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?

Action Comics #586

Yes, I'm back. I had a great time at the MCM Expo. I had my entire run of All Star Superman signed by Frank Quitely. I got Hitman #34 - yes, that issue - signed by John McCrea. I got the most amazing Doctor Who variant cover from Tony Lee. It's a TARDIS on the front, and the cover opens in the middle to reveal the console room, twice the size of the cover. The inside is bigger than the outside. It's genius! And I saw exclusive Green Lantern footage and heard Maurice LaMarche do the voice of The Brain live. And Billy West rolled out Ren and Stimpy. It was great, and if you didn't get the chance to go then I'm sorry, I'm so very sorry.

I also got to see X-Men: First Class recently, and I've not felt that excited about an X-Men movie since X2. Everyone involved in the film did a cracking job, and that cameo was an absolute bloody treat. More recently, last night in fact, I saw the documentary film Senna, and I would fervently recommend that to anyone, regardless of your level of giving-a-crap about Formula 1. The film was superb, constructed entirely of archive footage and the very occasional context-giving voiceover. Go see it - you won't be disappointed.

That's enough of various bits and pieces, let's take a look at some comics.

Legends Chapter 19: Superman vs The New Gods! The Champion!

Storyteller: John Byrne

Embellisher: Dick Giordano

Letterer: John Costanza

Colorist: Tom Ziuko

Editor: Andrew Helfer

Cover Art: John Byrne

Cover Date: March 1987

Release Date: 26/12/1986

Lightray and Orion head to Apokolips. Superman is being tested by Granny Goodness, telling him that he is the son of Darkseid. Looking on, Amazing Grace wonders if the testing is safe, as Superman has lost some of his strength along with his memories. Darkseid reveals the extent of his plans, pretending not to recognise Superman as Clark Kent, ensuring that he meets and trusts Grace, Glorious Godfrey’s sister, and then manipulating Superman into giving the Hunger Dogs a taste of hope before crushing that hope. Darkseid questions if Grace has fallen in love with Superman.  Darkseid restore Superman’s powers and sends him off to fight for him, acknowledging the risk in doing so, as he has also restored Superman’s full brain functions and risks having his memories returned.

Superman flies above Apokolips and encounters Orion and Lightray. Lightray uses his powers to distract and confuse Superman whilst Orion prepares for battle. When he is attacked, Orion claims the right to single-combat, and the two fight. Orion quickly realises that Superman believes that he is the son of Darkseid, and removes his helmet to show Superman the true cost of being Darkseid’s progeny, hoping to shock Superman back to his true self.

Meanwhile, Lightray encounters Amazing Grace, who uses her seduction powers to sway him to her side. Realising what is happening, Lightray emits a bright burst of light, blinding Grace and breaking her spell. Returning to Orion, he finds that Superman has been cowed. Orion uses his Mother Box to restore Superman’s memories and costume. Realising what had been done to him, Superman lets out a loud yell, alerting Darkseid to the failure of his plans. Darkseid sends his omega beams, this time to destroy Superman. Superman leads the beams across Apokolips to the palace, where he tricks them into striking Darkseid. Although he survives, Darkseid is weakened, and the two fight. As soon as Superman gains the upper hand, Darkseid opens a boom tube and returns Superman to Earth. He then allows Orion and Lightray to leave Apokolips.

The final part of this Apokolips trilogy both delivers a strong ending to the story yet at the same time feels unfinished, thanks to its commitments to the wider Legends crossover. We have some fantastic battles here, including the first time Superman goes toe-to-toe with Darkseid, and the issue really lives up to the title of the series. Yet the ending also feels rushed, with Darkseid sending Superman back to Earth in a boom-tube when the book is about to run out of pages, rather than because his encounter with Superman has reached a natural ending.

This book is trying to do too much, which this is evidenced on the cover. The already busy Action Comics cover format, with separate banners for the guest-stars and creators, also has to take the Legends banner and two chunks of cover text. Orion and Superman’s fight barely takes up half of the cover, and as great as the image is – I particularly like the way the outline of the ‘S’ shield survives the full force of Orion’s attack – it is drowned out in the mass of words and logos all fighting for prominence.

