Pop Culture Chronicles

Legends

When Executive Editor, Dick Giordano first pitched the idea for the Legends mini-series to Editor, Mike Gold, the series was pitched as "Crisis 2." It was a follow-up, but not a true sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths. With the outcome of Crisis having been a merging together of the multiverse into a single universe, heroes who once inhabited different earths could now have their first major crossover without it requiring inter-dimensional travel.

The series is notable for several reasons, including the first appearance of the post-crisis Captain Marvel (Shazam). It also includes the first appearance of Amanda Waller and the modern origin of the Suicide Squad before Harley Quinn was even a thought. Even President Ronald Reagan plays a prominent role. The story also introduces a new Justice League line-up, transitioning from the Gypsy/Vibe/Vixen version to a roster including heroes who prior to Crisis inhabited a number of different earths. There was Dr. Fate (earth-two), Blue Beetle (earth-four), Batman (earth-one), Captain Marvel (earth-S), and others, but now all inhabiting a single universe. 

The series had a fantastic creative team consisting of John Ostrander (plot), Len Wein (script), John Byrne (pencils), and Karl Kesel (inks). So the story is not shabby by any stretch and the art is even better. The story is a bit juvenile by today's standards, but still held my attention. The whole G. Gordon Godfrey thing was a bit lame IMO, with the now tired plot of a public figure trying to turn the populace against super-heroes and the government finally intervening. Not being a fan of Darkseid or the Fourth World, I prefer a crisis without his involvement. His discussions with the Phantom Stranger as they observe the human (and meta-human) responses to Darkseid's machinations, with Darkseid's low view of humanity and the Stranger's confidence in the heroic ideal, was reminiscent of the wager between God and Satan in the biblical Book of Job. This shouldn't be surprising considering Ostrander's background in theology and it was a welcome addition to the plot.

While the series was published in 1988, and I collected the series new, it took me until this month to finally read it. Only thirty years. But when it came out I was busy going to college and getting engaged. The start of a new vocation and an out-of-state move meant my comics hobby would go on hiatus for a while. I've been back into comics since around 1999, but just never got into Legends until now as I'm planning to read, or re-read, all of DC's major crossovers. Perhaps my reflections will be presented here. 

JSA Chronology 2

The first super-hero team to appear in comics was the Justice Society of America in All-Star Comics #3 in 1940. The story has been reprinted in Famous First Edition #F-7 (1974), in Millennium Edition: All-Star Comics #3 (2000), and in All-Star Comics Archives vol. 1. The story is also available digitally from comixology.com. for 1.99.

The story tells of the JSA's first meeting at a hotel conference room where the heroes meet for dinner and swap stories of solo adventures. So we don't get to see a team-up per say this issue.

The story is dated in that there are fewer attempts than today to inject any dose of realism into the story. But then this is back when in-house ads were addressed to "boys and girls." We find the JSA having the hotel to themselves since Sandman has put all the guests to sleep. Never mind that some guests might have had to catch a flight, or report to a work conference, or meet a sick relative. But we weren't supposed to think of all that back then. Other juvenile aspects of the story includes a shark who thinks in English referring to Flash as a "nice juicy man."

The 1940s slang is also amusing. Flash addresses the shark as "old kid." His costume is described as a "screwy outfit." Strange happenings are said to be "mighty queer." A woman's curiosity is stereotypically referred to as being "just like a woman." A ship's captain is described as being "happy as a kid" and Hawkman lands a successful punch exclaiming, "What a lulu. Right on the button." The Atom says both, "Holy Smoke" and "Swell."

Most of the scripts are by Gardner Fox with pencils contributed by Everett E. Hibbard. A brief comedic interlude is scripted and drawn by Sheldon Mayer in which the original Red Tornado crashes the party. The Spectre story is co-scripted by Jerry Siegel of Superman fame. The most outstanding art is that of Sheldon Moldoff for the Hawkman story. It has a pulp sci-fi feel to it that isn't quite as cartoony as the rest of the book. The panel with Hawkman appearing at Shiera Sander's bedside borders on a very subdued eroticism.

