CONVERGENCE Week 3

CONVERGENCE #3: On Telos, the recently revealed Deimos offers to lead the others underground because that is the place that Telos fears. Meanwhile, Telos begins to get annoyed that not all of the cities are fighting, specifically Kandor. Nightwing and the other Kandorians speak out and it costs them their lives. Back on Telos, the heroes need to defeat the drones that are being sent to kill them before they can go below. As most of the team goes below, Batman and Dick Grayson remain above to buy the rest of the team some time as Batman senses they have been followed here from Gotham. A bunch of Bat villains including The Riddler and Professor Pyg arrive, bent on killing. But Batman sets off an explosion that kills all of them, except for Dick who was high above the action thanks to Man Bat. As Dick investigates, he gets shot by The Joker. Before the killing blow can be delivered, Telos arrives, snaps the villain’s neck and demands to know where the rest of Dick’s friends have gone. They are down below, where Deimos leads them to the kingdom of Skartaris. Inside the city, Shakira has captured a number of world changing villains including Per Degaton and The Monarch, so HE can’t get to them.

So, things finally begin to get interesting here. Deimos, as we might remember, came from Skartaris. And, if you don’t remember, Skartaris is the home of Travis Morgan, who we all know better under the name of The Warlord. This could get to be a load of fun. And what’s with Shakira locking up Degaton, Monarch and others? These are all game changers from throughout DC history and could all be responsible for creating the Post CONVERGENCE world we will get in June. Jeff King wrote it and Stephen Sergovia drew it and I love it. With the death of Kandor and Thomas Wayne, this book crosses the line and proves that anyone could die during this series.

CONVERGENCE: ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #1: After a year inside the dome, Lucius Fox is helping Superman and Supergirl with a device that can reach into Kara’s mind and access memories of her father’s Phantom Zone projector. Lucius gets it to work and they get transported out of the dome and into the Phantom Zone. Just then, a voice tells everyone in the city that the dome will be removed and that champions from all of the cities must fight for the survival of their cities. Soon, the Man of Steel and his cousin are attacked by a group of Kryptonian criminals, who take Superman down and leave Kara to fend for herself. A gas pocket explodes near her and she received a vision of everything that will happen to her, including her death during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Despite this revelation, she realizes that she needs to go back and help, even if it means her death. Meanwhile, the gorillas of Earth-AD are marching through downtown Gotham, prepared to save their world.

Legendary writer Marv Wolfman, along with Roberto Viacava gives us a book tailor made for the old days of Earth-1. This SO FEELS like an old school read, right down to Viacava’s pencils having the look of Curt Swan meets Murphy Anderson. And the appearance, albeit at the very end, of the apes from Kamandi’s world got me all kinds of excited! This is the kind of book we need back again. Not a title filled with drama or politically correct plots. We do not need a book aimed at a specific demographic because some bean counter says so. We need a comic that is fun! Bring back Earth-1…and not just the graphic novel Earth-1. Heck-I’d love to have a dumb JIMMY OLSEN title back in my reading pile. After all, some of the best Fourth World stories were told there.

CONVERGENCE: BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #1: It’s almost a year since Gotham City was trapped under the dome and each of the Outsiders have been trying to come with isolation and being powerless. Black Lightning helps with construction projects, Geo Force uses anger from his sister’s death to help clean up the city, while Katana sits by Halo’s bedside and hope she comes out of the coma she is in. Metamorpho is thrilled as he gets to live a normal life with Sapphire Stagg. On the morning of the one-year anniversary, the dome begins to dissolve and a voice tells everyone in the cities that champions from all of the cities must fight for the survival of their cities. Halo awakens, Metamorpho changes, everyone gets their power back and Geo-Force flies above the city to see a horde of mutants from Earth-AD heading towards them. And they are being led by OMAC.

Congratulations to Marc Andreyko and Carlos D’Anda for coming as close to look and the feel of the classic Mike Barr/ Jim Aparo title as I would expect anyone but those two could do. Fans of the old series will love where things are going and the way everyone is portrayed. You can feel Katana and Geo Force’s pain regarding the people they love while Black Lightning is just the old wisecracking hero we love! This was a real treat to read!

