Justice League of America (vol.3) #1 (April, 2013)
"World's Most Dangerous, Chapter One"
Writer - Geoff Johns
Art - David Finch
Colors - Sonia Oback w/Jeromy Cox
Letters - Rob Leigh
Associate Editor - Katie Kubert
Senior Editor - Brian Cunningham
Cover Price: $3.99
Hey, waitasec... is that a variant cover?!
Yep, this is one of the handful of times I decided to order a variant instead of the "regular" edition... not that it's all that much different, just a state flag instead of Old Glory. In this case, Arizona's state flag.
I've said before how little patience I have for variants... but I don't think I've ever gone into detail with the "why's". First, I feel like they make covers, in and of themselves, less special... and ultimately less memorable and iconic. I don't think I can name a single memorable cover from the past several years.
Also, it makes ordering comics a whole lot more complicated than it ought to be! I use DCBS to order my books, and in an age where damn near every single book has at least one variant cover, it sometimes feels like I'm stomping through a minefield wearing tennis racket shoes when I try and complete my order. I shouldn't have to pore over the order page the way I do just to make sure I don't accidentally choose a $50 variant cover of Wolverine as a baby, or Harley Quinn eating a hot dog. Of course, I get the opportunity to review my order, but still... it's a great big pain in the butt.
Now, don't get it twisted. If variants are your thing, more power to ya. Though, I can't say I'm not looking forward to the day where we look back at them the same way we currently look back on the era of "enhanced" covers.
With that bit of kvetching out of the way... onto the book!
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We open five years ago... hey, that's such a New-52! thing to do, ain't it? We're in London, where Professor Ivo has a meeting with... somebody, about the recent appearance of super-heroes. Since they're the opposition, they suppose this makes them super-villains. We jump to the present, and find a green-clad fella wearing a demon mask being followed through a forest by... the Justice League?! They claim that their "creator" wants this guy dead.
Speaking of the Justice League, next we shift scenes into the offices of Amanda Waller. I swear I read her voice as the Chief's from that Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego kids game show. Anyhoo, she's meeting with Steve Trevor about putting together another Justice League... one that reports to the United States government. He doesn't think it's all that great an idea... the Wall just believes he's too emotionally invested in a certain member of the real Justice League.
To attempt to "bring him around", Waller shows Steve a photo of Superman and Wonder Woman making out. I think that happened in or around Justice League (vol.2) #12. It's also that thing that Booster Gold wanted to make sure never happened... and when it did, he vanished into the timestream. Man, they did so much planning in these early stages of the New-52!, didn't they? Remember all that awesome and riveting follow-up?! Yeah, me neither.
Trevor's still not 100% on-board, but is now willing to listen. Waller uses this super-tryst as the rationale for putting together a League who answers to the government. After all, what happens if/when Superman and Wonder Woman break up? Will there be a super-war? What happens if/when Superman and Wonder Woman... have kids??? According to Waller, there are a number of ways that this can "end badly".
And so, she begins rattling off members of this supposed new team... starting with, Hawkman! Steve wonders why Hawkman would ever agree to joining the JLA... Waller explains that they've offered him diplomatic immunity, so that he can continue doing whatever it is he's doing without worry of repercussions. We get a look at the man himself, and it looks like he's kiiiiiinduva dirty cop.
The next member is Katana. Steve protests immediately, as Katana is... ya know, a killer. Waller explains that she's no longer an assassin... then goes on to say that she is vying for the title of "World's Deadliest Assassin". Huh? So, is she... or not? C'mon. Anyhoo, she'll join because Waller can connect her with some targets. So... definitely still an assassin then?
Next... the "funny ha-ha" member. The fella chosen for alllllll the retweets, Vibe. He's a young fella with vibrational powers... no longer a break-dancer (which actually kind of surprised me). He is portrayed as not being the most adept at super-heroing, but his heart is in the right place.
Remember that demon-mask guy from earlier? We rejoin him... still running through the woods... and he's losing blood fast.
Next new member... Stargirl, and she's... eesh, a celebrity. I thought the whole charm to Courtney was that she was just a normal girl swept into the superhero world. I wasn't a fan of this take.
Anyhoo, after being regaled by her teenybopper fandom, she saves a kid from a burning building. Looking back, she sees a pentagram, which reminds her of "Pemberton"... likely/definitely a reference to Sylvester Pemberton, the original Star-Spangled Kid.
