The Spirit Archives Volume Twenty-Seven!

Following on after DC's long run of The Spirit archive editions, Dark Horse Books in conjunction with longtime Kitchen Sink owner Denis Kitchen put out a twenty-seventh volume in the style of the DC books which gathered together the nine issues of The Spirit - The New Adventures. After many years of trying to talk Eisner into allowing other creators to play with The Spirit's universe, he at last convinced him of the idea in 1998. Some of the best comic men of the time took a dip in those Central City waters. 

The debut issue of The Spirit - The New Adventures features three tales by the super-star team of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, who also produced the cover. "The Most Important Meal" features Dr. Cobra who tells his origin story. "Force of Arms" offers up a possible clue to the identity of The Octopus. And the final story "Gossip and Gertrude Granch" tells us what really happened to Dr. Cobra's muscle-bound assistant. These stories all are connected in strange ways with that subtle Moore magic. 

The second issue offers up a cover by Will Eisner Mark Shultz. Under it is "The Return of Mink Stole" by Neil Gaiman and artist Eddie Campbell and combines a Spirit story with one torn from the realm of Quentin Tarrantino which propels a timid writer into a shady story of theft and more. "Sunday in the Part with St. George" by Jim Vance and artist Dan Burr has The Spirit race to the aid of a woman dangling from a flagpole where he meets an old enemy. "The Sphinx the Jinx in the Game of Life" by John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra features a hapless chap just released from jail but doomed by fate to return. 

The third issue features a striking cover by Brian Bolland. The first story "Last Night I Dreamed of Dr. Cobra" by writer Alan Moore and artist Daniel Torres is a strange affair set in a distant future in which Central City is the site of an archeological endeavor and in which strange discoveries are made. "Ellen's Stalker" by Mark Kneece and artist Bo Hampton features Ellen Dolan when she is at first saved then pursued by a man who imitates the look of The Spirit. 

The fourth issue sports another new cover by Will Eisner, this time with the assistance of William Stout. "The Samovar of Shooshnipoor" was written by Kurt Busiek and drawn by his partner on Astro City Brent Anderson. It features Sand Saref in a tale in which she tries yet again to manipulate The Spirit in a bid to gain riches. This issue also has a pin-up by Moebius of The Spirit looking a lot like Humphrey Bogart. "The Weapon by Michael Allred, Matt Brundage and Michael Avon Oeming has The Spirit fighting Nazis and their robot allies on the docks of Central City. "Dr. Broca Von Bitelman" by Mark Schultz and artist David Lloyd features Satin and a mad doctor and his deadly "Super-Beetles". 

The fifth issue features a cover by Paul Chadwick and John Nyberg and is a key scene from the issue-length story titled "Cursed Beauty" by the same team. This one deals with a gorgeous woman who leaves the scene of a murder naked save for a barely concealing overcoat. There are lots of twists and turns in this story which also showcases Ebony White in a key role. 

The sixth issue features a gritty cover by Tim Bradstreet. The first story titled "Swami Vashtibubu" was written by John Ostrander and drawn by Tom Mandrake, and has The Spirit go around in drag to knab a gang of fraudsters led by a murderous couple. "Baby Eichbergh" by Scott Hampton on both script (with assistance by Mark Kneece) and art tells of a terrible kidnapping which features a strange quartet of good Samaritans. 

The seventh issue features a cover by Peter Poplaski. Under it is a story titled "Golf Anyone?" in which Commissioner Dolan cajoles The Spirit onto the links for a game to relax him, but of course that only ends in the duo finding more crimes to solve. A long-missing cast member shows up unexpectedly. "The Pacifist" was written by Eddie Campbell and Marcus Moore and drawn by Campbell and Pete Mullins and tells the tale of a bullet with ambitions beyond that for which it created. "The Ghost of Tiger Traps" written by Jay Stephens and drawn by Paul Pope features a trio of boys including Sammy and P.S. Smith as they try to get to the bottom of a notorious gangster who seems to rise from his grave. 

In the final issue we get a cover by Mark Nelson. The story "Sweetheart" was written by Joe R. Lansdale and drawn by John Lucas. This issue-long adventure features a naked woman who refuses to stay dead and in the morgue despite repeated attempts. It's a ghoulish ending to a strange series which seemed to want to update The Spirit for a modern audience. 

In a later edition of this same volume put out by Dark Horse a story originally intended for the series by Gary Chaloner was added. In the meantime, Chaloner had adapted it in his John Law edition reversing the order of things with the epic Sand Saref tale from so long ago.  

There are lots of very good stories in this volume and I recommend it. But if you're looking for the same jolt you got from those classic Eisner tales, beware as the creators here go off the reservation as they should have done when given the okay. Eisner only limited them in two ways -- The Spirit could not be married nor could he be killed. As we've learned killing The Spirit is virtually impossible. It's been fantastic this past year reading these classic tales. I'll have wee bit more to say on this year-long odyssey later. 

