Remembering Artist Dick Giordano

Remembering artist Dick Giordano on his birthday (July 20, 1932 - March 27, 2010) with a couple of his covers to the Justice League of America (#118 and #119, May and June, 1975), wherein, the JLA has to deal with an alien invasion. 

Dave's SBTU Staff Picks

Something a little different this time around...as the Super-Blog Team-Up gave total freedom to us with just four rather generic categories, and a pick from each one of us...and never was there a more difficult assignment...doing what I think as opposed to just facts or neat things encountered on the way...

...still, here...we...go!

Classic Pick:  One covered before, but worth some love here...Justice League Of America #144 (July, 1977), story by Steve Englehart, art by Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin.  An early attempt at "retroactive continuity", putting all the characters in action just before the introduction of the JLA....and keeping to the period it was set in.  The basis for Darwyn Cooke's New Frontier, and truly a classic!

Read more about it here!

Dollar Bin Classic: To be fair, not quite a dollar bin book now, but it was for a long time...the 1970s revival of the Challengers of the Unknown in Super-Team Family #8 (December-January, 1976/1977), with a cover by Rich Buckler and Jack Abel, and interiors by Steve Skeates, James Sherman and Jack Abel...my introduction to the Challengers of the Unknown (Pilot Ace Morgan, Boxer Rocky Davis, scientist Prof Haley and acrobat Red Ryan, along with finally in a costume and counted as a member June Robbins), the team was assigned by President Ford to find Henry Kissinger in the Bermuda Triangle.  There, they find a Tribunal from people from many different times...and dinosaurs!

Comics from a bygone era (and this site should have more Challengers love!).

Collectors Key:  This was a hard one to narrow down, and this week its DC Comics Presents #26 (October, 1980).  Not for the Superman/Green Lantern team up, or the Whatever Happened To Sargon? (though loved them both), but for the introduction of Marv Wolfman and George Perez's New Teen Titans.  Raven shows up and gives Robin a dream introduction to his future team (including Cyborg, Starfire and Changeling), and comics were changed forever!

Nice thing is, I've covered this before too, and you can look around for a facsimile edition of this issue as well (plus the Titans story has been reprinted many times....)

Personal Fave New Title:  This was probably the hardest of all...for a minute.  To be honest, many things have been considered, but I went with a whole line...DC Finest.  Collections of large amounts of DC Comics, ranging from Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Justice League of America, Titans and more, a fledgling line of novel sized reprints that give you roughly 20 to 30 issues of the title character, and what a ride these books are.  Two favorites (so far):  the Western volume, The Hangman Never Loses, featuring stories from All-Star Western #2-8, #10 and #11, Super DC Giant #15, Weird Western Tales #12-17 and Tomahawk #130-140, with the Outlaw, El Diablo, Hawk Son of Tomahawk, Firehair and Jonah Hex; and Aquaman volume, the King Of Atlantis, featuring small stories from Adventure Comics #229-280 and #282, Action Comics #272, Detective Comics #293-300, World's Finest Comics #125, Showcase #30-33, Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #12 and Aquaman #1-3, which has the debuts of the Topo, the Human Flying Fish and Aqualad!

But, enough of what I think...look below for what the rest of the SBTU has to offer:

Between The Pages Blog

The SuperHero Satellite

Comicscomicscomics

Teal Productions

Evan Bevins *51

The Telltale Mind

Remembering Artist George Perez

Remembering artist George Perez on his birthday (June 9, 1954 - May 6, 2022) with a pair of his Justice League of America covers (#192 and #193, July and August, 1981) where in the JLA faces T. O. Morrow, and learn just a little extra about the Red Tornado (and his ties to the Tornado Tyrant and the Tornado Champion).

Justice League of America #192 (July, 1981)

In "Quest For Genesis" written by Gerry Conway, with art by George Perez and John Beatty, Red Tornado attacks the JLA in their satellite...forcing them to destroy him.  While debating this, Red Tornado attacks again...with the team stopping that Red Tornado as well.  This makes the team think of Reddy's android status, and his creator, T. O. Morrow and Red Tornado's origins.  