CONVERGENCE: THE FLASH #1: Barry Allen had returned to his own time from the future for a charity benefit in Gotham City. Unfortunately, the dome fell before he could leave and he has spent the last year inside the dome, powerless and missing his wife Iris. He has taken a job with the GCPD and has taken up running as a hobby. He even gets to have lunch with Bruce Wayne. Just then, a voice tells everyone in the city that the dome will be removed and that champions from all of the cities must fight for the survival of their cities. Barry is so thrilled to have his powers back that he pops open his power ring and suits back up…only to run into the Tangent Universe Superman

Dan Abnett and Federico Dallocchio mine the classic Barry Allen. You know: the one who had his wife murdered, exacted revenge on Professor Zoom, was tried for the crime, had his face changed, found guilty and then escaped into the future the be with his NOT DEAD WIFE. Yeah-THAT BARRY ALLEN…before he died during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Great story with an amazing Mike Allred cover!

CONVERGENCE: GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1:  Guy Gardner is having a bad time adjusting to life under the dome and even his psychologist is having a difficult time helping him. He had been a Green Lantern, spent time in the Phantom Zone and was tortured by Zod and Sinestro. He goes to visit his former fiancée Carol Ferris and they talk, specifically how the dome has changed everyone’s lives and Hal Jordan is missing. Guy agrees to try to help and tracks Jon Stewart down at a construction site. Stewart confesses he never wanted the Green Lantern job but felt guilty after Hal up and quit. Hal is in the Gotham garage where he has been working to restore the power rings. Leave it to Guy to let his temper get the best of him and start breaking stuff. Hal admits he had been in conversation with Guy’s doctor when a voice tells everyone in the city that the dome will be removed and that champions from all of the cities must fight for the survival of their cities. With power restored, Hal reignites his ring, takes the lantern battery and splits, leaving Guy to grab whatever tools of destruction he can, hope on a motorcycle and head out.

David Gallaher and Steve Ellis do the best they can with this motley bunch of characters but even their work can’t save this book. We don’t even end up knowing who they will face. With four potential enemies, Durvale, Red Rain Gotham, Central City Tangent and Earth AD, you would have thought we’d at least get a teaser for next issue, but I guess that's the grand plan. Guy comes off like the old, pain in the ass Guy which made me remember how much I couldn’t stand this Earth-1 tool! And Hal is all about the covert actions to save the world. Thanks, but no thanks! Here's hoping for a killer resolution, complete with guns blazing!

CONVERGENCE: HAWKMAN #1: Hawkman and Hawkgirl are doing their best to quell a riot in Gotham City, when they learn of a Thanagarian sleeper cell lurking in the besieged city. When not on patrol, Carter and Shiera work at the Gotham Museum Later, they are attacked by the dreaded Manhawks, which actually leads them to the Thanagarian sleeper cell itself. There they discover that the agents have built an Absorbascon to try to find a way out of the dome. One of the agents tells how they discovered alternate realities and alternate universes and that theirs’ will not survive. Just then, when a voice tells everyone in the city that the dome will be removed and that champions from all of the cities must fight for the survival of their cities.

We get an interesting story from Jeff Parker that opens things up for the next issue. But, most of all, we get the art of Tim Truman and Enrique Alcatena. And it brings me back to the classic days of GRIMJACK and SCOUT and AIRBOY and HAWKWORLD! The book looks absolutely amazing, especially the fight sequences. And his Hawkgirl is not too shabby either. And how cool was it for an old model builder like me to realize that the Batman and Superman statues in the museum are patterned directly after the Batman and Superman models by Aurora from my youth. Just a whole bunch of good, clean fun!

CONVERGENCE: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1: Telos has made his announcement about the dome being removed and that champions from all of the cities having to fight for the survival of their cities. With their powers back,  especially that of a rather frisky Elongated man and his wife, the team known as Justice League Detroit prepares to go into action to save their city. They soon find out that their enemy is The Secret Six from the Tangent Universe and GCPD’s finest decide it’s a good time to open fire on the visitors. It’s a good thing the JLA showed up to kick some butt.

The good news?  Fabian Nicieza’ story was fun and Chriscross’ art was amazing, as expected. The bad newsd? It IS Justice League Detroit after all. That means we get Elongated Man, Vixen, Steel, Vibe, Gypsy, Martian Manhunter, Zatanna, and Aquaman. To further the bad news, the Secret Six is the Tangent versions of The Joker, The Flash, The Atom, Plastic Man, Manhunter and The Spectre. 

