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Movie Night: Superman

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Released: 11 July 2025
Director: James Gunn
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Budget: $225 million
Stars: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, and Gabriela de Faría

The Plot:
When xenophobic madman Lex Luthor (Hoult) orchestrates a smear campaign against and conspires to murder Clark Kent/Superman (Corenswet), the Man of Steel must prove to the world that he is its protector.

The Background:
When Superman was brought to the big-screen with Superman (Donner, 1978), it resulted in a critical and commercial (if chaotic) success. Although this was echoed with Superman II (Lester, 1980), things quickly took a nose dive, despite Christopher Reeve’s iconic performance. After a nearly twenty year hiatus from cinema screens, Bryan Singer tried to to recapture the magic of Richard Donner’s original film with Superman Returns (Singer, 2006), a critical failure that derailed sequel plans and led to Zack Snyder reinventing the character with Man of Steel (Snyder, 2013). Although a box office hit, Man of Steel divided critics and, while Henry Cavill’s portrayal was widely praised, the subsequent DC Extended Universe (DCEU) struggled to find its footing and, despite long-running plans for a Man of Steel sequel and Cavill (eventually) reprising his role, Warner Bros. opted for a complete reboot of the DCEU with James Gunn at the helm. Initially titled Superman: Legacy, the film was the first live-action chapter in Gunn’s DC Universe (DCU) and was inspired by many of Superman’s most beloved stories. This was reflected in the new Super-Suit; designed by Judianna Makovsky, it combined elements from many different comic book sources. With Cavill out, David Corenswet won the role specifically because he embodied Gunn’s vision of a younger, more optimistic interpretation of the character and it was Corenswet who insisted the costume had the iconic red trunks. After missing out on previous DC roles, Nicholas Hoult was cast as Lex Luthor, shaving his head and studying the work of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely for the role. Gunn chose to skip the origin story and focus on a Superman in a world where costumed heroes are well established and was compelled to include Krypto the Superdog after connecting with his own adopted pup. Despite childish backlash from misguided die-hard Snyder fans, Superman was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews that praised a return to form for the inspirational hero, the action-packed fun, and the heartfelt narrative. Though some criticised the overreliance on CGI and cluttered runtime, Superman made over $560 million at the box office and paved the way for future DCU projects,

The Review:
In a fantastic change of pace for DC’s live-action efforts, Superman takes place in a world where superhuman individuals (or “metahumans”) are not only commonplace but accepted. In James Gunn’s DCU, metahumans have been public knowledge for about 300 years and Superman has been active for at least three by the time the movie starts, dropping us in a world where Guy Gardner/Green Lantern (Fillion), Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and Michael Holt/Mister Terrific (Gathegi), the corporate sponsored “Justice Gang”, respond to alien, interdimensional, and metahuman threats alongside the world’s most powerful metahuman, Superman. In another change of pace, Superman distills the origin to a simple line of text and dialogue, giving us a Clark who’s already established as a reporter at the Daily Planet (one known for his exclusive interviews with Superman) and already in a relationship with feisty reporter Lois Lane. This also means that the world is well accustomed to Superman and other metahumans, with the Man of Steel celebrated as a symbol of hope and benevolent protector, though Superman is undergoing some scrutiny at the start of the film (and throughout) for taking it upon himself to intervene in a conflict between warring nations Boravia and Jarhanpur. While Boravian president Vasil Ghurkos (Zlatko Burić) launches a public tirade against Superman, the United States government refuses to act against the Man of Steel without proof of malicious intent, with General Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) being especially supportive of Superman, though even normal citizens question Superman’s unilateral actions when the “Hammer of Boravia” attacks. When grilled by Lois, Clark vehemently defends himself, claiming he did what was right and intervened to save lives. Thus, Superman sees the good in everyone and who has a very black and white view of the world; he knows what’s right and doesn’t hesitate to use his powers to help those in need.

Superman finds his relationships tested by his determination to put his powers to good use.

This desire stems from a damaged message from his long-dead Kryptonian parents, Jor-El (Bradley Cooper) and Lara Lor-Van (Angela Sarafyan) in which they express their love and hopes for him to serve humanity as a protector. Superman takes great comfort in these words, finding solace in the knowledge that he has a higher purpose even if his people are long dead. Additionally, Clark was raised with the standard virtues of right and wrong associated with the character thanks to his adopted parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent (Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell), who nurtured his kindly nature and contributed greatly to his characterisation as a loveable goof. Despite his amazing powers, Superman struggles as much as any normal man, constantly swooping in to save those in danger and checking to make sure those around him are okay and always pushing to end conflicts with as little violence and death as possible. He’s therefore irritated when the Justice Gang mortally wound a rampaging kaiju and aghast at the idea that he should just stand back and let people die when he could intervene. While Clark and Lois have a very passionate relationship behind closed doors and keep up the pretence of being bickering co-workers, their views on this matter drive a wedge between them early on. While Clark wears his emotions on his sleeve and expects Lois to cut him some slack, Lois is more hesitant about long-term relationships and isn’t afraid to ask the big questions, even of Superman. Though she considers breaking up with him because of her doubts, Lois not only stands by Superman, she comforts him when Lex Luthor launches a smear campaign against him, and teams with Mr. Terrific to rescue him after he willingly surrenders to the authorities. This comes after Luthor raids his Fortress of Solitude and broadcasts the entirety of his parents’ message, which surprisingly reveals that Kal-El was sent to rule a backwoods people, severely shaking Superman’s outlook on himself and his mission to safeguard his adopted world.

While Lois has a lot to do, even teaming with Mr. Terrific, the rambunctious Krypto steals the show!

Superman may well give Lois more to do than any previous Superman-centric movie as she gives the Justice gang (particularly the conceited Guy Gardner) a grilling for abandoning their friend, braves Luthor’s unstable “pocket dimension” to locate her lover, and even pilots Mr. Terrific’s T-Craft to ferry him around when he’s injured. While Lois doesn’t hold back when questioning Superman, her deep-rooted desire for the truth sees her digging deeper into Luthor’s malicious vendetta against Superman. She’s aided by peppy photographer Jimmy Olson (Skyler Gisondo), who uses his unexpected way with the ladies to convince Luthor’s current squeeze, Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio), to give them the clues to both locate Superman and reveal that Luthor financed Ghurkos in return for half of Boravia. Lois is depicted as more than Superman’s equal, braving any danger for a scoop and meticulously presenting her evidence to crabby Daily Planet editor Perry White (Wendell Pierce), who supports her efforts to expose Luthor as a liar and a traitor. While his people are long gone, Superman’s aided by a handful of robotic helpers at his crystalline Fortress of Solitude and begrudgingly cares for the energetic and disobedient Krypto, the Kryptonian dog of his unruly cousin, Kara Zor-El/Supergirl (Milly Alcock). While this isn’t Krypto’s first venture outside of the comic books, he steals the show here with his unruly and feisty behaviour, causing chaos due to his super speed and strength much to Superman’s exasperation as he’s struggled to train the pup. An all-CGI creation (though you’d never know it), Krypto’s an adorable superpup who pounds around in a cape, goes for the face when threatened, and nips at Superman’s heels at every opportunity. Though he reluctantly tolerates the dog, Superman is enraged when Luthor pupnaps Krypto, further damaging his reputation by storming into Lex’s office, and endures horrendous torture at the hands of the reluctant Rex Mason/Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) when he surrenders to rescue the dog.

While the Justice Gang’s methods clash with Superman’s, it’s nice to see established metahumans.

Although the Justice Gang are clearly the tools of corporate mogul Maxwell “Max” Lord (Sean Gunn), garbed in uncomfortable matching outfits and showing up to avert any crisis and get some much-needed publicity, they are extremely competent superheroes in their own right. While we don’t get any meaningful backstory on any of them, especially the alluring and deliciously battle hungry Hawkgirl, beyond some snarky comments from Guy about how he was chosen to be a Green Lantern, the team is well established and close enough to Superman to know his true identity. Although Mr. Terrific takes centre stage, I enjoyed the abrasive and egotistical Guy Gardner the most and was very pleased to finally see a Green Lantern on the big screen again. Guy is rude, belligerent, and full of himself, believing himself the leader of the Justice Gang and stepping up to anyone who questions his motives, authority, or even the group’s name. Guy is the most vocal of the group in turning on Superman, immediately condemning him as an alien threat, while Hawkgirl is more dismissive and Mr. Terrific is more concerned with the facts. Shown to be a somewhat stoic but unrivalled genius, Mr. Terrific utilises various tech, most notably his T-Spheres, to analyse a threat and determine the best, most efficient course of action, lethal or otherwise. While Superman bemoans their recklessness, the Justice Gang disregard his complaints as they don’t hold themselves accountable for property damage or loss of life, painting them as very rough around the edges. Mr. Terrific is both impressed and horrified to learn the Luthor has harnessed a black hole to create dimensional portals all over the world and kit out a hazardous pocket dimension as his own prison, where the egomaniac throws any dissenters and forces monkeys to slander Superman online. Metamorpho is kept under heel there to save his baby son and forced to transmute his body into Kryptonite to torture Superman. While he initially demands that Superman not try to talk or reason with him, Metamorpho has a change of heart after witnessing how cruel Luthor is and restores Superman to full health, assisting him in fending off Luthor’s goons and even joining the Justice Gang to curb the invasion of Jarhanpur.

Vindictive Luthor schemes to discredit and destroy Superman with his self-made enforcers.

After years of enduring subpar or wildly eccentric cinematic interpretations of Lex Luthor, Superman finally gives us easily the greatest and most despicable version of the balding madman ever seen on the big screen. Nicholas Hoult excels in the role, effortlessly commanding every scene and bringing a cold, clinical focus to Lex that’s matched only by his ruthlessness and descent into abject tyranny. Already resentful of metahumans, Lex is driven to a self-confessed envious rage by Superman, whom he sees as an alien interloper who is stunting human growth and stealing the spotlight from hard-working, natural geniuses like himself. Committed to first discrediting Superman and then destroying him, Luthor concocts a convoluted scheme to turn the public against the Man of Steel to gain authority to apprehend and destroy him, all while funding the Boravia/Jarhanpur conflict to profit from the war. Constantly in command of every situation, Luthor easily infiltrates the Fortress of Solitude and steals Superman’s personal data, employing his homegrown metahumans – the cybernetic Angela Spica/Engineer (de Faría) and the mysterious Ultraman – to distract Superman while directing a team of all-too-willing underlings to commit horrendous atrocities. Sacrificing her humanity for Luthor’s dream, able to turn her body into any weapon she can imagine, the Engineer attacks with nanotech, easily hacking the Fortress of Solitude and almost suffocating him. Equally, Superman meets a physical match in the ruthless Ultraman, who mirrors his abilities and is directly controlled by Luthor, who’s meticulously studied Superman to counteract and predict his every move. Beneath his silky-smooth facade, however, Luthor is a raving lunatic who condemns anyone who questions him to his pocket dimension, happily tortures and executes those who get in his way or is even remotely tied to Superman, and who relishes the chance to prove his intellectual superiority over the Man of Steel.

The Nitty-Gritty:
It’s clear that James Gunn is influenced by many different sources for this film. Obviously, the classic Richard Donner films are the most prominent, with composers John Murphy and David Fleming sampling the iconic John Williams theme and giving it a glam-rock edge and the opening and closing titles mirroring Donner’s films. The design of the Fortress of Solitude is also ripped directly from Donner, though Gunn populates it with distinctly “Silver Age” Kryptonian automatons who tend to Superman’s needs. The entire film pops with colour and exciting action, just like a comic book, and Superman is purposely given a corny edge to make him a loveable throwback to a simpler time. Superman also takes place in a world where metahumans, Gods, and monsters have become an accepted part of everyday life. Therefore, while civilians still flee for their lives when the Hammer of Boravia and a fire-breathing kaiju attack, it’s treated as another day in Metropolis, with even Superman and Lois barely acknowledging an interdimensional imp threatening the city during their reconciliation. Superman goes one step further with this, introducing pocket dimensions, establishing the Hall of Justice as the Justice Gang’s headquarters, and hinting at a larger universe beyond our world through a Green Lantern and certain dialogue. Everything feels very “lived in”, like we’ve jumped into the third film in a franchise, without being overwhelming or difficult to follow as the focus is on the characters, their interactions and relationships, and their different dynamics. The world is in awe of Superman but turns on him immediately once Luthor broadcasts his message, with even his allies questioning his true purpose, and this twist is used to push Clark away from being beholden to his lost and unknown people and back towards his true heritage: namely, his Earth parents and their lessons.

Even when Luthor turns people against him, Superman strives to do the right thing.

Although I wasn’t sold on the costume at first, seeing it as a mishmash of different elements from various Super Suits over the years, it looks fantastic on screen. It’s so gratifying to see the trunks and the cape symbol make a return and Corenswet fills the suit out beautifully, appearing as visually iconic as Christopher Reeve did all those years ago. Superman isn’t some invincible demigod here, either. Like in the John Byrne stories I grew up with, Superman is extremely powerful but still physical vulnerable, suffering a brutal defeat by the Hammer of Boravia and enduring incredible agony to return to full strength using a concentrated dose of solar radiation. Superman visibly struggles with his bigger, more impressive feats, increasing the stakes as it’s not always certain that he’ll succeed. Superman also makes a point to rescue civilians wherever possible, something the Justice Gang see as secondary, and even tries reasoning with the Engineer and Ultraman as he always sees the good in people. Superman’s greatest weakness here, however, isn’t just the Kryptonite Metamorpho synthesises to poison him but his own insecurities. Superman believed he was embarking on a sacred mission and is overwhelmed by doubt upon hearing his parents’ full message, but continues to fight anyway, determined to prove that he’s there to help regardless of what people say. The Kents, especially Jonathan, greatly contribute to this, encouraging him to forge his own path based on what he knows is right. To that end, Superman surrenders and allows himself to be imprisoned and tortured, all with the goal of rescuing Krypto and ending Luthor’s schemes, even if it causes him great pain, trusting that his actions will prove that he’s not a threat. Luckily for him, Lois helps turn public opinion back in his favour as Eve’s clandestine selfies reveals Luthor’s plot, though the people of Jarhanpur still believe in Superman since he helped liberate their people from tyranny.

Superman rallies to redefine his mission, battle his crazed clone, and disrupt Luthor’s mad scheme.

Thanks to Lois, Mr. Terrific activates one of Luthor’s interdimensional portals and, after convincing Metamorpho to aid him, Superman escapes from the pocket dimension, recuperating at the Kent farm, reconciling with Lois, and determined to stop Luthor. In his mad ambition to publicly discredit and destroy Superman, Luthor overloads one of his portals and causes a rip in space and time to tear through Metropolis, literally splitting the city in two. Though a mandatory evacuation spares many lives, the entire planet is threatened by this tear, which can only be stopped using Luthor’s access codes. After narrowly escaping being suffocated by the Engineer’s nanites, Superman is horrified to learn that Ultraman is a mindless, brutal clone of his grown by Luthor with the sole purpose of destroying and replacing him. This revelation comes quite late in the film and is easily telegraphed as we never see Ultraman’s face and he’s there when Luthor access the Fortress of Solitude, and I don’t feel it landed all that well. It might’ve been better if Ultraman had been revealed to be a degenerating clone like Bizarro, but I feel the image of Superman battling his mirror image wasn’t as strong as the visual variety offered by the Engineer. It’s moot either way as Ultraman gets tossed into a black hole, leaving Superman free to confront Luthor and engage in a slanging match, one ended when Lois’s story breaks and Krypto manhandles Luthor. His reputation in tatters and his plans undone by Mr. Terrific’s genius, Luthor ends the film disgraced and incarcerated and Metropolis is sewn back together when the rip is shut down. Having declared their love for each other, Superman and Lois rekindle their relationship, the Justice Gang gets a new member in Metamorpho, and the world’s faith in Superman is seemingly restored. Although Superman despairs when his rowdy cousin returns from a bender out in space, he now finds comfort in viewing his memories of his childhood with his Earth parents.

The Summary:
I’ll be the first to admit that I was annoyed that we got another Superman/DC reboot after years of false starts and troubled efforts to get a live-action DC universe off the ground. I was hoping for a course correction with Henry Cavill and slightly sceptical of the new suit, but the colourful atmosphere and light-hearted action of the trailer gave me hope…and James Gunn certainly follows through on that promise. Superman is easily the best big screen adaptation of the Man of Steel perhaps ever, taking inspiration from many different interpretations and comic books and stitching together possibly the most accurate live-action distillation of the character and his chief nemesis. David Corenswet was fantastic in the title role, thankfully spending more time in the suit and just being a good man doing good things, while also not being infallible or so invulnerable that he’s not relatable. Nicholas Hoult was equally captivating as, in my opinion, the best Lex Luthor we’ve ever seen. He brought a malicious spite and smug energy to the role that blew his cinematic predecessors away, appearing as a true threat with an immense hatred for Superman. While I admit some of the supporting characters weren’t as developed as they could be, I’m intimately familiar with all of them so I’ll accept that in favour of a rich, fully realised world where superheroes are the norm. It is a bit odd that Supergirl never told Superman what Kryptonians were really like and somewhat reduces the emotional impact of Superman’s robots being trashed when they’re fully repaired by the end, but the engaging action and thought-provoking character interactions made up for it. I liked that Superman was questioned but not to the point where he was hated and feared, and the painfully relevant metacommentary on the state of politics and social media, and how people rallied behind Superman regardless of his bad press as they could see he was a good person. This was the Superman we should’ve gotten a decade ago, an inspirational hero who can spearhead a colourful and comic accurate live-action universe that finally does justice to these beloved characters while still offering a few fun twists along the way.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

Did you enjoy Superman? What did you think to David Corenswet’s performance and his suit? Did you enjoy seeing him portrayed as fallible and vulnerable? Were you glad to see metahumans are the accepted norm in his new world? What did you think to Lex Luthor and would you agree this is the best cinematic portrayal of the villain? Were you a fan of Krypto and did you guess Ultraman’s true identity ahead of time? Feel free to share your thoughts on this new version of Superman, even if you’re a hardcore Snyder fan, in the comments, check out my other Superman content, and donate to my Ko-Fi to support more reviews like this.

