Here tis.
My local store’s allotment of Ex Machina and JLA were damaged! Waaah!
Somebody spoil JLA for me?
Aquaman Sword of Atlantis #51: I like where this story is going, but something just doesn’t sync between the characterization and art. Garth is supposed to be bitter and angry at the world. He just looks confused.
Birds of Prey #105: Perfect choice for the sixth member. It’s a shame that the sixth member of the Secret Six has a shorter job lifespan than the DADA teacher at Hogwarts. Hopefully this one will last until the next dedicated Secret Six member. Also, anything that references Rasputin wins.
The Flash the Fastest Man Alive #11: This book suffers perhaps unfairly from comparisons to Johns and Waid’s runs. The Rogues seem off, which is a problem given how central they’ve been to how the Flash works as a character. Especially Kadabra, who I prefer as one of the Rogues too nuts to hang with the other rogues. Also, the plot is kinda hackneyed. But the thing shows improvement, so i’m sticking around while this trend continues. At this rate, the book will be awesome in another 8 months or so. 
Superman/Batman #34; A huge letdown after Doc Magnus’ triumph over in 52. Copper is an interesting idea, but besides that, suck. I’m done here. Brave and the Bold can scratch my teamup itch.
The Brave and the Bold #3: Liquid fun. Ok, Jaime’s a little bit Ted Jr. here, and he’s still happier to see Batman than I think he’d be, given what happened the last time they met (yeah, he’s grown a lot since then and accepted his role as a superhero, but still), but it’s too much crazy fun for me to care.
52 Week 50 and World War III: 1 Part Awesome, 1 Part hasty covering for stuff that should have been addressed in the individual books. The individual vignettes, like for Batgirl and Aquaman, were confusing and disjointed. What exactly happened in Sub Diego? What did this have to do with Adam? In addition, the expanded rampage (outside of 52) made less sense. Why was he in Pisa and Greece? They aren’t between the middle east and China. Why was J’onn getting all emo when there was ass to be kicked? Well, the takedown, both cuts of it, absolutely rocked.
Legion Of Superheroes In The 31st Century, based on the TV show, has Chynna Clugston, of Blue Monday fame, doing the art! WHEEE!
I don’t have my copy with me, but from what I remember…
[spoiler] It’s mostly a set-up issue. A couple of the JSA are visiting the new JLA head-quarters. Geo-Force (who now seems to have been made a JLA member off-panel or something), Wildcat Sr. and Red Arrow are using the JLA version of the danger room to train (basically playing capture the flag) vs Hawkgirl and Red Tornado. Red Tornado uses excessive tornado force on Red Arrow and then apologizes and mentions something about not having his powers quite under control since he got put back in the android body. Mr. Terrific is playing chess vs GL and Black Canary at the same time, while blindfolded. Batman and Black Lightning are examining Trident (who was revealed to be Karate Kid at the end of the last issue). Karate Kid wakes up, sucker punches BL, then Batman and KK go at it. KK steals Batman’s utility belt off of him, but Batman jumps out of the way and BL (who has gotten back up) hits KK with a lightning bolt, taking him out temporarily.
Next Mr. Terrific and Batman are examining KK who now seems to remember a little bit of his future life. Mr. Terrific thinks this may be connected to Starman so he calls up PG and she brings him and most of the rest of the JSA over. Starman sees Karate Kid and says “Lightning Lad” in Interlac for some reason, which triggers more of KK’s memories. There are 7 Legionnaires stuck here in the past (don’t remember if KK gives a reason why), and Starman and KK are two of them. We get a flash of 1948 where two not-seen people (villains?) approach the Ultra-Humanite who’s in a hospital and in the body of Dolores Winters. Mr. T (heh) and Batman somehow trace all the legion flight rings in the present from the ones KK and Starman have. It’s revealed Superman has 2, Booster “had” one (but they don’t say where it is now), Kara Zor-El has one, and Vril Dox has one, leaving another 5 in the present they can’t account for, which presumably belong to the time lost legionnaires. So the JLA and JSA split up into smaller squads to go look for them.[/spoiler]
There might be more, but I think I remembered all the big points.
[spoiler]He doesn’t.
The 4 Legionnaires we’ve seen so far are KK, Starman/Star Boy, Dream Girl, and Dawnstar. The mention of Lightning Lad suggest he’s one of the other three, which suggests that the last two are Saturn Girl and Cosmic Boy.[/spoiler]
I picked up a JLA #8 at another store - Woo! Go Legion!
Also snagged the TPB of Batman/Huntress : Cry for Blood.
Picked up X-Factor; Firestorm #34 - which wasn’t bad; Superman/Batman #34 - which was; Robin #161; Flash #11 which is showing signs of life; Shadowpact #12 which is also showing signs of life, but in a different way; Manhunter #30 - WOO.
Nightwing Annual #2 - You know what? I had low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Birds of Prey - Also WOO. Love the new #6 of the Secret Six.
Brave and the Bold #3 - Hot damn.
52 / World War III - I like it, but elements did feel forced. And the Monitor cameo… meh.
Invincible - still the best traditional superhero solo title out there.
Tengu, Where was the last of the four you list seen?
I remember seeing a teaser in “coming next year in JSA” that suggested her appearance.
Regarding the LoSH:
[spoiler]So what’s the story with them? Are they the current Waid/Kitson Legion that’s shown up? Because that didn’t look like the current Karate Kid on the cover to me. Even Waid’s own Brave and the Bold featured a visit from a team of classic Legion baddies that haven’t appeared in his version yet.
