Plastic City Comic Con Recap

Plastic City Comic Con is a local comic book convention that was new to me and boy, I am glad I discovered it. It is a true comic book convention and a perfect beginning to my convention season.

The big draw for me was that J.M. DeMatteis was in attendance. I have been a fan of DeMatteis for a long time and the idea of running into him at a smaller con made me think I might have some time with him to ask some questions. And I did, a brief amount. Because he is a popular creator and lots of people were there to meet him.

I also was able to meet and shake hands with the show runners of Terrificon, which has become my big con during the summer. It was a flyby meeting but I wanted to let them know I appreciated the show and was gearing up to attend.

But this was also a chance for me to actually thumb through back issues and buy comic books. As I have said before, I am usually busy with creators at the bigger cons. I am trying to get commissions and autographs. I rarely have time to just kick back and flip through back issues.

Not only did I have time to shop for books, I found some great books. Great books.

On to the show.

Plastic City Comic Con

This weekend I will be heading to a new local con, the Plastic City Comic Con. Here is a link:
http://www.plasticcitycomiccon.com/

This seems like just the sort of low key con I could use right now. It a vendor heavy convention where I will be going to (gasp) thumb through comics and buy them! We finally leaving the doldrums of winter here. We are approaching my 'big con' season. This will be a great place to ease in.

And I am ready! I have heard only very good things about this con. Seems like a 'true' comic convention.

But it isn't all just shopping because a creator whose work I truly enjoy, J.M. DeMatteis, is going to be there as a guest of honor. And I can't wait to meet him.

DeMatteis has a long career with some major works in his oeuvre. Moonshadow, Spider-Man and Kraven's Hunt, JLA (Bwa-ha-ha) are just a couple of his biggest successes.

But I'm me, so I am bringing an eclectic group of books for signatures. And I am hoping he won't be too busy to answer some questions about these works. I will be bringing him  Wings , a little known Elseworlds which came out during the PAD Linda Danvers book.

I wonder if DeMatteis was a fan of that book. Did he pitch this or was it pitched to him? My gut tells me no one cares about this other than me. I wonder how often he gets asked about it.

Review: Blue Beetle #13

One of the books which I feel was underappreciated and ultimately cancelled was Justice League 3001. A wonderful stew of action, humor, with multiple universe interpretations mashed into one wild world, and crazy new versions of classic comic characters, JL3001 was great. J.M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen, Howard Porter, and Scott Kolins brought us an entertaining and electric romp of a book.

Moreover, it gave us a very interesting Supergirl, a Silver Age-y Kara who was thrust into a universal war and a leadership role in this League.

When the plug was pulled, the 3001 Flash and Batman were pushed back into the present day and were made part of the supporting cast of Blue Beetle.

I admit I didn't buy Beetle regularly, but last month we saw the League in a flashback panel. The Flash and Batman recognized they needed to get back to their time and help their team in the fight against Lady Styx.

Last week, Blue Beetle #13 came out which truly featured the JL3001 team, even promoting it on the cover dress.

This is the last issue for this Beetle creative team of J.M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen, and Scott Kolins. Maybe realizing this might be their last chance to visit the 3001 universe, this book reads more like JL3001 and less like a Blue Beetle book. That made me happy. There isn't much closure here. The future of the 3001 universe is still up in the air.

DeMatteis and Giffen do make a solid connection between this book and the primary villain of the 3001 universe. And Kolins brings his usual gritty, rough energy to the fight.

But mostly, it was great to see this League one more time. I have missed reading their adventures monthly.

Best Of 2016 - Top Ten Supergirl Moments In Comics; #5-#1

I have a preamble for the Top Ten Supergirl Comic moments of 2016 yesterday when I covered #10 through #6. As I said then, this was a great year for Supergirl in comics. It took me a while to sift through everything to come up with this list. And I had a hard time picking the number one moment for the year. As always, I love dialogue so please let me know if you think I missed something, put something in a wrong ranking, or was just plain nuts.

Without further ado, here they are, the top five comic moments for Supergirl in the year 2016.

Best Moment of 2016 #5: All the Supergirls (Adventures of Supergirl Chapter 7)

There were plenty of moments in Adventures of Supergirl that could have made this list. Sterling Gates has such a respect and love of the character that you just know you are going to get a great, high quality read.

Gates respect for the character's history was evident in AoS chapter 7. The main villain was classic Supergirl nemesis Psi, And in the story, Psi batters Supergirl's psyche with dream visions. I absolutely loved how Gates acknowledged all the different incarnations of Kara in this psychic attack. Earlier we saw the New 52 Kryptonian armor, got Nightflame name-dropped, and heard of Supergirl sporting flame wings. Here, lusciously drawn by Emanuela Lupacchino, we see Supergirl fighting the Timm-verse version, the Red Lantern Kara, and even the 'pink Halloween costume' Supergirl.

Having a writer like Gates recognize the importance of the character's diverse and long comic history was just fantastic. When I read this, I thought for sure this would be in the top 3 moments of 2016.