Back Issues [Superman Day]: The Death of Superman

Dr. K4 Comments

In 2013, DC Comics declared the 18th of April as “Superman Day” so fans of the Man of Steel could celebrate Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman, the superpowered virtue of “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” who is widely regarded as the first ever costumed superhero.

Published: December 1992 to October 1993
Writers: Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson, and Roger Stern
Artists: Brett Breeding, Dan Jurgens, Jackson Guice, Jon Bogdanove, and Tom Grummett

The Background:
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster first met in 1932 while attending Glenville High School and, just one year later, dreamed up their first draft for a superman with “The Reign of the Super-Man”. About five years later, a revised version of this concept appeared in Action Comics #1 and the world met Superman for the first time. Not only was Superman an immediate hit, but he went on to become a cultural icon. After decades of increasingly over-the-top stories, DC Comics tasked John Byrne with reimagining Superman for modern audiences. Under Byrne’s direction, Superman was a more grounded character and his stories adhered to strict continuity guidelines. After Byrne left DC Comics over creative differences, Superman group editor Mike Carlin moderated frequent “Superman Summits” involving Byrne’s replacements. It was during these chaotic meetings that writer/artist Jerry Ordway would jokingly suggest killing the Man of Steel. With Superman’s sales taking a hit thanks to readers favouring more violent anti-heroes, the creatives planned to shake things up by having Superman reveal his identity to his long-time love, Lois Lane, and eventually marry her. However, these plans were postponed to coincide with a similar arc on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993 to 1997) and thus the idea of “Doomsday for Superman” was developed. Writer Dan Jurgens came up with the concept of a monster tearing through Metropolis and a climactic fist fight between it and Superman, before sketching a design for the creature that was subsequently dubbed Doomsday. Although DC always planned to resurrect the character, Superman’s death was headline news and became a best-selling title, despite being criticised as a publicity stunt. Despite also dying in this story, Doomsday would return to dog Superman, evading the literal death of the universe and evolving into both an ally and an intelligent being, though he never returned to the prominence he had in this first arc. Doomsday and the “Death of Superman” concept also appeared outside the comics: there was a videogame adaptation, multiple animated ventures, and it was long considered for a live-action adaptation before being brought to life first on television (with disastrous results) and then on the big screen (to similar chagrin) before finally having more faithful live-action renditions on Krypton (2018 to 2019) and Superman & Lois (2021 to 2024).

The Review:
Our story begins “somewhere else…” where, deep underground, in a reinforced prison, a mysterious monster repeatedly strikes its cage. Each blow sees the thing’s containment suit rupture little by little, revealing menacing bone appendages on its knuckles, and the metal wall crack and weaken until, eventually, the creature we now know as Doomsday bursts free! Oblivious to this impending threat, Superman’s far more concerned with tracking down the Underworlders, a group of misfits, monsters, and outcasts from the shady Project Cadmus who dwell deep beneath Metropolis. Led by the simple-minded but nigh-invulnerable Clawster (whose rocky design and bony appendages are eerily evocative of Doomsday’s final form), the Underworlders cut the city’s power in a bid to rise up and take the streets as their own. Luckily for Superman, young Keith White alerts him to the Underworlders’ plot and that they’ve taken Lois Lane hostage after she stumbled upon their lair. Though bolstered by technology stolen from War World, the Underworlders are no match for Superman, who easily fells Clawster with a grenade to the mouth, trashes their digging machine, and ends their plot. Thanks to Lois’s informant, Charlie Underwood, the plot is revealed and the uprisers are imprisoned to await trail by their more peace-loving people. However, while all this is going on, Doomsday runs amok across the countryside and causes chaos in Ohio…all with one hand tied behind his back! Thanks to Oberon monitoring the police band, Justice League International arrives to help with the rescue effort and, after learning the devastation was caused by a “monster man”, Ted Grant/The Blue Beetle rallies the JLI in pursuing the culprit. While Superman gives a candid interview of his life and allies, the JLI follow Doomsday’s trail of destruction. Though neither the mysterious Quintus Arce/Bloodwynd or the battle hungry Maxima’s psychic probes offer little information on the creature other than him being “hate–death and blood lust personified”, they soon come face-to-face with Doomsday when he wrecks the Bug with a tree trunk and starts tearing through a LexCorp oil refinery.

A monstrous creature tears across the countryside…and through the Justice League!

Never one to back down from a fight, Guy Gardner (who wasn’t a Green Lantern at this point but instead wielded Thaal Sinestro’s yellow ring) immediately attacks, only to be blindsided by the creature’s incredible speed and left damn near blinded when it pounds his face into the ground! Beatriz Da Costa/Fire’s intense heat blasts do little to halt Doomsday’s attack so Bloodwynd steps in. Summoning the “spirits of the dead” into a powerful blow, he’s stunned when Doomsday barely registers the punch and is then sent hurtling into the oil refinery (and an explosive end). The Blue Beetle rushes in to help his secretive ally, catching a glimpse of Bloodwynd’s true form before Doomsday strikes. With no superpowers and being little more than a child against the monster’s awesome strength, the Blue Beetle is manhandled by Doomsday and beaten into a coma. Enraged, Michael Carter/Booster Gold throws a “full-intensity blast” but barely has time to erect his force field before Doomsday sends him flying. Luckily, Superman intercepts him, having been alerted to the crisis by a stagehand. Unfortunately, though Maxima spirits the Blue Beetle away for medical attention, Superman’s too late to save Tora Olafsdotter/Ice from being tossed into the home of some innocent bystanders. Superman’s initially unimpressed by Doomsday, easily taking the creature’s first blow, but is astonished when the follow-up kick sends him flying harder than he’s ever been hit before. Realising Doomsday’s threat, Superman rallies and stands with the remaining Leaguers, who combine their individual powers in an intense barrage. Though completely encompassed by the onslaught, the effort drains Fire and Booster Gold’s physical and power reserves. Unfortunately, their efforts are wasted as Doomsday emerges unscathed save for his torn containment suit, revealing a scowling, gruesome visage that gleefully rushes the fatigued heroes. Booster Gold endures a horrific beating, then Doomsday easily tramples the others and causes another inferno before leaping away. Although Superman chases and temporarily subdues the creature underwater, he’s forced to help the injured Justice League rescue the innocent bystanders caught up in Doomsday’s rampage. With the JLI down, Superman resolves to pursue and stop Doomsday alone.

Despite Superman’s best efforts, Doomsday crashes into Metropolis and endangers his loved ones.

Despite the military’s best efforts, Doomsday continues his rampage. As Superman battles the creature, he’s stunned by Doomsday’s complete lack of empathy and troubled that the snarling brute seems to be growing stronger as the fight progresses. Although Lex Luthor II (Lex Luthor inhabiting a young, fit body and masquerading as his own son) forbids Matrix/Supergirl (a protoplasmic alien rather than the traditional Kara Zor-El) from assisting Superman out of fears for her safety, Maxima jumps in to help…only to cause more destruction and endanger additional lives. After Maxima is left concussed, Superman asks James “Jim” Harper/Guardian to tend to her and continues pursuing Doomsday, determined to put the monster down before he does any more damage. Doomsday carves a path of destruction across the countryside and eventually winds up tearing through a Lex-Mart store, where a television commercial for a Metropolis wrestling match catches his attention. Obsessed with “Mhh-trr-plss”, Doomsday prepares to head there and Superman flies into a desperate second wind,  continuously amazed that his strongest blows barely faze the monster. With Lois and Jimmy Olson covering the battle, Superman accidentally hurls Doomsday into Habitat, a tree-city created by Project Cadmus. Resolving to fight smarter rather than harder since just hitting Doomsday hurts, Superman buries Doomsday beneath Habitat, only for him to burst free in a rage and resume his course towards Metropolis. Superman intercepts Doomsday and finally tries to fly him off-world, only for Doomsday to easily wriggle free and send Superman crashing into a construction site. As Jonathan and Martha Kent watch on horrified, Doomsday crashes into the Underworlder domain, inadvertently rescuing and then purposely slaughtering the prisoners, and causes a massive explosion to rock the city when his foot collides with a power line.

Superman battles valiantly and ultimately stops Doomsday at the cost of his own life.

Superman’s second attempt to fly Doomsday away ends with him skewered through the abdomen by one of Doomsday’s spines. Finally released to assist, Supergirl is immediately dispatched with a single punch that reduces her to protoplasmic goop and even Professor Emil Hamilton’s massive laser cannon barely fazes the beast. Still, these distractions give the injured Superman time to regroup; hoping that Doomsday is as fatigued as him, Superman redoubles his attack. Luthor’s paratroopers and even Metropolis’s finest try to aid the Man of Steel, bombarding the creature with laser blasts that seemingly have no affect. Battered, exhausted, and desperate, Superman’s constantly distracted by saving innocents so, after rescuing Lois and Jimmy, he bids an emotional farewell to his fiancée and flies at his adversary, determined to put Doomsday down by any means necessary. Despite fighting for most of the day and having journeyed across the country and endured horrendous punishment, Doomsday easily overpowers Superman, cutting and bruising him. Superman finally hurts the creature by targeting Doomsday’s bony protrusions before the fight devolves into a slugfest outside the Daily Planet. Each blow shatters windows as the two relentlessly pummel each other, neither backing down until, finally, they fly in for the killing blow. Superman and Doomsday strike simultaneously, the force of their final blows sending shockwaves across the country, and Doomsday finally falls, apparently dead. Too late to help, Bloodwynd and Ice can only watch in shock alongside the world and Superman’s nearest and dearest as the Man of Steel collapses. Lois cradles her beloved, unconcerned about hiding her grief, as Superman breathes his last and succumbs to his wounds. Lois is left wailing as Superman, his costume torn and tattered and bloody, lies still amidst the rubble of his titanic clash, leaving the onlookers and his friends and family stunned.

The Summary:
“The Death of Superman” isn’t so much a story as it is a long, protracted beatdown of the Man of Steel. Amidst the fighting, the story takes a few detours to explore Superman’s opinion of his fellow heroes and his impact on the world. While most people find him an awe-inspiring figure and celebrate him as the world’s greatest hero, others are more dismissive. A teen eventually caught in Doomsday’s rampage is especially outspoken about the Man of Steel, preferring hot-headed Guy Gardner instead, only to be indebted to Superman when he puts his life on the line to protect his family. Guy, especially, is overly critical of Superman, blinded by pride and arrogance and attacking Doomsday head-on only to be mutilated and humbled. Doomsday’s threat is so great that even some of Superman’s more duplicitous and mysterious allies aid him with Dubbilex attempting to probe the beast for clues to his origin and the supercilious Maxima throwing herself into the bout to try and prove her worth. While the outside world sees Lex Luthor II as a benevolent figure, he’s the same conniving antagonist he’s always been. He doesn’t get involved until Superman and Doomsday are literally tearing through his city and, even then, his tech and even Supergirl’s bizarre powers are no match for the creature. Nowhere is this better showcased than in Doomsday’s utter decimation of the Justice League. Sure, the JLI was never the strongest incarnation and his demolition of them isn’t as powerful as if he were shredding the likes of Arthur Curry/Aquaman, Princess Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, and Wally West/The Flash, but it sends a startling message when Earth’s greatest heroes are beaten by one creature. However, the narrative is quite repetitive after a while. I lost count of how many times Superman and other characters muse over the creature’s strength, tenacity, and origins and, while the art is good, it’s inconsistent throughout. For example, Superman’s injuries vary between issues, with some issues ending with him bleeding and bruised and others ignoring those injuries before leaving him with different ones.

When Doomsday decimates everyone else, Superman resolves to put him down at any cost.

As a story about Superman’s will, “The Death of Superman” is quite powerful. Where the JLI and others fail due to being significantly underpowered, Superman fights on, battling Doomsday almost non-stop across the country. During their fight, Superman constantly stops to rescue bystanders and is always trying to keep Doomsday from populated areas. When he realises Doomsday’s heading to Metropolis, Superman desperately tries to keep him from reaching the city and, when this fails, he commits to ending the beast’s rampage. Sure, Superman rarely tries to get Doomsday off-world, but Doomsday is not only incredibly strong, but extremely agile and he easily escapes Superman’s grasp or leaves him gravely injured. At one point, Superman tosses Doomsday several miles away so it’s possible he could’ve launched Doomsday into space. However, Superman constantly notes that Doomsday never tires, seems to be growing stronger, and adapts to each situation. What works against Doomsday once won’t necessarily work a second time, something greatly expanded upon in subsequent appearances, so I think this is acceptable enough as an explanation for why Superman doesn’t just toss Doomsday into space. The conflict causes great distress for Lois and Jimmy, who are forced to watch and report as the man they love and admire is beaten to death before their eyes. While Lois eschews the usual restraint regarding her relationship with Superman to comfort and tend to him, the Kents are forced to watch, helpless, as their son is beaten to a pulp on live television. The impact of Superman’s deteriorating health is felt by every character and is palpable through the artwork. There’s a real sense of desperation as the fight reaches its climax and a shocking gut punch as the final blows are struck.

The mysterious Doomsday lives to kill and is little more than a mindless beast.

In many ways, it’s disappointing that Superman dies not at the hands of a traditional villain but in a slugfest with a monster. However, Doomsday is a visually intimidating and impressive monster. Initially garbed in an uninspiring containment suit, Doomsday’s true form – a snarling, grey-hued monstrosity – is revealed as he tears through his opponents and shrugs off their attacks. Doomsday never speaks; he simply barks laughter, grunts, and mumbles a bastardised growl of “Metropolis”. He’s noted to be “faster than Flash”, easily overturns trucks and rips apart bridges and buildings, and is not only inhumanly strong but absorbs tremendous punishment. Even the combined energy powers of the Justice League barely faze him, blows from mighty man-made trees barely slow him, and even hitting the brute causes Superman pain. Doomsday is malicious and bloodthirsty, slaughtering wildlife and innocents and beating the JLI with relish, and becomes fixated on both Metropolis and Superman. Throughout the story, psychics try to learn his origins and find only hatred and destruction. Doomsday is, essentially, a blank canvas; a mindless beast determined to destroy. Later stories fleshed out his origin (which is actually really interesting) but I can totally understand why adaptations made him a man-made doomsday machine or added to his lore as he’s primarily an invincible McGuffin shamelessly designed to shock the world by killing Superman. Superman realises far too late that Doomsday can be hurt by targeting his bony protrusions and he barely takes advantage of this, breaking one before going back to trading punches with the beast. This is a bit of a shame as it means the finale was always anti-climactic for me. We never see Doomsday tire, he rarely shows pain, he has no injuries and survives shots that look far more devastating than Superman’s final blow. This, as much as the tedious nature of their fight, means I’ve never held “The Death of Superman” to very high regard beyond it being notable for killing the Man of Steel and introducing a monstrous new villain for Superman, one who sadly never reached these same heights again because it’s difficult to top killing the world’s most powerful superhero.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

What did you think to “The Death of Superman”? Were you disappointed that Superman wasn’t ended by one of his more iconic foes? What did you think to Doomsday, his design and characterisation (or lack thereof)? Were you disappointed that a more powerful version of the Justice League didn’t battle Doomsday? Do you think the story suffers from being little more than a prolonged slugfest? Did you enjoy Doomsday’s later appearances or do you think he peaked here? How are you celebrating Superman Day today? Whatever you think, feel free to share your opinions in the comments below and feel free to check out my other Superman content on the site.

Back Issues [Crossover Crisis]: Crisis on Infinite Earths

Dr. K15 Comments

Cover-dated April 1985, the first issue of this ground-breaking event precipitated the destruction of the “Multiverse” in favour of a unified DC canon. Though DC returned to this concept again and again, that doesn’t change how influential this massive crossover was and what better way to celebrate than with a “Crossover Crisis” of my own?

Published: 3 January 1985 (cover-dated: April 1985) to March 1986 (cover date)
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: George Pérez

The Background:
In Showcase #4 (1956), writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino debuted Barry Allen/The Flash, the successor to Jay Garrick, who was established as an alternative version of the Fastest Man Alive. This concept was taken to the next level when Barry and Jay met face-to-face, revealing an infinite number of parallel worlds. Regular crossovers between the likes the Justice Society of America and the Justice League of America soon followed, allowing alternative heroes and various stories to exist simultaneously. Over time, writers like Mark Wolfman became frustrated with this concept, which made keeping track of continuity difficult and it was hard for both writers and readers to connect with the stories. Wolfman initially pitched a reader guide to simplify the DC universe, which then evolved into a sprawling tale of multiversal destruction seen as a risky proposition as it meant erasing all continuity and starting from scratch to attract new readers. Such an event was unprecedented and DC spent two years laying the foundation for this Crisis, hiring researchers to document every character and event in their library and bringing in George Pérez to illustrate, with the artist excited at the idea of illustrating every DC character. Crisis on Infinite Earths became a bestseller for DC Comics and was heralded as a turning point for both the publisher and the industry. The fallout saw every DC character rebooted, with Clark Kent/Superman notably being reimagined as a more grounded character and Wally West taking over as the Flash, though Carter Hall/Hawkman was irrevocably damaged for years as DC struggled to reconcile certain elements of his character. Praised as the greatest comic book crossover in history, the event popularised massive, cosmic crossovers and DC revisited this concept numerous times in subsequent years. The event was even adapted into an ambitious and well received television event and an impressive three-part animated feature.

