Justice League International #14 (June 1988) and #15 (July 1988)

Tags

Al Gordon, Batman, Big Barda, Blue Beetle, Bob Lappan, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Fire, Gene D'Angelo, Green Lantern (G'Nort), Green Lantern (Guy Gardner), Ice, J. M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen, L-Ron, Manga Khan, Martian Manhunter, Max Lord, Mister Miracle, Modern Age Captain Atom, Oberon, Rocket Red, Ronald Reagan, Steve Leialoha

“Shop… Or Die”

• Writers:  Keith Giffen & J.M. DeMatteis
• Pencils:  Steve Leialoha
• Inks:  Al Gordon
• Colors:  Gene D’Angelo
• Letters:  Bob Lappan

Despite being featured prominently on the cover of this issue, Captain Atom has only a cameo appearance.  He shows up in two panels and has no dialogue. A new “villain” is introduced in the form of Lord Manga Khan.  The DC wiki description of Manga Khan: “The self-ascribed lord is an intergalactic broker with connections throughout several galaxies. He is more or less considered the used car salesman of the galaxy. Manga Khan leads the bartering firm known as the Cluster and is willing to trade in any commodity of reputable value. Assisting Khan is his robotic major domo L-Ron, who is reportedly Manga Khan’s only real friend, and often serves as the sounding board to his employer’s often long-winded rants.”  When he is introduced, he has just harvested the last of the resources from an unnamed planet. L-Ron tells Khan that he has discovered a new planet with even more resources – Earth. Manga sends drone ships to the planet.

On the planet Khan has just drained, a pod crashes and G’Nort steps out.  His ring tells him this world is Yecktamecktokovia and until recently it was “pretty civilized” and not the wasteland it is now.  G’Nort encounters a native who presumably tells him of what Lord Manga Khan has done and the fact he is headed for Earth because G’Nort himself flies to Earth.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Ice Maiden and Green Flame are trying to join the Justice League but Martian Manhunter isn’t interested. In the home of Scott Free and Big Barda, Mister Miracle, Booster Gold and Blue Beetle are watching a football game when the program is suddenly pre-empted by an alien broadcast about interstellar barter.  L-Ron informs the people of Earth that if they do not enter into trade negotiations with Khan’s Cluster, they will simply take what they want and leave Earth an empty husk.  He warns them to shop or die.

On the moon, G’Nort sees the Cluster preparing for invasion. He attacks.  The story is to be continued in the next issue.

“Gnort and South”

• Writers:  Keith Giffen & J.M. DeMatteis
• Pencils:  Steve Leialoha
• Inks:  Al Gordon
• Colors:  Gene D’Angelo
• Letters:  Bob Lappan

Picking up where the last issue left off, Justice League International #15 features Captain Atom more prominently.  On sale March 15, 1988 and cover-dated July 1988, this issue opens with Manga Khan’s Cluster being attacked by Green Lantern G’Nort.  L-Ron informs his master that the Green Lantern attacking isn’t even assigned to this sector, leading Khan to believe G’Nort is a rogue Lantern (“or an idiot,” L-Ron points out).

L-Ron informs Manga Khan that any damage G’Nort could do would be negligible, which makes me wonder just how powerful the Cluster is.  I mean, the Green Lantern rings are supposed to be the most powerful weapon in the universe.  This is probably the first hint that G’Nort isn’t exactly what he seems to be (but that is a story for another time).  Despite this, G’Nort somehow takes out the Cluster’s main power unit and their cloaking shield goes down. At the JLI’s New York embassy, Oberon sees the Cluster suddenly appear on his screens along with a power surge in Australia.  The surge blows out his monitor so Oberon hits the big “alert” button to warn the Justice League.  The surge also shorts out Mr. Miracle’s “arm unit” (his interface with his mother box) on board the JLI shuttle (where he is accompanied by Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Green Flame, and Ice Maiden).  In the last issue, Martian Manhunter had not signed Green Flame and Ice Maiden on with the JLI.  Booster is lamenting the absence of Guy Gardner but Green Flame tells him that she and Ice Maiden are the two heaviest hitters on the Global Guardians team (she also mentions that they are probationary members of the JLI).  The shuttle flies on toward Australia.

