Convergence: Justice League International #2 & Convergence #6 (July 2015)

Tags

Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Bret Blevins, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Captain Marvel (Shazam), Chip Kidd, Creeper, Fire, Huntress, Ice, Jade, Joe Rubinstein, Ken Branch, Kevin Conrad, Mark Campos, Martian Manhunter, Mike Manley, Modern Age Captain Atom, Nightstar, Obsidian, Paul Renaud, Red Tornado, Ron Marz, Sotocolor, Tom Napolitano, Wonder Woman

“Punchline”

• Writer:  Ron Marz
• Pencils:  Mike Manley
• Inks:  Joe Rubinstein, Mike Manley, and Bret Blevins
• Colors:  Sotocolor
• Letters:  Tom Napolitano
• Cover Artists:  Paul Renaud, Chip Kidd, Mark Campos, Ken Branch, and Kevin Conrad

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Okay, a couple of things that bug me right off the bat.  First, no mention is made of Ted’s broken arm from the previous issue, and second is the title.  If the prior issue was called “It Only Hurts When I Laugh, Part 1,” shouldn’t this one be titled “It Only Hurts When I Laugh, Part 2?”

I was super excited about Convergence and was really digging it at first.  Now, not so much.  While this issue had a few good moments, overall I felt it fell flat.  And Captain Atom was really under-used.

Picking up where the last issue left off, Shazam is counseling Wonder Woman atop the Daily Planet building..  He asks if there is really a need to fight the other heroes.  Wonder Woman says she doubts the other heroes will simply surrender, as it is something they would not do themselves.  She jumps off the roof.

On a nearby rooftop, Blue Beetle and Martian Manhunter are having a similar discussion.  Beetle says he has to try and talk some sense into the other heroes, and swings down to the street to talk to Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman assures Beetle that she is not the Diana he knows and that it is her intention to fight as Telos wants.  She will not entertain the notion of anything other than fighting, and warns him that her team will win.  Beetle says he won’t put Metropolis in danger and says if they have to fight, they’ll do so outside the city in the wasteland.  Wonder Woman leaves, telling Beetle to meet her when he is ready.

Later, the two teams face off outside of Metropolis.

And it is ON.

Martian Manhunter takes on Shazam (which makes sense, as I think they are pretty evenly matched), and Captain Atom takes on Jade and the elder Blue Beetle (which makes no sense – sure, Jade and her constructs can give him a run for his money, but an old man in beetle armor?).

Young Beetle manages to get his hands on Wonder Woman’s sword, but she grabs him by the throat and flings him against a boulder some distance away.  There, he meets old Beetle, who says he walked away from the fight because he believed there had to be a better way.

The two are immediately set upon by a squad of Telos robots.  Young Beetle makes a joke which chagrins old Beetle.

The two trade jokes as they combat robots, but an earthquake (telosquake?) drops a boulder on top of old Beetle, pinning him down.  Young Beetle uses robot parts as a lever to pry the boulder off his older self and the two limp back to the battlefield.  There, they discover the JLI has been defeated.

Wonder Woman says she did what Telos wanted: defeated the other heroes.  She never intended to kill them.  Somehow, I think this goes against the spirit of what Telos said (but – as revealed in the pages of Convergence itself – Telos may have switched his loyalties and perhaps no longer gives a damn about the cities).

The JLI returns to their HQ battered and bruised, but alive.

Ted goes off to “think things through” (again with the offer from Fire to keep him company).  He’s upset no one remembered that this was his birthday, but also realizes that might not be a high priority for his super buddies.  Entering his room, he is doused by a bucket of water and finds his room decorated by the one super hero buddy who’d never forget his birthday: Booster Gold.

So the story ends.  Very little Captain Atom (he had no lines, did most of his combat off-page, and was easily defeated).  This series should have been titled Convergence: Blue Beetle.  It wasn’t bad.  I liked the interaction between the old Blue Beetle and the young Blue Beetle.  I liked the acknowledgement of how close Beetle and Booster were.  But, overall, I’m unhappy with Convergence.  It seems as if all this buildup was for nothing.  I loved the artwork of this issue and give it an A but the story limps along with a C.  Overall, I’d say this is a B book.

