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...

Celebrating Artist Barry Kitson

Wishing artist Barry Kitson the happiest of birthdays today, and treating fans with a look at the covers for some of his greatest work, that of the covers to the 12 issue mini-series, JLA: Year One, starting with the wraparound cover to the first tradepaperback with all the issues from July, 1999, featuring the origins of the JLA in their earliest days (but, through a post-Crisis lens, with Black Canary replacing a not yet existing Wonder Woman as a charter member..., and Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter as the other charter members, with Superman, Batman, Green Arrow, Atom, the Doom Patrol and more as guest stars).

JLA: Year One #1 (January, 1998)

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JLA: Year One (#2 and #3, February and March 1998)

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JLA: Year One (#4 and #5, April and May 1998)

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JLA: Year One (#6 and #7, June and July 1998)

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JLA: Year One (#8 and #9, August and September 1998)

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JLA: Year One (#10 and #11, October and November 1998)

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JLA: Year One (#12 and Deluxe Edition, December 1998 and July 2017)

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These aren't Barry's only later day trips to DC's modernized Silver Age, but more later!

Martian Manhunter Marvin The Martian

More looney fun today from DC, with multiple men from Mars...

....that of the DC detective, the Martian Manhunter, and Looney invader, Marvin the Martian, under covers from Aaron Lopresti and Stephen DeStefano!

It's an event that thrills Martians across the multiverse.

In this DC Comics/Looney Tunes crossover, the Martian Manhunter responds to a call from Marvin the Martian looking for other Martians, and J'Onn J'Onnz has to stop Marvin from blowing up the Earth in the main story by Steve Orlando, Frank J. Barbiere, Aaron Lopresti and Jerome Moore, while, in the more animated back up by Jim Fanning and John Loter, the Martian Manhunter tries to help the little fellow with his loneliness as Marvin the Martian covets J'Onn's many Martian abilities (which Marvin doesn't have).

Origin Of The Justice League Minus One

Think the Justice League of America formed fighting against the threat of the Appellaxian meteors?   Think again!   Here is the story, as focused around the Martian Manhunter....and how the Justice League really formed, and had quite a few more potential members involved, as well as one less, as Superman and Green Lantern gave the facts to Green Arrow one day.....in Justice League of America #144 (July, 1977, and told by Steve Englehart, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin).

The Origin Of The Justice League  -- Minus One

Martian Manhunter was the start of all this.  Brought to Earth by Dr. Erdel and his Robot-Brain in Detective Comics #225 (November, 1955), J'onn J'onzz had to hide in American society as detective John Jones, struggling to find a way to return home to Mars after his appearance startled Dr. Erdel to death.  Using his Martian abilities in secret, J'onn fought crime on Earth.

After destroying a cache of Martian weapons found on Earth (in Detective Comics #264 in February, 1959), J'onn was confronted by Commander Blanx, the white Martian who had sent J'onn into exile.

Narrowly escaping, J'onn was chased by Flash (Barry Allen), fresh from having confronted the Mirror Master (in Flash #105 from February-March, 1959).   J'onn and the other Martians escaped the Flash when confronted by paranoia from the residents of Middleton, who felt they were being invaded.

They were even suspicious of new hero, Flash, so he went to Metropolis to attract the attention of someone everyone would trust....Superman.  Superman did indeed show up (from Action Comics #249 of February, 1959), with Batman and Robin in tow (these three already a team), but, they also attracted the attention of Roy Raymond, TV Detective, who advertised for more heroes to come....and boy did they!  All the heroes (plus Daily Planet reporters Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen) split up to cover three different reports of alien invaders.

Team One

The first team was composed of:

the Blackhawks (Blackhawk, Andre, Chuck, Olaf, Hendrickson, Stanislaus and Chop-Chop), international ace aviators who had fought in World War II, but now were professional adventurers.  Their Earth-1 adventures started in  Blackhawk #108 (January, 1957),  where they fought foes like Killer Shark and the War Wheel, were aided by Lady Blackhawk, and they had last appeared in Blackhawk #133 (February, 1959).

Plastic Man, the stretchable sleuth, had had a few variations across the cosmos, but this was the first appearance of this version, the Earth-1 Plastic Man, who would appear next (in what was chronologically his first appearance in Brave & the Bold #95 of April-May, 1971), and later in issues #11-20 of his own title, and a run in Adventure Comics.

Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen, or at least the Earth-1 version of the reporter who first appeared in Superman #91 (August, 1954), rounded out the team (with Jimmy coming fresh from Action Comics #249 of February, 1959), and even had his own title, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, that lasted 163 issues from September-October, 1954 to February-March, 1974.

The heroes faced off against a mysterious man in a cabin, who disappeared from that house, even though it was surrounded by the heroes.....and where (and when) he went to was revealed as he first appeared a little later, in Showcase #20 (May-June, 1959), and you can figure out who he is by going here!

