Justice League Unlimited: Into the Inferno
I bought these books months ago. I’ve sort forgotten the circumstances why I bought them. This trade was on display at Coas, I think without any discount for being used. I figured out this was set in the World’s Finest universe, which is sort of a more modern version of the classic DC setting. (As opposed to whatever nonsense is going on in the current mainline DC universe.) Having had a good experience with the Superman/Batman team up (8-23-23), I picked this up.
The Dan Mora artwork is great. Unfortunately with the hectic action of the book, it comes off as kind of busy at times. This might have more to do with the coloring. It’s really dark, but also has bright, colorful highlights. The story features the Justice League fighting a worldwide attack on the biosphere. It starts in media res and doesn’t let up for the full five issues. There is a traitor inside the League that’s introduced. By the end, it’s revealed that the Legion of Doom is behind the attack.
The World’s Finest universe was supposed to be a fun, easy entry, kid-friendly superhero setting, but is starting to move towards heavier continuity. This story follows up on a previous storyline that figures heavily into the background of this one. The Justice League has every superhero on call, which makes for a very large cast. It’s a bit unwieldy (like having two Atoms and multiple Flashes), not to mention that Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman still have to be featured all the time.
This all sounds swell, but it didn’t work for me. It’s just too much all at once. It’s frenetic and conceptually, it’s just too big. This isn’t to say that there isn’t some characterization and there are quiet moments. There are huge disasters, but also little acts of small personal heroism. Having all the heroes available and sending them out constantly in small teams to every emergency is exhausting for reader. There is some character building, but it’s a constantly shifting spotlight. (For contrast, see the Avengers trade below.)
The meta continuity isn’t really worthwhile in this setting, either for the characters personally or the overall setting. The characters should be archetypes with strong personalities. They probably shouldn’t bother with ongoing storylines other than teasing the next series. Either go with a much smaller, more or less fixed cast and go with ongoing storylines for the group and for the individual heroes, or continue with their current concept, but ditch the continuity and have the storylines be more self-contained.
I still like the World’s Finest universe, but they’re trying to be everything to everyone all at once. They need to pull it back a bit, like they did when they were just featuring Batman and Superman.
American Flagg! #26
I was aware of American Flagg in the 80’s, but never read it or knew anything about it. (There were so many titles I would have read or collected in the 80’s if I’d had the money.) An article in Back Issue that I read recently was actually my first exposure to the character and the setting (1-17-25). It was intriguing to say the least. Coincidentally, a Youtube video came up in my feed and that provided more information.
The next time I was at Zia Comics I decided to check their back issues to see if they had any. They had one. I was probably lucky I found that. This comic was more obscure than I thought. The video had mentioned that the first 12 issues of AF were the best and that they were currently available in a new trade paperback. (I checked that out. They were sold out of them. I would have bought it.) I had to settle for issue #26.
This was the last issue in a storyline where Ruben Flagg was in London promoting his porno vid, Mark Thrust. There, he uncovers a complex international plot involving clone cyborg duplicates. It’s complicated, but deftly handled. Ruben does have some romance and personal relationships in this to humanize the story. The story does have great art (lots and lots of zip-a-tone) and great formatting of the pages, which was cited as one of this title’s major influences on other comics of the time.
This is a Howard Chaykin book. These sort of scenes are almost required. This is edgy for an 80’s book, not to mention, the USSR is apparently occupying England on top of it. I might not have found that amusing back then (or even now). Alan Moore writes the backup feature where the population of Chicago is subjected to intense sexual subliminal messaging and they all become deviants, who go to Kansas to act out on their unnatural desires. The next issue is called, “Lustbusters.”
Okay, this wasn’t the best place to start reading the series and yet, it’s likely pretty representative. It’s intellectual. It’s broad satire. It’s juvenile. I’d like to read some more of this, if for no other reason than there’s nothing quite like it. Though set in the near future, it’s also a nice 80’s throwback to simpler times. The only problem is where to get more of it.
The Avengers Epic Collection: The Avengers/Defenders War
I think I bought this with the AF issue. It’s been so long ago, I don’t remember. I’d gone to Zia Comics with the intention of getting a certain X-Men trade, but it was no longer there. I decided to get this instead. Honestly, neither of these were a first choice option, unlike that X-Force trade (6-17-25). This was a questionable purchase, but I hoped it might be fun.
