Omega Effect

Dang... I did it again. I missed a day of posting right after I'd affirmed my desire to post more regularly. To be fair, yesterday was a terrible day. Absolutely dreadful. But that's neither here nor there; today is a new day. Specifically Comic Book Day!

I particularly enjoyed this weeks Justice League of America. I feel like James Robinson is finally hitting his stride here. I read an interview recently where he talks about trying to create new villains. Usually I'm a little leery bout that; there are plenty of great villains out there already.

But I'm not always adverse to coming up with new bad guys. After all, this is a new league. Why shouldn't it have new villains? And when you get ones who looks a cool as the new "Omega," you're not going to get me to complain too much.

New JLA vs. Old Crime Syndicate

I'm looking forward to seeing the currently motley Justice League go up against the Crime Syndicate. As others have said, we've seen the Big Seven JLA go up against them many times. But this will be the first time that a replacement League has faced off against them (as far as I know).

It should make for some interesting match-ups. Chief amongst them would be Jesse Quick vs. Johnny Quick. After all, the characters have nothing in common, but happen to share a name. That should bring about some delightful conflict, if nothing else.

I do notice that the caucasian Power Ring has returned and it makes me wonder... Is the membership of the Crime Syndicate still affected by the membership of the main Earth Justice League? That's the sort of thing I'd imagine James Robinson pulling out and using in a story...

1000

Behold: Title Undetermined's 1000th post!

Can anyone out there believe I've actually kept this thing going as long as I have? If you do, your prognostication skills are better than mine. I never thought I'd manage to keep it going for a thousand posts. I wonder if I'll manage another thousand...

Anyway, shall we discuss Justice League of America? The book has been on rocky ground since, well, the current series started. Back and forth, up and down. Characters join only to leave in the next issue -- or sometimes the same issue.

That said, Robinson and Bagley finally seem to have hit their stride (well, Bagley had it all along but you know what I mean). The team seems to have solidified (or will soon) as James Robinson's "Big Seven." As you probably already know, the team is going to be Supergirl, Dick Grayson, Donna Troy, Jade, Jesse Quick, Mikaal Tomas as Starman, and Congorilla. It is not the "Big Seven" that I know. But it might work, as this team has interesting parallels to the traditional "Big Seven." Let's examine each member in turn and what role they are playing.

Supergirl as Superman: A pretty simple replacement (at least on the surface). With Mon-El gone and Superman apparently unavailable, it makes sense for Superman's cousin to take his place on the Superteam. She can fill his role as powerhouse pretty easily. But can she match is power of inspiration?

Dick Grayson as Batman: Unfortunately, Dick Grayson is the only Batman we've got. Since the Justice League needs a Batman he'll have to do. Having been trained by the real Batman, Dick Grayson nearly matches his mentor in strategic skills (if not the meticulous planning that was Bruce Wayne's trademark). Plus, he has better relations with the other members of the team than Batman usually did.

Donna Troy as Wonder Woman: Another obvious swap, Donna Troy may not be Wonder Woman but she is an Amazon. So there's that. She can't match Diana for gravitas or, well, anything else. But I suppose she'll do as long as Wonder Woman is unavailable. Why is Wonder Woman unavailable again?

Jade as Green Lantern: With no actual Green Lanterns available it makes sense for the daughter of the original Green Lantern to take that spot. Though Jade hasn't officially joined the team, I think she'll fit in well. The Justice League has always had a green energy wielder and I look forward to seeing what Robinson does with her.

Jesse Quick as the Flash: For me, Jesse Quick was the biggest surprise in this lineup. I thought she had settled in pretty well in the JSA as Liberty Belle. That said, the Justice League does need somebody who can run really fast. With Wally West and Barry Allen unavailable, I can't think of anyone better.

Starman as Martian Manhunter: The Justice League always needs an alien who has sworn to defend his adopted home of Earth from evil. Mikaal Tomas -- Starman -- fits perfectly into the Martian Manhunter role. He may lack J'onn J'onzz's incredible power set, but that may be for the best. With the most recent Starman having gone back to the future Mikaal Tomas can embrace the role as his own. This is the character I'm most excited about in the new League.

Congorilla as Aquaman: This, of course, is the most tenuous fit. In some ways I might be better off saying "Congorilla as the Wild Card." Though Aquaman is a traditional member of the League, all to often that final slot has been filled by a diverse collection of heroes with a diverse collection of powers -- everyone from Plastic Man to Steel. Congorilla may be quirky, but he still fits the JLA just fine.

So that's the new lineup and my thoughts on it. What are yours?

The Guardian

This cover for World's Finest #2 reminded me of how much I am loving what James Robinson is doing with the Guardian.

