Secret Six 32 – 36

Secret Six (Volume 3) #32
Written by Gail Simone
Art by J. Calafiore

The Secret Six travel to hell in a fantastic issue. I forgot how much I missed reading this book with it’s hilarious but dark characters and it’s beautiful artwork. I loved how Bane seemed shock that he might be damned to hell because he considers himself to be good. I loved that Ragdoll doesn’t want to return to earth because he is going “sane.” I loved it all.

 

Secret Six (Volume 3) #33
Written by Gail Simone
Art by J. Calafiore

In this issue, Catman goes to make sure that his father is in hell where he deserves to be only to find that his mother is in hell too – she eats his father every day as a lioness to torture him. Etrigan tells Catman this is heaven for his mother. I guess his Dad got what he deserved! That is some dark humor there and I love it. We even get to see the personal hells of all of the Secret Six. Some were sad like Bane’s but then Gail Simone – the master 0f writing comedic relief – shows King Shark’s hell as a vegetarian restaurant. Anyways, Lady Blaze tells Scandal her other girlfriend’s soul will soon belong to her in hell. I can’t remember who Scandal’s other girlfriend was.

Secret Six (Volume 3) #34
Written by Gail Simone
Art by J. Calafiore

Did Jeanette quote Julian of Norwhich in this issue? Scandal sure did lie to her girlfriend in this issue didn’t she? Anyways, this was a heartwarming issue in a dark heartwarming disturbing way only the Secret Six can bring. Bane goes on a date and gets in a fight. Jeanette seems to have decided to turn good? And it was just a lot of fun.

 

 

Secret Six (Volume 3) #35
Written by Gail Simone
Art by J. Calafiore

In this issue, Bane decides to lead the team in another assault Batman after realizing that he never got to really break the Batman like he wanted to back in the day. They start by drafting the Penguin to join the team. I enjoy the way Simone writes Penguin…it reminds me of Batman Returns a bit. And that is my favorite Batman movie. This was a fantastic issue.

 

Secret Six (Volume 3) #36 
Written by Gail Simone
Art by J. Calafiore

This is the final issue of a great series that I will miss. Gail Simone is a creative genius. You writes complex characters who are so well-rounded it is like they are real people. She is truly a gem in the comic book world. Also, she has a scene in this where they feed a man to King Shark on a fishing hook. So she is hilarious too. The part where Scandal decides she wants to marry both Knockout and Liana was a tad strange though but hey these are crazy people this book is about. The only problem I had was it is really hard to believe all of those supeheroes would show up to fight the Secret Six like they are Darkseid or something. But they sure got their asses handed to them and this villain team went out in a blaze of glory. What a fitting finale to an amazing series!

 

Justice Society 50-54

Justice Society of America #50
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Tom Derenick, Howard Chaykin, George Perez, Freddie Williams II, and Scott Koblish

So Martha Kent designed the Superman costume? I am pretty sure that flys in the face of continuity. Also I am pretty sure Alan Scott was in retirement when Hal got the ring right? Does DC not have editors? That being said it is always cool to see how the modern heroes knew about the Justice Society growing up which is what the first part of this anniversary issue focuses on. The secon story has something to do with Per Degaton traveling between universes. The third is the JSA vs. the House on Un-American Activities in the fifties being retold, and then finally the modern day JSA sets up shop in Monument Point just as Jay Garrick is sworn in as mayor. I really liked how Guggenheim threaded all of these stories together and it all lead up to certain events in the modern story. This issue mattered and that is so important in serial storytelling.

Justice Society of America #51
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Tom Derenick

At one point in this issue it says Jay Garrick is the first superhero to be elected to office. That is not true I know at least Green Arrow became mayor of Star City but maybe the person didn’t know. Anyways Lightning makes it out of the after life okay and alive and there is a touching moment between her and Doctor Fate. Also, Jay Garrick kicks into gear as the Mayor of Monument Point and we get hints that there is a strange history behind the city that I am excited to find out about. Derenick draws the shit out of this book and does a wonderful job. I sometimes feel his facial expressinos always seem menacing though when the story doesn’t call for it.