We get the next few members in rapid-fire succession... just looking at photos on the Wall's desk. We see Martian Manhunter, Simon Baz... and Green Arrow. Steve ain't pleased to see any of these guys. There's reference to J'onn having been a member of the Justice League previously, which ended in a terrible fight (that I'm still not sure we've ever seen play out). Simon had recently been arrested (though, as Waller points out, not convicted)... and Ollie... well, Steve just doesn't think he's up for the job.
Steve's got his own idea for Ollie's "spot" though... Selina Kyle, Catwoman. He hides out in a suite under Kyle's name... and waits for her to arrive. They fight for a bit, naturally... with Catwoman getting the better of the scuffle, again naturally. Steve offers her membership in the JLA in exchange for information. I feel like we're leaning on that gimmick a bit too much here.
And so, our team is assembled. Each member specifically chosen as a "counter" measure against the members of the original League. For Superman there's a Martian Manhunter... Batman, a Green Arrow Catwoman... for Wonder Woman, Katan... wait, what?... Hal's got Simon... Barry's got Vibe... Stargirl is Cyborg's opposite (somehow)... and finally, Aquaman's got Hawkman.
The meeting wraps up when the Wall is called away for a debriefing on Baz. After she leaves, Steve tell J'onn it's safe to come out. Turns out he was here the whole time... and he knows the real reason Steve is going through with this. He promises, if anybody in A.R.G.U.S. tries anything funny, he'll erase everybody's minds. Fair enough.
The discussion is interrupted by word that somebody is "back" and "in bad shape". Steve rushes to the medical ward, and finds the man with the demon mask on the table.
Turns out... it's Green Arrow! He reports in that he was targeted by a group calling themselves the "Secret Society". Steve presses for more answers, however, Ollie decides to flat-line instead.
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Not... my favorite.
First things first... I am so burned out on the concept of a superhero team working for the United States government... or an acronymed organization in cahoots with the United States government. One of the reasons I stopped reading Marvel was that I grew so tired of the Avengers having to stop to check in with S.H.I.E.L.D. before committing to even a bowel movement. It got so bad, it almost felt like parody! I remember opening Uncanny X-Men #1... one of the several we've had over the past half-decade... and instead of opening with, ya know... the X-Men, we get Maria Hill and S.H.I.E.L.D.?! Ya kiddin' me wit' dis?
Even though I hated it (and still do), I could excuse it... because Marvel did have a S.H.I.E.L.D. television program. Did DC/CW have an A.R.G.U.S. one I'd never heard about? Are they cashing in on the mainstream appeal of A.R.G.U.S.?!
So yeah, the very premise and predication of this series has already turned me off. The fact that, with the power of hindsight, I know that this series became an afterthought after Johns left... well, that might color how I receive it during this reread as well.
The team we are offered here is pretty rag-tag, I suppose. Not quite to the point of a CBR "wouldn't it be cool if...?" thread (well, besides Vibe), but really... not one that would make me come back month after month (if I weren't already a completionist, that is).
This whole endeavor feels, I dunno... "empty" to me. It's as though DC realized that there's strength (and $$$) in the Justice League brand, and understood that they might be leaving money on the table by not having a Justice League of America book on the shelves. If our pals in mainstream comics know anything... it's how to flood dem shelves (all the while, cautioning the rest of the industry on "glut", hmm...).
Overall... yeah, this wasn't my favorite. The art was spectacular, I'll give it that much. Perhaps if I weren't so burned out on government-sponsored superheroes, I'd be more "rah rah"... but, I yam what I yam.
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The Family Dynamic #1 (October, 2008)
"Into the Light of the Dark of Night"
Writer - J. Torres
Penciller - Tim Levins
Inks - Dan Davis
Colors - Dave McCaig
Letters - Sal Cipriano
Editor - Adam Schlagman
Cover Price: $2.25
And now for something completely different!
Today's offering comes from that time in my life where I had lost my job... and just about everything else. Comics weren't foremost on my mind, and so... I missed out on a bunch. It's usually books that came from this era that "surprise me" the most when I flip past 'em in the cheap-o bins.
It's like I have this weird "blind spot" in my comics collecting "career". There's no context... there's no connective tissue... it's just a weird book, that even to this day, I wasn't aware even existed!
Today we'll be checking out an All-Ages title and meet The Fantas-- er, Family Dynamic.
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We open at a Storm City Convenience Store where a trio of teen-agers are chatting about some recent events. A cover of the most recent issue of News Time Magazine sparks a conversation about a recent alien threat, and how the superhero team The Family Dynamic led the charge against them. They then begin to argue about whether or not heroes without superpowers (such as Blackbird and Little Wing) can actually be considered superheroes. It's all a bit much, really.
