Back Issue Review: All-Star Comics #58

We just turned the corner on April and that means we have officially entered the comic event of 2025, JSApril! Kudos to comic podcast legend, The Irredeemable Shag, for putting together the event, herding in over 40 podcasts and blogs to celebrate the first super-hero team, the Justice Society!

I definitely wanted to be part of the festivities. I wanted to remain true to this blog's core. So why not review All-Star Comics #58, the first appearance of Power Girl, the Earth-2 Kara Zor-L. 

In this current world or reboots and new #1's, it is pretty amazing to me that DC picked up the numbering of All-Star Comics. This book came out October 1975. All-Star Comics #57's release date? December 1950! A quarter century has passed!

But here we were in the mid-70s with DC deciding that not only were the JSA worth being on the racks, not only that we would pick up their legacy numbering, but we would inject the 'old-timers' with fresh blood ... The Super Squad!

Kudos to writer Gerry Conway for mixing this up. Yes, we get the veteran JSAers, right there on the splash page! But the Squad's make-up is interesting. A now grown-up Robin, a veteran in a way. The Star Spangled Kid, a hero from yesteryear but now thrown into modern life. And Power Girl, brand new and answering the question 'why isn't there a Supergirl on Earth 2'! They each add some juice to the proceedings but in different ways.

Power Girl is immediately effective and her personality is pretty much on display from the beginning. She is strong, smart, and very independent. This isn't the meek 'secret weapon' in the orphanage. She is ready to throw down and jump into the mix. This is who Power Girl is and always should be. 

The art is by Ric Estrada with great inks by Wally Wood. We all know that Wood is the one who ultimately pushes the envelope with Power Girl's particular pulchritude. But both artists give us solid representation of the JSAers. 

That is my copy's cover scanned above, signed by Conway and cover artist Mike Grell!

This is a fun new chapter for the Society and therefore a perfect book to celebrate JSApril. On to the book.

Review: Justice League Of America #185

 With the Absolute Universe built on Darkseid energy and the Ram V New Gods book being so good, I have dipped into the back issue box to review Justice League of America #183-185, the 'Crisis on Apokolips' storyline, another annual JLA/JSA crossover with the New Gods in tow. Today I'll review JLA #185, the finale. (Here are links to my part 1 and part 2 reviews.)

To be an honest reviewer, I have some mixed feelings about this issue and the conclusion to the storyline. I'll start with the good. 

Writer Gerry Conway throughout this story has done a great job of showcasing the personalities of all the characters as they have broken up into side missions. We have really great moments from all of them, worthy of a spotlight in this review. This is a great read if you love seeing inspiration from Superman and Wonder Woman, skills and intelligence from Batman and Mister Miracle, and action and philosophy from Dr. Fate and Green Lantern. Add to that the brilliant art by JLA-newcomer George Perez. I know that praising George Perez seems unnecessary but his work here is great, in both big moments and small. You can see this almost like the petri dish of Crisis on Infinite Earths as he handles a big cast, big action, weird landscapes, while making sure smaller scenes get their due. The work is incredible. We also get this pretty slick Jim Starlin cover.

I'll also say this is 1980. Darkseid and the New Gods were still .. well .. new. I learned of Darkseid from this story. 

So what's the downside?

Well, the solution to the problem, the ending of the threat, comes out of nowhere and on the last page. There is no build-up, no suspense, no 'crisis' of winning. It just sort of happens. I am not one for overly decompressed stories but this one would have completely benefited from a fourth issue. Part of it is pacing. We get three pages recapping the prior two issues. They are stunning pages for sure. But perhaps that space could have been better served?

On to the issue! Buckle up!

Back Issue Box: Justice League Of America #184

Way back in October, in the context of Darkseid being the creative energy behind the new Absolute Universe, I reviewed Justice League of America #183 , the first part of the annual JLA/JSA crossover. That year's story brought in the New Gods as well. 

How inappropriate of me to drop the ball and not finish reviewing the three parter! Since that time, DC All In has been in full swing and a New Gods book is on the shelves which makes this an even better back issue dive to review.

Written by Gerry Conway with art by new League artist George Perez, this middle chapter pushes the story forward, gives us some great character interactions between these three groups, and showcases the force Perez would become in the DCU. 

