NML Crossing, Episode 083 - JLA #32 (1999)

NML Crossing, Episode Eighty-Three

JLA #32 (August, 1999)
“Inside Job”
Writers - Mark Waid & Devin Grayson
Pencils - Mark Pajarillo
Inks - Walden Wong
Letters - Ken Lopez
Colors - Pat Garrahy & Heroic Age
Edits - Tony Bedard, Dan Raspler
Cover Price: $1.99

Back after an extended break for something a little bit different... attempting to answer the question as to why the Justice League didn't just pop into Gotham City and save the day. I say "attempting", because we really don't get much in the way of an actual answer... but, we get some fun action with some throwaway baddies from JLA: Year One all the same.

The Bada-Bin!

NML Crossing on Youtube

https://gothamquake.com

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weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

JLA #116 (2005)

JLA #116 (September, 2005)
"Crisis of Conscience, Part Two"
Writers - Geoff Johns & Allan Heinberg
Penciller - Chris Batista
Inker - Mark Farmer
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Colorist - David Baron
Assistant Editor - Michael Siglain
Editor - Mike Carlin
Cover Price: $2.50

The Secrets's's's out... So, what now?

--

Picking up where we left off, with the Wizard informing the League that the Secret Society of Super-Villains knows... everything!  They remember them League members' secret identities... and the fact that they were mind-wiped!  J'onn asks Batman to buy him a minute so he can wake Wally and the rest up.  Lucky for him, Catwoman is still around... and she's packin' heat... literally!  She blasts the baddies with a flamethrower.  She's so pleased by her good deed that she even asks if this makes her part of the Justice League... to which I say, <balki> Of course not, don't be re-deek-o-luss </balki>.  Could'ja imagine Catwoman ever being part of the Justice League?  Pssh... who's next, Lobo?  John Constanti--... er...

Unfortunately for her, Felix Faust (literally) returns the fire... sending her off the edge of a building.  Batman 'rangs her before she can plummet... but finds himself in the grasp of the Floronic Man.  Hawkman is nearby to lend a helping mace... which would've likely caved in the skull of any man not made of foliage.  The Matter Master nyoinks Carter's shield... and immediately embeds it in his shoulder, nearly severing his arm!

A now-stirring Wally helps Ralph to his feet... just in time for the Star Sapphire to command them to get on their knees.  A sorta-smitten and sarcastic Wally considers it for a moment, before Hal pops in to pull them to safety.  Elsewhere, Ollie yanks the shield out of Hawkman's shoulder... and while doing so, is informed by Chronos that his time bomb trick arrow is... ticking.  The Secret Society sure has the League's number this time around!

J'onn and Zatanna join in... and wind up face to face (to face) with Felix Faust, who looks to be about to sacrifice a cat.  As if by design, he is suddenly jumped by another Cat(woman).  Defensively, he slashes at her throat... which "almost" hurts her, but she notices that she's bled out in the shape of a pentagram.  By now the League has recovered, however, before they can attack the Secret Society splits out.

Wally gives chase throughout Gotham before returning to inform his teammates that the Society is nowhere to be found.  As the dust settles, the League notices that Batman and Catwoman have left.  We join them in the Batcave, where Selina is laid out and being attended to by Alfred.  Moments later, J'onn arrives so they can talk.

Batman ain't keen on chatting... so J'onn suggests he just listen.

Zatanna steps forward to apologize for the mind-wipe.  We learn that Batman lost 10 minutes of memory... and I realize that I can't remember what I had for dinner last night.  Hmm.  She asks how she can make it up to him... and he tells her that she (and the rest of the League) "can leave".

Ollie takes a bit of exception.  He gets (and understands) that Batman is ticked off... however, at the moment they've got a serious threat to consider.  The Secret Society knows all of their civilian identities... they can argue about the lobotomization later.  Batman still ain't having it... and so, Hawkman gets in his face.

And so, Batman hauls off and decks him!  Thankfully (and somewhat surprisingly) nobody popped their head in to chirp "One Punch!"

Carter says he hopes it was worth it... because now Batman's in for 10 minutes he'll never forget!  Well, that is, if the rest of the League doesn't intervene of course.  Batman reminds them all that if the Society remembers that they were mind-wiped... they probably also remember why they were mind-wiped.  Which... er, I thought everybody already realized, however, they're treating this like brand-new information.  Suddenly everyone feels the need to rush home to protect their loved ones. 

