Crossover Madness

This month’s “Crossover Madness” features a four-part story that appeared in the Superman family of titles during the month of August 2009.  To be blunt, this particular story wasn’t very good, but that didn’t really matter, since no one was reading the Superman titles anyways.  You see, this story was in the middle of a year long storyline in which Krypton had been reborn thanks to Kandor being rescued from Braniac.  Well, that, and the large population of Kryptonians being exiled to a new planet.  This exile included Superman.  So, he’s on new Krypton finally with his own people, but unfortunately working directly under General Zod.  It was a real interesting story of Superman having to take orders from an enemy in order to work towards the greater good of his people.  This was going on in Superman:  World of New Krypton.  In the pages of Superman, you had Mon-El filling in, protecting Metropolis in Superman’s absence.  In Action Comics, you had Nightwing (Kryptonian version, Chris Kent) and Flamebird, and a lot of exploration of Kryptonian religion.  And Supergirl was still in Supergirl.  I didn’t read it.

Anyways, it was a really different and interesting time in the Superman books.  So, obviously, hardly anyone read it.  People just complained that Superman wasn’t appearing in the Superman titles.  And I just wanted to smack them.  You can’t complain about the same, boring stories being published all the time, and then be unhappy because their not publishing the same, boring stories.  But, I digress.  Anyways, here’s your crossover.

Codename:  Patriot

Issues:  Superman:  World of New Krypton #6, Action Comics #880, Supergirl #44, Superman “691

Writers:  Greg Rucka (Superman:  WoNK, Action Comics), James Robinson (Superman:  WoNK, Action Comics, Superman), Sterling Gates (Supergirl)

Artists:  Pete Woods (Superman:  WoNK), Julian Lopez (Action Comics), Jamal Igle (Supergirl), Renato Guedes (Superman) 

DC Nation – 5/26/12

Welcome to this week’s edition of DC Nation.  Today’s episode of Green Lantern is titled “Homecoming.”  The Red Lanterns arrive at Oa.  Today’s episode of Young Justice is titled “Beneath.”  The Alpha Team heads to Bialya to investigate Boom Tube usage, while Jamie Reyes looks for his friend.  The short segments include a profile of Animal Man (might be a repeat), part one of an Atom cartoon, and a new Super Best Friends Forever cartoon.

Green Lantern:  The Animated Series – “Homecoming”
Hal and Razer fly off to implement their plan, while Kilowog tries to buy them some time.  Atrocitus, aboard the Interceptor, arrive at Oa.  Using Aya, they trick their way onto Oa.  Hal Jordan wakes up to find himself on Earth, where he sees Carol.  Atrocitus and his forces land on Oa, and attack some Guardians.  Hal is having dinner with Carol, but seems a bit out of it and doesn’t remember what has been going on.  Kilowog does his best to fight off the Red Lantern armada.  Carol tries to make Hal remember being a Green Lantern by going to Ferris Air and showing him his Lantern.  This causes Hal to remember.  Razer and He went to Zamaron to ask the Star Sapphires for help.  Hal convinces them to teleport him back to Earth, despite of the possible consequences.  Hal kisses Carol, and flies off.  While fighting, Kilowog experiences a power boost.  This cam from the presence of the Blue Lantern Saint Walker.  Along with Saint Walker, Mogo joins the fight against the armada.  Atrocitus and his group are able to overpower Salaak, and get to the Guardians.  However, Hal Jordan is there waiting for them.  Hal tells Atrocitus that he’s right to feel rage towards the Guardians, but what he’s doing is wrong.  Drusa is attempting to delete Aya’s higher functions when Razer teleports in and saves her.  Using Saint Walker to boost Mogo’s power, they are able to stop the armada.  Hal is fighting Atrocitus, while the Guardians watch.  Hal is able to overcome Atrocitus.  Hal tries to reason with Zilius Zox.  The Guardians promise to make restitution in the Forgotten Zone.  Zilius agrees, as Atrocitus is taken to the prison.  Razer avoids the question of how he got to Oa so quickly.  The Guardians go to thank Hal, but he flies back to Earth. 

