Titans #21 (November, 2000)
"The Trial of Cheshire, Part One: The Eva Braun Complex"
Writer - Jay Faerber
Penciller - Paul Pelletier
Inker - Bud LaRosa
Colorist - Gregory Wright
Separations - Heroic Age
Letters - Comicraft
Associate Editor - Maureen McTigue
Editor - Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $2.50
A Deadly New Direction for the Titans? That usually means there's a traitor in our midst, doesn't it?
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We open to learn that the Trial of Cheshire is ongoing. Ya see, she had recently stolen some nukes from the former Soviet Union... and actually used one of 'em n Qurac. At first I thought this was a bit "on the nose" before realizing that this was a pre-9/11 comic. At Titans Tower, Roy Harper watches the coverage... but refuses to discuss it with his current "squeeze" Donna Troy. Nightwing pops his head in to see if he can get Roy to open up... which isn't terribly successful. We do get a pretty ridiculous line wherein Roy compares himself to Eva Braun though. Dick implores Roy to talk to Donna.
Speaking of Donna, the next day... she's standing by the dock of the bay... watching Jesse Quick run away. Moments later, Jesse arrives at her office (she's the CEO of a multi-national corporation, donchaknow), where her mother Libby (Liberty Belle) is waiting for her... with the news that she is going to be getting married!
We shift scenes to a darkened room... only lit by a television screen. On said screen, Titan Tempest is giving his two-cents on the whole Cheshire thing. Watching said screen is... perhaps the newest soon to be Titans Traitor, Epsilon!
Back on the island, Roy is taking out his frustrations at the shooting range. Just then, Tempest arrives... and Roy calls him a traitor for speaking out against Cheshire. Which, I mean... we know you have a kid together, but... she kinda detonated a nuke. She's bad news, amigo.
We shift scenes to a little "girls day out" in the park, featuring Argent, Lian Harper, and Lian's babysitter Chanda. They share some playful banter before... a gaggle of geeks descends on them with the express interest in snagging the little bugger! That, is... Lian, of course.
Argent sends Chanda and Lian away and tries to hold off the losers until her Titanic back-up can arrive. Thankfully, it doesn't take long.
And they fight! Argent tells Roy that... get this, Chanda and Lian ran into the woods... and a couple of the goons followed them. So, lemme ask this... why in all hells is Argent still fighting them in the park? Shouldn't she have also ran into the woods to make sure Lian doesn't get 'napped?
While the rest of the Titans keep with the battle in the park, Roy heads through the woods and into a parking lot. He happens upon one of the baddies trying to use his power of suggestion (I think) to get Lian to come with him.
Then, more fighting... which ends with a barrage of fists from Jesse Quick, and the perfect "plick" of a marble against the lead baddie's dome.
Later at the Tower, the Titans reconnoiter. We learn that those geeks were hired assassins called "The Hangmen". Which, as far as bad-guy team names go, is up there with the most mediocre of 'em. Lian tells them that the Hangmen wanted her mommy (that is, Cheshire) to keep quiet... as in, not testify. Roy deduces that since the Hangmen were unsuccessful in snatching Lian... their next stop will likely be trying to kill Cheshire. And, I mean... she nuked a country, right? Wouldn't that just be addition by subtraction?
We then shift scenes to the Hangmen's HQ where... ohhhhhhh, it's revealed that Chanda was in on it the whole time! She's taken exception to the use of Lian in the scheme... but, really... what did she expect? I mean, you're working with assassins... they don't care about innocent kids so long as the check clears.
The mustachioed Hangman informs her that since they failed in their first outing... they've hired a pro. Any guesses who that might be? I mean, it's the Titans... and we're gearing up for a "last page reveal"... you guessed it, it's the same guy who's always the last page reveal for the Titans... Deathstroke the Terminator.
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It was the babysitter! You never expect the babysitter. I mean, this is an issue of Titans, so there's always a 50/50 chance someone's gonna be revealed as a turncoat... so, I suppose it wasn't too surprising. Also unsurprising... that last page reveal! I mean, really now... if "traitors in our midst" is the top Titans trope, the Deathstroke on the last page reveal has gotta be a close second.
Onto the story...