The Guardian, as you know, hasn't done much since his the whole Death of Superman thing when he would occasionally show up in the Superman titles. But now he's not just a recurring guest star; he's turning into a real fixture in Metropolis. And I think that's a really good thing.

I know (or at least suspect) that the Guardian is a take off of Captain America. I mean, he's got the shield and the hat that cover his eyes but not his ears and all that. And you know what? The DCU should have its own version of Captain America. As a Golden Age character, Captain America would fit right in with all the other classics that populate the DCU.

James Robinson seems to be making it work, too. After all, the Guardian is going to be joining the Justice League of America. It'll be interesting to see if Robinson can make that work... And if he can make the Guardian a fixture in the DC Universe as well.

It's About Damn Time

Y'know, it's days like this that I wish Scipio was still blogging (but then, that's really every day). I feel that I -- or at least one of my co-bloggers -- can do a Black Lantern Doctor Polaris or Black Lantern Azrael justice. But a Black Lantern Vibe?

Only Scipio would've had the right words for this momentous occasion.

Blue Jay 1971 - 2009

Forever in our hearts.

Okay, enough of that. Now if I may be serious for a moment:
this whole thing is starting to get ridiculous.

Now, I've said before that I have no problem with characters dying. And that hasn't changed at all. But there must be a better way to kick off a new story than simply killing off another also-ran.

I guess what I'm saying is this: I wouldn't have a problem with killing off character left and right if it hadn't been done anymore. It doesn't seem to shock anymore; now it's just lazy writing.

That said... I enjoyed most of the rest of this issue pretty well. And though the death makes me go "meh" the mystery really entices me. I love a good mystery and that's what Robinson and Bagley seem intent on whipping up for at least the first couple of issues of their run.

Who is the mysterious murder? Why did he take Despero? What is his connection to the Justice League?

And where did he get those awesome shoes?

Whoa

Holy crap, have you seen this? They're doing an animated multiverse story! With the Crime Syndicate! That means it's a Crisis story.

And wowee wow. Take a look at that voice talent. Most specifically I'm referring to Mark Harmon as Superman. That means Agent Gibbs is Superman.

Holy crap.

Finally

Y'know, DC really should get Len Wein to write more comics. Really. I mean, look at this week's Justice League of America. It may not have the "Big Guns" but it sure does have a lot of things that have been missing from JLA these days.

There's action, villainous reveals, and quipping. I mean, I'm starting to remember why I liked Red Tornado in the first place (namely the dry wit of his Young Justice mentoring days).

We want more Wein.

Comic-Con Reflections

So, we had ourselves a comic-con last weekend, did we? Obviously I didn't go, but I did try to follow the news on the Internet. It's got to be good for something, right? Here's what I took away from the con (so to speak):

The Good: Geoff Johns on a new Flash ongoing! It's not a suprise; I think everybody expected this. But it's still a very good thing. Johns has turned Green Lantern into a top book. If he can work his magic on the Flash (a character I've always preferred to Green Lantern) I'll be a happy camper.

The Bad: JSA All-Stars! I know, that sounds like a strange thing to be "bad." Especially since I do like Matt Sturges' work. But I'm not made of money, people! Now if I want to read about guys I like -- the Flash, Wildcat, Stargirl, etc. -- I've got to buy two different books! And I'm still stuck with Magog...

The Good: T. H. U. N. D. E. R. Agents in the DCU! I've never actually read a book about them but I remember reading about the aborted DC series from a few years ago. I remember putting it on my pull list and being very excited about it. And I remember being disappointed when it never materialized. Now I'll get another chance.

The Bad: Yaaah! That T. H. U. N. D. E. R. Agents book is going to cost me money! And aren't those guys kind of redundant now that Checkmate works out of the United Nations?

The Good: James Robinson's Justice League of America! Now that we've got a tease of the team I'm even more excited than I was before. Mon-El's new costume is snazzy, and I'm curious to hear what his new "super" name is...

The Bad: Donna Troy is on that team.

Bold New Directioning

So James Robinson and Mark Bagley are taking over Justice League of America. Is anybody else breathing a sigh of relief?

First of all, I'm thankful that I won't have to look at Ed Benes' art any longer. Some people may like his work, but it's certainly not my cup of tea. And how nice will it be to have a JLA monthly with a monthly artist. Bagley's one of the guys we know will be able to pull it off.

Secondly I'm thankful for James Robinson. His return to comics after that hiatus he took is one of the best things to happen to DC. JLA has been a bit of a mess lately, but it's not entirely Dwayne McDuffie's fault. He's been dealt some bad cards and some annoying editorial fiats.

