Cosmic Odyssey, Part Four: The Final Hour

Cosmic Odyssey 4
Book Four :Death
Writer: Jim Starlin
Artist: Mike Mignola
Inker: Carlos Garzon

Karen: Just a note before we start -I apologize for the reduced number of images in this review. Unfortunately, my TPB began falling apart in my hands, as you can see in the picture below. So to avoid having any more pages come loose, I had to be very careful and that meant making a minimal number of scans.

Karen: We've reached the final book in this star-spanning tale, and nothing less than the fate of our universe is at stake. Things are looking pretty desperate too. The clock is ticking down on an anti-life bomb set to go off on Earth. We watch the seconds pass as the parademon with a hole in his midsection and the re-animated policeman, Joe Bester, stand-by to greet oblivion. But the timer hits zero and nothing happens -no explosion. The parademon is stunned and angry. Of course it's the work of Batman and Forager.They then push the deactivated bomb over on the parademon, seemingly pinning him under it. Thinking that Bester will be an easy target, they spring on him, but he proves surprisingly tough. He clobbers Batman but Forager takes Bester's head off with his shield, revealing that the cop was actually a robot. Wow -he's as brutal as Orion. Batman's impressed with his work though. They're just about to start disassembling the bomb when the parademon comes roaring back, grabbing Batman by the arm and smashing him around the cave. He even breaks Batman's leg, and the caped crusader is on the verge of passing out...

Karen: Darkseid and the Demon are in the Anti-Life Entity's (A.L.E.)'s dimension, and the Lord of Apokolips channels tremendous mystical energy through the Demon and fires it at A.L.E. Much to his shock, the Entity shakes off the attack. Realizing he cannot dominate the creature, Darkseid decides to steal just a small bit of its essence, and then high-tail it back to his own reality. But as he makes his escape, one of the A.L.E.'s returning aspects blasts him and he and the Demon wind up back where they were, facing the Entity again.

Karen: On New Genesis, the heroes have returned and are puzzled as to where Highfather, Orion, and Darkseid have gone, as well as the mysterious Mr. Blood (aka the Demon). John Stewart wanders off, still overwhelmed with guilt and remorse over his actions that lead to the destruction of the planet Xanshi. He's not certain he can go on living with millions of deaths on his conscience. 

Karen: On Earth, it seems that the parademon is about to break Batman's neck when Forager comes to the rescue. The brute drops Batman, but Forager earns some broken ribs and is hurled aside, unconscious. Batman struggles to rise as the creature reactivates the doomsday device. OK, this sequence and the previous one on New Genesis points out one of the things that has bothered me throughout this series: there are entirely too many two-page sequences in these books. Just as you start to get into a scene, it ends, and we move on to another one. It feels like too many "quick-cuts" in a film. It's very unsatisfying.

Karen: We shift now to the Anti-Life universe, where it looks like Darkseid and the Demon are about to be engulfed by the Entity. Suddenly a beam of light hits them and pulls them away. They see Highfather, Orion, and one other -Dr. Fate! This was the mysterious friend that Batman called back in the first issue and asked to keep an eye on Darkseid. Fate states that the five of them all are connected to a different elemental source of power, and that by pooling their resources, they can yet hope to stop the A.L.E. The heroes are arranged in a star pattern he calls the "cinque of cosmic power"  and Fate then names off the different sources of energy: his is 'intellectual magics;' the Demon taps primal mystical forces; Darkseid brings anti-life to the table, turning the enemy's power against him; but then, Fate says Orin and Highfather both use the mysterious Source. Wait a minute -didn't he say that each of them was linked to a different power source? This seems like a lapse on Starlin's part. Anyway, channeling their might, the five beings deliver a tremendous blast of power against the A.L.E., forcing it back. But it's a temporary measure at best. Fate takes his allies and flees to a parallel dimension. Realizing that the A.L.E. will soon recover and gain access to that dimension as well, Fate makes a choice: he will sacrifice that dimension, creating a "mystic firebreak" to trap the creature in its own realm. So Dr. Fate is powerful enough to actually destroy an entire dimension. I had no idea. Wouldn't that put him right up there with the Spectre? Although he briefly ponders whether he has the right to wipe out a whole dimension, he does it anyway.

Karen: The group is returned to New Genesis in the blink of an eye, where the heroes are startled by their sudden appearance. Fate explains that he has trapped the A.L.E. in its own realm by destroying the dimension that bridged their two realities. Darkseid is outraged, as he feels used by Fate. He threatens the mystic, but Superman quickly steps in and tells him to stand down, or face the combined might of the assembled heroes. Darkseid apparently sees nothing to gain in a direct confrontation and storms off, and everyone's about to declare victory, when Highfather reminds them that they still don't know what has happened with Batman and Forager on Earth. Starfire wants to go back to the planet to ehlp out, but surprisingly, both Martian Manhunter and Superman shoot her down, saying where would they find them? It's a big planet. really? Superman, with all his powers, couldn't locate Batman or the bomb? You'd think he would at least try! Highfather then gravely says all they can do is wait, and hope the Milky Way galaxy isn't destroyed. I understand that the writer is trying to generate drama here but it seemed very unrealistic to me that these heroes would just sit on their hands and do nothing.