Conway does need to play a bit with villains' power levels to keep this story going. I have never seen the Fiddler be this powerful. But outside that tiny quibble, the rest of this works well. One thing I love is that Conway definitely gives many of the characters a tiny moment to showcase a part of their personality, making them feel unique. In particular, his scenes with the mini-team of Superman, E2 Wonder Woman, and Big Barda really have some powerful character moments.

I'll also say that the New Gods were not a huge presence in the DCU in this time of the Bronze Age. This was probably the first encounter with these characters for many readers. So I do like how Conway tries to let us learn about the characters we meet here.

Remember, last issue was drawn by Dick Dillin who unfortunately passed away after completing that issue. Dillin's run was historically long and truly beloved. Perez had big shoes to fill. We know how huge Perez becomes and you can see that even here. His page breakdowns, knowing when to inset panels and when to go splash page, even the dynamic cover showing our heroes in readiness around the face of Darkseid, shows us Perez was destined for greatness. On to the issue.

Back Issue Bin: Justice League Of America #183

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! 

Enough preamble, on to the story!

2022 In Review: Best Of Supergirl Honorable Mentions And Non-Comic Stuff

Welcome to day 1 of 3 of my end of year review about Supergirl and the site. 

What a difference a year makes! 

Look back at last year's review (here and here),  you'll be reminded that 2021 was a tough year for Supergirl. The television show was canceled. The main book was Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow, a comic that was beautifully rendered but was a terrible take on the character. 

This year, I got to read two comic books that featured a Supergirl that I truly wanted to read. Mark Waid's Batman/Superman World's Finest showcases a wonderful Supergirl, a strong, pro-active. competent, bright, and caring. We also get to read a Supergirl in Phillip Kennedy Johnson's Action Comics, where Kara is a leader within the El family, a voice in the room, and again a competent hero. Two books!!

Add to that, Supergirl plays an important role in DC Vs. Vampires book. She was a wonderful addition in the World Of Krypton mini-series as well. 

That's a lot of solid Supergirl in 2022. I cannot complain.

I'll say that I hoped she would play a bigger role in Dark Crisis, although her last minute stepping in for Mary Marvel made it unlikely. Also given the muddle nature of that book, it is probably a blessing.

And I'll say up front that I did not include Zala, the Kara analogue in Dark Knights of Steel in this review because technically it isn't our Supergirl. 

Okay, now some business. This will be a three day review because I want to make sure I give all the top ten moments some space to breathe. Today I'll review some non-comic stuff as well as the honorable mentions. Then over the next two days I'll count down the best of the best.

On to the year review!

Terrificon Recap 2: Rick Hoberg, Gerry Conway, And Others

Welcome to my second Terrificon recap!

Terrificon is a couple of weekends in my rear view mirror but I still am feeling the joy of heading to a fantastic comic convention and rubbing elbows with some creators. Last week, I talked about my great interactions with Gene Ha and Robert Venditti. Today I'll review the other notable moments.

I had two commission goals for the con: Ha and Rick Hoberg. Hoberg is mostly known for his work on Star Wars and on the Jane Foster Thor What If? issue. But for me, he is known as the artist for Supergirl's last adventure before Crisis on Infinite Earths #7. With that hook, I thought a Supergirl commission by him would be cool.

I dropped of my book with him within hours of the con opening. Unfortunately, Hoberg was unable to get it finished over the three day con. As a result, I have a half-finished commission in the book. He was very apologetic about the whole thing. He even offered to take the book back to his studio and ship it. But I have something like 60 sketches in the book. I couldn't risk that being put in the mail.

It is a bit of a shame because it sounds like he had a grand vision for this with Supergirl in space, Earth below, blocking this ray. It is also a bit of a shame because I specifically asked if he could get it done over the course of the con and he said on both Friday and Saturday that he could. Had I known that he wouldn't finish, I probably would have sought out another artist for a commission. 

Ah well, what might have been.

I did get some signatures from him including DC Comics Presents #86, the last non-Crisis Supergirl story, as well as the first two Power Girl issues from her first mini-series.

As much as the commission was something of a downer, the con had so many more ups ..

What Might Have Been - Justice League #160

Sometimes there is a sort of comic cosmic karma.

Since the initiation of the JSA Presents show on the Fire and Water Podcast Network, I have been more interested in seeking out the JSA/JLA crossovers from the Bronze Age.

I am always on the search for Supergirl history nuggets in comic history.

SO imagine my feelings of luck and serendipity when Professor Alan sent me a comic care package including Justice League of America #160, the second part of 1979's JLA/JSA crossover.

