Comics are Awesome III

[Shockwave]

a solo Hal Jordan.

Hal Solo?

[Sparky Prime]

Well in some aspects, they are similar flyboy type characters... Kinda want to see a Green Lantern/Star Wars crossover now...

[andersonh1]

Flash #49
Flash War part 3 follows Barry and Wally as they race around the Earth, disrupting the Speed Force as they do so, with the damage they're doing noted around the world and out in the galaxy. Amanda Waller and Steve Trevor attempt to stop them, to no avail. The Justice League are called in. Superman can barely keep up and Green Lantern's wall meant to slow them down completely fails. Wally attempts to "break the Speed Force" but instead succeeds only in tearing it open and releasing other forces no one knew existed, except for Zoom. This was Hunter Zolomon's plan all along, and he takes control of these new forces, and declares himself "The Flash", wearing the old pre-Flashpoint version of Barry's costume, and he attempts to kill Barry and Wally as the issue ends... not sure what to think about this development. I'm done with the whole "speed force" as a never-ending plot device, so to add yet more extradimensional energy fields to the mix is just too much. But the personal stakes for Wally West keep me interested, and the story concludes next issue.

Mera: Queen of Atlantis #5 of 6
Court politics abound as Mera and Ocean Master await Nereus' decision on whether to help them take Atlantis back from King Rath. While Mera practices her fighting skills with her old teacher, Nereus decides that he will only help under certain conditions, namely that Orm take the throne rather than Mera, and that he marry Orm's sister Tula to cement the alliance between Atlantis and Xebel. It's classic royalty and kingdom behavior. Tula doesn't agree and neither does Mera, who appeals to Xebelian law and challenges Orm to trial by combat.

Man of Steel #5 of 6
Superman tows Rogal Zaar into space and attempts to fight him off, but Zaar is too strong, and after beating him down, leaves without killing him. The Justice League enter the picture and attempt to learn just what's going on and who Zaar is, something Superman himself is wondering, since in all his study of Krypton, he's never heard of him. Flashbacks within the story reveal that Jor-El arrived and wanted to take Jon out to explore the universe and give him access to a perspective beyond what he can get on Earth. Jon decides he wants to go, and seems to have his heels dug in, much to Clark and Lois's displeasure. It's always amusing to me that in every appearance of the League, Hal is always the Green Lantern with the team... unless it's the actual JL title, in which case some other GL takes his place.

The issue ends with Superman correctly guessing that Zaar will destroy the Earth, and sure enough he's burrowed deep into the mantle with a machine, ready to do just that as the issue ends.

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #47
I guessed correctly about a couple of things that happen here: Guy did indeed take the Darkstars armor in an attempt to get inside and see how they work, and Orion does agree to help Kyle, and breaks him and Space Cabbie out of their imprisonment. Hal also had prepared for Hector Hammond's attempts to control him, and brought him to the planet where he had forged his ring, apparently. Like last issue, it's good character material, and the plot is moving forward again as the Darkstars appear around Mogo in vast numbers at the end of the issue, having finally decided to deal with the Corps. I think Arkillo must be the standout character of the issue, as he risks his life to talk Guy down and calls him friend, so that character has come a long way. I got the variant "minimalist" cover with Hal holding the giant power battery on his back.

[andersonh1]

Man of Steel #6 of 6
The mini-series that really should have been part of the main Superman title (but wasn't for presumably marketing reasons) ends with the two running plotlines resolved for now. Rogar Zaal is prevented from destroying the Earth by Superman and Supergirl, and sent to the Phantom Zone. Lois and Jon's whereabouts is finally explained, as both went with Jor-El, while Clark remained on Earth, feeling that he could not leave. He went back to his old costume because he gave Lois the Rebirth version both for protection, and because the S-shield carried some weight in some parts of the universe. Between this series making Rogar Zaal responsible for Krypton's destruction and Rebirth revealing that Jor-El survived that destruction, Superman's backstory has been altered in some major ways. I'm guessing this was originally meant to take place after Doomsday Clock ended since Jor-El is not under Dr. Manhattan's control, but that isn't actually addressed in the issue.

