I am a Bronze Age baby and one of the joys I get out of this site is looking back at comic history as a reflection of current storylines. My Back Issue Bin dives allow me to revisit some classics, maybe introduce them to some of you or rekindle memories in others. But for me the joy is to take something happening in the DCU today and see similarities in the past.
I thought given Amazo's appearance in both My Adventures With Superman and Absolute Power, that I'd review Action Comics #480-483. an Amazo story which also included the first appearance of the Supermobile. (I am sure I'll cover that at some point.)
But with Darkseid's death and the resurgence of the New Gods in the DCU in the All-In Special and the Absolute Universe as well as a new Justice League and Justice Society books on the docket, I thought reviewing Justice League of America #183-185 seemed more timely.
This was one of the annual JLA/JSA team-ups, this time 'Crisis on New Genesis'. If there have been Crises on Earth-S, Earth-X, and all the others, why not New Genesis! Written by JLA legendary writer Gerry Conway and drawn by JLA legendary artist Dick Dillin, this was a big event.
This was 1980. The New Gods were sort of a small pocket in the DCU and not everywhere, all the time like they are now. Their series was done in 1972. There was a brief run in 1978, written by Conway which tried to pick up where Kirby left off. And then the story was 'ended' in Adventure Comics #459-460 later in 1978. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Conway picked things up again. The Fourth World is too rich an IP to leave untouched. But even after this story, where the return of Darkseid was a surprise, he was still very much a 'surprise' villain in the Great Darkness Saga two years later in 1982.
In fact, this story was really my first deep dive into the Fourth World. Yes, I had bought an Englehart/Rogers Mister Miracle issue a couple of years earlier. And I read the odd DCCP or B&B team-up. But otherwise, seeing Apokolips and hearing the history? All new. These characters are so ubiquitous now!
Check out the Jim Starlin cover with Orion on the warpath!
Lastly and sadly, this was Dick Dillin's last issue. He suffered a heart attack after this issue and passed away. This was after a very lengthy run on this book ... basically unbroken from Justice League #64! Ten years!
Nothing says early 80s like a story title riff on a Peter,Paul, and Mary song.
"Where have all the New Gods gone" starts out with the mandatory one page explanation of Earth 1 and Earth 2 and the differences. Annually, they have a get together. This year 4 JLAers were going to head to Earth 2 and 4 JSAers were going to head to Earth 1. Not one big get together but two smaller visits.
Instead, those 8 heroes find themselves together on New Genesis.
A lot to like here. Check out the role call. I am thrilled that the Earth 2 Wonder Woman is there! Love Dr. Fate! And these are big big guns ... sort of. Batman, Huntress, and Oberon (??) seem out of water here. But at this time how do you do a JLA/JSA crossover without Bruce and Helena?
Kudos to Dillin for this splash page which really captures the grandeur and insanity of Kirby's vision.
As I said, at this point the New Gods were sort of a sideshow in the DCU. Only Superman even knows about this place, and only from the famous 'peek at Supertown' in Jimmy Olsen #147, an issue where Superman was tempted to live amongst people with power levels like his own.
He talks about that temptation with Power Girl who understands completely. In the end, Superman says he didn't stay because he knew about his Earth responsibilities. But that might be Conway putting a shine on that story.
That story actually ends with Supertown receding from his vision when the Boom Tube closes and Superman despondently wondering if he should try some other day to go there.
Another fun part of this story is Firestorm being on the mission. This is just 4 issues into Firestorm joining the League. He was also a newer, less well known character at the time. And Conway plays up the fact that Ronnie is a high schooler. He flies off to explore and runs into Orion and gets clobbered.
Nice characterization here. While Superman is waxing about the burdens of life, Firestorm just flies off!
I loved Dillin's art and this issue he shines. Look at that panel of the JLAers and JSAers taking off to find their friend!
It seems like Orion regrets taking out Firestorm because there is a panel of him trying to revive the Nuclear Man. But the heroes just outright attack him.
This is a time where none of these heroes know who Orion is! He is a 'malevolent looking stranger'.
Everyone knows who Orion is now!
Thankfully a cadre of New Gods arrive, including Mister Miracle who Superman does know.
Metron, Barda, Mister Miracle, and Oberon show up and give us some exposition. All of New Genesis outside of these 5 have been kidnapped, enslaved on Apokolips. And it was the Injustice Society of America from Earth-2 who pulled it off.
The Injustice Society?? The Fiddler, the Shade, and the Icicle?? Hmmm ...
I'll just keep saying how this was definitely my first run in with the New Gods in any meaningful way and Conway probably knew he needed to give some background info. Why not include the famous 'evil face to good face' Orion change and discuss Mother Boxes.