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Crisis On Multiple Earths - Countdown To Crisis!

Crisis on Multiple Earths -Countdown to Crisis is the third and (I think) final volume in this latest reprinting of these classic JLA-JSA crossover tales. It includes some of the wildest and most ambitious efforts as the writers and artists had to work overtime in an attempt to top the previous outings. These are some of my favorites. 
 

The 1979 Justice League of America and Justice Society of America crossover was very different in tone and character than any that had preceded it, save perhaps for the the single story about Sandman and Sandy some years before. It was a small story, without any heroes from any other sources coming into play. This story was in many ways a locked-room murder mystery, save that the room was the Justice League satellite.

 "The Murderer Among Us: Crisis Above Earth-One!" is written by Gerry Conway and drawn by Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin. The cover is by Dillin and inked by Dick Giordano. The story begins with the two teams, the JLofA and JSofA having their semi-official annual meeting on the League satellite to compare notes and threats and whatnot. The new chairperson of the JLofA Zatanna presides over the meeting. After the official matters are settled, the two teams go to the satellite rec room to eat, drink and be merry. Terry Sloane, the hero called Mr.Terrifc the Master of Fair Play tells the two Flashes about his encounter with an old enemy named The Spirit King and says he's been able to track his old enemy. Jay (Flash)Garrick wishes Terry had come to him since he'd also battle the Spirit King, but Sloane a man who had just come out of retirement again is miffed and storms off and says that soon one of the assembled guests will be branded a traitor. Soon after a terrific explosion occurs and the satellite decompresses. The heroes race to mend the problem but Superman finds the savaged and slain body of Mr.Terrific. Zatanna inspects the wreckage mystically for clues. She is struck down and goes into a coma and the two Flashes then search the satellite for intruders but find none. The truth then is evident, that the murderer must be among them.

 "I Accuse..." is again by the Conway, Dillin and McLauglin team. Dick Giordano handles the cover art alone this time. After a reprise of last issue's events, the heroes have Dr.Fate and the Green Lanterns work together to seal the heroes within the satellite. Then Batman and the Huntress are assigned as dual detectives to discover which of the assembled heroes murdered Mr.Terrific. There investigation ruffles some feathers, but when Huntress attempts to use the satellite computer to follow up some leads from Earth-2 it explodes and she is seriously burned, but Dr.Fate is largely able to heal those wounds. Then Batman reveals that he knows who the murderer is and indicates it had to be the one hero assembled who had also battled the Spirit King, the Flash of Earth-2. The Spirit King appears ecotplasmically out of the form of Jay Garrick and confesses that indeed he had used the Flash to infiltrate the meeting, but that he'd become corporeal long enough to strangle Mr.Terrific and he'd hoped the heroes would then blame Jay Garrick for the crime. The possessed Flash then races to the transmatter machine the League satellite uses and escapes. The JSofA follows him taking the body of Mr.Terrific back home where the case will be resolved finally. The League then discovers that they are still trapped on the satellite behind the mystical shield, which gets a laugh even at such a critical time.

This was intended to be a crossover of a different kind, a smaller scaled character piece, and I'd have to say it was reasonably successful. The interactions of the heroes are pretty good and while the ultimate mystery was a little less complex than I'd have preferred, it holds up well enough. The artwork is a bit darker this time, giving the story an appropriate mood. I think Dillin's cover for the first half of the story is the best he ever did for the series. Alas they never had him do too many of them. Having the whole story set on the satellite was exceedingly cool indeed, though that the heroes forget to block the transmatter machine is a bonehead move of epic proportion.

 

Adventure Comics offers an after-the-fact look at Mr.Terrific's funeral with no info on how things were resolved. Sadly this was also the final JSA story of the run and it would be the end of Earth-2 before they'd have their own series again. All in all this was a good change-up in the format, but I'm glad all of the crossovers weren't like this. We wrap up this whole crossover shebang next time. And tragedy strikes. Be here. 

Dick Dillin suddenly passed away at the age of fifty years old while working on this very trilogy. I well remember reading the blurb announcing his passing while waiting in the grocery store to buy the second part of the story.

Ironically it was a death that struck me quite hard, in that one of the most reliable things in my world at the time was that Dick Dillin was going to draw the latest JLofA adventures. His loss touched then and still has an effect now that I'm older than he was when he passed away. It's a reminder that our time is always limited, though we go to great pains to forget that most of the time.

This crossover returned to the classic pattern and had the heroes meet up with a new bunch of characters. This time the mined the vast trove of material left behind by Jack "King" Kirby when he unleashed his Fourth World on the world. His rich and evocative worlds of the New Gods changed the way comic book stories were told, and his creation of Darkseid gave the DC universe a villain worthy to take on the whole of their heroic academy. Orion, Metron, and Highfather of the New Gods and Scott Free, Big Barda, and Oberon of Mister Miracle are tapped to appear in this trilogy. Not in evidence are the Forever People, nor does Lightray make an appearance.