Superman #1
I had read that DC was moving to flat paper rather than glossy, and this issue is the first I've seen where that's the case. It looks fine that way. The book picks up right where Man of Steel left off, with Lois and Jon only in flashbacks as Clark is pretty lonely and unable to contact them with his Fortress destroyed. Kandor is memorialized by Superman and the Justice League, and then Superman creates a new Fortress in the Bermuda triangle of all places. Meanwhile the Martian Manhunter shows up to talk to Superman and tries to convince him to essentially lead the world and make it a better place. The issue ends with Earth somehow pulled into the Phantom Zone, and since Zaal was sent there, it's no surprise that the issue ends promising his return.

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #48
All the various character arcs for the four Earth GLs converge as all out war erupts between the Darkstars and the Green Lantern Corps. I'm not going to go over all the various plot elements, but it's a good issue that sees all the various allies that Hal, John, Kyle and Guy recruited join the fight, with Kilowog getting a good showing during his scenes, and the Guardians fighting beside the Corps. While the battle goes on, Hal and Hector Hammond enter Darkstar headquarters to apparently free the Controllers. Of particular note are John Stewart's orders to avoid all killing, since they're trying to demonstrate a clear difference between them and the Darkstars and win back popular support.

Hawkman #2
Carter goes to London to investigate more relics from his past and ends up somehow being transported to ancient Egypt where he faces himself in the form of Prince Khufu and discovers a vital map that may help answer a question about his past. The book briefly touches on some of Carter's past lives, including the Silent Knight and the western character Nighthawk, and name-drops Shiera, his long time girlfriend/wife. I'm glad she hasn't been forgotten, particularly with a different Hawkgirl over in Justice League. There's a lot of dialogue in the book, which suits me fine. Lots of reading makes it feel like I'm getting my money's worth. Next issue: Dinosaur Island.

[andersonh1]

It's been rumored for some time, but looks like it's official.

Grant Morrison & Liam Sharp Helming Hal Jordan/Green Lantern Relaunch
https://www.cbr.com/grant-morrison-liam ... -relaunch/

Longer article:
http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/07/19/ ... -space-cop

[andersonh1]

What would have happened with Lost Army? Discussed on this edition of the Lanterncast:

http://www.lanterncast.com/lanterncast- ... have-been/

issue 7 - Templar Guardians were found hiding on Mogo
issue 8 - they banished the GLC to the old universe out of fear of an approaching emotional entity that would have destroyed the Corps. At the source wall, they and the GLs meet the Overseers, the Guardians of Relic's universe
Issue 9 - Overseers are dying, attack the Corps, some have to adopt staves. Krona gets a GL ring from a dead GL. John decides to tell Relic how his universe will die
Issue 10,11 - Krona claims to find a way home, builds a machine to take them home, experiments on the rift between Relic's universe and the GL's universe. He can save Relic's universe but must destroy the GL's universe to do so, claiming power for himself along the way. He's been able to hear their telepathic communication all along (I had forgotten this plot detail from Lost Army, that they were trying to "talk behind Krona's back" telepathically).
Issue 12 - Krona and the Corps fight, and Relic helps the GLC win. Relic leaves to find a way to save his universe. Krona's experiment worked and the corps are able to return to their universe through the rift, only to find themselves surrounded by the Sinestro Corps on their return, who have filled the void left by their absence. Some of the Lanterns still have staves rather than rings.

This would have led to a second Sinestro Corps War, with the Green Lanterns as aggressors. Both Corps must join to fight off the entity that the Templar Guardians were afraid of, and in the end would start working together after they defeat it.

I was hoping for a more interesting answer than "the Templar Guardians did it", but it does make sense of their conversation in New 52 Green Lantern #39. It's possible that this explanation could still be good and that the Templar Guardians could have "gone along for the ride" into Relic's universe, remained hidden on Mogo and been captured by the Controllers on their return, though that seems like a stretch. But at any rate, this does answer the question of who originally sent the Corps to the previous universe and why, though with the answer never having been published, a future writer is free to go in a different direction is the question is ever addressed.