It is a completely bonkers story with other heroes ripped from time, like Jonah Hex and Miss Liberty, joining in the fight against The Lord of Time. Don't expect much to make sense here.

But it was the letter column that really caught my eye.

The beginning of the letter column states that Zatanna will be joining the League in the next issue. I can tell you that Justice League of America #161 is a sentinel book from my youth, important enough that I talk about it on Fire and Water Power of Fishnet podcast here.

What I didn't know before getting this issue is that Supergirl was in the running to be the next member!

Turns out she came in fourth place in a reader poll of who should be the next member. She garnered 36 first place, 26 second place, and 21 third place votes.

Yes, that was a far cry from the votes that Zatanna got. But that's a decent showing for the Girl of Steel. 

I can only imagine how great it would have been to have Kara be a part of the preeminent superhero DC team, interacting with the big hitters and being in the spotlight. It even could have resonated with the fact that Power Girl was on the JSA at this point.

But honestly, I was surprised to see her do so well here. If I am reading this correctly, the poll was open to any character the letter writer wished. That means of the myriad of heroes, Kara came in fourth! 

If only she had won!

Back Issue Review: Superboy And The Legion Of Super-Heroes #256

We are still a couple of weeks away from new Supergirl show episodes. And we are still completely in the dark about Supergirl in the comics. Will there be a new series coming out of the Man of Steel event? Is DC just pulling the plug?

And with no Superman book on the shelf last week, I thought I would thumb through the back issues for a review. And with Brainiac 5 playing a role in the show, I thought I would take a day to look at a Brainy-centric story. So today I will look at Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #256.

One of the more interesting aspects of Brainy's character is his somewhat unstable mental condition. Whether it is obsession or social awkwardness or outright occasional malevolence, he has always walked a fine line. He has created Computo, an evil computer intelligence, and has tried over and over to look back at that programming and hope to rehabilitate it. He created Omega, a being fueled by the hate of the universe, with which he hoped to eradicate all life. And he has mourned and nearly dipped into madness with grief after Kara died. Please note that linked review was one of the first issues I ever reviewed here.

Even on the show, we have seen Brainy be a little distracted and a little awkward and even a little brusque with people. At times this comes off as narcissism or overconfidence. But you also get the sense he is simply shy and sort of bad with human interaction.

With all that in the mix, I thought this was a good issue to review.

Supermegafest Spring 2016

Last Friday, I went with a couple of friends to the Supermegafest Comic-Con in Marlboro Massachusetts. This is one of those comic-cons in name only. There was an artist alley and there were a few guests worth heading out to see. But this con is heavy on pop culture celebrities and that seemed to be the main draws.

In fact, I don't know if I would have gone but a close friend of mine is huge fan of the movie The Warriors. Three cast members were in attendance at the con. My buddy was pumped to meet them and so three of us headed west. Comic guests I was hoping to meet were Alex Saviuk and Graham Nolan.

Now, because of #adultlife, we went up for the opening of the show, 4P Friday and could only stay until early evening. That meant we were the first to thumb through the exhibitors' comic boxes. That was great. The bad part of going early and leaving early is that not all the guests even showed while we were there. I only got to briefly see Saviuk and have him sign my copy of Flash #275. But Nolan, Mike Grell, and Bob Budiansky were never seen. Bummer.

That also held true for the celebrities. I was hoping to see Dina Meyer and talk about Starship Troopers and Birds of Prey. But she wasn't there during our stay. Luckily, The Warriors cast was there.

Without any big purchases or commissions lined up, it meant the money I bought could be spent on ... gasp ... comics. Thought I'd share the big purchases, including a Supergirl cameo I wasn't expecting. Lastly, pay no attention to the price tags on the issues. All prices were renegotiated.

Waiting For Doom Podcast: Supergirl and Doom Patrol

While Supergirl is my favorite character, there are plenty of other areas of comics that I absolutely love. The Legion of Super-Heroes has been a part of my comic collecting for almost my entire reading life. A

But another team I adore is the Doom Patrol. I have been dabbling in the Patrol in almost all their incarnations (sorry, no Byrne Patrol for me).

As a fan, I love the Waiting For Doom podcast, a show hosted by Paul and Mike and covering all of the Patrol, from the original Drake/Premiani stuff to the present. It is a show that I look forward to listening to each week. You should listen to it too! Here is the link: http://waitingfordoom.podbean.com/e/episode-39-waiting-for-supergirl-with-dr-anj/

This week, I was a guest on the show! The hosts asked me to come on to talk about the times Supergirl and the Doom Patrol teamed up and I was more than happy to join them. Hope you guys like the discussion.