"Crisis On New Genesis or Where Have the New Gods Gone?" is written by Gerry Conway and drawn one more time by the great Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin. The cover is by Jim Starlin. The story begins briskly as the JSofA and JLofA decide to recognize their annual event by sending representatives to both Earths One and Two. Batman, Superman, Green Lantern and new Leaguer Firestorm head to Earth-2 and Dr.Fate, Huntress, Power Girl, and Wonder Woman head to Earth-1. But neither group gets where they are headed, instead both teams find themselves on New Genesis also called Supertown home of the New Gods. While Superman explains what the place is and how he visited it once, Firestorm brashly heads off to explore and encounters Orion in a foul mood in his more savage state. The combined heroes hear Firestorm's call for help and fly to his aid and attack Orion but the battle is stalled when Metron appears with Mister Miracle, Big Barda, and Oberon ast his side. After Orion uses his Mother Box to regain his calm facade, Metron explains that he brought them there to help the New Gods look for the missing population of New Genesis, and apparently the Injustice Society is involved. The scene shifts to Apokolips home of the deceased Darkseid. Once there Metron divides the heroes into four teams. Batman, Huntress and Mister Miracle head to the Imperial Palace as scouts. Power Girl, Firestorm, and Orion go to investigate a huge building project. Superman, Wonder Woman, and Big Barda go to the orphanage of Granny Goodness. And Green Lantern, Dr.Fate, and Oberon check out a a trooper barracks with an unusually heavy force. As Batman's team skulk through Apokalips backstreets, Miracle explains how Darkseid seemingly was destroyed some time before by his own forces. Oberon is caught by guards only to reveal that Lantern and Fate are disguised as guards and rescue him and infiltrate the barracks. In the lair of Granny Goodness Superman and Wonder Woman follow Barda as they rescue children being abused by Granny's servants and Orion, Power Girl and Firestorm find the missing citizens of New Genesis under the spell of the Fiddler building a vast machine which is revitalizing Darkseid himself.

"Apokalips Now!" is again written by Gerry Conway, but with the sudden death of stalwart artist Dick Dillin, the pencil chores are taken over by George Perez with Frank McLaughlin still on inks, and this team also handle the cover art. The action begins with Power Girl, Firestorm, and Orion attempting to stop the Injustice Society (Fiddler, Shade, and Icicle) from using slaves from New Genesis to revive Darkseid. The defeat Shade and Icicle but Fiddler is able to subdue the heroes and continue to rouse the tyrant. Superman, Wonder Woman and Big Barda follow the girl they rescued from Granny Goodness to a deep hideout where children have gathered to oppose Granny's work. They are led by a girl with fiery red hair named Crimson. Another child named Playto, gifted with vast mental powers reveals how Darkseid had allied himself with the Injustice Society and arranged for them to bring him back to life. Led by Crimson, the trio of heroes go to find and defeat Granny Goodness. Dr.Fate, Green Lantern, and Oberon find Izaya, Highfather of the New Gods in the barracks and free him. Batman, Huntress, and Mister Miracle breach the Imperial Palace and learn that Darkseid's ultimate plan not only calls for his resurrection but the removal of Apokolips itself to the very orbit of Earth-2 meaning the latter's utter destruction.

"Crisis On Apokolips or Darkseid Rising" is by the same creative team of Conway, Perez, and McLauglin. Jim Starlin and Bob Smith handle the cover chores. Metron muses about the action so far and then the scene shifts to a revived Darkseid who coniders the huge block of ice imprisoning his son Orion, Power Girl, and Firestorm, then the tyrant imprisons his former associates the Injustice Society ostensibly for defeating his own flesh and blood. Batman, Huntress, and Mister Miracle see this action and move to free their comrades. Meanwhile Izaya, freed by Dr.Fate, Green Lantern, and Oberon presses the attack to escape the bowels of Armageddo. Superman, Wonder Woman, and Big Barda follow Crimson and the child army to overthrow Granny Goodness. She thinks she has escaped her foes but Barda finds her. Batman's team has since free the captives of Darkseid and Orion rages to press the battle against Darksied. The scouting team continues into the prison and frees the Injustice Society. The battles rage then on all fronts with Orion challenging his evil father but it is Firestorm who uses his own powers to turn Darkseid's Omega Force against himself, defeating the tyrant. Then ray intended to destroy Earth-2 fires but has been sabotaged by Metron and instead strikes Darkseid reducing him again to atoms. The heroes then reflect on the battles and what it will take to rebuild.