In orbit around Earth, Captain Atom, Martian Manhunter, and Rocket Red #4 have hitched a ride on a S.T.A.R. Labs space shuttle.  Martian Manhunter and Cap are wearing space suits.  I kind of have an issue with this.  Didn’t the Millennium mini-series establish that Cap could survive the vacuum of space without a space suit?  The Bronze and Silver Age Captain Atoms could.  See, look at this panel…

From Justice League International #10

I suppose it is possible that the heroes who were in space were only surviving because of a spell Dr. Fate cast or something. Martian Manhunter tells his team that all they have to do is prevent Manga Khan’s fleet from reaching Earth. The trio exits the shuttle and approach the Cluster.  At first the ships do nothing, but then they send out fighter.  It dawns on Cap that he can’t use his powers because if he does, he ruptures his suit.  If he ruptures his suit, he dies. Approaching a giant structure in Australia, the JLI shuttle is attacked by Manga Khan’s men.  Ice Maiden quickly proves her value by blasting a soldier off the shuttle with an ice blast.  Mr. Miracle and Booster leave the shuttle to fight while Blue Beetle sets her down. In space, Cap watches as Rocket Red and Martian Manhunter tear into the Cluster’s ships.  He informs J’onn that he has a plan to hold the Cluster’s forces at bay until the “powerhouses like Superman can get in on this.”

L-Ron informs Khan that G’Nort has broken off his attack on the Cluster and is instead going after the fighters.  Manga Khan is pleased, as this will save them a considerable amount in comparative damages.

Cap’s plan is to use the surround debris to batter the fighters and give them something to run from.  J’onn is less than thrilled with the plan but goes along with it as it is as good a plan as any.  Just when they are about to be toasted by an incoming fighter, G’Nort shows up and rescues them.  Cap believes G’Nort is just the advantage they’re looking for.

Back on Earth, the rest of the League is having troubles besting the Cluster’s ground troops.  Green Flame and Ice Maiden actually prove their worth, much to Mr. Miracle’s surprise.  He flies into the Cluster building while Booster and Beetle take refuge with Green Flame and Ice Maiden under Booster’s force field.

Back in space, G’Nort proves his worth by taking out some drones with wreckage from the debris field.  To the League’s surprise, the Cluster ships begin to withdraw.  On the flagship, L-Ron explains to Manga that they are reaching a point where the taking of Earth is no longer profitable (due to the Justice League’s intervention).

Back on Earth, the Cluster is also retreating.  However, Mr. Miracle is still inside one of the ships as it leaves the planet.  Before he can escape, he is grabbed by one of Manga’s men.

Rocket Red, Martian Manhunter, and G’Nort break the news of Scott’s abduction to his wife, Big Barda.  She suits up and insists on going after him.

The issue closes with a cute exchange between Batman and Guy Gardner in which Guy is trying to convince the dark knight into returning to the JLI.  This sets up the next issue, which does not feature Captain Atom so I won’t be reviewing it for this blog (but it was a really good issue and you should check it out).

This story was cute, but there still isn’t a lot for Cap to do in the Justice League.  His role increases when Justice League Europe hits the stands, but that’s still to come.  I’m not crazy about Steve Leialoha’s work on these issues, but I think it was a step in the right direction.  I give Justice League International #14 & 15 a B-.