Karen: On Earth the clock is ticking -specifically, we're down to 29 seconds before the big bang. Batman can barely manage to crawl over to where the big bad alien stands before the bomb control panel, and when he gets there, he receives a kick that sends him flying. Being a bad guy, the alien has to make a speech about how there's nothing Batman can do to stop the bomb, and of course, that's when Forager comes to and attacks the creep. He's ducking and weaving until Batman tells him to forget the alien, stop the bomb. Right at the last second, the New God smashes the control panel with his shield. There is an explosion, but it's not the bomb going off. Apparently the control panel exploded, although I have to be honest and say it wasn't 100% clear from the art. Batman is at first just elated that the world hasn't been blown out of existence, but then he begins to be concerned over Forager. He calls out for him, but there's no answer. A panel showing Batman's face with a shocked expression, saying "Oh Lord!" tells us everything we need to know. The alien has been wiped out at least. Batman call for some help with clean-up.

Karen: Superman and Lightray leave New Genesis to assist Batman, while J'Onn J'Onzz goes off to find Green Lantern John Stewart, as he is concerned about him.Stewart has grabbed a gun from a trophy case, and orders his ring to fly out 20 light years and wait for him til he calls it back. If it doesn't hear from him in an hour, the ring is to go find Hal Jordan. It's pretty obvious where this is going. Stewart can't deal with his failure on Xanshi. He puts the gun to his head and holds it there for a while (3/4 of a page). Then he puts it down  and J'Onzz asks him, "Well?" He goes on to harangue him about how he obviously doesn't have the 'right stuff' to be a super-hero, as it requires making decisions and being able to accept responsibility for the outcomes of one's actions. If he can't handle that he should just shoot himself and get it over with. Tough-love, Martian-style. Of course, Stewart puts down the gun and calls back his ring. Stewart stalks off with a "Screw you, J'Onzz" and the Martian smiles, his work done. I suppose J'Onn was able to forgive Stewart, as he must have figured he'd adequately punished himself. 

Karen: A boom tube opens and Superman returns, supporting Batman, while Lightray carries a wrapped body. As the stunned heroes look on, Batman simply says that Forager gave his life to prevent Earth's destruction. Orion, as sensitive as ever, says, "Who would have thought the bug had it in him?" and Batman promptly clocks him. "His name was Forager!" Batman yells. Orion strides off, perhaps chastised, and at that moment, the group realizes that Darkseid, that clever guy, has made off with the gadgets containing the Anti-Life aspects. Back on Apokolips, Darkseid gloats over his little victory, as he has forged a piece of pure anti-life. really, what does that even mean? I think I much preferred it when Darkseid was seeking after the Anti-Life Equation. That seemed to be much more abstract and interesting than just some sort of cosmic super-weapon. Anyway, apparently Darkseid is satisfied with how things turned out. On New Genesis, Highfather tells Orion that Forager's body will be returned to the Insect Empire, and he wants Orion to accompany it. When the warrior asks why, the monarch tells him that he hopes the trip will teach him something. "Such as?" "Tolerance," Highfather replies. After a pause, Orion says, "As you wish, Highfather."

Karen: "Cosmic Odyssey" is not a bad story -but it does feel like it is stretched out far too long for what it is. It follows the old formula of splitting the heroes into small, more manageable pairings, and this too is not a bad thing. But there was nothing here that felt especially exciting or novel to me. Perhaps the biggest letdown was the decision to make "Anti-Life" yet another anthropomorphic being. Haven't we seen this done before? It felt like Starlin was turning Darkseid into Thanos here, with Anti-Life standing in for Death. The segment with Batman facing an extra-terrestrial in the Gotham sewers might have been my favorite part of the whole book, because it actually felt fun. Much of the rest of the story felt like a slog and the constant inter-cutting back and forth, with a couple of pages devoted to one set of characters and then another couple to a different set, and so on, really lead to a drawn out pace for the books. Doing this in a regular size  comic is no big deal but in a 48 page book, it pulls the pace down. I don't know that I would recommend this TPB to any but the most devoted fan of cosmic comic action.

Cosmic Odyssey, part three: Massacre

Cosmic Odyssey #3
Book Three: Decisions
Writer: Jim Starlin
Artist: Mike Mignola
Inker: Carlos Garzon

Karen: We're at the mid-point of this space-saga, where nothing less than the fate of the universe rests in the hands of eight heroes. So far, I've felt let down; the story seems flat, and it doesn't move me. It's somewhat fun to look at though. I still don't know if I think Mignola is a great choice for standard super-hero fare, but his work with some of the more bizarre scenery is compelling. 