Justice Society of America #52
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Tom Derenick

This was another good issue. Mr. Terrific finds out the man who took away his intelligence is a deranged original Mr. Terrific fan kind of like the same guys who complain whenever a hero is replaced meanwhile the JSA and the Challengers of the Unknown go deep underground Monument Point to learn about its ancient mysteries. I enjoyed it.

 

 

Justice Society of America #53
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Jerry Ordway

Wow Jerry Ordway sure is a breath of fresh air. Why can’t he be the book’s regular artist? He is perfect for the JSA and while I have liked what Derenick has done lately he really only draws menacing facial expressions even on the good guys. This was a fun issue where the JSA accidentally release a God who draws his power from metahumans. I can’t believe this is the penultimate issue of this series though.

 

Justice Society of America #54
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Jerry Ordway

 

Damn…just damn. This was clearly not Guggenheim’s plan to have a rushed ending to this arc and have Alan Scott sacrifice his life so quickly and without much fanfare. The fact of the matter is that the true JSA Villain is Dan fucking Didio who has no respect for the DC Universe and has publicly complained about the JSA “being old” in interviews. He is responsible for the awful New 52 and I am so glad the real JSA will be coming back soon. I wonder how much will remain in continuity but I have to say Guggenheim’s run could have been great but it was cut off too soon.

Settling In Monument Point

Justice Society of America #49
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Scott Kolins

 

I was a tad dissapointed with the conclusion of this Supertown arc. We new that Jay Garrick was going to the mayor of Monument Point from the beginning/ There real only surprise here was Alan Scott’s new costume (Which I like by the way) and the return of some of the other JSA members. We still don’t know anything about the new characters like Red Beetle but she acts like an old friend when she addresses the JSA. I guess I just want to know who is a part of the team now and who is not.

Bruce Remembers

Power Girl (Volume 2) #21
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Sami Basri

 

This was awesome for anyone enjoing Generation Lost as Power Girl manages to convince Dick Grayson with the help of Bruce Wayne of Max Lord’s existence and villainy. Bruce’s presence here was just awesome and it was great to see that he remembers Lord – because if anyone could it would be Bruce. I also loved how Basri got all the pre-infinite crisis costumes correct in the flashback. I know that sounds easy, and it is, but so many other artists at DC would have gotten it wrong cause their editors suck at their jobs.

A Hell Ya Moment

Justice Society of America #48
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Scott Kolins

 

And just when things couldn’t have got any worse for the JSA and Monument Point – the calvary arrives in the form of the All-Stars and other heroes! I suppose this is how the All-Stars will reintegrate with the main book (their own book is getting canceled) and it was a great moment – a definite hell ya moment and I can’t wait to see them kick Doctor Chaos’s ass!

Loving This Book Again

Justice Society of America #47
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Scott Kolins

 

I hope that this was just a fake-out and Mr. Terrific did not let Scythe out of the cell just to learn why his IQ is lowering – cause let me tell you – that makes him selfish and not heroic in the JSA-sense of the word at all. Anyways, I really hope Manhunter is joing the JSA! It was great to see her here and with the loss of her co-feature a move to Monument Point would suit her – I mean she is a legacy hero with the Golden Age ties after all. Doctor Chaos is a great adversary for the JSA so far and after the first couple of issues of Guggenheim’s run being downright awful – I am loving this book again.

Finally The Whole Roster

Justice Society of America #46
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Mike Norton

 

After being annoyed at the first few issues of Guggenheim’s run, I am happy to say I enjoyed this issue a lot. I think because he actually included all of the current JSA as Obsidian and Mr. America finally show up. The cliffhanger is obviously not what it says it is. I highly doubt Lightning is dead, but I don’t know about the Mayor. Much improved.

Feeling Guilty For Not Killing A Baby

Justice Society of America #45
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Scott Kolins

 

We find out the terrorist who destroyed Monument Point was a baby that Jay and Alan let live during WW2 even though they were told to kill him. So Jay feels ultra guilty about all this and decides to stay and help rebuild the city. Makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is where the hell Obsidian and Mr. America are? There is no mention of where the hell these two members are…did they leave the team? That just annoys me. I also still think Guggenheim should have usex another of the billion unused DC fictional cities that already existed instead of creating this new one. Oh well….at least the concept is interesting and I look forward to see where it goes.