Another way in which it is clear that this issue is trying to achieve too much is the inclusion of Lightray. His encounter with Amazing Grace is nice, but takes up space that is desperately needed by Superman. His presence has no real effect on Superman’s story within this issue, save as a mild distraction at the start of combat. As someone whose experience with the Fourth World is all from the post-Crisis era, Lightray is known to me as the guy who shows up here and who dies in Countdown to Final Crisis. Based on his appearance in this book, he appears to me to be a flying Dazzler, and whilst I am sure his role in the wider narrative of New Genesis is more substantial, I have never encountered this in my Superman reading. His brief usage of his power is good, but he doesn’t have the space in the narrative to make any real impact on me.

Orion has a much stronger role in the book than his companion. If this was your first time reading Orion, I feel that you walk away from this book knowing everything you need to know about the character. In particular, the dichotomy of the character really comes through. Although he struggles to control his Apokoliptian heritage, what really draws him into the battle is Superman’s claim to be Darkseid’s son. The art doesn’t quite convey the full horror of Orion’s un-muted appearance – let’s face it, there are scarier looking people out there who are not sons of the universe’s most evil being – but it does convey the idea of someone physically scarred by their ancestry.

I wrote last time about how I felt it was a missed opportunity not to have Superman deal with his actions whilst under Darkseid’s control. We’ll Superman see in the next instalment of Legends later in the same day as his return to Earth, and he is calm and rational enough to debate Darkseid’s plans with the President, implying that he has fully recovered and come to terms with his actions (in fact, that scene strongly implies that Superman’s entire stay on Apokolips occurred within a few hours, which would make the uprising of the Hunger Dogs the universe’s fastest revolution). Here, he lets rip at Darkseid, his anger driving him into his most physically combative encounter to date. Superman outmaneuvers the  omega beams, causing them to strike Darkseid, and Byrne’s artwork here portrays a damaged, hurt and pissed off Darkseid with a simple effectiveness that doesn’t diminish the character.  Darkseid is a mean fighter, and this first of many great clashes between these two characters is a strong one. This is the first time Superman has gone toe-to-toe with someone of equal power and prowess since he confronted his clone in Man of Steel #5, and the artwork again lends great weight and power to the blows that are landed.

The problem with this issue is how everything resolves, or doesn’t. All of a sudden, Darkseid opens a boom tube and deposits Superman back on Earth. He then exchanges some brief words with his son before letting him go. The entire Orion/Darkseid scene feels very underwhelming, with both characters departing to suit the scope of the Superman story instead of following the wider story of the New Gods. Yes, there’s a reference to their final battle that is yet to come (sadly, and spoilers here, it occurs in Countdown to Final Crisis, and the warm-up bout is Darkseid vs Jimmy Olsen…), but it does feel like Byrne has written himself into a little bit of a corner, with not enough room in the issue to resolve the non-Superman story, instead just letting it grind to a halt as soon as the main character is removed from the action.

The Geeky Bits: Orion and Lightray are both familiar with Superman, but their first meeting has as yet gone unrecorded. This is presumably the first time that Superman has entered direct combat with Darkseid, but if there have been other occurrences before now, they have gone unrecorded.

Next on World of Superman: As Superman starts to take a larger role in the main Legends series, we drop down to one issue per post and take a look at Legends #5.

Adventures of Superman #426

It's here! Golden Age Superman episode 19, featuring myself with the host Jon M Wilson covering Superman #3, Action Comics #20 and a whole bunch of newspaper strips, has gone live. I had a blast recording the show last week, and although I get a little quiet towards the end as my local time heads towards midnight, I think I made a good shot at talking about comics that I have very little experience with. Thanks to Jon for having me on!

It's been a busy week, what with a whole bunch of work for my job, and preparation for this weekend's MCM Expo. I'm really looking forward to the show - I'm off in a couple of hours to the preview day. I can't wait to re-meet some creators from last year, including Kieron Gillen, who had yet to have his first issue of Uncanny X-Men published, and Tony Lee, the writer of the fantastic IDW Doctor Who series. There are panels for both the Green Lantern and X-Men First Class movie, and most of the voice cast of Futurama are making an appearance, although sadly no Bender or Leela. But I'm really looking forward to meeting some great Superman-related guests. Occasional JLA: Classified writer Warren Ellis (I'll admit, that's a very tenuous connection) is a guest of honour for the weekend. Hitman artist John McCrea will be there, and in celebration of that I picked up a copy of the award-winning Hitman #34, featuring Superman, for him to sign.