A stand-out feature of the book is that most heroes of the time had a leading lady, but not always a damsel in distress. For the Flash it was Joan Williams, his girlfriend who in later comics becomes his wife. Shiera Sanders is likewise destined to marry Hawkman. Rex Tyler (Hour-Man) is found working at Bannerman Chemicals where his leading lady is boss's niece Regina Paige. While Regina made several appearances in Hour-Man's early adventures, it is Wendi Harris who becomes his wife, appearing first in Showcase #56 (1965). Sandman pals around with Dian Belmont, a socialite and amateur detective. They had an ongoing relationship in the comics well into their golden years, but never officially marry. Green Lantern's leading lady, Irene, appears in only a couple of panels. College Sophomore Al Pratt's crush, Mary James is none too impressive. It's another one of those romantic tension situations in which the lady idolizes the hero (the Atom) but is not impressed by the man behind the mask. Dr. Fate's interest is Inza Cramer, who later becomes his wife. Only the Spectre lacks a leading lady in his story. 

While written for kids the stories are entertaining enough, with some having an almost creepy element due to occultism or science gone awry. The stories cover a wide variety. Flash, the Atom, and Hour-Man are more typical super-heroics while Hawkman, Sandman, Dr. Fate, and the Spectre are more of the pulp fiction, macabre, fantasy, or noir categories. Overall, it's a great book concluding with a summons by the F.B.I. chief for the JSA to meet him in Washington which occurs in issue 4.             

Superman and Superwoman

I loved the team-up comic titles when I was growing up in the 70s. These books teamed A-lister super-heroes with monthly guest-stars. There was Marvel Team-Up which paired Spiderman with monthly co-stars and Marvel Two-in-One which did the same with the Thing. There was Brave and the Bold over at DC which teamed Batman with other heroes throughout the multiverse and DC Comics Presents which did the same with Superman. 

I especially liked the annuals of DC Comics Presents, the first of which teamed the Man of Steel with his Earth-Two Golden Age doppelganger as they fought Ultraman of Earth-Three. The third annual teamed Superman with Captain Marvel, his Earth S counterpart. It was interesting that these two would team up since decades earlier National Periodical Publications (now DC Comics) sued Fawcett (owners of Captain Marvel) for copyright infringement because Captain Marvel seemed too much like a Superman knockoff. DC has now had the rights to Captain Marvel for over 40 years, having purchased Fawcett's super heroes.

I recently picked up the second Annual at a comic show for one dollar. It guest-starred a female derivative of Superman called Superwoman. The story is juvenile by today's standards, written by Elliot S! Maggin. The art by Pollard and DeCarlo is passable. I will say, to the story's credit, that the mystery of Superwoman's secret identity kept me guessing through most of the book, though I should have figured it out. The resolution of a mysterious sub-plot regarding Superwoman's genealogy was one I didn't see coming at all, but again, I should have. 

The alter-ego of Superwoman in this comic hasn't been the only character to wear the Superwoman moniker throughout DC's history. The first was Lois Lane beginning in 1943. Lois would either gain super powers temporarily, or in a dream, or in an imaginary tale, or in an alternate reality created by Mxyzptlk magic. A more recent story with Lois as Superwoman was in All-Star Superman #2. Another Superwoman was Luma Lynai of the planet Staryl.

The Superwoman of Earth-Three has the alter ego of Lois Lane and the Amazon powers of Wonder Woman. She is part of the villainous Crime Syndicate. She is the most mainstream Superwoman in the current DC multiverse. 

Another Superwoman, Laurel Kent, resides on Earth-11, a planet of reversed-gender characters. She appeared in Superman/Batman #23 (2005) and in Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer: Superwoman/Batwoman one-shot. 

In the post-crisis pre-52 universe, Dana Dearden, an obsessed Superman fan temporarily became a Superwoman through the power of stolen artifacts. Lucy Lane had taken on the role of Superwoman for a short time in that same universe.

Phantom Lady Returns

After the short-lived Ajax-Farrell series, Phantom Lady disappeared from comics except for some Matt Baker reprints in I. W. Publications' Great Action Comics and Daring Adventures. But there were no new Phantom Lady stories from 1955 until 1973. DC Comics had bought the rights to the Quality Comics characters in 1956 which included Phantom Lady.

Her first DC appearance was in Justice League of America # 107-108 during an annual JLA/JSA crossover event. The heroes of Earth's One and Two traveled to Earth-X, home of the Quality characters on a world where the Nazis had won World War II. The super-hero team of this earth included the Quality characters Uncle Sam, Black Condor, Doll Man, Phantom Lady, The Ray, and the Human Bomb. They were known as the Freedom Fighters who were aided by the JLA and JSA in finding the mind-controlling devices that kept the world in submission to the Third Reich. It's kind of corny and if the same premise of a parallel world where the Nazis won WW II were used today, the story would be undoubtedly more sophisticated.

