Saturday – 30 June 2007

Last night: Clitorati. As usual, it was a good end to the evening and the week.

After a poor night’s sleep (really odd dreams… and they were all interconnected), I woke up to watch this morning’s episode of Legion of Super Heroes. It was one that I’ve seen at least twice before. And it’s not among my favorite episodes. So, I got ready to meet Chris at the gym – he wanted some ideas on things to add to his workout.

Roughly two hours later, I was on my way home again. I talked with the parental units as I drove home. Both of them are well.

Four-Color Coverage

  • The Brave and the Bold #3 and #4 – Batman, the Blue Beetle, Lobo and Supergirl. Green Lantern and Adam Strange. The Lord of Time, the Fatal Five. And an appearance by Destiny, of The Endless. You want star-spanning – and time-spanning – action? This books had it… in spades. And still manages to leave you with questions of “Who? Why? and How?”
  • Firestorm #35 – Darkseid thinks that Professor Martin Stein, one half of Firestorm, holds the key to the Anti-Life Equation. And, as with most things, what Darkseid wants… Darkseid gets. Or lays waste to. And my Providence smile upon any who get in his way.
  • Justice League of America #10 – “The Lightning Saga: Final Chapter – The Villain is the Hero in His Own Story” Wow.

    *Voiceover: Black Canary*
    They lied to me. They lied to us. But, worst of all —

    They lied to him.

    Superman: Sensor Girl. I see you now.

    No doubt, Clark’s always been the hardest of us to rile. But when the dagger in his chest is put there by his dearest childhood friends..?

    …you don’t want to be anywhere near him.

    They’re known as the Legion of Super-Heroes. Seven of them came back in time. But all it takes is one of them to distract us from their actual mission.

    Superman: Where are they, Jeckie? *grabs Sensor Girl by the shoulder*
    Sensor Girl: Clark, you’re hurting me.
    Superman: I – I barely…
    Sensor Girl: Y-You shattered my shoulder.
    Superman: Jeckie!

    *Voiceover: Black Canary*
    I’m not sure what torments him more —

    –the thought of injuring Sensor Girl–

    –or the fact that she knows him well enough to get inside his brain twice.

    And that was just in the first three pages.

    Three minutes (and two pages) later, the Justice League and the Justice Society have tracked down the Legionnaires… and want some answers. And Superman confronts Sensor Girl:

    Superman: Jeckie, I’m annoyed now. Truly annoyed. So why don’t you just tell me why you’re really h–

    Sensor Girl: You weren’t supposed to find us, Clark.

    *Voiceover: Superman*
    I check the whole spectrum to make sure she’s really there. Microscopic, chemical, X-ray, auditory, ultrasonic, magnetic, photonic —
    Superman: Is this the Espionage Squad, because–?
    Sensor Girl: It was voluteers only — and when Val signed up — like Dawny — even like Thom — I couldn’t let him go alone.
    I even scan both her hearts to make sure the physiology’s right
    Sensor Girl: It’s different from last time, Clark. To bring him back — there’s no Proty to take the fall.
    But the only thing that convinces me —

    –is the salty sweet smell of her tears.

    Proty? I was right then. Like when we brought Garth back t– Rao…
    Superman: Dinah, it’s what I said.
    Black Canary: Okay, people, we have a problem–
    Superman: I can see the lightning rod, Jeckie — please tell me you’re not here to kill yourself.

    Seven Legionnaires undertake a suicide mission to rescue a fallen hero. But whom? The conclusion leaves us with an answer. But is it the right answer? It also leaves us with questions… ones that are apparently being revealed in Countdown. That aside, this story was worth the wait. After all, it has the Legion that I grew up with. My “warm, happy place in comics” as Tyranist and I describe it. Well-written and executed… and just…. fun. Long live the Legion!

  • The Sinestro Corps Special #1 – “The Second Rebirth”: Two years ago, we witnessed the return of Green Lantern Hal Jordan to the DCU. With this book, we see his counterpart, Sinestro, and are introduced to the masses that are the Sinestro Corps. We’ve seen glimpses of some of the bright stars – or would that be “dark stars” – among the Sinestro Corps, but that was a small handful of Corpsmen; in this issue, we see that there are many, many more… enough to rival the numbers of the Green Lantern Corps. Readers of the various Green Lantern titles have always heard Sinestro’s story… from the side of the GLC. Not here. Now, we hear the story in Sinestro’s voice. And then there’s the new oath:

    In blackest day…
    In brightest night
    Beware your fears made into light
    Let those who try to stop what’s right
    Burn like my power — Sinestro’s might!

    Then there’s the attack on Oa. And [spoiler deleted]. What is Ion? How does it relate to Parallax? We even get a look at [spoiler deleted] and [spoiler deleted]. And the Guardian of the Sinestro Corps is none other than [spoiler deleted], who hasn’t been seen around the DCU/DCM in MANY years. There’s a storm coming. But is there anywhere safe to hide from it?

  • Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #31 – [Spoiler deleted] is voted in as the new leader of the LSH as the United Planets hunts for the now-missing Cosmic Boy. Why do they want him? Oh, a little something to the tune of “war crimes” for destroying a planet.
  • Superman/Batman #37 – A visit with Pete Ross. Killer Croc breaks into Lex-Com. Lex Luthor… hiding something from Gotham City PD? Kryptonite? Who’s pulling the strings and to what tune are the puppets dancing?
  • Ultimate X-Men #83 – The Group-Formerly-Known-as-the-X-Men travel to the tunnels of the Morlocks to rescue two of their own. Bishop goes on a recruitment drive – who’s in and who’s out?
  • X-Men: First Class #1 – Professor Xavier, realizes that Jean – as the sole female on the fledgling X-team – has no peers or role models. He finds her a mentor: Susan Richards, the Invisible Girl.

Stray Toasters

And now, to find some lunch and some trouble to get into.

Namaste.