Karen: The story picks up on Rann, with Adam Strange out of commission, and Lightray and Starfire being informed that John Stewart and the Martian Manhunter have failed in their mission -the planet Xanshi and its sun have been destroyed. Now, if even one more of the three remaining target planets is destroyed, it will weaken the barrier enough so that the Anti-Life Entity can enter their universe.While Starfire watches over the unconscious Strange, Lightray goes off to look for the Aspect in the abandoned factory they tracked it to last issue. There's some friction between these two, as Starfire thinks the New God is a bit of a jerk. While she sits with the unconscious Strange, she notices a weird green oil on the floor. As she leans over to inspect it, we see a green tentacle-like appendage rise from a pool of the stuff behind her, and she is apparently struck off-panel.  One thing of note here is that Starfire, or Kory if you will, never sounds like I remember her from the Teen Titans. I don't think Starlin was familiar with her, at least not enough to get a good read on her voice. I can't help but think somebody at the top said, "We need a female character in this book," and because the Titans were popular, she was selected.

Karen: Back on Thanagar, the uncomfortable pairing of Superman and Orion contemplates how to enter the heavily fortified city where, no doubt, the doomsday bomb is being held. Being the warrior he is, Orion wants to do a frontal assault, but a calmer Superman suggest an easier, and less bloody, method. He will travel underground to the city while Orion creates a diversion. Superman does his "spin into the ground" thing and heads for the city while Orion takes to the air for his diversion. You just know this is not going to end well. Superman has already had to remind Orion that the Thanagarians are innocent pawns in this struggle. But I suppose he has no choice but to trust the New God.

Karen: On Rann, Lightray scours the factory and utilizes his ability to see in the electromagnetic spectrum to pick up the trail of the Aspect. It leads right back to the chamber where he left Starfire and Adam Strange. He flies in and is immediately attacked by a huge green blob -a metamorph.

Karen: We cut quickly back to Thanagar as Superman bursts into an underground chamber. Using his x-ray vision he spots the doomsday bomb buried beneath his feet. Mignola like to depict Superman's vision powers by blacking out his face (sometimes his whole body)  and leaving the eyes colored. He drops down to begin destroying the bomb, and then this planet's version of the Aspect shows up: a rather goofy-looking robot! Honestly, it looks like a cobbled-together thing, with a head not unlike Kirby's Asgardian Destroyer, due to its visor, but then it has these spindly arms and legs -not the most threatening mechanical monster the Man of Steel has ever faced. It really makes the threat seem laughable. This is juxtaposed with Lightray's battle with the metamorph, which comes off as pretty dangerous, as the creature is able to dodge his energy blasts and easily lash out and hit the New God with its many tentacles. It eventually knocks Lightray out and then activates the doomsday bomb -the timer reads 120 seconds. Kory awakens and sees this too. She gets Strange and Lightray out of harm's way while the creature is off in another part of the room. Then she confronts it. She has picked up on something about its nature, but before we can learn any more, she's thrown -hard -against a wall.

Karen: A one page interlude takes us to Earth, where Batman and Forager are hanging out on  the side of the road in Moosejaw, Arizona, discussing a butte off in the distance where a bunch of scientific equipment has been delivered (buttes have addresses?). Batman believes that's where they'll find the Aspect. But who will be its host? The dead cop, Joe Bester, or the Apokoliptian soldier that Batman left with a hole through his guts?

Karen: Back on Thanagar, the robot kicks Superman through a wall, and he goes limp. The robot picks him up by his cape and is about to grab the device Darkseid made for catching the Aspect when we realize it's just a ploy by Supes. He begins battering the metal man, pounding it mercilessly til energy is streaming out of it. Despite the robot's somewhat silly appearance, Mignola gives us some very exciting work here, with Supes really bashing the bot. Superman employs Darkseid's device and bottles up the Aspect. He destroys the doomsday bomb with heat vision -whoa, couldn't that be dangerous? How the heck does Superman just know it's OK to do these things? Then he reports in to Highfather and Darkseid of his success. He's feeling pretty good about himself  -"It looks like this round goes to the good guys" - until he gets to the planet's surface. Then he sees what his partner's been up to. Orion's "diversion" has been the slaughter of countless mind-controlled Thanagarians. Superman stares in shock and the bodies piled high. Orion says he doesn't play games - his galaxy was at stake. Enraged, Superman calls him out as a murderer and punches him across the battlefield. Orion in unperturbed. He heads back to New Genesis. Superman stays to bury the dead. There should be repercussions from this and I'll be quite disappointed if nothing comes of it in the final issue.

Karen: Back on New Genesis, Darkseid tries to convince Highfather that they should move forward with his Plan B, which is to allow Darkseid to immediately confront the Anti-Life Entity in its own realm. Highfather refuses, saying he must think about it more before acting on it and goes off. Darkseid though believes Highfather weak and eventually he'll come around to his plan -a plan that he thinks will grant him ultimate power. As Highfather wanders off, he realizes that Darkseid is scheming to acquire more might, but he is concerned that the super-heroes will not be able to prevent the destruction of the four worlds. As he ponders this, he encounters a mysterious figure, one who is kept off-panel. He does however recognize them. "I know you! You're-" "A friend of the Batman," the figure says. So this is who Batman called in the first issue. The figure explains he's here to keep an eye on Darkseid, and he recognizes what he's planning, and knows what they should do.: they must let Darkseid have his way.