DC took Phantom Lady back to her original yellow and green colors, but retained something of the plunging neckline contributed by Matt Baker (although not as extreme). The Freedom Fighters received their own title in 1976, America's bi-centennial. What better time to return Uncle Sam to the pages of comics as a super-hero? In the Freedom Fighters series the team had relocated to Earth-One. The final issue (#15, 1978) included an origin of Phantom Lady, for the first time.

By 1981 she was a recurring member of Roy Thomas' All-Star Squadron, which took place on Earth-Two during the war years, coinciding with Phantom Lady's original stories in Police Comics. Her past was retconned to make her a cousin of Ted Knight (a.k.a., Starman). It was during this era that the Freedom Fighters relocated to Earth-X where they were later met by the JLA/JSA in 1973. 

When all the Earths of the Multiverse were merged into one during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Earth-X was retconned out of existence. An older, post-crisis Phantom Lady appeared in Damage (1994) in which it was revealed that Sandra Knight had married Iron Munro, whose character was an analogue to the Golden Age Superman in the post-crisis 1940s. Knight served as a government spy during the Cold War and later became head mistress of a school for female spies.

Her students included Dee Tyler who became the new Phantom Lady whose adventures were chronicled in Action Comics Weekly # 639-641. Tyler joined a new version of the Freedom Fighters and died a violent death in Infinite Crisis # 1 (2005).

In the Post-52 multiverse a new version of Freedom Fighters, including Phantom Lady, resided on Earth-10 as a one-panel cameo in the final issue of 52 made clear. To my knowledge we never got to see this team in action. There was, however, another version of Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters which resided on New Earth, appeared in two mini-series, and included a new Phantom Lady, Stormy Knight (not a relative of the original).

The last appearance of Sandra Knight, of which I'm aware, was in the final issues of Birds of Prey, vol.2, #14-15. Here an elderly Sandra appears with Black Canary and Lady Blackhawk in a modern adventure which parallels an earlier, but yet untold, adventure told in flashbacks. The flashback story took place in 1950 as Phantom Lady, the original Black Canary, and Lady Blackhawk battle a Nazi war criminal. Manhunter, Kate Spencer, also appears in this issue. She was revealed to be Phantom Lady's granddaughter in Manhunter # 23 (2006).

Since the latest DC reboot, Flashpoint, we now have the new 52 multiverse. Time will tell whether Sandra Knight ever even existed in this new reality. 

Now we have a new Phantom Lady, Jennifer Knight, who currently appears in her own mini-series along with Doll Man. Knight is a freelance writer, daughter of investigative reporter Harry Knight who was murdered to keep him from exposing a prominent crime family. Jennifer becomes Phantom Lady to avenge her father's death.

She is aided by Doll Man, Dane Maxwell (the original was Darrell Dane), a techno-whiz, who provides her with a costume and special technology. In addition to being able to cast black light via special gloves, she can also take on a phantom state, project hard light objects, and trap victims in an eerie blacklight nothingness.

The new series is well written by the team of Gray and Palmiotti with very good art by Cat Staggs and an awesome first issue cover by Amanda Conner. The dialogue is good and sometimes hilarious, the story as believable as possible for a super hero comic.

In this series it's revealed that Dane and Jennifer have had something of an intimate relationship that is taken more seriously by Dane, but Jennifer is gradually coming around. The series takes place in Metropolis (like they need another super hero), so it will be interesting to see how all this fits in to the larger DC universe. There is also hope for a revisioned Freedom Fighters since Uncle Sam and the Ray have made a cameo in this series. I've always been a Phantom Lady fan and aside from some of the modernisms I dislike in today's comics, this series is not a disappointment and perhaps the most interesting that I'm currently reading.    

Superman of Earth 23

I enjoyed the return of the Earth-23 Superman in the latest Action Comics, vol. 2, # 9. He was introduced in the mini series Final Crisis 7 (2009) in which all the Supermen of the multiverse came together against a common threat.