Team Two

The second team was made up of:

Congo Bill first appeared in More Fun Comics #56 (June, 1940) as a big game hunter, but added a magic ring that allowed him to exchange minds with the golden gorilla, Congorilla, in Action Comics #248 (January, 1959), and the two last appeared in Action Comics #249 (February, 1959).

The Challengers of the Unknown (pilot Ace Morgan, acrobat Red Ryan, boxer Rocky Davis and scuba diver Prof. Haley), who were men living on borrowed time since Showcase #6 (January-February, 1957), when the group survived a plane crash together while headed for a TV Show appearance.  They remained together to fight odd menaces like Ultivac, as well as alien invasions, adding June Robbins as a member, with the team last in Challengers of the Unknown #6 (February-March, 1959).

Vigilante has a bit of a confusing history, looking just like his Earth-2 version, but this Vigilante first appeared in Justice League of America #78 (February, 1970), so this is a chronologically earlier appearance of the western warrior, who uses six-guns, motorcycles and lassos to hunt modern criminals.

Robotman is even more confusing, having started out on Earth-2 in Star-Spangled Comics #7 (April, 1942), having his human brain transferred out of his dying body into the robot form, later retroactively appearing in World War II group All-Star Squadron as a member, he must have left Earth-2 for Earth-1 sometime after Detective Comics #202 (December, 1953), his last Golden Age appearance.

Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane rounded out this group, having first appeared (as an Earth-1 version) in Superman #46 (May-June, 1947), and Lois used her reporter's savvy well here (having last appeared in Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #56 (April, 1965, a flashback story itself), and Lois' title lasted 137 issues from March-April, 1958 to September-October, 1974.

This batch faced a flying menace in the woods, who was chased by all the heroes, except Lois, who figured out the mysterious figure was trying to get them to leave and area, but, that spaceman did disappear after being hit by an energy beam (and he explained it to his girlfriend, as these two were appearing between Showcase #18 and #19 of 1959; he later helped Superman save Lois and Earth, as explained here).

Team Three

The third team was made up of the future charter members of the Justice League of America:

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman (coming from Wonder Woman #104 of February, 1959), Aquaman (last in Adventure Comics #256 of January, 1959), and the Flash!


These heroes ended up out on the west coast, in Coast City.

There were a few others investigating this with them as well...


Batman's partner, Robin (who first appeared as an Earth-1 version in Superman #76 from May-June, 1952, and was last in Detective Comics #264 from February, 1959 with Batman).

Roy Raymond, TV Detective, who was the host of the Impossible But True TV show, and premiered in  Detective Comics #153 (November, 1949), but appeared here along with his assistant, Karen Duncan, fresh from Detective Comics #264 (February, 1959) and getting the scoop for his viewers.

Rex the Wonder Dog was the last of this group, with this intelligent canine having premiered in the  Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #1 (January-February, 1952), where Rex was trained as a part of the K-9 Army Dog Training Corps.  Rex and the Dennis family would help people who needed it (though none of the Dennis' appeared here).  Rex had appeared in the Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #43 (January-February, 1959).

These heroes did work together safely, after finding the captive Martian Manhunter and defeating Commander Blanx and his Martians at the Ferris Aircraft facility (where the activities of the aliens were reported by test pilot, Hal Jordan).  Deciding it was still a little too soon for these heroes to gather as a team, as people were still a little too paranoid, they waited a few months (to when Earth was being invaded again) to band together and form the JLA (along with new hero, Green Lantern, who, unbeknownst to the heroes at the time, was test pilot Hal Jordan!).

Green Arrow had not been present (and joined the JLA later), as he and his ward, Speedy, had just solved a case on the island that created the Green Arrow (as revealed in Adventure Comics #256 of January, 1959) and had stayed for a little vacation, missing out on the invasions)...

...and Green Arrow was sad to have missed the original JLA meeting (As well as the time they formed again facing the Appellaxians), and the recent brief return to Earth for a bit of the Martian Manhunter.

Detective Comics Stars Besides Batman JLA

Elongated Man and Green Arrow were two of the longer running JLA members who were featured in Detective Comics who made the cover....

...but, there was one man who lasted even longer, but, because Batman always had the cover, had never had a cover of Detective Comics while he was a back up feature in it.

Martian Manhunter

J'onn J'onnz premiered in Detective Comics #225 (November, 1955) by Joe Samachson and Joe Certa, when Dr. Erdel accidentally beamed the Manhunter from Mars to Earth using his robot brain.  The shock of J'onn's appearance was enough to send the doctor into cardiac arrest, killing the doctor and stranding J'onn on Earth.  Being a manhunter on his world, he felt qualified to become a detective on Earth, and after taking the form of Earthman John Jones, he did.