The Review:
Confused by the concept of the multiverse? Well, Crisis on Infinite Earths has you covered, to a degree, as it opens with (and features throughout) narration and exposition from the tragic Kell Mossa/Pariah. In the beginning, before there was light and life, there was only darkness. Then, from nowhere, came a single light that grew and expanded and finally exploded in “pain [and] relief” as the multiverse was born. The idea is infinite parallel realities all co-exist at once, separated by vibrational planes, though this is noted to not have been the intention when the light burst into being. The story the shifts to one such Earth where the hooded, weeping Pariah witnesses the destruction of not only that world, but the entire reality, at the hands of an all-encompassing white light. As entropy erases everything it touches, Pariah begs to be taken with it, sparing him his grim fate, only to be teleported away as the universe meets its destructive end. We then jump to Earth-3, home of the Crime Syndicate, an evil alternative version of the Justice League. There, Harold Jordan/Power Ring and Clark Kent/Ultraman desperately try to stop the cataclysmic natural disasters springing up across their world as the anti-matter wave approaches. While Thomas Wayne Jr./Owlman and Jonathan Allen/Johnny Quick lament their helplessness against such awesome power, the world’s only superhero, Alexander Luthor, watches helplessly as lifelong enemies like Diana/Superwoman are devoured by the anti-matter wave. With no way to save his world, Alexander rushes to be with his wife, Lois, and baby son, Alexander Luthor, Jr. In a parallel to Superman’s iconic origin, the baby is loaded into a specially prepared rocket and spirited away to Earth-1 as his world dies.

With all universes at risk of annihilation, the Monitor assembles a team of heroes and villains.

The mysterious Mar Novu/The Monitor observes this from his orbiting, spherical space station alongside Lyla Michaels/Harbinger, whom he sends to recruit Earth’s greatest heroes and villains to stop the pending Crisis. Harbinger recruits King Solovar from Gorilla City, Dawnstar from the 30th century Legion of Super-Heroes, Danette Reilly/Firebrand from Earth-2 1942, Ted Kord/The Blue Beetle from Earth-4, and Roger Hayden/Psycho-Pirate from present-day Earth-2. She returns Psycho-Pirate’s emotion manipulating Medusa Mask and coerces him into quelling Louise Lincoln/Killer Frost’s bloodlust and bringing both her and Ronnie Raymond and Professor Martin Stein/Firestorm to the cause. Though Harbinger is possessed by a Shadow Demon when recruiting Ahri’ahn/Arion the Sorcerer, he joins the other recruits, including Kal-L/Superman, John Stewart/Green Lantern, Neal Emerson/Doctor Polaris, Victor Stone/Cyborg, Simon Jones/Psimon, and Todd Rice/Obsidian. With tensions running high, the group are attacked by Shadow Demons, which seem impervious to physical, mental, and energy-based attacks. While the likes of the Blue Beetle can only run and Firestorm struggles with Killer Frost’s newfound affections, Obsidian and the arrogant Dr. Polaris put their shadow- and magnetism-based powers to good use. The Monitor halts the attack and introduces both himself and the threat to their universes. Weakened by the spread of anti-matter and facing suspicion from his assembled forces, the Monitor reveals that he’s judged them as the best hope of protecting five devices spread across the different eras that he hopes will halt the anti-matter wave. Meanwhile, reality is warped across the multiverse: in prehistoric times, Anthro the Cave-Boy is as astonished to spot a futuristic city amongst the wilds as Querl Dox/Brainiac-5 is to see mammoths stampeding through the 30th century. Half a galaxy away on Oa, the Guardians of the Universe prepare to summon their entire Green Lantern Corps to meet the threat, only for a mysterious voice to corrupt the Central Battery and trap them in a stasis beam. On Earth-1, Bruce Wayne/Batman is busy confronting the Joker during his latest crime spree and is astonished when an emaciated, confused Flash suddenly appears babbling about the end of the world and begging for help before disintegrating before the Dark Knight’s eyes!

As the Crisis worsens, the Monitors prepares Alexander and a new Dr. Light to face the threat.

On the post-apocalyptic Earth-AD, Kal-L, King Solovar, and Dawnstar meet Kamandi, the last boy on Earth, and discover the Monitor’s device, a towering, golden Cosmic Tuning Fork that’s immediately (though only briefly) attacked by Shadow Demons. Arion, Obsidian and the Psycho-Pirate watch over another tower in Atlantis, only for the Psycho-Pirate to be transported to a dark realm and coerced into turning against the Monitor just as Harbinger secretly conspires with that same dark force. Oblivious, the Monitor experiments on the rapidly aging Alexander Luthor, Jr., an impossible merger of matter and anti-matter who potentially holds the key to defeating the anti-matter spread, whom Harbinger’s dark master wants destroyed before he can threaten his schemes. Meanwhile, in the far future of Earth-1, the Flash races to keep his world from being torn apart from natural disasters but is forced to vibrate at super-speed to escape death. This same anti-matter energy arrives on present-day Earth-1, much to the horror of the Teen Titans, who desperately try to both halt the destructive wave and save lives alongside Batman and Superman. As Linda Lee/Kara Zor-El/Supergirl does the same, Barbara Gordon/Batgirl gives in to self-doubt, and John Constantine arrogantly believes it’ll all work out, Vril Dox/Brainiac coldly observes the events concludes that, if he’s to survive, he must team up with Lex Luthor. While defending a Cosmic Tuning Fork from both Nazi forces and Shadow Demons in 1942 Markovia, the Blue Beetle discovers the mysterious Scarab fused to his suit is lethal to the shadowy entities but is wounded before he can put this to good use and returned to his world by the Monitor to spare him. Back on Earth-AD, the skies turn red and King Solovar succumbs to his wounds while Cyborg, Firebrand, John Stewart, and Psimon team up with some local heroes (including Jonah Hex) in 1879 to defend another tower, only to be as overwhelmed by anti-matter as the far-flung future of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Elsewhere, the terrified heroes of Earth-6 blame Pariah for the looming threat, to no avail (though Pariah does save Tashana/Lady Quark to ease his suffering). While the unseen villain forcibly recruits the Red Tornado, the Monitor activates an “ion-based energy ray” to empower Doctor Kimiyo Hoshi, transforming her into the new Doctor Light and sending her to defend his tower on Earth-1.

Following the Monitor’s death, his champions are convinced to unite and save the remaining Earths.

When the heroes attack her, believing she and the tower caused the entropy, Superman quells the fighting, though things take a turn when the Shadow Demons combine into one gigantic, terrifying entity in each era. Even Princess Diana Prince/Wonder Woman’s hopes of recruiting her Amazonian sisters fail. When Pariah berates the Monitor for not doing more to intervene, he reveals just how weak he’s become and then nobly faces his end at Harbinger’s hands. Distraught, Pariah weeps as Earth-1 and Earth-2 are finally consumed; confused to find his strength hasn’t increased as a result, the dark villain delights in having the Psycho-Pirate torture the Flash. Depowered, Lyla is distressed by her actions but a pre-recorded message from the Monitor reveals that his death allowed his essence to empower his Cosmic Tuning Forks and create a “netherverse”, a pocket dimension to keep Earth-1 and Earth-2 safe. After giving the Monitor an appropriate burial, Lyla, Pariah, and the now teenage Alexander Luthor, Jr. gather both world’s champions on the Monitor’s satellite to merge all existing realities into one lest all worlds and realities be lost. Since there are some doubters, Alexander has them witness the Red Tornado be forcibly transformed into a being of pure, primal force, one easily subdued by sorcerers like Kent Nelson/Doctor Fate and Zatanna Zatara (though Ted Grant/Wildcat’s legs are shattered during the fracas). Thus, even the most sceptical agree to defend their worlds, only for the satellite to disintegrate courtesy of the event’s big bad, the Anti-Monitor! Fleeing to the emptiness of limbo, Alexander moves to save Earth-4, -S, and -X, only for Harbinger to subdue him and take his place. While Yolanda Montez continues Wildcat’s legacy on Earth-2, the Freedom Fighters and the Monitor’s agents come to blows on Earth-X when the Psycho-Pirate, his powers augmented by the demonic Anti-Monitor, stirs fear and hatred amongst them. Similarly, on Earth-1, Billy Batson/Captain Marvel and his siblings mindlessly attack Supergirl and Wonder Woman, though the fighting ends when Harbinger forces Earth-4, -S, and -X into the netherverse alongside Earth-1 and Earth-2, exhausting her incredible powers but dooming them to be slowly merged together.

After Lyla relates the Anti-Monitor’s origin, Supergirl sacrifices herself to try and destroy him.

Thus, Lyla, Pariah, and Alexander assemble Earth-1’s Superman, Earth-2’s (Kal-L), Captain Marvel, the Blue Beetle, Lady Quark, and Uncle Sam and reveal that, ten billion years ago, the Oan scientist Krona dared to seek the beginning of the universe, witnessing a giant hand clutching a star cluster. This caused a cosmic fracture, creating not just the multiverse, but an anti-matter universe and a counterpart to Oa, Qward. After banishing Kronoa, the Oans created peacekeeping forces like the defective Manhunters and the Green Lantern Corps but were fractured by a civil war, birthing the Controllers. Amidst the fighting, the Monitor and his evil, anti-matter counterpart came into being. The Anti-Matter conquered Qward and created the Shadow Demons to spread his influence throughout the anti-matter universe before waging war against the Monitor upon sensing his presence. Evenly matched, they were rendered unconscious for nine billion years before being awoken by the misguided Pariah, once a celebrated healer and scientist who also investigated the origin of the universe. Pariah’s world paid the price, and he was damned to live forever and watch all worlds die, though the Monitor also saw him as instrumental in saving all reality. Alexander uses his unique matter/anti-matter powers to create a dimensional tear to the anti-matter universe, which Pariah leads the heroes to the Anti-Monitor’s vast stone fortress. Enraged that the Psycho-Pirate is too drained to corrupt them, the Anti-Monitor has his stronghold attack, injuring the usually invulnerable Kal-L. Dr. Light and Superman discover the Anti-Monitor’s solar collector but are attacked before they can destroy it and halt the merger of the Earths. Hearing her cousin’s agony, Supergirl flies to Superman’s aid, brutally beating the villain in a rage and chastising his disdain for life, tearing through his protective armour. Furious, the Anti-Monitor prepares to explode with all his energy and, in a last-ditch effort to destroy him, his machine, and save everyone, Supergirl tackles him, destroying his machine but being fatally blasted. As the Anti-Monitor’s deteriorating, incorporeal form slinks away, Superman mourns his cousin’s death and vows to kill the Anti-Monitor. Kal-L calms his counterpart and they escape, and a memorial service is held on Earth-2, where Superman pays homage to Supergirl, vowing to remember her and fight in her name. Despite the loss, the five worlds are saved; similarly, the Green Lantern Corps free their masters and almighty Darkseid wisely cloaks Apokalips from the Anti-Monitor’s gaze. However, the Anti-Monitor reconstitutes himself on his ship, where the Flash is imprisoned, and prepares a counterattack from Qward.

Despite the Flash’s noble sacrifice, the Anti-Monitor gains God-like power from his anti-matter universe.

Though saved, the five worlds are still overlapping, causing anomalies and damage to each while  the Anti-Monitor oversees the creation of the anti-matter cannon, which he plans to use to obliterate the worlds. Just as the Psycho-Pirate feels his powers return, the Flash escapes and angrily attacks the sadistic villain, forcing him to turn the Anti-Monitor’s slaves against their master as a distraction. Though stunned to find the anti-matter cannon is powered by concentrated anti-matter and realising that destroying it would kill him, the Flash bravely circles the weapon’s core to turn its destructive energy back on it. Staving off the agony with memories of his loved ones, the Flash runs fast enough to move back in time (explaining his earlier, sudden appearances). Though Barry successfully destroys the weapon, it costs him his life. Enraged, the Anti-Matter absorbs the anti-matter universe, literally sucking the life out of over a million worlds to feed his lust for power and vengeance, an act so awesome that it’s detected by both the Challengers of the Unknown and the embodiment of the Lord’s wrath, Jim Corrigan/The Spectre. In the face of multiversal destruction, the Guardians of the Universe offer Guy Gardner the chance to become a Green Lantern once again and, when all but one of them are all slaughtered by a sudden explosion, Guy vows to avenge them as their champion. The Brainiac/Luthor team then recruit dozens of villains to strike while the remaining Earths are weak and in disarray. As time runs amok on Earth-1 and Alexander, Lyla, and Pariah address the United Nations, the villains make their move, having conquered Earth-4, -S, and -X, encasing them within impenetrable barriers, and threatening to destroy the remaining worlds. Lyla and Jay recruit a reluctant Wally West/Kid Flash to breach the barrier with the cosmic treadmill, though neither Luthor or Brainiac care much about their losses since they still possess the power to destroy everything. However, the Spectre ends the hostilities by revealing that the Anti-Monitor still lives and plans to corrupt the flow of time and formation of life by travelling to the dawn of time.

The Spectre demands co-operation, resulting in a singular world being created.

With the villains back on side, Kal-L bids an emotional farewell to his wife, Lois Lane, to join the counterattack, alongside a surprising newcomer: the Superboy from Earth-Prime (a fictional approximation of the real world where he’s the only superhero). After a rousing speech from Uncle Sam, heroes and villains alike pool their technology and powers to travel to the dawn of time and confront the anxious Anti-Monitor. The Anti-Monitor reveals that he, not Pariah, was responsible for the destruction of Pariah’s world after he took advantage of Pariah’s experiments to rebuild his power, absolving the tragic figure of his sins. Now grown to immense proportions, the Anti-Monitor withstands the assault of those assembled (with guys like Batman offering only support), absorbing their life energy to add to his power and allowing his hand to be the one that shapes all reality, as witnessed by Kronoa. His grasp is intercepted by the Spectre and the combined magic of the unified sorcerers, reducing the battle to a literal arm wrestle between the Anti-Monitor and the Spectre. Thanks to their bickering, Luthor’s underlings fail to kill Kronoa before he can cause the creation of the multiverse and the Anti-Monitor, and all seems lost. However, following a blinding light and the literal shattering of all time and space, Kal-L awakens on present-day Earth to find he’s on the same world as his Earth-1 counterpart. Sharing the same fragmented memories, Superman explains that time seems to be healing (albeit wonkily) and that elements of multiple Earths have been merged into one. For example, everyone knows Supergirl died but not how, the Flash is presumed vanished, and Earth-2’s Keystone City and Jay Garrick now live on this Earth. Jay, Wally, and the Supermen use the cosmic treadmill to discover Earth-2 is missing. Realising that the multiverse no longer exists, Superman has to force his older counterpart to return rather than throw himself into the endless void in despair. With the cosmic treadmill irreparably damaged, Wally assembles everyone at Titans Tower, discovering guys like Captain Marvel, Superbody-Prime, Uncle Sam, and the Earth-2 Dick Grayson/Robin also exist on this world, where they’re all shocked to see Harbinger alive and powered back up. The refugees are despondent and horrified to learn their worlds, pasts, and many loved ones are gone thanks to “cosmic irony” as Harbinger explains that there is now one Earth with one coherent timeline that folds their disparate lives into its flow, sending Kal-L into a crazed distress at having lost his wife and home.

A final, all-out assault ends the Anti-Monitor and starts the universe anew, with some casualties.

After questioning the imprisoned Lex Luthor, Batman, Jason Todd/Robin, and Alexander confirm that, while some duplicates remain and some lives were restored, others weren’t and only those who present at the dawn of time remember the multiverse. Just as they’re processing this, the skies turn red and the world suddenly shifts to the anti-matter universe, where the titanic, disembodied Anti-Monitor still lives! Though incensed by their efforts, the Anti-Monitor congratulates them for handing him his first defeat in ten billion years and then decrees that they must all die. Wally’s shock at his mentor’s death is mirrored by the abject panic that sweeps the civilians following the Anti-Monitor’s threat, which doubles when the Shadow Demons kill Don Hall/Dove, Helena Wayne/Huntress, and Tula Marius/Aquagirl. While the sorcerers remove the Shadow Demons, Harbinger assembles one last effort to stop the Anti-Monitor on Qward. Though the Anti-Monitor is too large and powerful to be damaged, Harbinger has Dr. Light absorb the star feeding him power, weakening him enough for Alexander to breach the villain’s armour. With the threat seemingly ended by a combined energy blast, Alexander struggles to return Earth home and the Anti-Monitor absorbs his exiled Shadow Demons to rise again and vaporise Wonder Woman. Rather than see anyone else die, Kal-L tackles the Anti-Monitor, believing he’s got nothing to lose, and Alexander and Superboy-Prime are trapped with him. Though Darkseid, watching from Apokalips, strikes a fatal blow through Alexander’s eyes, the Anti-Monitor refuses to die, so Kal-L delivers a final strike that obliterates the tyrant. Faced with the pending destruction of the anti-matter universe, Kal-L and Superboy-Prime prepare to meet their end only for Alexander to teleport them, alongside Kal-L’s Lois, to a pocket dimension. In the aftermath, Wonder Woman returns to the clay that forms Themyscira, her Earth-2 counterpart is welcomed among the Gods, the dead heroes are memorialised, and Wally assumes the Flash mangle. Confined to Arkham Asylum, the Psycho-Pirate is dubbed a raving lunatic since he’s the only one who remembers the multiverse and the catastrophic events of the Crisis.

The Summary:
Whew, there’s a lot happening in Crisis on Infinite Earths. There’s a reason I’ve put off reviewing it for so long, and why I rarely revisit it. It’s a very dense and complex story, full of exposition and cameos and faces both obscure and iconic. As a celebration of DC’s rich history and characters, it’s hard to find much better than Crisis on Infinite Earths, which stuffs just about every costumed character, hero or villain, into its dense twelve issues! My hat’s off to George Pérez; it must’ve been painstaking to sketch all these group shots, action sequences, montages, and dramatic events. Equal praise to Marv Wolfman as I can’t imagine how difficult it was to make sense of all these different worlds and come up with a cohesive way to explain, link, and destroy them all. In the end, the solution was simple: pure, destructive, unstoppable entropy. It’s fitting that the anti-matter wave is depicted as a blinding white light that erases everything it touches, for it symbolically represents a blank page or an artist’s eraser, indicating that these colourful and convoluted worlds are being literally wiped clean for a new status quo. Our guide through most of this is Pariah, a tragic figure doomed to watch each world die as penance for kick-starting the events that follow. Immortal but seemingly powerless to intervene, all he can do is shout desperate warnings and is powerless to rescue anyone and constantly met with aggression, suspicion, and accusations. He’s merely a pawn in a much larger game, however, much like Harbinger, who acts as an all-powerful emissary of the Monitor and deliver exposition in his stead. A conflicted individual burdened with the knowledge that she will betray and murder the man to whom she owes her life, Harbinger, nevertheless works to uphold the Monitor’s legacy and bring together heroes and villains alike to stand against his dark counterpart.

