World’s Finest 300 – Superman, Batman, the Justice League, the Outsiders and the Cosmic Tree

The Cosmic Tree storyline comes to a conclusion in World’s Finest 300 (Feb. 84), as writers Kraft, Barr and Wolfman are joined by Andru, Amendola and Mark Texeira, Smith, McLaughlin, Rodriguez, Klaus Janson and Rick Magyar, as well as George Perez on the New Teen Titans pages.

Superman brings in the Justice League, and Batman calls in the Outsiders to help as the heroes each want to stop the Cosmic Tree from wiping out life on Earth.  There is tension between the two groups, reflecting that between Superman and Batman.  And though there are loads of heroes in this story, the Elongated Man, Firestorm, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Red Tornado and Wonder Woman all get at least a brief opportunity to show their stuff.

Overall, though, it’s the newer team, the Outsiders, who are given a bit more attention: Black Lightning, Geo-Force, Halo, Katana and Metamorpho.

I have little positive to say about the use of the New Teen Titans in this issue.  Dick Grayson is in between identities, but Changeling, Cyborg, Raven, Starfire, Terra and Wonder Girl go into action against Gordanian slavers.  This is the result of the time warps created by the Cosmic Tree.  The New Teen Titans never interact with the other heroes, or the main plotline.

Zeta is really the focus of the story, when the army of super-heroes are not being distracted by time warp problems.  Zeta has decided to aid the Cosmic Tree is wiping out life on Earth, as he plans to rule the planet afterwards, as well as the alien world the Tree is linked to.

Sgt. Rock and Easy Company get to appear in one of the warps, although there is little room for them to do anything except watch the heroes get captured.

In the end it is left to Superman and Batman to pull out a victory, though not by force. Once again, all it really takes is a good conversation with Zeta to get him to change his mind.  Zeta rips up the Cosmic Tree by its roots, saving the Earth and all its people.

The conclusion does sort of save the issue.  With both the Justice League and the Outsiders wanting harmony between the heroes, Wonder Woman takes it upon herself to talk some sense into them, and Superman and Batman patch up their problems, becoming friends again.

It was clearly necessary to have some tension between the heroes in this book, to reflect the events that lead to Batman forming the Outsiders.  But if World’s Finest was to continue as a series, those problems had to be overcome.

World’s Finest 265 – Robin trapped in a magic land, Green Arrow delivers a rose, Hawkman helps some aliens, Red Tornado begins, and King Kull and Mr. Atom plot to destroy the world

Robin joins Superman and Batman for the first time since the book expanded to Dollar Comic size in World’s Finest 265 (Oct/Nov 80), in a story by Cary Burkett, Ric Estrada and Dick Giordano.

Superman and Batman each see visions of Robin being magically tormented.  Comparing notes, they realize he has been taken to the magical realm that the heroes visited waaay back in the second issue of Justice League of America, twenty years earlier.  Merlin appears, giving the heroes guidance, and explaining that Robin is in the hands of Simon Magus, who had been the villain in the Justice League story as well.

It’s a pretty straightforward story, really.  The heroes split up to search for Simon Magus, and re-unite when they find him.

Robin gets to save himself, thankfully.  This is Robin’s last appearance before the creation of the New Teen Titans.

Haney, Von Eeden and Jimmy Janes provide an enjoyable, if a bit old-fashioned, Green Arrow story.  Dinah is back running her slower shop, and receives a mysterious order to deliver a rose to the grave of a woman long dead, with people trying to prevent the delivery.

Oliver unravels this very film noir story, which has to do with twin brothers, an impersonation, an old land deal and a plot to get rich by bankrupting the city.

Hawkman deals with more aliens in this story, by deMatteis, Landgraf and Gil.  As before, the art is what carries this tale.  DeMatteis’ story is not bad, but a bit heavy handed.  Hawkman is called up by the Sacerdotes, arrogant pacifists who want him to stop terrorists from attacking them.

Hawkman succeeds, only to have the Sacerdotes kill the entire ship of enemies.  Neither side is truly “good” in this story, and Hawkman regrets ever getting involved.