Wally, wasn't your identity public for most of your career?

Lonely J'onn heads back to the Watchtower... where he discovers who is behind the Secret Society getting their memories back... Despero!

--

As much as I appreciated the first part of Crisis of Conscience, this issue kinda falls apart for me.

We've got a Batman who doesn't appear to be able to prioritize.  He's so bothered... betrayed... that his teammates would rob him of certain memories, that he won't aid in their protecting their families?  That just doesn't seem right to me.  I'd figure Batman would understand that there's a time and place for them to hash things out... right now, folks like Linda Park-West (though, Wally's identity was public most of his career) and presumably Lois Lane are in terrible danger.  I mean, be mad... I get it... but, just really didn't like the way he comes across here.

We can see that J'onn... who was also betrayed, has decided to help his friends before reaming them out.  He stands beside the League and understands the potential threat before them.  That's the kinda teammate/statesman/mentor Batman ought to be.

Keeping with J'onn... I was kinda thrown off when he informed the League that their loved ones were in danger.  I thought that was the whole point!  I don't get how the League treated this proclamation as brand-new information.  Are they really that dense?  It should stand to reason... and be the first thing that comes to mind, that if the bad guys discover civilian identities, friends and family of those IDs are in danger.  Duh.

The League interaction, sans Batman, was pretty well done.  It's always neat seeing Ollie and Carter's uneasy "friendship" at the fore.  I also appreciated how poorly the League conducted themselves in battle.  I thought this felt natural in light of their preoccupation with the threat their secret identities being "out" posed.

Overall... I enjoyed this far less than the first chapter (to the point where I'm not entirely sure I'm going to continue with it).  Still an important story for League lore, and probably still worth checking out.

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One of these DVDs is a cheap-o bin standby... the other is WildC.A.T.S 

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JLA #115 (2005)

JLA #115 (August, 2005)
"Crisis of Conscience, Part One"
Writers - Geoff Johns & Allan Heinberg
Penciller - Chris Batista
Inker - Mark Farmer
Letterer - Ken Lopez
Colorist - David Baron
Assistant Editor - Michael Siglain
Editor - Mike Carlin
Cover Price: $2.50

Welcome to October!  I wasn't sure if I was going to attempt a another #boohauntedblog horror-themed month like we did last year.  Seeing as though it almost burnt me out last time around, I figure we'll still talk some horror... however, without the daily mandate.

Not quite sure how we'll approach it either, as over the next few weeks, the wife and I will be moving house... so pretty much, our daily discussions may become relegated to "whatever book I can reach" while things are moved, stuffed, boxed, and made wildly inconvenient rather than rolling with any sort of schedule.

For folks looking for a scare, I'm happy to report that my bloggy-brother Mike Carlyle over at the Crapbox of Son of Cthulhu is going daily and full-on "Creepybox" this month!  Give him a look eerie, err... every day!

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We open on Mars, with J'onn doing that thing where he picks up a handful of dirt and lets it fall through his fingers... he seems to do that every time he visits home.  Meanwhile, back at the Watchtower... the JLA is in the middle of the mother of all arguments.  Hawkman and Green Arrow are going at it like never before... however, today it has nothing to do with their politics... or even chili recipes... today, it's about a secret the League has long kept.  A secret that Wally has decided Batman ought to know about.

J'onn returns.  Overhearing the commotion, he asks what's going on... and more importantly, what is this "secret" they're all talking about.  Wally invites him to read their minds and find out... to which, J'onn finds that he cannot!  Ya see, Zatanna used her magic to block Martian minds from prying.  Suddenly, newly Rebirthed Hal Jordan pops in to try and reason with Hawkman.  He suggests coming clean and owning up to past mistakes, after all... he might just know a thing or two about that.  Hawkman dismisses him, and is steadfast in his position that what the League had done was no "mistake"... rather doing what needed to be done.

Now, here's where it gets sticky.  Knowing that the beans are about to be spilled, Hawkman makes for the door... Hal blocks him in.  Next, we flashback to the League just prior to Firestorm joining up.  Hal explains that the Secret Society of Super-Villains had somehow discovered all of the League's secret "civilian" identities... and so, Zatanna's magic was used to erase their memories.