The biggest Superman name for the convention, though, is All-Star Superman and JLA: Earth-2 artist Frank Quitely. I have these titles from the original release, and I also picked up the first trade of Batman and Robin yesterday to re-read and get signed, and I can't wait to meet this amazing artist.

As with last year I'll be posting a review and round-up after the event, but for 'live' coverage, be sure to follow me on Twitter as that's how I'll be keeping up with the world.

Legends Chapter 18: From The Dregs…

Writer: Marv Wolfman

Artist/Co-Plotter: Jerry Ordway

Co-Plotter: John Byrne

Letterer: Albert de Guzman

Colorist: Tom Ziuko

Editor: Andrew Helfer
Cover Art: Jerry Ordway

Cover Date: March 1987
Release Date: 18/12/1986

The fires of Apokolips burn. Beneath the surface of the planet, a scavenger collects waste and debris from the flame pits. He has a luck catch when he snags red material, and pulls the unconscious body of Superman from the flames. Realising that his catch has survived the fires, he wonders whether he should attempt to sell him to Darkseid, but decides against it, choosing instead to let the Hunger Dogs of Apokolips know of his find. Word spreads, and a crowd forms around Superman’s prone form. The scavenger attempts to show Superman’s invulnerability by scorching his hand with a fiery torch, but gets a surprise when Superman revives and grabs his hand. Superman is more surprised to discover that his hand has actually been burned. The Hunger Dogs react to the apparent deception by forming a mob, but the appearance of Amazing Grace, the woman from the previous issue, cows the threat. She declares Superman their saviour, one of the New Gods of New Genesis, and announces his arrival as the start of a revolution.

Watching Amazing Grace and the Hunger Dogs on a monitor screen, Darkseid is unconcerned, unleashing his parademons on the crowd. Although he is unable to remember much of who he is or how he came to Apokolips, Superman recognises innocents in danger, and leaps to their defence, fighting the parademons. After a short but furious battle, Superman is victorious, and the Hunger Dogs strip the defeated parademons of their amour. Superman notices that every time he begins to think clearly and remember details of his life, his mind starts to cloud over. Unable to resist, he accepts Amazing Grace’s proclamation of him as Apokolips’ saviour, and becomes a figurehead for the rebellion.

Elsewhere, Highfather of the New Gods feels a sense of dread and unease, and consults the Source. The Source shows him something that makes him fear for the safety of all the New Gods.

On Apokolips, Amazing Grace fires up the leadership of the rebellion, before tending to Superman, relaxing his aches away in a herbal bath. Grace replaces Superman’s costume with armour emblazoned with Superman’s symbol. As Superman leads the battles, his logo and costume become symbols of the rebellion. The battle approaches Darkseid’s citadel. Amazing Grace oversees the battle from a balcony. Declaring victory, Superman embraces her and gives her a passionate kiss. Superman addresses the crowd, telling them that their hope for freedom must now be ended. Parademons swoop down and massacre the Hunger Dogs. Superman and Amazing Grace then turn away from the slaughter and face their master, Darkseid.

The second chapter of this three-part Apokoliptian romp gives us a Superman who is barely the character we know and love, and whose passion and drive to fight against injustice is gruesomely subverted in the closing pages of the book.

I came out with a lot of love for Jerry Ordway when he made his artistic debut on the Superman books, and that love stands, but it’s unfortunate that in the midst of the entire Legends event and this crossover, all of which was pencilled by John Byrne, we didn’t get a guest spot from Byrne on Adventures of Superman. Ordway’s style, whilst strong and distinctive, feels out of place in the middle of such a Byrne-led story. There is some great artwork on display here. Ordway draws the heck out of the crowds of rebelling Hunger Dogs, and his parademons look and act as threatening as the characters treat them. In later years, parademons would come to be used cannon fodder for the fists of various heroes, but here a small force are as great a threat to the rebellion as Darkseid himself. Talking of Darkseid, he is well-presented by Ordway, but the hard, malicious tone that Byrne brings to the character is sadly missing. The final panel in particular should be far more ominous than it looks. Wolfman's scripting also feels out of place in the wider context of the crossover. His scripting is more verbose than both Byrne and Ostrander, resulting in pages that look more crowded than the other issues, and that take longer to read. It's a good read, but like the artwork, it sits awkwardly in the middle of the story.