Advertisement

Justice League International #9 (January 1988)

Tags

Al Gordon, Batman, Black Canary, Blue Beetle, Bob Lappan, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Gene D'Angelo, Green Lantern (Guy Gardner), J. M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen, Kevin Maguire, Martian Manhunter, Max Lord, Modern Age Captain Atom, Mr. Miracle, Ms. Wootenhoffer, Rocket Red #7, Rumaan Harjavti

“Seeing Red”

• Writers:  Keith Giffen & J.M. DeMatteis
• Pencils:  Kevin Maguire
• Inks:  Al Gordon
• Colors:  Gene D’Angelo
• Letters:  Bob Lappan

The Millennium crossover event began on September 15, 1987 with the publication of Millennium #1.  The first week it crossed over into Firestorm #67, Flash #8, Outsiders #27, Wonder Woman #12, and Justice League International #9.  It began with  the Guardian of the Universe known as Herupa Hando Hu and his consort, the Zamaron, Nadia Safir arriving on Earth and announcing that they want the super-heroes of Earth to protect a group of Chosen humans – a group that will help to usher in a new era of humanity.  Each hero then realizes that someone close to them is a sleeper agent of the Manhunters (a race of robots that were created by and oppose the Guardians of the Universe).  In Captain Atom #10, we learned that Harry Hadley, a high-ranking member of Project Captain Atom, was a Manhunter agent.

This issue of JLI begins with the Justice League flying to their Paris embassy after having met with Herupa Hando Hu and Nadia Safir at the Green Lantern Citadel in California.  Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Booster Gold, and Martian Manhunter are flying alongside the JLI shuttle, which is carrying Blue Beetle, Mr. Miracle, Rocket Red #7, Black Canary, and Batman.

Just as Rocket Red addresses everyone on board the shuttle, Beetle and Miracle notice that the controls aren’t responding and they are on autopilot.  Rocket Red wastes no time in telling his team-mates that he is a Manhunter.  He has been studying them all and would like them to join his group.  Batman seems quite taken aback by this proposal.

Back at the New York embassy, Oberon informs Captain Atom that he’s lost contact with the shuttle.  They were heading for Paris but their trajectory seems to be aiming them towards the Middle East now.  Cap takes off to check it out while Oberon says he’s calling back-up.

On the shuttle, Rocket Red is trying to convince the JLI that the Guardians are liars and manipulators who are tampering with the fate of the universe.  Batman still isn’t buying this b.s.  Mr. Miracle, meanwhile, has sneaked around behind Rocket Red and is tampering with his battle suit with a screwdriver.  Blue Beetle fogs a window of the shuttle with his breath and writes “help” in it with his finger, hoping the league members outside will see it.

Clearly, the JLI isn’t going to join the Manhunters.  Rocket Red removes his visor to reveal his true face beneath.


Mr. Miracle is knocked back by a shock from Rocket Red’s armor.  Black Canary again asserts their refusal to join the Manhunters.  Rocket Red pounces on Blue Beetle.  Outside the shuttle, Guy Gardner sees the ruckus through a window and assumes Beetle and the others are just joking around.  The melee causes Red to slightly lose his control over the shuttle, and those outside are finally clued in to what is going on because of the shuttle’s erratic movements.

Rocket Red flies out of the shuttle, sealing the hatch behind him.  From atop the shuttle, Red begins blasting at J’onn, Guy, and Booster.  He tells them if they don’t leave, he will detonate his armor, killing everyone on the shuttle.  To make matters worse, Booster notices they are flying into Bialian airspace.  That must be one hell of a craft, to get them from California to the Middle East in such quick time, and never flying over the ocean (unless the story began while they were over Spain or something… I guess that is conceivable…).

Red’s plan is evidently to kill the JLI anyway, as he is aiming for an oil refinery.  He says that the Justice League will be disgraced when it is discovered they caused an incident like this in Bialya.  The shuttle plummets closer and closer to the refinery until it suddenly stops short and Rocket Red flies from the roof and into the refinery himself.  The shuttle was caught and held back at the last second by the rest of the Rocket Red Brigade (real Russians and not Manhunters).

Captain Atom shows up, too late to help.  Guy is containing the fire with his ring.  Rumaan Harjavti (despotic ruler of Bialya) shows up, threatening to notify the Soviets of the JLI breaching his country’s borders for a second time.  A Rocket Red points out to Harjavti that his Soviet allies are already aware, which shuts him up.

