Superman #5 - The Mummy Strikes!

This isn't quite as planned, as my laptop is having a few problems reading my latest set of pictures, featuring all of my lovely MCM Expo goodies, from my memory card. So, whilst I wrestle with the technical issues, I figured it was probably worth  getting back to the bread and butter of this blog - the life and times of the Post-Crisis Superman!

Don't forget to grab the latest episode of the 20 Minute Longbox. Not only is it a super-sized episode featuring my good friend Jon M. Wilson as a special guest-star, but it also contains an exciting announcement about a future project!

And on with the issue!

The Mummy Strikes

Writer-Penciller: John Byrne

Inker: Karl Kesel

Colorist: Tom Ziuko

Letterer: John Costanza

Editors: Andrew Helfer & Michael Carlin

Cover Art: John Byrne

Cover Date: May 1987

Release Date: 12/02/1987

Superman dreams of fighting Apokolitian Warhounds in Washington DC and the arrival of Wonder Woman. The two defeat the Warhounds together. Wonder Woman makes to leave, but Superman grasps her wrist. The two are about to kiss when Clark awakes, amazed at the intensity of his dream.  Starting to wonder if there might now be place for romance in Superman’s life, Clark realises that he is late for work.

At the Daily Planet, a package has arrived on Clark’s desk. Distracted by Cat Grant’s flirting, Clark forgets about it. Summoned to Perry’s office, he sees a video message from Lois Lane giving an update on her secondment to an archaeological dig that suddenly cuts out. Perry sends Clark to South America to investigate.

Superman flies to South America before changing in a dig tent. As Clark, he meets up with Lois, who has been trying to fix the radio. She accuses him of trying to scoop her again, before reluctantly mellowing as he convinces her that he is here to help. Dr Estevez, the dig chief, shows Clark a piece of machine-tooled metal found inside a 3000 year old jar, the key to the dig. Descending into the site, Clark sees futuristic panels secreted behind naturally grown stalagmites, which are the source of the interference that blocks communications. As Estevez attempts to work the panels, a wall crumbles as two large bandage-wrapped hands burst through.

The hands belong to a giant mummy-like creature that attacks Clark and Lois with eyebeams. Clark gets Lois and Estevez to safety, wondering how he can use his powers without compromising his identity. He uses his heat vision to bring a section of the roof down around him, giving him cover to use his powers. The ‘mummy’ surprises him however, by blasting into the air with rockets. Clark has to pull his punches, as his x-ray vision cannot penetrate the ‘mummy’ to discover if it is a living being or a robot.  He realises that he cannot change into Superman as he hasn’t shaved, and both Clark and Superman being seen by Lois in another country with stubble would be too obvious.

Clark lunges for the panels, trying to halt the attack. A giant explosion rocks the ruins. In the aftermath, Lois crawls into the rubble, looking for Clark. She finds him unconscious, and she and Estevez drag him to safety. Returning to investigate, she comes face to face with the ‘mummy’, whose bandages have disintegrated revealing a large robot underneath.

For the second issue in a row, John Byrne takes an opportunity to move beyond Superman’s rogues’ gallery and bring something new to the table. This issue is all about continuing to establish the world in which Clark and Superman operates, and raising the stakes of the threat. Explanations and revelations will be saved for the next issue; this is all about the setup.

It might be a given, considering that the book is named after him, but this really is Superman’s issue. I love his gentle rebuttal of Cat’s not-so-obvious flirting, caused by him forgetting to shave. I really appreciate the page where Superman flies from Metropolis to South America, going suborbital to get there as quickly as he can. What is implied about this page is Superman’s intelligence. He knows how far away his destination is, and has a strong enough understanding of XXXX to be able to maximise his abilities to get there as quickly as possible.

The fight scene is a great example of Superman’s brains and brawn coming together. Realising that if both Clark and Superman appear to Lois with a five o’clock shadow then his secret will be out, Clark stays in costume and seals himself inside the ruins with the mummy-robot so that he can tackle it without worrying about his identity. This leads to come great visuals as Clark, clad in khakis, a shirt with rolled-up sleeves and a tie, goes toe-to-toe with a 20-foot tall mummy. I also like that he pulls his punches in case the mummy is an innocent living being, showing a respect for life regardless of the circumstances.

The cliffhanger to the issue is nice and strong. Clark, his secret safe thanks to not getting changed, is rendered unconscious by a huge explosion, whilst Lois is menaced by the unwrapped mummy, revealed to be a sleek-but-giant robot. We’ll see next week that the story takes a turn that’s nearly impossible to predict from the information given in this issue, which, in my opinion, makes the story stronger without cheating the reader.

The Geeky Bits: The intensity of Superman’s Wonder Woman dream is probably an after-effect of Prana’s attack in Adventures of Superman #427. Superman met Wonder Woman in Legends #6, and will feel drawn to her over the next year-or-so’s worth of stories. Look for Action Comics #600 to see what will happen between the two of them.

The mysterious package has been seen before, but for the sake of spoilers (!) I’ll hold off any futher commentary until we come to resolve this plotline in the books.

Collected in Superman: The Man Of Steel vol 3. It was covered in depth on episode 7 of From Crisis To Crisis.

Next on World of Superman: Superman #6. Well, what did you expect?

Superman #4

It's been a quiet couple of weeks here at the World of Superman. It should have been a bit of a shorter gap between posts, but my free copy of Microsoft Word Starter Edition froze whilst I was writing this post and destroyed most of what I had written. Two short but very enjoyable holidays followed, so now I'm ready to get a new post written.

Please don't forget to check out my podcast, 20 Minute Longbox, the compressed podcast for the decompressed, wait-for-trade age (yes, I'm trying this as the strapline for the show). The latest episode looking at Guy Gardner #5 and Justice League #1 went live a few days ago, and the next episode will be up just as soon as I've got it ready, hopefully tonight or tomorrow night at the latest.


Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen: Bloodsport

Writer/Penciller: John Byrne

Inker: Karl Kesel

Colorist: Anthony Tollin

Letterer: John Costanza

Editors: Andy Helfer, Mike Carlin

Cover Artist: John Byrne

Cover Date: April 1987

Release Date: 08/01/1987

Lucy Lane and Jimmy Olsen share lunch in a shopping mall. Jimmy is trying to persuade Lucy to snoop around for dodgy dealings at her employer, Intercontinental Airlines, but their lunch is interrupted by a loud cry of ‘FOOLS!’. Jimmy pulls Lucy down as a hail of bullets bursts through the window, striking several members of the public. Bloodsport, a gun-wielding, bandann-wearing muscleman, yells about abuse of freedoms before speeding away on a motorbike. Jimmy activates his signal watch, calling down Superman.

Landing, Superman is met by Maggie Sawyer, who walks him through the crime scene. Realising that Bloodsport’s cries to clean up Metropolis mean that he will strike again, Superman goes on the hunt. Using his infrared vision, Superman picks up the heat trace of Bloodsport’s bike, and follows his trail through the city. Watching his pal fly away, Jimmy jumps into his car to give chase, but a flat battery means that he has to grab his police scanner and continue on foot.

At a bowling alley, Bloodsport is busy shooting up the place when Superman arrives. Bloodsport grabs a hostage and puts his gun against his head, forcing the two into a stand off. Superman breaks the situation by grabbing the gun faster than the bullet can travel down the barrel after Bloodsport fires. With Bloodsport apprehended, Superman is surprised when he materialises a new weapon in his hand, firing a kryptonite needle in Superman’s shoulder. Bloodsport is about to take a headshot when Jimmy arrives, brandishing one of Bloodsport’s weapons. Bloodsport throws a smoke pellet and makes his escape.

