JLA Incarnations #3

So, we'll pass right by my last post, which inflated a minor mistake into an entire blog entry, before making a huge error at the end of the article. Thanks to Michael Bradley for catching that one for me in the comments!


I'd also like to return a shout-out to Kevin Cushing of the Geoff Johns Podcast, who read out an e-mail of mine on his second episode and plugged the blog a little. The Geoff Johns Podcast is a new podcast looking at the work of Geoff Johns. In a few episodes time, the podcast will alternate between the current month's worth of Geoff Johns work, and the same month 11 years ago (starting at the beginning of Johns' writing career), but for now the podcast is playing catchup with current titles and storylines to provide context for future episodes. I've really enjoyed the first two episodes, even with the second episode being a Brightest Day catchup (not a fan of Brightest Day, which seems to be heading towards Countdown standards as opposed to 52 standards). I hope you'll be able to find some time to catch this podcast, as once the 'historical' episodes get underway I think Kevin will be covering some really interesting titles.


Anyway, it'll be a very long time before we cover any Geoff Johns work here at the World of Superman. Today, we'll be looking at John Ostrander. Please open your issues to page 1.


Like A Tombstone In The Sky


Writer: John Ostrander
Penciller: Val Semeiks
Inker: Prentis Rollins
Colorist: John Kalisz
Separations: Heroic Age
Letterer: Ken Lopez
Assistant Editor: Steve Wacker
Editor: Dan Raspler
Cover Artist: Val Semeiks, Prentis Rollins, John Kalisz
Cover Date: September 2001
Release Date: 11/07/2001

Having been established for some time, the Justice League outgrows its original headquarters and builds itself a satellite headquarters in orbit around the Earth. Green Arrow resents the symbolism of the League looking down upon the Earth, and concerns over the 'sitting duck' nature of the satellite. Superman tries to address his concerns, telling him that only the League know that the satellite is there. However, Superman is wrong, as Lex Luthor gains positive confirmation that the satellite exists. He draws his plans against the League.

In the next few weeks, a new terrorist organisation known as Kobra makes itself known when an all-out attack on Cheyenne Mountain is routed by the Justice League. WLEX reporter Tully Reed presents footage of the attack, which is seen by Lex, who makes contact with the head of Kobra and reveals the existence and location of the League's satellite. Kobra plans to attack and destroy the satellite in retribution for the League destroying his mobile base of operations during the Cheyenne Mountain attack.


Green Arrow gives an inflammatory performance during an interview with Tully Reed, criticising the League for getting above its station and not doing enough for social issues. Hawkman takes offence at Arrow's comments, saying that the interview has jeopardised the League's UN backing and funding. He calls for the League to censure Green Arrow, but before they can do so, Arrow quits. Green Lantern follows his friend, and two talk. Green Arrow is having a mid-life crisis, and wonders if he needs the League as much as it needs him. Their conversation is interrupted by an emergency call from Black Canary, who is alone on the satellite and has detected a horde of Kobra spaceships heading towards her. The satellite is boarded and although Canary fights hard, she is overwhelmed by sheer force of numbers, and is captured by Kobra. As the the heroes prepare to rescue Canary, Atom tells the League to rendezvous at LexCorp.


The League confronts Luthor, who protests his innocence, claiming that Kobra stole LexCorp equipment to mount his raid on the satellite. He then turns on a screen broadcasting Kobra's message to the world -  a trussed up Black Canary and an ultimatum for the League to surrender to him. Although they doubt Luthor's innocence, the League realises that Kobra has laid a trap for them. They decide to distract Kobra, and Green Arrow teleports to the satellite to be that distraction. Taking out the first few guards, he fires an arrow into a control panel before announcing his presence to Kobra and drawing his troops. Alone in the control room, the arrow starts to shape-shift - it was really a disguised Martian Manhunter.


