Justice Society of America (vol.3) #22 (February, 2009)
"One World, Under Gog, Part VII: Thy Will Be Done"
Story/Script - Geoff Johns
Story/Painted Pages - Alex Ross
Penciller - Dale Eaglesham
Inker - Nathan Massengill
Colorist - Hi-Fi
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor - Harvey Richards
Editor - Michael Siglain
Special Thanks - Mark Waid
Cover Price: $2.99
"Thy Will Be Done" Okay, folks who had the bet that they'd use that title for this issue? Oh, all of us? Well, fair enough.
That's right... after a very long time, we're finally going to wrap up the Justice Society of America spectacular Thy Kingdom Come!
If you need/want to be caught up... maybe use the handy-dandy Search Box to the right that I'd forgotten was even there! Here's a quick link: Thy Kingdom Come Search. Hopefully that worked!
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We pick up right where we left off last issue... Gog's ticked, and is in the middle of taking back all the gifts he'd given. He decides, however, to give his herald Magog, one more chance to "come around". He doesn't... but thankfully, by this point the cavalry has arrived!
Gog fights through the onslaught... and proceeds to mocks those he'd just taken from, including Damage. Remember, he made Damage handsome again... well, not anymore. At this point, poor begotten Citizen Steel steps to the plate...
... and punches Gog square in the shin!
This is, surprisingly, enough to get the big man off his feet. The Society swarms! Cyclone whips up a... er, cyclone to cover the baddie in rocks. Alan ties him down with green energy, then Magog... er, decapitates him! Looking at it quickly, I thought for a moment Alan had garroted him with a green-beam!
Superman-22 hoists the severed head over his, um, head (picture included, because this is a pretty awesome shot).
Then, he and Starman take the head of Gog on a one way trip... to the Source Wall! All the while, Gog lambastes Superman for leaving his Earth... and dooming it to die.
This makes Superman realize that... Gog's right! He needs to return to Earth-22... he has to try and make things right. He has to try and stop the bomb. And so, using the Multiversal Map on Starman's costume... does just that.
He arrives on the battlefield, just after the United Nations' nuclear strike. He sees the bodies strewn before him, including that of Kara.
Back on Earth, the Justice Society reconnoiters and licks their wounds. It looks like most of Gog's "gifts" have been rescinded... Damage is ugly, Dr. Mid-Nite is blind... strangely, however... David Reid is still Magog!
On Earth-22, Superman heads to the United Nations building, and welds all of the exits shut... and he looks to be getting ready to topple the building with all the Delegates inside! He is stopped by Norman McCay... you know, that old guy from Kingdom Come. He appeals to Clark... telling him if he goes through with this act, he'll only be proving the U.N. right. Further, he tells him he must first forgive himself if he has any hope of moving forward.
Superman thinks on it a bit... and realizes the old feller is right. Just as he comes to this decision, he is reunited with the superheroes who did survive the bomb.
We wrap up our Earth section with Starman returning to the Justice Society and informing them that Superman decided to head back to his own Earth. But not to worry for him, because Starman already knows that Clark Kent's future... and in just a matter of moments, we will too!
One year later, Earth-22 time, Clark turns Kansas into a memorial for all those lost. He is joined by Wonder Woman, who gives him a pair of glasses to improve his sight.
Ten years later, the next generation is born.
Twenty years later, his best friend Bruce Wayne passes away.
One Hundred years later, Clark and Diana ship their son off Earth as civilization undergoes something of a... great disaster? A hundred years after that... it's beginning to look a lot like Kamandi. And finally... One Thousand years later, the Legion of Super-Heroes takes flight... and they appear to have one very special fan.
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Now that's one heckuvan ending! I apologize for being so picture-heavy toward the end there, but, c'mon... not only is it some beautiful work by Alex Ross, it also gives us over a millennia worth of story for the Superman of Earth-22. It ties just a perfect bow on that timeline/Earth... and is a great way to let us just put it back onto the shelf.
I've said throughout our reread of Thy Kingdom Come that it felt like "decompression done right". That is to say, there were chapters in which very little seemed to happen, however at the end of each one, I walked away satisfied. I feel the same way here... and was beyond happy that the ending and epilogue were fit into a single issue.
So often these days we fill an entire extra issue with epilogue-matter. Sometimes that's the right thing to do... but often it results in some sparse and empty-feeling issues. I think of recent "epilogue" issues, and remember thinking that the first 2-3 pages were pretty spectacular... but the rest kinda just "happened". I think if this were to come out today (or from Marvel) the Alex Ross bits would have been a standalone book... with a price tag of at least $4.99.