I've said this before... but, if you're a writer and you ever start a sentence with "Wouldn't it be..." and whether the next word is "cool", "cute", or "funny"... you might wanna just pull the plug right there. It's almost like Faerber thought up the "Eva Braun" line, found it either hilarious or insightful... and decided to write around it. You ever see that episode of Friends where Joey wants to buy an encyclopedia so he can keep up with his pals' "smart humor", that's kinda how this rang to me.
So much of this came across forced... while at the same time, so cliche Titans... that it felt as though we were running in place. Not the most ideal way to kick off a "deadly new direction". Also, I'm still not clear as to why Roy is so driven to save Cheshire. It's been awhile since I read this, so I can't say with 100% certainty that she actually was responsible for the nuking. Though, I'd imagine we'd hear more chatter about "clearing her name" here if that were the case.
Perhaps it's hindsight talking here... considering that we know that this "new direction" will last all of twenty minutes before DC Editorial derails the whole thing in order to bring in those horrid DEO kids, and make them a focus of the book going forward.
There are some good bits here... and, while I wasn't as low on the Devin Grayson run as I know some folks were, I guess this might've been a breath of fresh air for some of the readership. Less "teen-agery" angst, and more adult "situational drama"... maybe? I dunno.
I will say... I love Paul Pelletier's work. Always have... and very likely, always will. He's one of my favorites, and a fella whose name doesn't come up nearly often enough as being among the "greats". I'm also a sucker for these late-90's fashions... I mean, Chanda looks like she could be in a Smash Mouth video or something. There's a lotta fun in this art.
Overall... ya know, despite my misgivings... this wasn't a bad time. It's still angsty, but it's a different flavor of angst than the Grayson run. The traitor and Deathstroke reveal... were pretty weak, granted... but, I can't really get mad at it. It's not perfect... but, it's certainly good enough for a read. This issue is available digitally.
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Young Justice #22 (August, 2000)
"... the Best Intentions!"
"Father's Day"
"Stakeout"
"Other Interests"
Writers - Todd DeZago, Jay Faerber, Chuck Dixon, & Brian K. Vaughan
Pencillers - Todd Nauck, Coy Turnbull, Patrick Zircher, & Scott Kolins
Inkers - Bud LaRosa, Rodney Ramos, Norm Rapmund, & Dan Panosian
Letterers - Clem Robins, Ken Lopez, & Albert DeGuzman
Colorist - Jason Wright
Separations - Digital Chameleon
Assistant Editor - Maureen McTigue
Editor - Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $2.50
Hey, there's a familiar cover... well, kinda familiar.
It's pretty reminiscent of New Teen Titans #8... "A Day in the Lives"... except here, we have a red robot instead of a red menace!
That Titans issue was a classic. Does Young Justice have any hopes of living up to it?
Read on...
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We open with the Red Tornado who is having a good hard think on whether or not he should consider himself a "father" to Traya. He's struggling with the fact that he feels so much like a father... but, technically, isn't. Just then, his attention is drawn to a playground where children are... well, playing. He sees a certain group, and they instantly remind him of... well, you know.
He then hears a girl crying. He approaches her to find out what's up... and she tells him that a boy just hit her. When Reddy confronts the boy... he explains that he saw that she was all by herself and was just inviting her to play "tag" with the rest of the kids.
We wrap up with a woman who was watching (but, for some reason didn't get involved when she saw a girl crying) tell Reddy that he's a "natural" when it comes to parenting.
Then... an interlude! Back at the temporary Young Justice HQ in the Poconos, Bart is trying to figure out a way for Superboy to get his powers back. Ya see, this is on the heels of the "Sins of Youth" event, in which all of the teen heroes swapped ages with the adult heroes... so, say... Superboy became Superman, and vice-versa. Anyhoo, when Superboy returned to his "real" age, he no longer had powers. And so, here we have Bart Allen rummaging through his issues of Secret Origins to try and concoct Kon's return to a super-powered state.
Our next vignette features Robin and Nightwing as they stakeout a fella named Billings in Bludhaven. Robin's having some trouble readjusting to being in his teen-age body after briefly becoming Batman. He's also struggling with the fact that... being Batman was hard. Who better to chat up than the original Robin... and short-tenured Batman himself, Dick Grayson?