I figured I would post some panels and briefly bullet review the stories for those who can't listen to the show.

It is an odd team-up. Maybe a team-up in name only. Because even though the story runs in three issues of Superman Family, 191-193, Supergirl and the Patrol only meet up in the last pages of the last issue.

The story starts with Supergirl investigating the odd death of a scientist in Florida, where she resided at the time.

Meanwhile, the Patrol happens to be vacationing in London when gravity goes haywire there, with earthquakes and tremors shaking the town apart.

In an almost scripted call to action, the Patrol sheds their civilian clothes to help the citizens.

Meanwhile, the scientist from Florida, someone name Clement seemed to had died in an experiment at his house, emerges as an enraged villain calling himself The Graviton Man!  When Supergirl arrives he attacks and gravity suddenly goes insane with everyone and everything floating into space.

Clement keeps talking about someone named Tain, someone he needs to get revenge on.

In the next issue, Clement takes off to Europe to find Tain. Meanwhile, Supergirl has to anchor everyone in Florida to the ground.

But that is just the beginning. Atmosphere will be ripped away from the world as well.

Meanwhile in Europe, the man named Tain has emerged and he also is in gravity powered armor.

We then get a long long monologue by Tain where he explains that Tain and Clement are related. But their family split in Colonial times. Clement stayed in American and flourished. Tain stayed in England and lost everything. However, oddly enough, now both of the surviving relatives happened to work in gravity experimentation. Now they can kill each other.

This seemed like an overly detailed history for two guys you know would never be heard from again.

Supergirl arrives to Europe and the two dueling cousins decide to eliminate Supergirl together before finishing their fight. Over the ocean they do foolish things like throwing the Titanic and a shark at the Maid of Might.

Eventually, they do get the upper hand, hammering Kara with the gravity energy directly.

Meanwhile, the Patrol, still in London, have discovered Tain's lab. They can shut down Tain's power from there. But they see on a giant monitor that Supergirl is getting crushed. Cliff sends Val and Joshua to aid Supergirl while he and Celsius shut down the gravity power there.

Over the ocean, Josh blasts Clement's armor to bits eliminating his threat.

Just like that, everything is normal.

I suppose there is some unseen introductions. But basically the team up of the whole Patrol and Supergirl is this last panel where Supergirl says goodbye.

I find it odd that the gravity villains are marched through town naked. Weird.

And yes, that blob of energy was pulling the strings all along. We know that blob is eventually revealed to be Lesla Lar!

The Daring New Adventures issues 8 and 9 are also covered on the show. This was a more classic crossover and also was the first appearance of Reactron!

I have covered those issues here and here.

Please listen to the show and give it some feedback. I love the Patrol and this show is the place for Doom Patrol fans to go!

Firehawk Comic Box Commentary

It has been an interesting 7 years working this site, commenting on Supergirl, the Superman Family, and the Legion. At times, I felt like this was a place where Supergirl fans could come to talk about her and her history. There weren't many Supergirl sites out there when I started so I felt like this blog was a needed space on the web.

But with the coming of the television series, Supergirl sites feel plentiful these days. Fan sites, podcasts, television news sites are popping up everywhere.

Kara is everywhere.

I had to come to the realization that maybe the professionals should take over Supergirl coverage.

Maybe I'm not needed anymore.

And so, the time was right. It's time to focus this place to another underappreciated superhero. She's strong, powerful, and determined. She's on a journey.

So welcome to Firehawk Comic Box Commentary!

And I couldn't think of a better issue to kick off the new focus of the blog than The Fury of Firestorm #42, a Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover issue, spotlighting Firehawk, and having her come into her own as a hero! (It didn't hurt that this issue also features a classic Donna Troy as well.) And, it being Crisis' 30th anniversary, it feels right.

Written by Gerry Conway, penciled by Rafael Kanayan, with great inks by the team of Akin and Garvey, this issue is a pure delight, embracing the breadth of the DCU and progressing the character of Lorraine Reilly, Firehawk!

Even then DC knew that these cross-overs were a way to get new readers to sample books. So there was a good chance that people buying this book might have no idea who Firehawk is. And since this book is about her maturing as a hero, a sort of primer was necessary.