Enough about that... what of the story? Well, Gog was dispatched with the quickness. I feel like maybe they took him down a little too easily. The entire fight only lasted a handful of pages... which after nearly a year's worth of build-up feels kind of weak. Not that I wanted this entire book to be a giant (pun!) fight scene or anything... just expected a bit more than this. Perhaps some emphasis on brains over brawn... ya know?
The real "meat" of the story is the second half though. We were given some brief scenes of the Justice Society licking their wounds... which is fine, because they'll actually be coming back next issue. The main focus is squarely put on Earth-22... and it's pretty great. As mentioned above, this really feels like an Earth that can just be put back up on the shelf and left alone. If a writer really wanted to revisit it... well, there are a thousand years worth of stories they could tell. If nobody ever decides to? Well, that's fine too.
Overall... brevity of fight aside, this was a pretty spectacular issue. Excellent writing from Johns... and wonderful art from Eaglesham and Ross. This is the kind of "single issue" I look at and become even more annoyed when I see people dismissively refer to them as "floppies" (can we please stop that?). Highly recommended... Thy Kingdom Come is must-reading.
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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!
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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) #20 (December, 2008)
"Earthbound"
Story - Geoff Johns & Alex Ross
Pencillers - Dale Eaglesham & Jerry Ordway
Inkers - Nathan Massenhill & Bob Wiacek
Colorist - Hi-Fi
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor - Harvey Richards
Editor - Michael Siglain
Cover Price: $2.99
Alrighty, having read the Annual... we can now move forward with, what's that word... context!
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Picking up where we left off last issue, Power Girl has emerged, seemingly from Starman's chest. Great news, right? Well, if you recall... she didn't come through alone! She was followed by Earth-2's Justice Society Infinity... who we formally met in yesterday's discussion of the Annual. See, we do a lot of "table-setting" here! This double-page spread in particular is quite wonderful, featuring (I assume) both Eaglesham and Ordway art! Just awesome!
Power Girl-2 is leading the charge... still ranting about her lost cousin. Of note, we see some odd "reunions", including one between Alan Scott and Jade. In stereo, one informs the other that they are... dead... well, on their respective Earth anyway. This just might become important in a bit.
It isn't long before Power Girl-2 lays eyes on Superman-22. He is apologetic and informs her that the Superman she's looking for is in a different castle (or under one)... and so, she blasts him with her heat-vision, and before we know it... we got a rumble!
Well, a brief rumble anyway... which ends with Huntress opening a box containing a Kryptonite Ring to depower Power Girl ("our" Pee Gee), before the JSI can nyoink her through a portal back to Earth-2. Green Lantern, Flash, Mr. Terrific, Stargirl stow away, and Starman... since he is the portal, joins them.
The Justice Society crashes onto Earth-2... right into the office of Professor Michael Holt! The Misters Terrific and the Society put their heads together to figure out just what is going on. Holt-2 claims that to send Power Girl back, he had to tap into Starman's costume... which, he'll tell you was designed by three whole Brainiac-5's, and that's almost as good a single Lex Luthor!
Alan thinks about how his daughter is still alive on Earth-2 (an Earth where his analogue is dead)... and wonders what he must've done wrong on Earth-1 for her to die. He is interrupted by the arrival of... Paula Holt. Michael Holt-2's wife... and Mr. Terrific's dead wife. The Society is shocked... and wonders how their Michael is going to conduct himself. Being the stand-up (and terrific) guy that he is, Michael simply shakes her hand and tells her it's his pleasure to meet her.
Meanwhile at the Batcave, Huntress, Robin, and Power Girl-2 continue their interrogation. They are overly concerned as to why she attempted to "infiltrate" to the point where Karen-2's search for Superman almost becomes secondary. Huntress tires of the torture, and seals the Kryptonite Ring back in its box. Pee Gee-2 grabs Pee Gee-1 by the chest thing that holds her cape, and again asks where her cousin is. Power Girl repeats that he died saving the universe.
Power Girl-the-second proceeds to pummel the hell out of the first... tossing her around the Batcave. Finally, Power Girl-the-first has had enough... she heat-visions the box containing the Kryptonite Ring shut, and grabs Helena by the shoulder thing that holds her cape... she's tired of being trotted out every time there's a multiverse storyline as a punchline to a cosmic gag... and to be fair, I'm pretty tired of that as well! Sorta like folks droning on about how many times Jean Grey died... when these days characters die and come back seemingly every single month. Phoenix has some catching up to do!
The Justice Society Infinity arrives on the scene as Power Girl faints, and they have Brainwave read her mind while she's out. Wonder why they didn't do that when she first showed up? Anyhoo, they deduce that, barring a few divergences, she shares brain patterns with their own Power Girl. Then, Starman leads the Justice Society of America into the scene, trying to explain that this whole mess was just one big misunderstanding.