They continue to chat, and the subject shifts to secret identities. Ya see, Tim hasn't shared his with his Young Justice teammates... because, with his comes (in theory) the whole Bat-Family. Dick points out how funny it is that Tim felt overwhelmed by the responsibility of being Batman... however, feels right at home leading an entire superhero team.
Just then, they see their ticket into Billings' house. Hungry Harry's Deli delivers! When Billings goes to answer the door, we find out exactly what kind of sandwich he ordered... a knuckle sandwich! (Yeah, that was pretty bad... I apologize).
Turns out he'd actually ordered cheesesteak fajitas... which, I feel like they were trying to establish as the "tourist food" of Bludhaven. As they tie the baddie up, Nightwing is convinced that everything will eventually work itself out.
Back to the interlude... Bart has read his comics and has a few ideas on how Kon-El might get his groove back. First he tops off his Soder Cola with some Super Soldier Serum Syrup... then places a non-radioactive spider atop his sushi rolls. It's a cute scene.
Our next story features Cassie as she finds out she'd scored the lead in her schools presentation of Our Town. She's not at all sure how she feels about this... after all, she only tried out so her gal-pal wouldn't have to do it alone. Said gal-pal then starts getting on her about planning her life. Wow, that escalated pretty quickly.
Later on, Cassie returns home... and unfortunately for her, it's report card day. Her mother is furious that her daughter got a B in history... and forbids her from meeting up with her Young Justice friends on school nights until she raises that grade.
She can, however, train with Artemis. The pair discuss some of Cassie's trepidation when it comes to heroing. After the age-swap of "Sins of Youth" Cassie knows that she most definitely does want to be a superhero when she grows up... but, what about now? Maybe she'd like to have a semi-normal teen-age experience... maybe even be in a school play. Welp, that's not what "Artie" wants to hear... and she dismisses her.
On the ride home, the Sandsmarks happen across a a woman who had just flipped her car and slammed into a pole. She made it out okay, however, her baby is still struggling in the inferno. Lucky for her, one of those Sandsmarks is Wonder Girl. Cassie saves the tot... realizes the kind of difference she can make as a superhero... and the following day, drops out of the play? Okay.
Our final "interlude" has Bart still trying all sorts of ways to give Kon some (any) powers. He starts by bathing him in a mixture of chemicals... which, I guess isn't the worst idea considering how several of the speedsters got their powers.
When Kon doesn't immediately exhibit super speed, Bart figures maybe he used the "Plastic Man chemicals" instead... and checks to see if Superboy's appendages have become all stretchy. No dice there either.
Superboy then pins Bart down and tells him to back off... then we close out with a look at all the rest of the goofy stuff Impulse had snagged in his attempt to make a hero out of Kon. How did Bart get a hold of a Green Lantern battery?! And 'Mazing Man's helmet?!
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Had more fun with this than I expected. Young Justice is one of those weird books... it was probably in my Top 3 books while it was coming out, but I have such a hard time revisiting it. Not sure if I just "outgrew" 'em... maybe it reminds me how none of "these" characters really exist anymore... or, maybe it just reminds me that this was half-a-life ago, and I start questioning all of the decisions I've made since then. Either way... ahem, had a good time with this.
Should we start with the framing/interlude sequence? These scenes were cute. Bart acting like you'd imagine Bart would in this sort of situation. I mean, he's being a complete pain in the ass... but, his heart is definitely in the right place. He's going to these lengths in order to help his buddy. Gotta remember that Kon is one of his very few "real" friends... and he probably doesn't wanna lose him as a "running buddy" on the team.
It's also always neat to see those "gallery" panels with oddities like, ya know, 'Mazing Man's helmet (which even makes it to the cover!). And all the Bart-takes on classic superhero origins was a lot of fun to see.
Let's talk about the Cassie arc first. I get what they're going for here... but, and I think we've talked about this before... when you bring the idea of superheroes being able to save "everybody", it all kinda starts to fall apart. Here we have Cassie, who just happened to be in the right place to save that baby from the burning car... which says to her that she needs to be a superhero from this point on... and walk away from her role in the school play.
But... heroes can't be everywhere, right? I mean, if Cassie had her way, she'd have been across country hanging out (and heroing) with Young Justice on this night... and that baby wouldn't have made it. So... which is it? You're never going to be everywhere at once... and if heroes could save everybody... then nothing bad would ever happen. Not sure what giving up a role in a school play would help. Again... I get what they're going for... I just think it's a pretty flimsy way to go about it.