Because, of course... these teen-agers are actually some of the heroes being discussed. One of whom (Makenzie) doesn't have powers. They race back home, for today is Thanksgiving Day... and upon arrival they find themselves walking into quite the scene!
But before we get to that, we're going to have to jump back one month in time. Actually, we're not going to be getting to the Thanksgiving Dinner scene at all this issue. So, one month ago... there was a terrible forest fire... and The Family Dynamic were able to save the day. Let's meet this foursome, one at a time...
First, there's Pyralis... the leader of The Family Dynamic, who controls the element of Fire. Easy peasy, right? Battling an inferno should be a day off for him.
Then, there's Sirocco, who controls the element of Air. She whips up a cyclone to draw all of the oxygen out of the fire... putting it out faster than any fire fighter could ever hope to.
Next, we meet Troylus, a youngster who controls the element of Water. He directs a tidal wave over some burning buildings to halt the blaze.
Finally, the youngest member of The Family Dynamic... and the one with the easiest to remember name... Terran! He controls, duh, Earth. He carries civilians to safety... however, he has help from another superhero, the Superman-analogue called Defender.
News reports are positively giddy at the prospect that The Family Dynamic and Defender might be working together moving forward. It's almost as though the forest fire takes a back seat to this "news".
Which brings us to a few days later... where the heroes decide to meet up in their civvies. Defender is actually, Dwayne Day... who, I believe is supposed to be a... get this, mild-mannered reporter. He visits with Sloan (Pyralis) for an interview. It's here that we learn that The Family Dynamic is actually a group of Legacy Heroes... as in, they ain't the first with that moniker. Indeed, the originals included Sloan's father (then known as Captain Cyclone)... and he's actually the fella Dwayne's looking to interview.
Oh, we also learn that The Family Dynamic is actually a family. It's Sloan, his wife, and their two sons. Of the original team, Captain Cyclone is the only one still alive... the others had been killed in battle by the Dark Wraith. It's only because of Sloan and his family that Captain Cyclone is still among the living.
Members of The Family Dynamic each wear a ring which allows them to control an element. Dwayne asks Sloan why he chose the Fire Ring, when his father had fought crime using the Air Ring. Sloan replies that it's the only one that "fit"... so, it's kind of like the ring chose him.
They take the interview out of the basement HQ, and back into the living room. They begin discussing "other" heroes... those without super-powers, ya know... like Blackbird and Little Wing (they're really pushing these two!). Sloan dismisses them as "vigilantes" because they don't follow the "Superhero Code", whatever that is. Just then, Sloan's sister Maeve busts in... and she's ticked off that nobody is answering her phone calls. I mean, I've known Maeve for about two seconds at this point, and even I can see why they wouldn't!
Anyhoo, she wants to know what The Family Dynamic is doing getting all chummy with Defender... and she rants about this right in front of her brother's house guest. She's also there to talk with Sloan's kids to get the "teen perspective" on some music. We learn here that Maeve actually has a teen-age daughter (hmm...). Maeve then leaves, but insists on giving Dwayne a ride home.
The next day, Sloan and the kids return home from work and school, respectively. It's not long after getting home that the TV news turns to a report that Tragedy Ann and Tom Foolery are causing some trouble downtown. Heyyy, aren't they from Doomsday Clock?!
Anyhoo, the Family Dynamic... ugh... "Get their Element On". I hate myself for typing that.
Downtown, Tragedy Ann and Tom Foolery are delivering some threats. First they take responsibility for that forest fire from earlier, claiming that it was only a "dress rehearsal" for what's to come.
But then... The Family Dynamic arrives on the scene... looking more like superheroes... and less like frumpy suburbanites in spandex.
Tragedy Ann threatens to crash a blimp into the city in a reenactment of the Hindenburg Disaster... however, says she might just reconsider if Blackbird (her again?) turns herself over to them.
The Family Dynamic won't stand for these threats, however... and leap into action. Errr... well, they begin to, anyway. They wind up tangled in a net... not courtesy of Tragedy Ann, though! Now Enter: Blackbird and Little Wing!
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Well... first things first... love the art, love the character designs. You could almost see these characters popping up in a Pixar-type movie... which, I suppose, considering when this way made, might've been the point?
The story we get here is... really nothing special. It's just another "take" on a superhero universe, using obvious analogues to comic book archetypes to flesh out their world. I can't speak for anyone but myself, but, I dunno... maybe I'm a little too familiar with these archetypes to truly appreciate the novelty anymore?