But he knew that was the way things work. There's no point in complaining if the bosses tell you who you can and can't have on your team. You just have to work with it. After all, look what Keith Giffen and crew managed to do years ago with JLA and a team of second stringers. People still talk about that.

And James Robinson is the kind of guy who can do almost anything with anything. Look at Starman. Gaze in wonder at what he's managed to do with the Guardian and Mon-El. You think he can't take a team of whoever and make them interesting.

I guarantee you there won't be any sitting around at tables looking at photos in the Robinson/Bagley Justice League...

You Will Laugh!

I have observed news of Justice League: Cry for Justice with both intense amusement and bemusement.

Whose brilliant idea was it to put my old enemy Hal Jordan in charge of a Justice League branch? Superman I can understand. John Stewart and Captain Atom make sense. Even that interminable twit Booster Gold might work.

But Hal Jordan? One doesn't need to color yellow to stop Jordan. All you need is soap and a tile floor. Or an exposed buttress. Or even a blindingly obvious billboard.

Explain to me this: how exactly is he supposed to contend with Prometheus, the second most dangerous man in purple to square off against the Justice League? Though he does not frighten me, I know many within and without the villain community who tremble in fear at the mention of the man's name.

The only trembling villains experience when they hear the name of Hal Jordan are trembles as an antecedent to laughter.

Blackest Night Teasers

Blackest Night teasers are beginning to proliferate. A word of caution: if you don't want to know the thus far revealed identities of some of the Black Lanterns, turn away now. Otherwise...

Here's the thing: we've got three Black Lanterns confirmed. Those Black Lanterns are Superman (Earth-2 version), Martian Manhunter, and Aquaman. That's three characters who have traditionally been in the Justice League.

My thinking is this: there will be more Black Lanterns, each one representing additional traditional members of the Justice League. There's going to be an evil zombie Justice League prowling the skies doing zombie Justice League type things.

Or maybe not.

Thursday Night Thinking LXXXI

Welcome to the 81st installment of Thursday Night Thinking! (At least I think it's 81st... These Roman numerals are tricky!)

Wherein the great Len Wen supplies us with thinking... And impossibly powerful robo-bugs!

God bless that man!

For a Rainy Day

Long have I been absent. Rest assure that I have been engaging in fruitful, terrifying villainy. But that is not why I am here. I am here to resume discussion of the continuing saga of my insidious doppelganger.

A recent preview of Justice League of America #18 reveals the impostor. Kneeling meekly before the warriors of the Justice League. This, of course, assumes that that is not me. If it is, then clearly I am employing a masterstroke of misdirection.

Regardless, I would like to thank Black Lightning for the kind things he has said about me. He describes Polaris -- possibly me, possibly not -- as one of the Ten Worst Criminals in the World. Too true. And he makes it clear that Polaris is the most powerful of the lot.

As such, Jefferson Pierce has earned himself a "Get Out of Being Crushed By Two Tons of Steel Free" card. I hope he saves it for a rainy day. Because rainy days are coming.

Justice League of America #17

BLASPHEMY! Rage! I'll... I'll destroy them all! Slanderous libel! Libelous slander! To dare say and do such things to tarnish the name of Doctor Polaris!

To have the temerity to make claims as to what I would or would not do. Sentimental? HA! I tried to kill my own pathetic nephew! Fools! You'll all pay!

"Polaris"? I see this fool has neither PhD nor MD. The true Doctor Polaris has both. I am Doctor Polaris.

Look to the Skies

So I hear tell they're making a Justice League of America movie. I'll believe that when I see it on screen and not a moment before. Of course, it could be happening. I'll admit I know nothing at all about it. I'm one of those people who avoids reading about movies and watching trailers. I avoid them like the plague. I hate being spoiled.

So, forgive me if my idle speculation is completely moot. I was just thinking about who the villain should be in this hypothetical JLA movie. I know what I would do if I was making a Justice League movie. It's pretty elemental, after all.

See, I'd start with a bunch of lesser supervillains organized into some sort of "Injustice Gang." Guys like Captain Cold, Metallo, and Doctor Polaris (who is in no way a "lesser" supervillain). There'd be some throwdowns, a few cool scenes involving the various heroes facing off against their respective adversaries. And then, for the big finale, it gets revealed that there's one big thing driving it all: STARRO!

Who would be better for a big screen over-the-top JLA film? A giant, super-intelligent, space-faring, mind-controlling alien starfish! Just try and tell me that the prospect of Starro the Conqueror tearing it up in IMAX doesn't make you weak in the knees. It would be glorious

A Triumphant Return

I return -- rested, refreshed, and ready for revenge. Much has transpired in my brief absence, but the event of ultimate importance was my triumphant return.