Karen: Lightray awakens on Rann to see there are only 8 seconds left on the bomb timer -and the metamorph has an unconscious Kory in its grip. He readies to blast it, but suddenly Kory awakens and shouts no, flaring up, her fiery powers igniting the creature. She turns and grabs Lightray and the two fly out of the building as there is a huge explosion. They stand in the ruins and are joined by Adam Strange. A puzzled Lightray asks what happened. Kory explains that the Aspect blew up and took the bomb with it. She had smelled a petroleum scent on the creature earlier and it had avoided her fire blasts -she put it together and realized it was flammable. She played possum til the last second in order to blow it and the bomb up. Adam congratulates her on a job well done, but Lightray seems miffed. They soon spot a small black energy blob fleeing the scene. Unfortunately, they aren't fast enough to catch it. They call back to New Genesis with the news.

Karen: Darkseid and the Demon have a conversation about the situation. Darkseid, of course, thinks there's no point in depending on Batman and Forager to save Earth, or to even go assist them. Darkseid insists that the universe's salvation can only come by facing the Anti-Life Entity head-on, but the Demon laughs at the thought of trusting him fully. However, in this case, he senses that the two of them are needed to do this.

Karen: Orion, John Stewart, and Martian Manhunter arrive on New Genesis. Orion is disgusted with the other two and quite vocal about it, but Highfather tells him to be kind. But Stewart is having none of it. He recognizes that his arrogance has destroyed a world. He wanders off into the woods. Highfather tells J'Onn J'onnz maybe he better watch over his friend, and J'Onn is very reluctant to do so, but accedes.

Karen: Darkseid has got himself all geared-up, with a harness that attaches by a cable to a similar one worn by the Demon. Their access to the Anti-Life's universe or dimension is not really explained. It's very odd. Darkseid just flips a switch, there's some captions discussing metamorphosis, and then they are there. There's no sense of a journey at all and I think it's quite underwhelming. They pop up in a Ditko-like crazy space, full of twisted branches, floating planets, and eyeballs. Highfather and Orion discover that the two have left and are distraught until the reappearance of the mysterious stranger, who tells them that if they come with him, they may still be able to save things. They take his golden-gloved hands and disappear.

Karen: Back on Earth, inside a cavern in the butte in Arizona, the not-quite-dead-yet Apokoliptian soldier and the possibly dead Joe Bester work on another doomsday bomb. With everything ready, they start the countdown. The final page is filled with numbers, from 118 to 95. 

Karen: The only real highpoint for me in this issue was Superman's confrontation with Orion. That kind of mass murder by a character is something that still gets under my skin and to me, should have consequences, at least between these characters if not further out (although there was nothing said between Highfather and Orion in this issue). Otherwise, I hate to say it, but I found the whole story rather boring and the cross-cutting between the groups tiresome. It kills me, because I feel like I should be enjoying this much more. But it just leaves me cold. I don't feel any real sense of menace -I think that's the real problem. The threat is depersonalized. It's so anonymous- it's like being threatened by a hurricane -how do you take away any personal element from that? Darkseid has been off to the side, scheming, and one can only hope the final issue will have a big pay off with him becoming the chief threat. The Anti-Life Entity itself is too nebulous, at least a portrayed so far, to be a meaningful threat.

Cosmic Odyssey Part Two: Hubris and Failure

Cosmic Odyssey #2 (1988)
"Book Two: Disaster"
Writer: Jim Starlin
Artist: Mike Mignola
Inker: Carlos Garzon

Karen: In the first issue, the cast was assembled. Now, the different teams have been sent to their respective planets in order to trap the "Aspects" of the Anti-Life Equation entity that have infiltrated into the universe. These Aspects, according to Darkseid's calculations, will attempt to destroy these planets. If any two of them are obliterated, the entire Milky Way galaxy will collapse, and weaken our universe enough so that the Anti-Life Equation entity can enter it. Got it? Good, let's go.

Karen: A comment on the art before we move along. When I was a kid, I used to check How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way out of the library all the time. For the would-be comics artist, John Buscema provided the fundamentals of figure drawing: circles, ovals, and graceful curves. When I look at Mike Mignola's art in this comic, I feel like if he drew the instructional art for a text book, it would be filled with rectangles and squares and hard, straight lines. Really, the characters are all so blocky. It takes some getting used to. 

Karen: The first team we see is the pairing of Superman and Orion on the planet of Thanagar, the homeworld of Hawkman and Hawkgirl (Hawkwoman?). Where they have arrived looks something like Utah, with a desert and buttes in the distance. The thanagarians come flying towards them, and Orion predicts they are being mind-controlled by the Aspect, and will attack immediately. He's absolutely right, as the winged warriors swoop in, wielding axes, maces, and other charming weapons. Superman and Orion handle them fairly easily, and we begin to see the seeds of some conflict between the two, as Superman suggests to Orion that as the Thanagarians aren't their real enemy and not responsible for their actions, they should try to do as little harm as possible. Orion just stares at him and says nothing. He is, after all, the son of Darkseid. You know this is not going to go well. 