Red Tornado begins his very first ongoing series, by deMatteis, Delbo and DeMulder.  This first chapter is really a long recap of the character.  The story covers his origin, built by T.O. Morrow as part of a plot to destroy the Justice Society.

The story goes on to cover his first apparent death, as he moved from Earth-2 to Earth-1, and getting used by T.O. Morrow again, as he joined the Justice League.  His second death and revival are briefly covered as well.

It ends as we discover that the narrator of the tale is a transformed T.O. Morrow.  The story does forget about Morrow’s appearance in Super-Team Family, but a later issue of Justice League of America will rectify the apparent contradictions between that appearance and this one.

Captain Marvel continues his battle against Mr. Mind’s Monster Society of Evil, as he and Captain Marvel Jr join forces against King Kull and Mr. Atom.

Bridwell, Newton and Chiaramonte remain the creative team.  King Kull is really the active villain in this story, using Mr. Atom as a power source as he uses a machine he created to reverse the Earth’s topography, sinking the land and raising the seas.  Billy and Freddy get captured and gagged, but get free and stop the pair of villains.

World’s Finest 261 – the Penguin/Terra-Man team, Green Arrow and Black Canary vs Auntie Gravity, Black Lightning ends, and Mary Marvel becomes a statue

Penguin and Terra-Man mark the first Superman/Batman villain team-up in these pages in close to a decade, in World’s Finest 261 (Feb/March 1980).

Although the two villains have nothing obviously in common, O’Neil, Buckler and Giordano craft a remarkably good tale for the two of them.  The Penguin is on a tv interview show, promoting a man who claims to be Butch Cassidy, still alive and young in the present day.  Batman busts into the broadcast, sure that the Penguin is perpetrating a fraud, but Terra-Man comes in as well, believing that the man is Cassidy.

He isn’t, of course, and the Penguin explains his plans to Terra-Man.  He hired an actor to learn all there is to learn about Cassidy, and then hypnotized him into believing he really was the outlaw.  Aside from that, he simply intends to profit as the man’s agent.  But now that Batman has insisted, on television, that the man is a fraud, Penguin does not expect his plan to work.

Terra-Man suggests turning it into a revenge plot.  Using some kryptonite that he has, added to the Penguin’s hypnotic device, they attack Superman, and brainwash him into believing that he is the Sundance Kid, plotting to have him gun down Batman.

It’s the Butch Cassidy impersonator who messes this up, as he knows Superman is not Sundance.  Hypnotizing Superman to kill someone is a risky proposition anyway, as it does so much against his nature that Butch is able to break the spell.

Green Arrow and Black Canary face a new enemy in this story, Aunty Gravity, an old hillbilly who mental powers of telekinesis suddenly manifest, thanks to Conway, Saviuk and Chiaramonte.  While the story itself is not bad, the art leaves something to be desired.

Green Arrow’s skills are easily disrupted by Aunty Gravity, but Black Canary’s cry proves effective.  At least until Aunty aims the Arrow’s arrow at Dinah, knocking her out.

The story concludes in the next issue.

After the excellent Black Lightning story last issue, this little tale, by O’Neil, Tanghal and Colletta, is a bit of a let-down, but only a bit.  A school outing on a cruise ship goes awry when a submarine crew board the ship.  Most of the guests are involved in a costume party and too distracted, but Black Lightning sees what is going on.

He goes from ship to sub and back again before the story is out, discovering a plot to smuggle a mob boss back into the country.

After this story, Black Lightning’s series moves to the pages of Detective Comics.

The Hawkman story in this issue is not a story as such, and even bills itself as a dossier on the character.  Bob Rozakis, Eduardo Barretto and Dave Simons give the basic background to the character before launching into the rest of his run.  It’s not a bad idea.  The Hawkman stories in this book so far have not, except for the very first, followed up on the Showcase stories, but will from this point on.  We briefly get the origin of Katar Hol, his fight with the Manhawks and theft of their hoods, from which the Hawk-helmets were created.

He and Shayera come to Earth, join the Justice League, fight against the Matter Master and Gentleman Ghost. The final pages covers the events from Showcase, with Hyathis curing Thanagar of the Equalizer plague, becoming the planet’s leader and sending Hawkman and Hawkgirl into exile.

