A third wave of deportation brought Metallo, Tar Pit, Meanstreak (of the New Extremists,) Iron Cross (from the Aryan Brigade,) Hellhound, Skorpio, Rag Doll, Manticore (of Jihad,) and the Body Doubles to Salvation, and they worked as a team to scavenge some of the advanced technology to be found on the alien world. The second Hellhound (who'd bought the deceased first's gear) was eviscerated by aliens, and his fellows kept him alive just long enough to feed other creatures on the world in a distraction play.
Back at camp, Kid Karnevil swore to skin the Joker alive if possible, to pay tribute to the Clown Prince of Crime by surpassing his lunacy. Successive waves had brought Hugo Strange, Giganta, Jewelee, Mad Hatter, Silver Monkey, Warp, Man-Bat, Shadow-Thief, Two-Face, Sterling Silversmith, and more into the fold. Psimon tried to win support for staying on Salvation and making babies around the clock with super-villainesses, which went over about as well as could be expected. The only surprise was that it was Joker who bashed his head in with a rock, instead of a female. Well, that and Psimon didn't even attempt to defend himself despite having vast powers, and that a wimp like the Joker would kill in such a savage fashion, and that this would instill fear in a throng of villains who could have easily killed the creep for his unpredictable homicidal rampage. This book is not well written.
To further that argument, a final Boom Tube party was put together by the Suicide Squad. Present were Rick Flag, Deadshot, Lex Luthor, Bane, Blockbuster, Catwoman, Chemo, Bronze Tiger, Plastique and Captain Boomerang. Deadshot was betrayed and sent to Salvation, supposedly with two other Squaders. Only five characters total were depicted as being sent, and none were Squaders besides Deadshot. Finally, it's only Deadshot, and he's been cooperative for years, so why bundle him up for the Boom Tube? Because is why.
Upon arrival, Lex Luthor got himself elected leader under a "Truth, Justice and the American Way" platform that probably sounded subversive in the scripter's mind, but just made the collected villains seem like lemmings. It was a long, weak three pages of jibber-jabber (including a second reference to Boom Tube'n folk into the vacuum of space.) So yeah, it's the Joker & Luthor show, with special guest Gratuitous Violence. I run a blog whose mission statement includes promoting awareness of Martian Manhunter villains. I'm so glad it was just getting started while this mini-series was being produced, or the entire Vile Menagerie could have ended up in this meat grinder. Well, unless the disguised Alien Atlas arriving this issue helped save his old support staff...
"Take This
Brave New World
- Justice League: Cry for Justice #2 (October, 2009) @ Power of the Atom
- Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #54 (September, 2007) @ Justice League Detroit
- Doom Patrol #8 (May, 2010) @ DC Bloodlines
- Wonder Woman #10 (August, 2007) @ Diana Prince
This series is so trash. The plot the art ...... blurr-earrlllll. Look at the Tiger mask (corny) what is he looking at what is he doing? Why is deadshot doing karate poses (not even threatning) while everybody else is walking. I hate this series.
ReplyDeleteMy hope is that this series and J'Onn's subsequent death are no longer in canon. There is no reason, based on the revelations of Justice League #8 and J'Onn's role in Stormwatch, that he would take a mission from Batman (when last seen by Batman in the new continuity, the Manhunter from Mars was giving the Justice League the beating that many of us thought the people behind the first six issues of the news series deserved.) Nor would the Justice League and other public hereoes have assembled at J'Onn's death, nor would Superman have warmly welcomed him on his resignation. I think that DC could use a continuity editor -- and a few other things as well.
ReplyDeleteNor would Superman have warmly welcomed J'Onn on his resurrection. (I think that my Freudian slip showed what I think some people at DC should do.) Honestly, the lack of involvement by the Justice League in trying to find one of their supposedly most valued members did not look good either.
ReplyDeleteOA1, I'm cool with artist Sean Chen so far. Given the number of characters and monsters, I think he kept the storytelling clear and figures well proportioned in their environment. He's always tended to be a little stiff, and he's not terribly flashy, but I prefer his work over a lot of fan favorites. It's possible that he was unfamiliar with the DCU, but Bronze Tiger does look dumb in that mask. I assume Deadshot is supposed to be training his gun on Luthor, but got distracted by Flag, which is incompetent on his part.
ReplyDeleteWill, I can't recall if it's been officially expunged, but the general assumption is that Blackest Night/Brightest Day never happened. Frankly, if you're not in the Batman Family or a Green Lantern, your whole history is probably undone.
In one sense, this is infuriating as a lot of good stories have vanished. However, a lot of garbage -- including J'Onn being a jobber for the villain of the week -- has gone by the wayside. Honestly, if the government was going to be so ruthless as to exile supervillains off planet, would not the next logical step would be - to use a line from Aliens -- "Nuke them from orbit. It is the only way to be sure"?
ReplyDeleteSorry, but Salvation Run has plotholes so big as to fly the ego's of the DC management team through it with room left over for the Death Star.
Bane nerd alert: Bane was a Squad member during this time, mostly ii tie ins leading to this very series.
ReplyDeleteDiabolu, most of Sean Chen's work in this series was ok. But the Tiger and Deadshot are my guys and I was so put off. What some artist don't understand is that even if you don't like a certain person, place or thing and it's obvious that you didn't even give it a second thought, the total piece suffers right along with your reputation as being a good artist. Sometimes assumption can become truth.
ReplyDeleteYou said (which is true) that this series only reinforces the established hierarchy and lessens the light of the characters and the book in contrast to their betters. Sean Chan has done the same with his work on this mini series.