Welcome To Monument Point

Justice Society of America #44
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Scott Kolins

 

This issue begins Marc Guggenheim’s run on JSA, I liked his short run of Flash: Fastest Man Alive so I was looking forward to this. I am unsure how I feel about it yet. I find it kind of odd that Mr. America, Obsidian, and Doctor Mid-nite are all missing from the JSA roster as they fight this new terrorist in the city of Monument Point. I also think it’s kind of dumb that they aren’t just using a pre-existing unused DC city like Midway City or Vanity or all the others. I thought it was annoying that Jay Garrick called Barry Allen the “real” flash. But there are some good things about the issue, Kolins’s art fits the tone of the book wonderfully and I am glad that he is on board. The idea of the JSA running a city is interesting and Mr. Terrific losing his IQ slowly is another interesting development. I guess we will see where this goes.

The Dark Side Of The Moon

Justice Society of America #43
Written by James Robinson
Art by Jesus Merino

 

This epilogue to the JLA/JSA crossover was pretty damn amazing for a filler epilogue. It is basically a meeting between Obsidian and Alan Scott as they discuss the new world the Statheart is building on the darkside of the moon and how it has become a haven for magical beings of the DC Universe. We get so many obscure name-drops here and one thing I love about Robinson is how he not only brings in obscure old silver age characters but also modern ones too. He respects the entire DC Universe and not just pre-1984 characters like most of the DCU writers now-and-days. Heck we even learn the Monolith is on the moon now. The moments between Alan and Obsidian are great – I loved how Alan asked about Todd’s boyfriend and how happy he is they are still together. I finally understand why Jade and Obsidian can not be near each other and we learn about possible consequences of it – I love Merino’s huge spreads showing these possible events. This city on the moon will be interesting to explore in the future.

Much Better Than The Lightning Saga

Justice League of America #48
Written by James Robinson
Art by Mark Bagley
Co-Feature by Robinson
Art by Pow Rodrix

 

This is the conclusion of the JLA/JSA crossover that began here and continued here, here, and here. I can’t say I was disappointed with the end of this per say because it was such an epic story. The perfect type of no-holds-barred story that should make an JLA/JSA crossover (And a hell of a lot better then the freaking Lightning Saga) but it left me a little confused as to how Jade fixed everything and why Obsidian and Jade can’t be near eachother anymore. But anyways, I loved every page and loved the moment where the League comes together and realizes they truly are the Justice League now and nothing can stop them. Jesse Quick officially joins here but Jade does not. I suppose she will  next issue. And the back-up was okay too.

The Greatest Green Lantern Working With The League Again

Justice Society of America #42
Written by James Robinson
Art by Mark Bagley

 

This is part 4 of the JLA/JSA crossover that began here and continued here and here. Action-packed it wasn’t filled with as much plot and great moments as the previous parts – I found that to be a little disappointing but Robinson is still whipping up a fun-filled adventure here and I can’t wait to see how it concludes. Kyle would never be so eager to kill Alan Scott- even if the Guardians thought it was for the best.

Order And Chaos

Justice League of America #47
Written by James Robinson
Art by Mark Bagley
Co-Feature by Robinson
Art by Pow Rodix

 

This is part 3 of the JLA/JSA crossover that began here and continued here. Oh hell ya Kyle Rayner shows up here! It is great to see him in a JLA book again and they even use his old Green Lantern Logo text! That brought joy to my fanboy heart. As for the entire issue, I felt like the plot didn’t move as quick as it could have and we are at a kind of stand still. I wonder why Doctor Fate is the one holding the JSAers hostage and not the starheart? The narraration boxes also got kind of annoying in this issue where they haven’t bothered me the last few. Maybe Robinson is overdoing them a bit. This story is still as epic and fun as a JLA book should be though and I can’t wait for the next chapter. The back-up actually ties into the main story as now that Red Tornado has been remade nearly indestructibel by Cyborg, he is effected by the starheart. (I mean he is an elemental of the Wind – of course he would be effected, I am surprised I didn’t think of that before)