Okay, so far... I'm not completely on board, but more or less... no harm, no foul.  I mean, just about every issue of (pre-Giant Size) X-Men ended with Professor X engaging in the ol' mindwipe.  Here's where it gets stickier... During Identity Crisis (which we'll discuss a bit in the review portion to follow), it was revealed that Dr. Light once attacked and raped Elongated Man's wife, Sue Dibny.  When the League caught Light... they voted to have Zatanna, well... not so much mindwipe him... more like lobotomize him.  This explains how he was often depicted as rather bumbling and ineffectual rather than any real threat.

But... we're not done yet.  Ya see, during the magical lobotomy... Batman popped in, and tried to stop the proceedings.  And so, the League went ahead and wiped Batman's mind too!  For good measure, they hid the memories from Martian Manhunter, just in case he accidentally read an errant thought from a teammate.

Now... Hawkman is still adamant that, given the situation, the League acted properly.  J'onn makes his position clear... altering the mind of another is the worst violation.  Hawkman continues to argue, before Wally brings us back to reality.  He fears that the secret is out, as he's heard rumors from the Rogues.  Also, Batman hasn't responded to his League signal device.  J'onn plainly states, "He knows." before suggesting his teammates "fix" things.  Well, given the way they've "fixed" things in the past, you may wanna be a bit more specific J'onn!

We shift scenes to Belle Reve Prison where Debbie Darnell, former flight attendant for Ferris Aircraft (and, err, Star Sapphire) lay in a medico bed.  While a pair of pervy prison guards watch over her, she is awakened by the Star Sapphire Gem... and, an off-panel benefactor.

Back at the Watchtower, Zatanna feels super guilty for her trespasses.  Hal tries to comfort... flirt... comflirt with her, telling her that when everything went down she was still a rookie Leaguer... she was basically just following orders.  She seems somewhat appreciative of his efforts, but lets him know it isn't necessarily the action itself that's worrying her... it's that, if given the opportunity... she'd probably do it all over again.

Their chat is interrupted by an emergency call from Happy Harbor Rhode Island... it's Red Tornado... well, most of him anyway.  It's clear that he's been messed up pretty bad.  Suddenly... another distress call comes in, from Opal City... it's Ralph Dibny!

The League splits into two teams to handle the emergencies.  Hal, Ollie and Dinah head to Happy Harbor.  Upon arrival, Reddy tells them it's all going down due to "the Secret"... and I don't think he's talking about the little ghost girl from Young Justice.  Spotting their enemy, Dinah gives a sonic scream... however, instead of her normal concussive waves... she just coughs up a bunch of black birds!  Ollie draws on his bow... which he finds is suddenly covered in thorns!

Hal... just gets paralyzed, which is nowhere near as fun.  We see their foes are Felix Faust, Chronos, and the Floronic Man... oh, say it ain't so Floro!  You're a New Guardian, dammit!

At the same time in Opal City, Maryland... Maryland?  Okay.  Anyhoo, we join Ralph Dibny as he makes a mad rush (and reach) for his cupboard to grab his last bottle of Gingold.  I notice that he's not wearing his wedding band here... not sure if that means anything, or if it's a plot point I'd forgotten about.  Just stuck out to me.  Anyhoo (again), as the world around him spins into a vortex, Hawkman swoops in for the save.  He is accompanied by Zatanna and Flash.  We see that their foes include Star Sapphire, the Wizard, and the Matter Master.

Meanwhile... in Gotham City, Catwoman is beating down Firefly.  Batman arrives to stop her from going too far... then demands she hand over the stolen diamonds that she recovered from the baddie.  She begrudgingly hands them over... asking if an exchange of diamonds means they're engaged.  Hmm... Anyhoo, the potentially touching moment is interrupted by the arrival of the Martian Manhunter.

J'onn tells Batman that there's something mighty important they need to discuss... however, before they can, they are interrupted (lotsa interruptions today!) by the entire Secret Society of Super-Villains!  What's worse... the Wizard greets Batman as "Bruce"!

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Okay, a little background.  Identity Crisis... don't wanna say too much about it, because I'm pretty positive we'll eventually discuss it long-form here on the blog.  Hell, for a story that "status quo changing", it'll very likely get a Cosmic Treadmill episode somewhere down the line.  

