Millennium #3 (January, 1988)
"Back"
Story - Steve Englehart
Layouts - Joe Staton
Finishes - Ian Gibson
Letters - Bob Lappan
Colorist - Carl Gafford
Editor - Andy Helfer
Cover Price: $0.75
Okey dokey... we picked the ten people to advance Earth's... something or other. Now, we gotta keep 'em safe. Gotta wonder why our ZamarOan crusaders didn't already think of that! I figure, you've got someone or something you wanna protect... you protect it straightaway. Guess that's why I'm not an immortal... or maybe I am, I haven't died yet!
I wanna apologize for the picture quality for this piece. It would appear that the comic shop I nabbed this from all those years ago used this issue to stamp out a grease fire and sop up spilled paint... perhaps not quite in that order... but what I'm trying to say is, I might wanna consider replacing my copy.
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We open in Manhunterville... where Manhunters are manhuntering around, all the while proclaiming that "no man escapes the Manhunters"! Manhunter, manhunter, manhunter. They are addressed by the Grandmaster... who pretty much says the same thing. He does also reveal that one of "the ten" had fallen... Salima Baranazir from Iran.
Elsewhere, a reporter... maybe Bethany Snow (?) is delivering a televised report about possible UFO sightings. In the network's control room, old Green Lantern thorn-in-the-side, Tawny Young watches on. She is approached by Mr. Niederman... who I'm gonna assume is the station manager, who offers her the opportunity to "climb the ladder". All she has to do is ixnay all talk of Manhunters and their Manhunteriness.
We shift scenes to Soviet Russia, where our potential recruit Nikolai is being grilled by some ranking officials. He insists that he sent the aliens away... they blow his brains out anyway.
We head back to the Green Lantern Citadel just as our ZamarOan pair arrive. Gotta mention that Hal Jordan has Tom Kalamaku and his family in a construct-bubble for safe-keeping. Blue Beetle tells Safir that Salima was lost... not to be outdone, she reveals that Nikolai is dead. No worries though... they allowed for attrition. Okay... so, they should've said "We have chosen ten... or so, people of Earth...". They don't get to chat long, as John Stewart arrives with a television set. On it, President (and Englehart fave) Ronald Reagan is saying the Manhunters ain't no big deal... they're just a vicious rumor. Kilowog figures Reagan must be a Manhunter... Englehart wouldn't allow that... he's no Manhunter... he's just an idiot. His wife Nancy, however? Well, yeah... she just might be a Manhunter.
We shift to Tokyo with the Outsiders. They are there to pick up Yakata. Before they can split... they are surrounded by Manhunters! Makes ya wonder why Safir didn't just bring him back the first time around... almost like they're trying to, I dunno... stretch this to eight issues? Anyhoo... the Outsiders fight them off until they have the opportunity to escape.
In the Outback, the kids of Infinity, Inc. arrive to pick up Ms. Clawman who still can't stop talking about seeing things in the Dreamtime. They pick her up without a hitch.
Next stop, Washington, DC. The Justice League International stand atop the steps of the Lincoln Memorial trying to assuage the panic of the mob that has assembled. The mob is oddly accepting of their statements... so, no big deal. Gotta mention that Captain Atom is currently in his "JLI spy" role, so he's acting a bit strange. After they disperse, Booster Gold overhears Hadley admitting that he is Captain Atom's Manhunter. Wait... huh? That seems kinda sloppy, right? Booster hoists him into the air to give some (empty?) threats... before placing him right back down to go about his Manhuntery business. Okey doke...
Also on the ground, General Eiling (of the Captain Atom project) and Amanda Waller (of Task Force X) bump into one another. They both mention that their respective groups are going to be sitting this present crisis out. However, through the aid of thought-bubbles, we readers know they're both full of it.
At Arkham Asylum, a Dr. Wetson arrives to counsel the Floronic Man. The nurses and administration seem totally cool with her just walking in... you'd figure Arkham would have some pretty stringent protocol when it comes to things like this... but, nope. Anyhoo, she's obviously a Manhunter... and she springs Woodrue from the rubber-clink.