That said, there is no need to break to far from the formula of these JLA/JSA stories.
The war between New Genesis and Apokolips was supposedly over with New Genesis the victor. Metron knows that the heroes need to rescue the citizens and figure out what is going on.
So, of course, the heroes head to Apokolips and split into three teams to investigate three areas of interest.
I will again say, some of these teams are incredibly powerful.
Power Girl, Firestorm, and Orion! Whoa!
Superman, Wonder Woman, and Big Barda! Whoa whoa!
Green Lantern, Dr. Fate, and ... Oberon? Two out of three ain't bad.
And then Batman, Huntress, and Mister Miracle. This is well before the 'Bat-god' who would stare down dark gods. Hmmm ...
More backstory is needed though. Even I, at this stage of the game in 2024, didn't know what had happened.
So Mister Miracle gives us the end of the New Gods story as it was told. Darkseid tried to pierce the Source Wall. Orion blasted him at a crucial point. Darkseid grew like a Promethean Giant but rather than join the Source Wall, he plummeted to Apokolips where his own people atomized him with a cannon.
This happened as one story inside the dollar comic anthology Adventure Comics. This was not a well known event and needed a recap.
Hal and Dr. Fate head to a prison to see if this is where the people of New Genesis are.
This is another interesting team. Hal is all ... well ... Hal. Brash. Confident. Emotional.
Fate is much colder here, talking about predestination a lot as he captures these troopers.
Hal doesn't find many prisoners. This whole place is built to hold only one. One we don't see in this issue.
While that prison was rather nondescript and could have just as easily been in Latveria, our next team to peek at is Superman, Wonder Woman, and Barda heading into Granny Goodness' orphanage.
This is a very specific visual as we see a young girl being punished. That is, until our heroes show up and rescue her. Talk about hope and inspiration in a dismal environment!
That leaves one team left.
Power Girl, Firestorm, and Orion head to a construction site where they see the Injustice Society using a device to reconstitute and revive the giant Darkseid.
Darkseid lives!!!
So in the current DCU, Darkseid dies to create a universe of his own to play with. In the main DCU he died trying to obtain total knowledge but a good villain can't stay dead.
For me, it is interesting to read this knowing how popular the Fourth World characters are now and putting my mind back into this time where they were less known. I always loved this these annual get togethers of the JLA/JSA and this one in particular is a favorite for deepening my knowledge of the DCU.
And seeing Dillin put together group shot after group shot after group shot of our iconic heroes reminded me what a master he was. This was a fitting testament for him.
Overall grade: B+
5 comments:
I've never really cottoned to the New Gods. I started reading around the time they were canceled and honestly? Not a huge Kirby fan. New Gods proved he needed a scripter bad and should not have been allowed to name characters. I did love Conway's short lived revival though.
And Dillin WAS the Justice League from the day I first discovered comics until this issue. No one younger could imagine being disappointed by George Perez taking over next issue but I bet I'm not the only one.
I agree, although for different reasons. I don’t mind the names but I’m not into all the melodrama and posturing- reminds me of romance comics. Kirby stuff is best when it’s lots of action and double-page spreads, like Kamandi or OMAC.
I’ve read this storyline before, and the resolution is probably the best part- there doesn’t feel like there’s anything special about this one like there is with some of the other JLA/JSA crossovers. Not a bad story but pretty standard to me.
Can’t wait till to get to the Supermobile story though- that’s surprisingly good for such a toy-based concept that ended up forgotten. Better than the Spider-mobile at least.
To me Dick Dillin is still the Justice League artist. The man was absolutely brilliant at expressing strong emotion and at putting a dozen characters in one half page and still having it all make visual sense. Unsurprisingly, he went out in style with an issue that was one of the great tours-de-force of the early 1980's. That last page is still one of the most powerful images of Darkseid ever drawn. Unlike Steve, I didn't consider George Perez a disappointment. The fact that he could successfully follow a giant like Dillin is one of the most powerful proofs of his own distinct genius.
I’m also not big on the Fourth World - one day I’ll actually read the Jack Kirby Omnibus making my bookshelf buckle - but enjoyed this comic because it was Conway, Dillin and McLaughlin, so very solid entertainment. And you can’t go wrong with a JLA/JSA team-up…
… but could someone please explain the parallel worlds bit to me, it’s sooooo complicated?
I was born during the Bronze Age of comics and its my favorite era. I remember when Firestorm was brand new as a character - I miss that era. Great review, if I had that comic I would put it on a specialty shelf for exhibition.
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