So in this opening, we learn about the Lorraine Reilly side of her character. She is the daughter of a senator, a forever sophomore in college ... actually colleges. You get the sense that Lorraine has been something of a slacker, someone who has never had to struggle in life.

But she also has another name.

She is Firehawk.

Now a quick recap of her origin. Lorraine was that pampered daughter who had interactions with Firestorm enough to become a sometime girlfriend. Later she was kidnapped by evil entrepreneur Henry Hewitt. Exposed to Martin Stein's nuclear reactor and brainwashed, Lorraine became Firehawk. Her powers seem to be flight and heat/flame production. Initially, under her programming, she attacked Firestorm. But then she broke free of Hewitt's control, becoming a sometime hero.

And now, in this issue, in the topsy-turvy, time-warped world of the Crisis at that point, she sets out to find her father in a jumbled New York City. She is joined by Wonder Girl who is on a similar mission. Donna wants to find her husband.

In  Crisis on Infinite Earths #8, her original costume was destroyed and Lorraine used her powers to somehow create a new outfit.

In a nice moment, Donna talks about how that simple change in costume is an important moment, a way that Lorraine has cemented her sense of identity. She isn't wearing the costume Hewitt put her in as a fire-powered assassin. This is her own look. It is powerful.

And it is perfect that Donna is saying this. Remember, Donna's first costume was a carbon copy of Wonder Woman's costume. When she chose the red jumpsuit, she forged her own identity away from Diana.

The current world of the Crisis is a chaotic mess with different time periods existing all at the same time. So while some areas of New York are in the present time, there is also future worlds, ancient times, and other eras all existing next to each other.

It is crazy enough that the two heroes can be attacked by a weird prehistoric octopus like monster. Working together, the two escape the peril.

I always applaud small moments in comics which enrich a character, making them more three-dimensional. We have met Lorraine and we have met her father. But we know precious little about her mother.

Here we learn what little Lorraine remembers of her. She always worked in the garden. She always smelled of flowers. She always had soil on her hand.

It is a simple memory. But it speaks volumes about this woman. She was grounded ... literally. She isn't seen in fancy gowns at Senate events. She is jeans, working the soil, smiling. And working in a garden isn't easy. It almost contrasts the easygoing lifestyle that Lorraine has had before, failing out of schools and living the life of the socialite. There are deep roots here.

The search for father and husband is something of a wash given the time-torn nature of the city.

In fact, a large section of this area in embroiled in the Revolutionary War. And to make matters worse, Donna for some reason collapses.

It's like a reverse Sleepy Hollow, only 30 years ago!

Firehawk returns to her Lorraine form and tries to find help. Unfortunately, two women ... one "dressed like a man", the other 'dressed in her underthings and sporting British colors' ... are looked upon oddly by the crowds.

Luckily, Tomahawk, DC's frotiersman, is there to help and shuffle them away.

Now Lorraine could have burned all these guys but she wants to help Donna. So she accepts Tomahawk's aid.

It turns out that the prehistoric octopus must have some toxin it secretes. Donna is febrile, weak, and there isn't much that this colonial doctor can do to help her.

Things are bizarre enough for the surroundings that Lorraine feels she needs to reveal who she is and when she is from to Tomahawk. And surprisingly, Tomahawk takes it in stride. In fact, he wonders if Lorraine and her powers could be used as a diversion, luring the British redcoats away so George Washington can slip his army away.

At first Lorraine isn't sure she should help. But then the feverish Donna tries to step up. Donna knows what the right thing to do is. It is to help. And if Lorraine won't, she will.

Donna is still too weak. So Lorraine steps up.

We sure do see a lot of Donna in this issue.

Perhaps changing the course of history, Firehawk ... and ultimately a recovering Wonder Girl ... wade into battle and thrash a contingent of British troops allowing Washington and his men to slip away.

It is a nice scene of the heroes going about their business. I love that first panel, Donna playing 'bullets and bracelets' like a champion!

But even here, while doing what's right, Lorraine wonders if she would keep her powers if she had the opportunity to rid herself of them. She is Firehawk but she hasn't accepted or embraced her abilities and what she can do with them.

Until now.

Suddenly this mission has given Lorraine some clarity of thought. She needs life goals. She was fighting for something important. And she liked how that made her feel. She is ready to be a super-hero! And what better mentor or sounding board than Wonder Girl. Perfect!

