There are also discussions about the 60s JLA/JSA team-ups and the 70s JLA/JSA team-ups so feel free to read, comment or add on to those as well!
JUSTICE LEAGUE # 183-185 (O-D'80): Where Have All The New Gods Gone?/ Apokolips Now!/Darkseid Rising!
By Gerry Conway, Dick Dillin (#183), George Perez (#184-185), Frank McLaughlin and Len Wein (editor).
Personal Note: George Perez is an amazing artist whose work has gotten even better over the years. Fantastic Four, The Avengers, Justice League of America and, of course, New Teen Titans have all benefitted from his contributions. Any true fan would want him on their favorite title. And he wanted to do JLA but not under these circumstances.
Dick Dillin, after drawing Justice League of America since #64 in 1968 (missing only two issues in that run) died at the young age of 51. He also had long runs in Blackhawk, World's Finest and DC Comics Presents. He was the artist of two of the first four comics that I ever read. His work improved throughout the 70s and he drew the majority of the heroes and villains of the DCU at one time or another. The news of his passing shocked the fifteen old me and was truly the end of an era. Thinking back, perhaps his passing combined with New Teen Titans #1 signaled the end of the Bronze Age, my Golden Age.
Character Notes: By this time, Gerry Conway had added to the Justice League his own creation: Firestorm the Nuclear Man! But as he giveth, Conway also tooketh away as Green Arrow resigned because he felt he and the League weren't on the same page anymore. That and his candidate for membership, Black Lightning, didn't even want to join!
The JLA: Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and Firestorm
The JSA: Doctor Fate, Wonder Woman, Power Girl and the Huntress
The New Gods: Orion the Hunter, Metron, Mister Miracle, Big Barda and Oberon
The InJustice Society: The Fiddler, the Icicle and the Shade
- In the five JLA/JSA team-ups that occurred after the Earth-One Wonder Woman rejoined in #128, the E-2 WW has appeared in THREE of them. The E-1 WW, NONE!
- The story starts off quickly as the eight heroes are suddenly transported to a nearly deserted New Genesis/Supertown as Superman gives the needed exposition and gets touchy-feely with Power Girl again! Get a room, Kal!
- In a nice moment, the original Princess Diana gets a bit offended about beings calling themselves New "Gods" with a comfirmation of her own mythology and monotheism at the same time. She's a Wonder, all right!
- They forget to strap Firestorm into his stroller and he immediately wanders off!
- He bumps into a young Andy Rooney, I mean, Orion the Hunter and gets zapped.
- The others attack Orion and it takes Superman, Power Girl AND Doctor Fate to knock him out! That's powerful!
- It would have great if Orion was in his Kirby armor but he's wearing his "Super-Hero" outfit complete with mask (and he has no secret identity) and "O" insignia!
- The other New Gods appear via a Boom Tube. Actually it's Metron and the cast of Mister Miracle! So much for Kirby's vast array of characters!
- Superman brings up meeting Scott in DC Comics Presents #12 but Batman who met him three times in B&B says nothing.
- Orion uses his Mother Box to trim his eyebrows and pretty him up. He is feeling very guilty about Darkseid's death from Adventure Comics #460 (D'78).
- We learn that Apokolipian forces have enslaved the entire population of New Genesis with the help of the InJustice Society!
- Metron transports them all to Apokolips when they (surprise, surprise) split up into teams!
- Batman, the Huntress and Mister Miracle sneak into the Imperial Palace to find out why Apokolips has renewed the War.
- Green Lantern, Doctor Fate and Oberon (and HE's here again why?) smash up the Shock Trooper Barracks searching for captives from New Genesis and they find someone big!
- Superman, Wonder Woman and Big Barda go to Granny Goodness' Orphanage to liberate the children of New Genesis, one named Petil to start!
- Granny would be the only other Kirby villain that Conway uses.
- Orion, Power Girl and Firestorm fly to the site where slave labor has built a massive machine manned by the InJustice Society that has resurrected.....DARKSEID!!
More to follow!
Replies
Conway and Dillin made a crucial mistake by portraying the New Gods as "Super-Heroes" not as players in an epic tale. Barda is drawn shorter than Scott. There are reflections of Kirby's opus, usually distortions. Orion as guilt-ridden basket-case, depressed over Darkseid's death (though that was his destiny) yet horrified by his return does not ring true. It continues though:
More to follow!
George Perez's draftmanship and creativity bring the last two parts alive. It does look like some pages/panels were inked by Dick Giordano.
The first thing about this JLA/JSA team-up that occurs to me is that they could have done this without the JSA!!! They could have used the E-1 Wonder Woman, Zatanna, Black Canary, Flash or Red Tornado. If they had to, they could have guest-starred Supergirl! The Huntress did little. Doctor Fate showed none of his leadership nor the fact that he should have been a major part of any team battling Darkseid directly. Power Girl made snide comments and was there so Firestorm could crush on someone!
The second thing is that Superman NEVER battles Darkseid! That's astounding! DC's greatest hero does not encounter DC's greatest villain! Doesn't even come close! WW and Barda did fine without him but keeping him seperate from the main fight was wrong. The only JLAer to go up against Darkseid is Firestorm! Yes, written by Conway!
The third thing is the lack of Fourth World characters: No Lightray, Forager, Lonar, Fastbak, Forever People, etc. But no bad guys either: Kalibak, Desaad, Kanto and the rest. Oberon is there, doing nothing and the rest are "prisoners"!
Then there's the destructive and all-powerful Fiddler! Where's Jay Garrick when you need him? And it's still hard to connect this Shade to Robinson's Shade.
This was a lesser effort but next time it will be much better! So....
Next time: Can You Keep a Secret (Society)? or Gorilla on My Mind!
Hal equates Izaya to the Guardians who he sees as "father-figures".
That always seemd a little "off" to me, somehow - a strange reaction for Hal to have.
To Luke: That's what happened in this one, too. I just forgot to mention it! Though if Metron could teleport the eight heroes to New Genesis, why not both teams?
To Baron: Yes, I agree. Hal never had the easiest relationship with the Guardians and I'm positive that he never saw them as surrogate fathers. Authority figures, yes. Bosses, yes. He respected them but a filial bond, not really.
Since I started reading comics in 1974, Kirby's Fourth World was over. It was in Brave & Bold that I first saw Mister Miracle and The Return of the New Gods revival with the Super-Hero Orion and the New Gods as a team phase with Forager and Jezebelle. So, for good and bad, this was my (and others of my age) experience with the characters.
My feeling that Darkseid's plan to supplant Apokolips into Earth-Two's space was merely a way to justify the involvement of the JSA. He needed the Fiddler, indeed! Plus why would the InJustice Society agree to help anyone destroy their world?
We see Orion and Darkseid's "complicated" issues spelled out as Orion knowing his father is evil yet guilty over battling him. What was more interesting to me was, while they had scenes together, Mister Miracle and High-Father had none, even though their link was clearly stated. No reunion. No concern. Scott had no interest in Izaya, and somewhat rightfully so. But as I said, the story ends quickly so what happened afterwards is left to our imaginations.
"Orion knowing his father is evil yet guilty over battling him"
WHAT??? Never!!!!! He'd KILL the bastard, then ROAR in triumph over his corpse, if he could.
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