Best Of 2016 - Honorable Mention Supergirl Moments In Comics

Welcome to the first in three Best of 2016 posts focusing on the best comic moments for Supergirl over the last year. I found it hard to stick to just the top 10 moments because there was a lot to love in the comics this year.

I will admit this year opened up a little odd for Supergirl in comics. With her popularity peaking in the non-comic world, 2016 opened up with no comic titled Supergirl on the shelves. The majority of the year, we had to read Supergirl in comics that were on the periphery of DC Continuity. She led the team in JL3001. She fought Nazis in DC Bombshells. She existed in a universe based on the television show in Adventures of Supergirl.

It wasn't until the summer and The Final Days of Superman that we saw Supergirl in the main DCU. But then #Rebirth happened and we got a new Supergirl title. So please read on to see my 'almost the best' comic moments for Supergirl in 2016!

Review: Justice League 3001 #12

It is the end of a brief era.

The New 52 chapter of the DC Universe is coming to a close. There is a #Rebirth. There is a scrubbing away of the angst, hate, and dismal nature of the characters. There is a return to a more classic feel, leaning on legacy.

But such a change cannot happen with casualties. And Justice League 3001 has always been a fringe book. With sales dropping and a continuity shift happening, I'm not surprised that the book is ending. But I come to praise this book, not bury it.

Justice League 3001 #12 came out last week and was the final issue of this title. But I have to tell you, it didn't read like a final issue. And that pained me. Because I needed some closure for these characters who I have followed for 2 titles now. Writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis have had so many plot lines bubbling through this title while they played with all of DC continuities.  I wouldn't have minded the book closing in an open-ended way with a chance for more. But this book ends mid-battle ...

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. This title has broken all the rules. Why not how to end?

The art is split between Collen Doran who brings a smooth sensibility to her pages. Tim Green II also provides pages here. He recently did the Convergence:Matrix mini-series. His art is very stylized, every character gangly and stretched like taffy. And yet, it works.

But the bottom line is this title is ending. The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long. And this book has burned so very brightly.

Review: Justice League 3001 #11

You can't have a Rebirth without some death I suppose.

And unfortunately Justice League 3001 has been cancelled. This doesn't really surprise me given the sales result. But it does sadden me. This book (and its predecessor JL3000) was a nice melange of all the crazy corners of the DCU.

Justice League 3001 #11 came out last week and is the penultimate issue of the series. Writers Keith Giffen and JM DeMatteis are unfortunately faced with something of an impossible task. They have to try to wrap up this pretty complex, multi-layered comic in 40 pages. And as a result, this issue felt somewhat rushed. There are a lot of questions that I am hoping will be answered. There are a lot of questions I think won't be answered. And there is a ton of backstory, explaining everything about this universe and these characters, that I don't think I will ever get. And that is a shame.

Scott Kolins does an admirable job on the art bringing the grime of this flawed future. I also like the design of the heroes here as well as the corrupted Legion and the other aliens. Kolins' look definitely fits the title perfectly.

I promise not to curse the darkness here. I got 2+ years over two titles to read these characters. That's a light I should celebrate. On to the issue.

Review: Justice League 3001 #10

Justice League 3001 #10 came out last week and, as we are nearing the end of this book, the plots are sort of rushing to the end. Amazingly, the creative team continues to add elements to this book despite knowing that the finale is only a couple of months away.

Writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis have been playing in the DC toybox, picking and choosing who they want to write regardless of continuity. The result has been a weird, wild book which has been incredibly entertaining. So imperfect clones of classic JLA, a Silver Age Supergirl, a Bwa-Ha-Ha JLI contingent are all fighting universal threats and an evil Legion of Super-Heroes. In this issue, despite a full cast of characters, they add a couple more. Now G'Nort and Larfleeze are in the mix! I would love to know how the two decided who was going to come into the book.

The art for the last few issues has been split between Scott Kolins and Colleen Doran. Both bring an appropriate sensibility to their stories. Kolins has a grimy, raw feel to his pages which works well with the League scouring planets which have been leveled. Meanwhile, Doran brings a more polished look to her story involving Lois Lane and Ariel Masters trying to defeat Lady Styx from behind the scenes.

Review: Justice League 3001 #9

Justice League 3001 #9 was released this week and this book continues to be wonderfully creative and entertaining. It is somewhat depressing that I am looking ahead already at #12, the last issue.

Because JL 3001 is sort of an omelet of a book and I love omelets. The best omelet have a number of wonderful ingredients which together brings a fantastic and flavorful taste. But an omelet needs eggs to hold all those ingredients together. And you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs.

This title has brought together some of the best ingredients ... ummm, elements ... from DC continuity. We have Bwa-Ha-Ha era Leaguers. We have a Silver Age Supergirl. We have had Etrigan, Camelot 3000, and now a twisted Legion of Super-Heroes. We have seen some broken eggs ... umm, some reimagined big name characters , warped to fit them into this dingy future. The big 6 have been brought back as flawed copies, allowing the creators to look at these characters fondly, comedically, and critically. And I guess in this analogy, the eggs that hold all these disparate elements together are the creative team of Keith Giffen, JM DeMatteis, Howard Porter, Scott Kolins, and Colleen Doran.

