identity Crisis even more... and the meet Ms. Cobert. Ralph is quite taken with their Chief, and assures Sue that he will clean up the puddle of drool he's left.
Next up, Power Girl and the Flash... well, they arrive at the same time... but they're not together... much to Wally's chagrin. Power Girl seems happy to finally be meeting the Flash... but then, after some fresh talk, realizes this ain't Barry Allen.
We shift scenes to the airport where Rocket Red and Animal Man have arrived. Buddy is ticked off that the League nearly destroyed his house putting in a teleportation tube, and then made him fly in anyway... asamattafact, Buddy just overall doesn't appear too pleased to be here. Dmitri is in full-on Yakov Smirnoff mode here, and is really coming across as an affable and fun character. The two share a cab to the Embassy.
Speaking of the Embassy... we next rejoin Captain Atom in his brand-spankin' new office. Catherine enters and informs him that it's time for him to "address the troops", as it were. It would appear that public speaking is akin to Kryptonite to ol' Nate. In the conference room... the League confers. Metamorpho has arrived, though (much to Wally's disappointment) Wonder Woman has not.
Captain Atom blathers on for a bit... repeating himself, and for the most part, really making himself appear to be the right choice for chairman. That, as Dmitri would say, is my attempt at "famous American sarcasm". He really is a mess. Thankfully, Max Lord appears on the video screen to give the gang a proper "rah rah".
That night, Atom gets the bad news that Buddy Baker's luggage was fried in a teleportation tube mishap. While figuring out how to break the news, he is interrupted by Ms. Cobert... they have a situation. In League parlance, it's a Code: Dead Guy.
It is at this point that Wonder Woman arrives... just as the gang is gathered around a bled out dead guy in their front room. A dead guy whose last word was "braces". The team feels as though this is something they should... ya know, investigate. Captain Atom, however, feels this is a matter best left to Paris's finest. While the League squabbles, a shadowy man watches from the sidewalk outside... he thinks to himself that it's time to escalate to "Phase Two"... and then vows that this new League will not even make it off the ground.
With the dead guy situation sorted... well, at least for the interim, Captain Atom shares some really bad news... Animal Man's luggage done got fried. Animal Man, who doesn't even really wanna be here in the first place, is ya know... displeased. Before the two can get properly in each others' faces... a brick flies through the window. Outside, dozens of Parisians are assembled in a mob... fists are in the air, and they're using the "Nazi" world... to describe the League! Well, that's not cool.
Before long, the Paris folk have broken down the door of the Embassy, and before ya know it... a riot is on! The League is able to hold their own, but they are completely outnumbered... and they don't wanna actually kill anybody. Of note, Metamorpho goes all "shape of a sheet" and covers part of the mob... it's really kinda gross. Diana is able to lasso up a bunch with what looks like tubing or pipes... she mentions that she cannot find her actual lasso... which, I dunno... might be something from her own series.
Suddenly the unruly mob starts to slow down. It's as though they were being mind-controlled (duh)... and now the control has been lifted.
Later, the Policia arrive and we meet the bemulleted Inspector Camus. He tells Captain Atom that he's gotten more headaches in the one day they've been in business than he'd had over the past ten years. Atom pleads that none of this was their fault... and this is when we learn that the dead guy from earlier was a Nazi! Ruh roh... Ralph goes all "I toldja so", which Atom, ya know... doesn't appreciate.
Our issue concludes with Atom calling into the New York Embassy and really ripping into poor Oberon. He wants answers for this dead Nazi... and dammit, he doesn't wanna lose anymore luggage. After "hanging up", he turns to the Justice League Europe and vows to find out who has been screwing with them.
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Okay... this was good. Weaker, if we compare it to the "main" League book, but still quite good. This is a series that I think I mis-valued when I took up the task of collecting the entire JLI run all dem years back. This series was an absolute mainstay in the quarter bins... and let's not get it twisted, the main title is no stranger to the "cheap-o bins", but this one... dang, you can't miss these in there... including this inaugural issue! I always saw this book as an "also ran"... which is unfair... but, ya know it just is what it is...
What we have here is another dysfunctional team in the fine JLI fashion. Part sitcom, a bit of soap... and some superheroics as garnish. All well told... characters were compelling, and all felt completely human. I know for me this is where I first met some of these characters... I didn't have much/any sort of experience with Ralph or Sue, or Power Girl, or even Metamorpho. This was a great way for me to dip my toe into some unfamiliar DC waters.