This is a pretty good and tightly constructed story. The action gets going right away, and Metron is very effective in getting the teams set up. Once they are established their missions work beautifully to keep the plot moving very well with time still available for bits of character. The elements of the story flow exceedingly well together right up unto the last few pages of part three where things get too cramped. The story seemed to have needed just a few more pages to clarify some of the action, but short of that it's pretty dang good. Perez is to be commended to coming in and knocking out the second chapter in such record time after the untimely passing of Dillin. Perez is still a pretty fast artist by modern comparisons, but back in the Bronze Age he was incredibly fast. He was the ideal choice to take over the title and he stayed with it for quite some years, though no one has ever come close to challenging Dillin's dozen years on the title.

"Targets on Two Worlds" was told by writer Gerry Conway and artist George Perez, who was assisted by inker John Beatty. The editor was Len Wein. The cover art was by George Perez. The Ultra-Humanoid assembles a new Secret Society of Super-Villains comprised of Killer Frost, The Monocle, Brainwave, the Psycho-Pirate, the Floronic Man, the Mist, Ragdoll, the Cheetah and Signalman. Their goal is to eliminate certain heroes from both Earths I and II and so rid one of those Earths of all super-heroes. In this issue Black Canary is defeated by the Mist, the Hawkman is defeated by the Monocle, and Wonder Woman is taken out by the Cheetah. 

"Countdown to Crisis" was written by Gerry Conway and illustrated by George Perez and inker Romeo Tanghal. Len Wein was the editor. The cover art was by George Perez and Dick Giordano. The plot to eliminate all heroes on either Earths I or II continues as the Psycho-Pirate defeats Hourman, Signalman captures Batman, Ragdoll blows up the Flash, the Floronic Man gasses the Atom, Brainwave tricks Johnny Thunder, Killer Frost brings down Firestorm, and the Ultra-Humanoid irradiates Superman. The defeated heroes are assembled and sent into limbo setting off a transformation of reality on Earth II. 

"Crisis in Limbo" was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists George Perez and Keith Pollard with assist by inker Romeo Tanghal. Len Wein was the editor. The cover art was by George Perez and Mike DeCarlo. The Ultra-Humanoid's plot has eliminated all superheroes from Earth II which infuriates the villains from Earth I since they feel betrayed. They are whisked away back to Earth I by the Ultra-Humanoid but then set about to undo the plan. While the villains of Earth II run wild the villains of Earth I free the captured heroes who promptly kick their butts. Then the ten heroes go to Earth II and mop up the rest of the Secret Society of Super-Villains in short order. 

This is another sturdy tale from longtime JLofA scribe Gerry Conway, as Perez cements his reputation as the go-to super-team artist with these issues. Perez took over the book after the untimely demise of Dick Dillin and truth told he continued the reliability and added some Bronze Age zest to the proceedings. Admittedly this is the end of his run on the book, and he needed help to wrap it up. If you like lots of exotic villains and especially giant white apes with super-sized brains, you'll adore this story.

"Crisis on Three Earths!" was written by Marv Wolfman with art from Rich Buckler and inker Dave Hunt. Julius Schwartz was the editor. The cover art was by Rich Buckler and Dick Giordano. The Lex Luthors of Earths I and II combine their evil wits to defeat the Supermen of those worlds. Their plot fails but then they end up on Earth III and enlist the aid of Ultiman, the villainous Superman. This trio seems unstoppable until the noble Alex Luthor of Earth III agrees to help out. Both Earths I and II survive narrowly as the Lex Luthor of Earth II proves to be the evilest Luthor. His scheme fails.  

"Crisis on Earth-Prime!" was written by Gerry Conway with plot assist from Roy Thomas. The art is by Don Heck and Romeo Tanghal. Len Wein was the editor. The cover art was by George Perez. One of the most dizzying adventures begins when during the annual reunion of the JLA and JSA the Crime Syndicate suddenly appears. They defeat the JLA while the JSA find themselves in limbo. They escape to Earth-Prime which they discover has suffered nuclear disaster decades before. The JLA end up on Earth II where they find it transformed into a dictatorship ruled by Per Degaton. They travel into the past to 1942 where they encounter the All-Star Squadron. 

"The Mystery Men of October!" was written by Roy Thomas with plot assist by Gerry Conway. The art was supplied by Adrian Gonzalez and Jerry Ordway. Len Wein was the editor. The cover art was by Joe Kubert. We learn that Per Degaton, a vile little assistant to the time travel expert Professor Zee has learned of his previous attempts to use time to control the world and with this knowledge kills Zee and travels 1982 on Earth II and then to limbo where he recruits the Crime Syndicate to help him steal the nuclear weapons being transported to Cuba by the Soviet Union in 1962. This triggers a nuclear war on Earth Prime. He returns to 1942 on Earth II and uses the nukes to blackmail the leaders of the world both the Allies and the Axis. The All-Star Squadron yet unaware of this threat battle the Magnetic Marauder before encountering the JLA. 