[Sparky Prime]

issue 7 - Templar Guardians were found hiding on Mogo
issue 8 - they banished the GLC to the old universe out of fear of an approaching emotional entity that would have destroyed the Corps. At the source wall, they and the GLs meet the Overseers, the Guardians of Relic's universe
Issue 9 - Overseers are dying, attack the Corps, some have to adopt staves. Krona gets a GL ring from a dead GL. John decides to tell Relic how his universe will die
Issue 10,11 - Krona claims to find a way home, builds a machine to take them home, experiments on the rift between Relic's universe and the GL's universe. He can save Relic's universe but must destroy the GL's universe to do so, claiming power for himself along the way. He's been able to hear their telepathic communication all along (I had forgotten this plot detail from Lost Army, that they were trying to "talk behind Krona's back" telepathically).
Issue 12 - Krona and the Corps fight, and Relic helps the GLC win. Relic leaves to find a way to save his universe. Krona's experiment worked and the corps are able to return to their universe through the rift, only to find themselves surrounded by the Sinestro Corps on their return, who have filled the void left by their absence. Some of the Lanterns still have staves rather than rings.

Wow, I'd forgotten Krona had even been a part of that story. He (and Relic) just disappeared after they changed titles to Edge of Oblivion. Really wish they had gone with these plans instead of what they ended up doing. 'Edge' was not as good Lost Army in my opinion, and it didn't help that they dropped so many characters and plot points with out even so much of an explanation as to what happened to them...

[Dominic]

Replying to comic-related discussion from the IDW thread.

I know Marvel said there was more to the map than they could actually show with it, but that's not the same thing as "loosely defined".

There is a line in "Secret Wars" where Doctor Strange says something to the effect of "Battleworld works better if you do not think too hard about it". On, and off page, Battleworld would "break" if you thought to hard about it.

Admittedly I know very little about the lore behind Squadron Supreme. But regardless of whatever Robinson may or may not have intended, that ultimately doesn't matter. Marvel's official position is that version of Nighthawk came from universe 31916.

Squadron has always been a mess. Mistakes, back-writes, mistaken back-writes, back-written mistakes....I am not kidding.

The Roy Thomas stuff from the 70s is terrible. Skip it. Just....ugh.

The 12 issue Gruenwald series from the 80s (with or without a few issues of "Captain America") is arguably the best use of the characters, and probably the best thing that Gruenwald ever wrote. But, frankly. "Red Son" and better issues of "Injustice" have used the same ideas to better effect.

Hickman and Ewing did some good things with the new Hyperion in the lead-up to "Secret Wars", mostly in "Avengers". Gruenwald used the characters, with no purpose other than "he wanted to" in "Quasar". Skip that. There was a one-shot in the 90s (by Kaminsky?) that was set-up for a series that might have been good if it had actually happened.

The Robinson series had some good set-up, but nothing of lasting value. The "Hyperion" series was good, if truncated. The "Nighthawk" series was....just no. No. Just...

nd I still can't find any references to those characters appearing in anything since Ultimates2.

Ewing definitely had a plan for them. But, I doubt it will ever be used.

[Sparky Prime]

There is a line in "Secret Wars" where Doctor Strange says something to the effect of "Battleworld works better if you do not think too hard about it". On, and off page, Battleworld would "break" if you thought to hard about it.

I don't think they intended for Strange to referring to anything off page with that. Rather just the strange hodgepodge of alternate realities living on the same world, and the politics of keeping it all running together.

Ewing definitely had a plan for them. But, I doubt it will ever be used.

You believe. There's nothing definitely stating that he, or Marvel, ever had plans for them, beyond what Ewing did with them in a few issues of Ultimates2. Personally, I doubt they ever had plans of bringing the characters back, given they've moved the Ultimate characters they wanted to save to the 616 universe.

[Dominic]

The scene with Strange was not just the politics of Battleworld, it was about the physics. Doom required a degree of "faith" in order to hold what was left together.


Marvel was planning to get rid of the multiverse entirely with "Secret Wars". They changed direction at the 11th hour, likely due to the success of "Spider-Verse" (and related titles/character). "the Ultimates" was cancelled early. (This is also known.) Ewing had been building to the return of the Ultimates (faction/world/whatever) for at least a year. What he was planning beyond that is anybody's guess. But, he was going to bring the old Ultimates back.