The growth of the rebellion is interesting. As the crowds grow and they get closer to their goal, Amazing Grace becomes more… well… amazing! Her transformation from rag-clad fugitive to glorious princess overseeing the advance of her troops is a sure tip to the reader that not is all as it seems, although subtle enough to prevent the shock of the final twist from being lessened.

And what a final moment this is. Superman unleashes a horde of parademons onto the massed Hunger Dogs, wiping them out, before pledging allegiance to Darkseid himself. It’s heartbreaking to see Superman party to and instigator of these actions, even though it is clear, if unstated, that Amazing Grace is the one responsible. What perhaps robs this moment of its true power is the lack of reflection or penance on Superman’s part after he regains his memories. I believe that Superman’s conscience is strong enough that he would feel responsible, even though he was being manipulated by Darkseid and Grace, and indeed, we have seen plenty of occasions where Superman takes responsibility for events completely out of his control. In a couple of years we would see Superman react very strongly to three deaths that he took complete responsibility for, but I feel that it was a missed opportunity to deal with Superman’s guilt, regardless of whether he could be truly blamed or not.

The Geeky Bits: Several references are made throughout this series to the one-shot titled The Hunger Dogs, published in 1985 as DC Graphic Novel #4. This was Jack Kirby's final work for DC, and his intention was to bring the Fourth World saga to a close with the death of the New Gods. DC disagreed, demanding that the New Gods survive the series. When the story finally saw publication, it was not as Kirby had intended, with many page orders restructured and plot points revised. The plot featured a rebellion on Apokolips by the slave population, the titular Hunger Dogs, that saw Darkseid fleeing Apokolips. At some point between that story and this, Darkseid regained control of Apokolips, and the massacre of the Hunger Dogs in this issue would be the final rebellion on Apokolips.

This issue was covered on episode 5 of From Crisis To Crisis

Next on World of Superman: We'll be back after the weekend to cover a four-way smackdown featuring Orion, Lightray, Superman and Darkseid.

Superman #3

Hey guys, welcome back to the World of Superman.

Before we get going today, I just wanted to throw a shout-out to Jeffrey Taylor, co-host of From Crisis To Crisis and a contributor and administrator of the Superman Homepage. I had the great pleasure of meeting Jeffrey at the start of April in San Francisco, where my holiday coincided with WonderCon, and Jeffrey was kind enough to take a part of his Sunday morning to share breakfast and chat about Superman and life in general. Jeffrey has just started a series of articles for movies.com focusing on the production of the upcoming Superman: The Man of Steel film. The first instalment went up a few days ago, and future instalments will arrive every other Tuesday. Go check it out! The article is a great read, and I'll be looking forward to future posts. Don't forget to add your comments and interact as sell - I'm told that the next post will be worthy of comment!

But let us turn our view away from Jeffrey, and instead take a look at a maniacal super-god, determined to conquer the Earth. I'll leave you guys to make up your own punchlines!


Legends Chapter 17: Legends From The Darkside

Writer/Penciller: John Byrne

Inker: Terry Austin

Letterer: John Costanza

Colorist: Tom Ziuko

Editor: Andrew Helfer

Cover Artist: John Byrne

Cover Date: March 1987

Release Date: 11/12/1986

Lois Lane arrives at the Metropolis Grande Hotel to interview G. Gordon Godfrey. Godfrey resists attempts by Lois to pry into his background, and tells her that the true goal of his crusade is to see super-heroes wiped from the face of the Earth.

In the streets below, Clark Kent rushes through the crowds in a panic. He is being pursued by two beams of light that take great care not to strike anyone as they chase him, and is unable to change into Superman as a result of President Reagan’s edict. Clark heads into the sewers, ducking to avoid the beams, but is struck by them when they unexpectedly reverse direction. The beams take him to Apokolips, to Darkseid’s feat. Darkseid cannot understand why his omega beams haven’t brought Superman to him, and gaining no help from the Phantom Stranger, he hurls Clark through a window and into the Armagetto below.