Back in (fascist?) Britain, Batman, Mister Miracle, and Guy Gardner arrive to try and convince Celia Windward. This time around, she's open to the idea... because, get this... Ronald Reagan said the Manhunter's ain't no big thing... and anything Reagan says is bound to be wrong. D'oh... layin' it on a bit thick, Steve. They are surrounded by Manhunters... but are able to escape pretty quickly. So much for "No man escapes the Manhunters", right? Should consider changing that to "Pretty much everybody escapes the Manhunters!"
Wonder Woman arrives in South Africa to pick up our racist pal Kroef. He's basically everything that can be bad about a person... really unsubtle. First, he scoffs that they sent Wonder Woman instead of Superman... but is happy to see that she is "every bit as white as he". Ay yai yai.
Next stop, Peru... to my favorite New Guardian... Gregorio! He's a pretty tortured soul... no longer drowning his sorrows at the bar. He is being catcalled by a dock worker, and concludes that everybody despises him. I suppose I should say that it's pretty clear that Gregorio is gay... the dialogue and character design might even be less subtle than the racists jerk we just visited. Anyhoo, Greg attempts suicide by throwing himself into the drink. Luckily, the Flash is there to save his skin.
In Shanghai, Katma Tui, John Stewart, and Kilowog arrive to pick up Xiang Po. They are attacked by a Manhunter agent... that they incapacitate with the quickness. At this point, Stewart realizes they might be up against a cult of androids.
Elsewhere, we meet up with our old friend Harbinger. She's still in panic mode over spilling the beans on the heroes... and has split herself into twenty forms to try and find the Manhunter's "cloaked world". It isn't long before she's captured. Wow, somebody actually didn't escape the Manhunters!
We wrap up back at the Citadel, where all of the Chosen have been assembled. But, waitasec... where did the Kalamakus go?!
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Alright... this was a bit better than last issue, but not quite as enjoyable as the opener. Like I mentioned in the preamble... it feels foolhardy for the ZamarOans to just inform their "chosen" and not collect them at the same time. You'd figure they'd all be safer at the Green Lantern Citadel, rather than just out in the open where any number of Manhunters (or even a freak accident) could wipe them out.
Perhaps this was done in such a stilted, time-wasting way as to allow the tie-in issues to keep in lockstep. Not sure, it's been even longer since I've read some of those. Even if that was the case, the pacing here feels a bit wacky... and redundant. Kinda like digging a hole with the express purpose of filling it back in. This issue only occurs because of what happened in the one before... and reading that back, I can see how stupid that sounds... but I can't shake the feeling that we're stretching this to reach the eight issue mandate.
I did think it was pretty cool that a few of the chosen were actually killed here, it really shook things up a bit... until... we learned that they had planned for attrition. Plus, they replaced Terra with Woodrue... so, that kinda tells us that these "chosen" might not be quite as elite as we are meant to believe, right? Like, say all ten died... would our ZamarOan duo just, I dunno... choose another ten? Ehh, who knows.
I like that the idea of trust was bandied about during this issue. Everybody is second-guessing those around them. It's that kind of paranoia that I really dig. I think the heroes should be portrayed as perhaps a bit more hesitant to participate in recruitment and damage control though. We have members of the Justice League noticing that Captain Atom is acting a bit odd... during an event that is full of Manhunter sleeper agents showing their true colors... but, nobody's questioning him? I dunno...
While on the subject of Captain Atom... why doesn't Booster Gold tell him about learning the identity of his Manhunter? He just threatens the guy... and puts him back down to go about his Manhuntery business? So much of this seems to be lacking in the urgency I'd expect from an android invasion. It's hard to see this as a true "event" when even the heroes don't seem to be completely committed to the idea.
I will say, I could do without the political commentary here. We get it, Steve... you don't like Reagan. I think this sort of thing hurts comics... we do not need to check in with the President for every event... especially if we're doing so just to throw some not-so-subtle jabs. I don't care which side of the political aisle your lobbing attacks to or from... I'd just prefer it be kept out of my comics.
Overall... I will say I'm not enjoying this as much as I hoped I'd be when I started this reread, though I don't feel it's nearly as bad as its online reputation dictates.