DC Nation – 4/28/12

Welcome to this week’s installment of DC Nation.  Today’s episode of Green Lantern is titled “In Love and War.”  The Green Lanterns discover the Star Sapphires.  Today is the first episode of season two of Young Justice, which added Invasion to the title, and is titled “Happy New Year.”  It’s five years later, and the team discovers alien invaders.  The short segments include a profile of Blue Beetle (Jamie Reyes), a Super Best Friends Forever cartoon titled “Grounded,” and a new Mad cartoon titled “Teen Titanic.”  Once again, I imagine that I’ve spelled most of the things wrong in the Green Lantern episode.  I’ll fix it when I can find the correct spellings.

Green Lantern:  The Animated Series – “In Love and War”
Kilowog is feeling down about leaving Galia behind.  Hal is trying to cheer him up when Aya alerts them that there is something 20 seconds away.  It turns out that this thing is a giant space monster.  They are aided by two Star Saphires, named Acapo, Gyita.  They offer the Lanterns rest and repairs on their home planet of Zamaron.  Acapo looks into Kilowog, and sees he’s suffering from a broken heart.  A Star Sapphire ring goes to Galia.  Acapo tells Hal that they used to be with the Guardians, long ago, but they disagreed with the Guardians about the role of emotions.  The Sapphires believed that only love could heal the universe.  Gyita takes Hal on a tour, but he brushes her advances off.  Kilowog runs into Galia.  He asks how she got here, but she tells him to hush, and that she has something that can keep them together forever.  Aya has fixed the ship, but she can’t get Kilowog to respond.  Razer contacts Hal, who tells him not to worry.  It’s revealed that Kilowog has been encased in a crystal.  Queen Acapo is unhappy that Hal hasn’t fallen in love with Gyita yet, and tells her to take stronger actions.  Gyita gives Hal a drink, and finds that he already has a true love in Carol Ferris.  Acapo sends a ring to Carol.  On Earth, Carol has just been told that Hal can’t be found when she’s offered a ring.  Razer approaches Acapo, and demands to know where Kilowog is.  Acapo invites Razer to join her in searching for him.  She denies Aya entrance though.  Aya decides to go on her own search, and finds Kilowog, among many others, encased in crystal.  When she tries to contact Razer, she is attacked by Galia.  She subdues Galia, and flees.  Aya finds Razer as Acapo was offering him drinks, and tells him that Kilowog has been imprisoned.  The ring transports Carol to Hal.  Carol sees Gyita, becomes jealous, and attacks her.  Eventually, Hal is able to reason with Carol, and get her to stop fighting.  They kiss, she comes to her senses, and Hal tells her what’s been going on.  Gyita tells Carol that she can use the power of love to keep him.  Carol tells her that that isn’t actually love.  Carol gives back the Star Sapphire ring, and is returned to Earth.  Hal gets Kilowog out of the crystal, and they go to help Razer and Aya, who are fighting Acapo and her guards.  Gyita tries to convince Acapo to release them.  Acapo looks into Razer’s mind, and realizes that Aya looks like Razer’s love Alana.  With the help of Gyita, the Green Lanterns are able to escape.

DC Nation – 4/7/12

Welcome to today’s edition of DC Nation.  Today’s episode of Green Lantern is titled “Lost Planet.”  The group searches for a Green Lantern recruit on a doomed planet.  Today’s episode of Young Justice is titled “Performance.”  The team goes undercover with Haly’s circus to investigate a series of crimes.  The shorts today include a profile of Kilowog, an Animal Man Cartoon, and a Batgirl, Supergirl, Wonder Girl team-up.