On Earth-23, Superman is President of the United States and also black. In Action Comics we learn of a potential controversy surrounding his place of birth. This echoes the controversy involving Obama's birthplace which is nothing more than his political enemies grasping at straws. While some did not appreciate the parallel to the Obama controversy, I thought it was well done. Imagine the uproar if it were discovered that a President was born off planet.

The Earth-23 Superman's alter ego is Calvin Ellis. It took me a while to realize that this name is derived from Kal El. I'm slow like that sometimes.

It was good to see the return of Earth-23's Wonder Woman, who is also black, and Ellis' assistant, Courtney. I'm glad that not every concept introduced in Final Crisis was scrapped with the coming of the New 52. Once a new Multiverse was introduced in the 52 series, DC published a list of earths cataloged thus far. Earth-23 was not yet on the list, and was not yet named as such in Final Crisis. I look forward to a complete catalog of Earths in the new 52 universe and I suspect there will be 52 of them.

The multiversal take on this story was underscored by the appearance of the Lois Lane and Clark Kent of yet another parallel earth. We haven't met these folks before and the Kent of this planet is not Superman. I look forward to more back story on these characters. And it was great to see the use of the Superman robots on Earth-23 which caused me to reminisce about some old Silver Age stories. Overall, I was pleased with Action Comics # 9 and I hope the title can be a place to introduce even more Supermen of the multiverse.   

The New 52 Review

The rebooting of the DC universe has so far been a huge success. DC Comics released 52 new first issues in a massive relaunch last September. In a prior post I had mentioned my reservations along with some enthusiasm for the new direction.  Now that we're five months into the new 52, here are my reflections:

Superman - I've always thought of George Perez as an artist and he is one of the best. But this book proves that he can also be an awesome writer. I like the fact that there is a lot of dialog. It takes me longer to read this title than any other, so I feel I'm getting more than just a picture book. It's deep and not fluffy. With the Daily Planet being purchased by Morgan Edge and the Planet staff adjusting to the mass media market, including Lois' promotion, it strikes a chord of reality with so many that have to constantly change with the times in the workplace. Characters, like Lois, must make hard ethical decisions in this book. The Clark and Lois relationship is back to its traditional formula. Clark likes Lois, but he doesn't seem to be on her radar, except as a co-worker. The exceptional art also makes this book worthwhile.

Action Comics - While relaunching Superman, in some respects Grant Morrison actually returns the Man of Steel to his roots. A younger and less experienced Superman whose alter ego, Clark Kent, is working for the rival publisher of the Daily Planet while getting to know Lois and Jimmy. I'll keep the Superman titles.

Supergirl- They haven't ruined Kara after all. The stories are great and you can sympathize with the character. I do wish she had a more modest costume though, especially in light of this character being a minor.     

Batman - With at least four relaunched Bat books and at least that many more Batman-family titles, I had to be financially responsible about which titles made my pull list. I began with Batman, Batman and Robin, Detective Comics, and Batgirl. I have so far dropped Batman and Robin and Detective Comics. I found both titles too gratuitously violent. I dropped All-Star Western for the same reason after just one issue. I don't mind some action in my comics, but with people being hanged, skinned alive, and knifed in the first couple of issues I'd had enough. I felt that this was gore for the sake of gore. Agreeing with several online reviewers, I don't think it was just me. If more of us simply stop purchasing when the product isn't doing it for us, maybe DC will get the message. Comics are too expensive for us readers to purchase anything that is short of awesome. 

As for the Batman title, I have been enjoying it up to the fifth issue which I did not feel moved the plot forward at all. It was good, however, to see Robin show up at the end and find out that maybe the little cuss has a heart in there after all and is concerned with his senior partner. The different format for the panels on several pages was also a nice touch, helping us to experience Bruce's surrealism along with him. 

Batgirl - I still think that if they were going to take Barbara out of the wheel chair that they should have done a hard reboot of the entire universe, wiping the slate totally clean. But so far the stories have been really good. I look forward to each issue because I wonder what's going to happen. I actually care about the character. This is how comics should be written. I'd heard about the great writing Gail Simone does and I am convinced. The art by Ardian Syaf is very good. And Barbara Gordon actually has a personal life. I like that.

Justice League - I love almost everything about this book--especially the team of Geoff Johns and Jim Lee. The witty dialog, the humor, the way characters are drawn and introduced, the plot itself. This book has everything going for it. If I could only read one DC comic a month, this would be it. 

