Superboy’s Legion #1-2;
The Nail #1-3;
Another Nail #1-3;
Fantastic Four: The End #1-6;
Killraven #1-6;
Uncanny X-Men #444-447, 450-451, 455-459;
Clandestine #1-8
Clandestine & X-Men #1-2
Clandestine: Blood Relative #1-5
Just as our Miracleman discussion led to Captain Britain, so too did the Captain Britain discussion inspire this thread. Above are the first five projects I intend to cover, but if this discussion proves successful, I’m open to suggestions moving forward.
Superboy’s Legion #1:
Geoff Johns and George Perez recently accounted for the simultaneous existence of the three best-known versions of the Legion of Superheroes in their already-classic Legion of Three Worlds limited series, but there is a fourth version of the LSH I prefer to at least one of the other three, namely Superboy’s Legion. Superboy’s Legion is an “Elseworlds” tale which postulates what might have happened if the rocket which carried baby Superman to Earth had had not arrived until the 30th century.
The story is written (and inked) by Alan Davis’ best-know creative partner, Mark Farmer, and issue one begins with a brief prologue set in 2987 in which R.J. Brande and his assistant Marla discover a Kryptonian life pod amongst an asteroid field. The action then jumps swiftly to Metropolis in the year 3001, when Superboy is 14 years old. No need for a secret identity in this age when “super powers” are far more common, Superboy’s alter ego is Kal Brande, but in a classic “nature vs. nurture” scenario, while still basically heroic in nature, without the influence of Ma and Pa Kent, this Superboy is a little more cocky than we might expect.
The Science Police use “Universo’s technology,” and hints are dropped that something terrible happened to the superheroes of the 20th century (without a Superman in that era, is the implication). Nevertheless inspired by the 20th century heroes, Superboy sets out to form his own Legion which would not be answerable to the SPs, under whose authority he chafes. A series of apparently natural disasters are devastating planets familiar to long-time readers as the home planets of Legionaires from the future(s) of the mainstream DCU(s). Interestingly, this story (from 2001) also featured a “Sinestro War,” which followed in the wake of the destruction of the planet Daxam in this alternate reality’s future. Also, a potential love interest for Superboy is introduced in the form of journalist Lois Olsen. She’s a bit older than Superboy, probably mid-twenties or so, but possibly as young as 18.
A dwindling Green Lantern Corps patrols sectors of the universe not under United Planets control. After encountering a Green Lantern in deep space, Superboy meets Cosmic Boy and Saturn Girl on a rescue mission on his way back to Earth. The three of them become the founding members of Superboy’s Legion, and the remaining charter members are Sun Boy, Colossal Boy, Element Lad, Shrinking Violet, Bouncing Boy and Shadow Lass. Karate Kid and Ferro Lad tried out but were rejected, and the Legion of Substitute Heroes exists as well.
While on their first official mission (to prevent a giant asteroid from colliding with the planet Rimborr), other super-powered youths are drawn to their side, including Ultra Boy, Phantom Girl, Chameleon Boy, Invisible Kid, Braniac5and Star Boy, and there are cameo appearances of other alternate reality Legionaires as well. Half of the fun of a series of this nature is comparing the differences to the mainstream universe and determining whether those differences grow organically from the situation and the characters themselves or whther they seem forced. This story flows naturally and I could go on listing differences all day, but what I can’t do is describe how much fun it is to read and how much fun Davis and Farmer apparently had while doing it. The plot thickens when the Fatal Five show up to oppose their efforts, and the first issue ends on a cliffhanger as the villainous mastermind is revealed.
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As the second issue opens, Superboy’s Legion is recovering from the crushing defeat handed to them at the end of issue one. One character has died (although not the one you might think) and another character (although not the one you might think) has lost an arm. Strong themes of cooperation and diversity abound. Yesterday I mentioned that it’s interesting to compare and contrast the differences between this “Elseworlds” Legion and its mainstream counterparts. Some of the differences are not significant, but others are more like “Tangent” differences (if you know what I mean). That can be true of the three mainstream Legions, too, but although this series must be set in an alternate reality, I like to think this future still exists for one of DC’s 52 known universes.
I like to think this future still exists for one of DC’s 52 known universes.
I'm fairly sure that Final Crisis blew the 52 world Orrory* to bits and established a new infinite number of possible universes in the multiverse. But I'm not definite about that.
With an infinite number of universes out there then this story by all means *did* occur in the DC multiverse.
Oh, Killraven! That’s a good one! I think I’d be more likely to cover limited series in this thread rather than extended runs such as BATO (which could support discussion threads of their own), but what’s in the Excalibur Visionaries: Alan Davis edition?