The Anti-Monitor’s power sends shockwaves through the multiverse and those who’ve witnessed it.

The dreaded inevitability of death is a focal point in Crisis on Infinite Earths. When the anti-matter wave hits, heroes and villains set aside their differences and use all their powers and resources to either stop it or save people from its destructive touch. Even the abhorrent Crime Syndicate find themselves fighting to save their world and Ultraman willingly enters the wave to die on his terms. Even before the wave arrives, the worlds are shaken to their core by natural disasters; volcanoes, tsunamis, and ominous, crackling red skies precipitate the disaster as much as Pariah. Perhaps no character is more synonymous with the coming destruction than the Flash; thanks to his super-speed, he ends up travelling through time, arriving before the likes of Batman and Wally as an omen of what’s to come and taking on an appearance that resembles Death itself. The Anti-Monitor echoes this in his design; though shrouded by his all-powerful armour, he sports a skull-like visage and dark, piercing eyes. Commanding demonic shadows, he’s very much the embodiment of Death and his lust for utter annihilation drives him to snuff out all life and light. Sadistic to the core, he employs the Psycho-Pirate to foster fear and hate, turning his would-be opponents against each other and causing countless more deaths. His ruthlessness seemingly knows no boundaries as he gleefully corrupts Harbinger, relishes the death of his counterpart, and nonchalantly obliterates his rebellious slaves without a second thought. His power and cruelty are so great that even the mighty Darkseid is driven to hide rather than confront him, striking when the villain is at his most vulnerable and largely avoiding the greater conflict. For all his God-like power, the Anti-Monitor still relies on technology; his merger and destruction of worlds can be halted or stopped by Cosmic Tuning Forks or destroying his solar collector. Indeed, it’s only after his massive, world-ending cannon is destroyed that the Anti-Monitor eschews all other methods and absorbs the entire lifeforce of the anti-matter universe into himself to literally take matters into his own hands.

The Supermen anchor the story, leading the assembled champions in battle and saving all reality.

There is no one central character in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Instead, it’s a team-up story through and through, meaning some of your favourites may be sidelined. In some respects, I don’t mind this; Batman outright admits how useless he is against the Anti-Monitor and it’s clear only beings of incredible power can stand against him. Yet, the Blue Beetle is said to be pivotal in opposing the villain, the Red Tornado is briefly said to be incredibly important, and Lex Luthor comes close to co-ruling five entire worlds and even leads the charge to assassinate Kronoa. The Earth-2 Superman, Kal-L, is often at the heart of the conflict, leading the others and inspiring confidence, as is his Earth-1 counterpart. It’s therefore more tragic seeing Superman’s grief-stricken reaction to his cousin’s death; holding Supergirl in his arms, the Man of Steel briefly forgets his morals and vows to kill the Anti-Monitor as recompense. This is but one of the unforgettable deaths featured in Crisis on Infinite Earths as the Flash sacrifices himself to deal a critical blow to the Anti-Monitor, making a martyr of himself for decades before DC made the bone-headed decision to revive him. There’s an odd dichotomy in Crisis on Infinite Earths; these alternative worlds and characters co-exist and are even folded into one by the end. Rather than wiping everything away and starting afresh by the conclusion, the story clunkily has the survivors forget key events and weaves characters like Captain Marvel and the Justice Society into a unified timeline. This works for me as I prefer a coherent narrative, but it essentially means Crisis on Infinite Earth takes place mid-way through the early years of the post-Crisis reboot and reimaginings like John Byrne’s Superman stories happen before and during this event, rather than after it.

Worlds lived, worlds died, and the DC Universe was never the same…for about twenty years…

These days, Crisis on Infinite Earths may be a lot for modern readers to take in. Many of its characters and concepts are either forgotten, wildly different, or have been done to death thanks to the multiple reality-altering events that followed (many specifically to address loose ends from this story). At the time, though, I’d wager many long-term DC readers appreciated the cameos and call-backs weaved into the story. I’m glad DC devoted twelve issues to the story and didn’t rush it, but it does get repetitive and convoluted as it drags on. The secondary threat of Brainiac and Luthor directing a team of villains to conquer the five worlds, for example, could probably be skipped or relegated to a tie-in comic. Similarly, the defending of the Cosmic Tuning Forks isn’t very interesting and doesn’t really add to the story since we barely see any action around this, the Shadow Demons are too powerful to be interesting, and it’s all negated by the Monitor’s death. In this respect, I think the event could’ve been cut down to eight or ten issues and still been just as effective, especially as many Earths and characters feature as quick cameos to be obliterated. The remaining five Earths are said to be the most important, which is a little disrespectful to those that perished by the Anti-Monitor’s hand and a bit of an insult to any fans of those worlds. I liked seeing new heroes rise during the chaos, like a new Dr. Light (who was an aggressive bitch throughout), Wildcat, and Guy being Green Lantern again, though it falls a little flat when you know the canon is going to be altered after this to return the status quo. I liked the Anti-Monitor’s design and his characterisation as a reprehensible being who craved only power and destruction, but it was hard to get a sense of his power and limitations. One minute he’s weakened by giant towers, then his armour is containing his energy, and then he’s being powered by a black sun despite having absorbed the lifeforce of his anti-matter universe. Still, the unification of heroes and villains to oppose him was fun to see, the sacrifices and determination were poignant, and the weaving together of a singular continuity, while flawed, was ambitious and visually engaging to behold.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

Have you ever read Crisis on Infinite Earths? What did you think of this unprecedented mash-up of DC’s various worlds and characters? Which parallel world was your favourite and were you upset to see destroyed? What did you think to the Anti-Monitor, his vast power and his stubborn refusal to die? Were you shocked to see Supergirl and the Flash die so dramatically? Do you agree that the story dragged on a bit by the end? Which of the subsequent Crisis events was your favourite and what are some of your favourite cosmic events? Drop a comment below to share your thoughts about Crisis on Infinite Earths and feel free to check out my reviews of other notable crossovers.

Screen Time [JLA Day]: Justice League: Secret Origins

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To celebrate the release of Justice League (Snyder/Whedon, 2017), DC Comics named November 18 “Justice League Day”. Setting aside all the drama surrounding that movie, this provides a perfect excuse to spotlight DC’s premier superhero team, which set the standard for super teams in comics by bringing together DC’s most powerful heroes.

“Secret Origins”

Air Date: 17 November 2001
Director: Dan Riba and Butch Lukic
Original Network: Cartoon Network
Stars: George Newbern, Kevin Conroy, Susan Eisenberg, Phil LaMarr, Michael Rosenbaum, Maria Canals-Barrera, Carl Lumbly, and Kevin Michael Richardson

The Background:
In 1992, hot off the success of Tim Burton’s gothic Batman movies, Bruce Timm and Paul Dini produced one of the most lauded cartoons of an entire generation with Batman: The Animated Series (1992 to 1995). The award-winning animated series was soon accompanied by one of the greatest adaptations of Clark Kent/Superman’s adventures, and it wasn’t long after that The New Batman Adventures (1997 to 1999) and Superman: The Animated Series (1996 to 2000) were crossing over. Superman also introduced a number of additional superheroes into the celebrated DC Animated Universe (DCAU), colourful faces familiar to comics readers who would be pushed to the forefront when Dini and Timm collaborated on the illustrious Justice League animated series (2001 to 2004). The late, great Kevin Conroy (for many the definitive Bruce Wayne/Batman) returned to voice the Dark Knight, though George Newbern replaced Tim Daly as the Man of Steel, and the show came to define the values and appeal of the titular team. Starting with a bang with a three-episode arc that was later collected as a feature-length presentation, Justice League expanded its lore and roster evermore in its sister-series and has been widely praised for its mature themes, relatable characters, and for setting a new standard for animated adaptations, to the point that DC’s later animated ventures are often directly compared to the DCAU.

The Plot:
When the alien invaders who decimated Mars attack the Earth, the planet’s greatest superheroes are called together for the first time by Martian survivor J’onn J’onnz (Lumbly) to combat the threat.

The Review:
The DCAU started as a very grounded affair. Batman: The Animated Series largely stuck to street-level or city-wide disturbances, focusing on Batman villains who were crazed, yes, but largely human. There were obviously exceptions, but things rarely got too fantastical. That changed when Superman: The Animated Series was confirmed to take place in the same continuity; suddenly, Batman existed alongside aliens, magic, and other supernatural threats far beyond his mortal limits. Yet, even then, Superman: The Animated Series focused more on the titular Man of Steel and his exploits; when costumed heroes did appear, it was more of a spotlight or a cameo, a glimpse into an even bigger world. I say all this as “Secret Origins” wisely starts off from Batman’s perspective, with him investigating a series security breaches in WayneTech’s global deep space monitoring network and finding the culprits are guilty of more than simple corporate espionage. Confronting the facility staff as they attach an alien device to a satellite dish, Batman is stunned to find the employees not only speaking an alien language but exhibiting superhuman strength and an unnerving ability to reconstitute broken limbs. Stubborn as ever, Batman refuses Superman’s help when he stops by, only to end up aiding the Man of Steel when he’s half-crippled by what appears to be a psychic attack. Though Batman scoffs at the idea of calling for Superman’s help with his signal watch, he pockets the device and continues his investigation over the next six months, undeterred despite his enemy being far outside of his weight class. However, when checking out a Metropolis warehouse, Batman discovers more scientists, this time encased in disgusting, egg-like pods, held in stasis so the alien invaders can better assume their identities. When he’s attacked by an alien guard dog, Batman’s forced to signal Superman for help but even the Man of Steel is seemingly powerless when a series of meteors crash to Earth and birth gigantic, tripod-like alien walkers that decimate the world’s major cities.

When invaders attack, Earth’s heroes are forced to work together (and with J’onn) to fight back.

Despite throwing his best punches, Superman barely slows the destructive walkers, but another psychic barrage clues him in on the key to fending off the invaders. Closely followed by Batman, who’s no match even in his kitted-out Batplane, the World’s Finest find a strange alien humanoid held in captivity in an alien base. Freeing the visitor, they learn that he is J’onn J’onnz, the last survivor of Mars, and that he was attempting to communicate to Superman on a mental level. Though naturally distrustful, even after J’onn assumes a more human guise, Batman listens intently as J’onn relates how the once-peaceful Martian civilization was decimated by the relentless, gloop-like invaders. They destroyed all trace of J’onn’s people, committing mass genocide and even stealing their shape-shifting powers, and were only stopped when J’onn himself led a final, desperate attack on their underground stronghold and paralysed them with a nerve gas. Though he sealed the invaders away and kept watch for 500 years, J’onn was in a hibernation cycle when two astronauts accidentally opened the tomb, reawakening the invaders and turning their aggression towards Earth. Desperate to ensure that another civilisation doesn’t suffer as his did, J’onn escaped and tried to warn the Earth, only to be captured and studied. Luckily, he retained enough of his power to call out not just to Superman, but to Wally West/The Flash (Rosenbaum), John Stewart/Green Lantern (LaMarr), and Shayera Hol/Hawkgirl (Canals-Barrera), who all join the fight and take down a contingent of the alien walkers. Their efforts are further aided by Princess Diana of Themyscira/Wonder Woman (Eisenberg), a “rookie” hero (as John puts it) who abandons her island paradise to aid mankind. Though new to the hero game, Wonder Woman makes an immediate impression, deflecting incoming fire with her wrist guards and showcasing superhuman strength and flight, aiding Hawkgirl and taking down the walkers as forcefully as Superman. Still, distrust is rife amongst the fledgling Justice League; not only are they wary of J’onn but Diana’s expertise is called into question, and the group initially struggles to gel. John immediately takes charge, barking orders and dividing the group into teams to gain intel on the walkers, only to be lumbered with the childish Flash and left chastising Wally for his reckless nature. Such recklessness is echoed in both Hawkgirl and Wonder Woman, whose first instinct is to fight and cause them to blindly charge into ambushes and traps as a result. Superman is constantly trying to help everyone and therefore lets his guard down. Apparently somewhat complacent since he’s largely invulnerable, Superman’s easily subdued by the invaders’ powerful tech.

The fledgling Justice League ultimately triumph over the invaders and become a cohesive unit.

Although they’re unsure about J’onn, he proves to be dependable and is extremely capable in a fight. Boasting psychic powers, he can also fly, turn invisible and intangible, and exhibits superhuman strength on par with his peers. He also holds the key to shutting down one of the invaders’ drilling facility, working alongside Wonder Woman and Batman to steal the ion crystal, only for Batman to be left behind and seemingly gunned down. As the only member of the team without superpowers, Batman is at a physical disadvantage, but he does his best. He has his toys, of course, but his greatest asset is his mind. He colludes with J’onn to fake his death, an act that galvanises the team to work harder in rescuing Superman and Hawkgirl, and which deceives the invaders and their overseer, the Imperium (Richardson), a Lovecraftian, tentacled nightmare that delights in torturing J’onn before his newfound allies. The Imperium realises all-too late that Batman has survived as the Dark Knight sabotages the ion crystal, reversing its polarity and dispelling the polluting cloud that’s blanketed the Earth since the invaders arrived. It’s also Batman who deduces that the invaders are vulnerable to sunlight, a weakness the team quickly takes advantage of by ripping holes in the alien craft, killing the creatures without a second’s hesitation. Though they have no name, the alien invaders are a formidable force; they use shape-shifting abilities stolen from the Martians to impersonate public figures and even the heroes, laying the groundwork for their forces to arrive. They also wield laser blasters and are fully malleable, pulling themselves back together or reforming after taking damage. Most notably, they attack humanity using tripod-like walkers ripped right out of The War of the Worlds (Wells, 1898) just as the Imperium’s arrival is ripped from Independence Day (Emmerich, 1996). Their numbers and advanced alien tech make them more than a match for each of the team individually, even overpowered members like Superman and J’onn, but, once the disparate heroes start working together, the invaders are summarily driven off and Earth gains a powerful group of protectors.

The Summary:
“Secret Origins” has quite a mountain to climb. Sure, while DCAU viewers would’ve been well acquainted with Batman and Superman and have some knowledge of the Flash and the Green Lantern Corps, Wally, John, Shayera, and Diana are essentially brand-new characters in this sprawling continuity. Rather than spending time delving into the background of each of these new heroes, “Secret Origins” spends more time focusing on introducing J’onn and Wonder Woman, assuming the audiences will remember lore about the Flash and the Green Lantern Corps from Superman: The Animated Series and simply dropping Hawkgirl in our laps. I think this was a good approach; I liked that the first part was essentially another Batman/Superman team-up as it showcased neither man could fight off the invaders alone and that the two together wouldn’t be enough, either. This greatly aided in establishing the invaders as a true threat; they easily manhandled Batman, forcing him to ask Superman for aid, and Superman was distracted by J’onn’s attempts to communicate and unprepared to face a physical challenge. J’onn is depicted as a suitably tragic figure, one who’s seen his whole world die at the hands of these invaders and who is determined to prevent it happening again. J’onn even apologises for humanity’s violent nature and defends the very people who treated him so poorly when he arrived. He finds a kindred spirit in Superman and a surrogate family in the Justice League, who eventually accept him as one of them through his courageous actions. This arc is echoed in Wonder Woman, who renounces her place in paradise out of curiosity to explore “Man’s World” and a sense of duty to defend the planet from its aggressors. However, as she’s new to the superhero lark, she’s initially treated with contempt by the strait-laced John Stewart. A gruff military man who focuses solely on the job, John has no time for the Flash’s games and is dismissive of Diana for being a “rookie”. The others are much more accepting and even John is turned around after seeing the fantastic abilities Wonder Woman brings to the table.

Heroes old and new must learn to fight together to defend the Earth.

The dynamic between the fledgling Justice League is at the forefront of “Secret Origins”. J’onn calls them together to defend the planet but none of them have any experience working together. Sure, Batman and Superman have teamed up, but they didn’t exactly like it or make a habit of it. Indeed, the only one with a sense of teamwork is John and even he’s bad at it, ordering the heroes around like he’s king shit and simply expecting them to fall in line or work together without laying the groundwork first. Egos and personalities clash throughout, with Batman being his usual pig-headed self, Hawkgirl charging into conflict, and the Flash toying with his foes, seemingly oblivious to the stakes. Even Superman struggles with the team dynamic, feeling obligated to help everyone and being blindsided as a result, and consequently sees the value in bringing the team together as a permanent fixture. Superman’s focus is on solving all the world’s problems, so much so that he doesn’t even suspect he’s being manipulated by the invaders to weaken Earth’s defences. The invaders are relentless and extremely aggressive, laying waste to cities with little resistance, but are both formidable and extremely vulnerable. Even Batman takes them out with enough effort and their machines are brought down by the heroes, but their sheer numbers and tenacity mean they can easily subdue even the Justice League. It isn’t until they underestimate Batman and their weakness is exposed that they show any signs of fear, with the Imperium desperately fleeing once its exposed to sunlight, only for Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl to violently bring down its escape craft and send the rest of its kind scurrying back to the depths of space. Again, it’s a very War of the Worlds-like ending and perhaps a little too contrived and nonsensical for the invaders to have such a glaring weakness, but it’s used to emphasise the team coming together as a unified force, so I’ll allow it. Ultimately this was a great introduction to the DCAU Justice League. “Secret Origins” established their different and conflicting personalities and how their various powers and abilities will work going forward, emphasising that they all have a part to play, and showed that there are some threats that require a whole group of special heroes to oppose it.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

What did you think to “Secret Origins”? Did you enjoy seeing these heroes come together? What did you think to threat they faced? Would you have liked to get a little more insight into the Flash and Hawkgirl? Are you a fan of J’onn J’onnz? What are some of your favourite Justice League episodes? Feel free to use the comment section below to share your opinions and be sure to check out my other Justice League content across the site.