Karen: On the planet Xanshi, Green Lantern John Stewart and J'Onn J'Onzz, the Martian Manhunter, discuss how to proceed. Stewart suggests they head into a large city, to see if they detect the Aspect's presence. They do indeed -in the form of a plague. They encounter a scientist in the street who was working on a cure and Stewart uses his ring to miraculously synthesize a compound for him. This is the first of many problems that Stewart resolves rather easily by using his power ring. The ring also helps them figure out the Aspect's location -a weather control station in the arctic.

Karen: Team three checks in from Earth, and the batcave. Batman leads his ally, Forager, inside his secret lair. The detective asks about Orion's nasty remarks towards Forager before they left New Genesis. Forager explains that although he is a New God, he was raised by a "deviant" race called the Insect Legion, a people that are known derisively as 'bugs.' And Orion's not the only one with this prejudice -others on New Genesis share his feelings. Batman gruffly says that he finds those attitudes "stupid," and then moves on to their task. He's been taking the reports of the other teams and feeding them into his computer. He says it's obvious that the Aspects are utilizing the most powerful force on each of the planets it has occupied. Forager immediately assumes this means the Aspect on Earth will grab the worlds' nuclear arsenals, but Batman says no. He believes it will go for computers.

Karen: Our last team is Starfire and Lightray, and they are on the planet Rann -you might have heard of it. They discover chaos in the streets -the people have all apparently gone mad and are attacking one another. They fly to what appears to be a seat of government and there find Adam Strange, with his wife and father-in-law tied up before him. Strange demands answers from the twosome, which are delivered off-panel. Convinced, he agrees to help them search for the Aspect. He even thinks he knows where it is: at an automated manufacturing center outside the city. They fly off to check it out. 

Karen: Back at the power center of New Genesis, Darkseid and Highfather try to convince Jason Blood that he must rejoin with Etrigan the Demon in order to save the universe. I admit, I was as puzzled as Blood as to why the Demon, a character of mystical origins, should be involved in this storyline. Darkseid says that the Anti-Life Entity (let's just call it A.L.E., all right?) is attempting to find a way into our universe and that the Barrier between our universe and its universe has been weakened, so it may  breach it regardless of whether or not the Aspects succeed. This barrier has to be reinforced, and the Demon, being an elemental being, is connected to "the limitless resources of pure nature." Darkseid apparently intends the Demon to be some sort of living conduit that he will manipulate to strengthen the barrier. Since I never read The Demon, I have no idea if this really makes any sense or not. Whenever I saw the character as a guest star in books, he never came across as being very powerful. It feels to me like an excuse to work another Kirby character into the story. But since I don't really know that much about the character I suppose I'll just go with it. Blood is finally persuaded as well, and says he'll do it. Highfather seems all-too-willing to go along with Drakseid's plan.

Karen: Back on Thanagar, Superman and Orion once again face down hordes of Thanagarians, in a two-page sequence that does absolutely nothing to move their part of the story forward. Honestly, I have no idea why it was included other than to pad things out a little.

Karen: The meat of the story is back on Xanshi, as the two Johns, John and J'Onn, fly towards the weather station. They are harassed by storms and what John calls a hurricane, although it looks like a tornado. Stewart is taking everything far too lightly; he ignores J'Onn's warning and zips around the tornado, but when he does, a lightning bolt comes down and hits J'Onn. The bolt destroys the device he was carrying to catch the Aspect, but again, Stewart whips up a replacement with his all-powerful ring. Really, could the the power ring just make objects out of thin air like this? I thought the constructs they made were always temporary. Anyway, Stewart projects a force cube around the two of them as they venture further in to the storm and closer to their quarry.

Karen: Back on Earth, Batman has given Forager a make-over by turning his red and white suit red and black, since they'll be working at night.  Batman has discovered that some specialized scientific instruments have been shipped to a location in Moosejaw, Arizona -and the recipient is Joe Bester, the policeman who died down in the tunnels with the alien flesh-eater in the first issue!

Karen: Back on Rann, our trio discovers a gigantic bomb, which Lightray describes as a doomsday bomb, "thousands of times more powerful than any of Earth's hydrogen bombs," and which will ultimately send the planet out of orbit and colliding into its sun. What? Yes, OK, go with it. They decide to look for the Aspect in the factory and Strange is quickly knocked out by something in a tunnel. Starfire and Lightray come running but find nothing. They don't notice a black goo on the ventilation grate...