Recovering after surgery in hospital, Superman vows to catch Bloodsport, and the fact that he has access to kryptonite has revealed who is funding and providing technology to him.

At LexCorp, Luthor demands to know what has happened and why Bloodsport isn’t being effectively controlled. The scientist Kimberly explains that Bloodsport’s fragile psyche has caused him to target civilian rather than Superman. Luthor order’s Bloodsport’s termination.

Superman locates Bloodsport. The two face off, with Bloodsport conjuring larger and more powerful weapons to keep Superman at bay. As the destruction and chaos mounts, Bloodsport is suddenly hit by a blast. A tank and hazmat-suited soldiers from LexCorp have arrived, drawing Bloodsport’s attention. As he switches weapons, Superman realises that he is actually teleporting the guns in from another location. He ionises the air around Bloodsport, causing his teleport to malfunction and his weapons to disintegrate. Finally able to safely get in close, Superman disables Bloodsport, who reveals that he is holding a dead man’s switch that will detonate his power supply. Suddenly, a parapalegic arrives, using Bloodsport’s real name of Bobby, begging him not to kill himself. The new arrival is Mickey, Bobby’s brother, brought in by Jimmy Olsen. The arrival of his brother breaks through Bloodsport’s delusions and conditioning, halting his rampage.

Jimmy tells Superman that Bobby was never a soldier in Vietnam, having run away to Canada when his number came up as he was afraid to go and fight. Mickey pretended to be him and replaced him in the army, but had his arms and legs blown off. The guilt put caused Bobby to suffer delusions, resulting in several stays in psychiatric hospitals, before he disappeared just before Bloodsport arrived on the scene. The issue ends with a dedication to the names on the Black Wall and those who remember them.

This is a strong issue of Superman from this era. Bloodsport is a strong one-off villain, there’s some great interaction amongst the supporting cast, Lex Luthor is behind the scenes, pulling the strings, Superman uses his powers intelligently to resolve the conflict, whilst a true resolution comes from the actions of a supporting character.

As much as Superman is the focus for Bloodsport’s rage throughout this issue, it is really Jimmy Olsen’s story. We find out for the first time that he is in a relationship with Lois’s sister, Lucy, and that they have been together for a couple of years. It’s not the happiest of relationships, with Lucy angry that Jimmy wants her to compromise her job with Continental Airlines to feed him information, based on little more than a hunch on Jimmy’s part. Jimmy performs the first rescue of the issue, pulling Lucy out of the way of the hail of bullets that rip through the rest of the patrons of the mall, and brings Superman into the situation through a responsible use of his signal watch. Later on, it’s Jimmy who distracts Bloodsport enough to rescue Superman and get him to the hospital, and most notably of all, it’s Jimmy who takes note of Bloodsport’s rantings and does the legwork to peacefully resolve the situation. It's no wonder that DC resurrected the 'Superman's Pal: Jimmy Olsen' strapline for this issue, and should DC ever collect a ‘Jimmy Olsen: Greatest Stories Ever Told’ trade paperback, I would fully expect this issue to be included.

But whilst Jimmy is working behind the scenes, Superman is front and centre, utilising the full range of his powers in surprising and interesting ways. I’ll quickly brush over the use of infrared vision to track the heat-trail of a bike and its rider throughout  a busy city. There are so many things that would obscure a heat signature, from a powerful exhaust fume, to a hot dog vendor, to those lovely heat-venting manhole covers, and I’m glad that this particular power usage is rarely, if ever, seen again. More interestingly is the way that Superman uses his heat-vision to disrupt Bloodsport’s teleportation device. Rather than directly attack the source of the teleport, Superman uses a minor side-effect of his heat-vision to short it out. I also like how Superman's body behaves during surgery. Once the kryptonite is removed, his invulnerability returns and the doctors are unable to stitch him up, so they have to re-expose him to the kryptonite in order to finish their job. It's a small touch, but one that highlights an integrity and consistency with Superman's powers.

Most impressive of all is the way that John Byrne presents the use of Superman’s speed during the stand-off at the bowling alley. The entirety of page 8 is a fantastically-constructed series of silent panels devoted to the moment that Bloodsport and Superman face each other down with the life of a civilian hanging in the balance. It starts with a short, wide panel showing the distance between the two, before moving into close-ups of the faces, then of the weapons – the gun and Superman’s feet – before hitting slow-motion with the pulling of the trigger and the moving of the firing pin. Finally, Superman moves in, grabbing the gun and moving it away before the bullet travels the length of the barrel. It’s a brilliantly composed and paced homage to cinematic standoffs, that could easily be read whilst the theme from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly plays in the background.

Page 8 is a merely a highlight in a superb issue of art from John Byrne. There’s a real sense of sudden and pointless brutality to the panel where Bloodsport’s bullets cut through the crowds at the shopping mall. For some reason, the inclusion of a priest amongst the victims just makes the violence worse. I’m a big fan of the panel at the bottom of page 4 where Superman views the bodies of Bloodsport’s victims, in which his shocked face, shaking with shock, is the only thing in in a large, white panel, and the rage in Superman’s face when he flies off to track Bloodsport is chilling.

If there’s anything about this issue that doesn’t work, it’s that the story seems to stop two pages before it should do. The final page is the exposition page, where Jimmy reveals the story of Robert and Michael DuBois. There’s no sense of closure to the story, no mention of what will happen to Bloodsport, whether it be jail or psychiatric care, and even Lex Luthor seems to get away with his involvement in the rampage. It’s a small but important flaw in the issue, and it’s a shame that – dedication aside – the issue didn’t have a stronger sense of conclusion.

The Geeky Bits: The Robert DuBois Bloodsport wouldn’t appear again for 8 years, when he would be forced into a boxing match with another Bloodsport, this one a fanatical racist, by his prison wardens. In the aftermath of the boxing match, DuBois would be shot and killed whilst attempting escape.

This issue was collected in The Man of Steel volume 3, the trade paperback collections covering the first year-or-so of this era of Superman, from a few years ago. This issue was covered on episode 6 of From Crisis to Crisis.

Next on World of Superman: Clark Kent goes to Qurac and has some bad dreams.

Legends #6

Hey all, not much to say by the way of an introduction, save to point out that my podcast, 20 Minute Longbox, is out there, awaiting your ears. Go check it out after we wrap up our coverage of Legends!

Finale!

Plotter: John Ostrander

Scripter: Len Wein

Penciller: John Byrne

Inkers: Karl Kesel, Dennis Janke

Letterer: Steve Haynie

Colorist: Carl Gafford

Editor: Mike Gold

Cover Art: John Byrne

Cover Date: April 1987

Release Date: 29/01/1987

Darkseid relishes his imminent victory, listing to Phantom Stranger the various ways that he has destroyed humanity’s faith in their modern legends. The Stranger warns that Darkseid has overlooked one crucial factor that will lead to his downfall.

In Washington, Godfrey faces off against Doctor Fate’s heroes, using his PA system to maintain his control over the crowds. Martian Manhunter arrives, despite not being summoned, just as Godfrey orders the warhounds to attack.  The heroes use their various powers to remove the controllers from the warhounds, allowing the stronger heroes like Superman to unleash their full powers. As the final warhound hits the ground, Godfrey opens up a boom tube, summoning legions of parademons from Apokolips. Doctor Fate reveals that this is why he brought the various heroes together, charging them with the fate of humanity.  As the heroes head off to fight the invasion, Fate turns his attention to the crowds. Seeing his distraction, Godfrey sends in a parademon who wrenches the Helm of Nabu from Doctor Fate, carrying it off into the skies. Unmasked and having lost most of his powers, Kent Nelson flies away to safety.