The skeletal, robotic remains of Rocket Red #7 emerge from the wreckage.  He has one missile left and intends to use it.  When he fires, it does no damage because Booster Gold surrounded the Manhunter with a force field.  Harjavti orders them off his soil, and Batman remarks they are going to have trouble from the dictator some day.  J’onn suggests that the League members with families and loved ones should return home to find out if they, too, have been infiltrated by the Manhunters.

In New York, at the Lord Building, Maxwell Lord is watching Manhunters reveal themselves to super-heroes around the country via his monitors.  He and his supercomputer are working on the problem when his assistant, Ms. Wootenhoffer, enters his office.  She shoots Lord, saying, “No man escapes the Manhunters,” as she does so.  Then Max Lord’s supercomputer retaliates off-panel.  It seems gruesome.

There is another backup story in this issue that again features Jack O’Lantern and a meeting he has with Rumaan Harjavti just moments before Rocket Red #7 crashed in his refinery.

Well.  This really should have been in the Cameo Appearances section of this blog.  Captain Atom was only in four panels.  I guess I thought it should get the whole review treatment because Cap’s officially a Justice League team member now.  Again, this is beautifully drawn and written.  There were a few funny quips.  I wish they’d utilized Cap more.  He has yet to live up to his full potential with the League.  Still, I give this an A.

Justice League International #8 (December 1987)

Tags

Al Gordon, Batman, Black Canary, Blue Beetle, Bob Lappan, Booster Gold, Boris Razumihin, Captain Atom, Catherine Cobert, Gene D'Angelo, Green Lantern (Guy Gardner), J. M. DeMatteis, Jack Ryder, Keith Giffen, Kevin Maguire, Martian Manhunter, Modern Age Captain Atom, Mr. Miracle, Oberon, Rocket Red #7

“Moving Day”

• Writers:  Keith Giffen & J.M. DeMatteis
• Pencils:  Kevin Maguire
• Inks:  Al Gordon
• Colors:  Gene D’Angelo
• Letters:  Bob Lappan

Before I get too deep into this, let me just put a little disclaimer here.  Despite what the words below might indicate, I really liked Giffen & DeMatteis’ take on the Justice League.  It was funny.  It was fresh.  It was really really good.  And it was my introduction to the Justice League (unless you include the Super Friends).  What I don’t like – and it is really such a minor quibble – is what a dork Captain Atom was in these early issues.  When he went on to lead Justice League Europe (by the same creative team), he was a lot less of a doofus.  But I have to admit, dork doofus Captain Atom or not, this was a great issue.  It is, in fact, the first Justice League book I ever purchased.  It hit the stands on September 8, 1987 with a cover price of 75 cents.

It begins with an episode of Jack Ryder’s Hot Seat.  I have a hard time taking Mr. Ryder seriously, because he’s also the Creeper.  It may be an unpopular opinion, but I think the Creeper is one of DC’s goofiest characters (right up there with Lobo, Gnort, ‘Mazing Man [whom I adore], and Ambush Bug).  He’s not happy about the Justice League’s new “international” status and believes the “costumed buffoons” are probably blackmailing the United Nations.  Well, isn’t he a ray of sunshine?

A crowd has gathered outside the new JLI New York embassy.  Locals hope to catch a glimpse of a super-hero.  One guy claims he saw Captain Marvel (better known as Shazam these days [don’t get me started]).  A team of movers is unloading a truck full of furniture and crap (it would have been cheaper and easier if the heroes had done this themselves, but Max Lord never shied away from spending money frivolously).

Inside, one of the movers (wearing a S.T.A.R. Labs cap), is getting directions from Martian Manhunter on where things go.  The mover asks about a crate of Oreo cookies.  Martian Manhunter says they are his; Captain Marvel introduced them to him and he quite enjoyed them.  He says Martians do eat just like humans; in fact, Mars had a McDonalds and Burger King long before Earth did.  Even though he was usually the most “serious” character in the JLI, the Manhunter from Mars did crack a joke once in a while.  He carries a crate up the stairs, clearly showing off for the movers.  But he misjudges his weight combined with the crate and crashes through the floor.