It's easy to draw comparisons between The Family Dynamic and the Fantastic Four... heck, they even have similar powers! Defender is an obvious Superman analogue (even down to his civilian occupation!)... and Blackbird and Little Wing are another take on Batman and Robin. By the way, we all understand that they're really Maeve and Makenzie, right?
While I found the, I dunno, "gimmick" of this book to be just kinda "there", that's not to say I didn't have some fun with it... because I did. Like I said, the art was a definite treat... and I also appreciate the amount of world-building Torres engaged in. I mean, we learn things about the previous generation of The Family Dynamic! You know I'm a sucker for that sort of thing, so I definitely dug it here!
Tragedy Ann and Tom Foolery were a lot of fun. I'm always going to sign off on punny names... and it didn't hurt that they just look so cool! Again, can't say enough about how much I adore the art and character designs here... they're really great!
Plus, I can't wait for the reveal that this is actually taking place in the Watchmen Universe...
... okay, probably not.
Overall, despite not finding anything "new" here... I still had a decent enough time with this one. I'm not sure I'll rush out to track down the rest of this series anytime soon... but, lemme tell ya, if you come across this one in a cheap-o bin... odds are, you'll find something to like! Doesn't look like this has been made available digitally... which really, isn't much of a surprise.
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New Teen Titans (vol.2) #21 (June, 1986)
"On Top of the World"
Writer/Editor - Marv Wolfman
Pencils - Eduardo Barreto
Inks - Romeo Tanghal & Pablo Marcos
Letters - John Costanza
Colors - Adrienne Roy
Cover Price: $1.50
Now, this is the issue I wanted to discuss yesterday... but realized we really needed to "set the table" before tackling it. A few big things happen in this issue... the Titans' reputation takes a hit, Roy meets his daughter, and perhaps most tragically... Terry Long gets fired!
Let's get right to it!
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We pick up right where we left off yesterday... Cheshire is both threatening to kill Roy, and informing him that he's the father of her baby. Before she can pull the trigger, Robin swoops in for the distraction. There's a brief tussle, which Cheshire gets the better of... however, she realizes that she just can't go through with killing Speedy. She tells him that she spared his life... so, he may as well git while the gittin' is good. If they cross paths again, things will be different.
Meanwhile, on the Matterhorn, the Titans are fighting with Cheshire's goons. Wonder Girl looks on in horror as Hawk just throws one of the baddies off the mountain! She thinks to herself that he's a "cold-blooded murderer" as she leaps after the falling man. Dunno... can you really call someone who is in the middle of a battle to the death, a "cold-blooded murderer"? I mean, Cheshire's goons probably wouldn't have any problem if a Titan just happened to die in the skirmish, right?
By now, Cheshire has made it outside, and is stood before the, uh... cabin... where the peace talks are currently underway. Roy, it turns out, did not heed her earlier warning... and is hot on her tail. She reiterates... informing him that he is "forcing her to kill him". Meanwhile, Wonder Girl is still falling... remember, she cannot fly, only glide on air currents. She manages to nab the fallin' fella, and use her lasso to momentarily halt their fall.
Back up top, Cheshire pleads with Roy to take a step back. She warns that nothing he sees is really what it seems, as she tosses a grenade inside the Peace Summit Cabin. Roy fires an arrow into her right shoulder, and she responds with a swipe of her venomous claws.
She makes a hasty retreat just as Hawk makes his way over. Seeing the shape his teammate is in, he does not pursue the departing assassin. Inside the cabin, Garth grabbed the grenade and gave it one helluva toss. Roy ain't worried though... everything is starting to make sense to him. He realizes that the grenade likely isn't "live" and also that the venom Cheshire used on his face probably won't kill him. This... was a set-up!
As Donna and the goon safely make their way down the mountain, the "boss man", King Faraday, finally pipes up to the boys. Ya see, this wasn't exactly a government mission. Faraday and the SIA took it upon themselves to get involved. Part of the peace talk "deal" was that neither side (U.S.A./U.S.S.R.) would bring "back-up"... just the Ambassadors and their translators were to be present. This would be a way to build trust between the superpowers. With the Titans showing up... well, that isn't really a good look for the United States, now is it? Cheshire's "assassination attempt" was just a ruse to discredit the Teen Titans.
Down below, Wally has decided to leave the hotel and join his fellow Titans. Along the way, he passes Cheshire... who is still trying to yank that arrow out of her shoulder. Wally refuses to give her a hand, and is then attacked by... the Church of Brother Blood?!
With Flash kayoed, the Bloodites help Cheshire with her wound and thank her for her aid before they all leave together. Moments later, the Titans reconnoiter... and it looks as though the damage is already done. We see various news reports placing the blame for the peace talks falling through squarely at the feet of the Titans. Whoops.
