The Year of Magic. Time for Injustice Year 3- Vol 1

I’ve always been attracted to magic; in all its forms and incarnations. Imagine my delight when its finally given the chance to stretch its muscle into the DC Injustice storyline.

Fresh from the onslaught of the sentient Green Lantern planet named Mogo and the rest of the Green Lantern Corps (Year 2, Vol 2), casualties are abounding and humanity is left to deal with the damage. Be they humans, metas or magical folk, someone has lost someone in the aftermath of the war against Superman, as waged by Batman who recognizes that the Man of Steel has become the opposite of what he stood for; a dictator who is willing to pay the price just to impose and enforce his "kind" of peace. Since the previous issue, a lot of things have happened. Superman broke Batman's back. Oliver Queen, aka. The Green Arrow has died as well as Black Canary; but not before filming her own demise and Superman's magical confession and broadcasting it out into the world for all to see. Along with that, Superman has received a Yellow Ring from the master of Fear, Sinestro, who has taken sides with Superman. I take it that he is living vicariously thru Kal-El as the events remind him of his own reign as sole ruler of his home planet of Korugar. Add to this list of changes, Wonder Woman is also out of commission due to some magical maneuvering on the part of one man who orchestrated the battle at this stage of the game. 

One such person is John Constantine. Yes the radical Mage whose unorthodox methods border on the Machiavellian. He comes to aid Batman in his crusade to stop Superman while uncovering answers on his own. And since Superman has a weakness to magic, this was the perfect element to bring to the battle to ensure victory. And to do that certain things must come into play. First, Raven, needs to be taken out. Second, other magical users like Dr. Fate, Zatanna, Klarion, Jason Blood, Phantom Stranger needed also to be brought into the fold so that magic can have their day in the battle and tip the scales in Batmans favor. Third, Superman needs to be disabled with the use of magic.

Like in previous issues Tom Taylor has once again given us a fun and action filled read that collects the first 7 issues of Year 3. Constantine is his ever manipulative self and would go head to head with Batman as to who is calling the shots. (Yes, can’t have two manipulative folk in the same room) And a con man, pretty much like a leopard, never changes its spots so our charming but selfish mage, wields and deceives until he has quenched his thirst for revenge against Superman for brining the war to Earth, which claimed the life of Constantine’s wife.

Wait, what? John’s married? 

Okay, I give you permission to scratch your head. And he has a kid named Rose, who may or may not have some magical gifts herself. I sincerely hope that they explore this further. For now, I’m just gonna leave it here and because Constantine orchestrated this whole magical element into the fray, expect some twists and turns and no easy way to the the end goal. And any goal that is worth fighting for, is worth gunning for. Like this collected volume, its worth reading. Better yet, its worth keeping. I did.

Justice League #5- The New 52

            If you’ve been following my previous Justice League New 52 entries, then you know the new Big Bad that has finally come to town, but should you not want to and have yet to read it, then just go to the first entry. But if you don’t mind the spoilage then I thank you for reading on.

So with the arrival of the Big Bad by way of Darkseid in the last issue, our heroes, just by looking at the cover by Jim Lee are all in readiness and awaiting the fray. As you can see it is, it’s a group shot and Vic Stone, aka. Cyborg seems to be on the road to fully embrace his new path as part of the “League”. The league as we know it has yet to be officially formed as our fallen heroes have yet to deal with their initial defeat and are reeling from the arrival of a foe that none of them have ever encountered. I guess, Geoff Johns wanted a big event to be the catalyst that would bring our heroes together. And you don’t get any better than Darkseid.

But the issue opens with almost all our heroes all down for the count save for Flash. In his recovery, he witnesses Darkseids Omega beams (coming from his eyes), take down two government aircrafts. So, it’s not a match.

 By this time, the Man of Steel comes around and is ready for some action but Flash, after seeing what Darkseid did, knew better & scuttles him out just before Darkseid sends out two more beams to take them out. Here the running pair, find 
out for the first time what we already knew (prior to the New 52) which is, that Darkseid's eye beams can follow you around till it makes contact.


Flash & Supes split up in the hopes of evading it, but only Flash got the idea of diverting the beam to a group of Darkseid's creatures before Superman himself got hit by the beams and gets carried out by the winged creatures to the tower that rose up from the sea in Issue 3.