Back Issues [Brightest Month]: Green Lantern Co-Starring Green Arrow #87

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Although February 2014 was dubbed “Green Lantern Day” (because, by the American calendar, the date read as “2814”, the sector of space assigned to Earth in DC Comics), the significance of this date has passed as the years have changed. Instead, as perhaps the most popular iteration of the character, Hal Jordan, first appeared in October of 1959, I’ve been dedicating every Sunday of October to the Green Lantern Corps!

Story Title: “Beware My Power!”
Published: January 1972
Writer: Dennis O’Neil
Artist: Neal Adams

The Background:
Initially presented as magically empowered railroad engineer Alan Scott, Martin Nodell and Bill Finger’s colourful Green Lantern was significantly reinvented by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane in 1959, becoming a more science-fiction-oriented superhero. Almost ten years later, Groome and Kane planted the seeds for a diverse peacekeeping force, a Green Lantern Corps, with the introduction of Guy Gardner, a volatile individual who acted as a backup to Harold “Hal” Jordan, popularly known as the greatest Green Lantern of all time. Arguably, however, many fans are more familiar with military-minded John Stewart as Earth’s go-to Green Lantern, particularly after his inclusion in the popular Justice League cartoons (2001 to 2004; 2004 to 2006). Created by Neal Adams, who favoured shelving Guy Gardner for an African-American Green Lantern, John was originally depicted as a belligerent architect whose methods and sensibilities clashed widely with Hal’s, and famously refused to hide his identity. John was later retconned to be a former United States Marine, a change that would come to define his character, and became burdened by guilt after accidentally committing genocide. In addition to serving on the Justice League, John became the first mortal Guardian of the Universe, was one of the rare male members of the Star Sapphires, and has prominently featured in DC adaptations, appearing as a skin for Green Lantern in multiple videogames and very nearly making it to live-action on more than one occasion.

The Review:
Things get off to a dramatic start here as an earthquake rocks Southern California just as Hal Jordan is charging up his ring. Although the tremors are brief and have cause only minor damage, Green Lantern swoops over the city to help out where he can, do-gooder that he is. And he’s not the only one; outside the city, the quake has wrecked a bridge and sees little Suzie teetering over a fatal drop. Luckily, Guy Gardner is on hand to help talk her down, but the poor girl’s so terrified that she’s rooted to the spot. With the remains of the bridge unstable and a plummet into the canyon awaiting them both, Guy makes a desperate run for the girl just as Green Lantern arrives to help. Hal shows up just in time to see Guy get smashed by a bus(!) as the section collapses, rescuing them both from the fall but grieved to see that Guy was critically injured from the impact. When doctors at a local hospital inform Green Lantern that Guy should fully recover in six months’ time, Hal is left dejected. Since Guy has been pegged as his successor, Hal has been relying on him taking over if his personal issues become too overwhelming. Luckily, one of the enigmatic and all-power Guardians of the Universe senses Hal’s anxiety and, aware of the situation, suggests that a new substitute be picked in case the worst should happen. Hal agrees and the Guardian takes him to meet his new replacement in the last place Hal expected to go: an urban ghetto. 

When Guy is injured, Hal begins training socially-minded John to be his backup.

There, we’re introduced to John Stewart in a way that perfectly encapsulates his alternative sensibilities. When a police officer threatens two Black youths with disciplinary action for playing dominoes on the pavement, John intervenes, questioning his authority and calling the cop out on his obvious racism. Hal, however, is unimpressed (though not, as the Guardian suggests, because he’s equally prejudiced) by John’s apparent ego. Though he disagrees with the choice, Hal agrees to approach John as Green Lantern and offer him the position as his backup and John, who’s struggled to find work as an architect because of his race, readily agrees to the opportunity to shake off his reputation as a “square” as a superhero, jokingly suggesting he change his name to “Black Lantern”. Thus, Green Lantern (who doesn’t reveal his true identity to John) begins teaching John about the powers and limitations of the power battery and the ring. Hal teaches John the Green Lantern oath (which he finds “corny”), reminds him to charge his ring every twenty-four hours, and temporarily empowers John with his own Green Lantern uniform so they can begin field training, John, however, refuses to hide his identity behind a mask. He also takes to his training like a natural, mastering the ring easier than avoiding muggers and bigots, and is quickly given the chance to put his skills to the test when they spot an out of control fuel tanker heading towards a crowd at the airport. Although they succeed, Hal is enraged when John purposely causes Senator Jeremiah Clutcher to receive a face full of oil, giving John the chance to insult him with a racist quip. John, however, justifies his actions since Clutcher is a known racist who openly oppresses John’s people in his bid to become President of the United States. 

Despite their clash of personalities, John earns Hal’s resect for his deductive reasoning.

Hal chastises John and, to teach him a lesson, orders him to guard Clutcher from reprisals; he also objects to being called “Whitey”, especially considering John’s so pent-up about racism. Later, Clutcher makes an impassioned speech to his supporters, openly mocking “The Darkies” and accusing them of being of lesser intelligence, which only further raises John’s ire. Although Hal doesn’t approve of Clutcher’s insensitive attitudes, he’s so strait-laced that he believes the senator has the God-given right to free speech, meaning he leaps into action when a Black man suddenly shoots at Clutcher during his tirade while John refuses to get involved. Hal quickly tackles the gunmen, noting that the assassin never tried to put up a fight, while John subdues a White gunman outside the stadium. Hal reprimands John for his prejudice, accusing him of bringing disgrace to his uniform, but John simply shrugs him off and teaches Hal a lesson of his own: he spotted both gunmen at the airport and was suspicious to note that one was shooting and the other was missing. Hal’s stunned to learn that the Black man’s gun was filled with blanks as part of an elaborate frame. The Black man was a patsy, setup to make it look like the “Blacks are on a rampage” and winning Clutcher the Presidency at the cost of an all-out civil war. Hal condemns the senator’s actions and is impressed by John’s deductive reasoning. Hal still has apprehensions about John’s methods and style, but the content architect simply brushes it off and the two seem to finish the story with a mutual respect for each other. 

The Summary:
First and foremost, I have to praise the stunning artwork of the late, great Neal Adams. Adams first came to my attention when I read Batman annuals as a kid and I’ve always loved his bold, kinetic, square-jawed depictions of DC’s superheroes. He brings Hal and John to life in such a dynamic way, depicting them as lean, muscular heroes and giving a fluidity to their actions, and it’s always a joy to see his art on the page. Sadly, the scans I’m reading don’t do the art justice. The colours are muted, messy, and robbed of their “pop”, though this does give “Beware My Power” a bit of a dark edge to it that is reflected in the nature of the plot. Next, I have to comment on Guy Gardner. While he tries to help a girl endangered by the earthquake, he’s unceremoniously taken out when a bus smashes into him, leaving him bedridden like a chump. This element was so random, so unnecessarily over the top, that it may as well have killed Guy (and, realistically, should’ve) since it was a pretty extreme and unintentionally hilarious way to put him on the shelf. It was also weird that Hal’s concern was less for Guy’s welfare and more for his own. His entire concern is on what will happen to him and the Green Lantern mantle if he’s unable to perform his duties and less on how the injuries will impact Guy’s future. It’s pretty selfish, if I’m honest, and does as little to endear me towards the “greatest Green Lantern” as his unwavering commitment to the concepts such as authority and free speech. 

With his outspoken nature and unique appearance, John makes a great first impression.

This means he naturally clashes with John Stewart. While John admittedly has a chip on his shoulder and is overly suspicious of authority figures, he has every right to be since he’s an out of work Black man struggling to make a living in the ghetto and facing unfair persecution wherever he goes simply for the colour of his skin. His attitude might be confrontational, and he might ruffle Hal’s feathers with his cavalier nature, but John’s entirely justified since the story depicts a cop persecuting young Blacks for no justifiable reason and then paints Senator Clutcher as such an exaggerated racist bastard that it’s almost comical. Of course, this is probably truer to reality at the time than we realise. The segregation and public dismissal of Blacks was commonplace and African-Americans had every right to take issue with it. Unlike many of them, John is given the power to affect real change when he agrees to become Hal’s backup Green Lantern. He easily masters the ring (potentially because of his creativity as an architect but also because of the strong sense of injustice he feels) and immediately clashes with Hal in his approach towards using his power. While Hal obviously doesn’t agree with racism, he’s a stickler for the rules and believes everyone should have basic human rights, even dirty scum like Clutcher, so he constantly reprimands John, who frankly doesn’t give a shit about Hal’s opinion. Being a product of the 1970s, the story naturally infuses John’s dialect with a bit too cliché “Jive talk” for my tastes, but it instantly gives him more personality than Guy; as does his refusal to wear a mask, his confrontational behaviour, and his unique look. Consequently, I’d definitely say John makes a better first impression than Guy, Hal, or even Alan. While they were all quite bland and cookie cutter in the debuts, John is bold and outspoken.  He might be a bit of a hypocrite at times (he exhibits the same prejudices towards Whites as he receives from them) and in need of some seasoning, but his introduction was the shake-up the book needed at the time and I’d go as far as to say that both Guy and Hal should’ve been taken out by that bus so the Guardian could’ve empowered John to take over the comic! 

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Did you enjoy John Stewart’s debut story? What did you think to his characterisation and the personality clash between him and Hal? Were you as unimpressed by Guy’s accident as I was? What did you think to the racism angle threaded throughout this story? Do you think John was justified in his actions or do you think he needed tempering a little to approach things more diplomatically? Where does John rank in the Green Lantern hierarchy for you and what are some of your favourite stories and moments of his? How are you celebrating Green Lantern this month? I’d love to hear your thoughts on John Stewart so leave them below, and go check out my other Green Lantern content across the site! 

Movie Night: Joker: Folie à Deux

Dr. K3 Comments

Released: 4 October 2024 (Hey, that’s my birthday!)
Director: Todd Phillips
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Budget: $190 to 200 million
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, and Harry Lawtey

The Plot:
Two years after killing Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) on live television, Arthur Fleck/Joker (Phoenix) is incarcerated at Arkham State Hospital, experiencing musical madness through a shared delusion with Joker fan Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (Gaga).

The Background:
The Joker has been a staple of DC Comics for decades and is inarguably Bruce Wayne/Batman’s greatest foe. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the “Clown Prince of Crime” first appeared in 1940 and has been responsible for many tragedies in the Dark Knight’s life, including the death of Jason Todd/Robin and the crippling of Barbara Gordon/Batgirl. The Joker has also appeared in live-action many times: Cesar Romero famously refused to shave his moustache for the role in the sixties, Jack Nicholson set a new standard in Batman (Burton, 1989), Heath Ledger received a posthumous honour for his incredible turn in The Dark Knight (Nolan, 2008), and Jared Leto’s screen time was significantly cut from Suicide Squad (Ayer, 2016). A standalone Joker movie was initially planned to spin out from Suicide Squad before numerous blunders saw Warner Bros. shift towards an unrelated interpretation of the character. Filmed on a modest budget, Joker (Phillips, 2019) was the first “R” rated DC Extended Universe movie and an unprecedented critical and commercial success, despite its protesters and controversy. Though planned as a standalone and the first in a series of darker, more experimental DC films, star Joaquin Phoenix personally lobbied for a follow-up after dreaming up the premise of a musical sequel. After briefly considering a Broadway show and unanimously deciding against transforming Arthur Fleck into a traditional criminal mastermind, Phoenix and director Todd Phillips developed the musical concept further, bringing in Lady Gaga as a new version of Harley Quinn that required her to change her approach to singing. The musical numbers were performed live, which proved an editing nightmare for Philips, who was given an extraordinary level of autonomy over the project, which ultimately failed to replicate the financial success of its predecessor. Reviews were equally far more scathing this time around; indeed, while Phoenix ’s performance was praised and Lady Gaga was seen as underutilised, many questioned the use of musical numbers and criticised the pacing and tedious, plodding narrative. In the wake of James Gunn rebooting DC’s live-action ventures, it seems our time with this alternative Joker is over not just because of these factors but also because Phillips stated he was finished with the character and this fictional world.

The Review:
I’m proudly in the minority of people who didn’t care much for Joker. Even it had somehow been a decent film, in my opinion, I still would’ve found it annoying to have an alternative version of the Joker running around in a Batman-less Gotham City. As a psychological thriller that made you question the sanity and reliability of its narrator, it was okay; but I would still rather watch the vastly superior American Psycho (Harron, 2000) for that fix. Either way, Joker: Folie à Deux (ridiculous title, by the way) picks up two years after the first movie and finds a heavily emaciated, largely silent Arthur Fleck committed to Arkham State Hospital, where he’s routinely harassed, abused, and mocked by bullish guards like Jackie Sullivan (Gleeson). While Joker ended with the suggestion that some of the film’s events were part of Arthur’s twisted imagination, Joker: Folie à Deux confirms that he did kill five people (actually, it’s six, but it’s not common knowledge that he killed Penny Fleck (Frances Conroy), his overbearing and abusive mother), with Murray Franklin’s live execution inciting a riot and a gaggle of clown-themed protestors calling for Arthur’s release. Despite finding his true self and experiencing a euphoric empowerment by embracing his psychotic urges, Arthur is a broken shell of his former self. Lethargic and largely mute, he’s easily bossed around by the guards and kept under the whim of his daily medicines. Jackie and the others regularly taunt him, forcing him to kiss other inmates and rewarding him with cigarettes whenever he tells one of his bad jokes, but the strong, confident, self-assured Joker is absent in the early going of the film (and, truthfully, for much of it). Arthur’s so mellow that his lawyer, Maryanne Stewart (Keener), is working to convince him, a jury, newly elected assistant district attorney Harvey Dent (Lawtey), and basically anyone who’ll listen that the meek Arthur and his psychotic Joker are distinctly different personalities. Her goal in aiding him, in trying the change the public’s opinion of him as some crazed murderer or a martyr to the lower classes, isn’t to prove he’s innocent, of course, since he absolutely is guilty of murder. Instead, she wants to show the tragedy behind his childhood, the mitigating circumstances around his killings, and prove that he’s a disturbed individual who needs real medical help, not to be caged in a veritable torture chamber or sent to the electric chair for actions outside of his control.

A broken down Arthur is given new life as Joker through Lee’s musical influence.

Arthur is largely apathetic about all this. He endures his daily torment and routine without so much as a peep and does his best to go along with Maryanne’s plan, taking solace in his fantasy world where he imagines his life as a classic Warner Bros. cartoon, relives the trauma he suffered at the hands of others and his mother, and seemingly longs for the feeling of empowerment he felt when he embraced his Joker persona. All this changes, however, when he passes through B Wing, a low security section of Arkham housing non-violent inmates, and catches the eye of Lee Quinzel. When Jackie arranges for Arthur to participate in the same musical therapy class as Lee for good behaviour, Arthur finally opens up to this self-professed Joker fan. Instantly enamoured by Arthur and having been inspired by his actions, Lee claims to have struck out against her own abusive family and landed herself in the nuthouse after burning down her apartment building. The two grow closer as Lee professes her admiration and love for the ideal Arthur embodied when he killed Murray Franklin and Arthur, love starved and craving attention, falls head over heels for her in return. The two express themselves through song almost constantly, either in Arthur’s warped imagination or, seemingly, for real. As in the first movie, it’s not always clear when things are real or not, though many of the musical numbers take place in Arthur’s head. These imaginary sequences are also the only times Arthur shows his violent side, braining and beating people to death with footstools and mallets, and are seemingly his new way to work through his pain and frustration and emotion. Unlike Arthur’s obsession with his neighbour, Sophie Dumond (Zazie Beetz), Lee is quite real. Others see and acknowledge her, though it’s debatable whether she really did blag her way into his cell to seduce him and much of her character is called into question when Maryanne reveals that Lee lied about her past to get closer to Arthur. Indeed, rather than being a downtrodden and forgotten member of the lower classes like him, Lee comes from money, is studying psychiatry, and willingly committed herself to meet him, reframing the usual Joker/Harley dynamic as she’s the one subtly influencing him to coax out what she sees as his “true” self.

Faced with daily abuse and a death sentence, Arthur retreats into a musical fantasy.

Lee’s influence sees Arthur become bolder, more confident, regaining the spark that took Gotham’s crooks and destitute by storm. A parade of supporters surrounds the courthouse during his trial, which is broadcast live since he’s such a high-profile killer, and witnesses testify against Arthur’s mental state. Encouraged by Lee to embrace his status as a cult symbol, Arthur snaps and fires Maryanne and opts to represent himself, donning the Joker makeup and persona once more and strutting around the courtroom ranting about his shitty life. By his own admission, however, Arthur knows nothing about the legal system, resulting in him mocking his traumatised former co-worker Gary Puddles (Leigh Gill). These moments, and where Arthur is wailing or uncontrollably cackling in despair, are where Phoenix excels in the role. I’ve never liked the idea of a definitive origin for the Joker, but he certainly brings his A-game in personifying Arthur’s depressing bleakness and Joker’s manic insanity. For the most part, Lady Gaga does well enough as a heavily revised version of Harley Quinn. After she checks out of Arkham, we’re told that Lee campaigns on Arthur’s behalf and she slowly adopts more clown-ish makeup and mannerisms in support of him. When she’s not singing (and she sings all the damn time), she’s an intriguing character, one who I would’ve liked to see more from. She seems to want Arthur to embrace his Joker persona and lead his followers in some kind of revolution (to “build a mountain”, as they say) but it’s not clear why or what their ultimate goal is rather than simply sticking it to “The Man” and unapologetically being true to oneself. Arthur’s main antagonist is himself, as ever; he’s riddled with insecurity, feelings of abandonment and helplessness, and is thus depends on Lee for emotional support. However, while he relishes frolicking around like Foghorn Leghorn, Arthur’s outbursts and rantings see him anger Jackie and the other guards. While the Arkham inmates and Joker’s supporters cheer and applaud his antics, the guards mercilessly beat and seemingly sexually assault him, with Jackie even throttling Arthur’s fellow inmate, Ricky Meline (Jacob Lofland), for being a little too outspoken in his rambunctious support.

