Genesis #3 (October, 1997)
"Event Horizon"
Writer - John Byrne
Penciller - Ron Wagner
Inker - Joe Rubenstein
Colorist - Patricia Mulvihill
Letterer - Clem Robins
Assistant Editor - Jason Hernandez-Rosenblatt
Editor - Paul Kupperberg
Cover Price: $1.95
Wow, we're almost done with Genesis already? I suppose we shouldn't throw any babies in the air just yet... we still got about 45 pages to go.
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We open with the straws being drawn... an endeavor which appears to be rendered moot the very next page, when every hero is transported to the Source Wall, and stood before a very sassy Darkseid. I've been looking at this panel with Darkseid with his hand on his hip for a few minutes now... and I'm still chuckling. I'm picturing him saying "Don't go there."
From here we get yet another explanation of the God-Wave, just in case people decided to jump on with this issue, I guess. It's the same as it was... first wave swept over the universe 40,000 years ago leaving a "seed of divinity" in its wake, creating the Gods of worship and myth. It would then double back, planting the potential for latent super power in the folks we look at as the DC pantheon of superheroes.
Darkseid stops yapping when we hit page 5, and our story can finally begin. The heroes get restless, and so Darkseid sics his legion of Parademons and Elite Forces on them.
The battle is short lived, as Takion pops his shiny bod out of the mix... and with him, a handful of the heroes (probably those who drew the "short straw"). He informs them all that he is able to communicate with the Source, and right now what it wants is... to be penetrated. Metron uses his Mobius Chair to scan for an advantageous point of entry... and as luck would have it, there's one right below them! The wizard, Shazam arrives just in time to lend a hand.
Meanwhile in Gotham, Robin, Huntress, and Catwoman still sit perched atop a roof complaining about their loss of hope. I guess quoting Hitler will only get you so far, eh Selina?
Back at the Source, a battle rages. Superman grows frustrated over his lack of control over his strange new powers. At the same time, Darkseid and Desaad are standing at a console. They are visited by... yawn, the Spectre. I guess this is when we're supposed to realize that this event is important. He doesn't stick around long, and inserts himself into the Source Wall. At that very moment, time... stops! For a moment.
At the console, Darkseid continues to pontificate. He is then visited by a strange man, who introduces himself as one of the Old Gods... the "opposite number" to Arzaz. He offers Darkseid his aid.
Suddenly, the Source... screams! It is felt far and wide across the universe.
In its fury, the Source ejects the interloping heroes. When the cosmic dust settles we learn that Takion did not survive.
Before the heroes can collect themselves, the unthinkable happens. The Source... explodes!
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Okay... I didn't hate this. Heck, I didn't even really dislike it! But, I gotta say... it's all happening way too fast.
It feels like what happened in this issue could have easily been spread out into a second... any urgency or feelings of intensity or suspense is lost when the reveals occur on the next (or the very same!) page.
Now, I get that I am not reading the tie-ins that go along with this, which may be taking me out of the cosmic gestalt... but, to my eyes that's more of a problem with the way comic events are produced. To me, if I'm buying the four-issue Genesis (or eight-issue Millennium) event miniseries, I'm expecting to receive a full story. Unfortunately that's not the case. While Millennium put everything important in the tie-ins, Genesis doesn't give us even half a second to reflect on the severity of the threats, how the heroes feel, or even what would occur should the bad guys win. I almost cringe to say it, but I think Genesis may have benefited from a fifth issue... at least to this point. Haven't read the ending yet, so I cannot really speak to that.
To briefly recap my event thoughts, I think Millennium should have been a two-issue "bookend" miniseries... and Genesis should have started with an issue #0. Yikes. Hmm... maybe just a "double-sized" #1... yeah, let's go with that.
For the issue itself... the problem is definitely in the pacing. Like I'd said above, everything is happening way too fast. They draw straws... but send the entire group anyway. The heroes are immediately standing before Darkseid... they battle. Darkseid is visited by the Spectre who enters the Source... Darkseid is then visited by a dark Old God... the Source explodes.