Leaving the Lincoln Memorial, Godfrey moves on to where he has captured Captain Boomerang. As Boomerang prepares to tell Godfrey all about Task Force X, Deadshot takes aim with a sniper rifle. Rick Flag disrupts his aim, revealing an alternative plan. The Enchantress steps up, turning the warhounds into Jell-O, sending Godfrey running. Bronze Tiger confronts Godfrey, but falls foul of his mind-controlling powers, letting him go. Boomerang is reunited with Task Force X, and Flag tells him that his televised threats have resulted in him being permanently assigned to the Suicide Squad.

Batman patrols Washington, controlling the rioters and looters. Guy Gardner unleashes his power ring on the warhounds. One warhound terrorising innocent civilians suddenly finds confronted by Wonder Woman, who has decided that she cannot remain concealed from the world whilst innocents are in danger. Gardner is impressed with Wonder Woman’s powers, and the two continue to battle.

Several of Godfrey’s troops blast their way into the Oval Office, attacking President Reagan. The President is unharmed by their attack, quickly defeating them, before revealing himself as a disguised Martian Manhunter. As Manhunter moves on to continue the fight, Reagan officially rescinds his executive order, giving all of Earth’s heroes free reign to join the fight.

In the skies, Superman and Captain Marvel corral the parademons, whilst Flash, Changeling, Black Canary and Blue Beetle help control the crowds on the ground. They are quickly joined by Batman, Guy Gardner, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Doctor Fate and Superman, and the heroes face off against the controlled mobs. Godfrey arrives with Bronze Tiger, urging the crowds to attack and destroy the humans, watched from afar by a gloating Darkseid.

Suddenly, a gang of children, led by Lisa, burst through the crowds. The children line up in front of the heroes, confronting their parents in the crowds. Robin arrives, imploring the mob to see through Godfrey’s words and see sense. Lisa stands up to Godfrey, who tells her to be quiet and hits her. The act of violence dispels his control over the crowd, and they turn on him. In desperation, Godfrey reveals the Helm of Nabu, which he dons. When he tries to use the power within, the helm destroys his mind. Kent retrieves his helm, whilst Bronze Tiger slips away into the crowd to reunite with Task Force X.

The crowd asks for forgiveness, but Guy berates them for already distrusting heroes, which allowed Godfrey to take control. Captain Marvel suggests that the heroes themselves may have been responsible for this, necessarily having to stand apart from humanity to face the threats that only they can face. Wonder Woman agrees, and Doctor Fate suggests reforming the Justice League, to which all the present heroes agree to, save Flash and Superman, who offer themselves when needed, and Wonder Woman, who has slipped away.

On Apokolips, Darkseid vows that Earth will one day fall to him. The Phantom Stranger states his pride in standing with the legends of Earth.

I’ve not been kind to various part of this crossover. Read issue by issue, there was a lot of monologuing from Darkseid, and way too much repetition by constantly touching base with the same heroes, operating outside of Reagan’s edict. Here, this weakness turns into a strength, as Ostrander unleashes the new Justice League onto the forces of Apokolips. Every hero gets a part to play in the battle, and the use of such a wide variety of heroes allows for a very unexpected moment, where the first hero to encounter Wonder Woman is Guy Gardner!

Wonder Woman’s appearance here, although brief, is superb. A shadowy female figure observes Guy Gardner facing off against the Warhounds, resolving that to stay hidden would be a disservice to her Amazonian heritage. We then see her move, quite literally in a blur, before John Byrne unleashes one of the best pieces of artwork we’ve seen from him, a full page spread of Wonder Woman lifting a Warhound

It should be noted that Guy Gardner isn’t the only one taken with Wonder Woman. Superman here notices Wonder Woman, becoming gently obsessed with her over the next few months, before agreeing to a meetup/gentle date in Action Comics #600. It’s interesting that John Byrne teased this 25 years ago, with the rumours that one major element of the relaunched DC Universe in September will be a relationship between Superman and Wonder Woman. With the knowledge that both Action Comics and Justice League will initially be telling stories set in ‘the past’, my hope is that this fledgeling relationship will be given more room to grow, but with Superman ending up with Lois Lane, as per the last 20 years or so.

I like the way this story ends. It’s a very circular ending. Darkseid’s actions against Captain Marvel led Billy Batson to meet Lisa, strengthening her belief in heroes, leading her to be at the front and centre of the revolt against Godfrey. I would have liked to have seen more made of the fact that a child achieved what the heroes were unable to, breaking Godfrey’s spell, although the message that all you need to save the Earth from Darkseid’s machinations is a little child abuse is probably not one DC were wanting to play up! On a side-note, the last time Superman met Captain Marvel there was a definite air of unintentional paedophilia around. Here, Superman meets Marvel and a child gets beaten up. Maybe the two should stop having meetups! (I mention this, as one of the most popular posts on this site is my coverage of Superman/Shazam!: First Thunder #4, and I’m wondering if my audience are a bunch of strange, dark people who enjoy Superman endangering children. We’ll see what the hits are like for this page in a few weeks!).

Although Superman again declines membership in the Justice League, it is clear that his presence is a powerful and inspiring one. He takes the lead against the parademons when they appear, and his words are a big part of the reformation of the Justice League. It would be several years before Superman would become the leader of heroes that we are used to, but seeing him stand up and be counted amongst the heroes of the DCU is a rarity at this stage, and a pleasure to see.

I’m going to wrap up by simply stating that I have really enjoyed the appearances of Task Force X in Legends. I love the way Ostrander wraps up their story whilst setting the scene for further adventures, and it’s a pretty safe bet that if I had been reading comics at this time, I would have definitely been out there picking up the first issue of Suicide Squad when it hit the shelves.

The Geeky Bits

The new Justice League would be written by Keith Giffen and JM Dematteis. The series would become notable for the way the writers worked around the restrictions of not being able to use many of the A-List superheroes. Characters like Booster Gold, Blue Beetle and Guy Gardner would find their feet in Justice League International, and the title would become renowned for the use of humour, becoming colloquially known as the ‘Bwa-ha-ha’ League. This incarnation of the Justice League is well worth seeking out, as are the ‘sequels’ from the mid-2000s, Formerly Known As The Justice League, and JLA: Classified #4-9.

Wonder Woman would return to her own title, having been completely rebooted in the wake of the Crisis, in 1987. George Perez initially handled the character - the various trade paperbacks that reprint his issues were recently plugged in the letter columns of DC comics - with successive runs from creators such as John Byrne, William Messner-Loebs, Phil Jiminez and Greg Rucka.

Next on World of Superman: Probably another 3 week break. Either that, or Superman facing off against a gun-toting ex-marine called Bloodsport.

Legends #5

Hurrah, I've managed to recover the missing bits of this post! Apologies for no images other than the cover, I'm just desperate to get this post out, and I really don't want to re-grab all the panels I'd previously chosen.

Just a fast note to say that the second and third episodes of the 20 Minute Longbox have been released, covering Daredevil #502 and Countdown #48 respectively. Go and check them out, and let me know what you think at 20minutelongbox@gmail.com.

“Let Slip The Dogs Of War”

Plotter: John Ostrander

Scripter: Len Wein

Penciller: John Byrne

Inker: Karl Kesel

Letterer: Steve Haynie

Colorist: Tom Ziuko

Editor: Mike Gold

Cover Date: March 1987

Billy Batson stumbled through the deserted streets of Central City, haunted by the death of Macro Man. He is found by his new friend Lisa, who is concerned for his welfare. Angered by the rioting masses, Lisa runs off to try and intervene, but some stray rubble from the riot strikes her, knocking her out. Realising the danger of the anti-hero propaganda, Billy decides to put his own fears aside, and becomes Captain Marvel. Accessing the wisdom of Solomon, Marvel realises that Macro Man’s death was not his fault. He attempts to break up the riot, but Doctor Fate appears and teleports him away.