The Nitty-Gritty:
Despite some confusion in the marketing and various interviews, Joker: Folie à Deux is very much a musical. Even before Arthur meets Lee, his fantasies favour belting out Frank Sinatra and, after they get closer, this only increases, to the point where almost every conversation becomes a musical number. I like musicals; I’m not against the idea of a musical. I like the idea that Arthur’s warped imagination has evolved to where he retreats into musical fantasy. However, I don’t think it was executed well here and it became very tedious. It seems the only reason these musical numbers is because of Lady Gaga’s stunt casting as Harley Quinn (sorry, “Lee”), and I definitely feel it would’ve been more impactful to just have three or four of these numbers. Indeed, it bothered me that Arthur was suddenly so into singing when surely his fantasy should be being a stand-up comedian or a talk show host like his former idol? Either way, it was physically exhausting seeing mundane conversations turned into songs and it got tired very quickly. While the first half of Joker: Folie à Deux mostly examines a beaten-down Arthur as he shuffles through daily torment in Arkham and his blossoming relationship with Lee, the second half is a courtroom drama, where Arthur’s very presence causes controversy even before he’s prancing around in his clown makeup. Personally, I found the courtroom stuff more interesting, but it was also a joke. The idea that anyone would acquit Arthur when thousands of people saw him commit murder on live television is laughable, to the point where Dent seemingly only endures the circus to bolster his career using the publicity. Things seem to turn a corner when Arthur represents himself as Joker, finally standing tall as a taunting, unhinged figure and stirring up a fresh wave of support from the incels who worship him as a martyr. However, beneath the makeup and the façade is lowly old Arthur Fleck, a damaged man who struggles to live up to expectations. Dent argues that Arthur is faking his mental illness and Arthur’s brief euphoria at reassuming his Joker guise soon comes crashing down following Jackie’s assault, leading him to openly denounce his persona, admit to his wrongdoings, and essentially criticise not just those who support him, but the myriad audiences who hailed Joker a subversive hit.

Ultimately, Arthur fails to live up to Lee’s expectations and ends up shanked like a bitch.

Indeed, Joker: Folie à Deux appears to be taking all the goodwill of the first movie’s success and purposely flushing it down the toilet. Arthur is taken right back to square one, being pushed around and bullied like a feeble, pathetic child and his number one supporter, Lee, is shown to be a deluded, obsessed super fan who encourages Joker’s outbursts with no real end goal in mind. His anonymous supporters rally for him but mostly use the Joker persona as an excuse to lash out, attack the police and government, and commit petty crimes. They’re not trying to overthrow the elite or get equality; they just want an excuse to act like assholes. After seeing how traumatised Gary is and suffering Jackie’s malicious abuse, Arthur snaps again and the empowerment he rediscovered leaves him. His public denouncement of Joker sees Lee leave in disgust and either kill herself or bluntly reject him, depending on which scene you want to believe is real. As the jury delivers their unanimous guilty verdict, the courthouse is attacked, leaving Dent mildly wounded on one side of his face, and Arthur escapes. He’s briefly picked up by some Joker fanatics, who desperately try to shield him in hopes of inciting a revolution, only to be astonished when he flees in fear, wanting no part of their movement. After Lee rejects him, Arthur is immediately and easily apprehended and dragged back to Arkham, ending the film right where he started: a small, broken, screwed up little man facing the death penalty. However, when he’s called to see a visitor, Arthur is stopped by a fellow inmate (Connor Storrie), one of many who gleefully watched Arthur’s trial and supported his manic actions. Disgusted that the lauded Joker is nothing but a worthless nobody who doesn’t appreciate his following, the inmate spitefully tells Arthur a joke and then repeatedly shanks him, mutilating his own face with a Glasgow smile as Arthur bleeds out on the floor and, presumably, dies.

The Summary:
I didn’t care for Joker. I thought it was largely pointless and meaningless since we’d never see this version of the character in the larger DC extended universe and the idea of doing a Joker movie without Batman seemed like a waste of time to me. I’ll admit, it was a decent, gritty, psychological thriller but…it wasn’t the Joker. Joker: Folie à Deux hammers that home explicitly; by the end, it’s obvious that Arthur Fleck was never supposed to be the Clown Prince of Crime and was, instead, the catalyst for psychotic copycats to spread terror and discord. This wouldn’t be a bad concept if the movie was actually good. Maybe if it had taken some time to explore how Arthur’s actions influenced people, perhaps shown us more of Gotham from Lee and Dent’s perspectives and juxtaposed them with Arthur cackling it up in Arkham, I could’ve endured the obnoxious musical numbers. Alas, this isn’t the case and the film instead devotes itself to stripping away everything people loved about the first film except the performances, and even those are called into question by the tedious singing. I didn’t like the idea that Arthur regressed while in Arkham; he ended Joker on a high but it took the obsession of a woman to get him back in gear, which made him seem weak and lack agency. Lady Gaga may as well have been an entirely different character; she’s as removed from Harley Quinn as Arthur is from Joker. In that regard, the idea makes perfect sense but it’s hardly providing a quintessential adaptation of these two popular characters. What really bugs me about these Joker films is how some audiences will grow up or go around thinking that this is what Joker and Harley should be, when the actual intent seems to be the exact opposite. But, by messing with our expectations and presenting this weird, poorly paced, nonsensical musical, Joker: Folie à Deux wastes more of my time than I would’ve liked. It’s not clever or saying anything new; indeed, much of its runtime treads the same ground as the last film. The singing is annoying and gets in the way of the story, and any potential of seeing Arthur truly embody the Joker persona is done away in favour of trolling audiences. I’d love to know where the $200 million budget went on this titanic insult of a film. Still, hopefully now that Arthur is dead we’ve seen the last of his “Joker” and we’ll never have to worry about this terrible incarnation of the character ever again.

My Rating:

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Terrible

Did you enjoy Joker: Folie à Deux? If so…why? Name one thing you enjoyed; I dare you! What did you think to Lady Gaga’s version of Harley Quinn? Were you disappointed that Arthur didn’t truly embrace his Joker persona? What did you think to the musical numbers? Are you glad Arthur was shanked in the end or are you insane and think this is the best Joker ever? What are some of your favourite Joker-centric stories over the years? Whatever you think, good or bad, about Joker: Folie à Deux, drop a comment down below and let me know your thoughts.

Back Issues [Brightest Month]: Green Lantern #59

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Although February 2014 was dubbed “Green Lantern Day” (because, by the American calendar, the date read as “2814”, the sector of space assigned to Earth in DC Comics), the significance of this date has passed as the years have changed. Instead, as perhaps the most popular iteration of the character, Hal Jordan, first appeared in October of 1959, I’ve been dedicating every Sunday of October to the Green Lantern Corps!

Story Title: “Earth’s Other Green Lantern!”
Published: March 1968
Writer: John Broome
Artist: Gil Kane

The Background:
Martin Nodell and Bill Finger’s original version of the Green Lantern, Alan Scott, was a magically empowered railroad engineer rather than a space-faring peacekeeper. However, following the successfully reinvention of the Flash in 1956, John Broome and artist Gil Kane changed the Green Lantern mythos forever with the introduction of test pilot Harold “Hal” Jordan, widely regarded as the greatest Green Lantern of all time, in 1959. Nearly ten years later, Groome and Kane revealed that Hal was just one of the potential candidates for Abin Sur’s power ring, the other being volatile Guy Gardner, who first debuted in this issue. Not only was Guy relegated to backup status, he soon found himself gravely injured and briefly trapped in the Phantom Zone. Then, he was replaced by another and developed brain damage, becoming even more hostile and egotistical, especially regarding his status as a Green Lantern. Guy is perhaps best known for his time on Justice League International, where he often clashed with his teammates, as much as his unstable temperament, which saw him kicked out of the Green Lantern Corps and wielding Thaal Sinestro’s yellow power ring. Guy’s backstory was significantly altered in the early-1990s, revealing him to be of Vuldarian heritage, before he returned to the Green Lantern Corps as one of Earth’s many emerald defenders. Whether wielding a green, yellow, or red power ring, though, Guy has maintained a vocal fanbase, despite his flaws. Though allegedly cut from the universally derived live-action film, Guy’s appeared, in some form or another, in various DC adaptations and is due to be portrayed by Nathan Fillion in James Gunn’s reimagined DC Universe movies. 

The Review:
Our story opens with Hal Jordan on Oa, the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps and home to the enigmatic Guardians of the Universe, for an intensive two-day training course. Yes, it seems even intergalactic space cops have to endure team meetings sometimes, folks! However, rather than learning trust exercises, Hal is shown a gigantic, Jack Kirby-esque telescope that displays current events all across the universe and even keeps a record of a person’s life after they die as a “mental post-mortem”. Hal jumps at the chance to see the last thoughts of his predecessor, Abin Sur, and to learn why he, of all the millions of people on Earth, was chosen to become his successor. As in Hal’s origin story, Abin is fatally injured in a crash and tasks his power battery to find a worthy inheritor of his power ring, but there’s a twist: the battery claims that there are two equally strong candidates! One is, of course, fearless test pilot Hal Jordan and the other is the hitherto-unknown Guy Gardner, a schoolteacher who lost out on becoming Green Lantern simply because Hal was closer. After reliving Abin’s dying soliloquy over the next few panels, Hal is left astonished to learn that there was another potential candidate. Luckily, the Guardians’ incredible machine can also show Hal potential alternative timelines and, at his request, program it to show what would’ve happened if Guy had been selected instead. 

In another life, Guy became Green Lantern and embarked on a very similar superhero career.

In this version of events, gym instructor Guy is whisked away by the green energy and readily accepts the ring. However, since he’s not subjected to the same monologue as Hal, it takes Guy a hot minute to figure out how to use the ring, though he’s no less committed to using its power to battle injustice as Green Lantern. Like Hal, Guy’s first mission was confronting a group of saboteurs. Unlike Hal, who phased through walls and bullets and was dazed by a yellow lamp, Guy crashes through walls and erects an energy shield to block their bullets, hesitating to directly use his ring against them in case he “[crushes] them to a pulp”. Instead, Guy relies on his physical superiority to beat them into submission. Victorious, he also embarked on a fantastical superhero career, tackling colourful supervillains and even defeating renegade Green Lantern Thaal Sinestro. This victory saw Guy finally summoned to Oa and learning the true extent of his powers and responsibilities, but it’s in his return journey home that the biggest deviations occur between Hal and Guy’s lives. Guy was distracted by a series of intergalactic explosions that saw him detour to the planet Ghera to interject in a duel between two alien robots. Their conflict quickly turns against him, though he easily bested the two droids and learned that the planet is populated solely by human children. The robots explain that the Gheran parents created them before being wiped out by a mysterious yellow plague. This same virus kept the children from growing and, in their boredom, they programmed the robots to engage in war games for their amusement, meaning the planet is constantly in a state of conflict between the orange side and the blue side. Amazed, Guy vows to show the children that they’re walking a dark path, confident that he can teach them the benefits of peace, only to suddenly find himself completely paralysed when the children of the blue side not only sense his presence but take control of his body with their mental powers (a feature the robots conveniently neglected to mention earlier).  

Guy eventually breaks free and brokers peace, only to succumb to a fatal disease.

Thinking Guy is an advanced automaton and using their incredible psychic powers to learn his name (but, strangely, not his true purpose), they send him against their enemies. Completely under their sway, Guy has no choice but to obey and is forced to defend them against a mechanical bird the orange’s send to attack the blue’s city. Next, he’s set against the orange’s fish-like submarine, resisting its lightning attacks and scuppering it with a giant green energy hand. Impressed by his abilities, the blue’s send him to wage an all-out attack on the orange’s city. However, after besting their defences, he finds himself caught in a mental tug of war as both sides try to control his mind and body with their mental powers. Desperate to save himself, Guy summons all his willpower to break free and conjure a suit of armour to protect him from further mental attacks. This form is also enough to convince both sides to agree to a parlay; a simple suggestion for “enjoyable sport and exercise” is enough to convince the children to stop their conflict. However, it’s not just Guy’s words that sway the children; he uses his ring to subtly influence them, making them “normal” and unifying them in peace. Pleased, Guy leaves to recharge his ring (uttering an amended version of the classic Green Lantern oath), only to suddenly fall violently ill. Having contracted the yellow plague while on Ghera, Guy quickly finds himself facing certain death and wills his power ring to search out a replacement. The ring brings Hal to him and, just as in the main timeline, the stunned test pilot is gifted the power ring and the Green Lantern mantle, though he “makes up” his own oath since Guy never got to teach him it. Amazed by these visions, Hal returns to Earth to meet Guy in his civilian guise. He joins the same athletic club Guy attends and quickly becomes fast friends with him, eager to keep an eye on him out of respect for his candidacy for the mighty Green Lantern Corps. 

The Summary:
“Earth’s Other Green Lantern!” is one of those classic misleading comic books as the cover advertises the promise of a physical confrontation between Hal and Guy, one that sees the upstart Gardner usurp Hal to become Earth’s only Green Lantern. In truth, this never happens, nor is Guy’s personality anything like the cover depicts. Ironically, the cover paints Guy as an egotistical hothead, which would become his defining personality trait, but the actual story shows him to be as bland and generically heroic as Hal. Indeed, much of the narrative is geared towards showing how similar the two are, which I feel is a massive missed opportunity. Hal is excited by the idea that he wasn’t the only one considered as Abin Sur’s replacement, but Hal and Guy’s superhero careers are functionally identical save for Guy having less initial instruction on the ring and his side quest to Ghera. I have no idea if Hal went to this planet and encountered the strange psychic children, but Guy’s time there isn’t massively significant except that it sees him prematurely killed and handing the mantle to Hal, meaning this alternative timeline really isn’t all that interesting. Now, if Guy had been his later cocky, overconfident self, utilising more direct or brutal methods, maybe things would’ve been more interesting. There are hints that Guy approaches his duties slightly differently, such as being more creative with his energy constructs and being more physically capable than Hal, but there’s not enough deviations between the two to really make me care. 

The differences between Hal and Guy are sparse, and the story’s a fantasy anyway!

The story tries to say that things took a dramatic turn on Ghera but…they don’t, really, except that it sees Guy killed. It seems like it’s going in a different direction, maybe having the kids turn Guy rogue or expanding on him using his power ring to influence their behaviour and having him be reprimanded for that, but that doesn’t happen either. The Ghera sub-plot is actually quite dull. I enjoyed the Jack Kirby influences on the art and visuals of the planet, but the random mental powers came out of nowhere and their control over Guy seemed more like an excuse to show off his control of the power ring than anything else. Indeed, the whole escapade makes Guy seem secondary to Hal since it took him a while to summon the willpower to shake off their influence, and then he just ends their long-running thirst for war with a few words and subtle influences. I’ll admit that I wasn’t expecting Guy to die at the end, though I probably should’ve considering the nature of the yellow plague. Again, it might’ve been more interesting if the virus had been affecting him throughout the story, adding an extra dimension to his plight, but…again, no. In the end, this read like another of those crazy imaginary stories DC liked to publish in the Golden Age where nothing really matters because it’s all a dream or some elaborate fantasy. Sure, it led to Hal seeking Guy out by the end but even that is a bit weird. There’s no suggestion here that he befriends him in case he needs a backup, it’s more out of curiosity and respect, so I can’t help but feel like the whole issue can be skipped as it’s ultimately meaningless in the short term (and even in the long term, as Guy’s personality was eventually completely different). 

My Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

What did you think to Guy Gardner’s debut story? Were you shocked to learn that Abin Sur had two choices to pick from? What did you think to Guy’s characterisation here and were you disappointed by how bland he was? Would you have liked to see more differences between the two and more from the concept? Where does Guy rank in your Green Lantern hierarchy, and what are some of your favourite stories of his? There’s a comments section below, so share your thoughts there and go check out my other Green Lantern content!  

Screen Time: Batman: “Joker’s Favor” (S1: E22)

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Series 1, Episode 22: “Joker’s Favor”

Air Date: 11 September 1992
Director: Boyd Kirkland
Original Network: Fox Kids
Stars: Mark Hamill, Arleen Sorkin, Ed Begley Jr., and Kevin Conroy 

The Background:
Gotham’s caped crusader is no stranger to adaptation. Around three years after his debut appearance, Bruce Wayne/Batman was brought to life in an oft-forgotten fifteen-chapter cinema serial and made his first appearance in animation in The Batman/Superman Hour (1968 to 1969), courtesy of Filmation. After the critical and commercial success of Tim Burton’s Batman movies, Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), Batman shed the remnants of the camp trappings that had been associated with him since the sixties and was popularised as a dark, brooding vigilante once more. Perhaps no piece of ancillary media was more influential in this, however, than Bruce Timm and Paul Dini’s Batman: The Animated Series (1992 to 1999), which placed the Dark Knight into a distinctly art deco world and pushed the boundaries of what cartoons could get away with. Eventually expanding into an extremely popular animated DC universe, Batman: The Animated Series not only came to influence subsequent Batman media but also introduced new characters to the Bat-world, with none more prominent than Doctor Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn. Created by Dini and Timm for this very episode, Harley was initially planned to simply be a one-off character but Dini decided to make her a recurring antagonist, an abused henchwoman whom the Joker (Mark Hamill) could play off. Initially portrayed by the late Arleen Sorkin, Harley quickly became a popular breakout character and was officially woven into the mainstream DC Comics in 1999. She has seen significant growth since then, transitioning from the Joker’s mistreated plaything to a strong, independent – if maniacal – anti-hero and even joining the Bat-Family in later years. Harley Quinn has become so popular that she made the transition to live-action with a pitch-perfect performance by Margot Robbie and a tone deaf outing from Lady Gaga, got her own hilarious animated series, and has consistently cropped up in videogames and animated ventures, to the point where she’s now considered to be as important to DC Comics as heavy-hitters like Batman and the Justice League! 