Mary Marvel gets a solo story in this issue’s Shazam story, by Bridwell, Newton and Hunt.

A series of thefts occur, at houses where some exceptionally realistic statues have recently been purchased.  Mary Marvel goes to check on the sculptor, Nivan.  She does not figure out that “he” is really Georgia Sivana in disguise.  Not even the name Nivan clues her in.

You almost wind up rooting for Georgia, especially as she is not fooled into thinking Mary Batson and Mary Marvel are different people.  I am always dismayed at anyone who cannot figure this out, when the only thing about her that changes is her dress.  Georgia uses her statue ray on Mary – she turns her goons into statues, places them in wealthy homes, then brings them back to life to rob the places.  Mary almost ges smashed to bits, but manages to say Shazam, and turning to Mary Marvel restores her to normal.

 

World’s Finest 246 – Superman’s hunchback brother, Black Canary goes one way, and Green Arrow goes another, a horrifying death in Vigilante, and the debut of Baron Blitzkrieg

Another great Neal Adams cover on World’s Finest 246 (Aug/Sept 77).

Bob Haney, Kurt Schaffenberger and Murphy Anderson begin a 2-part story that pits Superman against the Justice League and popular opinion when the secret gets revealed that he has a hidden, hunchbacked brother.

Batman gets the largest of the supporting roles in what really is a Superman story.  Aquaman, Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Hawkman and Wonder Woman all get some screen time though.

Superman’s brother was ordered killed at birth by Jor-El, and saved secretly by Lara.  While Jor-El shot Kal-El to Earth, Lara sent the other child as well.  He is now sealed in a big kryptonite meteor.

Everyone hates on Superman big time about this, none of which is his fault.  Nevertheless, he breaks his brother free, even though the exposure to kryptonite could possibly kill him.

Hunchback Superman comes to Earth and immediately becomes a tyrannical dictator.  Batman is now part of the underground, contacted at the end with news that Superman has been found, alive.

The story concludes in the next issue.

Black Canary’s story, by Conway, Netzer and Austin, has her following the trail of a villain based on H.G. Welles Dr. Moreau, transforming animals into quasi-humans.

Some good visuals on her canary cry.

Much of this issue has Canary learning what is going on, and reads as if it could be a set-up for Green Arrow to swoop in and save the day.

Dinah does call Oliver at the end, but the set-up is for her story in the next issue, a bit of a surprise.

Green Arrow’s story has him following up on the original attacks, by Rainbow Archer and Slingshot, the latter of whom is in this Conway, Netzer and Austin tale as well.

Green Arrow proves himself a tail to be reckoned with as he follows Slingshot.

As before, this villain shows himself surprisingly adept with his weapon of choice, but gets caught in a flashback to earlier days, and is taken down.

Kunkel and Morrow cut like a knife in this Vigilante tale.  Greg is on the rush as the story opens.

But he is too late.  The dead body hanging so gruesomely makes this powerful even if the reader has no idea who Stuff is.

Greg Saunders than has a flashback of his life, his father’s death, which spurred him to become a costumed hero.

Then we get a brief retelling of Stuff’s first adventure with the Vigilante, and how they became partners.

The Dummy is also briefly re-introduced, his first appearance since the late 40s, as we see that he was the one who had Stuff murdered.

One of the best retroactively added World War II villains was Baron Blitzkrieg, who makes his debut in this Wonder Woman story, by Conway, Heck and Colletta.

It’s really a shame that Don Heck does the art.  The Baron was the commandant at a concentration camp.  One of the inmates scarred his face with acid.  The proud and sadistic Baron all but lost his mind.  Hitler put him through a series of operations which endowed the Baron with super-energy, which he can focus in various ways.

In this first story, all we really see him use is strength, and Wonder Woman takes him down pretty fast, knocking off his mask.

The Baron does make a triumphant return for the cliffhanger, having Winston Churchill in his grip.

Action 885 – Nightwing and Flamebird caught, and Captain Atom defends himself

The Guardian takes in Nightwing and Flamebird in Rucka, Trautman and Perez’s story in Action 885 (March 2010).