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(Not the) Letters Page:
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Millennium #2 (January, 1988)
"Under"
Story - Steve Englehart
Layouts - Joe Staton
Finishes - Ian Gibson
Letters - Bob Lappan
Colors - Carl Gafford
Editor - Andy Helfer
Cover Price: $0.75
Ya know... I got drawn in to that first chapter of Millennium so much, I figure we can stick with it at least for one more day. I'm tellin' ya... having the Illustrated Indexes from ICG (as well as the DC Focus) really adds to the overall experience. They do a great job of filling in context, and really getting me into the gestalt of the event. I wish DC (and Marvel) would release something similar these days... though, I guess the internet kind of renders such an endeavor redundant.
I just think about how much such a thing would have helped me through Final Crisis... though, I'll concede that the Index for that would have weighed in at 400 or so pages!
Anyhoo... let's get to recruiting some New Guardians...
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We open at the Daily Planet where Clark Kent is being confronted by his childhood friend, Lana Lang... and lemme tell ya, the visit doesn't look to be too cordial. She warns him to "look the other way" while she and the rest of the Manhunters fulfill their prime directive. Not only is she one of the Manhunters... she also knows Clark's dual identity! She forces him to decide, right there on the spot... and Clark, being Superman doesn't bend. For a brief moment, Lana looks at Clark with saddened eyes... however, that moment is fleeting. She grabs him by the collar and proceeds to start pounding on him!
We shift to the first of maaaaaany times we're going to join Herupa Hando Hu (The Old-Timer) and Nadia Safir of the Zamorans. They arrive in Australia near Alice Springs where they greet an Aborigine woman named Betty Clawman. They advise her that she is one of the ten Earthers they have chosen to advance the human race. She claims to have seen their arrival in the Dreamtime... and seems down with joining up!
The next stop for our intrepid ZamarOans is the offices of Yakada Inc. in Japan. They greet another of "the chosen", Takeo Yakada. He is a bit hesitant to join up... but comes around to the idea pretty quickly.
We hop half a planet away to join Batman in Gotham City as he checks in with Commissioner Gordon. They are discussing the Millennium event, and Batman offers that the Manhunters are likely to know the heroes' darkest secrets. Gordon says the word on the street is that someone called Harbinger is responsible for betraying the heroes' trust. Batman is a bit incredulous... and walks over to the office window. With his back turned... Gordon makes his move! He konks Batman on the back of the head with his pistol, and shoves him out the window! Uh-oh.
We return to the ZamarOans just as they are joined by... Harbinger! She has come to offer her services to them, just as she had served the Monitor during the Crisis. Being the living embodiment of Who's Who in the DC Universe? she can probably be useful in tracking down the rest of The New Guardians "The Ten". The Old-Timer is all "nuh-uh", because she's the reason why they're in this current crisis. Her "Tome of History" otherwise known as (and I love this) History of the DC Universe (vols. 1& 2) has tipped off the Manhunters. Harbinger freaks out and flees, hopeful that she might be able to fix the situation.
We stick with our duo as they arrive in Shanghai to give the ol' offer to Xiang Po. She is cool with joining, however, would need to speak with her parents and the leadership before agreeing to anything. Fair enough...
Tired of the Old-Timer and Safir yet? Yeah, me too. Anyhoo, we next follow them into Krasnojarsk, Russia to make the offer to Nikolai Latikov. He claims not to believe in superior beings, and accuses them of provocation. He sends them away... but then wonders if this was a test of his loyalty.
We shift to Chicago where Blue Beetle is accusing Maxwell Fisher of the Chicago P.D. of being his Manhunter. They have a brief struggle, all the while Fisher claims he's legit. Beetle's not sure if he can believe him, but decides to leave him be. As he ascends into the Bug, he just happens to meet his Manhunter... Overthrow!
Well, it's been about a page and a half... it's time to check back in with our ZamarOans. Now they're in... fascist Britain? Hmm... maybe some Englehartian political commentary creeping in... anyhoo, they are here for a woman named Celia Windward. They make the offer... and she tells them to beat it.