Recently my name and likeness have been appearing in DC's comics at an accelerated pace. You already know that my name was mentioned in Justice League of America (by marked man Brad Meltzer). But it was just last week that the real Doctor Polaris -- that is, me -- appeared in The All-New Atom (by the beautiful and talented Gail Simone).

Such signs and portents cannot be dismissed. It is known that DC has a plan in motion for their "multi-verse." It is now apparent that that plan involves my glorious and triumphant return.

As it stands, I would be exceedingly pleased to take a role in Ms. Simone's delightful All-New Atom. I do believe that I would fit in well there among the misfits, maniacs, and evil geniuses. Perhaps I could take on a tenured position at Ivy University? If they hired Giganta, they can certainly hire me...

Betrayal and Vengeance

Imagine if you will discovering that you have been replaced. It matters not if you imagine it as a relationship or a job. You had something you love to do, and someone new has taken it from you.

Now imagine you find out through an Internet comic preview of Justice League of America #11:

What matter of doom would you rain upon your betrayers?

I am filled with rage... And morbid curiosity. For though I am enraged that Brad Meltzer would have the audacity to replace me with someone younger, I am also curious about this young upstart I will soon be meeting.

Whoever he is, he has the audacity to call himself Doctor Polaris. But I wonder if he is in fact a doctor, medical or otherwise. It is clear that Meltzer's "Doctor" Impossible is not. So it is unlikely that this "Doctor Polaris" is a doctor either.

I am a doctor. And I am also The Master of Magnetism. And The Man Who Mastered Magnetism. What mastery of nature's primal forces does this young fool possess? Likely, none. But whatever he does possess, it will pale compare to the might of the true Polaris!

Soon I will have the comic in my hands. I will not pay for it, but I will possess it nonetheless. And I will find out who dares to take my name and sully my reputation. And regardless of how well he holds the position, he will be annihilated.

Oh, and Meltzer... Watch your back. Polaris comes for you.

Stop Calling Him That!

Not so long ago I made a bold declaration. I said that I didn't think Brad Meltzer understood the Justice League. My main argument was that he didn't want to include Martian Manhunter. For the likes of me, that's nearly criminal. But, I decided to give it a go anyway.

I feel as though I have been vindicated. As the end of Brad Meltzer's run approaches, let us consider the following statistics regarding the first nine issues of Justice League of America:

Number of super-villains captured: 0

Number of times the characters use each other's code names: 0

Number of times Red Tornado cries: 5,682

Number of issues where nothing happens: 4

Number of times the characters do things wildly out of character: 27

Number of times where I actually gave a damn about Geo-Force: -42

Number of times I wanted to punch "Red Arrow" in the face: 68

Number of times I wanted to punch him in the face when his name was Arsenal: 9

Number of issues with super-villains, giant starfish, world conquering intelligences, doomsday plots, or threats worthy of the Justice League's time and effort: not nearly enough

Oh, yes. I most certainly am vidicated.

Odd Men (Apes, Aliens) Out

It may or may not surprise you to know that villains such as myself often spend our time hanging out with other villains. We socialize just as the "super-heroes" socialize. I myself attend a weekly poker game at Black Manta's place. The snacks he provides put the great chefs of our age to shame!

But I digress. The point of this post is that I noticed three villains "hanging out" in the pages of Justice League of America. It should be noted that these villains (Per Degaton, the Ultra-Humanite, and Despero) do not usually socialize with one another, let alone the "Greater Supervillain Consortium."

I could say that it's simply because those three are anti-social. Or all too often busy. But that would be a lie. We do not hang out with them because they are so damn annoying.

Take Per Degaton. Per -- despite never having accomplished anything with his time travel -- is one of the most arrogant men I've ever met. And I know a few who are just dripping with arrogance. But Per Degaton's arrogance isn't normal. He doesn't gloat or smirk. He just floats around on his stupid time disc, conveniently dropping those damn armbands everywhere. We're not going to wear them, Per.

The Ultra-Humanite, of course, unsettles most other villains. It's not because he's one of the most brillant geniuses in history, or the fact that he's -- as Guy Gardner so boorishly put it -- "sometimes a chick." Believe me, we would all prefer he take a pleasantly scented female form. Because that ape body stinks. Take a page from Grodd, the other super intelligent telepathic ape: use shampoo.

And what can I say about Despero? The man cannot let go of a grudge. It's all "the Justice League will suffer" and "I shall destroy the Justice League." Yes, we all have our nemeses. But when it comes time for a bingo night or potluck dinner we leave it at home. We're there to enjoy Black Manta's famous quiche, not listen to Despero wax on and on about the Justice League.

So I suppose it makes a certain sense that the three of them might get together. Nobody else will talk to them, after all...