This issue pushes the latest (I guess last) arc forward. It feels a little like a classic League story with the team splitting up to fight on multiple fronts. But we also have some strong character moments as well. We have seen the members of this team evolve over time.

The art on the issue is split between Scott Kolins and Colleen Doran. Kolins section is wonderfully gritty, showing how the universe is a grimy crumbling place now. His villains are monstrous. Whether it is Eclipso's hand-feet or the faceless Saturn Girl, these guys are frightening. Doran's section has a great conversation between enemies turned friends. Doran still is able to infuse action and emotion into what is effectively just pages of people talking.

This is a long introduction so I apologize. But I only have a few more of these intros to write.

Review: Justice League 3001 #8

Justice League 3001 #8 came out this week with an issue titled 'A New Beginning'. Anyone who has read this blog for a while will know that I am a sucker for 'bold new directions' and will most likely pick up a book where that is splashed on the cover.

This issue is a new beginning for this book. The team is different. Suddenly we have an all female team, united against a new threat. I almost feel, for better or for worse, that we will be putting a bunch of the mysteries of the early issues behind us, maybe never to address again. I am going to miss Beetle, Booster, and Turtle Jimmy Olsen. Will we see the vengeful Lois Lane/Ariel plot finished? Will we see her Injustice League with Bane and the others?

But this is book where I am introduced to Lady Styx, a new villain who is mysterious and intriguing. And Giffen and DeMatteis are sliding some Legion of Super-Heroes into the book! As one of their fandom, I have been  clamoring for any sight of them.

For me, most importantly, I get to see Supergirl leading an incognito League against a universal threat is great. And since her introduction in the book, Giffen and DeMatteis have thrust her into a role of leader, even if she is still a youngish Kara. Seeing her come to terms with this, seeing her 'replacing' Superman (a theme which has been part of her character since 1959) is wonderful.

Scott Kolins is on art and brings a sort of grungy dystopian sensibility to the book. He also redesigned some of the costumes the heroes are now wearing. I love Supergirl's new look which has a feel of the 70s Adventure Comics look, but includes red shoulders like the Crisis-era Kara. And the cape, a giant S-shield, is pretty cool.

On to the story.

Last issue the Scullions swarmed throughout the universe, taking over the universe in the name of Lady Styx. Only some of the heroes escaped. And now the League is basically on the run.

Six months have passed since that last issue and we see how the members of the League are all living incognito on Takron Galtos, biding their time until they can strike. Diana is a welder on a construction crew (shades of the Bombshell 'Rosie the Riveter'?). The Flash is still suffering from PTSD. Ice and Fire are living together, using passwords to ensure safety.

And Kara is living alone, wondering how it all happened. Styx had been infiltrating planets all along and simply took over. That second panel, a small Kara, small, alone, framed in a box in a box. You just get the sense of how imprisoned she feels, how claustrophobic this life must be.

Each member does have a transversal which allows them to head to their 'headquarters', a demolished Paradise island, the temples and columns in ruins and overgrown.

In this sequence, Giffen and DeMatteis give us a quick rundown of how all the members feel. It is like a rapid fire character check to set the stage for how they all feel 6 months into this secrecy. It is clear this team is still a bit in disarray and hardly a Justice League united.

Diana is impatient and wants to rush in and fight. Fire agrees. Ice wants to do what's smart. And Guy, whose personality is slowly being erased by his host body's DNA/personality, thinks planning is important. Is that Guy or Shirylalla that is the voice of reason?

But there is Kara at the end, arms folded, taking charge and saying that they need to wait. Even in this sequence, it is clear Supergirl is the leader here. She is the last to talk. Her panel is bigger, implying she is bigger. So much information given in the page layout.

 There is one other member, Batman, who is the most impetuous of the group. She is off  trying to destroy the indestructible Scullions. Supergirl needs to teleport in and get Batman out before things go south. I like the mecha-look here.

But what I like is that, of all characters, it is the Batman character who is the most hot-headed, the most like to rush in blindly, the one who doesn't want to plan. It is the concept of Batman flipped on its head, a nice addition to a book like this.

 Remember Batman is actually Tina, a school age girl and descendant of Bruce Wayne. She's brilliant and hot-headed. I guess it makes her more of a Damian character which is reinforced in my mind when we see her dressed in Robin garb.

Diana and Teri have to tell Tina to slow down. That rushing into battle is foolish. Diana has to begrudgingly  agree that Kara is right.

I do feel bad for Teri who is still suffering from PTSD, decompensating whenever she sees Scullions or is reminded of Clark's death.

We do see that the headquarters isn't completely safe. Someone is skulking in the shadows, watching the team. Who could that be? Guesses at the end.

 The team is splintered even further. Fire and Ice feel like a separate faction within the team. They feel like outsiders and Ice wonders if they should just leave. These two were part of the 'Bwa-ha-ha' League as was Guy.