There's just no breathing room there... none of it feels important, because by the time one beat ends, another starts... and ends! I think we were supposed to feel something when Takion died... but it was treated as just another beat. This may have been done on purpose, with the thought that the end of the universe waits for no man... but, in comics, I think we need more than that. The comics format is about as flexible as they come. Heck, they could have added something along the lines of a countdown clock in the corner of each panel. It worked in a recent issue of Batman... where characters spoke full paragraphs in a single second. Impossible (and annoying to some), but comics allow that kind of wibbly-wobbly freedom.
The art here is still doing very little for me. I don't know about you, but the first time I see the Source Wall... I think that ought to be a grand, epic, and beautiful looking page. I mean, the Source Wall is a pretty big deal... and has the potential to look absolutely jaw-droppingly amazing. Here, it's just another panel. Such a wasted opportunity which really diminishes (to me) the impact of its destruction. I will say that some of the full-page character shots were pretty nice though.
Overall, this... of the three issues I've read so far, is my favorite. Does that mean I'd recommend it? Probably not. Characterization is lost in a sea of "stuff happening". Given how little time is spent on the characters, those heroes chosen to confront Darkseid could have easily been anyone. The only time there is a pause in the action is when we receive yet another info-dump.
I guess we will see how this one wraps up tomorrow. I was planning on covering a reader request, however... I realized I don't own the issue in question... and my local shop didn't have it. I'm going to be running some errands on the other side of town this weekend, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to procure it there. Apologies for the delay!
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(Not the) Letters Page:
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Genesis #2 (October, 1997)
"Edge of Destruction"
Writer - John Byrne
Penciller - Ron Wagner
Inker - Joe Rubenstein
Colorist - Patricia Mulvihill
Letterer - Clem Robins
Assistant Editor - Jason Hernandez Rosenblatt
Editor - Paul Kupperberg
Cover Price: $1.95
A lotta folks who know me know that I returned to college when I was 31. I remember thinking "How hard could it be?"... I've always enjoyed reading and learning, and didn't think the decade and a half I spent outside of the academic life would affect the way I received and processed new information.
Then... I cracked open my first textbook. I remember staring at it, and watching the words begin to dance with one another... everything was so dense and nothing at all made any sense (hey, that rhymes!). So much of it was also quite dry and dull. It was at that point, I realized just what I'd gotten myself into... and concluded that, "Hey, this is gonna be pretty hard."
I say all of that, so I might say this... I had a similar feeling when reading the first half of Genesis. There is so much dense-but-dull information to process and digest in this story... that I feel like I'm trying to parse information for an exam. Like I should be reading this thing with sticky notes and a highlighter. I mean, I literally just finished this issue... and I'll be damned if I can remember a single thing I read.
Oh well...
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We open with a three-page recap of what happened last issue. Superpowers are on the fritz, Kitty Faulkner gives us the down-low on the Kurtzberg Field, and an alien armada descends on Earth. Up to speed? Good. From here we jump back to New Genesis, where Takion is (still) talking about not being able to locate Darkseid. The New Gods are approached by a mortal called Arzaz, who it appears was a part of the Takion limited series, not that we'd get an editorial note to tell us such. Takion goes to send him away, and he reveals his true form. Arzaz is, in reality, an Old God from the First World. Ay yai yai. He warns that the looming doom threatens to wipe the Fourth World out of existence, and will usher in a terrible Fifth World in it's place. Got all that?
Back on Earth, several stereotypical folks watch as the sky fills with alien crafts. It's not terribly clear, but it seems as though some of these ordinary humans might be starting to display sparky electrical powers.
We shift to Gateway City, and check in with our new friend Officer Mike Schorr. He is trying to maintain the peace as the citizens panic. Gotta say... the officers are wearing "GCPD" armbands, which doesn't quite make me think "Gateway City Police Department". Anyhoo, Artemis stomps onto the scene... didn't realize she had short hair.
Oh, she doesn't. They just forgot it in that panel. She tries to keep the peace via threatening force with her American Gladiators looking swizzle-stick. She takes down a couple of goofs... and is shortly joined by Queen Hippolyta and Donna Troy. Together they hold off the angry (angrier?) mob.
The next scene is a bit strange. We head to Landis Fields, West Virginia where we join a foursome walking down a street toward a church. It seems that this town is seeing a spike in suicide, with 22 cases in the past few days. They chat with the priest , who is also rather confused by the events. Looks like another case of lost faith.