Finding himself in the garbage of the Armagetto, Clark wonders about the Phantom Stranger’s involvement with Darkseid’s plans. Denizens of Armagetto quickly descend on Clark, stripping him of his possessions and clothes, revealing him as Superman, who easily bats them aside. Exploring the Armagetto, Superman reviews all he knows of the New Gods. He uses his telescopic vision and discovers that New Genesis no longer exists. Superman ducks further down into the Armagetto to avoid detection by Parademons, and uses rags and cloth to disguise his costume.

Proceeding on foot, Superman comes across an angry mob, protesting the imminent execution of a woman who preached against Darkseid’s rule. Recognising that a life is in danger, Superman steps forward, breaking the fence that keeps the mob back and demanding the woman’s release. With the shock troops distracted by Superman’s show of strength, the woman escapes. The troops summon a pacifier, an oversized armoured soldier, who attacks Superman. The two fight, and Superman is able to crack the armour, releasing a parasitic slug-like creature which attacks Superman, attaching itself to him. As Superman struggles, he topples into a flame pit. Looking on, Darkseid laughs.

This is a great book. Whilst I felt that the Legends series proper had lost momentum leading into this crossover, this book comes out of the gate with all guns blazing. Lois gets to grip with G. Gordon Godfrey and his twisted philosophy, and his manipulation powers come across as far more insidious when directed solely at Lois. Her admission that his arguments are so persuasive that she has to remind herself which side she is on carries as much weight as the baying mobs seen in the back half of the Legends storyline.

In the meantime, an unprepared Superman narrowly avoids a one-on-one confrontation with Darkseid. Clark’s madcap dash through the streets of Metropolis has a real sense of panic to it. You really get the feeling of his desperation, forced to stay in his civilian identity but frantically trying to outpace the omega beams. Thankfully the Phantom Stranger is present to help deflect Darkseid’s attentions when he arrives on Apokolips, although it is unusual that Darkseid should be so trusting of another’s word, especially when it would appear to cast doubt on his own abilities.

Superman’s adventures on Apokolips are interesting. After twenty-five years of Superman vs Darkseid stories in different media, we are used to Superman marching into Apokolips on a war footing, ready to throw down with Darkseid as soon as he needs to. Having him skulk around in the Armagetto, his costume covered by rags, is an different and clever way to get Superman involved with the story. I particularly like the touch where Superman’s aura that keeps his costume intact during battle also prevents the grime of the Armagetto from dirtying him, forcing him to hide in the shadows to avoid detection by Darkseid’s troops.

Of course, a whole issue of skulking would not make for a satisfying read, and it doesn't take long for the injustices of Apokolips to bring Superman out. The throwdown with the pacifier is a great piece of action. John Byrne’s style seems particularly suited to the designs and environments of the Fourth World, and the pacifier – and the slug-like parasite within – are strong visuals.

I love, just love, the final page of this book, where the camera pulls back from Superman’s descent into the flame-pit to a menacing, gloating Darkseid. It takes a lot to be able to draw Darkseid smiling or laughing, and Byrne really sells the image in the final panel. There is an incredible amount of sinister and insidious delight in Darkseid’s reaction to Superman’s plight, and this whole page makes for a great cliffhanger to the book.

The Geeky Bits: Man, I can’t believe I forgot to drop this in on the last post!

Although this is the first time that readers saw Superman face Darkseid after the Man of Steel reboot, Clark's thoughts here clearly indicate that the two have met before. John Byrne wrote the story of how Superman first encountered the New Gods in the closing issue of his series Jack Kirby's Fourth World (covered here), and later events would seem to canonise the pre-Crisis Justice League of America #183-185.

This is the first time all of the current Superman titles directly tie into each other, with the story continuing from book to book. For the next few years, such inter-title continuity will be the exception, rather than the norm, but as we move from the 1980s into the 1990s, these three books (with the addition of Superman: The Man Of Steel) will form a continuous ongoing storyline, eventually linked by the ‘shield numbering’ on the covers, that will be known colloquially as the Neverending Battle style of storytelling. This will last until 1999 when the replacement of almost all of the creative teams on the four titles will only see continual inter-title storytelling for special events and crossovers.

This issue was covered on Episode 5 of From Crisis To Crisis.

Next on World of Superman: Forgive me, for I have been watching too much Futurama (particularly All My Circuits), but… Superman comes down with a sudden case of… AMNESIA!!!?!?!!

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.