Green Arrow is quickly captured, and is beaten and brought to Kobra. Green Arrow taunts his captor, telling him that Martian Manhunter has already disabled his traps and bombs. The League then burst in to confront Kobra, whilst out in space, Superman, Green Lantern and Firestorm take care of the spaceships. With the Kobra troops defeated, the League search for Kobra himself, but find that he has managed to escape. However, they find the badly beaten body of Green Arrow, and transport him to a government hospital for him to receive treatment. Recovering in bed, Arrow decides not to rejoin the League, although Atom tells him that he is family and will always be welcome.

There's not a huge amount to say about this issue from a Superman point of view. He is listed on the opening splash page as a reserve member, a status he holds with League pretty much until the Watchtower era starts in JLA #1. There's a good moment where Green Arrow is freaking out with the League's self-appointed protectorshipbenevolance and humanity shines through. Green Arrow's response, a semi-mocking 'You're not the same as other people', speaks volumes about how he views Superman.

Although Superman doesn't really contribute to the rest of the plot, he does get to use his powers against Kobra a couple of times. These are nicely rendered by Val Semeiks, who really gives some panache to the battle scenes in the book. I particularly like the splash page where Superman, Green Lantern and Firestorm take apart the Kobra spaceships, especially the bits where Firestorm turns the ships into stone. Semeiks does a great job with the issue, bringing a real sense of unease to Kobra, especially his temple.

The issue opens with the construction of the iconic Justice League satellite, then jumps forward in time with the caption 'Some time later...' on page 8. This leap in time covers the most notable incident to occur on the JL satellite, the rape of Sue Dibney by Doctor Light and the mind-wiping of both Light and Batman. Although not specifically stated in this issue, the League's actions in the aftermath of the assault is the trigger for Green Arrow's feelings towards the League and his actions in this issue.

There are a few continuity errors in this issue. Luthor is shown with his kryptonite ring, an item he wouldn't acquire until Superman #2, a year or so down the line. He's also pictured in his post-Underworld Unleashed body, taller, slimmer and more well-built than his original Man Of Steel body, which was shorter and stockier. Luthor should also have some red, receding hair, and I do get a little irritated when the Luthor from the Man of Steel era is rendered as fully bald, as one of the nice touches throughout the original miniseries was how Luthor gradually lost his hair across his appearances. In a wider DC sense, Ollie and Diana were residents of Star City at this time, not Seattle.

The Geeky Bits: On the topic of Superman and the JLA, around the time of this issue, three Justice League of America story-arcs from the Silver Age featuring Superman as a member/reserve member can be definitively said to have occurred in the Post-Crisis history. The first, issues 96-98 from 1972, contains the original appearance of Starbreaker, who would return in Justice League America #62-65 (1992), Adam Strange: Planet Heist (2005) and Justice League of America #29-34 (2005). The second is issues 120 and 121 from 1975, which featured the marriage of Adam Strange and Alanna. The last, issues 185-187 (1981) show Superman's first time on Apokolips and his first encounter with Darkseid. This story is important, as during the Legends crossover, Superman exhibits knowledge of Darkseid that he would otherwise not have had the opportunity to gain.

Next on World of Superman: I really don't want to do this, but I'm going to have to unleash the continuity-challenged JLA: Classified #49 upon you all. Put on your finest continuity cop uniforms, and meet me back here in a few days time.

JLA: Generations #2

OK, so it's been a bit longer than expected to get this post up. Apologies to omike from the Superman Comicboards who got a promise that a post would be up on Sunday and then one didn't appear. It's not been the greatest week in the world for me, as I've been dealing with having a very ill girlfriend a very long way away from me. Blogging hasn't been something I've been up to doing the past few nights, but I'm back, the blog is back, and we've got us some pseudo-Silver-Age JLA to take a look at.