"The Bomb-Blast Heard Around the World!" was written by Gerry Conway with plot assist by Roy Thomas. The art was by Don Heck and Sal Trapani. Len Wein was the editor. The cover art was by George Perez. The JLA and the A-SS battle briefly before cooler heads prevail and they compare notes. The assembled heroes go to the White House to consult with FDR when Per Degaton announces to the world his scheme to rule it under nuclear threat. Meanwhile the JSA encounter mutants on Earth Prime and learn that JFK pushed the button and with the USSR waged nuclear war. Back on Earth II in 1942 the JLA and the A-SS witness Per Degaton's detonation of a nuclear bomb to prove his threat. Afterwards they find the unconscious JSA and rescue them. 

"Master of Worlds and Time!" was written by Roy Thomas with plot assist by Gerry Conway. The art was by Adrian Gonzalez and Jerry Ordway. Len Wein was the editor. The cover art was by Joe Kubert. While Per Degaton preens, confidant that his plan is perfected, the three superhero teams combine forces to find and eliminate the stolen nukes. Superman, Dr. Fate and Robotman head into orbit to disable a stolen satellite Per Degaton uses to send his threatening messages. They are confronted by Ultiman and barely survive though they are successful. Aquaman, Starman, and Liberty Belle travel to the waters of Japan to uncover hidden nuclear missiles and disable them. Superwoman is on hand to give them a hard time, though they do prevail. Hawkman, Huntress and Johnny Quick travel to the heartland of America to find nukes hidden in grain silos. They are opposed by Power Ring. Again, despite a launch, the trio stop the threat, much to Per Degaton's rage. 

"Let Old Acquaintances Be Forgot..." was written by Gerry Conway with plot assist by Roy Thomas. The art was by Don Heck. Len Wein was the editor. The cover art was by George Perez. In the finale Firestorm, Power Girl and Commander Steel go to Switzerland to find and disable the last batch of nuclear weapons. The come into conflict with the evil Johnny Quick of Earth III. The trio is able after much battle to end Per Degaton's nuclear blackmail. But then it's up to Zatanna, Green Lantern, and Firebrand to use a time machine to travel to Cuba in 1962 and stop the theft of the nukes in the first place. The rest of the heroes in 1942 travel to the future site of the Pentagon where Per Degaton has his hidden lair and confront his forces there along with Owlman. With the stoppage of the theft of the nukes though, the whole adventure unravels and none of the participants remembers anything as they all return to their original timelines. 

The five-part time-traveling tale by both Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas which spanned both the Justice League of America and the All-Star Squadron books for one scintillating summer is wild ride. I was reminded of the awesome Avengers-Defenders clash when reading this sprawling tale. The artwork in the JLofA portions of this one is done by the much-underrated Don Heck with inks by Romeo Tanghal, Sal Trapani, and even Heck himself. The A-SS portions of the tale are done by the muscular team of Adrian Gonzales and inker extraordinaire Jerry Ordway. This one is a keeper featuring the Golden Age menace of Per Degaton. The JLA books feature covers by George Perez and the A-SS books get Joe Kubert artwork. It's a pretty awesome assembly of talent on these, and the totally awesome and completely malicious Crime Syndicate to boot.

"Crisis in the Thunderbolt Dimension!" was written by Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway with art by Chuck Patton and Romeo Tanghal. Len Wein was the editor. The cover was by George Perez. The story begins as the two Flashes are defeating a robber in Central City. But then they are attacked by Johnny Thunder's Thunderbolt leaving the Flash of Earth I unconscious. At the JLA satellite the party is started when the Thunderbolt appears and battles the assembled heroes, defeating them all but leaving the JLA members unconscious. The assembled JSA members and Black Canary note that apparently all members save the Canary have been attacked by the Thunderbolt. Further they learn that the villainous Crime Champions are operating as well. They are the Fiddler, Chronos, Dr. Alchemy, the Icicle, the Wizard and Felix Faust. While the JSA go to battle them, Starman takes Canary to the Thunderbolt dimension to find answers. They discover the evil Johnny Thunder of Earth I and in a crystal coffin the bodies of Larry Drake and Black Canary. 

"The Doppelganger Gambit" was written by Roy Thomas with art by Chuck Patton assisted by inks by both Romeo Tanghal and Pablo Marcos. Len Wein was the editor. The cover was by George Perez. Sargon the Sorcerer joins the JSA to battle the Crime Champions. Meanwhile the evil Johnny Thunder explains how he gained control of the Thunderbolt and how decades before that Dinah and Larry Drake had a daughter who thanks to the Wizard had uncontrollable voice powers. They agreed that she must be taken to the Thunderbolt dimension for her safety. Flash and Hourman take on Chronos and the Fiddler at Mexico's Pyramid of the Sun, Huntress and Red Tornado take on Icicle and Dr. Alchemy at the Pyramid of Cheops, and Power Girl and Sargon take on the Wizard and Felix Faust at Stonehenge. Eventually the good Johnny Thunder regains control of the Thunderbolt, and he defeats Johnny's evil counterpart and then frees the JLA to help the JSA mop up the Crime Champions. Finally, Superman reveals that Dinah Drake is the daughter of the original Black Canary and that he and the JSA had kept this secret for years. 