So it made sense to me that Guy approaches the two and says he needs them and will be part of their subgroup. It is only the memory of Ice which seems to be stemming the personality re-write, reminding him that he is Guy. I think that is a nice touch. This isn't the headstrong Guy. He is scared of disappearing.

One quibble here. Fire talks about Guy striking Tora a few days earlier. Now we did see Guy slap Tora last issue but isn't that 6 months ago? Unless Guy is a serial slapper, it shouldn't be so recent.

I have commented how it was implied that Supergirl is the leader here. We are told she is the leader later in the issue. And I love the characterization here.

First off, I like the fact she keeps the pictures of the dead Leaguers on the wall, a reminder of what she has lost.

She also is worried that she isn't ready for this leadership role. She can see that the team is looking to her for guidance and she worries she won't be up for the challenge. This feels like a classic Kara who is striving to be the best she can be, is ready to step in for Superman, but is still growing and maybe a little unsure of herself.

But she won't back down from this responsibility. Fists clenched, she is determined, showing that fierceness of character I love in her.

Love this new Supergirl costume. The red shoulders harken back to her Crisis-era costume. But the reversed yellow/red of the s-shield with the high collar and knee-high boots is groovy. As is this cape.

Kudos to Scott Kolins for the design.

We finally get to meet the lead villain, Lady Styx.

In flashbacks, we see her simply announce that she is taking over the galaxy. Her army has been in place for some time. Her ascension to power is simply 'the period at the end of a sentence'. Love that line.

Styx is on Naltor (Dream Girl's home planet) and has a drone version of Saturn Girl go and fetch Terrance, Teri's brain damaged brother who was a key character in JL3000. There are odd acolytes in front of her. One could be Wildfire or Timber Wolf. Are Giffen and DeMatteis slipping the actual Legion into this book? Why not? So many continuities have been woven into this book. I miss the Legion. I really don't want them to be evil.

So that makes me wonder if the shadowy figure could be a 'good' Legionnaire. Shadow Lass? Cham? In the end, I think my guess is that it is Ariel/Lois. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

As for Styx, she is a wild character. There is some Kirby Thor elements here. My first thoughts were she reminded me of Karnilla or Hela. But then I wondered if there was some Gemworld in here. And given the Legion element and this being Naltor, could she be an evil White Witch??

Styx needs Terrance to help find and defeat the League because the presence of Supergirl and Tina/Batman wasn't anticipated. I still think this is some nexus of intersecting realities given the multiple continuities seen. Maybe a pre-Crisis Silver Age Supergirl wasn't anticipated in this future?

Whew! This is what a bold new direction is supposed to be, keeping the foundation of a book but shaking it up. We have a new universal threat, infused with Legion of Super-heroes elements (hurrah!). We have an unsteady team, hiding away, and being led by a young Supergirl. And we have versions of classic characters tossed into the mix of a dystopia. It all works.

So if you are looking for a jumping on point, a place to swim in the deep end of DC mythology, this is the issue for you.

Overall grade: A

Review: Justice League 3001 #7

With the end of year reviews behind me, it is time to roll up my sleeves and get back to work, catching up on reviews from 12/20. As I am catching up, these may (or may not) be briefer than usual.

Justice League 3001 #7, written by JM DeMatteis and Keith Giffen with art by Chris Batista, Ray Faucher, and Andy Owens, sets the stage for the next phase of this title. I have always been impressed with the scope of this title. Giffen and DeMatteis have made this a complicated word with multiple power structures in play, and the League more often reacting than acting. Between the embedded evil Lois, to the 'Five', to the odd 'Earth as Takron Galtos' prison world, things have been moving along so wildly that at times I feel like I don't quite know all the players on the board.

Last issue we saw Scullions, incredibly powerful regenerating robots, attack the League as the vanguard of another threat, something trying to rule the universe. Regardless of all the minor regimes trying to gain some control in the 3001 universe, this new threat is major. It is demolishing everything in its path. Suddenly the League is composed of new members and on the run.

As someone who follows such things, I wonder if sales have something to do with this shift in the book. Was this plot going to happen but farther down the road? Was it rushed to now to get it done? Was the all female team always planned? Or an effort to bring in new readers?

 No matter the reason, there is a lot to like about this issue, something I seem to say in every review of this book.

The book is told after the initial battle with the Scullions in a series of flashbacks from various members of the team. After Clark's death last issue, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Flash do their best to hold off the arriving androids.

I have loved the Supergirl that is in this book, a sort of mid-70s confident Kara who is ready to be a leader and an inspiration. Here, as she trashes the Scullions, she spurs a frightened Teri to action.

But I think that there is something else going on with this Supergirl. More and more I think she is aware of what she ran from 1000 years earlier. I wonder if she is aware of her Crisis destiny, given that this feels like the Supergirl from that timeline. When she says 'I am not going to die here today' she may be just screaming a battle cry or she may be commenting that she knows that is happening somewhere else.