The Epic Continues

Justice Society of America #41
Written by James Robinson
Art by Mark Bagley

 

This is part 2 of the JLA/JSA crossover that began here. Part 2 of this epic was just as awesome as the first. Once again Robinson utilizes the DC Universe to the fullest by bringing in obscure characters and such who would have been effected by the starheart. This is a lot of fun and I am having a blast reading it. Bagley’s art is gorgous, it is definitely the best work he has done at DC. I liked how Robinson even had the all-stars appeared because it was beginning to look like the main group never checked up on the all-star group. And the little tidbits such as a meta-ranking scale Mr. Terrific refers to called the “Hoshi scale”. Probably named after Doctor Light. Brilliant. The only thing I thought was strange was the flirtation between Lightning and Mr. America. Isn’t Lightning underage? Weird. It was also great to see Miss Martian and I loved how scary she was in her white Martain form. I can’t wait for the next part!

Shield 9 and 10

The Shield #9
Written by Eric Trautmann
Art by Marco Rudy
Co-Feature by Brandon Jerwa
Art by Michael Avon Oeming

The Shield teams up with the JSA in this issue as Baron Gestapo and new villain Dragonfly attack Happy Harbor. Having him team up with the JSA seems so obvious I am surprised I never thought about it. This was pretty good and it makes me sad the book is ending. I could see The Shield as a member of the JSA. The Fox gets his superhero name in the back-up but decides to give up being Tokyo’s hero only to find his girlfriend murdered. It was rushed but this back-up is still very strong, especially when compared to the previous Inferno back-up.

The Shield #10
Written by Eric Trautmann
Art by Marco Rudy
Co-Feature by Brandon Jerwa
Art by Michael Avon Oeming

Baron Gestapo is defeated along with Dragonfly in the final issue of this series. It is too bad that the Mighty Crusaders isn’t going to be an ongoing because I think it would be more successful then these solo books. I hope the Shield sticks around in the DCU as it has been fun following his adventures. In the Fox back-up the Dragon’s Head is defeated and the mentor is revealed as a villain, it looks like the Fox will be returning to America after this – perhaps as a Mighty Crusader. This was a great back-up.

Happy Ending

Justice Society of America #40
Written by Bill Willingham
Art by Jesus Merino

 

The timeline is restored in this uplifitng issue. Willingham has Mr. Terrific warn the team of the coming attack by the fourth Reich and Obsidian is restored. I loved the moment where he jokes that he is “cured” of being gay to his Dad and the reaction on his Dad’s face – priceless! I gotta hand it to Merino for that use of facial expressions. I like how everything was explained and now the timeline has Obsidian involved in fight with Mordru and we are finally brought to the present time and the start of the JLA/JSA crossover. This was great stuff and I hope Willingham returns as writer after the crossover because his run has been excellent so far. I loved the moment where Mr. Terrific gives the little girl the college fund! And it looks like he is now dating her mom.

This Is The Justice League I Have Been Waiting For!

Justice League of America #46
Written by James Robinson
Art by Mark Bagley
Co-Feature by Robinson
Art by Pow Rodrix

 

Before I get into the actual meat of the issue, I have to start off by saying I love how Robinson has Jade not knowing who Mr. America is…she calls him Patriot Hero Guy. If it was Meltzer or some other bad writer writing this, Jade would know who he was and his real name. Robinson understands that not all the heroes have to know each other and Jade was certainly dead when Mr. America debuted. Love it! And I love Robinson’s use of continuity pulling in obscure characters left and right. When you are playing in a sandbox like the DCU there is no reason NOT to do what Robinson is doing. So many writers do not get that. And wow was this an amazing issue! Action-packed and globe spanning – this reminds me of of Morrison’s JLA in so many ways. This is the League I have been waiting for since this series launched. I couldn’t be more impressed. Not only is it filled to the brim with action but Robinson gives personal moments to each character and really shows their different personalities and utilizes their different powers. Each of the Leaguers had shining moments I can’t really say what was my favorite. What a great start to this JLA/JSA crossover! The Cyborg and Red Tornado back-up was even good and I find the Red Tornado to be a total bore-fest!