lady styx

52! Week Thirty-Six

Eric P. I.Leave a comment
By Johns, Morrison, Rucka, Waid, Giffen, Igle, Champagne, Baron, Brosseau, Richards, Schaefer, and Siglain. Cover by Jones and Sinclair.

52 was a weekly series published by DC Comics starting in May, 2006. Because I had my 52nd birthday in late 2020, I thought it might be interesting (fun?) to examine this series for its 15th anniversary. I plan to post once a week about each issue. To read previous posts, click the link (52!).

Synopsis

“How to Win a War in Space”

Week 36, Day 3

Lobo delivers Starfire and Animal Man to Lady Styx and asks for his bounty. Styx tells him, through interpreter Fishy, that there is no bounty and they are all to be broken down into bio-mass “to serve her needs”.

Styx’s minions attack the trio, incapacitating Starfire. Fishy tells Lobo the many insults Lady Styx is hurling his way, causing the Czarnian to abandon his pacifist ways. As Lobo charges Styx, she eviscerates him. Animal Man calls for Adam Strange, who fires from outside, allowing the Head of Ekron to come through. Lobo grabs Styx and throws her at Ekron, who then flies into a sun eater.

During the battle, Animal Man was shot with necro-toxin and is becoming delirious, and then he goes quiet. At the same time on Earth, Ellen Baker seems to sense it and starts to cry.

Week 36, Day 5

Charlie condition worsens, despite Tot’s best efforts to send healing flowers from Nanda Parbat, which gives Renee an idea.

Week 36, Day 6

Renee prepares to take Charlie to Nanda Parbat. Kate tells her that this “looks an awful lot like denial”. Renee tells her it’s “defiance”. Kate implores Renee to stay with her, to fight Mannheim, but Renee tells Kate that Charlie saved her, so she will take him back to Nanda Parbat in the hopes that it will save him or she’ll die trying.

In Kahndaq, Osiris reads a newspaper article that calls him a murderer, and he tells Sobek that if he were to go back to Titans Tower, they would have to arrest him. “No matter what we ever do, the entire world will always hate us.” Sobek offers Osiris an apple, telling him, “I don’t hate you.”

Week 36, Day 7

Despite the many artifacts that Supernova has brought Rip Hunter, the Time Master still can’t power the chronosphere. He also worries that Skeets will find them before they are ready. Supernova tells him, “For now we’re safe.” But then we see Skeets hovering over the Bottle City of Kandor in Superman’s Fortress.

Thoughts

I’ll be honest, I thought given the last issue’s events regarding Lobo and the others, I thought he was betraying them. Instead, we get the classic fake prisoner routine. And who didn’t see Lobo resorting to his old ways?! It was only a matter of time. I thought the “death” of Buddy was poignant only because of the follow-up scene with his wife and kids. The artists did a great job of conveying that loss and pain in just a few panels.

Again, based on last issue, I genuinely thought Charlie had died, so I was surprised to see him still kicking. After having read Batwoman comics that came after this, this Kate Kane seems like another person altogether, but maybe this experience led her to be the character I later read?

So we finally get to see Rip Hunter and he’s not in great shape. He appears to be suffering from some sort of chronal aphasia. I loved the way the scene starts to pull the “camera” back from the room Rip and Supernova are in, to just outside, to the building, even farther out until we see that they are in the Bottle City of Kandor, with Skeets hovering nearby! Such a great bit of storytelling with the reveals and foreboding menace.

Finally, I’m curious if anyone bought the 52 Series 1 action figures advertised in this issue? I think I would have liked to get the Supernova figure.

The Origin of Power Girl

By Waid, Hughes, Fletcher, Richards, Schaefer, and Siglain

Aside from the lovely Adam Hughes artwork, there wasn’t much that was interesting about this entry. But was the two infant Kryptonians rocketed to Earth something that was part of Power Girl’s original origin or is this a retcon? Her arriving later as an older person mirrors that of Supergirl’s retconned origin from a few year’s prior to this issue, so which came first? It seems really odd that DC would borrow from itself for what is essentially the same character.

And why did DC decide to keep Power Girl around AND have Supergirl? I see more opportunities for interesting stories about her, the cousin from another universe, as she interacts with Superman, but without the hang-up of living up to his legacy (she already did that with her cousin).

52! Week Thirty-One

Eric P. I.Leave a comment
By Johns, Morrison, Rucka, Waid, Giffen, Batista, Ramos, Green, Meikis, Sinclair, Fletcher, Richards, Schaefer, Wacker, Siglain. Cover by Jones and Sinclair.