Teri has been trying create a log of the battle so that others may read and remember what happened but Supergirl wants no part of it. Teri is openly grieving, crying and shaken. Kara is all business, stomping about the safehouse/planet that Batman sent them to. Everyone grieves differently.

But Kara's comment about 'survival' again makes me think that she is well aware of some aspects of her life and history. Did she survive this only to die young somewhere else? Something is hidden here, maybe about how she came to this time?

Other people were on Takron Galtos at the time of the Scullion attack. Fire and Ice are with the League after we learn that Kara saved them, throwing them through a transversal gate. Unfortunately, in that battle, the Hal Jordan GL and Barry Allen Flash, part of the original JL3001, are killed. Blue Beetle and Booster Gold scattered and may or may not be alive.

In the aftermath, Ice says that the Scullions seemed confused by her and Fire's presence. It is something Kara noted as well. What do these characters have in common? They are from prior DC continuities that have since been erased. This is a pre-Crisis Kara and a post-Crisis Fire and Ice. Giffen and DeMatteis have always played loose with continuity in this book. Maybe this is some acknowledgment of that.

Guy shows up and is initially in a standard blustery mood. Guy seems to be grieving by joking and avoiding the issues at hand. But when Guy is called on it, the tough exterior cracks. Guy talks about Superman's blood is on her costume, how Batman seemed scared and that has shaken her resolve. Finally, pushed to the edge, Guy slaps Tora ... something I would never expect to see.

We know that Guy is struggling with the genetic rewrite of the original GL and the woman host DNA trying to regain control. So this unhinged and unsteady Guy makes sense.

We finally learn how the League got here.
Batman had set up an unknown safehouse for the League, a place only he knew about. He had set the transversal gate to the headquarters. But someone has to stay behind and destroy the gate so it can't simply be reopened. Batman sacrifices himself while everyone flies through. He even uses Kryptonite to weaken Kara and toss her in, knowing she wouldn't leave on her own.

Of all the 3001ers, Batman felt the most like the original. So having a failsafe plan and being willing to sacrifice himself is fantastic.

I also love how Diana speaks of him and his sacrifice. There is almost a loving expression on her face as she talkes of knowing him better than Teri. I wonder if Giffen and DeMatteis think Bruce and Diana should be a couple. But she talks of how Bruce would want a good death. She imagines him smiling as he battles the Scullions one last time.

But Batman has been replaced by Batman, the descendant of the Wayne name in the precocious Tina. Tina has made her Bat-Mecha into a mobile transversal. The League can now teleport in and out of any place. While Tina pesters and irritates Kara, Supergirl knows not to ignore or rebuke such formidable intelligence.

This Batman is now on the League.

Because Supergirl is now in charge.
The League has a new mission. And a new makeup. Now it needs a new leader, someone who will do the right thing. And Supergirl seems more than ready to take on that mantle.

But there is more. I might be over-reading this. But these two panels of a pensive Supergirl looking out into the night sky, initially draped in shadows, seemed heavy with meaning. There is something almost funereal about that first panel. Looking out into the darkness, it might just mean that Kara knows she is in a dark place. But it also might again mean she knows about a dark destiny.

And that second panel, a steely Supergirl now in the light I think shows that she has now stepping into the role of the leader. She has to be the beacon. But even that expression seems to have a slight sense of sadness in it.

I haven't spoken about the art yet. Chris Batista and the inkers do a nice job veering close to the styles of Porter and Kolins, adding scratches and wear-and-tear on everything. The fight sequences are nicely rendered. But the big win is the expressions, adding much emotional overlay to the dialogue.

So this seems like a 'bold new direction' issue, a new path for a new team. And I am loving it. This book, like REBELS a few years ago, is the book I am championing, hoping DC will continue to print.

Overall grade: A

Review: Justice League 3001 #6

Justice League 3001 #6 came out this week and was, as usual, a very entertaining read. I am continually amazed at the way that writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis can weave multiple DC continuities into one book, pushing the envelope and readers' sanity. I dislike aloof depowered Superman in his main books. I dislike a warrior first Wonder Woman in the main DCU. And yet, I can accept them here because they are meant to be imperfect representations of those characters.

Now it also helps that this book has incorporated Supergirl into the team. And this is a very classic Supergirl, the pre-Crisis powerhouse who saw the good in everyone but could lose her temper in the face of injustice. Throw that idealism into the dingy future of this League and you get the sense she is irritated. How could the universe become such a terrible place?

We learned a while back that the team is shifting to an all female team so things happen fast and furious here. And it is all lushly drawn by guest artist Colleen Doran. Her Supergirl is just a delight.

Everyone should be reading this book and recommending it to others.

Last issue, Supergirl and Batgirl stopped the Takron-Galtos Batman from stomping on the inmates. Turns out it was a young girl in a Bat Mecha, Tina Sung.

The idea that Earth is now a prison planet is fascinating enough. But the thought that inmates might procreate, creating 'naturalized' citizens of the place is a wild concept. Her parents, 'lifers', were killed in Suicide Slum riots. That means her parents were killed, perhaps spurring her to don the cowl.