The Martian Manhunter mostly hid his powers and alien nature for his earliest cases, he eventually did reveal his Martian form as a super-heroic identity in Detective Comics #273 (November, 1959), joining the Justice League of America soon after.

J'onn did have a few foes while running in Detective Comics, like Monty Moran, the Human Flame and Professor Arnold Hugo (who, unlike the Martian Manhunter, made a cover of Detective Comics, #306, as he first faced Batman), as well as a few alien menaces, and even a new friend, Zook.  J'onn's Detective Comics run came to an end with Detective Comics #326 (April, 1964), moving over to House of Mystery, where he finally got some covers.

The Martian Manhunter finally did make a Detective Comics cover, #715 (November, 1997), the second part of when he teamed up with Batman to face Firefly.

Aquaman

Aquaman was already a founding member of the JLA, and finishing a try out four issue run in Showcase as he was losing his home as a back-up in Adventure Comics that he had held for decades.

The Sea King and his young ally, Aqualad, got a temporary home with Batman and the Martian Manhunter, running from Detective Comics #293 (July, 1961) to Detective Comics #300 (February, 1962), after which, he started his own comic for the first time!

Sadly, Aquaman never made the cover of Detective Comics, but the stories were drawn by Nick Cardy, who also did the earlier issues of Aquaman's first series, and so, a representative cover of the era was chosen.

Elongated Man

When Martian Manhunter left the title, the book got a new back-up detective with the Stretchable Sleuth, Ralph Dibny and his wife Sue, starting with Detective Comics #327 (May, 1964) by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino.


The Elongated Man moved over from working with the Flash, and stayed in Detective Comics, getting a couple of costume changes, working with Green Lantern, the Atom, Zatanna, Zatara, Commissioner Gordon...

...as well as a couple of full issues team ups with Batman and Robin, as well as facing foes like Mirror Master, Chronos and the Riddler, until his continuous run ended with Detective Comics #383 (January, 1969).

Elongated Man then made occasional appearances as a back-up feature in Detective Comics (and was soon made a member of the Justice League of America as well at this time, which was a more regular home for him, as well as renewing his friendship with the Flash and his wife, Iris), usually with his wife, Sue helping him along.


The pair were traveling the country as Ralph used his Gingold powers to sniff out mysteries, including issues #426, #430, #436, #444, #449, #453, #456, #457, #462, #465, #488 and #500, as well as appearing with others in two issues that will come up!

Hawkman

Katar Hol, the Thanagarian policeman who was also a member of the Justice League of America, became an occasional back up feature in Detective Comics starting with Detective Comics #428 (October, 1972), after losing his own title, and even a title he shared with his friend, the Atom.


Hawkman (and eventually his wife, Hawkgirl), would appear in as back-ups once in a while, including in issues #434, #446, #452, #454, #455, #467, #479, #480 and #500 (as well as in one issue with Elongated Man and more...which more will be said on soon).

To be fair, Hawkgirl even made it into a Roy Raymond feature in Detective Comics #487 (December-January, 1979/1980, one of very few appearances of Hawkgirl without Hawkman) before the pair settled in World's Finest Comics, which eventually led to the Shadow War of the Hawkman, and then a regular comic series for Hawkman right around the time of the Crisis On Infinite Earths.


Hawkman and Hawkgirl didn't make many covers, so instead, here's a few from Brave and the Bold with Batman, including a foe introduced to Hawkman in Detective Comics, the Fadeaway Man.

Atom

The Atom had also been a hero who lost his regular title, and was only appearing in the Justice League of America, but he started up again as a back-up in Action Comics for a while, but first he popped up with his fiancee, Jean Loring and friend, Alpheus Hyatt, for Detective Comics #432 (February, 1973).

The Atom then kicked off a run of back-ups, with the Calculator as the focus with Detective Comics #463 (September, 1976).  Atom defeated him, but then appeared in the Black Canary back up of the next issue, and, along with all the heroes he faced in back ups (including Elongated Man, Green Arrow and Hawkman) in issues leading up to Detective Comics #468 (March-April, 1977)...

...where Batman was finally able to beat the Calculator (Aquaman appeared briefly here as well, as did the head of Metropolis' WGBS, Morgan Edge), which can be seen on this Jim Aparo cover.


Atom also had one last back-up in Detective Comics, facing a foe from the JLA, the Dharlu, in Detective Comics #489 (April, 1980) before settling back in Action Comics (alternating with the second Air Wave and Aquaman, including another battle with the Calculator), then getting into the Sword of the Atom mini-series and specials around the time of the Crisis On Infinite Earths.

Black Canary

Black Canary did have a brief time in Detective Comics with Detective Comics #464 and #468 in the 1970s, but the majority of her appearances in the title were as a part of the Green Arrow back-up features, coming from the feature they shared in World's Finest Comics, though Black Canary didn't show up until Detective Comics #549 (April, 1985), eventually getting her new costume (as she dealt with changes in her life), and faced a foe based on a foe her mother faced, Bonfire.