And so begins a new focus for Firehawk and a new focus for this site. Hope you like it!!!

For a Firehawk collection, I would say this issue is of high importance. It is worth finding at your local store!

Overall grade: A

Back Issue Review: Wonder Woman #368 - The Lumberjack!

We learned recently that the first villain Supergirl will be facing on the Supergirl TV show will be The Lumberjack. No I consider myself an amateur historian for the DCU. I think I have a relatively comprehensive knowledge of these characters. But I was stumped ...

The Lumberjack??

Who the heck is he?

Well it turns out that he was a one-issue wonder, seen only in Wonder Woman #268, a book that I didn't read during the doldrums of the Bronze Age. So I suppose that I shouldn't feel too bad about not knowing much about him. And given my compulsion to cover stuff here and expand my comic knowledge, I did the only logical thing. I bought the issue and figured I would review it here.

I don't know if I will be able to drop a lot of knowledge on you. But at least you will know what I know about the villain as he is in the comics. (Recent leaked audition tapes of the Lumberjack make it sound like the show's version is an alien.)

This is the concluding chapter to an arc called 'The Cartel'. So we are jumping in at the end. From what I can tell, Animal Man and Wonder Woman have teamed up to stop an organized crime leader called 'The Prime Planner'. The Planner seems to have the thought to organize all crime, leading the two heroes across the world, stopping villains from all the continents.

"Battleground:France" was brought to us by Gerry Conway, Jose Delbo, and Vince Colletta.

And quite the opening, Buddy rubbing suntan lotion on Diana's back. They have uncovered that The Prime Planner is looking to gun down Mr. Krispin, the local crime boss. Or, it may be that this is a ruse to lure Wonder Woman and Animal Man out into the open.

It turns out to be the former.

An amphibian tank emerges from the ocean and attacks Krispin.

Leaping into action (and changing into her costume by leaping through her lasso's loop!), Diana plays 'lasers and bracelets'. The tank and its crew are quickly repelled by the heroes and beat a quick retreat.

To avoid a second attack, Diana grabs Buddy, Krispin, and Krispin's daughter and heads to Krispin's compound via the invisible jet.

I like Jose Delbo's art. Here Colletta's inks seem to overwhelm the art. Nice action sequence though.

And here is our first glimpse at the Lumberjack.

It sounds as though the Planner has rolled out super-assassins throughout this arc, one from each continent.

The Lumberjack is the North American assassin. His origin is pretty simple. Lumber "Jack" is a sideshow freak, reviled by his fellow and hating them in return, until he was offered a way to gain revenge on a world that made him an outcast.

Seriously ... that is all we get on him.

Does he have super-strength? Some limited invulnerability?

Who knows.

Meanwhile Wonder Woman decides to extract any information she can from Krispin. And when he isn't forthcoming on his own, she lets the lasso do the heavy lifting.

"Le Premier Planner" told Krispin to leave France and give up his empire. Krispin refused leading to the assassination attempt.

And the three new super-assassins, The Lumber "Jack", Red Fang, and the Changeling show up at Krispin's house to try to finish the job.

Now you would think that Wonder Woman should be able to eliminate these three on her own and without breaking a sweat. But it turns out to be a fight.

Another thing I can tell you about the Lumber Jack is that his fighting style seems to consist only of huge swings of the axe.

Incredibly, Wonder Woman gets knocked unconscious by Red Fang, the martial artist! Hmm ...

And Animal Man can't do much on his own. With the Lumber "Jack" about the decapitate him, he has to escape by burrowing as a mole.

That's right! These three D-listers best Wonder Woman and Animal Man!

The assassins bring Krispin's daughter (as a hostage) and Wonder Woman to the Prime Planner's mobile headquarters, a massive submarine. I suppose the reason to bring Diana is to brag about his victory? Try to keep her as a hostage? It doesn't make much sense.

And it turns out the be both. The Prime Planner reveals himself as Morgan Tracy, the head of the UN security force!

I was thrilled to see that Wonder Woman was faking all along. It was all a ruse to bring her close to the Prime Planner. And victory is easy ...

Wonder Woman simply punches her way through the hull of the sub, sinking it.

I suppose I might have more context about this if I read the beginning of this arc. But I found it amusing that in one panel this guy is completely defeated. "She's won ... she's won ... she's won .."

Why couldn't it be "And I would have gotten away with too ... if it wasn't for the meddling Amazon!"