My only real complaint here... it's gotta be the art. I'm not sure I can really find the right words to really give my feelings... it's just that all of the characters come across a little too... "meaty"? Like the faces just look pouchy and meaty. Not sure that makes any sense... and, as I'd mentioned the last time we discussed this title way back when... I feel like the women are drawn to look a bit too masculine... striking square jawlines and whatnot. Action scenes and choreography are great... it's just dem faces I don't dig so much.
Overall... worth snagging for sure, though I would definitely suggest reading the issues of the main title that lead up to the European launch... some great fun in those issues as well. Like I mentioned when I discussed Justice League #1 a few days back... ya gotta check out the Justice League International: Bwah-Ha-Ha Podcast over at the Fire and Water Network. It'll probably be awhile before they cover this issue, but you are welcome to... and encouraged to, read along with Shagg and company 'til they do.
This bugger is available digitally, and has been collected in Justice League International, Volume 5... also available digitally, if that sort of thing doesn't make your teeth itch. Remember, all links are non-affiliate, because I am just some dude. Definitely worth your time.
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Letters Page:
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Green Lantern Corps #210 (March, 1987)
"See Red!"
Story - Steve Englehart
Pencils - Joe Staton
Inks - Mark Farmer
Letters - Bob Lappan
Colors - Anthony Tollin
Editor - Andy Helfer
Cover Price: $0.75
Not much of a preamble today... just bracing for an international incident. Who let Guy Gardner into the Soviet Union, anyway?
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We open with Kilowog and Guy flying directly toward one another just ready to start clubbering. Guy ain't too keen on a Lantern working for the Commies, and makes it quite clear that he is prepared to go to war over such a thought. Speaking of war, we get a glimpse into both a Soviet and American War Room, as they observe this pending international incident... and just maybe, World War III. We get to see an out-of-touch Ronald Reagan, because... well, that's the kinda thing that we get from comics in the 1980's. We shift from War Room to War Room for a bit... which is kind of confusing. The art isn't entirely clear which one is which, if not for the < brackets > surrounding the Russian words, I wouldn't have been able to keep up!
Anyhoo, Guy and Kilowog continue pounding on one another for awhile more, when they are suddenly swarmed by over a half dozen Rocket Reds. They all unload into Gardner, putting him down into the snow. Kilowog does not appreciate this showing of unsportsmanlike conduct, and begins (verbally) laying into the Reds.
Using the commie-conflict to his advantage, Guy takes the opportunity to strike. He wraps up the Rocket Reds along with Kilowog in emerald construct ribbon, and plants them into the ground. He then manifests a cork that he seals them in with. It's a tough one to explain, but it looks really cool.
Gardner joins his captives in his trap... where he is informed that if he harms any of them, John Stewart and Katma Tui would be killed. Ya see, John and Katma went off to the Soviet Union to keep an eye on Kilowog, remember? Theirs was a peaceful mission, however, they are now pawns and potential collateral damage. Neither Kilowog nor Guy are very happy to hear about this... it seems like they may have a sorta-kinda common enemy at the moment.
Meanwhile, back at the Green Lantern Citadel in the Santa Monica Mountains, Hal Jordan receives a call from... well, the President of the United States. He gets the news that Guy Gardner went to Russia... and that's not good news for anybody. Even though this interrupts a killer game of badminton between Ch'p and Arisia, the Lanterns suit up and go east. I just love the Lanterns in casual attire!
Another visit to the Soviet War Room shows us that General Secretary Gorbachev cannot tell the difference between some Green Lanterns and missiles on a radar screen. Lucky for him, President Ronald Reagan has called to touch base... unfortunately, he shuffs the call off on one of his underlings. Gotta get that dig in at Reagan being an actor, as well!
Anyhoo, Guy and Kilowog bust in to the Soviet compound... with Guy rescuing John and Katma, and Kilowog attempting to confront Gorbachev. Since instead of using the front door, Kilowog decided to crash through a wall... Gorby is justifiably nervous. He immediately deduces that this is an American attack, and instructs his men to "launch the missiles". Well, well, well... Guy Gardner (and Kilowog) just caused World War III!
Luckily the rest of the Lanterns arrive just as the missiles launch. They break off from formation and attempt to block the missiles, without the United States getting wind of their launch... otherwise, there's likely to be a whole lot more missiles going airborne.
On the ground, Kilowog has Gorbachev by the collar. He is upset... he trusted him... he left the Green Lantern Corps to help him and his cause... and the whole time, the Soviets had an ace up their sleeve and were sorta playing him for a fool. Rocket Red member, Josef enters and instructs Kilowog to stand down... and release their leader. Kilowog hesitates for a moment, and attempts to reason with Josef... which results in him getting blasted through a wall!