Meanwhile, Red Tornado is at home with Kathy Sutton and Traya, until his mind is attacked by....T. O. Morrow, who summons Reddy to his secret mountain base.  Red Tornado had told the JLA that Morrow was dead, but Morrow explains that, after his being thrown out of reality when Red Tornado joined the JLA, one version of him ended up on a planet, while another mutated into the Future Man (who was the one who died).  So, Morrow tried to recreate Red Tornado....but neither worked.  

Why?

Justice League of America #193 (July, 1981)

In "Secret Of Genesis" written by Gerry Conway, with art by George Perez and John Beatty, as T. O. Morrow attempted to deconstruct Red Tornado, he found so much more than he was looking for.  A being called the Tornado Tyrant came out of Red Tornado, and, thanks to the arrival of the JLA team, Firestorm had time to search around, and found the Tornado Champion (two beings from Rann, where faced Adam Strange, but then came to Earth to admire the JLA, and then, on its own created world, had to create a JLA to stop its evil side).  

Still, imitating the JLA wasn't enough for the Tornado Champion, so, ending up on Earth-2, found T. O. Morrow creating his android, and attempted to take control of it...he did, but at the cost of his memory.  So, Tornado Tyrant and Tornado Champion were hold up inside of Red Tornado, without Reddy's knowledge.  To contain the Tornado Tyrant, Firestorm recreated Red Tornado's android body, and with the help of the Tornado Champion, recreated Red Tornado (without memories of his two warring factions, a secret which Firestorm would keep....at least until the Crisis).

End Of The Justice League Of America

After 3 issues of Brave and the Bold, 3 Annuals, and 261 issues, the Justice League of America called it quits in Justice League Of America #261 (April, 1987), with cover by Luke McDonnell and Bill Wray.  But, after the events of the Legends mini-series....the Justice League was reborn in Justice League #1 (May, 1987) with a cover by Kevin Maguire and Terry Austin, with both stories written by J.M. DeMatteis, though aided in later issue by Keith Giffen.

Remembering Artist Darwyn Cooke

Remembering artist Darwyn Cooke on his birthday (November 16, 1962 - May 14, 2016) with a look at his covers for DC: The New Frontier...

...a six issue mini-series that tells of the secrets behind the formation of the Justice League of America, involving the heroes of the early 1960s as well as others to combat invading aliens with the Martian Manhunter at the forefront, all while police scientist Barry Allen deals with his new lightning speed in becoming the Flash and pilot Hal Jordan comes to terms with becoming Earth's Green Lantern.

New Frontier #1 and #2 (March and April, 2004)

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New Frontier #3 and #4 (May and July, 2004)

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New Frontier #5 and #6 (September and November, 2004)

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New Frontier collections #1 and #2 (February and June, 2005)

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Justice League: The New Frontier Special and DC: The New Frontier (May, 2008 and August, 2016)

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A wonderful story, with the charter members of the Justice League of America (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Flash and Green Lantern), along with a few others like the Losers, the Suicide Squad, the Challengers of the Unknown, the Blackhawks, Robin, Green Arrow, Adam Strange, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and members of the Justice Society...all based loosely on a secret origin of the JLA from long ago...

Justice League Of America 200

The Justice League of America.

Building a good foundation takes teamwork, and one of the best examples of that in comic books is Justice League of America #200 (March, 1982).  

This teamwork shown through with the characters in the comic, as well as with the creation of the comics, so, with this little chapter of the Super-Blog Team Up, it s a look at this epic issue.  

The Foundation

The issues beings with the origin of the Justice League of America (retold by Gerry Conway, George Perez and Brett Breeding), where Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman and Superman come together to face an alien invasion from Appellax in the form of odd creatures who emerged from meteors tinged with Kryptonite at seven different locations across the world.  Working together, these heroes decided they could do more good together, and formed the Justice League.

This was the origin of the JLA, that the charter members told to honorary member Snapper Carr (who first worked with the team when they fought Starro) and first recruit Green Arrow in Justice League of America #9 (February, 1962) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs.

Flash forward to the now of the issue, where we take a look inside the JLA satellite with newest member, Firestorm, bored with monitor duty...