Karen: Things are heating up on Xanshi -quite explosively, as the Aspect causes volcanic eruptions directly below Stewart and J'Onzz. The Lantern's ring protects both of them from the flames and molten rock. This sense of invincibility though, leads Stewart to make a terrible decision. He feels like J'Onzz will only slow him down, so he puts him inside a protective force sphere and flies off alone to deal with the Aspect. Again, as a more casual DC reader, I have to ask: was this the first time that John Stewart was depicted as being arrogant and overconfident? Was this done just to serve this story? If so, I can only imagine how fans of the character must have felt, seeing him act like an utter jerk here. Actually, 'jerk' isn't a strong enough word, but we try to keep it PG around here. Stewart flies off leaving the Manhunter behind, prophetically warning him that he's relying too much on his ring to save the day. But the Lantern is so full of himself, he goes in, proclaiming to anyone in earshot, that the Aspect is in "big trouble," because now he's facing a 'former member ' of the Green Lantern corps (I guess they were disbanded at this point, based on things previously said). In any case, Stewart talks more trash than Seahawk Richard Sherman, proclaiming there's nothing he can't do just as he enters the weather station to encounter - a huge bomb painted bright yellow. The power ring's vulnerability to anything yellow always seemed incredibly stupid, and this full page shot seems to magnify the ridiculousness of it all. What makes it worse is there's a strange man holding a paint brush standing right under the bomb. He looks nothing like the Xanshi people we've seen previously -if anything, he looks a lot like a stereotypical fanboy. Is it supposed to be Mignola? It's bizarre. We've no time to ponder that as the bomb has only 5 seconds til it explodes, and for once, Stewart has no idea what to do. It goes off, and over the course of seven pages, we see Xanshi and its people burn, and the planet itself become a chunk of anti-matter that seeks out its sun like a torpedo. The star explodes and causes massive devastation, but Stewart and J'Onzz both survive. Stewart cannot comprehend that he failed. J'Onzz has no sympathy for him. "Thanks to your arrogance and stupidity, I have now seen two worlds die. I will never forgive you for this." The issue ends with Jason Blood regretfully joining back with Etrigan the Demon, who is   regenerated from a pathetic shriveled creature to his former robust self.

Karen: I've been told that the events with John Stewart in this issue were used to shape the character for years to come. Perhaps this is the major legacy of the story -or not, considering how DC has rebooted their universe again and again. Does John Stewart still exist now? All in all, it was rather heavy-handed and if you didn't see his comeuppance on the horizon, you weren't paying attention. So far I can't say as the story has grabbed me. I'm somewhat intrigued by what will happen with Superman and Orion, and I enjoy seeing Batman play detective, but I have zero interest in the Lightray/Starfire team-up. Perhaps whatever Darkseid has planned with the Demon will be worthwhile. Right now I feel as though this story is still moving too slowly for my tastes.

Cosmic Odyssey, Part One: The Players Gather

Cosmic Odyssey #1 (1988)
Writer: Jim Starlin
Artist: Mike Mignola
Inker: Carlos Garzon


Karen: Over the next four weeks I will look at Jim Starlin's and Mike Mignola's 1988 four-part series, Cosmic Odyssey. I'm working from a TPB version  that unfortunately does not include the original covers nor does it show where the issues began and ended, but with a little detective work, I believe I have figured it out. It's really frustrating to me when publishers don't include covers, or just run stories together. I much prefer to have things presented in their original format. But this will work.

Karen: In the book The Art of Jim Starlin: A Life in Words and Pictures, Starlin describes how the project began. As usual, Starlin went down his own path. "DC had just published a series called The Books of Magic, which apparently mapped out the mystical DC universe. They wanted the same sort of thing for their science fiction characters. I wasn't all that into this idea and wrote up the script for Cosmic Odyssey the way I wanted to. No one seemed to be bothered by this and the talented Mike Mignola was given the assignment of pencilling it. It was only when his pages started coming in that someone up at DC finally noticed I hadn't written the book they'd asked for, but by then there was nothing much to be done about it since two issues had already been inked. So they dumped it out on the stands with next to no promotion, figuring that it would sell what it did and that would be the end of that." 

Karen: Starlin wryly adds, "Twice a year since 1988, Mike and I have been getting healthy royalty checks for Cosmic Odyssey from DC Comics. It doesn't look like it's ever going to go out of print."

Karen: So what is it that makes this series so popular? The easiest answer is to point to the cast of characters: it's got Superman, Batman, and Darkseid all front row center, with a gaggle of Kirby Fourth World characters in supporting roles and Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern John Stewart, and Starfire from the Teen Titans, although she hardly seems to be the same character (I don't think Starlin had any feel for her -she was most likely included to pull in the Titans fans). The sheer number of super-heroes is sure to bring some readers in. Then of course, it's also got a grand space adventure, with big stakes (the universe!), so that helps. Some people might pick it up just because Starlin wrote it, or because Mignola drew it.There seem to be any number of reasons that it's stuck around all this time.


Karen: Honestly, I read this as something of an outsider. I didn't read the books when they came out. I think I did pick up the first issue, but didn't find myself that interested. But now, after having read Kirby's Fourth World tales via two Omnibus editions, and being a Starlin fan, I wanted to see what he had done with these characters. It's different for me reading this series than say reading something like the Infinity Gauntlet or some other big cosmic story in the Marvel universe. My connection to the Marvel characters is strong, and when things happen to the characters, I feel it. With the DC characters, I am much more detached. I approach this more with a sense of curiosity than anything else.

Karen: I do wish Starlin had been able to draw the story as well as write it. Nothing against Mignola, who does a good job, but his art takes some getting used to. I read Hellboy and appreciated its quirkiness there, but I don't know that I find it well-suited to this cosmic tale.