Also, the Bronze Age Captain Atom had a cameo in Convergence #6:

(All characters and images belong to DC Comics and I am not making any profit off this blog.)

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Convergence: Justice League International #1 (June 2015)

Tags

Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, Chip Kidd, Creeper, Fire, Huntress, Ice, Jade, Ken Branch, Kevin Conrad, Mark Campos, Martian Manhunter, Metallo, Mike Manley, Modern Age Captain Atom, Nightstar, Obsidian, Paul Renaud, Red Tornado, Ron Marz, Shazam, Sotocolor, Tom Napolitano, Wonder Woman

“It Only Hurts When I Laugh, Part 1”

• Writer:  Ron Marz
• Pencils & Inks:  Mike Manley
• Colors:  Sotocolor
• Letters:  Tom Napolitano
• Cover Artists:  Paul Renaud, Chip Kidd, Mark Campos, Ken Branch, Kevin Conrad

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The Convergence continues and after a four-year absence from the DCU, the Modern Age Captain Atom returns (along with his JLI team-mates).  And Cap is front and center on the cover.

The story opens in pre-Zero Hour Metropolis.  Ted Kord (Blue Beetle) is still alive (and having a fling with Fire) and Captain Atom is still in the Justice League.  Metropolis is one of the cities being terrorized by Telos and is surrounded by a power-dampening dome.  Metallo shows up with an army of metallic men and announces he is seizing control of the city.

He doesn’t wreak havoc for long before the Justice League turns up.  Led by Blue Beetle, the only member who has powers is Red Tornado (his android body uses technology, not super powers, and he feels no effect from the dome).  The citizens of Metropolis are used to being saved by Superman, but the man of steel is not around.

Unable to use their powers, Fire, Ice, Martian Manhunter, and Captain Atom rely on their strength, fighting skills, and weapons to take out the metallic army.

Beetle tries to keep the mood light by being funny (but not quite as funny as he was in the Keith Giffen/J.M. DeMatteis era of the Justice League) even as he is ripped out of the bug (receiving a broken arm in the process).  Beetle takes out Metallo using an undetermined gadget of his own design, which results in all the metallic men shutting down.

A local shop owner accosts Blue Beetle, wanting to know who is going to repair the damage to his store.  He makes a snarky comment about there being no “real heroes” left in the world.  The team returns to their Metropolis headquarters to assess their damages.

Aside from the Bug being severely damaged and Beetle’s broken arm, the team is fine.  Metallo was sent to Dr. Emil Hamilton, who can keep him contained.

The team calls it a day.  Ice volunteers for monitor duty.  Blue Beetle and Martian Manhunter head for the workshop where Beetle begins repairs on the Bug.  He complains that there isn’t time anymore to fix things.  They mention an unsuccessful attempt to break the dome a year before and Beetle says things would be easier if Booster Gold were around.  He says he never really wanted the leadership position and offers it to Martian Manhunter (who declines).  They are both troubled by their need to fight while at the same time having no one to fight.

Ice rushes into the workshop and tells them to get to the roof.  Telos is addressing the city.  He announces that he is bringing down the domes and the various cities must fight each other to establish dominance.

Telos warns that if any of the heroes attempt to circumvent his will, the citizens of the cities will “pay the price.”  As soon as the dome is gone, everyone feels their powers returning.

Blue Beetle says he doesn’t like feeling manipulated.  He doesn’t want to fight other heroes, he wants to fight Telos.  Martian Manhunter points out that this may be the only chance they have to save Metropolis and they need to embrace it.

The sky darkens and a group of super-beings drop to the roof of the Daily Planet building.  The group, led by Wonder Wonder, consists of Earth-22’s Shazam, Obsidian, Nightstar, Jade, Huntress, Creeper, and Blue Beetle.   They are ready to fight whoever they can to establish dominance and save their world.