A battle rages between the two... and it's quite well done. I can't say for sure whether or not this was by design... but, the fight goes on for four-pages non-stop. With each page, there's fewer and fewer word balloons. It's as though at first they were open to reasoning with one another... but as the battle drew on, it became more about the actual physicality. Very nice touch... unless of course, I'm reading too much into it... which, ya know... I do from time to time. Anyhoo... the two eventually fight each other to the ground... they both lay prone next to one another.
Kilowog is the first to stir to his feet... and he gets blasted by Josef's ray. Kilowog tries one last time to reason with his former friend... begs him to quit the Rocket Reds... to escape with him and the Lantern Corps... but, it's not to be. Josef says he will never desert his motherland... and so, Kilowog... kills him. He lifts him up and slams him head-first into the ground. I mean, I think he kills him here... or at the very least, intended to...
Hal and the Corps arrive on the scene. John and Katma have been rescued, and World War III has been averted. Our issue ends with Kilowog knelt over Josef's motionless (lifeless?) body.
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Boy do I love this era of Green Lantern (Corps). Just such a great mixture of characters. I mean, I used to haaaaate Guy Gardner when I was a kid... haaaaaate him. Now, he might just be my favorite. He's just so over the top... but true to his own sense of justice, even to the point of, ya know... starting World War III, which is to say, quite possibly the end of all life on Earth.
Hal's ending monologue and statement are likely the main crux of this issue, and this storyline. War is Hell. People will act in ways they otherwise may not if they feel like they are doing so for a national pride... or if they are trained to think that those who oppose them are evil. Tale as old as time... but, sadly still relevant.
Kilowog seemed to be fishing off two piers here. He threw in with the Soviets because they "put the group first", just like they did on his destroyed home planet. He is also still a Green Lantern, who at this point, appear to be sort of in league with the United States government... well, sort of but not really... I mean, they're stationed in California... which sort of makes them American... I guess. I dunno. Either way... it's as though neither groups Kilowog is dealing with appear to trust him all that much. It's sad really. 'Wog is doing everything he can to help everyone... and nobody seems to appreciate it.
I'm never a fan of any sitting United States President being portrayed as doddering or clueless. Even if I don't agree with a given President's politics, I just think it's (no pun intended) bush league writing to slag off on them in superhero fiction. Reagan is portrayed here as a bit aloof... he doesn't know who or what a Guy Gardner is... and it's implied that he didn't pay attention during his briefing. I'm not saying that the President should be portrayed as flawless... but, let's keep it even keel here.
The bits with Josef were pretty striking. I'll say I did not read the issue before this (#209), and I probably should have... I'm not sure how close Josef and Kilowog got while he was helping to assemble the Rocket Reds... however, from what we see here, I'd guess they were at least pals. There's a certain poignant sadness in Josef just unloading on Kilowog, all the while, Kilowog is trying to tell him that they are on the same side.
The (potentially) killing blow was an incredible scene. It's as though Kilowog knew that their battle was only going to end when one of them could no longer fight... and so, he did what he had to do. In that situation, it was either Josef or himself... and he made the only choice he could. I haven't read ahead yet (and it's been years since I last went through this run) so I do not know if Josef survived the fight... not sure I want to know, either.
My only real complaint would be the art... only during the War Room scenes, though. It isn't made as clear as I would like which room we're in. I guess I've been reading comics too long, where I barely even notice the "this isn't in English" < bracket > system. I had to read those panels a few times to ensure I knew which continent I was currently on! This can all be written off with my being too dense, but I think a little clarity wouldn't have hurt.
Overall... this is a run of Green Lantern (Corps) that definitely deserves a spot in your longboxes. It looks as though this was being released in trade paperback format at the start of the decade... however, did not make it this far into the run... so it's single issues only (for now). Well worth checking out!
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Batman/Hellboy/Starman #2 (February, 1999)
"Jungle Green Horror"
Writer - James Robinson
Art - Mike Mignola
Colorist - Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer - Willie Schubert
Editor - Peter Tomasi
Cover Price: $2.50
Well, Batman just tagged out to Starman... let's go fight some Lovecraftian Nazis... yup. If you need/want to catch up, part one discussed right here.
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We pick up a bit after where we left off last issue... Batman is preparing to restart his Joker-hunt, but first, has arranged transportation for Hellboy and Starman to the South American village of San Diablo. On board, Hellboy and Jack discuss the possible reasons why the Knights of October would want his father... whether there's any metaphysical angle to the elder-Knight's work. Jack informs Hellboy that metaphysics really ain't his dad's thing. Jack then goes to sleep.