Next stop... Qom, Iran for Salima Baranizar. She seems confused by their offer, and does not give an answer. Safir suggests she and the Old-Timer leave... she is sure that Salima will come around.
We shift to Akron, Ohio where we join Dan Richards, the original Manhunter. He is questioning how Manhunters can be behind all of these attacks... since, ya know... he was one. As he stomps down the street, he is passed by a very determined (and Manhuntery) Laurel Kent.
Ooh boy, more Old-Timer stuff. Their next stop is South Africa and their next point of contact is Janwillem Kroef. He... doesn't quite look like a superhero... and doesn't really sound like one either. He agrees to join up because... get this, "any group of people needs the white man to run them!" Ay yai yai.
Next stop, Trujillo Peru... where they seek the loudly-dressed Gregorio De La Vega. He refers to the Old-Timer as a "bite-sized man". I think I found my favorite New Guardian! He doesn't agree to join up, by the way.
We return to the Green Lantern Citadel where we find Tom Kalamaku convalescing after the attack... and nearly being run over by a 747. He wakes up to find himself surrounded by the Green Lantern Corps. They chat for a bit, but are interrupted by the arrival of our ZamarOans. They've got an offer... for Tom!
Soooo... of the ten, we've got nine. Gotta remember the original choice for number ten was our old friend Terra... who is very much dead. So, who could fill her spot? To answer that question, we're going to have to visit Arkham Asylum... and the cell of Jason Woodrue... the Floronic Man!
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Mostly a "moving pieces into place" issue here... but given that Millennium is a weekly miniseries that is being supported by nearly every mainline DC title, I think we can allow it. I figure it's better they initiate the recruitment drive here rather than one of the tie-ins. At least this way, a reader who decides against picking up all of the crossovers... or, is unable to find them at the newsstand, can still follow the main beats of the story.
I'll say reading it now... the "We have chosen ten people on Earth..." shtick got pretty repetitive, but at the same time, I'm glad that it's contained here and out of the way so the story can move forward. Otherwise, not counting reveals, that Clark/Lana scene... and the almost "meta" aspects of the Manhunters' knowledge, not much to say. It's neat to see Tom Kalamaku being chosen... the dude deserves it after putting up with being called "Pieface" for much of his existence. We're not going to talk about The New Guardians just yet... we'll get there though.
Now, for our triple main event... let's first discuss the Lana and Clark scene. Now, not having read the tie-ins in ages... I'm pretty sure I'm missing out on some important context. We'll probably get there though. As much as I think this reveal is a bit foolhardy, I can't help but enjoy the dynamic shift... and just what this might mean to Superman's secret. I think we've all been in situations where we're arguing with someone in public... and the other person's (or your own) voice begins to raise, and you're suddenly aware of just how many people are standing in the proximity. We get that from Clark here... and it's not everyday we find him in such an uncomfortable position. I thought that was pretty neat. All the power in the world, while at the same time being pretty powerless over the situation.
Next up... the reveals. As far as I can tell, we only get three new ones this chapter... Laurel Kent, who I think has something to do with the Legion of Super-Heroes... so, I know very little about her. Overthrow, another who I know next to nothing about. A bit of research reveals that he worked for Kord Industries. Fair enough... he does show up to fight Blue Beetle, so I guess that makes sense. The bigger reveal, however... is Commissioner Gordon! Pretty much take everything I said about Lana Lang's reveal... and that's pretty much what I think about this one. I think perhaps the creators flew a bit too close to the Sun for some of these. Ya gotta figure when dealing with characters who actually have a measure of "presence" in the mainstream of popular culture... that these massive overhauls to their history just ain't gonna stick. Like, there's no way the character of James Gordon is going to be thrown out with the bathwater at the end of this event. I feel like this telegraphs the kind of long-lasting impact this story is going to have... and how things might not be as they seem. It's like when we discussed Zero Hour... Batman died... at which point we realized that much of the event wouldn't "stick". I do suppose it could be seen as a positive to not know which of these reveals are "real"... I dunno, I think I'm thinking too much!