The Plot:
Mild-mannered accountant Charlie Collins (Begley Jr.) insults the Joker (Hamill), who spares his life in return for aiding him and right-hand woman, Harley Quinn (Sorkin), in their latest plot.

The Review:
This is my first time reviewing an episode of Batman: The Animated Series on my website beyond the feature-length productions, and it’ll come as no surprise how much I love this series. I didn’t watch every single episode as a kid (though I have since) but I really enjoyed the entire DC Animated Universe. It was fun seeing these characters and their stories adapted and tweaked and presented in an engaging and serious way, no more so than Batman, whose mainstream popularity was arguably bolstered by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini’s animated series. The show makes an impact right from the start with its stark, gritty opening sequence that’s completely devoid of any titles or text. It screams “Batman” and really sets the tone for what’s to come. That and the stellar voice cast; it’s impressive how many character, veteran, and big-name actors featured on the show, with Mark Hamill’s turn as the Joker widely regarded as one of the best interpretations of the character, to say nothing of Kevin Conroy’s enduring and timeless take on the Batman himself. All this is to say that Batman: The Animated Series rarely missed; it changed superhero cartoons and adaptations for the better and its impact on the source material is just as significant, with Harley Quinn being just one piece of that puzzle. With the obligatory gushing out of the way, let’s get to the episode, which opens to find Charlie Collins stuck in Gotham City traffic on perhaps the worst day of his life: he’s been turned down for a raise, his kid needs braces, the ball game has been delayed, and his wife Bonnie is making meatloaf! Charlie hits his breaking point when a fellow driver rudely cuts him off; sick of being treated like a punching bag, he barges into the car and hurls insults at the driver, only to find the Joker behind the wheel!

After insulting the Joker, hapless Charlie Collins is coerced into aiding his latest devious scheme.

Despite Charlie’s best efforts to drive along amiably and lose the Joker, his car eventually breaks down, allowing the Clown Prince of Crime to confront him in the woods. Amusingly, the Joker is offended by Charlie’s rude behaviour and chastises him for being so impolite, though his teacherly demeanour quickly turns to a sinister anger, reducing Charlie to begging for mercy. Intrigued by Charlie’s desperation to save his hide, the Joker gleefully agrees to spare him on the proviso that Charlie promises to do him a favour at some point, with even the Joker unsure as to what that favour may be. Charlie readily agrees, relieved to be in one piece, and the episode jumps ahead two years and to the office of police commissioner James “Jim” Gordon (Bob Hastings), who’s due to be honoured for his work, something he finds to be a waste of time. The Batman (Conroy) echoes the sentiments of Detective Harvy Bullock (Robert Costanzo) and many others by stating that Jim deserves credit for keeping Gotham safe around the clock, and Jim begrudgingly agrees to attend the function. Unbeknownst to him, the Joker has also set his sights on gatecrashing the event; as he relates to his enthusiastic cheerleader, Harley Quinn, the Joker insists demands the chance to honour Gordon and picks Charlie’s driving license out of his little black book to call in that favour. Despite changing his name to Don Wallace and moving himself and his family to Ohio, Charlie is terrified when the Joker calls him, having kept tabs on him the entire time, and demands that he return to Gotham in return for keeping his family safe. With no other choice, Charlie makes the flight and is picked up by Harley before he can alert the police. The Joker expertly feigns pleasure at seeing his “old pal” once again and promises to send him home once he’s fulfilled his obligation, asking simply that Charlie opens a door for Harley when she delivers a massive celebration cake to Gordon’s gala under the clever guise of Crazy Clown Catering.

The Joker underestimates Charlie’s resolve and ends up falling for his bluff.

Entering the gala, Charlie desperately tries to alert the authorities – and the Batman – to the Joker’s plot by swinging around a convenient bat-shaped model, catching the attention of Bruce Wayne as he’s leaving to search for the Joker. As Gordon delivers his speech, Charlie opens the doors to the function room and Harley wheels in his cake (much to Bullock’s lustful delight), but finds himself glued to the door by a particularly strong adhesive. Harley delivers a rhyming threat and promptly gases the attendees, paralysing them and leaving them powerless to avoid the bundle of dynamite the Joker delivers as a gift to the long-serving commissioner. Charlie is incensed that the Joker welched on his word, but the Batman makes a timely arrival to toss the dynamite out of the building, destroying the Joker’s getaway van. After freeing Charlie and learning of his plight, the Batman easily subdues Harley and the Joker’s goons, but the Joker covers his escape with a series of boobytraps and an explosion. However, while he’s racing away outside, the Joker is confronted by an angered Charlie, who’s ready to blow them both up with one of the Joker’s own bombs, apparently having lost his mind. Terrified, the Joker screams for the Batman’s intervention and willingly hands over all the documentation he has on Charlie and his family, completely falling for the disgruntled civilian’s bluff. Charlie gratefully leaves, happy to taste his wife’s meatloaf, now that the Joker is in Batman’s custody and his family is safe.

The Summary:
This was a fun little side story in the grand tapestry that was Batman: The Animated Series. As ever, the episode is dark and gritty, sporting a neo-noir styling and expertly using shadows and atmosphere to give its simplistic character designs a surprising amount of nuance and paint the Batman as a terrifying, ethereal figure. The Batman himself features only briefly in this episode, primarily appearing in the last five minutes or so to foil the Joker’s plot, but makes an impression when he’s onscreen thanks to Conroy’s distinctive Bat-voice and the effortless way he deals with the Joker’s minions and traps. Indeed, the wider Batman cast takes a backseat in “Joker’s Favor” so the episode can focus more on the Joker and his recent “hobby”, poor, unlucky Charlie Collins, a balding, middle-aged, underappreciated husband and father who’s frequently horrified and dumbstruck by the duality of the Joker’s insanity and menace. Charlie is an incredibly amusing and sympathetic figure; despite his loving wife and child, he’s beset by bad luck almost to the point of parody and completely helpless to avoid the Joker’s reach. Even changing his name and uprooting his family doesn’t help, and his desire to keep them safe is what drives him to both agree to paying the Joker back and going along with his latest madcap scheme. Even the Joker sees Charlie as worthless and impotent, never once believing he would have the guts to raise the alarm or fight back, which allows Charlie to scupper the Joker’s plan with his makeshift Bat-Signal and even bring the Clown Prince of Crime to the verge of tears by threatening his life. This final showdown between them is especially potent given the Joker’s familiarity with how important “one bad day” can be. He pushed Charlie to the edge, terrorising, manipulating, and threatening him, and can see that the man is ready to have his revenge even if it means his own death. However, in an ironic twist, Charlie actually picked up a few of the Joker’s habits, mainly toying with his victims, and pulled a cruel prank on his tormentor, tricking him into giving up the hold he had over the accountant to save his own hide.

Harley shines as the Joker’s colourful cheerleader who follows his every word without question.

Of course, “Joker’s Favor” is best known for including the first appearance of Harley Quinn. Harley actually briefly appears early in the episode, walking through the police department in her civilian disguise, though this isn’t expanded upon in the episode and is more of an Easter Egg for eagle-eyed viewers. Harley is depicted as a joyful, enthusiastic, devoted follower of the Joker. I described her as his cheerleader earlier and that’s incredibly apt as she claps, celebrates, and encourages every idea, action, and word her “Mistah J” says, no matter how bonkers his scheme may be. Although she only appears in her trademark harlequin outfit once in this episode, Harley is seen to be a master of disguise. She dresses as a chauffeur to pick up Charlie and masquerades as a police officer when infiltrating Gordon’s gala, raising no suspicion either time despite her loud and overly cheerful demeanour. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see Harley in action here; she doesn’t bust out any gymnastics or her signature giant mallet. She does try to distract the Batman with her woe-is-me façade and surprise him with a knife attack, but is handcuffed with little effort from the Dark Knight. Similarly, we know nothing of her backstory, and she primarily exists as a more colourful henchwoman for the Joker, one he both openly confides in for his need for an appreciative audience and demeans with menial tasks like cutting his hair. Still, Harley excels in this role; you can tell that there’s more to her than the dumb, brutish thugs the Joker employs, and she steals every scene with her joyful and bombastic personality. Overall, this was an enjoyable episode for its main plot, but fans of Harley would be better served watching “Mad Love” (Lukic, 1993) or reading the original comic book of the same name (Dini, Timm, et al, 1993) for a more in-depth exploration of Harley Quinn, her relationship with the Joker, and her tragic origin story.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

What did you think to “Joker’s Favor”? Did you enjoy the Joker’s tormenting of hapless Charlie Collins or did the lack of Batman action put you off? What did you think to Harley Quinn at the time, or how do you feel about this being her first appearance? Did she make much of an impression on you at the time and are you a fan of how widespread her popularity has become? What are some of your favourite Harley Quinn stories and moments, or episodes of Batman and the DCAU? There’s a comments section down below, feel free to use it to share your opinions, and be sure to check out my other Batman content across the site.

Back Issues [Brightest Month]: Showcase #22

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Although February 2014 was dubbed “Green Lantern Day” (because, by the American calendar, the date read as “2814”, the sector of space assigned to Earth in DC Comics), the significance of this date has passed as the years have changed. Instead, as perhaps the most popular iteration of the character, Hal Jordan, first appeared in October of 1959, I’m choosing to dedicate every Sunday of October to the Green Lantern Corps!

Story Titles: “S.O.S. Green Lantern”, “Secret of the Flaming Spear”, and “Menace of the Runaway Missile”
Published: October 1959
Writer: John Broome
Artist: Gil Kane

The Background:
In July 1940, Martin Nodell and Bill Finger introduced readers of All-American Comics to Alan Scott, the very first Green Lantern. Far from an intergalactic lawman, Alan was a magically empowered railroad engineer who became a regular fixture of the title and DC Comics’ first super team, the Justice Society of America (JSA). However, after Gardner Fox, Harry Lampert, and Julius Schwartz successfully reinvented the Flash in 1956, a new green-hued superhero began operating under the codename Green Lantern in 1956. Re-envisioned as fighter pilot Harold “Hal” Jordan, the Green Lantern concept was drastically reimagined to incorporate a science-fiction slant, and Hal later became he de facto Green Lantern after the universe-shattering Crisis on Infinite Earths (Wolfman, et al, 1985 to 1986) saw Alan Scott and his teammates briefly banished from DC continuity. A hotshot pilot with an eye for the ladies, Hal fully represented the Green Lantern Corps. He opposed tyranny in all its forms, even making an enemy of his tyrannical mentor, Thaal Sinestro, helped found the Justice League of America, and even formed an unlikely partnership with liberal spokesman Oliver Queen/Green Arrow. Widely regarded as the greatest Green Lantern of all time, Hal isn’t without his flaws; his despair at seeing his hometown obliterated by Hank Henshaw/Cyborg-Superman, saw him infested by the malevolent entity Parallax and briefly become a genocidal madman before being redeemed and retaking his place as the premier Green Lantern. This reputation means that Hal is popularly the go-to character whenever Green Lantern appears outside of comics. He’s appeared in numerous videogames and cartoons, even if just to characterise other Green Lanterns, and was the main character of the much maligned live-action adaptation. 

The Review:
If there’s one thing Hal Jordan is known for in his role as the greatest Green Lantern, it’s his ability to overcome great fear and this is emphasised on the first page of his first-ever story, when we’re introduced to “ace test pilot” Jordan who has a reputation for his “remarkable lack of fear”. It’s this quality that fatally wounded Green Lantern Abin Sur seeks after his spacecraft crash-lands in “Southwest U.S.A.”. Summoning the remains of his strength, the dying alien wills his Battery of Power – the titular green lantern – to seek out a worthy successor, one who is without fear, and sends an emerald-hued energy beam across the globe in search of the perfect candidate. Over at the Ferris Aircraft Company, hotshot test pilot Hal Jordan is tinkering with a “flightless trainer” (presumably some kind of simulator to train space pilots) when he and the craft and bathed in a green glow and, to his astonishment, blasted away at high speed to Abin’s crash site. There, Hal is momentarily stunned to behold the purple-skinned alien, who telepathically welcomes him and begs that he listen to his instructions for the green lantern, which is a weapon against injustice utilised by space-patrolmen across the galaxy. Although Hal is eager to help Abin and save his life, the alien waves off his concerns, accepting the inevitability of his death, and confirms that the lantern chose a worthy successor. 

Hotshot test pilot Hal Jordan is bequeathed a dying alien’s ring and becomes Green Lantern.

Abin then uses what little time he has left to share how his ship was unexpectedly battered by Earth’s radiation bands and he was momentarily blinded and left powerless by the flashing yellow lights. He goes on to relate that, for all the green lantern’s great power, it contains an “impurity” that renders it useless against anything tinted yellow, and that the power ring that channels the green lantern’s awesome might must be charged every twenty-four hours. Abin then hands Hal his ring, begs him to carry on the good fight, and promptly dies, much to Hal’s sorrow. On Abin’s instruction, Hal takes the alien’s slick, form-fitting uniform, tests the ring’s power by wiling a nearby cliff into the air, and vows to oppose evil in all its forms as Green Lantern. The issue’s next story, “Secret of the Flaming Spear”, introduces us to Carol Ferris, daughter of Carl Ferris, and Hal’s boss. Although she doesn’t approve of Hal’s tardiness, she’s more than wiling to go on a date with him, but their intimacy is cut short when pilot Frank Nichols suddenly calls in an S.O.S. when the controls of his experimental plane, the titular Flaming Spear, seize up on him. Feeling partially responsible since Frank’s only up there due to him being unavailable, and realising he has the power to intervene, Hal ditches Carol and utters a sacred oath before the green lantern: “In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil’s might beware my power… Green Lantern’s light!” Fully empowered, Hal takes to the skies as Green Lantern through sheer fore of will (noting how strange it is to fly without a plane) and easily guides Frank to safety using a burst of energy from his power ring. 

For all his power, Green Lantern can’t affect anything yellow or influence Carol’s heart.

However, on closer inspection of the Flaming Spear, Green Lantern realises that the incident was no accident. Radiation caused the controls to freeze, so Green Lantern uses his ring to follow the lingering radiation to its source, a group of saboteurs holed up in a house not far off. Like his predecessor, Green Lantern phases through the wall of their hideout and confronts them, intercepting their bullets in mid-air but being briefly knocked out when the lead saboteur tosses a yellow lamp at his face. His pride hurt more than his body, Green Lantern recovers and chases after them, only to find they’re making a getaway in a yellow car. Although Green Lantern can’t affect the car directly, he does burst the tyres by conjuring hard-light ice picks with his power ring, wrangling the saboteurs with energy lassos so they can be apprehended by the authorities. When Hal returns to Ferris Aircraft, he finds Carl and Carol delighted at Green Lantern’s actions and that Carl is planning to take a two year leave of absence to go travelling, during which time he officially names Carol as his worthy successor. Carol takes the promotion very seriously, immediately shutting down any romantic involvement with Hal and leaving him to ponder the quandary that his ring can perform any miracle…except win the heart of his love interest. This irony continues in the final story, “Menace of the Runaway Missile”, where Hal wows his colleagues with his fearless testing of a rocket-sled. While Hal has the bravery to endure the intense speed and g-force of the sled, he struggles to find the courage to ask Carol out, especially after she knocked him back. He decides the best way to win her over is to invade her personal space, call her “Honey”, and be overly pushy in asking her out to dinner. Carol maintains her cold demeanour, however, and not only rejects him but also states she has a more pressing appointment at the charity ball, an event with an exclusive guest list that doesn’t include a nobody like Hal. 

Green Lantern captures a wayward scientist, but both his personas end up in Carol’s bad books,

However, Carol lets slip that the mysterious Green Lantern is invited to the ball, so Hal decides that Carol is going to go on a date with him whether she’s aware of it or not. He attends the ball as Green Lantern and spends the whole night dancing with Carol, much to her excitement. Ironically, Carol’s thoughts reveal that she did harbour feelings for Hal and thought they would end up together, but the masked enigma has got her heart skipping a beat and, when Green Lantern leans in for a kiss, she responds eagerly, completely smitten. Unfortunately, at that exact moment, a yellow-hued missile comes baring down on Coast City, catching Green Lantern’s eye and forcing him to abandon Carol mid-kiss, much to her outrage. Upon inspecting the titular runaway missile, Green Lantern discovers it’s armed with an atomic warhead, but he’s unable to stop it because his ring is powerless against yellow. Conveniently, however, the missile’s tip is red, so Green Lantern constructs an elaborate net to catch the missile, which an Army Colonel informs him is not U.S. Army property nor does it contain the deadly payload Hal suspected. The two deduce that the missile’s true target was a hydrogen facility, so Green Lantern questions local aircraft spotters to find the source of the attack, an elaborate facility concealed by a forest. Phasing inside, Green Lantern confronts the man responsible, the maniacal Doctor Parris, who’s amazed when the Ring-slinger turns his high-powered battering ram into water and collars him without breaking a sweat. A lengthy interrogation from the Colonel reveals that Dr. Parris allowed ambition to overpower his reason. Desperate to harness the secret of “H-Power” first, he sought to eliminate his competition, only to now be faced with a lengthy jail sentence. Green Lantern’s victory is short lived, however, as Carol spurns him for not “losing himself” to their kiss, accusing him of not being as into the moment as she was, meaning both Hal’s identities are left in the doghouse by the issue’s end! 