As the pair approach their destination, Hellboy wakes Jack up and gives him the quick 'n dirty about their operation. We learn that San Diablo was at one time a copper mining town... and the big Nazi boss is Otto Dantz. I mean, we already knew that bit... but we get some backstory here. He is the son of a war criminal... and his Knights of October have some sort of link to the Knights of Templar.
The plane reaches their destination, and the pair hop out using Jack's cosmic rod to safely descend... until, of course they are blasted with a Nazi death ray! They are thankfully able to shake it off... and land without incident. Of course, at this point... they find themselves in a hail of gunfire from Nazi soldiers wearing night-vision goggles!
A fight is on, and Jack and Hellboy are able to hold their own. At this point, Hellboy notices the fact that the baddies are all wearing those night-vision goggles... hmm, and Jack's cosmic rod can really light up the night, right?
With the Nazi grunts out of the way, our duo (plus a hostage) head toward San Diablo proper. There are swastika flags hanging from the buildings and a strange glowing light beaming from a sort of cannon into what appears to be a crater.
Hellboy "convinces" their hostage to spill the beans... and we learn that the Knights of October are trying to raise an... elder god to "do their bidding". Ya know, like an H.P. Lovecraft critter... turns out this one's called Suggor Yogeroth... can't say that without my mouth feeling like it's full of cotton. Anyhoo, Hellboy tells Jack that this isn't so weird, as Lovecraft... "knew some stuff". Interesting...
The hostage continues... Ted Knight was kidnapped due to his familiarity with the stars. The Knights are looking to draw energy from a particular star in order to raise the god. Jack's all "never gonna happen"... but the hostage informs him that Dantz is not above using mind-altering drugs to meet his ends. Before the conversation ends... the god begins emerging!
Hellboy bonks their hostage... and the pair look to hop to it. Unfortunately, neither has a plan. Ehh, that's no problem... Jack will just fly in and start blasting!
Inside the compound, the Ratzis are beginning to panic... one heads in to inform Dantz as to the goings on. His initial reaction is to blow Ted Knight's head off his shoulders as he "knows too much". Good thing Hellboy is there to stop him, and snag Jack's pop.
Hellboy brings Ted to safety... and inoculates him with a syringe full of anti-toxin to rouse him from his slumberous state. Here we have an interesting conversation about what to do with that, ya know... elder god. Ted Knight is all science, and Hellboy is all metaphysics. There is no contention, but the pair are definitely coming at this from two very different angles. Hellboy posits that he may be a prayer he can send the beast back with.
He instructs Jack to attack the creature to weaken it while he dismantles the Nazi compound and sets about getting his prayer on. The sky is illuminated with star blasts and green lights... and ultimately, the light cannon falls onto the elder god.
Dantz is running after the heroes wildly waving his fist about... until the explosion. The entire village explodes, leaving Jack, Ted and Hellboy standing alone in the jungle. Just then, their ride home flies overhead... Batman.
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Gotta say, I enjoyed this a whole lot more than I thought I would. It seems that whenever there's an inter-company crossover, that event in itself sort of overshadows any potential story. I mean, in so many cases it's the spectacle of seeing two (or more) heroes from different universes in the same panel that "sells" the thing. Any story that was to follow was sort of secondary.
Here, however... we've got a story, setting, and tone that suit the heroes involved. Like I'd said yesterday... this story would feel right at home in an issue of Batman, Starman, or Hellboy... this is the way you do crossovers. We're not worried about how Hellboy found his way into the DC Universe... because, that doesn't matter. Batman knows things... and he's heard of Hellboy... that's all we need to concern ourselves with.
A few points... I liked the use of H.P. Lovecraft lore here, especially with Hellboy's mention of Lovecraft "knowing stuff". I will concede I have very little experience with the works of H.P. Lovecraft, but the little I have read is written in such a way that they are being told from the point of view of an observer. That would certainly lend to the idea that what he was writing wasn't (entirely) fictional. Really like that.
The discrepancy between Ted Knight and Hellboy's points of view was interesting, and quite well done. It is plainly stated by Jack that his father (despite having teamed with diety-power-levelled folks) does not believe in the afterlife. Well, Hellboy being the son of you know who, certainly comes at it from a different angle. They maintain a level of professional respect for one another, and seem (almost) open to accept what the other person is saying. Very well done, not at all soap-boxy like these scenes can (and often do) become. Just a great bit.
All my thoughts in regard to storytelling, dialogue and art from yesterday's piece are echoed here. This was a great two-and-done, it feels as though things happened... but nothing so great that it will need to be addressed in the future. Not an "out of continuity" waste of time by any stretch. Just a nice story utilizing fun characters. Definitely recommended... I listed the ways in which this issue (and series) is available in yesterday's post.