Finally, I really appreciate that the Manhunters learned everything about the DC heroes by reading... The History of the DC Universe. I mean, we've read that very same book! Such an interesting thing to add... I'd forgotten that Harbinger's research was that two-parter. Such a creative way to not only empower the Manhunters, but tie this event back to Crisis.
Overall... this was a bit of a step-down from the opening chapter, but considering the purpose of this issue, that's totally understandable. This was a dense and heavy issue that served to introduce new characters and fill-out the concept of The New Guardians. I appreciate the way the issue ends with the reveal of the tenth member... the Floronic Man! Seems like he could be a fitting replacement for Terra.
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Millennium #1 (January, 1988)
"Over"
Story - Steve Englehart
Layouts - Joe Staton
Finishes - Ian Gibson
Letters - Bob Lappan
Colors - Carl Gafford
Editor - Andy Helfer
Cover Price: $0.75
A couple weeks back I came across the pair of Illustrated Indexes for Millennium from Independent Comics Group. Flipping through 'em made me really wanna give this a reread... and perhaps even set-up a discussion for either The Cosmic Treadmill or Weird Comics History. Fast forward another week... and I find the DC Focus issue that is focusing on this very same event! I figure the universe has gotta be trying to send me a message, right? Either that, or I'm about to find out my wife is really a Manhunter... or maybe it's one of the dogs!
Anyhoo... let's take a look at the first issue of this late-80's DC Comics event!
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We open on... an ordinary day in the DC Universe. The Justice League is doing their thing, people are living their lives... everything's cool. Well, perhaps not... because there is a spot in Manhattan Beach where a group of not-so-ordinary citizens have assembled. Ya see, these are the Manhunters... and some of them might be pretty familiar to we DC Comics faithful.
They have come together in order to receive an audience with the Grandmaster... who looks a bit like he'd missed the bus back to Asgard. He instructs them that their time as "sleeper agents" is about to come to an end... and it's just about time for their murderous intentions to come to fruition. Of particular note, Green Lantern's pal, Tom Kalamaku (who we might know better as, ahem... Pieface) is watching this whole presentation from a window.
Before he knows it, Tom finds himself surrounded by Manhunters... and they proceed to beat the holy hell out of him.
We shift scenes to the Santa Monica Mountains where what's left of the Green Lantern Corps now keeps their citadel. They're all having fun out by the pool... trying to keep things light for Kilowog, who has just found out that his people are really and truly gone. Their day is soon interrupted by the arrival of a Guardian and a Zamoran! Ain't that always the way? The Old-Timer ruins an otherwise nice day by sharing the news of the Manhunters.
We shift back to Tom, who is now laid out on an airport runway directly in the path of a landing 747. The art isn't entirely clear whether or not Tom was intended to survive this... we'll just play it safe and assume he did.
We next go to a brief scene featuring Harbinger. You remember her, right? She is the blonde who was always hanging around the Monitor around Crisis-time. Anyhoo, she appears to remember the events of the Crisis, is now tasked with researching the new histories of the new Earth's heroes. If we can't even keep 'em straight in the comics, what hope does this poor woman have, right?
Back in Santa Monica, many heroes have answered Hal Jordan's call to arms... even though we never saw him make that call. Not gonna worry about that. Anyhoo, scenes like this are really cool... especially during this vintage. This was before big events and universal team-ups were "Tuesday" in our respective comics universes... this was truly something of a novelty. Among the teams that arrive are the Justice League International, the Outsiders, and Infinity, Inc. Of note, Kilowog ain't too keen on seeing a Rocket Red. Still some bad blood, I guess!
And they become better acquainted inside the citadel. By now Superman, Green Arrow, Aquaman, and Firestorm have also arrived. Of note, Guy Gardner is acting a bit strange. This is due to this story occurring during that time early in Justice League International, where he bonked his head and started acting like a sweetheart.
After the meet and greet, the Old-Timer and Nadia Safir of Zamoran share their secret origins with the group. Their respective races both hail from Maltus (five billion years ago). They are immortal, and as such, put little thought into the need to procreate. I mean, forever's a long time, I guess? Well, after the Crisis, their numbers were cut down to a mere 22 apiece. Time to get busy!