Justice League: The Nail #1:
For want of a nail the shoe was lost
For want of a shoe the horse was lost
For want of a horse the knight was lost
For want of a knight the battle was lost
So it was a kingdom was lost, all for the want of a nail
I don’t know what it was that made me decide to cover Superboy’s Legion (a 2001 series set in the 30th century) before Justice League: The Nail (a 1998 series set in the 20th century), but that’s what I chose to do. I think it was probably because Superboy’s Legion deals with a 14 year old Kal-El and The Nail, well… it doesn’t really deal with Kal-El that much at all, come to think of it. It’s primarily a Justice League Elseworlds, but like Superboy’s Legion, it deals with a “Superman-less” 20th century.
Also like Superboy’s Legion, The Nail begins with a prologue set in the past (“Kansas. Twenty-four years ago”), the jumps ahead on the second page (“Metropolis. The present”). The “nail” in question in the one which flattened a tire on the truck belonging to Ma and Pa Kent on the day they were destined to find baby Superman’s rocket in an alternate reality. In addition to the Justice League of America, this Elseworlds reality of The Nail seems to cull various DC teams from the height of their creativity… the Doom Patrol from the 60s; the New Gods from the ‘70s; the Outsiders from the ‘80s… and amalgamate them together.
There are other differences, of course, than simply the absence of Superman. In this reality, for example, Hawkman has been killed, and his place in the JLA has been taken by Hawkgirl. Green Arrow has been maimed, causing Black Canary to split from the group to form the Outsiders. Solo heroes such as Adam Strange and Batgirl also play parts, but this reality ios no Silver Age playground; it’s grim, gritty and most of all dangerous. There are several twists, turns and surprises along the way, but in the cliffhanger, Batman has been manipulated into killing the Joker in a very public manner.
Lex Luthor is the mayor of Metropolis and is spearheading a vast anti-alien campaign, but there are hints that Luthor may not be the mastermind behind these efforts. Some, such as Perry white and Jimmy Olsen, are sympathetic to his cause; others, such as Lois Lane and Lana Lang, are not. At first, the alien reseach facilities targeted aliens and villains, but now they go after any tyupe of superpowered beings, mostly villains, but the implication is that the heroes will be next. In this issue Lana directs Lois to the Kent Farm, where Jonathan and Martha are running an underground movement.
The DC universe (or any mainstream superhero universe, really), is populated by hundreds of super-powered beings, but most of them (those from different decades) don't interact. Teams such as the Justice League of America or the Avengers span the entire history of these universes, but lesser known heroes have maybe five years or so in the spotlight until the writers and artists who created them move on to other projects. The Nail provides the opportunity to see the Creeper rubbing shoulders with Shade the Changing Man, Firestorm with Black Orchid. Alan Davis (who wrotes as well as pencilled this series) spotlights the Green Lantern Corps. and Aquaman's Atlantis with equal facility to the handling of the individual characters he uses.
So if you're looking for a rollicking good (albeit somewhat dark) tale chock full of superheroes, you should enjoy The Nail. I've read this story only once before and I can't quite remember how it ends (apart from where Kal-El has been and what he's been up to all these years), and I find myself very much looking forward to issue #3 to find out how it ends!
In this issue, Alan Davis throws DC's mystical characters (Dr. Fat, Phantom Stranger, Demon, Deadman, Spectre) into the mix, as well as the Metal Men. Davis obviously has great affection for these characters, but one from the first issue that seemed to be thrown in mainly for nostalgic value was actually foreshadowing of great importance to the resolution of the story. LexCorp did indeed discover Kal-El's empty Kryptonian spaceship, and that discovery led to the foundation of ARF (the Alien Research Facility) and all of the genetic testing and pirated Kryptonian technology (including the Liberators, supposedly robots but actually a group of "Bizarros" imperfectly cloned from DNA samples found in the spaceship). I'm trying not to give too much away, but if you don't want to know where Kal-El has been or what he's been up to his entire life, you may want to skip the next paragraph.
Every individual member of the JLA has his or her own part to play in the resolution of the plot, and all the individual plotlines come together in the end. When the final battle at ARF HQ spills over into a neighboring Amish farming community, one of the residents reveals himself to be the baby from the rocket, now grown to adulthood. To make a long story short, Kel El does hook up with the Kents and steps up to take his place in the JLA. The Nail is a dark story with a hopeful ending, and I very much look forward to reading the sequel... for the first time.
Before I move on to Another Nail #1, I'd like to revisit the ending of The Nail. Three pages from the end, in a double-page spread, Davis depicts all the individual heroes and groups of heroes gathered together to morn the loss of Kal El's adoptive parents, with a voiceover by Lois Lane tying up lose ends. The last page shows a montage of the JLA (Green Lantern, Flash, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Atom, Martian Manhunter and Hawkwoman) with their newest member, Superman, but minus Batman, who resigned despite having been cleared in court of murdering the Joker. In the midground, in silhouette, the heroes are shown walking away from the field of battle, while in the foreground lies a nail sticking from a piece of debris.