Red Tornado's story was... ehh, a bit on the saccharine side. Another where I "get what they're going for", but still... feels a bit trite. I mean, for the entire thing to work, we have to allow for the fact that a grown-up woman ignored the cries of a young girl... who, as far as anyone knew, had just been slapped by one of the boys.
And, really... what exactly did Reddy do besides ask "What happened here?" Is that really being a "natural" father? I think that's just being an adult, no?
Unsurprisingly, (and ignoring it's non-ending) I felt like the Nightwing and Robin bit was likely the strongest of the issue. Tim struggling with how much he should let his teammates "in" has been an ongoing thread in Young Justice from the very start. I appreciate that they understand (and explain) just what a domino-effect giving out his secret identity has the potential to cause. It really could unravel the entire Bat-Family... which wouldn't be a good thing.
I dig that while Tim and Dick have so many similarities, they're also very different young men. I loved that Dick was quick to point out the differences between the Teen Titans and Young Justice. His dismissal of the "Junior Justice League" as perhaps a little "less stable" than his old team was pretty neat... and, also pretty true.
This was a "jam" issue of sorts, with several writers and artists... all of which flowed pretty nicely. The only artist who really stuck out here was Zircher, as he is far less cartoony than the rest of the team. Still, great work all around as far as art is concerned.
Overall, yeah... this is worth a peek. It's not quite on the level of a Scott Lobdell post-crossover X-Men issue, but if you ask me... few things are. The kids are starting to get their lives back to normal following "Sins of Youth", and it was a pretty good time. This issue is available digitally.
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Justice League America #45 (December, 1990)
"A Date With Density, Part Two: Hell on Ice!"
Plot - Keith Giffen
Script - J.M. DeMatteis
Penciller - Russell Braun & Adam Hughes
Inker - John Beatty, Jose Marzan, Jr., & Malcolm Jones III
Letterer - Bob Lappan
Colorist - Gene D'Angelo
Assistant Editor - Kevin Dooley
Editor - Andy Helfer
Cover Price: $1.00
Heyyy, it's been a little while... but, today we have a request!
Good pal Jody Yerdon (@regalfan) suggested we take a look at this very issue of Justice League America. He tells me it's his all-time favorite comic!
And as luck would have it, we've already covered the "pre-req" for this issue, way back in the long ago when we read Justice League America #28 (1989), which featured Ice and Guy's first date... with density.
As this is labelled a "Part Two" to that issue... I think we can even toss 'em both onto our "Collected Editions" page!
Big thanks to Jody for the suggestion (and his patience)... at the risk of "spoiling" what's to come... this is one helluva fun issue! Thanks for giving me the opportunity to revisit it!
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We open with Max Lord and Oberon having a little heart-to-heart conversation. Ya see, his good buddy Scott Free just came "back to life"... it's a long story, maybe we'll cover it someday... and seeing as though, the Frees are some of the few folks he actually considers "family", he'd really like to spend some time with them. He tells Max is might be time for him to step back from his responsibilities with the League. Oberon steps out of Max's office... and right into the usual craziness of the Embassy... including, a quarrel between Guy Gardner and his would-be "main squeeze", Ice.
Looks like this time around, Guy took Ice to the most romantic of spots... a cock-fight. Last time we accompanied them on a date, it was a skin flick... so, I guess your mileage may vary on what direction the "Guy Gardner's ideal date" needle is moving. He begs her for one more chance... and after promising to behave... and to let her choose the spot (even crossing his heart and hoping to die) Tora finally comes around.
As they both prepare for their night out, it's revealed that their destination will be... the Ice-Capists! Bea continually badgers Tora over her decision... and tells her she should reconsider the whole shebang. Elsewhere in the Embassy, Lightray gives Guy enough rope to hang himself when it comes to describing exactly what "The Ice-Capists" is. Both excellent (and funny!) scenes. Speaking of funny scenes, upon arrival to Madison Square Garden we get a one-off line I don't think we'd see in 2018.