Green Lantern:  The Animated Series – “Lost Planet”
Kilowog tries to restore some order during a meeting to discuss their situation.  Hall tells him to quit calling roll because there are only 4 of them.  They decide that things don’t look good.  Aya finds an energy signature from Shyir Rev’s old ring, so they change course to find this new recruit.  Unfortunately, there is an asteroid that is going to destroy the planet.  Hal ignores Kilowog and regulations, and spends most of their energy to slow down the asteroid.  This slows the asteroid down, and gives them 6 hours to find the new Green Lantern.  They come across a group of people on the planet, who help them search for the Green Lantern, before getting them off the planet.  Hal tries to strike up a conversation with Grood, but he throws him into a pit, where the ground tries to entrap him.  The ground lets him go, and Hal starts to doubt his decision.  Kilowog is walking with Zartok, a soldier that fought in the last battle of Thalius Prime.  He keeps wanting to hear more from the soldier.  Aya is walking with Drusa, the female of the group.  She twists her ankle, and asks Aya to take her back to the ship for medical attention.  Razer spots someone, but they quickly leave.  Hal thinks he spotted Grood, but it was just an earthen shell.  Aya takes her person back to the ship, but Drusa is there just to take over her ship.  Razer finds a ship graveyard, when he is approached by Saint Walker.  He explains to Razer that everyone is a bad person.  Kilowog discovers that he’s been following the General of the Cardonian Horde (bad) and is attacked.  Razer tries to fight Saint Walker, but it’s not really getting him anywhere because Walker isn’t really fighting back.  Saint Walker eventually puts Razer down with a simple move, tells him he needs to control his rage or it will be the end of him.  Walker then places the Green Lantern ring on his chest and walks off.  Hal finds him, and tells him that the ring hasn’t chosen anyone because they are all terrible people.  Kilowog thinks he’s beaten Zartock, but he’s saved by Drusa in the Lantern’s ship.  Kilowog chases them down, with Razer and Hal joining him.  The planet itself starts to move in and knocks the ship out of the sky.  This allows the Green Lanterns to chase them down.  Hal wonders why the ring stayed on the planet.  The ring tried to burrow down into the ground.  Hal digs a bigger hole and tosses the ring down it.  The planet takes the ring, and uses it to destroy the asteroid.  The planet is Mogo, and it thanks Hal for giving him the ring.  Mogo volunteers to keep the prisoners with him.  Saint Walker was watching while everything happened.

DC Nation – 3/17/12

Welcome to this week’s edition of DC Nation Cartoon Network.  Today’s episode of Green Lantern is titled “Razer’s Edge,” and gives us some info on the Red Lantern Razer, while Hal Jordan and Kilowog investigate a prison.  Today’s episode of Young Justice is titled “Image,” and explores the character of Miss Martian, while Robin leads the team to stop an international situation.  The three shorts include NASCAR driver Trevor Bayne and Batmobiles, Batgirl and Supergirl trying to create mischief with Wonder Girl, and lunch with Shazam.

Green Lantern:  The Animated Series – “Razer’s Edge”
Kilowog and Hal Jordan essentially play good cop/bad cop with the former Red Lantern Razer, but he doesn’t give up any more information. Kilowog and Hal check in with the Guardians about what to do with Razer.  They take him to a prison on a nearby planet run by the Myglom of the Spider Guild.  After Hal and Kilowog leave, Myglom starts their “rehabilitation” on Razer.  In space, Hal and Kilowog find that they picked up a hitchhiker  named Appa from the prison.  The escaped convict pleads for them not to send him back to be tortured.  The Green Lanterns decide that since they have to take the escapee back anyways, they might as well investigate.  Despite Kilowog’s objections, they sneak into the prison.  While undergoing the torture, Razer remembers him leaving Alana to join a militia to fight the warlords.  He later returns to her, only to find that she’s dead.  This is when Razer was recruited into the Red Lantern Corps.  Hal and Kilowog are discovered by the spiders, but are unable to use their rings.  Myglom tells the Lanterns that they can’t escape, and their rings won’t work because of a yellow mineral in the walls.  Myglom tells them that they don’t torture traditionally, they just make the person relive their worst moments over and over.  (Something more may have happened here.  My recording froze for a moment.)  Appa tries to get the computer to leave before they are found, but she insists they must help Hal and Kilowog.  Aya (computer) goes into Myglom’s device and tries to get Razer to help her save Hal and Kilowog.  Razer said he shouldn’t be rescued because he killed people.  Aya corrects him, and says she doesn’t care what he wants, he will help.  Razer is unhappy with her, and runs towards the ships.  Razer retrieved his Red Lantern ring, and rescues Hal and Kilowog.  Hal stops Myglom from leaving.  After the fighting is over, Razer willfully gives up the red ring.  Hal leaves Appa in charge of the prison until the Guardians send a replacement warden.  They take Razer with them.

