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. 

More Convergence Tie-ins

Here is a rundown of what interests me most regarding Convergence, weeks three and four this April: 

Week Three: 1980s characters versus Tangent and Elseworld's characters.

Adventures of Superman. The pre-crisis Supergirl will die if she returns to her own dimension and time. It would be great if this turned out to not be predictable and we didn't have to see her die all over again. I'm so afraid the "closure" of Convergence is just another dead end leading to more of the current New 52 status quo.  

Wonder Woman. versus vampires of Red Rain.

Justice League America. Elongated Man and the Detroit Justice League versus Tangent characters.

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes.

New Teen Titans. versus Tangent's Doom Patrol.  

Week Four: Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths heroes of original multiverse against characters of alternate realities. 

Justice Society of America. A chance to regain their youth, but not without cost. Are the JSA going to get the shaft yet again? 

Infinity Inc. versus post-apocalyptic Jonah Hex.

Detective Comics by Len Wein. Earth-Two Robin (Dick Grayson) and the Huntress (Helena Wayne) are still alive and determining who will be the successor to Earth-Two Batman who is still dead. Can there ever be a universe in which the awesome Golden Age Batman could live again?

Action Comics. Earth-Two Superman and Power Girl versus Luther and Stalin of Red Son.

World's Finest Comics by Paul Levitz. The Original Seven Soldiers of Victory.

Crime Syndicate. Earth-Three villains versus One Million universe's Batman and Superman. 

Blue Beetle. Earth-Four Blue Beetle with Captain Atom and the Question. 

Shazam. The Earth-Five Marvel Family and the Gaslight universe. 

Plastic Man and the Freedom Fighters. Earth-X heroes versus Nazis. 

While I'm looking forward to the return of these great retro heroes, I hope it isn't just to watch them fade into oblivion yet again.  

 

Batman: Robin Origins

Not as famous as Batman: Year One was Batman: Year Three. The story unfolded over Batman # 436-439 (1989), written by Marv Wolfman with pencils by Pat Broderick. The origin of Robin (Dick Grayson) is retold in flashbacks, while the then-current continuity explored Batman's psychological burden since the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin. Batman is pursued by Grayson's current alter ego, Nightwing, as the two solve the mystery of who is slaying the gang bosses of Gotham. This all takes place as Boss Zucco, the murderer of Grayson's parents is being paroled from prison. Alfred refreshingly plays a key role in the story. 

Following this arc was "A Lonely Place of Dying" in Batman # 440-442 (parts 1, 3, & 5) and The New Titans # 60-61 (parts 2 & 4). The pencils in Batman were done by Jim Aparo and in Titans by George Perez. Here is the origin of yet a third Robin, Tim Drake. He actually appeared in the previous Batman arc, "Year Three," but the reader isn't clued in until "A Lonely Place of Dying." Drake doesn't make his first appearance as Robin until the concluding chapter in Batman # 442. 

Wolfman's writing has always been consistently good. I was especially struck by dated references to what was going on in the real world. As Two-Face contemplates his next crime in Batman 441, he considers blowing up the twin towers. This seems a bit eerie now. Although it was the Gotham twin towers, this fictional city was for many years considered the analogue to New York City in the DC Universe. Two-Face then considers stealing a double diamond pendant from Princess Diana which calls to mind yet another eerie tragedy. There is also mention of President Bush in issue # 440. Long as we're noting details, there appears to be a lettering blooper on page 14 of Batman 441 where Dick calls Tim "Jeff."   

This cross-continuity between Batman and the New Titans occured during the era in which Wolfman and Perez had made the Titans one DC's most popular properties. After the New Teen Titans had run successfully for four years (1980-1984) and forty issues, their new adventures were renumbered starting with issue 1 in a deluxe format, higher price, higher paper quality, direct-sale-only publication with the same title. The word "teen" was dropped from the title with issue # 50.

Meanwhile, the numbering of the former New Teen Titans series continued in a series called "Tales of the Teen Titans" (# 41-91) which reprinted the deluxe format editions for the newsstand crowd who couldn't afford the big bucks. Are you confused yet? It turns out that renumbering and relaunching is really nothing new.

Of course the Teen Titans have since been relaunched again for a series from 1996-1998 and again for a series that began in 2003. Drake has been the most recent Robin in the Teen Titans which will again be relaunched in late September. Since Damien Wayne is now the fourth Robin, Tim Drake is now "Red Robin" who will be fighting alongside Wonder Girl and Kid Flash.            

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.