By this time, Hal has taken upon himself to be "the hero" by engaging Darkseid directly, hitting him with a “green mace” and shielding himself with a green shield after Darkseid retaliates. To Lantern’s surprise, and ours, he hardly flinches, as Hal’s constructs have no effect on the huge and menacing interloper. In addition to that, Darkseid probably regarding our Green Lantern as a pesky and troublesome gnat, grabs him and breaks his arm! (okay, Shock #2) In just a few panels and with the damage that he has wrought so far, Darkseid is proving to be much of the daunting villain of this issue as he doesn’t talk much and simply lets his might do all the talking. After dispensing with the “pesky” Lantern, he simply turns around and walks away, pretty much the stance of a confident and all encompassing villain.

 At this point the action tapers down and I find myself surprised (yes, again), as Batman does something that is something considered out of character, and that he reaches out to Hal, telling him that charging this otherworldly foe is not doing the “bright” thing and he wonders out loud what propels Hal to do what he does as he feels that they are similar. In a gasp-worthy moment, Batman tells him who he is, how his parents were murdered as he takes his mask & cape off. But instead of marveling out loud at the revelation, and probably a result of him being too ensconced in his life of a bubble in Coast City, Hal Jordan remarks that he doesn’t know who Bruce Wayne is. Yes, the brag-mouth doesn’t know the “enigma”.

Bruce feels that they are alike & what is going on is bigger than any one of them. He adds that its time for them to be a team and then goes off.

  

 Lantern then rounds up the rest of the heroes and decide to follow Darkseid into the city while keeping out of sight. Of course, another banter-set, courtesy of Hal & Barry ensues as the remaining heroes decide to distract Darkseid while buying Bruce some time in his reconnaissance mission. The Lantern and Flash exchange clearly follwing Hal's Battle cry of "We Got This" shows us readers the ease and the candor between these two friends, as it has always been them two who have gotten along even prior to the New 52. Batman, or in this case, Bruce Wayne for his part allowed himself to be taken by the winged creatures and finds himself entering another portal and sees another city, one that can be mistaken for a refinery of an oil plant, or a big giant industrial furnace of a city, replete with pipes, smoke, burning pits of fire, but, for a change, more winged creatures.

So care to take a guess where they are exactly? ;)

            Well, like you I am equally guessing and getting antsy for Issue #6.

Justice League #4- The New 52

Throw a King into the mix, via Aquaman certainly uppes the ante in anyone’s books and thus leaves room for a little more focus on the remaining member of the group who has yet to fully embrace his evolution and journey to become a new man. That new man is Victor Stone whom we all know as Cyborg and who at the start of this issue finds him deep in the Red Room at Star Labs undergoing a painful transformation, or more aptly, the grafting and replacing of the metal Prometheum with his damaged tissue from the previous issues.

And just when the metallic winged hounds of Darkseid penetrates Star Labs does he get first hand of his transformation as his hand automatically goes into defense mode and blasts one creature away, blowing it to bits. But by the end of the panel, we see that it is not only the monster that is blown away, but also the traces of a bond between father and son as Dr. Stone can only call out to his transformed cyborg of a son, Vic, as he breaks away in rage, and in disappointment at what his father has done to him and at the monster that he has become.

Back at Metropolis, the newly acquainted heroes are having mixed reactions at having met a new super being in their midst and with the revelation at that, that these creatures set some kind of device and tore open a hole in the water that eventually ushered more creatures out from it. He assumes that the land-based heroes before him have gathered to fight them but does not see a leader in their midst.

This is where the lines get snappish and acerbic once more as each hero quips a line (or two) that reveals further much of their persona; or like Hal Jordan who blurted out that he thought Aquaman, was a sketch on Conan O Brien (insert LOL #1), gives them ample smart-aleck highlights under the klieg lights of a building catastrophe. Batman, for his part, has his line of asserting leadership as he alludes that Aquaman was not looking at him when he was looking for a leader. Aquaman assumes leadership status as he is the rightful heir to the throne of Atlantis.