I have been a fan of Ron Marz since his excellent Green Lantern run in the mid-to-late 1990s.  This is no exception.  I love seeing the human side of super-heroes (Blue Beetle’s self-doubt, for example) and that seems to be something Marz excels at.  Mike Manley’s art is clean and crisp (I particularly like the menacing look he gave the newly-repowered Captain Atom).  I’d say this book is an A.  I can’t wait for the conclusion.  Blue Beetle versus Blue Beetle is the sort of comic book battle I love.

Until this issue came out, I had no idea how much I missed Ted Kord.  But, did his broken arm really heal that quickly?

The DC Comics Encyclopedia (2004)

Tags

Al Vey, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Dan Jurgens, Daniel Wallace, George Pérez, Jerry Ordway, Josef Rubinstein, Ken Branch, Kevin Maguire, Marc Campos, Modern Age Captain Atom, Monarch, Phil Jiminez, Robert Greenburger, Scott Beatty

Released in 2004, this hardcover book had Who’s Who type entries for most DC characters and events.  Writing credits have been given to Scott Beatty, Robert Greenburger, Phil Jimenez, and Daniel Wallace.  Captain Atom appeared several times (the Modern Age Captain Atom primarily, but also the Bronze Age Cap and Monarch).  Hundreds of artists are credited but where in the book their work appears is not specified.  Most of the artwork, if not all of it, is recycled from previously published works.

The Modern Age Captain Atom drawing is from JLA-Z #1 by Dan Jurgens & Al Vey.  The JLI featuring the Cap is from JLA-Z #2 by Kevin Maguire & Josef Rubinstein.  The image of the Bronze Age Cap and others attacking the Anti-Monitor is from the cover of Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 by George Pérez & Jerry Ordway.  The Extreme Justice drawing is from the cover of Extreme Justice #0 by Marc Campos & Ken Branch.  I could not track down the artists behind the drawings of Monarch and the rendition of Zero Hour.

An updated and expanded version of the encyclopedia was released in 2008.

JLA Gallery (July 1997)

Tags

Amazing Man, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Firestorm, Howard Porter, Ken Branch, Maxima, Modern Age Captain Atom

This book of pin-ups featured different versions of the Justice League and its various members.  Howard Porter (pencils) and Ken Branch (inks) did this page, a colorful and quite busy rendition of the team from Extreme Justice.  The colorist was not credited.

Extreme Justice #5 (June 1995)

Tags

Amazing Man, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Dan Vado, Firestorm, Ken Branch, Kevin Cunningham, Lee Loughridge, Marc Campos, Maxima, Modern Age Captain Atom

“Atomic Nights”

• Writer: Dan Vado
• Pencils: Marc Campos
• Inks: Ken Branch
• Colors:Lee Loughridge
• Letters: Kevin Cunningham

In previous issues of Extreme Justice, we learned that Ronnie Raymond (formerly one half of the super-hero Firestorm) is dying of leukemia.  In Extreme Justice #3, he was sitting on a park bench in Pittsburgh with Oberon (formerly of Justice League International) and Skeets (Booster Gold’s old robot buddy from the future) when he suddenly burst into flames.  In Extreme Justice #4, Captain Atom, Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, and Amazing Man caught up with Ronnie.  They were able to siphon off his excess energy, leaving him in the form of Firestorm once again.  At the end of Extreme Justice #4, Ronnie received a telepathic message from Martin Stein (the other half of Firestorm), who said he was returning to Earth from his space explorations (see Firestorm the Nuclear Man #100).

As the Elemental Firestorm (Stein) approaches Earth, Ronnie suffers an almost-crippling headache.  Stein is speaking to Ronnie but only Ronnie can hear him.  As he gets closer, the whole team can hear Stein.