Batman: Year One

I collected a good number of the Batman titles from 1983 through 2003. I stopped reading, however, in about 1987. So now I'm catching up. Here are some of my impressions:

Batman: Year One - (Batman # 404-407, 1987). This story by Frank Miller with art by David Mazzuchelli redefined the Batman mythos. Here is the definitive post-crisis origin tale confirming Batman as the Dark Knight, distancing him further from the campy 1960s TV series and the 1950s sci-fi era. It's fairly consistent with Dennis O'Neil's run as Batman writer in the 70s and O'Neil just happened to be serving as editor during Miller's four-parter.

I can see where this story influenced the movie Batman Begins. We have police lieutenant James Gordon, before he was Commissioner, a good cop fighting corruption in a big city police department. Bruce Wayne has just returned after twelve years abroad preparing himself as the supreme crime-fighter and vigilante of Gotham. Also, like the movie, the police surround Batman in an abandoned building where he uses special technology to summon the bat population.

The gritty realism is what I've always liked about Batman since the O'Neil days. I prefer to see him fighting gangsters as opposed to members of his rogues gallery. In this story a highly trained, yet inexperienced Batman struggles his way through. The human element comes through in Gordon's relationship with his wife and his detective partner.  

This story, since reprinted in hardcover and various trade paperback editions, is one of the best Batman stories ever. I felt as if I was watching a movie while reading this truly suspenseful comic. I love Batman in any incarnation, but the Dark Avenger of the Night is how he was meant to be from the start. 

Now here is some good news. Batman: Year One is going to be a made-for-DVD animated movie released later this year.    

Pull List / Reviews July 2011, part 2

My previous post listed the DC comics on my current pull list. Here is what I'm reading from Marvel:

Marvel 

All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes # 1-2- This 8-part limited series is set in World War II, so it's right up my retro alley. A group of super-powered heroes join the army and are led into battle by Captain America. These include Timely heroes The Young Avenger, Invisible Man, Merzah the Mystic, and others.

Even Slow Motion Jones returns. He was the African-American sidekick of the Whizzer back in the Golden Age. He previously appeared in the first issues of USA Comics and All Winners Comics in 1941. In those days Slo-Mo was a racial caricature, but is now re-introduced as an intelligent super-speedster, faster than the Whizzer himself. His re-introduction is handled much like that of Whitewash Jones, renamed "Washington Carver Jones" in The Young Allies 70th Anniversary Special published in 2009. The Golden Age appearances of these African-American heroes are explained as the fictitious comic portrayals they really were, effectively striking the earlier versions from Marvel continuity. 

The new All-Winners story is told in retrospect by the alter ego of the Young Avenger, now in his 90s. He explains how Timely Comics was employed by the U.S. military to write fictional propaganda about his army buddies. The latest issue has a scene taking place in Martin Goodman's office as he sends for his nephew, Stanley. So cool! I love this series.  

FF # 1-6- I heard great things about Jonathan Hickman's run on the Fantastic Four, but I didn't want to jump into the middle of something I knew nothing about. So with the first issue of FF I thought this might be a good jumping on place. I wasn't completely up to speed with the threads that had apparently carried over from the Fantastic Four series, but I was piecing things together through the first five issues. I was especially sold on the Steve Epting art in the first three issues. I love it when artists draw people who look real. Epting's versions of Spiderman and Susan Richards is how these characters should always be drawn. By the fourth issue, however, it seemed that Barry Kitson had taken over the art chores. I wasn't as crazy about his art, but it's been growing on me. 

So along comes issue number 6. What? The FF doesn't even appear in this issue. It centers on an alien race called the Krees and the Inhumans who descend from a segment of the primitve homo sapien population of earth gentically engineered by the Krees. When the Inhuman city Attilan was attacked by the Krees, led by Ronan the Accuser, the Krees were defeated by Inhuman leader, Black Bolt who subsequently became ruler of the Krees. Black Bolt has since died, but FF # 6 is the precursor to his return. 

What this has to do with the current storyline is that Attilan is one of the four cities among whom four Reed Richards of alternate earths are trying to incite war which will (somehow) enable them to return to their own dimensions. The Future Foundation (FF) has assembled the most intelligent of the Fantastic Four's enemies in an effort to stop the Reeds.  