The Green Lantern Corps was absent for the Nail, having been occupied in the New God War between New Genesis and Apokolips, but when they arrive toward the end of the story, Arisia exclaims, " It was awesome. You'll never guess what happened to Darkseid," to which Katma Tui mildly admonishes, "A story for another time, Arisia." It's bits of dialogue such as that which makes me wonder how much groundwork was laid by Davis in anticipation of a possible sequel.
Another Nail #1:
Although I read and enjoyed The Nail while it was coming out, I had somewhat lost the story by the third issue, and when Another Nail was released in 2004, I resolved not to read it until I re-read The Nail. Consequently, I am reading Another Nail for the first time today. It begins with the culmination of the New God War, told in detail. Unlike the one-page flashback scenes which began Superboy's Legion and The Nail, this one takes up the entire first half of the first issue. Tortured to death by Darkseid in from of his wife, Mister Miracle effects his greatest escape, from death itself, by transferring his consciousness into Barda's Mother Box. Meanwhile, the ring of the slain Green Lantern of Sector 796 encounters Barda on its way back to Oa (the Guardians having previously decided no one worthy of a power ring is to be found on Apokolips) and joins its power to hers to create a combined Scott Free/Big Barda/Mother Box/Power Ring amalgam.
The action then flashes forward to Earth, where a year has passed since the climatic battle at the end of The Nail. A ceremony is being held to commemorate the occasion, and a very embarrassed Superman is to be the guest of honor. Narration by Lois Lane catches the story up to the events which have transpired in the intervening year, and sundry other scenes revisit other key players, such as Batman, Oliver Queen and the Outsiders. I don't know where the story is going to go from here, but the back covers copy reads: "The JLA joins forces with its newest recruit - Superman - and faces a sprawling adventure that catapults them to other worlds, other eras, and even the mythical realms that lead to Hell itself!"
Replies
As the second issue opens, Superboy’s Legion is recovering from the crushing defeat handed to them at the end of issue one. One character has died (although not the one you might think) and another character (although not the one you might think) has lost an arm. Strong themes of cooperation and diversity abound. Yesterday I mentioned that it’s interesting to compare and contrast the differences between this “Elseworlds” Legion and its mainstream counterparts. Some of the differences are not significant, but others are more like “Tangent” differences (if you know what I mean). That can be true of the three mainstream Legions, too, but although this series must be set in an alternate reality, I like to think this future still exists for one of DC’s 52 known universes.
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." -Groucho Marx
Check out the Secret Headquarters (my store) website! It's a pretty lame website, but I did it myself, so tough noogies
Listen to WOXY.com, it's the future of rock-n-roll!
I'm fairly sure that Final Crisis blew the 52 world Orrory* to bits and established a new infinite number of possible universes in the multiverse. But I'm not definite about that.
With an infinite number of universes out there then this story by all means *did* occur in the DC multiverse.
*whatever that is...
I've seen at least one in person before, and I would love to own one.
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." -Groucho Marx
Check out the Secret Headquarters (my store) website! It's a pretty lame website, but I did it myself, so tough noogies
Listen to WOXY.com, it's the future of rock-n-roll!
Ooh, ooh, me too! That's a really cool looking device. And practical too, if you need to find your way around the universe.
Love it!
Justice League: The Nail #1:
For want of a nail the shoe was lost
For want of a shoe the horse was lost
For want of a horse the knight was lost
For want of a knight the battle was lost
So it was a kingdom was lost, all for the want of a nail
I don’t know what it was that made me decide to cover Superboy’s Legion (a 2001 series set in the 30th century) before Justice League: The Nail (a 1998 series set in the 20th century), but that’s what I chose to do. I think it was probably because Superboy’s Legion deals with a 14 year old Kal-El and The Nail, well… it doesn’t really deal with Kal-El that much at all, come to think of it. It’s primarily a Justice League Elseworlds, but like Superboy’s Legion, it deals with a “Superman-less” 20th century.
Also like Superboy’s Legion, The Nail begins with a prologue set in the past (“Kansas. Twenty-four years ago”), the jumps ahead on the second page (“Metropolis. The present”). The “nail” in question in the one which flattened a tire on the truck belonging to Ma and Pa Kent on the day they were destined to find baby Superman’s rocket in an alternate reality. In addition to the Justice League of America, this Elseworlds reality of The Nail seems to cull various DC teams from the height of their creativity… the Doom Patrol from the 60s; the New Gods from the ‘70s; the Outsiders from the ‘80s… and amalgamate them together.