CONVERGENCE: NEW TEEN TITANS #1: It’s been a year since the dome fell on the Pre-Crisis Earth One Gotham City and the New Teen Titans have been dealing with crime the best way they can. Starfire is without powers, so a rocket-equipped jetpack is what gets her around. Cyborg’s health is deteriorating and Donna mourns her missing husband, who is outside of the dome. Meanwhile, within the Central City of the Tangent Universe and Gotham City, the dome begins to dissolve and a voice tells everyone in the cities that champions from all of the cities must fight for the survival of their cities. The powers in both cities get restored and the Tangent Universe Doom Patrol plan on heading to Gotham City where they have found a huge energy source that could possibly bring their city off of Telos and get it back home. The two teams attack each other and then separate so they can regroup and plan a new strategy. It also allows Firehawk to contact Nightwing. Saying they need to talk. Seems as if someone isn’t too keen on the whole Battle Royale concept.

YAY! This is, by far, my favorite of the CONVERGENCE tie-ins! First off, it’s written by Marv Wolfman. If ANYONE is going to know how to write a Pre-Crisis New Teen Titans story it'’ the guy who brought it to such prominence. His dialogue is snappy and filled with just enough 80’s patter to make you want to wear a mullet! Then we add Nicola Scott to the mix as the artist and, if you can’t get George Perez, than Scott is the person I want drawing the Titans. Saying the book looks beautiful is an understatement! It looks freaking amazing! This one was a winner from cover to cover. Oh…did I forget to mention that Kole is in it too? Yeah…old school New Teen Titans beats out that joke of a NEW 52 team any day of the week! 

CONVERGENCE: SUPERBOY AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1:  A year into the exile of the Pre-Crisis 30th Century Metropolis finds the Legion of Superheroes coping with things. Brianiac 5 has determined that they have been plucked off their planet and out of their timestream and brought somewhere. Superboy and Lightning Lass share a tender moment as she reveals how Karate Kid died during The EarthWar and how her own brother had tortured her. Just before they kiss, a voice tells everyone in the cities that champions from all of the cities must fight for the survival of their cities. And with that, their powers are restored. But, just when you thought all was good, the Atomic Knights from Durvale coming riding into town on their giant dogs, causing Superboy to remark that he HAD been missing Krypto.

Stuart Moore and Mark Farmer bring us a whole bunch of dumb fun, with a little death and some romance. And I’m confused, as it looks like Lightning LAD killed Karate Kid not Lightning LORD. It’s a little thing but, for those of us long-time geeks out there, it’s a bit OOPS!

CONVERGENCE: SWAMP THING #1:  We begin with a recap of how Alec Holland became Swamp Thing, fell in love with Abigail Arcane, watched her fall in love and marry Matt Cable, be killed and then autopsied by the Floronic Man and come to the realization that he was a plant. But then the worse happens, when the dome comes down and the creature of the green finds it hard to survive, as Abby must now work at securing plant food and fertilizer to help him survive. But at least they are able to assist Batgirl when she has to battle Poison Ivy. Just when things look bleakest, the dome dissolves and Alec is restored. Good thing, because here comes creatures of the night from the Red Rain Universe.

So, can we expect the vampire Batman to show up next issue? I sure hope so! This was a fun ride, even though I know critics were whining over Kelley Jones Bernie Wrightson “inspired” art. But they need to grow up! This looked great! I am a huge fan of SWAMP THING artists over the years including Wrightson, Yeates, Bissette, Totleben,Redondo, Paquette and others. And to have Len Wein, the man who brought the original concept to the table and wrote the first 13 issues, on board…PRICELESS!

CONVERGENCE: WONDER WOMAN #1: Steve Trevor and Diana Prince have been living together for the last year that the dome has been over Gotham City. While Steve has been reactivated by the military, Diana is helping out at street level, as there have been some strange cults coming to life. Etta and Diana take an elderly woman to one of these cults and become captured by them. Just then, a voice tells everyone in the cities that champions from all of the cities must fight for the survival of their cities. The dome drops and Wonder Woman’s powers are restored, but not before the acolytes of the cult are killed by having their blood drained from their throats. The vampire Joker, Catwoman and Wonder Woman from the Red Rain Universe arrive and Joker kidnaps Etta. Diana goes after her while Steve is left to fend for himself, minus silver bullets. Diana finds Etta, but it seems like it may be too late for her.

I didn’t expect this to be any fun but the minute that I saw Diana Prince in her white pantsuit from the Seventies, I knew it was going to be a blast! And it was! It had just enough of the old school urban drama mixed with the supernatural to make this a hit with me. Kudos go to Larry Hama and Joshua Middleton for making me want to dig out those socially conscious stories, where Diana ran a boutique, and relish in them like the eight year old kid I was.