Karen: The first issue opens with Superman and Lightray of the New Gods flying into Gotham City right as a boom tube opens up and a bunch of Apokolips soldiers come marching out. The misshapen creatures panic at the sight of the two heroes and re-open their dimensional transport and escape, but one misses the tube and winds up cowering in an alley way, terrified at being left alone on this alien world. Mignola does a nice job using a series of panels that gradually pull away from the soldier to depict his sense of isolation.


Karen: The scene switches to a planetoid in the Alpha Centauri system. The New God Metron sits in his Moebius chair, comatose. A boom tube shatters the silence and Darkseid arrives, accompanied by a group of technicians. They examine Metron and inform Darkseid that all of his data records are intact. They bring him back with them to Apokolips, where Darkseid studies the information and comes to a conclusion that does not please him: he's going to face a power greater than his own, and in order to overcome it, he has to call on the help of those he despises: heroes.

Karen: Back on Earth, weeks after the initial boom tube incident in Gotham, Batman is called in to investigate a missing policeman. Commissioner Gordon tells Batman that others have gone missing in the area too. Batman decides to use himself as bait and puts on a disguise and wanders around the area. He soon determines that whomever is abducting people is utilizing the sewers, and he makes his way down into them.He finds a hideout, and realizes that his target is too big to be human. Further, he finds technology of alien origin. But the real surprise is when he finds bodies  (and parts of bodies) hung up like meat in a meat locker. This sight even gets to Batman (this was back when he was still somewhat human, after all), and he becomes more determined than ever to stop this thing. Unfortunately, he soon runs into the Apokolips refugee and discovers him to be a towering brute. Batman somewhat foolishly still tries to take him on and gets thrown around like a rag doll. As much as he hates to do it, Batman takes the alien's own gun and uses it on him, blowing a nice big hole in his center.He heads off to get the police but when they return, the alien is gone! What's more, the missing cop, who Bats had seen hanging up like a side of beef, is also missing. The Darknight Detective is puzzled, but he's on the case.

  
Karen: The White House is paid a visit by an ambassador from New Genesis, who has brought a list of names of Earth ambassadors they would like to meet with. Superman is on the list, and he helps to gather the rest: Batman, Green Lantern John Stewart, The Martian Manhunter, Starfire, and an old man named Mr. Blood. Once they're assembled, the New God fires up his mother box and they're transported to New Genesis. Mignola ably mimics Kirby's otherworldly paradise, replete with giant statues, abstract shapes, and an abundance of foliage. The heroes are greeted by New Genesis leaders Highfather, Orion, and Lightray. Superman immediately begins asking questions, realizing the whole "diplomat" thing was a ruse. Highfather apologizes for having to lie to them, and then another voice says, "It was my idea." Darkseid then steps into the light. Mignola draws Darkseid so stout he at times looks like Thor's pal Volstagg! Superman sees red and goes flying at him, but is repelled. Orion restrains the Man of Steel as the New Gods explain that they have formed a temporary alliance with Darkseid, due to a terrible threat that must all soon face.



Karen: In order for the heroes to understand what they are about to face, Highfather has to give them a history lesson. Really, it's more like a short course- it goes on for 7 pages. That's one of the luxuries of having 48 page issues. To boil it down, millenia ago, two highly advanced civilizations, one humanoid and the other non-humanoid, came into contact and wound up going to war. They threw all sorts of nasty weapons at each other, but the war went on. Finally the humanoid race stumbled upon the answer: the anti-life equation. This discovery was harnessed with technology, a cannon that would wipe out the aliens' solar system. But when it was fired it went haywire, exploding and consuming the humanoids' world and then spreading through more and more star systems. It seemed as though it would tear through the entire universe, but suddenly, without warning, it turned back on itself and imploded. Somehow, two planets orbiting a star survived the cataclysm -New Genesis and Apokolips. They were thrown back to a primal state, and somehow separated from the rest of the universe, reachable now only by boom tube.

Karen: J'Onn J'Onnz asks what this has to do with the current situation. Darkseid explains that although he had long been seeking the secrets of the Anti-Life Equation so has Metron -although for different reasons. He and Highfather believe that although Metron is now catatonic, he still retains the knowledge he gleaned of the Anti-Life Equation. That's where J'Onn comes into play. USing his telepathy, he is able to link with Metron's mind and see what happened to him. We then get a five page flashback told from Metron's point of view, which describes how his thirst for knowledge drove him to learn about the Equation. After he had deciphered the last part of the equation, Metron  went to an unoccupied part of space and triggered the formula. It hurled him into another dimension, to the source of the Equation. It was there that he discovered the truth -the Anti-Life force is a sentient being. Metron's presence has alerted it to a way into our universe. As the New God tried to escape, the Anti-Life entity reached out for him. Metron managed to close off our universe, but not before four aspects of the Anti-Life entity were able to pass through into our universe. 