As Dr. Light and Jax-Ur finish their examination of Nightwing, the Guardian and the Science Police show up to arrest them.  Mon-El also arrives, and demands that the pair be kept safe, and insists on staying with them.

Lois Lane also shows up, as does Sam Lane and a new Squad K.  It’s a big stand-off in the Science Police headquarters, and not likely to go well.

But the one who ends it is Car-Vex, undercover as one of Lane’s soldiers, sets off a bomb, destroying the building.

Robinson and Urbano put Captain Atom through a wringer in this chapter, as he faces an angry Justice League.  The last most knew of him was his transformation into Monarch during Countdown.

Captain Atom’s speech t the League is summarized rather than shown.  Likely a good thing, as the Leaguers comment on how repetitive and self-pitying it is.  He insists that he needs to get back to the magical realm.

So the League contact Shadowpact.  Blue Devil, Detective Chimp, Enchantress and Ragman show up.

Action 873 – New Krypton!

Action 873 (March 2009), the final issue of this book to have the New Krypton story arc, is also part of the Faces of Evil theme running through the DC books this month, with Lex Luthor featured on the cover.

Johns and Woods are joined by Renato Guedes and Jose Magalhaes as the situation spirals out of control, with open war between the forces of Earth and Krypton, with Superman and Supergirl stuck in the middle.  The Justice League and Justice Society are sorely pressed to stand up to an army of Kryptonians, with no qualms about killing.

Alura cuts the Gordian Knot, so to speak, as she takes control of Kandor, flying it away from Earth and to a point on the opposite side of the sun, expanding the crystalline structure to become an entire planet.

The couple of pages following Kandor’s departure show a montage of actions and reactions.  We see the Daily Planet staff – Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, Cat Grant, Ron Troupe and Steve Lombard, watching the event dispassionately.  While the other Kryptonians leave Earth along with their city, Nightwing and Flamebird stay on Earth, as does a mysterious woman in a Superwoman costume.  The Justice League and Justice Society monitor New Krypton.  We also see the Phantom Zone and Bizarro World (along with Mon-El and Bizarro), examples of those unable to live peacefully with others.

In the first of two epilogues, Doomsday’s body gets taken by Sam Lane, to be examined by Luthor.  Agent Liberty suspects something shady is going on with Lane, and follows him.  He gets murdered by the new Superwoman.

And Alura, needing a strong military to defend against Earth, as Zod, Ursa and Non released from the Phantom Zone.

The story continues in the next issue of Supergirl.

 

Action 872 – a shocking death

Johns and Woods continue with the New Krypton story arc in Action 872 (Feb. 09), bringing back some great old characters.

The Kandorians have been examining the various cities and creatures that Brainiac had been storing.  Zor-El and Alura show Superman and Supergirl the Creature Commandos and GI Robot, both shot into space by the government after they were considered too uncontrollable (and both last seen in the 80s, in Weird War Tales), as well as Ultra – The Multi-Alien, last seen in Mystery in Space in the late 60s.

Luthor has restored Brainiac’s consciousness, and spends as much time humiliating him as examining him. Not such a wise move.  Brainiac remains in mental control of his ship and the cells within it.

In an odd sequence, Metallo and Reactron, at Sam Lane’s orders, and now wearing matching outfits, attack and kill some Kryptonians.  But they make no effort to escape, and are brought to Zor-El and Alura.

Brainiac takes opens the cells of the Creature Commandos, GI Robot and Ultra – The Multi-Alien, and takes control of their minds, sending them against the Kryptonians.

Reactron, a Supergirl enemy from the 80s, becomes a more impressive character in this tale, with his gold kryptonite heart.  Also makes him a good partner for Metallo.

As the Guardian summons the Justice League and Justice Society, insisting that action needs to be taken about New Krypton, Reactron murders Zor-El.

The story continues in the next issue of Supergirl.

Action Annual 11 – Last Son concludes

After a shamefully long delay, the Last Son storyline concludes in Action Annual 11, over a year after the previous chapter came out.  Johns, Donner and Kubert took their sweet time with this one, but it was worth it.  And, overall, Last Son does a far better job of bringing a Kryptonian child into the story than Superman Returns did.