He goes on to explain that the map of the multiverse he had sought was (literally) under his nose the entire time... it was his costume! From here we get a quick and dirty on Crisis on Infinite Earths, starting with curious Krona doing his thing, through to the Anti-Matter Universe and the collapsing of the Multiverse... all the way to the (then recent) Infinite Crisis, where Alexander Luthor and Superboy-Prime triggered the rebirth of the Multiverse... and ultimately the rebirth of this Earth-2... er, I think. So, that explains why there are two Power Girls from Earth-2... right?
Okay, so now our Power Girl knows that this Earth-2 isn't her home... and never was. And so, she decides to return to... whatever we were calling Earth-1 post-Infinite Crisis. Also worth noting, Jay suggests to Power Girl-2 that her Superman might still be out there somewhere... suppose this stands to reason, if this is an all-new all-different Earth-2.
We wrap up with Power Girl getting the once-over from Dr. Mid-Nite, while Stars-Man and Girl chat about everything that went down. Thom claims to have seen some of Power Girl's future, and suggests that her business with the Justice Society Infinity is far from done. From here we join Mr. Terrific, who is looking at a framed photo of his wife. He is joined by a troubled Alan Scott who asks if he thinks Gog might be able to bring Jade back to life.
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Ooooooh boy, that was a lot of information. I definitely want to apologize if anything I wrote during the synopsis (or now!) makes things even more difficult to understand... I have a knack for over-complicating... and misunderstanding things.
Let's start with the easy stuff. We had a pair of reunions here that are worth exploring. First, Alan and Jade. On "our" Earth, Jade is killed during one of the Rann-Thanagar Wars (if I recall correctly)... on Earth-2, Alan is dead. Alan blames himself for Jennie's death... and as we wrap up, wonders if Gog might bestow upon him a blessing, and bring Jade back.
Now, that takes us to Mr. Terrific... who just had an unexpected run-in with Paula Holt-2. He chose not to further complicate her life by explaining who he really is... which was noble, and probably incredibly difficult. Gotta wonder if he might be coming around to the idea of asking for some Gogly intervention himself. The storytelling here really couldn't be better... so much uncertainty... and so much tempered and desperate hope. Really well done... there's a reason why this run is among so many people's favorites.
Now... the Multiverse. If I've got this right (and there's a big possibility that I don't), the Crisis actually did result in the collapsing of the Multiverse... and not simply the spawning of an amalgamated "prime" Earth, as was posited during the Annual. Many years later, the appearance of the Earth-lost characters during Infinite Crisis (and perhaps that reality-shattering punch), triggered the dawning of a new Multiverse... with a new Earth-2 as part of it. So, we now have a pre-Crisis (on Infinite Earths) Earth-2, and a post-(Infinite) Crisis Earth-2... right? Maybe? I think?
If that's the case, at least it explains why there are two Power Girls... right? Crazy, so much thought put into building a Multiverse... when less than three years later, it's all gonna be flushed!
This issue leads directly into three one-shot specials... and unfortunately, I only have two of them... still need to track down Justice Society of America, Kingdom Come Special: Superman (now that's a mouthful!). I'm sure it won't be too terribly difficult to find... hopefully we'll be able to continue this story pretty quick.
Overall... as I've been saying since the get-go (Gog-go?), this is one I highly recommend... however, you'd probably do yourself a service by grabbing it in collected edition. I'm enjoying this greatly just reading issue to issue, but I will concede this is likely a more satisfying read in a single-optic-gulp.
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Justice Society of America (vol.3) #19 (November, 2008)
"One World, Under Gog, Part IV: Out of Place"
Story - Geoff Johns & Alex Ross
Pencillers - Dale Eaglesham & Jerry Ordway
Inker - Nathan Massengill
Colorist - Hi-Fi
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor - Harvey Richards
Editor - Michael Siglain
Cover Price: $2.99
We left off with the "birth" of Magog... and with Power Girl still stuck on Earth-2... annnnd, go!
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We pick up on Earth-2. If you recall, sensing she missed her friends, Gog sent Power Girl there. Right now (following that still unread Justice Society of America Annual #1) she is trying to get back. In her attempt, she finds herself seeking the aid of Earth-2's Professor Michael Holt... who is confused, but appears to be on board. He quotes the Bible, which puzzles Power Girl. He explains that his wife was in a terrible accident and left comatose. Every Doctor he spoke to had told him she was a hopeless case. Without hope, Holt considered suicide. As luck would have it, just as he was about to hurl himself from a bridge... another fella was also there to jump! Michael talked him down and took him to a church. The man prayed for Michael's wife... who woke up the very next day!
Back on "real" Earth, Starman expresses concern for his newfound sanity. Now, this is interesting. Ya see, his dementia made his mind into a sort of labyrinth that even the best telepaths couldn't break through... his insanity was a safety measure! Also, doing what he was sent from the 31st Century to do might just require him to actually be insane!