Is this a multiverse thing? [/spoiler]
Yes.
There are, as I understand it, essentially 3 Legions. Legion 1 is the Silver Age Legion which faded out around Zero Hour, Legion 2 is the rebooted version ended with the Titans/Legion special; and Legion 3 is Mark Waid’s. Karate Kid is in his Legion 1 costume. But the last time we checked in with Legion 1, he was dead. So that’s odd. Dawnstar - Legion 1 costume. Starman - he could arguably fit Legion 1 or Legion 2. It’s worth noting that Dawnstar didn’t exist in Legion 2 or 3.
Yes, it was at the end of JSA #1. There’s a picture of what looks like her arm in the teaser.
Also, at one point, Starman says (I don’t remember if it’s JSA#1 or JSA #2, and my wording may be a bit off)
“There’s a star on Thanagar and she’s looking for me.”
Regarding the Legion…
[spoiler]It’s definitely the pre-ZH Legion, just taken from a time before Val’s death.
Evidence - the existence of Dawnstar. She only existed in the original. The post-ZH Legion had no Dawnstar (although Shikari is a mostly identical character), the current Legion has no Dawnstar, nor any similar character.
Karate Kid and Starman are sporting their Cockrum-designed looks (although Thom’s also wearing the mask Ross added to the design in Kingdom Come).
Thom makes reference to a lot of things that only the pre-ZH Thom should know - off the top of my head: the Subbies, the story where he was kicked out of the Legion for killing a man in self-defence, and Kingdom Come (This one’s more subtle - but look at the brief appearance of the Legion in KC - while it’s the Legionnaires, so it’s harder to tell, there’s enough variance in the costumes, and roster, to make it clear.).[/spoiler]
I believe it was John Lennon who once wrote in a letter to Stan Lee “What would happen if you wrote a comic book in which noone did anything?” Apparently Brian Michael Bendis found that letter whilst on one of his weekly paper clip raids at Stans house and took it as a challenge. He rises to it with The Mighty Avengers #2.
[spoiler]The first two pages show Wonder Man turning down an offer for a super hero based reality show (Worked so well for the New Warriors) for a gig with the Avengers. He then does nothing for the rest of the issue.
Next we have two pages of people looking at the newly hottified Ultron while Ultron looks back at them. Edge of your seat action folks. [del]Wolverthor pops his claws[/del] [del]Thorverine hurls his hammer[/del] Ares draws his axe and tries to chop himself a piece of that fine chrome booty but Ms. Marvel holds him back to keep that whole not actually doing anything going.
Things start to look as if they may get interesting as Ultron gets Mole Man peeved with some chatter but before it can we cut to find out what the Sentry was doing when he gets the Avengers invite. What a surprise. He was eating breakfast and being bewildered. Honestly, is there a point to the Sentry? He’s like Superman without any ability to make a decision.
Back to the action, except it happens off screen so we don’t actually get any action. Ares breaks free and decides to test his urudamantium claw hammer on Ultron while the rest of the Avengers try to charge, only Ultron summons lightning somehow and stops them without actually moving. Then Ultress accuses Mole Man of (how to put this politely) having adult relations with his creations and melts them down without moving. She’s a bit like a hood ornament.
Seeing this, Ms. Marvel decides to talk to Ultrette while the Black Widow sights her head for to make with shooting…cause you can just up and shoot Ultron and she’ll die. Thankfully we get a two pages of how Widow joined the Avengers because the action was getting to be too much for me.
Ultron makes a Thor dig at Ares’ expense and he flies into one of his patented berserker furies while Utron stands with a strategically placed cloud blocking her nonexistent nipples. Predictably, Ultron foils the attack without moving. Ms. Marvel decides to call a retreat before they can suffer from eye strain or something, but first the Wasp needs to look deeply at Ultron and we need to see how she joined the team. Then it’s her turn to chat up Ultron. Now we know that Ultron looks like the Wasp because she loves the Wasp. Before things start to get kinky, Wasp wanders back to the team and announces that Ultron is back. Iron Man is dead, and Ultron is going to destroy the world. End issue.[/spoiler]Now normally I wouldn’t go to the trouble of the page by page play by play, but I really felt the need to make it clear how little actually happens in this issue. The most powerful team of avengers ever assembled and nobody does a friggin’ thing except for the love child of Wolverine and Thor. The villain takes maybe a step. It’s like Avengers done Dragonball z style. Yeesh.
The biggest problem with this issue was that the explanations for every oddity contradicted every other explanation.
‘Why is Gold just a head?’ ‘Well, maybe Doc just hasn’t gotten around to reattaching his body after JLofA 1.’
‘But then why didn’t Batman know Doc?’ ‘Maybe this isn’t taking place in current continuity, but back when Doc was just getting started?’
‘Well, then why is Gold just a head?’ ‘…’
Further Legion musings. Someone on another board suggested that the last two aren’t Saturn Girl and Cosmic Boy, as I suggested above, but Shrinking Violet (‘Itsy Bitsy’) and Timber Wolf (‘the Wolf howls’). While I don’t like the idea of breaking up the Founders - or at least having Garth there without Imra - this works for me.
I’m a bit perplexed with the LSH speculation. The next ish title spoiled at least one of the others missing, but based on the conversation going to visit Ms. Winters, I’d pegged one of the two as Brainy.