Fate is recruiting heroes who are defying the President’s order. Black Canary is next to join, followed by Guy Gardner, who has defeated the villain Sunspot. Blue Beetle and Batman are the next to join.

Meanwhile, Flash and Changeling are forced into an uneasy alliance with Captain Boomerang when the crowd manipulated by G. Gordon Godfrey erupts into a riot. Boomerang destroys a warhound, and the heroes discover that inside each one is a member of the public, piloting it. The mob goes for Boomerang, dragging him into the crowd. Before they can help, Flash and Changeling are recruited by Doctor Fate and taken away.

At the White House, Superman is discussing Darkseid’s recent actions with President Reagan when he too is recruited.

In Metropolis, Godfrey presents the captured Captain Boomerang  to the baying crowd. In front of the crowd and the cameras, Boomerang sends a subtle message to the command of Task Force X, telling them to take action to save him or he’ll make trouble. Dismissing his captive, Godfrey declares that the government has lost its authority and commands that the crowd marches on Washington. Watching, Amanda Waller orders Rick Flagg to either rescue Captain Boomerang or eliminate him.

On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Godfrey is about to announce who his followers should obey as the ultimate authority when he is interrupted by the appearance of Doctor Fate and the heroes he has recruited. Watching from Apokolips, Darkseid tells the Phantom Stranger that either the heroes will be forced to battle the people they have sworn to protect or they will be destroyed, guaranteeing him victory no matter what the outcome. Meanwhile, in hospital, Jason Todd decides that he must fight against Godfrey’s manipulation and the insanity of his followers, no matter how serious his injuries. Despite having a broken arm and leg, he struggles into his Robin costume and heads off to fight.

If the first two issues of Legends were about dismantling the heroes of the world, and the second two primarily concerned themselves with maintaining a hero-banning status quo whilst at the same time developing the threat posed by G. Gordon Godfrey into a more outright form, this issue is about the final move of the pieces around the board ahead of the climax. We’ve had plenty of vignettes featuring heroes defying the presidential order; here we see this develop into a recruitment drive for a new Justice League. The Suicide Squad’s story, which seemed to be over with the defeat of Brimstone in issue #3, places itself at the centre of the climax with the threats made by Captain Boomerang.

Sadly, one plot that receives a more perfunctory wrap-up is the guilt of Billy Batson, which is dispelled the moment he becomes Captain Marvel and the wisdom of Solomon reveals the deceit. One has to wonder why Billy never chose to quickly change to Marvel, use the wisdom to ascertain the true extent of his culpability, then pop back if it turns out it really was his fault. Later writers would work with the conceit that the wisdom of Solomon would have a presence in his mortal form (although the only example that springs to mind at the moment is at the start of the I Can’t Believe It’s Not The Justice League miniseries). Perhaps this moment would have held more weight within the issue if the reappearance of Marvel then led to the forming of the Justice League, with Marvel in the Doctor Fate role, but all that Marvel’s reappearance seems to achieve is getting his ass nearly kicked by a rioting mob.

The recruitment drive as well seems a bit overdrawn in this issue. Most encounters are limited to just one page, but did we really need to have four pages of Guy Gardner fighting Sunspot? I know that Guy Gardner as a Green Lantern was still a relatively new concern, but the fight seems to be fairly irrelevant and appears to serve no purpose other than to fill up space. I do like that most heroes are involved in keeping the peace or defeating a villain, but Blue Beetle is busy being mistaken for a peeping tom!

This is a Superman blog, and Superman's role here is minor but pivotal, if a little out-of-synch with his other adventures this month. Having just survived combat with Darkseid and discovered his role in the deaths of hundreds of innocents whose only desire was a better life, Superman's first response on returning to Earth is to pop round to the White House for a chat with President Reagan. I've said it before, shouldn't he be off somewhere soul searching and attempting to atone for his (admittedly forced) actions, rather than taking tea with a man who has prevented him from acting publicly? Still without Superman being with Reagan when he is recruited by Doctor Fate, the President would have been less likely to rescind his edict in the next issue.

The Geeky Bits: There's a rumour that the original ending for this issue saw a mutant with the power to control American History animate the Lincoln Memorial and use it to defeat the warhounds, resulting in the next issue being devoted entirely to Wonder Woman's debut. Before the idea made it past the scripting stage, it was realised that animating a statue and getting it to single-handedly defend Washington DC was completely shite idea, and the plans were shelved.*

Next on World of Superman: The finale of Legends. 'Nuff said.

*No, I didn't like Secret Avengers #13. Why do you ask?

Legends #3 and #4

We're back! Check out my previous post for details of my latest podcast appearance. I'll let you know as soon as it's up and available on iTunes.

I'm writing this post from my new laptop, and sadly I don't have my image editing software up and running yet, so no scans to illustrate the posts. Hopefully I'll be properly set in time for the next post.

Anyway, on with the story!


Legends #3
Send For... The Suicide Squad


Plotter: John Ostrander
Scripter: Len Wein
Penciller: John Byrne
Inker: Karl Kesel
Letterer: Steve Haynie
Colorist: Tom Ziuko
Editor: Mike Gold
Cover Artist: John Byrne
Cover Date: January 1987
Release Date: 23/10/1986

Angry mobs lay siege to public headquarters of super-heroes, whose activities have been prevented by executive order. Sarge Steel acts a a chaperone to the Teen Titans, but is unable to follow through his threats of extreme force when Changeling and the Flash decide to head out to help. Meanwhile, Task Force X is given their purpose - carry out missions in exchange for pardons - and with most of the team wearing explosive bracers to keep them in check, are directed to take down Brimstone. They engage the monster at the foot of Mount Rushmore.


Billy Batson, distraught at the death of Macro Man, goes into hiding, meeting a young girl called Lisa who has become separated from her parents. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne visits Jason Todd in hospital. As Bruce comforts his injured sidekick, shots ring out from outside, a symbol of the civil disorder inspired by G. Gordon Godfrey. Wayne leaves, determined to prove that President Reagan's edict was wrong.


During the battle, Blockbuster directly attacks Brimstone, who reaches down and burns the villain to death in his fist. Revelling in the destruction, Brimstone leaves his chest open to attack, and is destroyed by a shot from Deadshot, wielding a specially-constructed laser sniper. In the aftermath, Captain Boomerang realises that everyone on the team was considered to be expendable, including Rick Flag.


At the White House, Superman pledges his support to Reagan's edict, despite his vocal opposition to it. At the same time, Billy Batson is invited to dinner by Lisa's parents. During the meal, G. Gordon Godfrey appears on the TV, provoking a reaction in Lisa's family that intimidates Billy into running away again. Catching up , Lisa tells him that she still believes in super-heroes.


Throughout the issue, Darkseid and the Phantom Stranger debate Darkseid's plans. Observing Lisa's faith, the Stranger declares that this is why Darkseid is doomed to fail. Darkseid refuses to believe this, unveiling the next phase in his strategy - his Warhounds.

Legends #4
Cry Havoc


Plotter: John Ostrander
Scripter: Len Wein
Penciller: John Byrne
Inker: Karl Kesel
Letterer: Steve Haynie
Colorist: Carl Gafford
Editor: Mike Gold
Cover Art: John Byrne
Cover Date: Feb 1987
Release Date: 24/11/1986

In Star City, an attack by Count Vertigo is foiled by a law-breaking Black Canary. A policeman pulls a gun, attempting to arrest her, but is blocked by his partner. The two argue whilst Black Canary escapes, with the first policeman accidentally shooting and killing the second. Attempting to rationalize his actions, the policeman concludes that Black Canary made him shoot, and thus she murdered his partner.