52 was a weekly series published by DC Comics starting in May, 2006. Because I had my 52nd birthday in late 2020, I thought it might be interesting (fun?) to examine this series for its 15th anniversary. I plan to post once a week about each issue. To read previous posts, click the link (52!).

Synopsis

“Human Resources”

Week 31, Day 1

Adam Blake, Captain Comet, sends out a telepathic distress call five light years wide, asking for help against Lady Styx’s hoard. Meanwhile, two Green Lanterns investigate the disappearance of one of their own, thus hearing about Captain Comet’s efforts to save the people of Vardu. The Guardians, fearing an unknown threat, recall their officers from the occupied zones. Comet continues his telepathic SOS, describing the destruction of a planet’s ecosystem by the Believer Cubes and then the assault by the walking dead who chant Lady Styx’s creed: “Believe in her.”

Week 31, Day 2

Jade, of Infinity Inc., confides in Starlight (Natasha Irons) that fellow member Everyman creeps her out and she suspects that he has invaded her room. Skyman joins the conversation, grossing Jade out with the idea that Everyman, whose shapeshifting abilities require that he digest the organic material of his target, might be looking for her toenail clippings or hair. Natasha leaves, intending to talk to Jade, after she kisses Skyman, who then transforms into Everyman.

Week 31, Day 3

At the Superboy memorial, a constantly drinking Ralph Dibny asks Cassie Sandsmark if anyone in her Cult of Connor were spellcasters, necromancers, or telekinetics. She tells him no, and then reveals that she now agrees with Ralph that the Cult leader, Devem, is a phony and that she believes Supernova is Superboy.

Week 31, Day 4

Ralph meets with Supernova, telling him he should tell Cassie that Connor is not behind the mask. Supernova is more interested in knowing how Ralph deduced who he was. After Ralph vaguely explains, Supernova tells Ralph not to contact him again, and flies away saying, “There’s too much at stake.”

Week 31, Day 6

The Green Lanterns on Vardu are defeated, and the Guardians refuse Lantern Xax’s call for help. A terrified Comet sends out his last telepathic call before he jettisons his own consciousness.

Week 31, Day 7

Two Green Lantern rings are delivered to Lady Styx and she eats them. Nearby, Starfire, Animal Man, Adam Strange, and Lobo watch Styx’ armada leave Vardu.

Thoughts

What a scary opening! I had completely forgotten this part of 52, and man, it has put Lady Styx and her hoard in a new light, something that her appearances before now, not to mention the discussion about her, has not accomplished. In fact, that ending shot of Captain Comet with the look on his face and flayed body was positively chilling!

Not having remembered Lady Styx from this series, upon rereading I thought she was a knock-off of Annihilus and its Annihilation Wave from Annihilation, but the concept predated Lady Styx’s first appearance by six months (I believe)! So unless the writers at DC had advance knowledge of what Marvel was doing that year, it’s yet another example of Big 2 publishing coincidence or Keith Giffen was burning the candle at both ends….

Captain Comet is one of those DC characters I have little experience with or frankly interest in, but man, reading his appearance in this issue now has me very interested, not to mention wanting to discover what happens to him later in this series (if there’s more…).

The Guardians are such assholes and cowards. Nuff said.

Speaking of assholes, Everyman assuming Skyman’s identity to get into Starlight’s pants is just such a soap opera cliché. Everything having to do with Natasha Irons in this series is just bad, isn’t it? (Though, I will admit, I like that Everyman has to digest the organic material of the person or creature to which he transforms. Yes, it’s gross, but a nice twist on the whole shapeshifting power.)

Did you deduce Supernova’s identity from the clues Ralph threw out? I know who Supernova is and I still don’t get those clues!

The Origin of Robin

By Waid, Williams II, Sinclair, Fletcher, Richards, Schaefer, and Siglain

Dick Grayson will always be my favorite Robin, but Tim Drake comes close! I’ve always loved that he deduced who Batman and Robin were when he was a child! And then to prove himself to Batman and his other trainers, plus be the most measured, and smartest, of the Robins, just makes him an enduring character. Unfortunately, Damian Wayne eventually was introduced, sending Tim into an identity crisis: Robin, Red Robin, Drake, Robin again? Hot take: I think Tim should retire and become the new Oracle.

52! Week Nineteen

Eric P. I.Leave a comment
By Johns, Morrison, Rucka, Waid, Giffen, Olliffe, Geraci, Sinclair, Brosseau, Richards, Schaefer, Wacker. Cover by Jones and Sinclair.