Back at the Embassy, Blue Beetle gets wind of the Guy/Tora date... and deduces that it's the perfect time to pull a prank. Bea isn't on board... so Ted heads off to find Kilowog... who also isn't exactly keen on the idea. Somewhere (off-panel) Beetle is able to convince them both.
Back at the Garden, The Ice-Capists Show heats up. Looks to me like they've been visited by the Tamaranean Ice Dancers Federation.
Backstage, Beetle, Bea, and 'Wog are chatting up one of the stagehands. Ted tells him they've got a big surprise for Guy Gardner's "birthday". He calls for his manager... and whatever Ted's got planned is okayed.
Outside the main theatre, Guy waits for Ice to finish using the restroom. Not a very exciting scene, but it does provide this panel... which is definitely worth sharing.
Guy and Tora make it back to their seats just in time for a big announcement... tonight's special attraction will be: Guy Gardner on Ice. Well, I'm sure that's how Guy wanted the night to end... but, I'm guessing this is isn't quite what he had in mind.
We shift ahead... back to the Embassy where Guy is still in a catatonic state from his pent up anger. After letting out one great big Garden-shaking scream... he just shut down!
Ice helps him to his room... and thanks him for the nice night. He actually conducted himself like a proper gentleman... though, going catatonic before the night was through probably helped. Guy enters his bedroom to find...
The jig is up, Guy immediately knows that Beetle was behind the whole thing. As he stomps through the Embassy, the ruckus wakes... Orion, who is none too keen on being awakened. He blows past Oberon in search of the source of the racket.
We wrap up with Oberon... who stands for a moment and ponders. He calls out to Bea... who doesn't even hear him over all the craziness. It's then clear to him that his time with this group of yo-yos in done.
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What a great issue! They really don't make books like this anymore, do they?
I feel like when people discuss this era of Justice League, they sometimes lose themselves in the "bwah ha ha-iness" of it all. Or, they just think "heh heh, one punch, heh heh"... but, this issue proves that there is so much more to it than that. Just look at our open and end... Oberon has to make the decision as to whether or not to remain with the team. That's some heavier than expected melancholy for a book many folks dismiss as simply being "silly".
Max refers to Oberon as the "heart" of the League... and, when you really think about it... it's hard to argue. Since this League came to be, Oberon has always been there. Never really a "prime time player", but integral to the team's dynamic. Even if he was just the target for an insult... or the provider of one, Oberon was important (and irreplaceable) to this team.
The ending with him walking out the door... without any pomp and circumstance was heartbreaking... and all too real. I think a lot of us become wrapped up in ourselves... and feel like if we were to, say, quit our jobs... it'd be just as life-changing for our co-workers as it is for us. Then, reality sets in... and you realize that you're just you... and life doesn't wait around long before "going on". It's really just you walking out a door.
Okay, well after bumming everyone out... let's talk about Guy Gardner on Ice! This was a lot of fun... and really showed the strength of J.M. DeMatteis' snappy dialog chops. I mean, the conversation felt so natural in every situation. Sometimes I forget just how good this fella is!
Whether it was Fire and Ice talking about whether or not she should do on the date... Guy being razzed by Lightray... Beetle trying to convince his fellow Leaguers to prank Guy... everything felt "snappy" without being "rehearsed". Today's concept of "realistic" dialog is, unfortunately, whatever we got from a Kevin Smith movie 15 years ago. "Banter" is definitely among those art forms that has been lost.
The only place this issue kind of struggled was with the unevenness of the art. It's pretty clear who did what in this issue... because there are some excellent pages... and some, not-so-excellent pages. Wouldn't say any of it is "bad", but... certainly could've been better.
It's funny, but while flipping through my longbox, I discovered that it's just after this very issue that my "love affair" with this era of the League kinda wanes. From here we jump into the General Glory mishagoss... get a couple of good issues... then right on into the 700-Part "Breakdowns" crossover. Such a rapid shift that you could just tell that there was a change on the horizon.
Overall... definitely check this one out! This is one of those issues... and one of those runs... that I'd say you need to have in your comics library. Now, you know me... I'm a single-issue (not floppy) kinda dude... but if you can't track it down, I suppooooose you could nab it digitally.
Big thanks again to Jody for the suggestion! Requests are always welcome here... we love em! And by "we", I mean "me", because I'm the only one here!
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