There are other differences, of course, than simply the absence of Superman. In this reality, for example, Hawkman has been killed, and his place in the JLA has been taken by Hawkgirl. Green Arrow has been maimed, causing Black Canary to split from the group to form the Outsiders. Solo heroes such as Adam Strange and Batgirl also play parts, but this reality ios no Silver Age playground; it’s grim, gritty and most of all dangerous. There are several twists, turns and surprises along the way, but in the cliffhanger, Batman has been manipulated into killing the Joker in a very public manner.
Lex Luthor is the mayor of Metropolis and is spearheading a vast anti-alien campaign, but there are hints that Luthor may not be the mastermind behind these efforts. Some, such as Perry white and Jimmy Olsen, are sympathetic to his cause; others, such as Lois Lane and Lana Lang, are not. At first, the alien reseach facilities targeted aliens and villains, but now they go after any tyupe of superpowered beings, mostly villains, but the implication is that the heroes will be next. In this issue Lana directs Lois to the Kent Farm, where Jonathan and Martha are running an underground movement.
The DC universe (or any mainstream superhero universe, really), is populated by hundreds of super-powered beings, but most of them (those from different decades) don't interact. Teams such as the Justice League of America or the Avengers span the entire history of these universes, but lesser known heroes have maybe five years or so in the spotlight until the writers and artists who created them move on to other projects. The Nail provides the opportunity to see the Creeper rubbing shoulders with Shade the Changing Man, Firestorm with Black Orchid. Alan Davis (who wrotes as well as pencilled this series) spotlights the Green Lantern Corps. and Aquaman's Atlantis with equal facility to the handling of the individual characters he uses.
So if you're looking for a rollicking good (albeit somewhat dark) tale chock full of superheroes, you should enjoy The Nail. I've read this story only once before and I can't quite remember how it ends (apart from where Kal-El has been and what he's been up to all these years), and I find myself very much looking forward to issue #3 to find out how it ends!
In this issue, Alan Davis throws DC's mystical characters (Dr. Fat, Phantom Stranger, Demon, Deadman, Spectre) into the mix, as well as the Metal Men. Davis obviously has great affection for these characters, but one from the first issue that seemed to be thrown in mainly for nostalgic value was actually foreshadowing of great importance to the resolution of the story. LexCorp did indeed discover Kal-El's empty Kryptonian spaceship, and that discovery led to the foundation of ARF (the Alien Research Facility) and all of the genetic testing and pirated Kryptonian technology (including the Liberators, supposedly robots but actually a group of "Bizarros" imperfectly cloned from DNA samples found in the spaceship). I'm trying not to give too much away, but if you don't want to know where Kal-El has been or what he's been up to his entire life, you may want to skip the next paragraph.
Every individual member of the JLA has his or her own part to play in the resolution of the plot, and all the individual plotlines come together in the end. When the final battle at ARF HQ spills over into a neighboring Amish farming community, one of the residents reveals himself to be the baby from the rocket, now grown to adulthood. To make a long story short, Kel El does hook up with the Kents and steps up to take his place in the JLA. The Nail is a dark story with a hopeful ending, and I very much look forward to reading the sequel... for the first time.
The Green Lantern Corps was absent for the Nail, having been occupied in the New God War between New Genesis and Apokolips, but when they arrive toward the end of the story, Arisia exclaims, " It was awesome. You'll never guess what happened to Darkseid," to which Katma Tui mildly admonishes, "A story for another time, Arisia." It's bits of dialogue such as that which makes me wonder how much groundwork was laid by Davis in anticipation of a possible sequel.
Another Nail #1:
Although I read and enjoyed The Nail while it was coming out, I had somewhat lost the story by the third issue, and when Another Nail was released in 2004, I resolved not to read it until I re-read The Nail. Consequently, I am reading Another Nail for the first time today. It begins with the culmination of the New God War, told in detail. Unlike the one-page flashback scenes which began Superboy's Legion and The Nail, this one takes up the entire first half of the first issue. Tortured to death by Darkseid in from of his wife, Mister Miracle effects his greatest escape, from death itself, by transferring his consciousness into Barda's Mother Box. Meanwhile, the ring of the slain Green Lantern of Sector 796 encounters Barda on its way back to Oa (the Guardians having previously decided no one worthy of a power ring is to be found on Apokolips) and joins its power to hers to create a combined Scott Free/Big Barda/Mother Box/Power Ring amalgam.
The action then flashes forward to Earth, where a year has passed since the climatic battle at the end of The Nail. A ceremony is being held to commemorate the occasion, and a very embarrassed Superman is to be the guest of honor. Narration by Lois Lane catches the story up to the events which have transpired in the intervening year, and sundry other scenes revisit other key players, such as Batman, Oliver Queen and the Outsiders. I don't know where the story is going to go from here, but the back covers copy reads: "The JLA joins forces with its newest recruit - Superman - and faces a sprawling adventure that catapults them to other worlds, other eras, and even the mythical realms that lead to Hell itself!"
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