Firestorm vs. Martian Manhunter

Firestorm is surprised by the Martian Manhunter, as the Martian goes through the satellite looking for a meteor.  The Martian Manhunter doesn't know why this meteor isn't in the JLA HQ in Happy Harbor, and fights Firestorm, eventually defeating him, taking the meteor as he felt he had to since he got an emergency signal from his JLA signal device.  

This chapter is drawn by Pat Broderick and Terry Austin, as Pat would soon be drawing Firestorm in the Fury of Firestorm title.

Firestorm wakes up and sends out an emergency signal to all JLA members, but only Atom, Hawkman, Black Canary (who brings Green Arrow, who at the time had resigned from the JLA), Elongated Man, Red Tornado and Zatanna.  With the lack of charter members attending and the mention of a meteor, Green Arrow figures out this must involve the original JLA formation case, backed up when Snapper Carr arrives.  So, Green Arrow suggests the present members split up to stop the original JLA from getting the other meteors (with Firestorm and Snapper remaining at the Satellite as back up).

Red Tornado vs. Aquaman

Here, in a chapter drawn by Jim Aparo (known for his work with Aquaman), Aquaman is at a newly formed volcanic island southwest of the Seychelles, where the Phantom Stranger (he, a man who was offered JLA membership but never formally accepted) narrates the tale.  Red Tornado shows up, and is almost successful in stopping the amnesiac Aquaman from getting the meteor...yet is stopped by the mysterious mystic (for reasons the Phantom Stranger doesn't make clear).

The Phantom Stranger broods about his decision, but at least is nice enough to secretly take the unconscious android to the JLA satellite, where he is found by Snapper and hooked up to a medical computer by Firestorm (both of whom wonder how Red Tornado got there...).

Zatanna vs. Wonder Woman

Drawn by former Wonder Woman artist Dick Giordano, Zatanna finds herself on Paradise Island, home of Queen Hippolyta and the Amazons.  The maiden of magic asks Hippolyta where her daughter is, with the Queen answering and confused about how odd Wonder Woman is acting.  Zatanna and Wonder Woman battle (with Wonder Woman not knowing who Zatanna is), and Zatanna is beaten by Wonder Woman and nearly drown as Wonder Woman takes the meteor and leaves.

Zatanna is healed by the Amazon's with their Purple Healing Ray, with Zatanna and Hippolyta worrying about Wonder Woman's state of mind.

Atom vs. Green Lantern

Gil Kane provides the art for this chapter (having worked on both Green Lantern and Atom since their beginnings in Showcase).  Green Lantern is trying to retrieve the meteor from the wildlands of Zimbabwie.  The Atom, who has been a hero nearly as long as Green Lantern, tries his best to stop the ring slinger, but is unsuccessful.  

Atom heads back to the JLA satellite, where he and the other members of the JLA realize that the original members, not having their current memories of their teammates, have an unfair advantage in facing them. as the charter members are not held back by the bonds of friendship that have formed over the years of JLA membership..

Elongated Man vs. the Flash

Quickly getting to the next chapter, with art by Carmine Infantino and Frank Giacoia (Carmine having an artist hand in the first appearances and more of both Flash and Elongated Man) in the northern plains of Italy, going for that meteor.  Beat friends Flash and Elongated Man battle (though Flash knows not of the friendship), with, yet again, a charter member beating the new one.  Flash races off with the meteor...

...ending up at the original headquarters of the JLA, in great disrepair, where he and Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern wonder about their strange compulsion to get the meteors, the odd folks they faced, Wonder Woman's altered costume and why Martian Manhunter woke up not on Mars but another planet with his fellow Martians as refugees (all changes that had happened to them after they joined the JLA).

Green Arrow and Black Canary vs. the Batman

In a chapter drawn by relative newcomer Brian Bolland (who would have latter ties to Batman), Green Arrow and Black Canary try to stop Batman from getting a meteor in the swampland off the North Carolina coast, yet Batman proves too tricky for the duo, defeating them by using their strengths against each other and getting away with the meteor.

An angry Green Arrow fumes about being beat at the JLA satellite as Atom wonders what to do after the meteors are gathered, while Batman, rejoining his team at the original JLA HQ, relates his battle with a Green Arrow he doesn't recognize (as Green Arrow changed his costume while in the JLA) and the meteors begin to glow.