But seeing this school age girl growl out classic Batman lines is amusing, especially given the cat-ear head band and pink outfit. Her Bat-like persistence of crushing crime just rubs Supergirl the wrong way. I love how Kara is exasperated by the whole thing.

But let's really throw a spanner into the works.

Tina is a descendant of the original Batman. So she has some claim to the Bat legacy.

It also means that someone on the Wayne family tree was a criminal and thrown into jail. Wild!

Of course, in Dark Knight Returns, Bruce told Congress the heroes were criminals.

Last issue ended with Harley Quinn showing up. She looked outright vicious.

In this issue we learn that she was almost a play date for Tina. They would dress up and pretend Batman/Harley, fake fighting and imagining being somewhere better. It was only recently that Tina became more serious.

Alas, it doesn't look like Harley will be a recurring character. She stumbles on two androids, Scullions, who are Takron Galtos specifically to kill Batman. And anything in their way, including Harley, will be eliminated. I don't think she'll be coming back from this.

Scullion 1 and 2 had a sort of 'Alphonse and Gaston' feel to them, a trope Giffen has visited before.

The two spill into the Mayor's office to kill Batman and catch Supergirl off-guard. They toss her out into the night sky, forcing Batman to scramble for his life.

I love this Supergirl. She isn't going to let anyone hurt her friends. She isn't going to be bested. She isn't going to stand around.

This fierce look with the 'Now I am seriously mad!' feels like it is ripped from Paul Kupperberg's Daring New Adventures book.

I thought for sure this would be my favorite panel of the book.

But I was wrong.

Batman can barely stay alive against these things as they are able to regenerate from any damage.

Alas, this is a pre-Crisis Kryptonian. She crushes a third Scullion under her heels and smashes the original two to bits. What is Supergirl doing? Winning!

Now that is classic Supergirl. Don't get on her wrong side.

And Doran conveys that power, especially in that last panel!

Just fantastic.

Now these three Scullions are keeping this Supergirl pretty busy. Regenerating now matter how much damage she inflicts, they seem unbeatable. As a reader, I was struck that these things are tough.

Then you get this splash page showing us that an army of Scullions exists. And in case you didn't get a sense of their power, we see the world they are on in flames, buildings smashed, dead bodies piled on the ground. These aren't simple robots to smash. This is scary.

Now some might worry that this Supergirl is a bit angsty, edgy, and angry. But really, the pre-Crisis Supergirl could get this way if she felt that people were being wronged.

And Giffen and DeMatteis should assuage any fears. Here when she says that she is an alien, Batman tells her she was as human as anyone he knew. She never let the powers change her outlook.

For people looking for Supergirl in the comics, they should come here. This is a pretty classic Kara.

When a throng of Scullions arrive on Takron Galtos, Batman hits the emergency alert signal, bringing the entire League to the prison planet.

For the first time in a while, we actually get the whole League together.

Now one of the things I was looking forward since Supergirl arrived was her interactions with Superman. The Superman in this book is a far cry from the immutable, pure Superman of the Silver and Bronze age that this Kara would be familiar with. I wanted to see her be disgusted at him. I wanted to see him fume at her superior power set.

Alas I won't get that chance.

Superman blusters about tearing the Scullions apart. In turn, the Scullions vaporize his head. They kill him. In case the earlier battle wasn't enough, in case that splash page of the planet in ruins wasn't enough, we now see the Scullions powers. Superman is dead ...

Now maybe this shouldn't come as a surprise. As I said, we knew the book was heading towards an all female team. We knew Superman was leaving somehow.

Still. This was abrupt.

But that's the beauty of this book.

This book continues to be one of the most entertaining and complex books I read. It is something of a deep dive into DC continuities. Giffen and DeMatteis continue to grab me, steamrolling ahead with new characters, new threats, and now deaths. Plus, Silver Age Supergirl! Add Doran's clean art and this issue is a complete win.

Overall grade: A

Review: Justice League 3001 #5

Justice League 3001 #5 came out this week and I continue to be impressed with the intricate and complex future universe that Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis are creating here. I have been completely impressed with the breadth of their vision as they continue to expand this universe and what is going on within it.

More interesting to me has been the non-team feel of this team book. We have the core members of the team but we haven't seen many 'missions' for them this book. We opened with the Starro incident but since then we have been looking more at these characters individually rather than having them together to fight a threat. It reminds me of the Legion in the late 80s under Levitz and Giffen, a book where a large cast was handled expertly, everyone getting their time on stage, everyone three-dimensional, every plot intriguing. I can't give a book higher praise.

This is universe building. We could concentrate on the Lois/Injustice League plot line exclusively. But part of the fun is seeing all these threads and waiting for them to come together.

Art is done by Howard Porter with colors by Hi-Fi and there is something about the style that perfectly fits this book. There is a sort of raw, rough quality to Porter's work which complements this overcrowded, dingy future wonderfully. Porter also draws Supergirl beautifully. I know Porter is heading to Superman. But I hope he returns because his art fits here.