We join the Justice Society on the Fourth Day After-Gog. They look on as the former-Lance, current-Magog trains with his new body. Dr. Mid-Nite deduces that Magog's strength will soon rival Superman's... and his powers will soon eclipse Alan's mystic Green Flame. Superman-22 is not at all pleased with any of this noise, and makes his reservations known. Off to the side, Courtney and Maxine try to make sense of everything... they know they should be happy that David survived, but nothing feels right. Like, does Gog's arrival signal the potential end of death on Earth?
Later, Superman-22 visits Magog in his room. They have a pretty contentious little chat... clearly Superman doesn't trust Gog, while David owes him his very life. The conversation peaks with Magog asking if Superman ever saved as many people as Gog has in just the past few days. Luckily, Flash zooms in before long.
Meanwhile, Black Adam is crossing the desert, following the flowers of his fallen Isis... and a stylized lightning bolt burnt into the ground.
We jump back to Africa where Alan Scott's had about all's he can stands... he can't stands no more... he calls Gog out for putting on an "innocent act". This doesn't exactly sit well with certain JSA members... and it's very clear that a schism in the ranks is forming. Alan ain't hearin' none'a that though... he insists that they are done moving... and, for that matter... so is Gog! The rest of the Society arrives to ramp up the discomfort.
The elder-statesmen of the Society begin to bicker over what their next move will be. Green Lantern is steadfast in stopping Gog... Hawkman is a believer... and poor Jay seems to just want to keep the peace, but leans more toward Alan's side of the argument... after all, Gog can't just turn everyone he disagrees with into a tree, right? Well, Hawkman suggests that sometimes killing is the only option... which brings us to a Justice Society standoff.
There's a bit of a calm... as though time stops for just a moment. Gog defers to Magog... who insists that the opposing Society stand aside... or be forced to. Hawkman starts to feel froggy... and before we know it, it's like we're reading a Marvel Comic... hero versus hero!
Somehow, the side who stood against Gog are zipped back to the brownstone. There, they find Starman... who begins to panic. A sort of portal opens in his chest... and out pops Power Girl... followed by, the Justice Society Infinity (from Earth-2)!
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Yup... another excellent chapter. We've got a little bit to unpack here.
Let's start with the open. We get acquainted with a Michael Holt who, affected by a moment of profundity, has found faith. Stands to reason that something like that happening in one's life could steer them toward (or away from) religion and faith in general. I appreciate it being addressed here... and it actually feels pretty organic. This isn't just "Earth-2 is opposite" sorta writing here, it's the story of a man who was effected by a single profound and life-altering moment.
I remember back in the mid-90's when the Age of Apocalypse happened... and we met a bunch of surface-level "opposite" X-Men. The variances between "616" mutants and "AoA" mutants seemed mostly defined by their having different hair lengths. Here, things are different, sure... but not stopping at surface-level, or being polar opposite just for the hell of it.
Onto Starman. I'd forgotten the wrinkle that his insanity was a precautionary measure to ensure the secrecy of the 31st Century plan from any curious telepath. That's really awesome... and makes explains why ol' Thom has been acting like Deadpool since the launch of this volume. I love that, with his sanity, he almost immediately realizes this new vulnerability... and understands that with all of his faculties, he just might not be up to the job!
Now... the schism. I'm very seldom a fan of hero vs. hero bits... especially after the barrage of them we've seen since the turn of the century. I mean, whole "event" stories/series and feature films (BvS) are predicated on heroes fighting other heroes. It just feels like the toys get more and more broken each time out.
Here, though? I'm of two minds. It would stand to reason that people like Damage and Magog (and a wanting-Citizen Steel) would stand by Gog... and I suppose Hawkman's "might makes right" mentality is in line too... but it still all feels a bit "sudden". It's like... we get a few pages of disagreement, then we're throwing down? Dunno. Feels a touch inorganic... to the point where I thought for a moment that the JSA was putting on a show to see how Gog would react.
Speaking of "putting on a show"... toward the middle, as we get into the JSAvJSA tussle, the art begins to feel a bit wonky. I mean, if we look at the two-page "standoff" spread... the heroes look stiffly posed, and a bit "smirky"... as though they're all saying "Put'em up, put'em uuuupp" like the Cowardly Lion or something. Weird... because I generally love Eaglesham's work... even here in the beginning and end of the issue, it's great! Not sure why the middle felt off to me.
Overall though... a highly recommended chapter from a highly recommended arc. As I've been saying in many of my Justice Society discussions of late (and it breaks my heart to do so)... you'd definitely be better off grabbing the trade collection rather than seeking out the singles.
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