New Comic Day 11/27/06

I missed New Comic Day last week due to being home for Thanksgiving…as well as being tired, sick, and owning a hatred of city-style traffic. Long story short, I picked up my books today and here we go!

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #24
by Mark Waid and Barry Kitson
The Legion comes back and defeats the imposters with the help of Supergirl’s ability to read Kryptonese. The Legion decides to help the figure they saw in the Phantom Zone, a being named Mon-El, but in the process also decide not to leave Supergirl on Rokyn, as had been the original plan. As Phantom Girl and Saturn Girl attempt to help Mon-El, they discover the villains they had been fighting are holed up in the Phantom Zone as well.
Jacob’s Grade: B+

The Walking Dead #32
by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard
A guard moves forward with the plan to help Rick escape, and he finds that Glenn has stuck around to help out. They free Michone, but she has revenge on her mind and goes to find the Governor. The others, including the town’s doctor and nurse, move forward with their escape plan.
Jacob’s Grade: A

Ultimate Spider-Man #102
The girl in the spider suit frees Peter from Nick Fury’s custody and takes him to where she believes Mary Jane to be held, all while explaining the whole clone situation as she is aware of it. They arrive at the destroyed Oscorp Labs to find a transformed MJ rampaging, only changing back when Peter begins talking to her. As little is explained, a unexpected face shows up to add further mystery to the plot.
Jacob’s Grade: B

X-Factor #13
At Jamie’s request, X-Factor sits down for one-on-one visits with Doc Sampson to get a handle on recent occurances. Strong Guy talks about being forced to kill in cold blood, Siryn holds onto her denial of Banshee’s death, Layla talks about the burden of her abilities, Monet shares her fear of what her brother had done to her, Rictor laments over the loss of his powers, and Wolfsbane reflects on the vision she had in the fight against Singularity. And at Sampson’s request, Jamie tells Monet the truth about the “nighttime encounter” they had and subsequently gets thrown through a window.
Jacob’s Grade: A

Final Thoughts
A strong week for my books. Had I known they were going to be this good, I wouldn’t have waited to buy them. Legion did a good job of welcoming Supergirl into the ranks of the team, instead of just throwing her in and having everyone peachy keen on the idea. That, and the introduction of Mon-El is definitely exciting news. Walking Dead continues its excellent storytelling, with the build-up to the climactic encounter between Michone and the Governor leaving me going “Awwwww!” when the story ended. Ultimate Spidey turned it up a notch this month as they actually cleared up the zaniness that had been going on over the past few weeks. No menti0n of Ben Parker or Aunt May’s condition, but enough little bits to keep the book good for a change (as of late, that is). X-Factor’s rehash of the popular story from the early 90s run of the team was an excellent way to better characterize the team. It makes them much more likable, and much more human. Though none of them being exactly “A-list” characters (as one letter in the letters page bluntly puts it), they are old favorites and work together quite well in this setting.

Well, that’s it for today. In two short days we’ll be seeing Teen Titans #41 and X-Men #193. The jury’s still out on whether I will be buying Onslaught: Reborn #1, but with Rob Liefeld doing art, I’m leaning quite heavily towards no.