Issue 6 has yet another artist, Greg Tocchini. I wish this series would settle on an artist for the sake of consistency. According to Marvel's website, I can look forward to Steve Epting's return in issue # 8, but only for one issue since # 9 lists Daniel Acuna as the artist. The revolving door of artists is driving me crazy, as did the major departure of storyline in issue # 6. But I'm giving this title every chance before I give up and drop it. The characterization and dialogue are indeed above average.                     

Pull List / Reviews July 2011

Here is what I'm reading these days:

DC

Flashpoint # 3- I'm behind on this, but just read the latest issue. I was determined to stay away from any more big events, but I learned that this series will be the transitional point into the altered DC Universe. Here is where (I think) the changes in the time-stream will be explained. This issue by Geoff Johns was (not surprisingly) well written with good characterization, suspense, action, and witty dialogue. It was well drawn by Andy Kubert and Sandra Hope. It seems that the Flash is working to undo some changes in the time-stream due to events that were altered by the Reverse Flash. So Flash is in some alternate reality with Thomas Wayne, who is Batman, who did not die at the hands of a mugger, and whose son never became Batman. The two team up with Cyborg to release the captive survivor of a doomed planet whose rocket-ship was never discovered by the Kents, but landed in Metropolis doing fatal damage. The survivor was then taken into custody by the government who is conducting a "Project: Superman." Okay, I'm hooked. 

Justice Society of America # 52 - So we still don't know how Mr. Terrific lost his intellect, but now we know whodunit. Two issues to go before Mr. Terrific's own series is launched and the Justice Society is cancelled. I understand that in the realigned universe, characters who made up the JSA will still exist. But there will be no JSA. Superman will again be the first super hero in this altered continuity, which in a sense goes back to DC's roots. But it seems that the Golden Age of heroes is being retconned out of existence. The JSA has so often got the shaft when it comes to these reboots, relaunches, or whatever you want to call them. Following the orginal "Crisis on Infinite Earths" Golden Age heroes who had modern doppelgangers were retconned out of existence. The remaining JSA was banished to another dimension. So what happens to the JSA now? Will the earlier careers of originals like Jay Garrick and Alan Scott never have existed? Will the original Flash and Green Lantern ever have existed? We'll see. 

One plot in the current JSA arc that intrigues me grows out of one of Jay and Alan's WWII adventures. Will a retro guy like me ever be able to accept a JSA without the Golden Age backstory? I do hope the multiverse will play more of a role in the altered universe. I'd love to see the "Justice Society Infinity" team from "Justice Society of America Annual" # 1 return, with Superman and Batman of Earth 2 alive and well. Maybe they could have annual team-ups with the new JLA. Who knows?  

I'll review what I'm reading from Marvel soon.     

Invaders Now (review)

Well, I'm back and this time hoping to post more frequently. Summer was busy. I'll start with a review of a comic that just came out last week: Invaders Now # 1 (of a five part series).

This is a great follow-up to the 12-part Avengers/Invaders and the 8-part The Torch. The comics should be read in the following order for the right chronology: Avengers/ Invaders; The Torch; Invaders Now.

Alex Ross is back again for co-plotting and covers which makes this a Marvel / Dynamite collaboration since Ross is exclusively contracted to the later. As usual, his covers are stunning. I'll miss the interior art of Sandowski and Berkenkotter (from the previous series), who I believe drew the definitive Torch (Jim Hammond) and Toro. But the art by Reis isn't too bad.

The writing has been consistently good on all the above mentioned series. It doesn't hurt that the original Vision is back to keep things moving. He is a foreboding presence who appears to be confident and in control.

An up-side to the first issue of Invaders Now is character development. I love it when comics show multi-dimensional characterization as opposed to an entire issue of fights and explosions. I especially liked the conversation between Bucky and Thomas as they walked down the urban streets sharing impressions of how things have changed since the 40s era from which they came. This is too important for a good writer to ignore and still have any sense of realism at all. Christos Gage is a good writer.  

The scene in which the young mutants are asking Jim Hammond (the original Human Torch) about Hitler is priceless. Hammond's response is not predictable, but is believeable. The creative team has not let us forget that this is a World War II team now brought together for a threat from the past that only they are equipped to handle. 

The roll call includes Steve Rogers, the new Captain America (originally Bucky), Human Torch, Toro, the Sub-Mariner, and British members Spitfire and Union Jack (Joseph Chapman). The series is off to a good start and promises not to disappoint. 

Rating: A