Martian Sightings for April & May, 2015

Martian Manhunter

CONVERGENCE: JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #1
Written by RON MARZ
Art by MIKE MANLEY
Cover by PAUL RENAUD
Variant cover by Marc Campos badly photoshopped by CHIP KIDD
On sale APRIL 15 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 2, $3.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.

STARRING HEROES FROM ZERO HOUR! Ted Kord, Martian Manhunter, Fire and Ice star as the levity of the JLI team collides with the severity of the world of Kingdom Come!

Marz doesn't do funny, and Manley isn't known for comedy either, so this will presumably be a serious JLI ala "Teasdale Imperative," the Despero arc, and "Breakdowns." I obviously love J'Onn and really like this incarnation of Captain Atom. Going to be difficult to tolerate Red Tornado, though.I wonder if Marz will do the laid back Guy Gardner of his Green Lantern days, or do the brain-addled creep we enjoyed in the good old days?

CONVERGENCE: JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #2
Written by RON MARZ
Art by MIKE MANLEY
Cover by PAUL RENAUD
Variant cover by Marc Campos badly photoshopped by CHIP KIDD
On sale MAY 13 • 40 pg, FC, 2 of 2, $3.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.

STARRING HEROES FROM ZERO HOUR! Is it time to say goodbye to Ted Kord and Martian Manhunter forever? It is if the heroes of the Kingdom Come universe have anything to say about it! This extra-sized issue includes a sneak peek at what’s coming up in the DC Universe!

It occurs to me that circa Zero Hour, J'Onn was running the Task Force, so the smaller team that includes the Satellite Era usurper makes more sense if this is actually that. Kingdom Come though. Ugh. Also, those "Chip Kidd" covers where he takes two near identical panels of Ice by Marc Campos and throws a gradient over half of it. The Worst. Nobody buy those, okay?

CONVERGENCE: JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA #1
Written by FABIAN NICIEZA
Art and cover by CHRISCROSS
Variant cover by Chuck Patton badly photoshopped by CHIP KIDD
On sale APRIL 22 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 2, $3.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.

STARRING HEROES FROM CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS! With their heavy hitters sidelined, Elongated Man must lead the much-maligned “Detroit Justice League” against the overwhelming power of the heroes from the Tangent Universe!

One of the Convergence titles I'm most looking forward to, and I'm buying about nine of them. Nicieza and Chriscross seem like a swell fit for a multicultural team that has built-in poignance when used in retrospect. Plus I just really dig much of this line-up, and hope to see some of their unrealized interpersonal chemistry played up.

CONVERGENCE: JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA #2
Written by FABIAN NICIEZA
Art and cover by CHRISCROSS
Variant cover by Chuck Patton badly photoshopped by CHIP KIDD
On sale MAY 20 • 40 pg, FC, 2 of 2, $3.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.

STARRING HEROES FROM CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS! Witness the final stand of the Detroit Justice League as they fight to survive against the Tangent Universe! This extra-sized issue includes a sneak peek at what’s coming up in the DC Universe!

I really like the perspective on the cover to #2. Not sure why Ralph is leading instead of Arthur or J'Onn, but I can see a run-in with the Tangent Universe holding my interest.

JLA VOL. 7 TP
Written by JOE KELLY, RICK VEITCH
Art by DOUG MAHNKE, TOM NGUYEN, DARRYL BANKS, DUNCAN ROULEAU, CHRISCROSS and others
Cover by DOUG MAHNKE and TOM NGUYEN
On sale MAY 20 • 416 pg, FC, $24.99 US

The JLA must make a gut-wrenching decision: to maintain neutrality in a galactic conflict with their old foe Kanjar Ro or interfere in foreign politics by conducting a preemptive strike of its own. Plus, a standoff between federal authorities and a metahuman settlement leads to trouble! Collects JLA #77-93.

The nadir of the best Justice League volume ever-- the beginning of the end, basically. The lameness of a Kanjar Ro revamp, three issues of super-White Supremacists that barely troubled a low powered JLTF, a Lex-as-Bush analogue nightmare story, and four issues of guest creator filler previously deemed unworthy of trade paperback collections. The highest point of this low fare was "Trial By Fire," which I hated, but lots of folks were impressed by Fernus and the Plastic Man showpiece.

SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 VOL. 6: ALIEN TP
Written by BRYAN Q. MILLER
Art by EDGAR SALAZAR and BENI LOBEL
Cover by CAT STAGGS
On sale MAY 6 • 176 pg, FC, $16.99 US

A murder in Gotham City sends Martian Manhunter on a quest to confront his past, while Tess Mercer is faced with the ultimate question. Plus, John Constantine gets involved in Zatanna’s business and more. Collects Smallville Season 11 Special #3 and SMALLVILLE SEASON 11: ALIEN #1-4.

I own the special, but haven't read it yet.