In all honesty, I showed you everything I could about the Lumberjack, a big man swinging a big axe.

Anything we see in the show will be more than this. And I assume the show Lumberjack has to have more to him than just being a circus sideshow freak. So why was he picked??

Back Issue Box: Super-Team Family #11

Three has been a lot of recent talk about a possible television crossover between the current Flash program and the future Supergirl show. The Supergirl show is probable one and a half seasons away but the internet is already intrigued given the massive coverage of one sentence that *maybe* there would be some universal continuity between The Flash, Supergirl, and Arrow.

It got me thinking about the Flash and Supergirl crossovers in comics. While not a true team-up they are both well known for being the 'big deaths' in Crisis On Infinite Earths. And they tussled in the recent H'El on Earth arc.

But I thought I would cover this lesser know crossover from Super-Team Family #11, a story which also included the Atom.  "The Other Side of Doomsday' was written by Gerry Conway with art by Alan Weiss and Joe Rubinstein. It is something of a crazy story and that makes it perfect for a review. And it is a whopping 34 pages long for a mere 60cents!

As I said, the story is insane with feints, inconsistencies, the need to suspend disbelief even for a superhero story, and leaps of faith by the reader. But the art is just fantastic. I have always been a fan of Alan Weiss and he does not disappoint in this issue. I love his brash and confident Supergirl in this issue. The cover above is my book as I was lucky enough to meet Joe Rubinstein at last year's Rhode Island Comic-Con and got him to sign the cover.

On to the story!

I don't know about you all but a team-up of Flash, Supergirl, and the Atom seems a bit random to me. So I had to chuckle when this spectacular is called 'the greatest team-up blockbuster of all time!' That is a pretty big boast!

And that claim is even more dubious when the opening scene is the Flash and Atom beating up some low level crooks dressed up like pirates! Maybe we start at a ridiculous low point and build from here.

The Flash and the Atom are surprised to see Supergirl swoop in and end the fight in one panel. I was a bit surprised that the Leaguers were taking so long to dispatch these Smees. And I was not surprised that Supergirl wrapped things up quickly.

Unfortunately, since she wasn't invited to the party, Supergirl didn't know that the plan was for the heroes to let one pirate escape and lead them to the head of the crime family. It actually annoys The Flash and The Atom who think Supergirl is immature ... acting like a 'pushy teenager' even if she is older now.

The Supergirl in this issue seems brash, but always with her eye on the prize. She wants justice. She wants to punish evil. And she leaps into action. I don't mind that brashness. She is still learning to be a polished hero.

Supergirl is in Ivy Town for a Women's Career Symposium in her Linda Danvers identity.

More than just attending, Linda is on a panel, one which includes Jean Loring, the Atom's girlfriend and Iris Allen, the Flash's wife. But before the Q&A session can start, a strange beam bathes the three women and teleports them away.

Now I can understand Jean and Iris being on a panel together. Jean is a local accomplished lawyer and Iris is a national reporter. But Linda? A guidance counselor in an experimental school in Florida? Seems more like an easy way to keep the plot moving.

Barry and Ray are in the audience to support their significant others and spring into their heroic identities to investigate. And, not surprisingly, battles ensue.

Large mostly featureless metal humanoids appear on the stage and battle the Flash who dispatches them. And the Atom shrinks down to a submicroscopic size and ends up fighting similar beings but on that dimension. As if that isn't strange enough, the defeated metal men, whether big or small, decompose into some sort of soil like dust.

With a clue to follow, the heroes leave to investigate.

Meanwhile, Linda wakes up in a glass tube in what looks to be the laboratory of an evil scientist. With Jean and Iris unconscious, Linda switches to her Supergirl identity and decides to do some investigating on her own.

Weiss really draws her wonderfully. I loved this page with Kara being initially thrown around by a tank-like robot only to strike a pose and dismantle the thing.

She then frees Jean and Iris and they begin to look for a way out of this place. But, like some weird tesseract, the place seems endless.

Meanwhile, the Flash and the Atom are able to deduce that the bits of metal emit a certain radiation. By vibrating at a certain frequency, the Flash can see the trail of energy which leads to an electric plant in Central City. The two split up to enter in a flanking move.

I guess I just have to accept that the Flash can see radiation.

But the fact that this started in Ivy Town and heads to Central City, the fact that Jean and Iris were kidnapped. This is starting to see less random. This is a calculated attack on the heroes.