When he crashes back down to the first floor through the hole he created, Martian Manhunter plays it cool to the only witnesses, Captain Atom and Mister Miracle.  I don’t like the hairstyle they’ve given Cap, but it is more in line with his military background.

Captain Atom, feeling pretty useless around Mr. Miracle, searches for a way to help set up the security system.  Finding two dangling power cords – one male and one female – Cap connects them.  This results in an instant explosion.  Captain Atom then “reflexively” blasts the offending security system.  He tries to smooth things over, saying that setbacks like this bring people closer together.  But there’s no covering up the fact that he was and idiot who did an idiotic idiot thing.  Mr. Miracle storms out in a huff, leaving Cap to explain to Martian Manhunter what happened.

Meanwhile, in Moscow, Batman and Green Lantern Guy Gardner show up at their new JLI embassy.  The guards that greet them say Gardner is an enemy of the state and is not welcome.  Batman says he can control Guy, who has no idea why he’s unwanted in the Soviet Union (this is the brain damaged amnesia Guy Gardner).  Rocket Red #7 touches down and vouches for Guy and Batman.  Batman enters the embassy to check on the progress of the security system’s installation.  When Guy joins him, Batman asks the Green Lantern to sweep the embassy for bugs.  Batman has already found a handful of them.  The JLI’s Moscow embassy chief and government liaison Boris Dmitravich Razumihin arrives and Batman demands an explanation for the bugs.  Boris says it was a mistake that he will correct, but clearly it was not.

Back in the U.S., Mr. Miracle arrives at a S.T.A.R. Labs facility where a resident scientist leads him into a storage room.  Whatever it is Mr. Miracle sees there awes and pleases him.

In Paris, Booster Gold and Blue Beetle are out of costume and sitting at an outdoor café.  They’ve ducked out on Black Canary for a bit to hang out and pick up women.  Booster locks eyes on a beautiful, tall, black-haired woman in the café.  Booster approaches her, full of confidence.  45 seconds later, he and Beetle are walking away, Gold having completely struck out.  Beetle laughs himself all the way back to the embassy.

When they arrive (back in costume), Black Canary chews them out for ditching her.  Blue Beetle is still laughing.  Booster leaves the room, and bumps into Catherine Cobert, the league’s Paris bureau chief.  She is the same woman Booster Gold hit on at the café.  She doesn’t seem to recognize him.  However, when Black Canary introduces Catherine to Blue Beetle, her responds with a hearty “bwah-ha-ha.”

Back in New York, Captain Atom, Martian Manhunter, and Oberon are admiring the fact that their embassy is up and running.  Mr. Miracle arrives in a brand new S.T.A.R. Labs shuttle.  One of the movers points out that if he tries to land on the roof, he will cause it to collapse.  And that is exactly what Mr. Miracle does.

Later, when the heroes have all returned to the New York embassy and are enjoying some milk and Oreos, courtesy of J’onn J’onzz (Martian Manhunter), Blue Beetle is regaling them with the tale of Booster’s failure.  Guy says Beetle is being cruel.  Mr. Miracle is assuring J’onn that the shuttle wasn’t damaged (the roof, on the other hand…).  Oberon rushes in and tells them their first assignment is ready.  A “bunch of super powered lunatics” are running around Bonn, Germany.  They hurry off and the story closes with the text, “To be continued — in the pages of DC’s greatest crossover series ever: Millennium #1.”

Greatest crossover series?  I guess a case could be made.  I don’t agree though.  It wasn’t horrible.

This issue also contains a back-up story featuring Jack O’Lantern of the Global Guardians by the same crew but with Keith Giffen doing the pencils.  I’m not a great fan of Giffen’s artwork but it isn’t the lousiest I’ve ever seen.

Justice League International #8 was a very fun book.  Once I read it, I was hooked on the series and stayed with it until issue #24.  Kevin Maguire and Al Gordon were a great team and Giffen & DeMatteis are equally awesome.  I’m not crazy about the way Captain Atom was drawn or portrayed in this issue, but I still give it an A+.