This is a handsome story which packs a lot into two issues, maybe a bit too much. The need to explain all this never really made sense to me. Whether Dinah was the mother or the daughter, I never really got why it mattered, save to someone like Roy Thomas who could get wound up about small matters like this. I did like seeing evil Johnny Thunder again, he's a fun character. 

"Family Crisis!" was written by Kurt Busiek and drawn by Alan Kupperberg. Alan Gold was the editor. The cover art was by Chuck Patton and Dick Giordano.  Most of the JLA are responding to a threat leaving only late-comers Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash and Supergirl on the Satellite when three strange kids show up and whisk them all to Earth II, where they join Dr. Fate, Green Lantern, Starman, and Dr. Mid-Nite in a battle against flying monkeys. We learn that the three youngsters are part of the Champion family, and their father has been taken over by an alien named the Commander, who has nigh limitless power. The assembled heroes battle the Commander, eventually using magic to capture the residue of his powerful evil and transport it. 

"Battlegrounds!" was written by Kurt Busiek with art by Alan Kupperberg. The editor was Alan Gold. The cover was by Chuck Patton and Dick Giordano. The heroes bring the Commander's evil and bury it at the Pentagon, useful because of its magical shape. Superman, Flash, and Starman are taken over by the Commander and attack the rest of the heroes. Dr. Mid-Nite escapes this fate because of his blindness. It is a furious battle but finally the heroes are able to use their combined wills focused through the Champion family to remove the Commander from their father. But despite being revealed the Commander remains a threat until the JLA, the JSA and the Champion family are able to return him to his own dimension. They receive a small assist when the Monitor takes a peek at the battle. The reunited Champion family announce they will investigate the myriad universes they glimpsed during the battle with the Commander. 

And that's a wrap. I can't say this final two-parter was much of a hit with me. I found it wildly confusing, even by JLA-JSA team-up standards. Seeing less nimble and experienced hands try out these kinds of stories shows just how strong the talent had been all those years while these adventures unfolded. 

Before I go, I don't want to forget about the final JLofA-JSofA team-up during the Detroit League era (in the midst of the Crisis itself which put an end to these classic meetings) between the team and the JSA proteges Infinity Inc. As you can see by the covers above, these were some pretty dandy stories and I'm curious why they weren't in this final collection in place of the Superman annual yarn. 

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Phil Seldon Day!

Kurt Busiek was born on this date in 1960. He first came on my radar with his stunning limited serries Marvels with Alex Ross. He and Ross then went on to give us Astro City. Busiek went on to utterly save The Avengers from the ruination of the Image folks. The Avengers run by Busiek and George Perez was the last-great run I enjoyed in a mainstream comic. It was superb. 

There are good comic book series, great comic book series and then there are transformative comic book series. Marvels by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross is the latter. One can look back and see comic books before Marvels appeared and after and nothing is the same. To me 1994 seems not that long ago, but then that happens as one gets older. We are nearly twenty-five years into the 21st century and still the 90's feels like last week. Marvels covered a time period from 1939 to 1974, some key years in the development of the Marvel Universe. The series brings at once a warmth of nostalgia and a shock of the new, bringing fresh ways of seeing all-too-familiar yarns by great writers and artists from earlier decades. The story is almost literally told through the eyes of Phil Sheldon, a rather reflective news photographer who is on the spot when the superhero age began. 

"A Time of Marvels" takes us back to the Golden Age, to the very beginning when the Human Torch is first exhibited by his creator Professor Horton. We see him ignite and we see the reaction of fear spread across the room of reporters called in to witness this new creation. Sheldon himself is terrified of this new thing. Later the Sub-Mariner appears, and the world is turned upside down as he brings mayhem to the streets. He and Torch battle across the city, the average citizen represented by Sheldon is helpless, reduced to being a witness as beings not unlike gods battle overhead. Captain America comes to lead the fight against the Axis powers and before you know it a squad of mystery men have gathered. 

The story "Monsters" skips ahead to the 1960's and Sheldon and his wife Doris have two daughters. The "Marvels" have not stopped, the latest being the popular Fantastic Four who live largely public lives and are hailed as heroes by the people. Less understood are the Mutants, specifically a band of mutants dubbed the X-Men who seem fundamentally different and herald change, a change which the regular man and woman dread and fear. Sheldon falls victim to this bigotry and fear, as he tries to glean a living working for J. Jonah Jameson's The Daily Bugle and other newspapers. When a frightened young girl comes into his life thanks to the kindness of his daughters his attitude changes. 