Hawkman vs. Superman

In the final battle of JLA members, with art by Joe Kubert (who drew Hawkman on and off since his debut in the Brave and the Bold), Hawkman gathers his ancient weapons to stop Superman's plans to retrieve the meteor in Greenland.  As the meteors were made of Kryptonite, Superman sent his robots to get it...which Hawkman was easily able to defeat, yet failed as a lead coated Superman came to get the meteor, and was successful, yet left Hawkman floating in orbit....who then disappeared.

Hawkman found himself transported to Rann, where he was found by JLA ally Adam Strange and his wife Alanna, who contacted the JLA informing them that they were sending him back (due to rough feelings due to a recent war with Thanagar, the remnants of which were what kept Hawkman's wife, Hawkwoman away from this momentous meeting).  Elongated Man stretched himself out to rescue Hawkman.

Meanwhile, at the Secret Sanctuary, the original members started to remember their lives as the meteors hatched the Appellaxians, who planned on continuing their battle to decide who would rule their planet (with consequences to Earth be damned).  The original team wasn't strong enough to defeat the aliens. 

This did make enough of a scene to get news coverage, getting the JLA newcomers to go to Happy Harbor (with Snapper handling the satellite).  Reunited, the JLA went off to defeat the battling Appellaxians with teamwork.  Happy again, Green Arrow felt he could leave, as he was no longer a member....but decided that he learned a lesson, and rejoined the team.

In this issue, readers were given a basic rundown of the Justice League, its members and its history, saw the team act in a way they did many times in the past, and were even treated to incredible art (not only the wonderful George Perez, who did his last JLA interiors here) but of individual artists on each character by people who were associated with the characters they drew.  If that isn't a foundation to build upon, then what is?

Super-Blog Team Up

Building on that, here are a few other blogs from other members of the Super-Blog Team-Up...

...and how they had built foundation related stories of their own.

Here are the other blogs to check out!

Between the Pages Blog - Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Star Trek 

TEAL Productions/NewsPrint Commando - Witzend A Foundational Comic

Superhero Satellite: The Comics Digest. A foundational entryway to comics from Archie to DC Blue Ribbon and Beyond.

*51 - My First Next Issue, Incredible Hulk #333

The Source Material Comics Podcast - “Traumatic Resonance - What I Learned from Deb Whitman”

DC Multiverse - What is a Penny Worth? Enough to Fund the Wayne Foundation 

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Celebrating Artist Val Semeiks

Celebrating artist Val Semeiks on his birthday (February 5, 1955) with a look at an all too infrequent cover art appearance...the 7 issue mini-series, JLA: Incarnations....a post-Crisis, post-Hawkworld look back at the long history of the Justice League of America, with meetings with the JSA, Batman joining the League, the Satellite era, the problems that broke up the JLA, the Motor City years, the transformation into the Justice League International and the return of the "Big 7" JLA!

JLA: Incarnations #1 and #2 (July and August, 2001)

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JLA: Incarnations #3 and #4 (September and October, 2001)

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JLA: Incarnations #5 and #6 (November and December, 2001)

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JLA: Incarnations #7 (February, 2002)

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National Bowling Day 2023

Happy National Bowling Day, as the evil Mr. Memory attempts to bowl down the Justice League of America with an atom-ic spin on this Murphy Anderson cover for Justice League Of America #14 (September, 1962).

An important issue of the Justice League of America, as this is the issue the Atom joins the team.

The team faces Mr. Memory, who recruits Green Lantern foe Hector Hammond, Flash rogue Pied Piper, one time Aquaman menace Sea-Thief, Wonder Woman villain Angle Man and Green Arrow's nemesis Dr. Davis (all of whom capture the heroes to set up this deadly game...as well as the Joker, at least behind the scenes, who delivers Batman as well).

As for who Mr. Memory really is...he was the previously appearing Justice League villain, whose debut was in the second story reprinted in this Giant!

Remembering Writer Gardner Fox

Remembering writer Gardner Fox on his birthday (May 20, 1911 to December 24, 1986) with a look at his work in DC's Silver Age, on the team he created...

..the Justice League of America!