On Apokolips, Darkseid sees all on Earth, despatching Desaad to the land of Skartaris to destroy the legend of Travis Morgan, the Warlord. Elsewhere in Gotham City, Batman foils a raid by the Joker, apprehending him in defiance of the Presidential Order. Meanwhile in Los Angeles, a gang of body-building bank robbers are caught by Guy Gardner. In Chicago, Blue Beetle foils a heist by Chronos, but is forced to let the villain escape when the police arrive and turn their attentions to him. Meanwhile, spurred into action by the growing public hysteria, Doctor Fate returns to service.


In Washington, Rick Flag announces to Task Force X that their actions against Brimstone have earned them their freedom, de-activating their bracelets and letting them free. At the same time, G. Gordon Godfrey addresses a rally in Gotham City calling for a revolt against President Reagan for the weakness of his frequently-flouted edict. He introduces the weapon to be used against the government, human-controlled Warhounds. Enjoying his freedom, Captain Boomerang goes on a rampage, but is quickly caught by the Teen Titans. As they prepare to take him away, Flash and Changeling are attacked by two Warhounds.


On Apokolips, Darkseid turns his attention to Superman, unleashing the power of his Omega Beams.

The middle chapters of Legends feel like they both progress the story and tread water at the same time. There is a large amount of time spent setting up tie-in issues in the fourth chapter, despatching Desaad to participate in the Warlord title, and using the cliffhanger to draw readers into the next month's Superman titles. We also spend a lot of time following various future members of Justice League International as they ignore the presidential edict, although in the case of some members such as Blue Beetle and Booster Gold, they are newer characters within the DC Universe, and in the case of Guy Gardner, a character with a new status quo, having recently received a power ring during the Crisis. Whilst these vignettes were undoubtedly important at the time, knowing where these characters will end up after the crossover makes most of the fourth issue seems like an extended exercise in moving the pieces of the story into position.

I do like the continuation of the Task Force X storyline. It plays very nicely into Darkseid's schemes that Brimstone, the monster that has apparently destroyed the Justice League of America, should be brought down by a morally dubious government-sponsored team of super-villains, hardly an achievement that can be propogandized.

I'll be honest here. I see the Legends crossover in four parts - the opening two issues, these two, the Superman crossover, and then the conclusion. I like the opening, love the Superman crossover, enjoy the ending, but see these issues, especially the fourth, as the bit we have to get through to get to the good stuff. I have nothing against the creators, but apart from the death of Brimstone, it all feels a bit too much 'middle chapter'-ish. The cliffhanger to the third issue, the introduction of the Warhounds, is barely touched upon in the fourth, save for a brief reference to the fact that people get 'turned into' them.

Knowing the great Apokolitian action just around the corner, I think it's best to draw a veil here and reconvene at Darkseid's feet.

Next on World of Superman: Clark Kent vs Apokolips!

Legends #1 and #2

OK, a bit of a long one today. I'm going to try and hit up the first four parts of the Legends crossover in two posts, bringing us up to the point where the Superman titles segue into the story. Before we begin, I'd just like to drop a quick reminder to e-mail Ian Sattler at DC comics in support of a trade paperback of Dark Knight Over Metropolis. See this post on the Superman Homepage for more details.

And now, the first of a two-part special bringing us up to speed on the 1986/7 Legends crossover.

Legends #1

Once Upon A Time...!

 

Plotter: John Ostrander

Scripter: Len Wein

Penciller: John Byrne

Inker: Karl Kesel

Letterer: Steve Haynie

Colorist: Tom Ziuko

Editor: Mike Gold

Cover Artist: John Byrne

Cover Date: November 1986

Release Date: 28/08/1986

On Apokolips, Darkseid is content with his domination. Desaad reminds him of Earth and its heroes. Darkseid notes that not only do Earth’s heroes perform heroic deeds, but they act as legends, inspiring others. Deciding to strike at the concept of legends, Darkseid summons Glorious Godfrey and Doctor Bedlam, and orders Desaad to prepare the Techno-Seed.

On Earth, Professor Stein oversees a nuclear experiment when the Techno-Seed materialises in the core, spawning the inhuman monster, Brimstone. Stein summons Firestorm, who assaults Brimstone, but quickly discovers that the monster is far superior to him. Thinking quickly, Firestorm protects himself by turning the air to asbestos, and goes to summon help.

Elsewhere, the Flash faces off against Deadshot. He quickly defeats the assassin, delivers him to the police, and returns to Titans Tower, where Changeling is watching the latest broadcast from G. Gordon Godfrey, interviewed by Billy Batson, who rails against all super-heroes, calling them threats to society. As the two Titans talk, a power outage strikes both the Tower and the studio where the interview is taking place. The outage is caused by an armoured giant rampaging in the neighbourhood. Under the cover of darkness, Billy slips away and transforms to Captain Marvel.

Captain Marvel and the giant, Macro-Man, fight, but when Marvel is caught in Macro-Man’s vice-like grip, he decides that the only way for him to escape is to change back into Billy Batson briefly. Calling down his magical lightning, Billy is shocked to see that the bolt also struck Macro-Man, causing him to fall from the rooftop to a fiery death.

In the Pentagon, Colonel Rick Flag reports to Amanda Waller, and is ordered to reform Task Force X. He is shocked by the list of candidates for the Task Force, but puts his surprise aside to do his job.

In a diner, Cosmic Boy’s breakfast is interrupted by the onslaught of Brimstone. The Legionnaire attacks, attempting to construct a metallic prison to contain Brimstone, but his attack is soon repelled. The Justice League of America arrive to lend their help.

Viewing the melted corpse of the Macro-Man, Billy Batson vows never to become Captain Marvel again.

Legends #2

Breach of Faith

Plotter: John Ostrander

Scripter: Len Wein

Penciller: John Byrne

Inker: Karl Kesel

Letterer: Steve Haynie

Colorist: Tom Ziuko

Editor: Mike Gold

Cover Artist: John Byrne

Cover Date: December 1986

Release Date: 25/09/1986

G. Gordon Godfrey arrives at the site of Macro Man’s death, using it as an opportunity to decry not only heroes but the concept of being a hero. His words whip the onlooking crowd into a frenzy, scaring the confused Billy Batson into hiding. Darkseid watches Batson’s despair with glee, before turning to the Phantom Stranger, promising to remove free will from the people of Earth.

On Earth, Brimstone faces off against the Justice League of America. Although Vibe is able to topple the giant, Brimstone fights back, burying the League underneath a collapsing building. Meanwhile, Rick Flag visits Deadshot in prison, enlisting him into Task Force X. At the same time, in Gotham, Batman and Robin break a hostage situation. The commander of the arriving SWAT team clashes with Commissioner Gordon when he prevents him from taking down the heroes. Suddenly, the onlooking crowd turns, attacking and carrying Robin away whilst Batman is unable to help when a bottle of perfume is smashed in his face.

In Chicago, Blue Beetle carries out a drug bust, but unwittingly exposes a deep cover police officer. The attending policemen open fire on Beetle, who escapes in his bug ship. Meanwhile, Guy Gardner rescues an aeroplane whose engine has exploded mid-flight, guiding it to a makeshift landing on the freeway. However, the commuters on the road turn aggressive at the disruption caused to them. Gardner uses his ring to repel them before flying away.

At Titans Tower, Cosmic Boy recovers from his combat with Brimstone, revealing to Flash and Changeling that the Justice League had disappeared by the time he came round. He flies off to rescue ‘the love of his life’. Watching news reports of the League’s defeat, Professor Ivo prepares to make his move.