Of course, this doesn’t bode well with our Lantern, who apart from having issues with taking orders, doesn’t appreciate Batman, another wananabe super-hero giving out orders and bossing people around. With that said, he goads the Sea King to prove his worth to which Aquaman does via his telepathic connection with various aquatic lifeforms. Yes, it does shut Hal up. But I don’t know about you but Hal is getting more cocky by the issue. Heck if he keeps it up, he could give Guy Gardner a serious run for his money.

Vic Stone, aka. Cyborg, unaware of the chaos around Chicago stumbles outside and manages to help a woman who was being attacked by the winged creatures and somehow assimilates information from them and showed him how Darkseid was conquering one world after another by harvesting and processing organic materials and turning them into the creatures that have just attacked Chicago, Metropolis and other cities around the world. Lucky for him, and for us readers, his self defending and pro-active armor traces the signal being emanated by these creatures and transports him via a portal to Metropolis to join our heroes in the fray against them; just in time to warn them of who is behind the attacks and how he goes from world to world and is coming to Earth. And on cue, the Big Bad of the issue makes a grand and disastrous entrance for all the world to see.

     All in all, I am loving the elements of the storyline so far and how each and every piece of the puzzle is being fitted to complete the big picture. But like in the past issues, there were still some room for unwarranted but much welcomed humor to dispel the seriousness of the storyline like Batman laughing after Hal inadvertently admits that what he does is solely to impress people especially, Wonder Woman.  But Hal doesn’t really readily say it just for honesty’s sake, his hand was just absentmindedly touching Wondy’s golden lasso, which makes one tell the truth. (insert LOL #2)

      Now to break off from the funnies, one line that struck me in this issue was what Superman said to Flash as he flew off to divert attacks being made by government choppers on them. Supes said, “You seem to be someone who wants to do the right thing, but the same can’t always be said for everyone in positions of authority.”

         This observation about people in power holds much truth for me as we all know that too much of it corrupts even those with the best intentions. Of course, unless you have the heart of Mother Teresa or you’re a strong willed leader who knows what he wants to accomplish and sticks by the means to doing so, then at least that alone grants the exemption to this notion. But unless people in government, without the need to say about ours, do certainly acknowledge and know their responsibility and accountability are to the people, then, there will always be a cycle of repeat offenders. There will be be some who think that they can go above the law, much less rewrite it. Good thing there are heroes in their world. How about ours? How many heroes have we got?

And how many heroes will be left standing after Darkseid's arrival? Time to check out the next issue.

Justice League #3- The New 52

Having gotten the first 3 issues first of the new JLA, as part of the new 52 launch last year, I knew I had to continue reading and discover for myself what new things lay behind this new Wonder Woman. Now this change comes in the wake of J.Michael Strazynski's own take of our beloved Amazon that ended in her 611th issue before joining the new 52. With my own knowledge of Diana Prince, from the early TV series, the animated Justice League series, past readings of Gail Simone and George Perez as well as previous animated incarnations of her and the League, I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the Wonder Woman I knew.

For starters, issue 3 opens with our Diana breaking out of the Pentagon office in pursuit of what she deems is a harpy after having seen on TV that a winged monster has begun terrorizing downtown Dc. This time our Diana dons silver wristbands and the gold that once adorned her now all red and ribbed bustier is equally silver. Along with that she carries a sword that could be mistaken for Frodo's Elvish sword, Sting, given to him by his Uncle Bilbo. But once more I digress. The love of more than one fandom does have cross-referencing advantages I must admit. J

Ok, moving ward, Diana quickly discovers & relates to Col Trevor that while this new world she’s in has wonderful things like ice cream and rock and roll, there is also Darkness here. As if on point, the Winged monster appears atop a building, sounds off a Ping sound and opens a portal, thereby ushering more mechanical Winged Demons. At this time the same terrifying scene is equally happening at Metropolis and most recently at Detroit. Back at Star Labs Dr. Silas Stone is unable to leave his injured son, Victor, and instead ushers him down to the Red Room and administers the grafting of a metal called Prometheum as well as the injection of  nanobyte tech into his son’s body, who at this point looks more like the nuclear burned kids from Resident Evil. Oops, sorry, I did it again. Cross fandom reference.