Belonging


Writer: John Ostrander
Penciller: Val Semeiks
Inker: Prentis Rollins
Colorist: Jon Kalisz
Separations: Heroic Age
Letterer: Ken Lopez
Assistant Editor: Steve Wacker
Editor: Dan Raspler
Cover Artists: Val Semeiks, Prentis Rollins, John Kalisz
Cover Date: August 2001

Fire-Eye, a power-vision-wielding dinosaur from a different time, is attacking Gotham City harbour. The JLA move in to attack, unknowingly observed by Batman. Their assault initially seems to work, impressing Batman with their tactics and teamwork, but Fire-Eye is able to shrug off their attacks and continue his attack. Batman approaches Green Arrow and Black Canary, giving them an alternative battle plan. Despite Green Arrow's resistance, the JLA use Batman's plan, forcing Fire-Eye back to the portal that he appeared from, whilst Batman himself works to protect the bystanders from collateral damage. Fire-Eye refuses to enter the portal, but the sudden arrival of Superman tips the battle in favour the JLA, and a quick blast of heat vision through the portal destroys the apparatus maintaining it. In the aftermath, Superman is pressed by a reporter to join the JLA, a request that Superman finally agrees to. Superman and other members of the League take off, whilst Green Lantern, Flash, Green Arrow and Black Canary help to clear up after the battle. Flash takes umbrage at the brusque nature of Batman's intervention, whilst Arrow and Canary grow closer and reveal their identities to each other.


The next morning, Bruce Waynes is quizzed by Alfred as to why he hasn't joined the JLA despite several requests to. He points out that the League could offer him something he has very little of - friends. Batman then heads out on patrol, meeting Commisioner Gordon at a zoo, where the apes have been broken out of their cages and several security guards have been killed. Batman recognises a photo of the perptrator as Gorilla Grodd, and on his return to the batcave realises that every zoo on the east coast has been hit.


Barry Allen stops by for lunch with Hal Jordan, complaining about Superman's lack of trust in his team-mates, as evidenced by his holding back in a recent Superman/Flash race for charity. Clark Kent meanwhile attends the funeral of a schoolfriend, who had been killed whilst working as a policeman. Affected by his friend's death, he vows to never let a similar event happen again.


A few nights later, Batman spies on a gather of Grodd's forces, and manages to attach a tracer to one of the gorillas. The next day, Grodd attacks Washington DC, rounding up the government and caging them in zoos, and proclaiming that America belongs to him. The Atom infiltrates the Pentagon, but finds the gorillas there incapacitated by Batman. On Batman's instructions, Atom shrinks down into the cybernetic enhancements used by the gorillas, and discovers that they help Grodd maintain control. Batman liases with the JLA, deterring them from a direct assault and setting them up to neutralise the gorilla army. However, the plans go awry when Superman arrives, ignores J'onn's telepathic warning, and directly attacks Grodd.


Grodd telepathically makes Superman imagine that he has kryptonite, forcing Martian Manhunter and Aquaman to step in. Grodd makes Aquaman think that he is dehydrating, and attempts to disable J'onn by forcing him to believe that he is surrounded by fire. As the two telepaths face off, Atom finally discovers how to disable the cybernetics, and does so, causing the gorillas to revert to a pacifist state and the resulting feedback to break Grodd's telepathic concentration. The JLA makes quick work of Grodd.


In the aftermath, Superman is berated by Batman for not trusting the JLA and for charging in to directly confront Grodd, putting the League at risk. Batman explains that whilst he is short and abrupt, he has total respect for the capabilities of the League. Superman reflects on what has happened, and decides to step down from being a full member, reverting to his honorary membership. Before doing so, he initiates a vote to accept Batman into the JLA, a vote that passes, and Batman agrees to membership.


Back in Wayne Manor, Bruce smiles as he realises that he belongs in a group.

One of the interesting things about doing this blog is the way I can just dip into a limited series for an issue or two then come away from it having only experienced one chapter of an overall story. Sure, there are times when it's going to be frustrating to try and follow the story of the series, but when the series is structured like this, then we get a lovely done-in-one that can stand apart from the other 6 issues of this series. JLA: Incarnations was a 2001 JLA spin-off where each issue looked at a different era of the JLA, from their formation all the way to the (then-current) Morrison-style Big Seven era, stopping off in the Satellite era and the JLI along the way. It was a fairly well received series at the time, although not well enough to receive a trade paperback.