Superman meets with President Reagan in the White House, where Reagan informs him that he is about to issue an executive order, banning all super-hero activities until the public disorder has passed. Later in Gotham, two policeman discover the battered and beaten body of Robin.

These first two parts of the Legends crossover take a very wide-angled view of the state of the DC Universe. reading with hindsight reveals some strong comparisons, especially the way that the then-current Justice League (Detroit) fares against the yet-to-be-formed Justice League International. The defeats of the heroes hurt. The entire League is beaten and missing in battle, whilst Billy Batson's pain at believing that he has killed the Macro-Man is very tangible. Other heroes find themselves lost and without a cause when faced with the negative reactions of the public. By the end of the second issue, where Superman bows his head in acceptance of President Reagen's executive order and Jason Todd lies unconscious in the street, there is a very real sense that the tide has turned against the heroes.

John Byrne draws the heck out of these issues. I do marvel at his ability to turn out great-looking comics. At the time of this issue's production, Byrne was likely working on the first few issues of Superman and Action Comics, yet he still found the time to produce six issues showcasing almost every major hero in the DC universe. In particular, Byrne's renditions of Darkseid are masterful. In fact, I'd be happy to list Byrne as one of my top three Darkseid pencillers, along with JG Jones (Final Crisis) and Jack Kirby. Byrne gives us an intricately detailed Darkseid, with maliciousness oozing from every frame. When Darkseid grins, it's a grin that should terrify any onlooker. The final panel of issue #1, with Darkseid looming in the background revelling in the success of his plans, could easily have looked goofy in the hands of a lesser artist, but a rarely-seen laugh from Darkseid here chills the reader. And the opening shot of Apokolips, from the first page of issue #1, is glorious.

Inevitably, there are things that don't work so well for me. I wasn't reading the DCU when the series first arrived - it would have been quite an achievement considering I was 3 1/2 at the time - and a lot of the wider picture of the DCU is lost on me. As always, some of the Fourth World designs look incongruous and a product of their time, although Glorious Godfrey is far more sinster and insidious as G. Gordon Godfrey than as his cloak-wearing, grinning Apokoliptian incarnation. And most annoyingly of all, the Phantom Stranger pops up in issue #2 for no adequately explained reason, giving Darkseid someone to boast to and turning his campaign against Earth's heroes into something more akin to efforts to impress an unimpressed colleague.

These complaints aside, these are strong issues, featuring super-hero action and a strong, logical drive to the plot and threat. What is really enjoyable is watching Ostrander pull task Force X together, and next time, we'll see how well they do on their first mission.

The Geeky Bits:

Legends was the first event for DC, following Crisis on Infinite Earths. Originally planned as more of a direct sequel, Legends eventually grew to be its own unique story. John Byrne was picked for the art, although his workload with Superman meant that he only had time for 6 issues, not the planned 8. This reduction in length may account for the confusing nature of the Phantom Stranger's appearance in the story, with his introduction a casualty of editing the story down.

A large number of DC titles crossed over into Legends, with 22 official tie-ins alongside the six issue miniseries. A full list can be found at the DC Crossover Checklist over at the Fortress of Baileytude.

Next on World of Superman: See how Earth's heroes react to an executive order banning their actions, how Task Force X fare on their first mission, and what leads Darkseid up to focusing his attention on Superman.

World's Finest #5

Ok, I got back to this issue and got some panel scans uploaded, as well as fixing the unexpected truncated synopsis - sorry, recap fans!

At the back end of last week, the final episode of my stint on Amazing Spider-Man Classics went live. A few hours beforehand I strapped on the 'phones and mic and recorded my final contribution, almost two months to the day after the first attempt at recording. With the news that the hosts of the podcast are going to change their recording schedules - apparently, recording a podcast for 7 hours straight, the equivalent of a working day, is pretty hard even if it's not the middle of the night - this makes me the longest guest star on ASMC. Oh yeah, I am amazing!

In other news, I finally got to see Scott Pilgrim vs The World a couple of nights ago. Here in the UK, the film's release came a couple of weeks after the US release, and I've been waiting for my work schedule to allow me a proper night out before I went to see it. I absolutely loved it. I've only read the first three volumes of the series, but what I say adapted on the screen had the tone and feel of the books, and was far funnier than I expected it to be. The only moment that took me out of the film as Aubrey Plaza's portrayal of Julie, which just didn't feel like it fitted with the rest of the film. Everything else was absolutely brilliant, but props have to go to Brandon Routh, who made Todd so wonderful to watch. his delivery of the 'Tell it to the cleaning lady on Monday' speech was worth the price of the ticket alone. What I really enjoyed was that the theatre was mostly full, with quite a few people who I would guess had never read or heard of the original books, and who thoroughly enjoyed theirselves. It's nice for this geek to watch other people enjoy one of his loves, especially when it's one that doesn't occupy a space in the national consciousness like Superman, Batman or Spider-man does.

However, as great as Scott Pilgrim vs The World was, it had no Superman or Batgirl in it. I wonder what does... oh yes! This!

No scans as of yet, it's rather late for me to start scanning stuff in. I hope to get back to this later this week and pop a few in, in particular the panel where Superman and Batgirl start to fly.

A Woman's Work


Words: Karl Kesel
Pencils: Dave Taylor & Tom Morgan
Inks: Robert Campanella
Color/Separator: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Clem Robins
Associate Editor: Joseph Illidge
Editor: Darren Vincenzo
Special Thanks to Barry Kitson and Peter Doherty
Cover Artists: Dave Taylor & Robert Campanella
Cover Date: August 1999
Release Date: 16/06/1999

Six Years Ago. Two burglars attempt to break into the Gotham Public Library, but are stopped by the appearance of Batgirl. The crooks attempt to escape, but are caught by Superman. Batgirl acts nervously around Superman, until he explains that he is not timing her, and that he is not in Gotham on a case but on personal business. Batgirl unmasks the criminals, telling Superman that they are from Metropolis and affiliated with The 100. Surprised, Superman accepts Batgirl's offer to team up and work out what The 100 wants in Gotham.


In an abandoned warehouse, The 100 attempt to recruit a Gotham mobster to their organisation. The meeting is interrupted when Thorn comes crashing through a window on a motorbike. She takes out several of the goons, but one manages to whack her with a wooden plank, knocking her out.

Batgirl introduces Superman to Commissioner Gordon, informing Gordon that they will be working together. Batgirl leads Superman to the car belonging to the crooks, which she had disabled before tackling them. Searching the interior, she discovers that Batman has beaten them to the evidence. Following his notes, Batgirl prepares to ride her motorbike to the location, when Superman decides to try a different way of travelling. Grasping her, he lifts her into the sky. As they fly, Superman asks why someone as bright and upbeat as Batgirl would emulate Batman. Batgirl explains that for all of his darkness, she feels that he is the only one in Gotham who can see 'the light in the distance'.


As The 100 tie Thorn to a chair, she comes too and escapes. Giving chase, the crooks are surprised when the lights go out. In the darkness, something attacks them. The leader manages to escape, getting to his car. Turning on the lights, he is shocked to see Batman in front of him, crashing his car. Crawling from the wreckage, he is confronted by Thorn, whose lust for vengeance is tempered by the intervention of Batman. Superman and Batgirl arrive, with Batgirl wondering what The 100 wanted at the library. The leader confesses all - The 100 intended to plant evidence showing that Barbara Gordon had embezzled library funds, thus giving them leverage over Commissioner Gordon. To protect themselves, The 100 kidnapped the library's accountant, intending to kill her and place Barbara as the number one suspect. Superman takes Batgirl to the accountant's house whilst Thorn takes her leave of Gotham. At his house, the accountant answers his door to Barbara Gordon. Suddenly, Batgirl attacks, revealing Gordon as an imposter, who is quickly apprehended.