The Old-Timer continues. He refers to the present time as "The Millennium", and they have chosen to come to Earth to take the ten humans they had chosen and transform them into immortals. Only problem being... the Manhunters would prefer this not happen... and hope to murder the chosen before their transformation could occur.
The heroes don't appear to be buying what the Oans are selling... and even question the wisdom of choosing Earth. J'onn asks "why not Mars"... Mister Miracle's all "there's a perfectly fine New Genesis right over thattaway?". It seems like the whole plan is coming apart. Of interest, Flash asks why the Teen Titans aren't present... to which, the Old-Timer informs him that one of "The Ten" is actually a member of the Teen Titans! Yessiree, Terra is gonna be an immortal! Oh, waitasec, she's already dead. Gotta say, the Oans are batting a thousand at this point!
Before the natives can grow even more restless... Superman speaks up. He gives an impassioned speech, discussing their responsibility to act as the legends they are seen as... and so, the heroes are won over.
We wrap up this opening chapter with several heroes heading home... where they come to learn that folks near and dear to them, are in fact... Manhunters!
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I know this event gets a bit of flack... and I think much of that is apt. It's been... at least a decade since the last time I've read this. The only Manhunter reveal I can even recall off the top of my head is Lana Lang (and if I'm not mistaken, like EVERY kid in Smallville?), just due to the sheer ridiculousness of it. That having been said, this was a good issue... and decent introduction to the concept.
It's being built sort of like a horror movie... which would also be done 20 years later at Marvel with Secret Invasion. The idea that the person right next to you could be one of "them", is an old horror trope... but it still works.
Before discussing some of the reveals... let's talk about some story bits. Like I said above, the various heroes all assembling was a great scene. I'm always a fan of these get-togethers, especially when they happen sparingly. It seems these days we don't go a month without teams meeting up (it's often weekly if we're talking about Marvel)... so, to see this was really fun. I could have stared at the meet-and-greet pages for hours... okay, minutes... but you get the point.
Let's list some of the reveals. Early on we see Mr. Smith (from Ferris Aircraft), Lana Lang (duh), Mary Frances Cassidy (Blue Devil's sister), Harry Hadley (from the Captain Atom Project), Dirk Davis (Booster Gold's manager), and Marcie Cooper (granddaughter of the original Manhunter). We get a little bit of everything in this group... and it's pretty neat. I still think turning Lana was a dumb move, but the others are close enough with the heroes to make the swerve matter, while not completely upsetting any apple carts. Oh, and I'll say again here... the Grandmaster looks like an idiot. Really anachronistic design... looks very out of place.
At the end of the book it's revealed that Rocket Red #7 (from the JLI), Chief Ferguson (Firestorm's police contact), Dr. Jace (who's been hanging with the Outsiders), Rudolf West (Wally West's father), and the Olympian God, Pan. Again, some good choices... with a couple of potential "shocks". Dr. Jace had become quite the mainstay in Batman and the Outsiders... so that's an interesting one. Of course, Wally West's father being outed is a bit crazy... I'd totally spaced that! Rocket Reds are pretty interchangeable in my opinion... so if you had to make a JLIer a Manhunter... that choice was as good as any!
I appreciated the heroes being somewhat skeptical of the Guardian's tale. I was actually a bit surprised by how willing Hal was to "do business" with the blue guy. I'd think they'd be at least a bit standoffish... or that the Old-Timer would really have to "sell" Hal on the idea before he calls everyone in the DC superhero phone book. I think the best part of the heroes being unsure was that it led to Superman rallying the group. That's what Superman is to me... he is the one the heroes will always stand behind. He is the best of them, and the rest respect him so much that they will follow.
The art throughout this issue was a bit uneven. There were certain pages that just popped, while others looked somewhat rushed... or maybe just less detailed. Overall though, I thought it looked fine.
Not sure if I'll continue with Millennium for the next week or just return to it every now and again. I guess we'll all know the answer to that tomorrow! So far, this definitely gets my recommendation. It is, unfortunately, not yet available digitally. I suppose DC figures this might just confuse people...
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