As the story begins, Zod, Ursa, Non and the rest of the Phantom Zone villains are facing off against the armies, of Earth, and winning.  Luthor sends Metallo, Bizarro and the Parasite out to deal with them, while he works on creating a device to send them all back to the Zone.

The villains do much better against the Phantom Zone Kryptonians than they usually do against Superman.  This also allows us to see red and gold kryptonite in action for the first time in a long time.  The red kryptonite turns one escapee into a bug, which Metallo crushes.  And though gold kryptonite no longer permanently removes powers, exposing a flying Kryptonian to it has much the same effect, as they fall to their deaths.

Superman heads to Zod’s base, where he finds Chris, as well as Lois, and frees the Justice League and Justice Society members.

The ending is heart-breaking.  Luthor’s machine is cued to Zod, and any Kryptonians who have been near him.  This means it will pull Superman into the Zone along with the rest.  Superman fights off the effect, which is much less on him than on the others. But Chris is pulled into the Zone, and try as he might, Superman cannot stop this.

The delay was a real shame, but ignoring that, this story arc brought back so many classic elements, and used them very well.  And Chris Kent is a character that we absolutely have to see again.  And we will.

Action 851 – Last Son resumes

Johns, Donner and Kubert resume the Last Son storyline in Action 851 (Aug. 07), after a break of a couple of months.

Superman is adrift in the Phantom Zone, sent there by Zod in the last chapter of this story.  He is found by Mon-El, who takes him to the remains of a Kryptonian base, partially absorbed by the Zone.  It is the only place people are solid in this realm.

That also means it is the perfect place for a sneak attack, and Superman winds up fighting Dev-Em, the Knave from Krypton. This is the first time this version of the character has appeared, and the first time any version of Dev-Em has appeared since Zero Hour. Superman and Mon-El win, and Mon launches Superman on a rocket back through the Zone and to Earth.

And on Earth, Zod has released most of the Phantom Zone villains, who have defeated the Justice League and Justice Society, and are rapidly taking control of Earth.  But Chris is not the obedient child Zod and Ursa expect.

Superman gets free, and is found by Lex Luthor, who has been preparing his assault on the Kryptonians.  Bizarro, Metallo and the Parasite round out Luthor’s version of the Superman Revenge Squad.

The story concludes in the next Action Comics annual, but that did not come out for over a year.  Fuck that.  It’s my next entry.

Action 836 – the original Superman lives the post-Crisis life

Action 836 (April 2006) is part of a three-part story running through the Superman books this month, a crossover storyline with Infinite Crisis, that pits Superman against the original, Golden Age version of the character.  Joe Kelly scripts, with another big line-up of artists: Dan Jurgens, Kevin Conrad, Dick Giordano, Jose Marzan Jr, Ed Benes, Ian Churchill, Norm Rapmund, Andy Lanning, Phil Jimenez, Thomas Derenick, Drew Geraci, Renato Guedes, Lee Bermejo and Doug Mahnke.

Continuing from the pages of Superman, the two variations of the same character fight, but also merge, and in this middle chapter, the original Superman lives the life of the post-Crisis one.

When the story replays the first meeting between Superman and Batman, from the Man of Steel miniseries, this Superman calls Batman on his lie right away, and shows an openness and trust that gets Batman on his side right from the start. And with Batman at his side, Luthor’s kryptonite ring is no threat.  Batman steals it right after Luthor first uses it.

The Golden Age Superman is amazed at how similar things are with Lois.  The first meeting sparking his feelings, her brief rage when she learns his identity, but the love that can never be destroyed.

When it comes to the death of Superman, the battle with Doomsday, Superman does not die.  Of course he doesn’t.  No one had a chance to kill the hero through the 30s, 40s and 50s.

But as the story progresses, it gets much darker.  When it gets up to the rape of Sue Dibny by Dr. Light, and the Justice League’s decision to wipe his mind, Superman steps in with another solution – the Phantom Zone.

Superman becomes increasingly totalitarian, and winds up leaving the League, and forming the Elite, along with Batman, Hawkman, Guy Gardner, Green Arrow and Manchester Black.

The story concludes in the next issue of Adventures of Superman, but the issues ends with Jimmy Olsen getting hit by the Infinite Crisis wave, as we see different versions of him.