I will say that... hmm... part of me absolutely hates it, while another... I dunno... doesn't?  It's far from a story that I'll ever say I liked, however, it might be the best example of an "event" that actually, as we like to say, "stuck the landing".  Identity Crisis was unlike any event that came before it... and hell, even as I was reading it, I wasn't sure how they could possibly make it "stick" in DC continuity.

I mean, surely they wouldn't leave Dr. Light as a rapist/murderer, right?  I mean, he's not that terribly important of a character, but still... this is levels of irredeemable that won't be able to be walked back.  This is going to, in a way, taint every prior Dr. Light appearance.  Added to that... the Justice League voted to lobotomize him!

... and then, they mind-wiped frickin' Batman!  Even if the story ain't my cup of tea, I gotta hand it to 'em (DC) for for their willingness to "commit to the bit".  This didn't get "Cosmic Cubed" away... and has been a scar on the face for the League ever since (reboots notwithstanding, of course).

I think it was with this arc in JLA that many DC readers realized that Identity Crisis wasn't going to just "go away"... it wasn't going to be relegated as an Elseworlds, or something to only be addressed when convenient.  While not a "Crisis" in the comics-classical definition, Identity Crisis did signal a sizable shift in DC's landscape... characterization, storytelling... so many things changed.  Not all for the better, sure... but, also... not all for the worse, either.

This issue features some great conflict... and reactions from each member that more or less fit in with their established personalities.  This isn't Civil War "square peg into round holes" characterization... at worst, it's amplification of the Leaguer's basic archetypal traits to facilitate the story.  Worth mentioning, it seems pretty clear that Johns is enjoying having Hal interact with/as part of the JLA again!

Overall... despite my hesitance to recommend anything Identity Crisis-related, I cannot deny that this was a more-or-less enjoyable read.  I don't think I'd jump in with this issue if you haven't already read Identity Crisis... which, err, is to say... yeah, I guess I'm recommending checking out Identity Crisis.  It's not anywhere near my favorites, buuuuuut... whether we like it or not, it is a thing that happened.  It brought with it some crazy changes... and like it or not, it probably shouldn't be ignored.

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(Not the) Letters Page:

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610

JLA #60 (2002)

JLA #60 (January, 2002)
"Merry Christmas, Justice League -- Now Die!"
Writer - Mark Waid
Guest Pencils - Cliff Rathburn
Inks - Paul Neary
Colors - David Baron
Letters - Ken Lopez
Assistant Editor - Steve Wacker
Editor - Dan Raspler
Cover Price: $2.25

Welcome to the Tenth Day of Christmas on Infinite Earths... getting this one in a bit later than I'd have preferred... had myself a bit of a fender bender last night and wasn't able to have this one ready to go first thing in the morning.  Everyone's okay, and the damage is relatively minor... have a bit of a throbbing ache in my pride, however.

Anyhoo... ya just knew we were gonna get to this one, eh?  This is usually toward the top of folks' "Top Whatever" lists of Christmas/Holiday themed issues of comics (DC and otherwise), and lemme tell ya... there's a pretty good reason for that... 

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Hey guess what day it is... yup, it's Christmas Eve... and Plastic Man is celebrating with Woozy Winks and his family... that is to say, his sister Wanda Winks and her son Weezer Winks.  Man, these family names, am I right?  Anyhoo... it's getting late into the evening, and li'l Weez needs to get to bed if he wants Santa Claus to visit.  Plas scoops him up spatula-style and deposits the tot in his bed.  Weezer ain't all that interested... he thinks Santa is lame (and/or fake) anyway.  Plastic Man is all "au contraire" and decides to tell him about the time Kris Kringle joined the Justice League of America.

Weezer is skeptical... but open to hearing Plas' case for Santa's coolness.  His joining was just the night prior in fact, probably so they could portray Kyle as Green Lantern.  If what I heard is true... DC was very much against using Hal or Barry even in flashback at this point, as they felt the newbies would be overshadowed their predecessors.  There was also no plan on bringing either Silver Age fella back anyway... and as we now know, DC never would!  Ahem... Plastic Man's story is basically this... the League is sitting around a table, and they decide to give Santa membership... the end!

Well, funny as that story is to you and me, that just ain't enough for Weezer... and so, Plas continues... with a demonic Gingerbread Man appearing on the table.  He claims that Santa cannot join the League, for he is currently a prisoner... of Hell!