The feature story is a team up between Dormammu and Loki trying to gather the pieces of the Evil Eye and manipulating the Defenders to do it. For their part, the Defenders are trying to save the Black Knight, who has been turned to stone, with the artifact. Loki turns on Dormammu and recruits the Avengers to stop the Defenders, though without explaining to them what’s really going on.
The split up teams come into conflict with each other with the Defenders actually coming out on top. Captain America and Submariner’s fight actually ends in the two former WWII allies figuring out that they’re being manipulated. The final fight is between Thor and the Hulk battling each other to a standstill, before the reconciled teams put a stop to it.
Dormammu steals the reassembled Evil Eye and is about to assume total power. As earth’s other heroes fight hordes of demons, the combined teams assault the Dark Dimension to confront Dormammu on his home plane. The (likely much more powerful) Defenders are incapacitated and Avengers plow into the confrontation anyway. Surprisingly, it’s the Scarlet Witch who is the final one left. With a distraction from Loki, she takes Dormammu down.
(The odd epilogue occurs in an issue of the Defenders, which is reprinted in the book. The Defenders and the Evil Eye go backward in time to find the Black Knight, now recovered, fighting in the Crusades.)
From there, the Avengers are summoned to Rutland, Vermont for a superhero Halloween parade. This unassuming location has hosted several such parades, including in the DC universe. It was sort of an unofficial crossover event between Marvel and DC. There is a small, near reference in this issue, but it’s cutoff. The only reason I knew about this at all was from an article and from reading a Batman comic that was set there.
The Avengers were fighting the Collector in this story. He’s a far cry from the cosmic entity from the Guardians of the Galaxy. He was the villain in Communication Breakdown, a trade paperback that I loved (10-11-18). My review was criminally short, but to the point.
The Avengers next fight the Zodiac gang. The villains’ scheme involved putting a giant cannon on top of the World Trade Center, which was tuned to kill every Gemini in New York City. If that sounds silly, Captain America somehow slides all the way down the outside of the building to street level during the fight. Later, the Zodiac gang traps the Avengers in a warehouse, which turns out to be the top of a rocketship that sends them into orbit.
Speaking of the Guardians, Mantis is prominently featured in this book. I really didn’t know her origin and still don’t. The story featuring her and the team going to Vietnam to investigate the man claiming to be her father didn’t resolve anything. They fight a near invulnerable space monster there that only had a weakness to . . . sunlight.
Then Thanos shows up with an invading fleet with him. I’d read part of this story before in a Marvel digest (8-29-17). This story is finished in an issue of Captain Marvel, which is included in the trade. This Jim Starlin produced story is probably the best of the volume. It features Drax the Destroyer and Mantis teaming up with Mar-Vell to take out Thanos. It’s foreshadowing for the MCU, itself. Too bad there wasn’t a trade available at the store featuring Starlin’s Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock cosmic stories.
There’s another family affair in a reprinted Avengers annual, where the Scarlet Witch meets her and her brother Quicksilver’s father, Whizzer. (What an unfortunate superhero name.) The Claw then fights the Avengers trying to get at Black Panther. There was a surprise twist in the story. Next is the wedding of Quicksilver and Crystal. The Avengers and the Fantastic Four visit the Inhumans’ sanctuary for the event, but have to team up to take on Ultron, who crashes the party. He defeats all of them, but child Franklin Richards takes him out with a thought.
Lastly, the Scarlet Witch and Agatha Harkness, Franklin’s nanny, team up to enhance Wanda’s powers. Agatha was featured in a recent Marvel show, though not looking anything like the comic book character. I was surprised by how relevant this 70’s book was to the MCU. More significantly, Mantis dumps the Swordsman, her pathetic boyfriend, and makes a play for Vision, who he turns her down to stay true to Wanda. In the back is an extended interview with Jarvis from FOOM magazine.
This was plenty of comic book at over 450 pages. If you’re wondering why I’m only posting a couple of pages of art, it’s all very workman-like. It tells the story and isn’t totally unappealing, but it’s not a selling point of the volume. Yeah, I know I usually post a dozen pics with any freaking Archie digest, but this wasn’t worth the effort. It’s 70’s Marvel and not their best stuff, which would probably be Spider-Man of the era. I can see how Howard the Duck took off. This book is more goofy than fun, frankly. Unlike the Justice League, there’s plenty of personal intrigue and friction between the Avengers members, but it’s very ham-fisted.
So, this was a somewhat expensive mistake. You’d best skip it.
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