Monday Memories #11 - Extreme Justice #13

Each Monday this year I'll be taking a look back at a random comic, prestige format issue, graphic novel or collection of reprints from amongst my 3,000 or so comics that date from 1962 to 2003 - I figured anything in the last ten years would be too recent to hark back to.

The comics are chosen completely at random and apart from a four week lead-in period, even I don't know what I'll be looking at in the weeks to come!

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #210

An extract from the Dr Arkham guide to picking up girls

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #206

Break it to him gently, Jen

Multiversity Is Finally Coming

Well, if all goes according to plan, that is.

DC announced that Grant Morrison's much talked about but little seen series will be out late 2013. From the announcement:

MULTIVERSITY is an 8-issue series comprising 6 one-shots and a two-part conclusion with each issue featuring a 38-page lead story followed by an 8-page backup. Each issue takes place on a different parallel world from the main DC Earth and functions as a number one issue. Each world in the Multiverse publishes comic books about the heroes on the OTHER worlds. Once the characters realize this, they then unite to respond to the villains!

Additionally, each universe (which have been brewing in Morrison’s mind for years) will open up an endless series of worlds and realities for future writers and creators to use, expand upon and enjoy.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #196

Always trust your scarab, that's what I say.

Firestorm #15

From the solicitation:

Firestorm vs. Captain Atom!
Two of the most powerful heroes in the universe go head to head, and things are going to EXPLODE!
Don’t miss this issue’s shocking conclusion as the first hints of a disturbing new force in the DCU are seen!

Firestorm and Cap just had to end up going against each other, didn't they?! And the hints of a "disturbing new force"? Is that tied in with Orion and the New Gods getting a mention in Wonder Woman?

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #192

And that's got to count for something, right?

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #188

Jaime, trust me: Booster Gold is not a good measure of recognition.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #184

Seriously, John? A tikka masala? I thought you more as a dupiaza man.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #180

Flash really can't do the whole bad cop thing

What We Learned About Los Angeles From Captain Atom #9

Taken from this week's Captain Atom #9:

Los Angeles has no easily recognisable landmarks.

Nope, not a one.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #176

Speak for yourself, man.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #172

Don't be too sure of that, Jaime

Who'd Like A Coctail? #167

Because that's what heroes do, folks - bomb people using people as bombs

Global Guardians #4 - Breakdowns

For the next few weeks, I'm going to be running through the DCU appearances of the Global Guardians post-Crisis, pre-Flashpoint (or at least all the appearances I have) and wonder why they never had a title of their own and find out where they are now. Or were, pre-Flashpoint.

Last week saw the establishment of the Justice League Europe and their initial battle against the Global Guardians as controlled by the Queen Bee who was putting them forward to the world as the new heroes of Bialya.

This week we skip forward some months (story time) to the start of the last  storyline of the Giffen/DeMatteis era, Breakdowns. This was a sixteen part crossover between Justice League America and ...Europe where a number of big battles changed the make-up of both versions of the League.

And the Global Guardians were right at the start of it.

Who Was Who Is Who #7

So for want of anything better to write about on a Monday, and with DC's New 52 well under way (how long are they keeping that title do you think?) I'm going to go through all my copies of Who's Who and see if I can predict who will make it over to the new DCU by the end of this year, who might make it and who hasn't got a Captain Compass's chance.

CADRE - these were the guys who, under the Overmaster, fought the Detroit League. They were, to a man, a complete shambles and no real threat to the League whatsoever as I mentioned last year. Will they appear again? Not a chance. Sure, there's the chance that the name might be repurposed but Fastball? Crowbar? Shrike? Naaaaah.

CAIN - as I mentioned with Abel in the first of these posts, there's the possibility that Cain might turn up in some Vertigo title at some point. In the new DCU, though? I doubt it.

CALCULATOR - given a fresh lease of life by being turned into the villains' version of Oracle, the Calculator was the go to bad guy for nefarious information. With Oracle getting out of the chair and back into the role of Batgirl, I think it unlikely that the Calculator will continue in that role. Who knows, maybe he'll go back to wearing a bloody great number pad on his chest again.

Global Guardians #3 - Our European Cousins

For the next few weeks, I'm going to be running through the DCU appearances of the Global Guardians post-Crisis, pre-Flashpoint (or at least all the appearances I have) and wonder why they never had a title of their own and find out where they are now. Or were, pre-Flashpoint.

After the events shown in last week's instalment, Jack O'Lantern and Owlwoman are seen safely ensconced as part of the Queen Bee's retinue following her usurping of the Bialyan throne. The Justice League, helpless in the face of her overwhelming support from the Bialyan people, leave with their tail between their legs.

Not long after that, Invasion! takes place where various alien races band together with the Dominators to try and take over the Earth. At the end of that, a decision's made to increase the scope of the League's activities and Justice League Europe is created, based in Paris which, you may remember, also houses the Dome, home of the Global Guardians.

Global Guardians #2 - Moving On

For the next few weeks, I'm going to be running through the DCU appearances of the Global Guardians post-Crisis, pre-Flashpoint (or at least all the appearances I have) and wonder why they never had a title of their own and where they are now.

Following the events of Legends, the Justice League was revitalised (to say the least) and from its beginnings as simply a new version of the JLA, was transformed into a United Nations sponsored world-wide group of superheroes with embassies in most major countries.

Thing is, there was already a group with the same mandate, one which had a more international membership than the fledgling JLA/I. Sure, the League had a more interplanetary membership (with J'onn J'onzz and Mr Miracle) but the Global Guardians were already in place and as we saw last week, represented more of the globe than the League.

Still, politics being what they are, with the UN sanctioning the League, there was no need for the Guardians.

Justice League International #9 featured the first of several back-up appearances of the Guardians as they dealt with the closure of the Dome and while some, such as Belphegor and Dr Mist were quite philosophical about the affair, the Irish hero Jack O'Lantern was definitely not.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #163

That's something we've all had to contend with, I'm sure.

New Guys On The Block?

Most, if not all, of DC's latest issues (certainly the ones I saw last week) featured a double page spread of "sneak peeks" at the back, showcasing "some concept sketches of characters you may be seeing in upcoming months" and invited us to guess where they'd appear.

I'm not going to go through all of them, but there were a few that caught my eye:

That sure as heck looks like Nighthawk to me and I figure he's going to be turning up in the pages of the wonderful All-Star Western sometime soon.