52 was a weekly series published by DC Comics starting in May, 2006. Because I had my 52nd birthday in late 2020, I thought it might be interesting (fun?) to examine this series for its 15th anniversary. I plan to post once a week about each issue. To read previous posts, click the link (52!).

Synopsis

“History Repeats”

Week 19, Day 1

Skeets investigates Daniel Carter’s apartment, but is discovered by Daniel. Daniel then proceeds to tell Skeets how he was a star football player who was injured and later became an insurance salesman. Skeets tell Daniel that it needs to get back into Rip Hunter’s lab and Daniel can help it. In return, Skeets can make Daniel a superhero.

Week 19, Day 2

Starfire, Animal Man, and Adam Strange enjoy a “pitstop on the pilgrim trail” while Lobo performs his duties as Archbishop of the First Celestial Church of the Triple Fish-God. Lobo tells them they are in space sector 3500, where a “hundred complex, thrivin’ systems” are “now a big sky fulla screamin’ headstones”. It turns out the same being who laid waste to sector 3500’s systems is the same being who pit a bounty on Earthbound trio’s heads. And then Lobo reveals he’s in possession of the Emerald Eye of Ekron.

Week 19, Day 3

The Weather Wizard is flooding a Metropolis bank in an effort to kill the manager, when Supernova arrives to help those trapped inside. Wonder Girl captures Weather Wizard. The two heroes talk, and Wonder Girl is surprised that Supernova doesn’t recognize her. As he leaves, she calls him Kon-El.

Week 19, Day 4

Daniel, wearing Booster’s goggles, gains access to Hunter’s lab. Skeets has Daniel examine some writing on a wall, and when Daniel asks Skeets about the message, “It’s all his fault”, Skeets announces, “He knows”, and allows the doors to shut and then initiates the defense systems. Skeets sets the lab to reopen in 1 million A.D., and Daniel is sucked into a timeloop vortex.

Thoughts

Wow. Appearances of the number 52 return. Daniel’s jersey is numbered 52. The cover has a few. It also sports some significant years, such as 1938 (Superman’s debut), 1939 (Batman’s debut), 1941 (Wonder Woman’s debut), 1956 (the Silver Age), and 1985 (Crisis on Infinite Earths). Is 3006 a reference to the 31st century Legion? 4006 and 5252 have some significance relating to angels, according to my Google search, but as far as DC Comics, I don’t know. There are some other numbers as well, but I can’t make them out (is one them 1935, the beginning of what would become DC Comics?). Finally, cover-wise,  I like how Booster Gold is positioned, holding Skeets like a football, as if he’s running for a touchdown. Like ancestor, like descendant, right?

Other bits of trivia: in Daniel’s apartment, we see that he played for the Manchester High Spartans, and there is a magazine with Booster on the cover called Worlds Finest. Later, we see an ad for Skeetles Candy, proving Booster had no shame. Finally, Lobo can speak “17,897 galactic languages” — who knew?

Animal Man’s reaction to being among all the aliens was interesting. After spouting some word gibberish (“sweat that smells of … roses underwater, kettles in blue grass…”), he tells Adam Strange, “I can’t describe this using English…” I appreciate the writer trying to show us the wonder and awe a simple Earth man (albeit a superhuman) might experience in outer space. Later, there’s a nice splash page of the “bad guy” (Lady Styx) responsible for the bounty on the heroes’ heads and for the destruction of sector 3500’s worlds. On the same page we get to see Lobo in possession of the Emerald Eye of Ekron! The Emerald Eye has long been one of my favorite items in DC lore, first in Legion of Super-Heroes and then L.E.G.I.O.N.

I’m not as interested in Wonder Girl’s supposition that Supernova is her dead boyfriend (where did that come from?!) than I am in his reaction to her near caress: “Respect my personal space, please”. It’s rare we see a rejection of the soap-opera trope for such a blunt response between superhero characters.

Finally, there’s definitely something up with Skeets. I mentioned this before, but it’s quite obvious that Skeets isn’t … Skeets. But who is it?!

The Origin of Animal Man

by Waid, Bolland, Hollingsworth, Brosseau, Richards, Wacker

It’s lovely to see Brian Bolland art, even if for just two pages. The way the aliens are discussed makes them seem more sinister than what I recall from reading this brilliant series. In fact, they seemed a bit more bumbling than malevolent, but I could be forgetting something. Regardless, what were the aliens’ intentions for grafting humans to the morphogenetic field?