In Hawaii, we join Superboy as he himself is joined by... the Ravers! Remember them? They are happy to see that he is still among the living, and together they decide to teleport "straight to the source" of the looming doom. When they do, they find themselves standing before... God?
At the same time in Gotham City, Robin and the Huntress watch a riot from atop a nearby building. They are both too scared to intervene. Shortly they are joined by Catwoman who... get this, quotes Hitler... to motivate them into joining the fray.
We shift scenes to the White House, where the heroes are addressing (and being addressed by) President Bill Clinton. Gotta say, it is refreshing to see a U.S. President not being treated like a clueless putz in a comic book. Here, Superman is given the lead. He will greet the invaders under a white flag in attempt to reason with them, while flanked by the rest of the heroes. Clinton is wary, but ultimately agrees.
We can see on the news that the invaders have landed... among them are some familiar faces in the forms of Granny Goodness and Kalibak. Looks like Darkseid might be behind this after all. No duh.
As further evidence of Darkseid's involvement, the Teen Titans T-Jet is attacked by a crew of Parademons. The team does a decent job holding them off... until the Atom (this is Teenage Atom era Teen Titans) loses control of his size-shifting abilities. He grows uncontrollably, sending the jet into a tailspin.
All around the world, the heroes are faced with Apokoliptian threats. The Legionnaires fight off Mantis, Aquaman engages in undersea battle with a frogman, the Sovereign Seven (!!!) fend off the Female Furies. Wonder how Byrne felt about adding them to his story?
Elsewhere, the Martian Manhunter meets with the Darkstars and Omega Men in attempt to procure their support. He is called a traitor, and told to beat it. Before he can... the Highfather appears! All of the heroes are present as well... and we're about to enter some brain-hurty pages. The gist of the Highfather's spiel is that "ages ago" a Great World exploded... releasing a "God Wave" which spread universe-wide, and is responsible for the creation of all the Gods who we ordinary folks may believe in and worship. When the wave expanded to fill the entirety of the universe, it doubled-back on itself... this second wave is responsible for superpowers... and access to them (the Speed Force, Quantum Field). At this point, the God Wave is contracting... which somehow means that the universe will be wiped out and replaced with the "new and terrible" Fifth World. In this most opportune time, Darkseid plans to seize the power of the God Wave to attain Infinite Power. Still with me?
He continues, informing the heroes that there is still a chance to fix things... however, should they attempt, it may result in altering their powers, or ya know... death. In order to choose who will face Darkseid head-on, Green Lantern wills up a wad of sticks so the heroes can "draw straws". Woof.
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Still a snooze. I really wish I could summon the interest to either like or hate this story... but at the end of the day, it's just a boring story... with a sorta-kinda clever premise.
That premise concerns a "Godwave" being the source of pretty much everything we know to be true. Superpowers and access to them are the result of the wave. It's a decent sci-fi idea, but not one I dig for the DCU. It's a bit reminiscent of the White Event of Marvel's New Universe... which, I wouldn't figure to be something Byrne would invite comparison to. Then again, I might be projecting.
With all that said... I can't help but to feel that Byrne is being earnest in this endeavor, which makes it hard to really bag on it. This seems like he truly feels he needs to explain why superpowers exist. I mean, I don't think that's a question worth answering (or even asking)... but that's kinda Byrne's thing. I remember reading a bunch about how he would explain things down to the tiniest granule of minutia when revitalizing Superman for the post-Crisis world. There's something almost charming there... almost. Then you remember we're reading comics, and there are a few things we just want to "accept". Over-explanation can sometimes be worse than no explanation at all.
Like much of Byrne's output post-1990, I feel as though it's biggest weakness is in the framing. When we discussed Lab Rats all those months ago, I discussed ways in which I thought it could work... here, with Genesis... I do think there might be a story worth telling here... though, it might be better for an Elseworlds story. I don't want to think that everything we know about the DC Universe is the result of a "Godwave" bouncing back on itself. Even for comics, it's a bit far-fetched. Though, to be fair... in a vacuum, it's a clever idea. In my opinion, not worth exploring in the canonical DCU... but for an Elseworlds, why not?
The only thing that kinda stands out to me is the ordinary folks being somehow affected. Their loss of faith might have something to do with the God Wave that created the objects of their faith being depowered/erased, I suppose. I'm unsure what's going on with the electrical powers manifesting in those people on the street. Wonder if they will become the New-er Guardians... er, Gods. As if I needed another reason to compare this to Millennium.