Karen: Darkseid has theorized that these four aspects will seek out four planets to destroy, and that the destruction of any two of them will cause such instability to our galaxy, that it will collapse. The heroes are incredulous, but Highfather backs up Darkseid's statement, so that's good enough for them. Darkseid tells them he's chosen teams to go to each planet: Superman and Orion to Thanagar, Batman and Forager ( a type of sub-New God) to Earth, Starfire and Lightray to Rann, and Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter to Xanshi. He outfits each team with a device to capture the aspect and then uses a boom tube to send them to their targets. Once on Earth, Batman stops at a payphone(!) and makes a call to someone, asking them to keep an eye on Darkseid (!!). What is the Dark Knight up to, hmmm? Back on New Genesis, Darkseid and Highfather turn to Mr. Blood, who has been neglected throughout our tale. Blood asks what his role is to be. "You are to be a part of a duet," Darkseid says. A curtain is drawn back and the twisted, emaciated body of the Demon is revealed.  

Karen: This first issue unravels rather slowly, as all of the pieces are put out on the board and the plan is revealed. This is my major complaint with this issue -it drags. And as much as I enjoy Batman's role in things, really, why would he be chosen? He's strictly an Earth-bound character, who, granted, is terrifically clever and determined, but not suited to adventures involving other worlds. But the answer of course is he might be the most popular character in the DC universe, so if you're doing a limited series, he's going to be in it. I also have a hard time seeing the New Genesis folks agreeing so readily to an alliance with Darkseid, but again, you have to move the plot forward somehow. So right now, the most interesting and compelling part of the story for me was the segment with Batman dealing with a murderous cannibalistic alien, even though I'm not sure Batman should really be in this type of story! In part two, the story moves on to alien worlds. Will it prove to be more exciting? 

It Was So Much Fun Last Year...

Doug:  For those of you who were around as 2012 gave way to 2013, you'll recall that in the month of January Karen and I took a (to us at least) well-deserved break from new posts and turned the reins of the BAB over to our readers.  From my perspective, it couldn't have gone better.  Our regular commenters jumped in and really carried the site for 30 days and it was a fantastic respite for us.

Karen: I was impressed with the different topics you all came up with. Sometimes (OK, a lot of times) I feel like I have brain-lock and struggle with new topics. It was fun tuning in each day to see what was happening here.

Doug:  We'd like to pursue a similar format this coming January.  We'll use Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to feature some of our "classic" comic book reviews.  For example, this time the first nine such review days could be filled with one of our longest series, our look at the "Kree/Skrull War" (that's under advisement at this point), and then we would finish the month with some others tossed in for your re-enjoyment.

Doug:  The fun part comes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and the weekends.  That's when we have a pre-set discussion category and the first reader so inclined gets to set the topic for the day's conversation.  We'll rotate the following departments:  The Open Forum, Discuss, Who's the Best..., True or False?, Spotlight On..., and Face-Off!  Last January proved to be a great opportunity for our readers to be the drivers for a change, and certainly rescued some topics from our Suggestion Box and saved other topics from going into it.  If you're a relatively new reader, you can see what January 2013 looked like by clicking here.

Doug:  When we get back to "new stuff" in February, there are quite a few comic reviews Karen and I have already kicked around.   We know in May we'll be running a month's worth of posts centered around the release of the next X-film, "Days of Future Past".  How can you really go wrong with four weeks of the Claremont/Byrne X-Men?  We've also discussed crafting our own sort of "Avengers Firsts", with examinations of the Silver Age first appearances of the Black Widow, Hawkeye, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, and Hercules.  Of course that's going to get us into some old-school Tales of Suspense, X-Men (those guys, again?) and Journey Into Mystery.  Anyone feel like we'll encounter some of Stan Lee's patented hyperbole?

Karen:  There are a few other super-hero movies coming out next year, so don't be surprised if you see some reviews timed to coincide with film premieres. We may have some Captain America reviews in April, and Guardians of the Galaxy come August! 

Doug:  As to my pattern of providing a solo review every other Friday, I have my eyes on some varied fare.  My next installment in our "What's So Golden?" series will be a selection from the 1940s Batman newspaper strips.  Kitchen Sink Press got the license to reprint these in tpb form about 20 years ago and I purchased the three volumes of the B&W reprints; I've never obtained the Sundays volume.  I'd also like to check in on Simon and Kirby's Newsboy Legion later in the spring or summer to see what that's all about.  Last week I said I'd be reviewing something from the new Joker tpb, and I'd promised to get to a Superman/Adam Strange story from the Garcia-Lopez hardcover.  And, just this past Monday Edo and I were in conversation about The Brave and the Bold #197.  These Friday reviews seem a good opportunity to stretch myself and to get some more DC in our library of reviews.  Man, so many comics, so little time!  But if anyone out there wants to pony up the funds for Karen and I to do this full-time, I think we'd listen!

Karen:  I'm glad you're doing more solo DC reviews, since we don't seem to have many DC books in common. If I get any time over the Christmas vacation I might dip back into my Kirby Fourth World Omnibus and see if I can manage a few reviews from that. Or maybe some DC Comics Presents with Starlin, or Cosmic Odyssey if I'm really feeling ambitious.  I still would like to get that Kamandi Omnibus or the Archives. Maybe Santa will bring it if I have been a good girl!

Doug:  Thanks again for making this the sort of place we had hoped it would become.  Our readers have been great!