Alas, my biggest concern here is that the ax might soon drop. I even wonder if a plot was truncated in this issue because there won't be time to cover it fully. Sales are low. Anyone who loves this book should shout it from the mountaintops.

The book starts with a sort of identity crisis in Guy Gardner. He has been having blackout episodes. And it appears that during those times, his donor's DNA is gaining control of his body. He is doing things his host Shiryalla Tome would do when she was controlling that body. Guy misses kids he doesn't have. He is doing things classically matronly like setting tables and cooking meals.

It turns out that Firestorm has been cutting corners in the new cloning efforts. Guy's DNA rewrite wasn't complete. Eventually Shiryalla will regain control of this body. And Guy can't deal with it.

This struggle is going to be interesting to watch. Could it be that Guy's Alpha Male persona can't co-exist with Tome's life? Could it be that the best thing to for Guy to do is change his personality, accept some sort of melding of their lifestyles? Or does he look for some way to completely eradicate Tome's influence?

Regardless, seeing someone dealing with gender issues in their own body is timely. I think the key thing is how Giffen and DeMatteis cover this moving forward.

Now last issue, Fire and Ice defeated a Jimmy Olsen Turtle Boy monster. I thought for sure this was going to be a new and interesting plotline for this book. With a egotistical Superman and a classic Supergirl, adding a Jimmy might provide some decent grist for the story mill.

Unfortunately, this plot seems to be closed as soon as it was opened. This isn't Jimmy but one of his descendants. And the Leaguers quickly bring him back to the super-prison block he escaped from. Was this thread snipped because the book will end before it can be covered?

That said, this page alone seems to open up new avenues to explore. Hat tip to Mart Gray for noticing an Atom standing outside the tubes on the right. But peeking inside the tubes I think I see some version of The Hulk, Moon Knight, Dawnstar, and Steel. Anyone else I am missing?

But there is a lot more going on here. The Fire and Ice relationship is a great one. They clearly love each other. I love that Ice talks about how the presence of Fire saved her.

But they are working with other heroes outside of the main League. While they can trust Booster and Beetle, they don't know how reliable those two are. And they aren't sure if they can trust Hal and Barry, the Flash and GL formerly in the League.

It is almost like this book stars two teams.

Fascinating. And impressive.

Last month, Batman saw that a rogue version of himself has been policing Takron-Galtos. Except this new Batman is a killer.  So Bruce/Batman recruits Supergirl to help him track down this person besmirching the symbol of the Bat.

I absolutely love this pairing. For one, Bruce is probably the sanest and most classic Leaguer in comparison the 21st century original. Diana is a barbarian. Flash is immature. Superman is a narcissist. Only Batman carries the ideals of heroism of the first Batman.

And this Supergirl is Kara Classic. She is from the pre-Crisis universe and is a model of optimism and good.

So seeing these two interact is like listening to the adults talk in a book full of kids. And I love Supergirl's matter of fact handling of Batman. She isn't in awe of the Bat. She calls it like she sees it. The original Batman was crazy and driven.

When the 'new' Batman arrives and tries to kill Bruce, a fight breaks out.

This giant robot Batman has the upper hand for a short period of time. Then the classic Kryptonian powerset kicks in. Supergirl beheads this battlesuit ... off screen no less!

But what I loved about this was Supergirl and saying outright she has a code against killing. That is a serious part of the pre-Crisis Superman creed. Just fantastic. I love that Supergirl is probably going to be a great glistening foil to the cynical grimy world around her. I hope that she inspires the world rather than the world tarnishing her brightness.

And Howard Porter just draws a stunning Supergirl. This is becoming her signature panel in this book,  effortlessly hoisting a defeated foe above her head.

But the main plot of this is the Injustice League's efforts to defeat the League and rule the universe. Lois Lane, the leader of the Injustice League, has been trying to kill them off from the inside, controlling the body of the JL's handler Ariel Masters.

Batman has had some suspicions about Ariel. But here her duplicity is revealed. L-Ron let's it slip that Ariel is actually working out an attack plan.

With so much else happening, I am glad this plot seems to be moving forward.

We then cut to the Injustice League facility where Bane is carrying around the limp body of Lois. Without a consciousness, her body has become something of a ragdoll. Such a bizarre idea.

But not as bizarre as this angry Lois claiming that she will kill Superman ... again!

It's funny how I can be accepting of this jerk Superman and this murderous Lois in this book. These aren't the 'real' Lois and Clark. These are copies or corruptions. I don't have the same sense of history or need for inspiration in this set.

As for Supergirl, she peels the Bat-armor apart to pull out a young woman who calls herself Bruce Wayne. She truly thinks that she is Bruce Wayne (despite name tags saying Tina Sung).

The crazy thing is that in this book that might be possible. For all we know, someone wrote Bruce Wayne's DNA onto this girl. I mean, if you were a police force, wouldn't you clone/replicate as many Batmans as you could to keep order?

Another new plot. And given the news a while back that we are headed for an all-woman JL3001, an ominous one for the Batman we know.