I like this issue, despite it's diminished focus on the JLA. It's basically the JLA meets Superman and Batman, whilst also doing something quite common from this era in Superman's life, a compare-comparison between the two heroes that for once presents Superman in a less-positive light, making a virtue out of the things that are normally negative points for Batman. The structure is quite clear. The JLA have a fight, Batman and Superman turn up, the JLA loves Superman but is not happy with Batman. Then there's a bit of downtime, before the JLA have to fight again. Batman and Superman turn up, but this time Batman gets their respect whilst Superman realises that he's not as much of a team-player as he thought. Superman actually gets a little bit of a short shrift here. His first intrusion into the story is well reasoned, using his abilities and intelligence to realise the missing piece of the puzzle that allow him to assist the JLA in defeating Fire-Eye. His second is basically the same, charging at Grodd, but this time not using his abilities and intelligence to work out what is going on, resulting in a disruption to Batman's plans and placing two fellow Leaguers in danger. There is a moment that attempts to explain this change, the scene at Clark's friend's funeral, but it requires a leap in reasoning to apply Clark's thoughts from the funeral to Superman's unusual single-mindedness on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Batman is a far more rounded and human character than we've seen so far in this blog. We've yet to see him come out of his shell in World's Finest, and The Man of Steel  is very much about presenting Batman as a reluctant ally to Superman. Here, the animosity that characterises their early interactions is still present, but wether softened by his years in the cowl, or just a shift in focus in the writing, Batman is now taking time to stand up for himself and his methods with his peers, which allows them to see beyond the brusqueness and superiority. Even Superman sees this, nominating Batman for membership, something he wouldn't have done after their first meeting.

I know I didn't enjoy Val Semeiks' art in ULTRA Humanite, but here it comes across a lot stronger. Watching his rendition of the JLA in action against Fire-Eye is a real joy. I like the little details, such as the 5 o'clock shadow on Green Arrow's face when he is confronted by angry Gotham residents hours after the fight. Olly looks genuinely exhausted in this scene, his face is longer and more drawn than usual, and this shines through even when he's flirting with Black Canary. Semeiks' Grodd is also well portrayed. Of late, Grodd has tended to be a behind the scenes opponent, using his telepathic powers over his physical prowess (I think the last time I read Grodd as a physical opponent was JLA Classified #1-3), but here he is physically impressive, and on every panel is portrayed as the kind of villain who could easily go toe-to-toe with Superman.

The Geeky Bits: John Ostrander is one of the most respected writers in modern comics history. He is best known for his five-year run on Suicide Squad, which has been thematically revived in the last few years, with contributions from Ostrander, in the Gail Simone-written Secret Six. Although Ostrander has never worked on the core Superman titles, he wrote the subsidiary series The Kents, some issues of which I looked at here.

This is, as far as I can tell, Fire-Eye's only DCU appearance. A few searches have a character called Fire-Eye in Elfquest #1-2 from the 1996 run, which would work with the idea that Fire-Eye is not from our time or reality. A fire-eye is a species of small bird noted for having red rings around the eyes.

This is one of the first times that Green Arrow reveals his identity to Black Canary. I honestly don't know when this first happened in comics, so if anyone knows this, please throw it out in the comments!

As far as post-Crisis continuity is concerned, this is the only time that Superman is an official member of the JLA until the Big Seven era. This hasn't stopped him from being a reserve member, and helping out the team on multiple occasions. This status would get changed in the aftermath of Infinite Crisis, where Superman would revert to being a founder member of the League.

Next on World of Superman: Batman's got a new companion, and it's time for him to meet the Man of Steel. It's Legends of the DCU #6!