The Metropolis carnage now being kept at bay by the combined efforts of Supes, Flash and Gl has been made more effective by the arrival of Diana, aka. Wonder Woman to which Flash is wowed and Lantern calls dibs. And just when they think that they’ve scared the Darkseid-Chantng creatures away, our heroes could only stare at their false conclusion as a massive structure suddenly looms out of the sea before them. And in their presence finally comes another formidable hero we know as Aquaman. But with a Kingly demeanor to him, how well do we know the King of the Seas?

Like the previous two issues, this next one is not without action or quips. Flash couldn’t believe that Batman has no power and initially thought he was a Vampire.  Superman acknowledges Diana's strength to which she nonchalantly responds, I know. I don’t know about you but for me, I was getting some subtext stares between Supes and Wondy. Can we expect a “pairing” between the two inspite of the “couple” status insinuated between Batman and Diana in the animated series?

Anyway, all this banter plays well with the addition of anther would be JL Member. So what happens to a group of powerful indivduals when you bring a King into the mix? Well, we’re gonna find out next in Issue 4, aren’t we? 

Justice League #2- The New 52

And so with the promise of a fray between Batman and Superman, I dive in and read on to Issue #2. By the cover alone, I was already rewarded with the promise of a great read. Plus seeing Bruce and Clark go at it like there’s no tomorrow with Hal by the sidelines trying to keep Superman at bay with green chains was just great.

The second issue opens with criminal lab guy, Barry Allen, trying to divert attention of his boss to a case that for him was more important but higher ups want him to unravel the identity of the Flash. Good luck there.

The battle continues in Metropolis with Batman trying every trick in the book, or in this case, his belt, in the hopes that it stops Superman. But to no avail as we all know the only thing that will take Superman down. But if case, you are a new reader and you don’t know, heck, I am not telling. But don’t fret either as our heroes don’t know it as well. Just your luck as you’re not the only one in the dark.

Now, it was only with the intervention of Flash did the battle stop for Batman to get a word in and convince our Man of Steel that he and Hal are not in league with the monsters that equally attacked different parts of Metropolis. They came to the city in the hopes of finding more about these things because they are “alien”. So since Superman is one, he’d know them too. Now this if viewed negatively, this may sound racist to some and would go along with the concept that every chinky-eyed Asian would know every chinky-eyed Asian that passes by and they’d shake hands and sing some common national anthem. But I digress so allow me to get back to the topic.

The intel session continues with Batman showing Supes the box that he had with him in an abandoned printing press plant. As it is, the caped Kryptonian doesn’t have a base of operations and all of this talk is operating on the level of trust that they can extract from one another. Hal for his part, carries on with his cocky I-Can-Do-This attitude and suggests to Flash that they ditch “Black and Blue” because Batman is a pain in the ass and Superman doesn’t know shit about the box they brought in. How’s that for cooperation? 

Hal and Barry Allen's bond and banter carries off well into the new 52 and I'm glad they retained that. Much of the superheroes on this timeline had to hide themselves from the law and are considered a threat by the law. Needless to say, most of them go to great lengths to keep their identities secret. Until, Hal slips. LOL! (again)

The intel continues with each hero finding things about what they can do and Flash is surprised that Superman can see into things to which he pointedly asks Batman what he can do. And you know Bruce will have a retort to that by saying that he can “Keep us all on point.” LOL! Nice one Bats!

Apart from trust, lack on info is another element that keeps our heroes going and learning what they can from each other and the box that seems to elude any further discovery. Of course, they pretty soon learn that the box activates itself and “Pings” again and brings in more of those metallic creatures in that eerily chants, “For Darkseid”. Like the innate detective that he is Batman’s fears of having another box out there in the city is not far from the truth, as one was certainly being studied in Detroit within StarLabs by scientist Dr. Stone who currently was trying to have a decent and rational conversation with his son Victor when the box blew up and caught Victor in its wake. 

Here the issue ends with the image of a burning high school kid who earlier had simple wishes that his father come to his football game and share in his success.


Clearly that’s not going to happen as Victor will soon find out after this that his life is now not his own and that we will be meeting another super human in Issue #3 named, Wonder Woman. 

You know her right?