And the place that the women are in is a nightmarish land where nothing is what it seems. This lab is endless. It is filled with machinery and defense systems. This includes this rather icky tentacle scene where malleable metal like tendrils grow from the walls and ceilings and bind Supergirl, Iris, and Jean.

This place also seems to odd in that things like mere metal or machines should be so difficult for Supergirl to overwhelm. This isn't a normal evil lab.

In fact, the women are confronted by an unseen villain who is able to knock them all out with a beam of some sort. A ray that knocks out Supergirl?? What is this place?

Meanwhile, the Flash and the Atom have to fight more metal men who, again, dissolve into odd dust. But this time, the Flash is able figure out that these things come from another dimension. And vibrating at a specific frequency (again) he is able to teleport himself and the Atom to these automatons' homeworld.

And we finally meet the villain of the piece. It's T.O. Morrow! Now why Morrow, normally dressed in a white lab coat is now wearing a Spartan helmet and a festooned marching band outfit is beyond me.

It turns out that last time Morrow was seen in DC Comics he disappeared, apparently ceasing to exist.

Get ready for a big leap. This place isn't Earth. And Morrow was teleported there by forces he cannot comprehend.

In other words, Conway couldn't explain how Morrow got here. So instead it just sort of happened.

And then Morrow pulls out his weapon, a wand of some sort that gives him complete control over his environment. He can turn the floor to tar, make metal humanoid defenders, make tentacles come out of the walls.

And, strangely, he can make an anvil appear out of thin air to fall on the Flash's head. Talk about loony? Or should I say Looney?

Morrow wanted revenge on the Flash and the Atom for his losses against the League. And since he (somehow) knew their secret identities, he kidnapped Iris and Jean to lure the heroes here. Supergirl being taken with them was a mistake.

Against Morrow's new power, the heroes are quickly defeated.

Okay, the heroes are here. They are unconscious. Get your revenge Morrow! Do it!

Nope.

Instead the heroes and Jean and Iris awaken in a medieval appearing dungeon, chained to the wall. So we went from a scientist's lab with incredible technology to a medieval dungeon?? What the heck is this place? And how can the chains be so dense or strange that neither the Flash nor Supergirl can break free. And how is Morrow able to warp the reality so easily?

One thing I have to note is that this was a time when Jean Loring was recovering from a 'nervous breakdown'. And this nightmarish place is frightening enough to send Jean into some sort of psychological shock. (I show this because Jean's psychological makeup is an important point in DC's history given the Identity Crisis series.)

The Atom figures the whole thing out. He has Supergirl blast the floor of the dungeon with her highest intensity heat vision. The whole environment shakes wildly and then the prison simply melts away to reveal this ... a living planet.

Somehow Morrow was teleported to this living planet in another dimension and figured out how to control the matter of this world. This explains how things act differently, how the surroundings can change, and why a heat vision blast shook the foundations. This place can be hurt.

Ooooo-kayy.

I guess I just have to roll with this. Because there is no way I can explain it.

And the solution to this problem? To give this planet a seizure or a stroke by sending the Atom directly into it's brain.

That seems cruel. And unusual.

(And I had to cringe again as it reminded me that such an attack was how Jean killed Sue Dibny in Identity Crisis. I wish I would stop remembering that book.)

With the planet seizing, Morrow is powerless. And Supergirl takes things into her own hands, knocking him out with a left uppercut.

The villain is defeated. But things get worse.

During the attack, Jean suffered another nervous breakdown. And the planet, susceptible to mental anguish, teleported her away. What ??? Okay, one more thing for to me to just roll with.

And there is no way to know exactly where Jean was sent to. This is The Atom's quest. To find her.

In fact, this 'search for Jean Loring' continues for some months. I don't have any other issues of this arc but I have heard it discussed in the past and would love to hear from people in the know.

This issue is one crazy mess of wild ideas and insanity. It is hard to understand everything that happens. But it is fun to see these two staid veteran heroes work with the young and powerful Supergirl. And the artwork is just beautiful.

I don't know if this issue is an important one for a Supergirl collection from a continuity point of view. But it is a rare issue in this time when she had the spotlight and teamed up with other heroes. For that alone, I think it is worth owning. And if you don't love that page with the defiant Supergirl saying she's mad and then dismantling a giant robot, you aren't a Supergirl fan. That page alone is worth the $5 you'd need to part with at a con.

Overall grade: B/B+ (nudged up based on artwork)