In arguably the most bombastic of the installments is the story "Judgment Day" which shows how the world almost ended at the hands of impossible gods from space. The people of the world have become inured to superheroes, treating their presence casually, often with disdain as much as reproach. But things change when a gleaming silver figure arrives from out of space and behind comes a giant being who wants to destroy the entire world the people merely to satisfy its hunger. Sheldon like so many is terrified as he watches from a distance and struggles to remain confident the Marvels can save the day. His trust is warranted, but no sooner have the heroes saved the city than the citizens return to their old ungrateful attitudes. Sheldon is disgusted. 

Shifting forward to the 1970's and Phil Sheldon is a man looking to retire. But in the story "The Day She Died" he is bothered that the heroes he celebrates in his book of photographs titled Marvels are again treated with a casual disdain. His own confidence is shaken when a beautiful young girl he encounters dies during a battle between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin. He rejects his own life's work which documents the rise of the superheroes, though his young assistant pleads with him to appreciate that work. In the end he decides that his time documenting the "Marvels" is done and hands the task off to the young woman he'd trained. He and his family prepare to leave the city to enjoy their golden years. 

In 2019 Alex Ross and Kurt Busiek revisited the Marvels project with another story in which Sheldon and his daughters see the battle between the X -Men and the Sentinels in Rockefeller Center. 

I have not actually read this story, but it's apparently available in the 25th anniversary edition of the series. Like the Beatles, the boys and girls at Marvel are always trying to jerk another quarter or two out of my pocket. They are really good at it. 

As I said at the beginning this was a transformative series when it first appeared. I had never seen anything like the work Alex Ross was producing. His more realistic presentations of the heroes I was so familiar with made them much specifically human in my eyes. The idea of a normal human being feeling in awe of them had been dealt with, but never with such clarity and soulfulness. Through the lens of Phil Sheldon we were able to see the Marvel Universe again for the first time, and it was glorious. 

But there were imitators, and some were often okay, but rarely has an artist been able to bridge the gap between the fantastic and the mundane as effectively as Alex Ross. That's why he was Kurt Busiek's perfect choice to fashion the covers for the series Astro City which he produced with the help of Brent Anderson. The trio of Busiek, Anderson and Ross went on to give us ever more fascinating insights into the secret minds of heroes and those who live beside them. 

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Astro City MetroBook Five!

Astro City MetroBook 5 continues to collect the outstanding series from Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson and Alex Ross. The saga of this bizarre town which has enticing echoes of other comic book universes, unfolds with the same naturalism which informed its earliest installments. I am sometimes amazed at how complete a vision Astro City has always been and continues to be. As we learn about new denizens in and around Astro City through many decades, it's as if they have always been part of the fabric. 

Astro City 11 introduces us to The Silver Adept who is something of a "sorceress supreme" for the Astro City universe. But we learn that it takes nigh a village to make the Adept's work effective as we are told the story through the eyes of her personal assistant Raitha, and we meet among others the horned domestic Orn. While the Adept deals with all manner of bizarre problems across multiple dimensions, it's up to Raitha and Orn to hold down the fort and deal with problems which inevitably rear up. 

Graham Nolan slips in to illustrate the story of Ned Carroway in Astro City 12. Ned is a small-time hood who is part of a sub-category of villains who fancy themselves rogues who engage in sartorial splendor. It's less the loot than the look that drives these obsessive types to grab some distinctive outfits and rob a bank or three. Ned is a bit of a loser though, captured time and again and a man who throws away romance and a family to feed his need to rob and look awesome doing it. He fancies himself a wolf in a world where wolves are hardly ignored. 

Astro City 13 introduces the reader to the Dancing Master, a mystical entity who comes to the city and brings with him romance. People set aside their responsibilities and find someone to love. One couple realizes they have to make time for each other.  At the same time a hood named Gundog is robbing banks in sequence just to see if he can. His bravado and charisma attract at least one young woman who absconds with him after they dump the loot. They've found something more important than thrills and wealth. 

It takes two issues of Astro City to tell the story of a reclusive woman named Ellie who takes care of abandoned robots. She seems to have an uncanny knack for repairing robots which have been used by villains. Her little operation is isolated, and she is happy to scrape by on donations. When her nephew Fred shows up, his ambitions change the game and we learn that there's much, much more to Aunt Ellie than we'd imagined. 

Identity is the core aspect of the story in Astro City sixteen where we meet Starbright, a hero of a small town outside of Astro City. He's a hero who is more interested in reforming his arch villain Simon Sez than capturing him. When the very youthful Simon makes a request in exchange for help with crime busting, Starbright takes him up on it. But this story is about secrets and about finding out who you are, and it's hardly obvious to everyone. The secret we learn is one that challenges our society a great deal in our modern day. 