After the events of the night, Batman and Superman meet on the skyline of Gotham. Superman tells Batman that Batgirl is going well and doesn't need more training. Although Superman's advice is unsolicited, Batman values what is said, surprising Superman. Batman then confesses that he never thought that someone as dark and tortured as Thorn could have come out of Metropolis. Referencing Thorn's past, Superman wonders if there is a similar tragedy in Batman's past. Although he doesn't want to talk about it, Batman suggests that one day he will do.

In theory, this story should work. We're far enough into Batman and Superman's relationship to start to challenge what each character thinks they know of each other, and their preconceptions of each others cities, having only experienced the extremes in previous stories, is a good place to start. Starting to introduce the extended families (if Thorn can be considered to be part of Superman's extended family) also works as well. We're also working towards a softening of Batman, as opposed to a hardening of Superman. The problem is that all of these elements are filtered through the plot line of Thorn and The 100, a minor and obscure supporting character and criminal organisation from Metropolis.

So, the reason why this review is up a little later than expected is because I dived into this issue thinking I knew who Thorn was. As it turns out, she's someone completely different to who I was expecting her to be, having anticipated the Rose and Thorn version of the character. And once I worked out who she actually was, I realised that it didn't really matter to the issue. There are plenty of subtleties to Thorn's character, but in terms of this story the important thing is that she is a darker, Batman-esque character originating from Metropolis, in a move to help blur the lines between Batman and Superman's worlds. Unfortunately, contrasting her with Batgirl, a far more established and recognisable character in the Batman family, only serves to highlight Thorn's obscurity.

The final scene is probably the most successful part of the issue. For me, it's the first time Superman and Batman approach each other not only as equals, but as colleagues, not competing with each other or trying to prove a point. It feels like their modern relationship, with grudging respect for each other but each being their own superhero. Most notable is Batman's not-quite-a-refusal to talk about his personal history. Superman's gentle, respectful probing into his past elicits the response the one day Batman will tell him about his past. For Batman to be in a position where he considers revealing his most personal secret highlights how far the two heroes have come since their combative first meetings.

The Geeky Bits: I honestly can't remember when Thorn next makes an appearance, and considering my difficulties in identifying which Thorn I am reading, I don't think knowing her next appearance would do me much good! This version of Thorn isn't the schizophrenic Golden-Age-wife-to-Alan-Scott-and-mother-to-Obsidian-and-Jade character, but the schizophrenic Bronze-Age-anti-hero. So, I hope that makes things clear.

Next on World of Superman: It's our final visit to World's Finest for some time, as Batman and Superman take on Mr Mxyptlk, and continuity takes a beating.

World's Finest #4

Hey guys. I'm a very tired writer tonight, having spent the day riding around Central London on my bike as part of the Mayor of London's Sky Ride. It's been a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend the day, with thousands and thousands of fellow cyclists of all ages riding through what are normally some of the most congested streets in the city. I think the highlight of the day was either riding through the tunnel along Victoria Embankment, just south of St Paul's Cathedral, where a Samba band greeted the cyclists along with a huge banner proclaiming 'Make Some Noise' (which we did), or queuing up by Westminster Bridge, waiting to move into Parliament Square, just as Big Ben struck midday.

In other comics-related news, the second of my two guest appearances on Teenage Wasteland: An Ultimate Spider-Man Podcast went up over the weekend. Covering issues #75-#78, it's my favourite of the five podcasts I recorded recently. You can hear me summarise Spider-Man in poetry, reveal my true feelings towards Joe Quesada, and get very angry at the presence of a full moon. No, not because I'm a werewolf, but for a far more insidious reason.

Year Four: Underworlds


Writer: Karl Kesel
Penciller: Dave Taylor
Inker: Robert Campanella
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Letterer: Clem Robins
Associate Editor: Joseph Illidge
Editor: Darren Vincenzo
Cover Artist: Dave Taylor and Robert Campanella
Cover Date: July 1999
Release Date: 19/05/1999

Four Years Ago. Batman has been hacking military surveillance satellites, discovering that he is not the first person to do so, and that whoever has been before him has focused them on Suicide Slum in Metropolis. With the anniversary of Harrison Grey's death only a few days away, Batman smells a rat, and he heads to Metropolis.


Superman saves a young mother and her child from an inferno in Suicide Slum. He discovers that another child is trapped inside, but before he can save the child, Batman appears, saving the kid. The fire chief shows Superman a high-tech incendiary device that has been found at two previous fires, and Superman prepares for a long night. He meets up with Batman, surprised to discover that his presence in Metropolis is seemingly unconnected to Grey's death. As the two heroes examine the device, Desaad presents more of the devices, along with a powerful technological gauntlet, to Bruno Manheim and Intergang. As one of the gang checks their monitoring of Superman, he and Batman make an appearance, taking out the crooks despite their advanced weaponry. Desaad tests Superman to see if he is a New God by opening a Boom Tube. Superman is transfixed by what he sees through the tube, the war between New Genesis and Apokolips, and inadvertently allows Desaad to escape. Batman brings Superman back to the present, where Superman states that despite not knowing his origins, he is not from that world.

Superman rounds up the rest of the crooks, whilst Batman goes to check out a hunch. He had interrogated the technician monitoring Superman, discovered that he was just taking advantage of pre-existing monitoring, realises that he hadn't seen anyone enter or exit the building, and discerns that there must be a hidden entrance. He soon locates it, discovering underground tunnels that lead to a vast, hidden pseudo-military complex, called Cadmus. As Cadmus soldiers contain an escape of DNAliens, Batman discovers the cloned body of Jim Harper, undergoing memory implantation. Digging further, he discovers the truth of the complex and confronts Director Westfield with the fact that the facility is trying to clone Superman. Westfield admits this, and that they have had trouble doing so. Batman leaves, promising to keep an eye on the project.


Afterwards, Superman shares dinner with survivors of the inferno, whilst Batman returns to Gotham, determined to see Dick Grayson's school play.

So, this is pretty much the Batman and Superman meet the crazy world of Jack Kirby issue, introducing the New Gods into the series (despite Superman having met them twice already, reaching an understanding of their nature and conflicts in Jack Kirby's Fourth World #20) as well as giving us our first glimpse of Project Cadmus, a Kiry concept that would be a key cornerstone of the Superman stories in the first half of the 1990s. It's a chaotic issue, relying on the reader's pre-existing knowledge of these concepts and offering up highlights (Desaad, Boom Tubes, DNAliens, The Guardian) without really touching on why these are important. The Cadmus pages in particular feel more like Batman being given a 'best-of' tour of the facility rather than constructing a coherent story with these elements. Sure, there's the running thread concerning the monitoring of Superman, but once Batman arrives in Metropolis, this takes a back seat to the more pressing need to show off the work of Jack Kirby.

There's a wonderfully surreal moment, where Batman is sneaking through the corridors of Cadmus, and we see a guard who appear to be Obelix from the Asterix series. The posing of the other guard, especially his face, is very reminiscent of the art of Albert Uderzo. The panel is very obviously an homage to these comics, but for the life of me I cannot work out why this would be. It may be Dave Taylor's way of honoring the 40th anniversary of the publication of the first Asterix strip (in October 1959). Normally I like homages to other works, and I'll happily get behind Asterix, one of my favourites as a child, but I have to say, seeing Obelix in Cadmus did derail my reading of this issue as I sat there for a few moments wondering what was going on.