As the Titans head home, with their heads hung low... we pop over to Zandia... where the Church of Brother Blood is doing their thing. We see Lilith's old squeeze Azrael (not that Azrael) as he is being prepared to resurrect the dead. We move in deeper to find Raven and her mother held captive in the dungeon.
We next see the arrival of several converts to the Church... including an incognito Dick Grayson! He's gone so far as to wear a fake beard and a "heart-dampener" to change the rhythm of his heart... buuuut, the Bloodites see through it anyway. He's allowed entry... seems like they might just want him there.
Back at Titans Tower, the team licks their wounds. The Island is surrounded by an anti-Titans mob, waving signs and what-not. Jeez, you extend the Cold War just one time... Anyhoo, Donna tries calling Terry at a Certain New York University... but doesn't get an answer. This is because... he's currently in the Dean's office... gettin' canned!
In order for Terry to keep his position, he had to be published. Despite several extensions on his deadline... he's still got bupkis! So, he's given the boot. As he walks off campus, he's cat-called by several young co-eds... which tells me this might be a college for the blind? Anyhoo, he thinks to himself that this is all Donna's fault... after all, she was supposed to help him write his papers. Donna arrives as a Certain New York University just as Terry leaves.
Terry's (now former) secretary fills Donna in on what just went down... and she freaks out... and, get this, blames herself! Silliness. Anyhoo, she rushes home to comfort her man... only to find the apartment empty! Terry Long has flown the coop!
Speaking of flying... Roy Harper wings it to Hong Kong for a visit with Cheshire. After a bit of awkwardness, she allows him to meet his daughter, Lian.
Back in Zandia, Dick Grayson fights his way to the dungeons of Brother Blood. Seems like it's going almost too easily... and there's a reason for that. He finds Raven... and is shocked by how she currently looks. We don't get a good look at her, though. Mother Mayhem is pleased that things are going according to plan... and asks that nitwit TV Reporter Bethany Snow be updated.
Three days later, we rejoin Donna. Terry Long is still missing in action... or missing in inaction, I suppose. Well, not no more. He's returned home and he's full of apologies. He says he went up to Cape Cod to clear his head, and came to the conclusion that his termination is his own damned fault.
We wrap up with Terry taking full responsibility for his inaction, and asking for Donna's forgiveness... which she gives. I dunno, I'd probably be asking a question or two about his stay in Cape Cod... I doubt he was searchin' for his lost shaker of salt.
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Boy-o-boy, you sure got a lotta bang for your buck (fiddy) back in the day, didn'tcha? I mean, this is like three completely different issues in one! We get the Matterhorn stuff, the Brother Blood bits, and the Terry tragedy. Really interesting, and well-done, package!
I'm not even sure where to start!
Okay, I always know where to start... Terry Long. When I reflect on the Titans, and Terry's "affiliation" with them, I usually conflate him losing his job with the souring of his relationship with Donna. For whatever reason, I remember his blaming her to be a much longer-lived issue. It was sort of surprising that, now that I'm "paying attention", it didn't even last half an issue! I wanna say it comes up again from time to time, but that might just be my confirmation bias speaking.
Now, I tell ya what... if I lost my job, and then took a three day vacation to reflect without telling the wife... I'm guessing she'd be more likely to let me have it for skipping town than losing the gig. I don't think she'd be overjoyed upon my return... and, really... I wouldn't blame her! Terry losing his job is one thing... that just happens! Sometimes you're to blame, other times, you're not. It's just part of life. But to take off to Cape Cod for three days? That's just ridiculous.
Over to Roy... it was pretty neat getting to witness his first meeting with his daughter. I really appreciated Jade's struggle as well. She blames Roy for using her while undercover... taking advantage of her, and never really having "true" feelings for her. Of course, that's not entirely true. She wants him dead... and honestly, had him at her mercy more than once in Switzerland... but, just couldn't do it. Just couldn't deprive Lian of her father. Good stuff!
The Brother Blood stuff... ya know, once we're "inside" the compound... they do very little for me. The church isn't as boring as the H.I.V.E., but still, I can't get all that excited for them. What I did love was how they discredited the Titans. I thought that was pretty fantastic. What better way to weaken an enemy than by affecting how they are perceived by the public? Hell, maybe Mother Mayhem ought to consider running for public office, she's got all the right tools for it!
Overall... really good (and super dense) issue. I wouldn't recommend starting with this one... but, if you're already strapped in for a New Teen Titans read-through, I'd bet that you'll really enjoy this chapter!
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