Gardner wrote the first three appearances of the Justice League in Brave and the Bold, facing off against Starro, Xotar the Weapons Master (pictured on the cover of the Justice League of America Omnibus #1) and Amazo... 

...before moving over to its own title in, starting with #1 (facing Despero).  

Along the way, the JLA fought Kanjar Ro, Dr. Destiny, Felix Faust, Dr. Light, and so many more; added members like Green Arrow, Atom and Hawkman; introduced Zatanna (who shares a birthday with her creator), as well as introducing readers to the multiverse with the Flash of Two Worlds (in the Flash's title), leading to the return of the Justice Society of America there, and becoming an annual tradition of JLA/JSA team-ups, which even introduced the world to the android Red Tornado, which ended Gardner's run on the JLA. 

For all this, and so much more (including Dr. Fate and Batgirl), Gardner, we salute you!

   

 

Vigilante Meets The JLA

When is a first appearance really a first appearance?

Well, settle for a quick story of the Vigilante, and how this particular version of him had his first appearance here, meeting the members of the Justice League of America!

The Coming Of The Doomsters

First up, the debut of the Vigilante in Justice League Of America #78 (February, 1970) by Denny O'Neil, Dick Dillin and Joe Giella (with a cover by Gil Kane, also foreshadowing the debut of the Justice League's new satellite headquarters, to replace the now compromised mountain HQ).

This story starts in Star City, as Green Arrow and a night watchman dealing with a burning river....and Green Arrow calling in Superman and Green Lantern.  The three heroes take off after (though the night watchmen tries to get their attention).  Superman and Green Lantern take Green Arrow to the new teleporter to take him to the JLA's new satellite, with Batman, Atom, Hawkman and Black Canary meeting him there.  

The night watchman makes moves to meet the team at an event where they introduce new JLA member, Black Canary.  At the event, a fight ensues, and the team find out the watchman is the old Prairie Troubadour, the Vigilante (Greg Sanders).  Checking out their attackers, Superman and Batman head to a planet in the Sirius system, Green Arrow goes to check the zoning of the plant where the fire started, and Batman, Atom, Black Canary and the Vigilante check the plant.  At the plant, the heroes are captured in a net, and lowered into a vat of acid....

Come Slowly Death, Come Slyly

Then, Justice League Of America #79 (March, 1970) by Denny O'Neil, Dick Dillin and Joe Giella, (with a cover by Neal Adams) picks up where the last issue left off, with Green Arrow arriving just in the nick of time to save the heroes from a dip in the acid pit.  But, as they go to capture the villains, they lock themselves in a room with no known exit....at least until that section of the building blasts off and heads for space!

In space, Superman and Green Lantern arrive at the barely habitable planet Monsan, and find its last survivor, who relates the story of the Doomsters.  Their planet was dying due to pollution, and scientists came up with a solution to save the populace:  transform them to live on the pollution.  But, it also unhinged them, making them want to ruin other planets as well.  

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Hawkman goes from the JLA Satellite to his spaceship to stop the newly airborne building, but is blasted by the Doomsters for his effort, who step up their efforts to pollute the Earth.  The JLA unites, saving Hawkman from space, with Superman and Green Lantern leading the charge against the ship, as Batman, Atom, Green Arrow, Black Canary and Vigilante tackle Chokh, the leader of the Doomsters, exposing him to Earth's (relatively) clean air.  Green Arrow and Black Canary find they have feelings for each other, as they wonder if stopping the Doomsters will stop the pollution. 

Now, the Vigilante hinted at previous appearances, which at the time of this story might have referenced his run in Action Comics (read a little more of this with his Secret Origins)....but, thanks to the return of the Seven Soldiers of Victory in Justice League of America #100, in a JLA/JSA team up, establishing an Earth-2 Vigilante, who was a member of that team with that Earth's Green Arrow and Speedy,    

So, this Vigilante was left to his own devices, staring in four features in Adventure Comics (but only making one cover), a team up with Superman in World's Finest Comics, and a run in the early dollar issues of World's Finest Comics before showing up in what was likely his last appearance before his retirement, working with Lois Lane, Congorilla, the original Robotman and the Challengers of the Unknown, cementing him as the Earth-1 Vigilante in a flashback tale set before the founding of the Justice League Of America,