Then we are treated to one of Astro City's best stories in a four-part sequence which gives us a close look at Quarrel and Crackerjack. The former is a woman from my part of the country, the hills of Eastern Kentucky who grew up with an alcoholic mom and a distant dad, who turned out to the villainous Quarrel. She takes on the responsibility to raise her brothers, but when she finds her dad's old gear becomes a heroic Quarrel, one driven to prove something to everyone, herself included. She finds a soulmate of sorts in Crackerjack, a brash hero who like Quarrel only has his own skills developed and honed to their peek to battle crime. They are a pair, lusty lovers and rowdy partners in a tempestuous relationship that lasts years. When we meet them at the beginning of this story, they are feeling the pangs of age and doubting the road forward. There are some poor choices made. And some good ones as well. This one literally brought tears to my eyes. 

It's more growing up tales as we meet the mother and daughter team who become Hummingbird. The former was a crimefighter who used artificial tools to be effective while the latter is gifted with magical powers which seem to be taking her over. Her powers come from the land of her father, and she sadly discover there's a curse embedded inside the gifts. Jesus Merino steps in to draw this installment for Astro City 25. 

In Astro City 26, an issue which celebrates two decades of Astro City, Busiek and Anderson invite the reader to once again share the dreams of the Samaritan, the mightiest of all of Earth's heroes. Samaritan is a hero who is on call all the time and the only rest he gets is in his dreams. In this story his dreams have become disturbed, and the lack of rest is making him less effective and even at times dangerous as a hero. So, the superhero community bands together to fill the gap so that Samaritan can get treatment from the Furst Family. And we learn what is causing the problem, at least some of it. A great callback to the debut issue of Astro City that started it all. 

Under an adorable Alex Ross cover, Busiek joins forces with guest-artist Joe Infunari to tell us how the strange and delightful American Chibi came to be. She looks like she ought to be in a video game and we learn that's pretty much the case. There is as usual a plot to invade the Earth and to forestall that scheme American Chibi as well as Honor Guard must travel to another world, a world with its own rules, the rules created to some extent by the young woman who created American Chibi. This one is a change of pace for sure and the artwork is distinctive. 

In Astro City 28 we learn the origin story for Wolfspider, the member of Honor Guard who is tiny and hails from Australia. We also learn of his affection for an old 80's cartoon show called Queenslaw with heroes named Captain Cookabura, Banana Bender, Goldrush, Kokolite, Numbat, Seadragon and the Territorian. When these animated favorites suddenly appear in real life, Wolfspider rushes to learn and perhaps join. But the secret of his new team has as you might suspect some insidious aspects. Artist Gary Chaloner steps in and uses his smooth style to bring this story from down under to us. 

In the next two issues of Astro City we are treated to a Furst Family adventure, but not really. The focus is from the point of view of the enemy, a young alien who is part of a warrior culture where the people are born and bred and trained for warfare. The people celebrate the glory of their leaders without question due to brainwashing. When our narrator meets a human being for the first time he doubts the truths of his culture. The Furst Family has come to this alien enclave to rescue their mother, and they furiously. Brent Anderson is back and he and Busiek do a fantastic job of transporting the reader into the mindset of a culture which is lied to, but both conditioned and trained to accept those lies. I'd be remiss if I didn't say I recognize my own society as I followed this tragic tale. 

In Astro City 31 we at long last learn the origin of the Living Nightmare, a longtime denizen of the comic who has been both a villain and a hero. Many members of the Honor Guard get new looks as well in this story which tracks the monstrous creature born from the stuff of fear. The Nightmare is being used by someone or something to battle the Honor Guard and scare the bejeezus out of regular folks. If he (or it) and overcome that control is what this story is all about. Anderson's artwork is quite slick in this one after many issues where he was trying out a rougher hewn style. 

This fifth collection closes out with a fantastic trilogy that features Steeljack, the ex-baddie who is trying to make it good on the outside. He runs a detective agency, does some reclamation work for the city, and tends to a cemetery. He's the go-to guy in Kiefer Square, a down and out part of Astro City where bad guys and the families of bad guys live. Cutlass, an ex-partner of Steeljack's when he was part of the Terrifying Three with her and the first Quarrel looks him up because she's being framed for murder. Turns out she's not the only one and the path leads to a guy who fixes old gadgets for villains and to a collector of memorabilia of a very different sort. This trilogy has a wonderful blend of action, intrigue and humor. Ross's covers were especially nifty for these issues, I think. It's easy to take his great work for granted. A great way to wrap up this penultimate MetroBook. 

When the sixth and final Metrobook arrives, expect a review right here at this very blog. Until then as always...

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