Justice League #1 - The New 52

When I first got wind of the Retcon that DC comics was going to do and it consisted of 52 titles, I had to admit that I shook my head both in disbelief and in bewilderment. Everything was doing well for me, for both as an outsider and a reader, so what was the change in the DC Universe for. But then again we’re not Geoff Johns or part of the DC management and no amount of internet protests would swing vote in my favour and also for those who felt the same way as I did.

But nonetheless, I was still excited and anxious of the surprises that the stories would have for me. I know my favorite, Green Lantern was not exactly a major casualty of the reset-storyline but more of re-numbering wherein the issue once more goes back to #1 and continues the flow of events following their most recent crisis of which I love, and that was War of the Green Lanterns.

So I only most recently decided to catch up with our favorite Justice League over the Holidays, having heard good things about it. Plus I also got curious after seeing the official picture of the newly re-formed and re-drawn Justice League. What stood out was obviously the absence of Superman’s Red Underwear and he was wearing an all-blue “tights” with more detail and a mechanical chiselled look. Like Green Lantern and Batman’s boots, the drawings were more contoured and had a modern look to them. No doubt this was part of the re-marketing of the DC Universe to the newer generation. And with that I forged on ahead.

Issue #1 of which I was able to get the variant cover instead by David Finch and not the Jim Lee original as my source ran out of stock, began with a narration that began 5 years ago when Superheroes were not called as such and they were viewed as a threat by the public and equally hunted down by the government, in spite of the heroes’ best intention to help and curtail crime. Such was the scene we witness at the beginning of the issue and set in Gotham City with our Batman in one of the building rooftops and in pursuit of a mysteriously cloaked figure. In the chase that ensued the figure turns out to be a humanoid of some kind that later was dispatched easily by an arriving Hal Jordan, aka. Green Lantern who like the populace viewed Batman’s existence as a myth and got the “surprise” that the Batman was real and flesh and blood.

They team up and chase the figure down the sewers which had already changed and developed mechanical wings and legs to which Hal quips and referenced the creature as a “Transformer.” See, what I mean? Definitely a ploy to bring new and younger audiences into the DC fold. What I liked was the antagonistic attitude between Hal and Bruce and the development of that dynamic playing out when Hal freaked out after finding out that Batman can’t fly, has no super strength and merely was a guy in a Bat costume. LOL! That reaction was priceless! 2 more “priceless” interactions for me between Hal and Bats were when Bruce casually slips off Hal’s ring and examines it and deduces that the ring doesn’t have any buttons and most probably works on concentration. Puzzled, Hal asks how was Batman able to do that to which our Caped Crusader smirks under his cowl and smartly replies, “You weren’t concentrating”. LOL! (Yes!)

And some things never change in spite of the resetting of the DC Universe, Hal is still as cocky, Batman is still thorough in his research. After the creature blows itself up and attaches a mechanical box to the wall, Bruce says that the box is indeed alien tech to which Hal references Superman and that all of this is somehow connected to that “Alien in Metropolis”. With that said the pair fly off to Metropolis in a bright green jet amidst Batman’s mild protest afterwards because of the lack of anonymity flying into the city. Hal effortlessly quips, “You can’t fly. So how else were we going to get there? Talk in a Deep Voice?” LOL! (again)

Now Hal’s cockiness doesn’t stop there as he safely encloses Batman into a green box while he goes into a Lexcorp building as his ring is a “magnet for extraterrestrials”. But the search finds him instead as Supes comes rushing out of the building in a haze of red and blue for he “doesn’t do easy”. In this last panel we see the new Superman minus the red underwear with the same semi high collar and with the cape sewn into the costume. Like Hal and Bats his boots are more chiselled with equally the same recessed detail drawn into it and with raised piping at the center of the boots and with equal red piping at the edge of his sleeves. This is obviously a new Superman greeting new and old readers and sets up the next event billed in Issue #2 as Batman Vs. Superman.

And with these dynamics to play on, add into the mix the development and history of Vic Stone as his journey to being Cyborg comes into play and the Justice League members slowly come to meet one hero after another and find that their goals are not at all disimilar and perhaps unlikely as it is in their line of work, working together may just be the breakthrough they need to find out the meaning of this new threat or slogan as the robot creatures cry out just before detonating oneself. What was the battle cry? It was....For Darkseid!

 So whatcha waiting for? Get Issue #2! Now!