The art here is just as uninspired as the previous chapter, really not digging it. There's almost a rushed feeling to it, though that might just be my untrained artist's eye talking. Lotta backgrounds missing here... though, given some of the locales used, it might be excusable.
Really not much more to say. It's still dull... and I still can't recommend it. I'm fine with this "project" being an "I'll read it, so you don't have to" sort of affair.
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(Not the) Letters Page:
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Genesis #1 (October, 1997)
"resonance"
Writer - John Byrne
Penciller - Ron Wagner
Inker - Joe Rubenstein
Colorist - Patricia Mulvihill
Letterer - Clem Robins
Assistant Editor - Jason Hernandez Rosenblatt
Editor - Paul Kupperberg
Cover Price: $1.95
Sometimes a story's reputation proceeds itself. Such is the case with today's offering, the first chapter of 1997's Genesis event. This is a book that I don't believe I've heard a single good thing about... well, outside of the Alan Davis covers, anyway.
I've heard so many complaints about this story that, at some point, I thought I'd read it! In light of our recent trip down Millennium Lane, I figured this might be the best time to revisit another of DC's, um... weaker (?) events.
So, I head up to my library to fetch my copies... only to realize, I didn't have it! In order to rectify that, I stopped by the shop while I was running errands and snagged the entire story. Got home, cracked it open, and... didn't recognize it at all! At this point, I'm not sure I've ever read this. I mean, part of me knows that I have... but, another part of me thinks this is all new to me.
Either way, I suppose we're about to find out if Genesis lives down to its reputation... together.
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It begins with a shot of the Sun rising/setting over a planet. It's not terribly detailed, so I can't say for certain whether or not it's meant to be Earth. The story proper opens in Keystone City where the Flash is chasing a missile down the street before it blows a hole in a bank. Everything looks to be going fine and dandy, until... Flash finds he cannot keep up! In a desperation move, he hurls a garbage can at it, to knock it off course. It explodes in a (hopefully) vacant parking lot.
We shift scenes to New York City, where Green Lantern is in a heated battle with Sonar... when, the ring quits working! Just as this happens, Sonar's own powers appears to amplify. He hammers the ground with a terrific blast... and then, somehow, Kyle's ring starts working again! Hmm...
Next stop, Gateway City. Officer Mike Schorr is repelling down from the roof of an apartment building so he can break up an intense domestic squabble a few floors down. Firearm drawn, he peers into the window... inside, a man has a woman and young girl bound... and he's threatening to blow both their brains out. Schorr goes to make his move... but, something stops him. He just stands there...
The baddie catches wind that there's a man on the ledge, and decides it's time to make his move. Mike is still motionless. Luckily, the SWAT team break down the door and fill the gunman full of holes before any innocents can be hurt. When asked, Schorr says he'd just lost all of his nerve and faith.
We then shift to Fawcett City, where Captain Marvel loses his power of flight and slams down to a car below. He notes that it's lucky that his invulnerability is still intact, otherwise he'd likely not have survived the fall. We also learn that neither he, Mary, nor Freddie have been able to revert to their child-selves.
Next stop, Happy Harbor... the current home of the time-displaced Legionnaires. Guess what? Their powers are all outta whack too! Seems a few had their powers amplified and others negated.
The last stop on our prelude tour is Metropolis, where ol' Electric Blue is battling a giant robot, when his strange new powers go haywire as well. The Daily Planet headline the next morning reports the news of his and the other heroes power struggle that night.
This brings us to the amalgamated New Genesis/Apokolips planet. We see the Highfather being addressed by Orion and Takion about the fluctuation of energy... something so troubling that event The Source is bothered. What's The Source? We'll get there. Takion believes that the likely culprit for all the hoo-doo is... Darkseid. Well, no duh.
We return to the heroes who have assembled at the Justice League Watchtower on the Moon. Batman is on the video monitor, and as an "ordinary" human, has not been affected by whatever is going on. Aquaman mentions that he has also not been affected. This further confuses Kyle Rayner who has no powers outside of his ring... an accessory! Batman thinks on it a moment, and excuses himself to crunch the clues.