I really wanted to like this issue. Project Cadmus was one of my favourite things about the Superman books in the 1990s (even the Mickey Cannon era), and I was genuinely sad when the last remnant of the project, Dubbilex, died at the start of the World of New Krypton storyline.However, the rushed nature of how the concept is presented to us leaves me cold to the issue. In fact, this issue is the first of several in the World's Finest series that don't quite do it for me. Up to this point, the references to specific continuity have been fun, minor elements. However, with a few exceptions, from here on in the continuity will drive the story rather than flavouring it. At times, it can and will distract from the core purpose of the book, examining the relationship between Batman and Superman. For example, I would happily have not had Desaad in the book if it meant that we could have dealt with the frosty ending to the previous issue.

The Geeky Bits: If I've got my issues straight, then this is the third meeting between Superman and the New Gods. And if I've got my issues straight, then we won't see them again until Darkseid takes center stage in the Legends crossover. Project Cadmus, however, stays out of sight until 1998's Superman Annual #2.

Obelix's next appearance will be in 2001's Asterix and the Actress.

Next on World of Superman: As this is World of Superman, not World of Obelix, I must reluctantly put down my Asterix volumes. Instead, I'm going to see how much of a blog post I can get out of a three-page story with no dialogue. If it takes me a week to write, then I really have gone to live in Lazy Town, and you all have permission to throw rotten fruit at me.

World's Finest #3

Don't panic everybody! This isn't the World's Finest miniseries as recently covered on From Crisis To Crisis. This one is much better! It's safe to read on!

Year Three: Light In The Darkness


Words: Karl Kesel
Pencils: Dave Taylor
Inks: Robert Campanella
Colors/Seps: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Bill Oakley
Associate Editor: Joseph Illidge
Editor: Darren Vincenzo
Cover Artist: Dave Taylor and Robert Campanella
Cover Date: June 1999
Release Date: 21/04/1999

 Eight Years Ago...


Illuminata and her two henchmen rob a truck full of money in Gotham City. Clark Kent steps forward, proclaiming that it looks like a job for Superman, before struggling to remove his civilian clothing, confusing the villains. He then threatens to use his heat vision, before struggling to reach a fast sprint. Illuminata uses a flash bomb to blind him, but having been distracted by the events, they are arrested by Commissioner Gordon. In the tussle, a gun accidentally goes off, striking Superman and dropping him to the ground. Policemen come to his aid, and discover a kevlar vest underneath his costume. With Bruce Wayne overlooking, Gordon comes to the conclusion that 'Superman' is just another member of the public who has gone a little crazy and gently escorts him to Arkham Asylum for evaluation.


At Arkham, 'Superman' joins Jeremiah Arkham for an evaluation. His power either fail or he refuses to display them like a performing animal. Jeremiah persuades him to spend the night . As 'Superman' is led to his cell, the various inmates of Arkham react to his presence. Concerned about Superman, Bruce Wayne contacts Perry White to find out what has happened to Clark Kent, telling White that 'Superman' has been locked up in Arkham. After the call, White celebrates with Jimmy and Lois - Clark has gained access to Arkham Asylum for his undercover story.


That night, in his cell, Superman bemoans that he really cannot see through the lead-based paint. Suddenly his door unlocks, and Illuminata is standing there, having assaulted a guard to steal his keys. She has been busy, having already released the other inmates. Flying off, Superman quickly encounters Scarecrow and Penguin, both of who are surprised to discover that 'Superman' is actually Superman. Superman then follows The Riddler through the corridors, before discovering a scene orchestrated by Two-Face where both Mr Freeze and Poison Ivy stand ready to kill two members of staff at the same time, with Superman only able to intervene and save one of them. Superman chooses to melt Mr Freeze's gun, whilst Batman arrives to take care of Ivy. With the villains apprehended, Batman realises that the Joker is missing.


Batman and Superman enter the kitchens, where they are attacked by the Joker. Batman quickly overpowers Joker, but the two heroes are told that the Joker had caught Illuminata in the pantry. Opening the door, Superman discovers that the Joker has cut off her eyelids.

After order has been restored, Batman angrily confronts Superman over his assumption that Batman would act as backup on the anniversary of Harrison Grey's death. Batman insists that they are not partners or a team, and when Superman suggests that Batman's training of Robin is a reaction to their past team-ups, Batman suggests that the reverse is true. He suggests that Superman's night in Arkham was a reaction to his previous comment that he wouldn't last the night in Gotham. Superman denies this - he was originally going to write an exposé on Arkham with the intention of having it shut down, but his experiences have led him to change the focus of his article, calling for more funding and resources. The work being done there is too important to shut down, as is Batman's. Despite reaching an understanding, Superman has taken Batman's original words to heart, and suggests that the next year they try to remember Harrison Grey in their own ways. The two part company.

Ah, it's nice to return to a series that builds a relationship between Superman and a hero whose presence actually affect the Man of Steel. One of the strongest things about these earlier issues of this World's Finest miniseries is that, with large gaps in the history of the relationship between Batman and Superman, Karl Kesel is unafraid to have the heroes make mistakes with each other. The relationship that is in place by the time the two of them are heading up the JLA is one forged through adversity and across the years. Here, Superman makes some assumptions about the nature of his and Batman's working relationship that are wrong. The end result appears to be what he assumed would happen, but the reasons for the result are very different from what he expected, prompting him to re-evaluate his relationship with his most notable ally.

Although Superman has worked in Gotham prior to this issue, this is the first time he is exposed to the true darkness that inhabits the city. Magpie, for all of her showy theatrics, was a troubled woman and therefore elicited sympathy from Superman. The various Batman villains in Arkham Asylum, at their most demented and powerful, profoundly trouble Superman. When he comes across Illuminata, strapped to a chair with her eyelids sliced off so that she can never close her eyes, he is told by her to turn the light off as it is too bright. Instead of closing the door and quietly extinguishing the light, Superman is so shocked and reviled by what he sees that he cries out in shock, ripping the light bulb from the ceiling. Although he denies putting Batman's decree that he wouldn't last a night in Gotham City, this is very much a trial for Superman, one that he passes unscathed, but not unaffected by what he has seen. Although match-ups between Superman and Batman's villains are rare, each of them is taken seriously, with a respect for the potential for violence and loss of life that Superman gets from this encounter.

I really enjoyed the opening of the issue, where Superman pretends to be a well-meaning but deluded super-hero wannabe. Dave Taylor does a great job with the art in this opening scene, presenting subtly wrong images of Superman in action. I particularly like the detail on 'Superman's' hair, which is deliberately almost-but-not-quite right. I'm not so much of a fan of Taylor's portrayal of the Bat-villains, however. His Joker seems too ordinary, his appearance being at odds with the horrific act he commits. He is a lot creepier on the very striking cover that adorns this issue. I particularly like the way that Batman takes up the whole cover, and yet it's possible to not even notice that it's him unless you take in the small element of non-silhouette at the top of the image.

For me, this is one of the strongest issues of World's Finest, building on the first two issues whilst telling its own story, without being distracted by events that would define the later years of Batman and Superman. And in a few days, we'll be checking out the next issue.

The Geeky Bits: I missed out on creator bios the last two issues thanks to some interesting continuity pieces that needed addressing. And talking of those, this is the first time that Superman encounters The Joker.

Karl Kesel is one of the few people to have worked on the post-Crisis Superman as writer, artist and inker, although never at the same time. He is best known as the creator of the clone Superboy, a 67-issue, 6-year run as writer of Adventures of Superman, and as the writer of 59 issues of the Superboy series, in three runs from the first to the last issue. His main work as a penciller was on the Superman issues of the Time And Again arc, and he was the inker for the majority of John Byrne's run on Superman.

Next on World of Superman: Well, it's not the biggest leap in time that we've made (that honour belongs to an almost 100,000 year jump from World of New Krypton #2 to The Kents #1), but we're leaping ahead an entire year to see how Superman and Batman react to the third anniversary of Harrison Grey's death in World's Finest #4.