The Elemental Firestorm’s arrival over Pittsburgh causes an earthquake.  He is gigantic, easily as large as most of the surrounding downtown buildings.  Stein also generates so much heat, Captain Atom is afraid he’ll melt the whole city.  Cap and Booster Gold set out to create a fire break while Ronnie tries to get his old partner under control.

Stein wants to share his experiences in space with Ronnie but Ronnie’s primary concern is getting the Elemental Firestorm to turn down the heat.  Amazing Man and Blue Beetle seek refuge in Beetle’s Bug, which they discover has heat shields.

Booster flies to the rescue of a city bus that is too close to the fire.  He makes a reference to Keanu Reeves, which is a reference that is now horribly dated (of course it wasn’t at the time).  The bus’ gas tank ruptures, so Booster rips a hole in the side so the passengers can flee.  A kid Booster shelters from the ensuing explosion tells him his new armor sucks.

Booster wants to get the Firestorms out of town, but Cap wants to give Ronnie more time to talk Stein down.  Meanwhile, Stein is telling Ronnie how he’s discovered exceptions to Einstein’s rules and that there is a complete lack of rules and order in the universe.  Ronnie finally gets through to Stein, who looks around at the devastation and says “Oh, my.”

Stein shrinks down to normal size and the flames dissipate.   Amazing Man doesn’t know how his teammates can handle their jobs and asks Beetle if he ever gets scared.  “Almost constantly,” is Blue Beetle’s reply.

The Elemental Firestorm tells Ronnie he wants to take Ronnie back to space with him.  Stein tells him once the two Firestorms merge, Ronnie’s leukemia will disappear.  He also says it won’t be like it was in the past.  Ronnie will be absorbed into Stein, and will be part of the Elemental Firestorm.  Firestorm turns Stein down.

When Stein says he needs Ronnie and they must be together again, Captain Atom steps in and tells the Elemental Firestorm that no means no.  Stein bats Cap away like he’s a fly.  He then drags Ronnie up into orbit with him.

When Ronnie asks why Stein needs him so badly, Stein says he has lost what little humanity he had.  He needs his old friend’s sense of humanity so he can feel the awe and wonder of the cosmos.  When Ronnie again refuses, Stein points out he gave himself over to the Firestorm persona so Ronnie could “play hero.”  Of course, Ronnie points out, that isn’t the same.  Stein still had a life to go back to at the end of the day.

Seemingly resigned, the Elemental Firestorm says there is only one other thing he can do.

Back at the Bug, Cap, Amazing Man and Beetle are looking for signs of Ronnie when the instruments pick up something speeding toward them.  The two Firestorms blast back to the surface and Cap flies out to meet them.  Ronnie apologizes to Stein.  Stein says he isn’t angry with his old friend, merely disappointed.  “It may even be that in that disappointment I will find some trace of my humanity,” he says.  “For that I shall be in your debt.”

Then Stein blasts Ronnie.  He assures Cap that he hasn’t harmed his old friend.  He also tells Captain Atom that he expects Nate to watch over Ronnie in his absence.  The Elemental Firestorm says Cap needs to get over his differences with Ronnie.  He tells Ronnie that he has removed the illness and he will miss his friend.  He then leaves Earth again.

Watching the Elemental Firestorm fly away, Captain Atom asks Ronnie to join the team.  They agree to put aside their differences and work together.

And with that, the classic Firestorm returns to the DC Universe.
This issue gives the term “hot mess” a whole new meaning.  I was not always particularly fond of Campos’ take on Captain Atom (it was hit-or-miss), although I am liking his Firestorm.  And Dan Vado manages to pull off a 22 page comic in which very little happens.  Sure, Booster got to be all heroic and Ronnie’s sickness was cured, but the story left me wanting so much more.  And I agree with the kid, Booster’s new costume sucked.

Honestly, at the time this book came out, I was just happy Captain Atom and Firestorm had a regular series.  It was good to see Ronnie and Professor Stein finally get some kind of closure.  Also, Cap and Firestorm burying the hatchet was way overdue.  I’d say this was a B story with C art.  A really great comic is just right off to the side somewhere.