The Summary:
Showcase #22 doesn’t waste any time when it comes to telling Hal’s origin. Alan Scott’s origin story was longer than Hal’s, the bulk of which is taken up by exposition from Abin Sur as he delivers a soliloquy about the green lantern, its limitations, and his expectations for his successor. Unlike later revisions of Hal’s origin, there is no lengthy montage of Hal training with the Green Lantern Corps to be found here. Indeed, there’s barely a mention of the peacekeeping space cops to be found here, and Hal’s place in the grand scheme of the universe is largely cast aside the moment Abin Sur dies as Hal commits to defend Earth from evil, rather than the universe. It’s interesting, then, that John Broome and Gil Kane chose to so radically alter the nature of the Green Lantern for this revision. They lean more towards the science-fiction aspects of the character, but don’t commit to it, meaning we get no space-faring action here and everything is very grounded, which is a shame as I think one of these stories could’ve explored that. Thus, it’s fitting that I compared Hal to Alan in their shared methods of entering buildings with their phasing ability as Showcase #22 is essentially a retelling of Alan’s origin but expanded upon and tweaked here and there. Rather than the Green Flame informing Alan of his abilities, it’s Abin Sur telepathically giving Hal a crash course on the lantern; both channel the lantern’s power through a ring, the lantern comes from space, and the power is fuelled by both willpower and a twenty-four-hour charge limit. Hal also tests the ring’s abilities in similar ways, flying and phasing at will, but expands upon this by conjuring hard-light constructs, immediately demonstrating his greater degree of creativity compared to Alan, though Hal also has an equally arbitrary and ridiculous weakness. At least Showcase #22 makes a partial effort to explain the yellow impurity as an inherent flaw in the power battery. This would, of course, be elaborated upon to a dramatic degree decades later, but it’s just as illogical a weakness as Alan’s vulnerability to wood and leads to absurd scenarios where this all-powerful space cop is felled by a lamp or powerless against anything remotely yellow, which I guess is supposed to say something about the infallibility of even great cosmic power and the ingenuity of the Green Lanterns, but it just looks a bit silly, especially here. 

Hal’s relationship with Carol is uncomfortable and detrimental to both characters.

Although Showcase #22 doesn’t include any supervillains, or even Hal’s mentor-turned-villain Sinestro, and little in the way of a physical challenge for Hal, it does introduce many elements that became synonymous with the character. Chief among these are his reputation for being fearless, his vaulted skill as a test pilot and the arrogance and unreliability that comes with this, and his love interest, Carol Ferris. An independent and strong-willed woman, Carol doesn’t make life easy for Hal. She makes him work for her affections, expecting better from him at work and as a man, but immediately puts an end to any inappropriate flirtations once she’s promoted. Hal’s pursuit of Carol seems a bit undercooked here; his interest in her seems purely based on her looks and appeal as an authority figure since he never mentions anything he likes about her personality. Carol seems equally shallow in her reluctant attraction towards him, basically being interested purely because there’s no one better around, especially at work. Just as I was beginning to admire Carol’s no-nonsense attitude, she does a complete turnaround into full lovelorn Lois Lane the moment she’s face-to-face with Green Lantern. Excited by the masked man’s mystery, she melts into his arms and gives in to the allure, only to turn on him because his eyes weren’t closed during their kiss! The romance between the two, and the shaky attempt at a love triangle, feels tacked on and cheap. I definitely think it would’ve been better if Hal simply admired Carol for her strong will, feistiness, and no-nonsense attitude, with him only developing feelings for her during the ball and Carol’s inner monologue revealing that she secretly does want Hal, but is torn between her duty to her father and her heart, and is feeling conflicted since Green Lantern is so enigmatic. 

There’s a surprising lack of space action here and Hal’s a bit of a creep.

As I mentioned, it’s a bit of a shame that Showcase #22 doesn’t do more with its revised concept for Green Lantern. The origin is different, now firmly rooted in space and including aliens, the costume is way better (even with the useless domino mask), and we of course get the iconic Green Lantern oath and more creativity with the ring’s abilities, but it all feels a bit wasted as the stories are stuck on Earth. Hal isn’t facing anything more challenging than saboteurs and jealous scientists, who only cause him troubles because they just happen to utilise yellow in their schemes. If the lamp, car, and missile had been any other colour, Green Lantern would’ve neutralised these threats even faster, meaning the yellow impurity is simply a contrivance that honestly makes Hal look like an idiot as much as it showcases his adaptability. Hal definitely has to think a little outside the box on two occasions to stop the saboteurs getting away and halt the runaway missile, but apprehending Dr. Parris is a cakewalk for him since there’s no yellow involved, meaning Hal’s greatest obstacles in these stories come from his civilian life and his pursuit of Carol. This could be an intriguing aspect, showing that this all-powerful superhero is powerless in matters of the heart, were it not for how down-right creepy Hal acts towards Carol in “Menace of the Runaway Missile”. He’s a pushy, insistent, misogynist who won’t take “no” for an answer, and even plots to mislead Carol into going on a date with him by wooing her as Green Lantern. The worst part is that this works, completely ruining Carol’s formally forth-right character and turning her into another Lois Lane, and really doesn’t make Hal a very appealing protagonist as he’s just so brash and arrogant whenever he puts the “moves” on Carol. I was very surprised by this, and it did spoil the remainder of the issue, which features some bright, colourful art and makes Green Lantern immediately more visually interesting than his predecessor. I’ve never been a fan of Hal Jordan, though, and his debut issue didn’t do much to change that, casting him as a fearless flyboy whose questionable pursuit of Carol clashes with his righteous battle against evil, which was as disappointing to see as the lack of space-based action. 

My Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

Have you ever read Hal Jordan’s debut issue? What did you think to the revisions made to the Green Lantern mythos? Were you surprised by how pushy Hal was towards Carol? Would you have liked to see at least one of these stories be set in space? What are some of your favourite Hal Jordan stories and where does he rank for you in the Green Lantern hierarchy? How are you celebrating Green Lantern this month? Whatever you think about Hal Jordan, and the Green Lantern Corps, leave them down below  and be sure to check out my other Green Lantern content. 

Back Issues: Detective Comics #475/476

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Writer: Steve Englehart – Artist: Marshall Rogers 

Story Title: “The Laughing Fish!”
Published: February 1978 

Story Title: “Sign of the Joker!”
Published: April 1978 

The Background:
After achieving success with Clark Kent/Superman, National Comics Publications tasked Bob Kane with creating a masked crimefighter to add to their superhero portfolio and, thanks to Bill Finger, the “Bat-Man” went on to become a mainstream cultural icon. Over the decades, the Batman has gone toe-to-toe some of comics’ most recognisable supervillains, though his greatest nemesis is unquestionably the self-styled Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker. Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson all claimed to have created the Harlequin of Hate, but it’s widely agreed that the Joker’s trademark visage was heavily influenced by The Man Who Laughs (Leni, 1928). A last-second decision from then-editor Whitney Ellsworth saw the Joker survive his first encounter with the Batman, though the character faded from the spotlight under the direction of editor Julius Schwartz. Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams reinvigorated the Joker in the 1970s and 1980s with stories such as this classic two-parter that is such a pivotal Joker story that it was adapted for the hugely popular Batman: The Animated Series (1992 to 1995). The stories played a huge part not just in giving the Joker back his edge, but in reviving the character to terrorise Gotham City for years to come as the Batman’s number one antagonist. 

The Review:
This classic two-part Batman story begins, appropriately enough, in the murky dead of night with the Batman prowling across the rooftops of Gotham City, preparing for the greatest confrontation of his vigilante career. At this point in time, billionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne had been dated wealthy socialite Silver St. Cloud, a gorgeous platinum-haired woman who quickly captured Bruce’s heart. They became so close that Bruce suspected that Silver had figured out his dual identity, so he swings by her apartment in the guise of the Dark Knight to confirm his suspicions. Although Bruce is convinced that Silver is aware of the truth, she denies that she has anything to confess to the Batman and her demeanour convinces him that there’s a shred of doubt in his assumptions. Realising that it’d be foolish of him to simply unmask in front of her if there’s even a one percent chance he’s wrong, the Batman bids her goodnight and leaves, only for Silver’s resolve to falter once he’s gone. Wracked by her knowledge of Bruce’s dual life, Silver makes the difficult decision to take a hiatus from both men, and Gotham City, to get her head straight. The Batman is still mulling over his complicated love life and the dichotomy between his two identities when he’s aroused by local fishermen, who frantically show him that all the fish they’ve caught have been horrifically mutilated to carry the Joker’s signature smile, perplexing both them and the Dark Knight. 

Batman’s personal issues are compounded by the Joker’s latest insane threat.

The phenomenon isn’t limited to Gotham City; over the next few days, reports of “laughing fish” come in from all across the country, shocking the nation. However, it’s G. Carl Francis who gets the biggest shock when the Joker himself, and his goons, storm into his office and demand that he helps to copyright the laughing fish so that the Joker can profit from every one sold. Unfortunately, Francis is duty-bound to inform the Clown Prince of Crime that fish can’t be copyrighted as they’re a natural resource, angering the Joker and causing him to threaten Francis to find a loophole before midnight or face his wrath. The Joker then pays a visit to crime boss Rupert Thorn, who’s already on edge after being seemingly haunted by the ghost of Professor Hugo Strange, whom he murdered tree issues prior. Since Thorn was one of many villains who tried to purchase the knowledge of Batman’s identity from Strange, the Joker warns him to stop trying to expose his rival’s identity as the Joker is eager to match his wits against the Dark Knight and believes unmasking him would rob his game of all its fun. With Thorn left slipping into insanity, Commissioner James “Jim” Gordon calls in the Batman to help with the threat against Francis’s life. After the Joker makes a televised promise to murder Francis, Batman meticulously checks the apartment and places him under lockdown, though he remains frustrated by the Joker’s madcap nature and unpredictable insanity. Still, the Batman acts swiftly when a mysterious gas suddenly floods the apartment. Be fixes a breathing apparatus to Francis’s face, but to no avail; Francis collapses, dead, his face twisted into the hideous smile of the Joker. Although Jim is confused since the gas didn’t harm anyone else, the Batman correctly surmises that the Joker must’ve secretly poisoned Francis at their meeting so the gas would have a lethal effect. 

The Joker outwits Batman, as Silver and Thorn struggle with their literal (and figurative) ghosts.

The Joker boasts of his victory through another pirate broadcast and vows to kill another bureaucrat if his legal claim on the fish isn’t approved by 3am, and the issue ends with the Batman aggravated and Silver skipping town courtesy of Rupert Thorn. The story continues in the next issue, with Batman, Jim, and Officer O’Hara keeping a vigil on the Joker’s next target, Thomas Jackson, lamenting that state laws prohibit them from simply executing the Joker since he’s clinically insane. Despite their best efforts, Jackson’s cat wanders in with a Joker fish in his mouth, which drives him to bite and instantly kill the Batman, leaving him with the pale grin of the Joker! However, Batman had actually switched places with Jackson using a clever disguise, but the cat recognised and attacked his master regardless. After the Joker mocks them through his broadcast, the frustrated Batman flees into the stormy night, momentarily spying Strange’s ghost and stumbling upon a vapor analysis meter. The story briefly jumps over to the Joker’s lair, where he somewhat breaks the fourth wall to chuckle at his wit and having bamboozled his foe, and even plots expanding his food-related antics to other products. Another detour delves into Silver’s troubled mind; she’s overwhelmed by her knowledge, unwilling to destroy the mystery of the Batman but pining for her lost love, while Thorn wrestles with the stress caused by his visions. When the radio mentions Batman, the two get into a heated debate about his presence and Thorn angrily ejects Silver from the car, leaving her by the side of the road. While she quickly finds another ride, Thorn is terrified when Strange’s ghost flies at him from the night and seemingly throttles him to death! 

Batman’s victory is tainted by ambiguity and personal heartache for the Dark Knight,

At dawn, the Batman and Jim prepare for the Joker’s next attack, but Jim is horrified when the vapour analyser drives Batman to suddenly attack one of his officers, who’s quickly revealed to be the Joker in disguise! Though rumbled, the Joker keeps the Dark Knight at bay with an acid-spitting flower and makes a hasty retreat using the fire escape. Arriving in town via a cab, Silver pulls up just in time to witness the Batman in action as he ventures into the rainswept night to apprehend his foe, surprisingly caught off-guard by an errant kick and almost tumbling to the street below. While the Joker gleefully taunts his rival, the Batman ponders his own mental instability since he’s the only one crazy enough to chase after the grinning madman, and their chase takes them to the city rooftops. The two come face-to-face atop a construction site, where the Batman is forced to take a desperate plunge to avoid getting a face full of acid, and the Joker is hit by lightning while laughing on a hanging girder. The Batman watches the Joker plunge into the raging river below and frantically checks for any sign of his foe, but it appears the Joker has finally perished. Batman is then stunned when Silver approaches him, confessing not only her love for him but also that that same love caused her great pain when she watched him in battle and realised that he could die at any moment. Unable to shoulder the loss of the man she loves, or expose his true identity, she tearfully begs him to leave her alone and runs off into the night, leaving him stoic and heartbroken. Even Jim’s news that Thorn was picked up, terrified out of his mind and spilling the beans on all his criminal activities, brings Batman little comfort and he simply swings off as a new dawn rises, his victory bittersweet and emotional. 

The Summary:
These two stories are representative of the kind of Batman stories I grew up with. I had a handful of Batman annuals as a kid, which contained assorted stories from the 1970s and 1980s and featured names like Steve Englehart and Denny O’Neil prominently. Consequently, I have a real fondness for the gritty, dark, neo-pulp art style on show here. Gotham City is seeped in gothic darkness and flooded by incessant rain, making it grimy and claustrophobic and uncomfortable to behold, and characters are rendered with a stark realism. Although I’m not the biggest fan of Batman’s blue-and-grey ensemble, he cuts an intimidating figure here and it’s fun seeing him operate so openly with Jim and others. He’s still regarded as a bit of an urban myth, but also respected as an informed mind and necessary evil to help combat threats such as the Joker. His presence in Gotham City is the subject of much debate at this time. Thanks to Thorn’s influence, the people and council have started to question the Batman’s necessity and his impact on the city, aspects which come to be reflected in Silver’s conflict regarding her knowledge of his identity. Though these stories are all I really know of her, I like Silver and it’s not often Batman gets a love interest who knows of his dual life. I enjoyed the emotional conflict between them both, where they both knew the other knew but didn’t dare say it aloud for what it would entail, and it brings a real humanity to Batman when she has to reluctantly end their relationship to spare herself greater pain and perpetuate his myth. 

Batman’s detective skills and limits are tested by the Joker and his complicated love life.

One aspect I really like about this time in Batman history is how much his detective skills are emphasised. Jim calls the Batman in as an advisor and immediately sets to work meticulously safeguarded each victim’s apartment, checking every inch for possible threats and desperately trying to prepare for every eventuality. Although his thoughts are shown to be completely focused on the task at hand, I think it’s pretty clear his frustration with the Joker’s antics is exacerbated by his personal issues with Silver. The Batman laments time and again that the Joker is nigh-impossible to predict as he just does whatever he wants for seemingly no reason, meaning Batman’s preparation and planning are meaningless as the Joker outwits him each time. Even swapping places with Jackson doesn’t help the Batman, and it’s only by utilising the analyser left for him by Strange’s ghost (or some other unknown ally) that Batman exposes the Joker’s disguise before he kills his last victim. The battle between the Batman and the Joker is depicted as a war of attrition, a game of one-upmanship, rather than a physical confrontation (at least, until the end). Like in his first appearance, the Joker hijacks television broadcasts to make threats and taunt his foe, and employs disguises and subterfuge to bamboozle even the World’s Greatest Detective. One thing I especially enjoyed here was that Bruce Wayne doesn’t appear in these stories. His personal life is of great concern to Batman, but he stays in costume throughout both issues, emphasising his unwavering focus on protecting the Joker’s victims and apprehending him. Another interesting aspect is, like in his first appearance, the Joker surprisingly holds his own against Batman thanks to being a slippery devil and surprising him with his acid flower, wild kicks, and daredevil nature. 

A fantastic return to form for the Joker that emphasises his insanity and menace.

Indeed, this is a fantastic return to form for the Joker after years of being a buffoonish clown or being absent from DC Comics. Drawn as what I would define as the quintessential depiction of the character (tall, gangly, in a purple suit, coat, and fedora, and sporting an elongated jaw), the Joker is a cackling maniac whose newest plot is to spread fear and profit from his laughing fish. His scheme is ludicrous in its simplicity; he’s tainted the water supply with his Joker toxin, killing the fish, poisoning their meat, and leaving them with his signature cheshire grin, all with the intention of profiting from their sale! Obviously, these demands are preposterous but the Joker won’t take no for an answer and mercilessly targets and kills the bureaucrats he believes are denying him his intellectual rights. As mentioned, the story takes hefty influence from the Joker’s first appearance and is, in many ways, an expansion and remake of that first story. The Joker is an elusive, diabolical, and maniacal figure who tests the Batman’s mind as much as his resolve. However, the Joker is also prideful and overzealous. He enjoys toying with Batman so much that he threatens Thorn to stop trying to unmask the vigilante and arrives, in person and in disguise, to finish the job by the end, a decision that proves to be his downfall. However, there’s a clear suggestion that the Joker doesn’t care; he doesn’t care about winning, losing, living, dying, or being locked up. He simply enjoys jousting with Batman and takes glee in their conflict, and the death and terror he spreads, fully aware that the Batman’s moral code keeps him from cross that line. In the end, these are two essential Joker stories; they highlight his outrageous nature, his chilling menace, and his versatility as one of the Batman’s most enduring foes. It’s also a great showcase for the Dark Knight; not only of his detective skills and standing amongst his peers but also the complicated dichotomy of his dual identity. In a nutshell, I’d say this two-parter is a must-read Batman tale, as is most of this run since this really was a great time in the Batman’s publication history. 

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

What did you think to the Joker’s plot to profit off his laughing fish? Did you enjoy this era of Batman’s history? Are you a fan of more cerebral challenges for the Dark Knight or do you prefer it when he’s beating villains up? What did you think to the subplots involving Silver St. Cloud and Rupert Thorn? Do you consider these two stories essential reading for any Batman and Joker fans? What are some other Joker stories you enjoy? Whatever your thoughts, leave a comment below or and be sure to check out my other Batman and Joker content across the site.