The Gingerbread Man continues... it seems that Santa's workshop has fallen on hard times.  He's had to lay off all of the elves, because the naughty vs. nice ratio has fallen 70% this year... and so, supply is just killing demand.  It turns out that all these bad kids have already received gifts... but not from Santa... from, Neron!  Yeah, Underworld Unleashed's big bad!

And so, Santa travels to Neron's fortress/home/headquarters... which is conveniently located in New Jersey.  He is shocked to find that Neron has his own workshop, complete with elves!  After monologuing for a few panels, Neron captures St. Nick under glass.  Back on the Satellite, Superman decides it's time for the JLA to "go to Hell", and so they do!  But not before Plastic Man eats the demonic Gingerbread Man... this isn't alluding to anything to come, just a funny sight gag.

In Hell, the JLA is attacked by Neron's elves... which hurt everyone except Superman... until, that is, Weezer reminds Plastic Man that Superman is susceptible to magic...

A battle rages, the League and elves pretty much fight to a standstill with neither having any real advantage.  They come across a mint-in-package Santa Claus... that is to say, Santa inside an action figure package.  All the while, Neron is hanging stockings by the chimney... with care.

With his stockings in place, Neron turns his attention to the League... and turns them into coal.

At this point, Santa's getting pretty ticked... and so, he uses his... ahem, heat-vision to burn his way out of his packaging (and thereby lowering his "book value" exponentially).  He then takes to beating the heck out of the evil elves... oi, try typing that three times fast... until of course, they overtake him.

He is stood before Neron... and it's as if by design... he has Neron's one weakness... a gift!  Ya see, if we know anything about Neron, it's that he is all about the "exchange"... the "bargain", if you weee'll.  Santa gives him a present... which Neron has no choice but to open... and when he finally does, he is beaten by... well, the same thing that destroys my cheer on Christmas too... underwear and socks.

And so, Santa saves the day... and the Justice League.  Back in the present, Weezer still ain't impressed... he begins to point out plot-holes in Plastic Man's story... the kid must be a comics fan, right?

Suddenly, outside there arose such a clatter... Plas and Weez sprang from the bed to see what was the matter...outside the window, they saw... Santa Claus flying by!

A Santa with heat-vision, even!  Well, this is enough for Weezer to believe... and so he buries himself in his covers to make sure he's asleep before the visit.

We wrap up by learning that this "Santa" was actually the Martian Manhunter who along with Green Lantern overheard Plastic Man's tale while in the neighborhood dealing with Commander Dinosaur (?), and realized he needed some assistance.  As J'onn and Kyle head out, we see the real deal Santa Clause scoffing at the thought of his having heat-vision.

--

Now just how fun was that?

It's not terribly often we come across what is, basically, a silly throwaway story... that has so much heart to it.  Plastic Man is one of those characters I feel like I really need to be in the mood for... this issue kind of transcends that feeling.  I think he was the perfect fit for this one.  Loved how his story had to escalate... and had some plot holes... that li'l Weez had to point out to him.  Gotta wonder if the tot was some sort of commentary for continuity cranks like myself?

I sometimes recoil in terror when I see the words "Guest Pencils" on a given credits list, but I gotta say... Rathburn turned in some great work here.  Really liked his depictions of the League... his Santa, may be been a bit "extreme" for my tastes, however, I think the story required that.  One thing I wasn't too keen on was Woozy Winks being drawn to be realistic.  He's really a strange looking fella, who I feel is better served when drawn to be more "toony".

If I'm not mistaken, this was Mark Waid's final issue before Joe Kelly came in to use the League as continuous political commentary move the characters forward.  It's a fitting way for Waid to say "goodbye", as it feels like it was a real celebration of the team, and just how magical they can all be to children in the DC Universe.

Overall... definitely an issue worth tracking down.  Makes for a fun read any time of year, though I think there's something particularly special about reading it during the Holidays.  It is available digitally at readdcentertainment.com... and you'd almost figure they might put this puppy on sale at some point during this week... who knows, though...

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On the tenth day of Christmas on Infinite Earths, I gave to you... JLA #60, Christmas with the Super-Heroes #1, Adventures of Superman #487, Superman (vol.2) #64, Impulse #45, Green Lantern (vol.3) #59!  Green Lantern (vol.3) #36, Superman (vol.2) #76, JSA #55, and a Batman and the Outsiders #19 Review...