Green Arrow and Black Canary also faced Steelclaw in Star City (and a team-up with Batman and Catwoman), as their time in Detective Comics wore down, ending Detective Comics #567 (October, 1986), after which, she became part of the Justice League and Justice League International.

Green Arrow

Green Arrow had been a back-up in Action Comics and World's Finest Comics (mostly with Black Canary, and one back-up in Detective Comics #466 with Elongated Man and with the group in #468 facing the Calculator), but when he moved over to Detective Comics with #521 (December, 1982) under a Jim Aparo cover.


Green Arrow spent most of his time concentrating on being a columnist for the Daily Star.

Green Arrow got some odd villains at this time based on simple gimmicks, like Hi-Tek, the Executrix, Ozone, the Detonator, the Printer's Devil, the Death-Dealer, Bad Penny, the Pinball Wizard, and Vengeance...

...before re-teaming with Black Canary, helping her with her history, and facing villains Champion, Steelclaw and Barricade, as well as working with Onyx, who came from the monastery Ollie had once taking refuge in (helping her out, and the mysterious Onyx stick around for a bit), as well as teaming with Batman and Catwoman for one full issue story...

 
....all before his back-ups ended with Detective Comics #567 (October, 1986), and Green Arrow would then get a new look and attitude with Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters by Mike Grell.

Red Tornado

Last, but not least, for JLA member Detective Comics back-ups, it's worth mentioning that the android Red Tornado, while only really having a few back-ups in World's Finest Comics, did come around to appear in a back up in Detective Comics #493 (August, 1980) in a tale of Gotham City by J. M. DeMatteis, Jose Delbo and Joe Giella, with Reddy facing drug dealers, all under a Jim Aparo cover...

...which also features back-up characters Human Target, which has already been covered, and Batgirl and Robin....who will be!

Martian Manhunter Meets Green Arrow And The Flash

Martian Manhunter was once a rising star at DC Comics.  A charter member of the Justice League of America, J'onn J'onzz was also one of two characters who was picked to start a new team-up magazine feature in Brave and the Bold, and he was the first of those two characters to return to the title....

...so, let's take a look at those two appearances!

Brave and the Bold 50

First up is Brave and the Bold #50 (October-November, 1963), where the Martian Manhunter worked with Green Arrow (and his partner, Speedy), in "Wanted -- The Capsule Master" by Bob Haney and George Roussos.

Green Arrow and Speedy have some problems with three super powers criminals in Star City who steal a meteor.  Thinking they might be aliens, Green Arrow calls in his JLA teammate, the Martian Manhunter, for help, but the three beat the bowmen again, as their leader, Vulkor, defeats J'onn J'onzz.  J'onn uses Dr. Erdel's machine to go back to Mars to learn about the villains as Green Arrow and Speedy face them again, this time with the villains capturing Green Arrow, with a mental compulsion placed in his mind to work against the Martian Manhunter.  As planned, Green Arrow works against the Martian Manhunter when next they meet, but J'onn disguises himself as Green Arrow, which allows him to get close enough to Vulkor to defeat him, while knowing their enemies are Martians, allows Green Arrow and Speedy to use their knowledge of J'onn, and Martian's weakness to flame, to stop the criminals.  Then, the Martian Manhunter takes them back to Mars for imprisonment.

Brave and the Bold 56

The second (and last) of Martian Manhunter's appearances in B&B was in Brave and the Bold #56 (October-November, 1964) where J'onn and the Flash have to deal with the "Raid Of The Mutant Marauders" (by Bob Haney and Bernard Baily).

Flash and the Martian Manhunter are attending a fair with an exhibit on the Justice League, when they have to face an alien mutant android that manifests the powers of the Justice League members two at a time.  Even worse, the alien turned its rocket into a bomb, that was going to explode, and destroy the Earth.  J'onn flies to Argon, the home of the creature, to learn of its history, and that the planet was ruled by Tatania.  To attempt to fool the creature into leaving Earth, J'onn calls on Hawkgirl (who's husband, Hawkman, just joined the JLA) to disguise herself as Tatania, to convince the menace to leave Earth.  Only problem is the creature sees through the disguise, and almost detonates the bomb, before the real queen arrives, wherein the android destroys himself on command, saving Earth from the bomb.

Now, Green Arrow would return time and time again to team-up with Batman (being his partner in B&B most often; though Flash tried to give Green Arrow a run for his money).  Flash had the uniqueness of being the second most used host of B&B after Batman....but, sadly, the Martian Manhunter never returned to meet Batman in B&B, though J'onn did meet with Superman solo, once in World's Finest Comics, and once in DC Comics Presents.