I am a bit confused how so many people from the 21st century have survived into 3001. And given the odd continuity history of the cast, I am starting to wonder if this is comic book limbo or some sort of DC purgatory. Wouldn't that be some sort of Twilight Zone insanity!

Because it seems that someone else is kicking around ... Harley Quinn!

Well nothing sells books these days like Harley. Why not add her here! See if she bumps up sales!

I am pretty amazed at this book which consistently gives me something to think about and always entertains. It is as if Giffen and DeMatteis took all of their favorite toys in the DCU, regardless of continuity or time period, and put them in a completely chaotic environment. It's like the best playground ever.

And I get pre-Crisis Supergirl! There is a DC book with Supergirl in it!

Now if only Howard Porter could have stayed on the book!

Overall grade: A

Bullet Review: Justice League 3001 #4

Justice League 3001 has been something of a revelation for me. I was not expecting to like this book figuring it was going to be the same old dark, dingy dystopia that I has plagued DC the last decade. Instead, I have found it to be a sort of love letter to DC Universes past. Sure, the main characters are caricatures of the 'real' heroes, flawed genetic copies of the original. But we also are getting a brilliant and spurned Lois. Members of the 'Bwa-ha-ha' League even though that universe is gone. We have a pure Silver/Bronze Age Supergirl showing up like a ray of light. And we have the usual sort of irreverence that I see in the best of Giffen/DeMatteis collaborations. In many ways, it reminds me of the recent Giffen Doom Patrol book. In that book, Giffen simply acknowledged all the versions of the Patrol as 'real'. We saw Rita, Crazy Jane, a Negative Man who remembered all his incarnations. Brilliant.

Justice League 3001 #4 came out last week and pumped the brakes on the title a bit. This is a flashback story of this League's Flash, a story which we are told took place between the end of JL3000 and the beginning of JL3001. While a mere 4 issues in might be an odd place to put a 'rest' issue, the story builds on the universe that is being built here. Giffen and DeMatteis are fleshing out the threats in this universe while giving us a closer look at Teri as she grows in her role as the super-speedster of the team.

Art is by Scott Kolins rather than usual title artist Howard Porter. I'm not the biggest fan of Kolins' work and with Porter moving to Superman I wonder if Kolins is on board as the title's artist now. I was hoping to see more of Porter's Supergirl.

The issue starts with the Flash heading off on a solo mission, answering a distress signal on a remote ice planet ironically called Nirvana. This was set up by Batman, feeling that the Flash needed to get some real life experience. There is no distress signal, just the Flash having to use her powers to survive.

When Ariel reminds Batman that plenty of Robins died in similar situation, Bruce denies it.

Of course, Ariel is really the evil Lois Lane. And I love how she knows more about Batman than even Batman knows. She remembers all the Robins who were endangered. Nice.

Meanwhile, the Flash is running all over the world and ends up running across the Mirror Master.

Once more we start to see just how deep Lois' machinations go. She has been approaching all super-villains to join her Injustice League. If she is amassing an army, she is a bigger threat than ever. She is doing more than sending the League on near-suicide missions. Of course, the League doesn't know that Lois Lane is alive, let alone she is in Ariel. 

This Mirror Master didn't want to join and so went to this place to lay low.

He also says he is the actual Mirror Master, the one who fought Barry Allen. Boy, a lot of people have survived 1000 years! But he gives a great riff on the famous Lloyd Bensten speech. "I knew Barry Allen.He was my arch-enemy. And lady, you are no Barry Allen." Fantastic.

An avalanche ends up burying the two in the building and the Mirror Master as to remind the Flash that she can dig them out at super-speed.

I thought this panel was also fascinating. In JL3000, Teri was the smartest person in the room. She was a brilliant scientist. As the Flash, she has acted more like a hyperactive teen. Even she recognizes that since the DNA merge, she isn't as smart. Is that because Barry was not as smart? Was that because her mind is racing?

Another interesting point to ponder about this bag.

Once freed from the snow, the two have to battle weird piranha/polar bear life forms. And  the Mirror Master eventually acknowledges that he is happy the Flash came by. He was starting to feel isolated, being alone on this ice ball. He has been too worried that 'the others' would find him. Again, we are reminded that this villain army, this Injustice League is out there.

But it around this time that Teri realizes that there was no distress signal, there was no mission. This was Batman testing her. And it is only dumb luck that she stumbled across the Mirror Master. And she is not happy. She almost throws a tantrum. 

Throughout this issue, we have been seeing the subtle changes we have seen in Teri. The sort rapid fire speech pattern, the desire to go on this mission, the realization she isn't as smart as she was, her throwing a tantrum when she learns of Batman's deception. Now she admits she was attracted to the Mirror Master.

It all sounds so adolescent. And I think it is brilliant.

Anyways, this was a Flash-centric story and we learn much more about Teri here. This also helps fill in some information for any readers who jumped on board for 3001 and didn't read 3000.

But I keep hoping for more Supergirl.

Overall grade: B