We then shift to... oh, wow... the Young Heroes in Love?! Well, knock me over with a feather... didn't expect to see them here. Anyhoo, Bonfire is worried about her on-again/off-again Frostbite... and Thunderhead exhibits brand new powers when he KABOOM's across the room. The scene wraps with Frostbite losing control over his powers.
In Opal City, Jack Knight's Cosmic Rod quits working. In Manchester, Max Mercury loses his link to the Speed Force... Impulse loses his speed, but begins vibrating uncontrollably (which he kinda digs)... Jesse Quick, however, is unaffected. All throughout the world, several other heroes, powered and otherwise, feel the effects of the power flux.
We return to Takion who reports back to Highfather that he was unable to locate Darkseid on the darkside (heh!) of the planet. The only folks over yonder were the Hunger Dogs.
We get a brief scene featuring Donna Troy fretting over a premonition she had before returning to the Watchtower. Kitty Faulkner videos in to share her findings. She claims that there was a sharp decline in the level of what she calls the Kurtzberg Field... which is further explained as a low-level background radiation which was discovered by a Professor Kurtzberg in 1937. Okay, fair enough. Anyhoo, we're currently seeing the resonance effect of long-passed waves of radiation. My head's beginning to hurt.
Now that we have an idea, it's time for Batman to chime in. He claims that heroes only from this universe appear to be affected. He notices that Supergirl appears to be immune, and deduces that she must be from a different universe. Welp, easy enough. The issue ends with an alien armada heading straight toward Earth. What timing! Now, what can our crew of depowered heroes do?
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Well...
This wasn't quite as bad as I was expecting. Perhaps my expectations were artificially deflated... or, perhaps it's just because we're only a single-issue in so far. If I'm remembering right, I was quite optimistic on Millennium after reading the first issue. Not that I liked this issue, because... I didn't. It was kind of a chore to get through, but could'a been worse. Maybe it will be... guess we'll find out!
More than anything, this was... dull. There is no feeling of urgency here, and it's hard to believe that this was the DC Comics event of 1997. Say whatcha want about contemporary comics events, but I doubt very highly that such a bland tale would be front and center these days.
Before we unpack the story... let's talk about the writing and art for a bit. This story feels way overwritten. I mean, I had to read the Kurtzman Field page a few times for it to even almost make sense. There's info-dump... then there's this. I get that it may turn out to be an interesting or clever angle, but the explanation was wayyy too dense. The art, on the other hand, while not bad, is... I dunno, uninspired? The storytelling is fine, and the action is tight... but it's just not my cup of tea. It definitely doesn't fill me with that "big event" feel. I suppose had the art been a bit more dynamic it might have livened up the issue... but, if I'm being honest, it comes across just as dull as the story.
Now... let's unpack. If I were writing this, I think I'd have started with Superman's scene. At this point, Superman is still getting acquainted with his new electrical powers... and any hiccups could have been easily explained away. Then we could move forward showing that he's not alone. It doesn't really make the story more interesting, but it prolongs identifying the threat.
I like that Supergirl's powers are still intact. I think that's an interesting idea, and an organic way for Batman to conclude that this is a universal threat... and perhaps not an extra-universal one. I feel like I've been reading an awful lot of "BatGod" bat-books lately... so, I must admit I kinda sighed when I saw his big head on the vid-screen. He's still the smartest dude in the room... even when he's in a different one, but at least he's not just pulling wisdom out of his backside.
We did get to see a lot of heroes (including the Young Heroes) which is cool. We also get to see a certain member of the Gateway PD. Now, I can't claim to know a whole lot about Mr. Mike Schorr. My minimal research tells me that he's a Wonder Woman supporting character... which is probably why he's in Gateway City. Not sure if he's got any Meta in him, but I'm kinda interested in seeing if his loss of "faith" and "nerve" have anything to do with the radiation dip.
Overall... hmm. I can't honestly say that this issue, in and of itself, was terrible. That being said, I still can't recommend it. Ya see, one of my "pillars" of reviewing... if what I do here can even be called such... is "Did I have fun reading this?" That answer... is no. I can't say that I hated it, but I also can't say that I enjoyed my time with it. It's Claremontian levels of overwritten, without any of the charm. We'll check out the second issue tomorrow... probably, maybe.
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