Sunday, February 20, 2011

Infinite Regress


Superman and the Legion of Superheroes, written by Geoff Johns, illustrated by Gary Frank and Jon Sibal (2007-2008): The pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths Legion of Superheroes (LSH) (from the 31st century!) gets reinserted into official DC continuity by Johns and Frank in a pretty enjoyable reunion adventure with Superman, who now remembers being a member of the Legion as a teenager because he actually (again) was a member as a teenager. Several 31st-century years after Superman/boy last visited the Legion, they send a Time-Bubble to get him (though first they have to telepathically unlock his hidden memories of being in the Legion).

Hilarity ensues in a 31st century gone boopy, where a xenophobic Earth has banished aliens and a human-only new Justice League are acting like a bunch of dinks. Superman comes through, and various threads are introduced that lead directly to the subsequent Superman/LSH miniseries Superman: Legion of Three Worlds, and then to the current new Legion stories in the relaunched LSH and Adventure Comics. Fun space-opera action with a lot of old 'friends' from my youth, though I can't believe the evil Justice League killed Legion of Substitute Heroes member Doubleheader. That's just wrong. Recommended.



Day of Vengeance, written by Judd Winick and Bill Willingham, illustrated by Ian Churchill, Justinano and Walden Wong (2005): One of several lead-ins to 2005-2006's DC megacrossover/reboot Infinite Crisis, Day of Vengeance tells the tale of a war among DC's supernatural heroes. The Spectre, the most annoying and powerful magical being in the DC universe, has gone crazy again after being stripped of his latest human host, once-and-future Green Lantern Hal Jordan.

Seduced by dark 'god' Eclipso, the Spectre sets out to destroy ever other magic-user on Earth. Only a ragtag group of C-list magic heroes (The Enchantress, Nightshade, Detective Chimp, Blue Devil, Ragman and that guy whose name I always forget) can stop him, or at least help Captain Marvel stop him. Fun but inconclusive -- the actual climax to this would appear months later in its own special after Infinite Crisis, and lead into the short-lived and much-missed (by me) magical team series Shadowpact. Recommended.

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