It’s time once again for “I Use Google So You Don’t Have To!”
In his weekly interview with Newsarama, Kurt Busiek stated that all the story titles will appear somehow in the stories themselves, at least for the foreseeable future. Personally, I think “KPLOW” is a bit of a stretch, but the story isn’t particularly deep anyway….
As always, SPOILERS FOLLOW.
* * *
LEAD STORY
“KPLOW”; written by Kurt Busiek, pencilled by Mark Bagley, inked by Art Thibert, colored by Pete Pantazis, lettered by Pat Brosseau; Elisabeth V. Gehrlein, assistant editor; Mike Carlin, editor.
In Brief: The Justice League joins the fight against Konvikt, but when Superman shows up, it doesn’t make much difference.
Page 1
– I’m getting a twisted Timon & Pumbaa vibe off Graak and Konvikt. That’s not really a bad thing.
– Picking up from last issue, obviously, there’s Green Lantern John Stewart in a tight spot. In that Newsarama interview linked above, Busiek seemed to hint that Konvikt was able to disrupt John Stewart’s concentration somehow, and thereby weaken his control over his power-ring constructs.
– Okay, so I was wrong on the little Massachusetts town: it’s “Thayer’s Notch,” not Housatonic. Google still didn’t help me find a real town called Thayer’s Notch, but I’m open to a correction.
Pages 2-3
– Looks like the two-page spread on pages 2 and 3 might be a regular feature of this series.
– The Justice League of America has been DC-Earth’s premier superhero team pretty much since the dawn of the current “heroic age,” some dozen or so years ago, DC time. Originally conceived by writer Gardner Fox, artist Mike Sekowsky, and editor Julius Schwartz as a revival of the 1940s Justice Society of America (which first appeared in All Star Comics #3 (Winter 1940-41)), the JLA first appeared in The Brave And The Bold vol. 1 #28 (February-March 1960). The Trinitarians, who were charter members, consider themselves its guiding spirits. Members shown here are Hawkgirl, Black Lightning, Red Arrow, Black Canary, Flash, Vixen, and Firestorm.
– Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders) first appeared in JSA Secret Files & Origins #1 (August 1999), written by James Robinson and David S. Goyer and pencilled by Scott Benefiel. The soul of the original Hawkgirl (her relative Shiera Sanders Hall) now resides in Kendra’s body. This connects Kendra not just to the original Hawkgirl, but also to Hawkman (her lovah across the ages) and the couple’s history of reincarnation. Shiera was created by Gardner Fox and Dennis Neville and first appeared in Flash Comics #1 (January 1940) before donning mask and wings in All Star Comics #5 (June-July 1941). Originally a member of the Justice Society, Kendra later became a Justice League reserve member, and was “activated” in JLA #69 (Early October 2002). She joined the League as a full member in Justice League of America vol. 2 #7 (May 2007).
– Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce), created by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden, first appeared in Black Lightning vol. 1 #1 (April 1977). A longtime member of the Outsiders and colleague of Batman, the electricity-wielding BL initially turned down JLA membership in Justice League of America vol. 1 #173 (December 1979). Nevertheless, BL also spent time as a League reservist before joining fully in JLofA v2 #7.
– “Red Arrow” is Roy Harper’s third codename. As the first Speedy, Roy was Green Arrow’s sidekick from More Fun Comics #73 (November 1941) to New Titans #99 (July 1993), when he took the new name of “Arsenal.” That lasted until the aforementioned JLofA vol. 2 #7, when he dubbed himself Red Arrow and joined the current League. However, in the alternate future of Kingdom Come (1996), Roy had “already” adopted the Red Arrow name and costume in homage to his then-retired mentor. It’s worth noting that the current issue of JLofA (also out this week) features a subplot about the romance between Red Arrow and Hawkgirl, but that has no bearing on Trinity’s story.
– Black Canary, created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino, first appeared in Flash Comics #86 (August 1947) and was a longtime member of the Justice Society. The current Black Canary, Dinah Laurel Lance, is the original’s daughter. She is the JLA’s leader and possesses a sonic-scream power, called the “Canary Cry,” which her mother lacked. The definitive biographies of both Black Canaries (written by Alan Brennert and pencilled by Joe Staton) may be found in Secret Origins vol. 2 #50 (August 1990). BC married Green Arrow in the Green Arrow/Black Canary Wedding Special (November 2007) and has been an aunt/older-sister/mentor-figure to Red Arrow. (Among other things, in Green Lantern #86 (October-November 1971), she helped Roy get off heroin.) In the current timeline, she was a founding member of the Justice League (see, e.g., Secret Origins vol. 2 #32 (November 1988) and 52 #51 (June 2007)).
– We’ve already met the Flash (Wally West) in issue #1. Like Roy Harper, Wally was a longtime member of the “junior Justice League” (don’t call them that!) known as the Teen Titans. As the Flash, he joined the European branch of Justice League International in Justice League International #24 (February 1989) and has been with the League in one form or another ever since.
– Vixen (Mari McCabe), created by Gerry Conway and Bob Oksner, first appeared in Action Comics #521 (July 1981). The “Tantu totem” she wears allows her to mimic the abilities of any animal or bird. However, lately (in the pages of JLofA, including much of this week’s issue) she has been able to mimic her teammates’ powers. She joined the Justice League in Justice League of America Annual vol. 1 #2 (1984).
– Firestorm was created by Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom and first appeared in Firestorm vol. 1 #1 (March 1978). The original Firestorm was a Justice Leaguer and later appeared in the Busiek-written Power Company. The current Firestorm, Jason Rusch, is … well, let’s call him version 2.0. Like his predecessor, Jason can “fuse” with another person, who then becomes a disembodied presence advising him. However, Jason can also operate by himself as Firestorm, which looks like what he’s doing here. Firestorm can fly and shoot energy blasts which affect inorganic matter. He can also transform inorganic matter — turn a safe into a rubber chicken, for example. Jason’s version of Firestorm first appeared in Firestorm vol. 3 #1 (July 2004), written by Dan Jolley and pencilled by Chriscross. Jason joined the Justice League in Justice League of America vol. 2 #15 (January 2008).
Page 4
– See, here Firestorm is turning air molecules into titanium-steel manacles.
Page 5
– Apparently Konvikt doesn’t want to rule, he just wants to be left alone.
Page 6
– I presume Konvikt is able to reflect energy attacks back on the attacker, since I don’t think electricity “bounces” like that.
Page 7
– Firestorm’s nickname for Vixen (“Vee”) reminds me that Zatanna’s colleagues sometimes call her “Zee.” I don’t think that makes it a trend.
– Last I remember, Firestorm also has the power to become immaterial. Apparently it’s not automatic. (Also, more evidence that Jason is going solo: the disembodied “co-pilots” would often act as eyes in the back of ‘Stormy’s head.)
Page 8
– Here’s the Canary Cry in action. It seems to work independently of Dinah’s normal vocal chords.
Page 9
– The Trinitarians appear courtesy of the Justice League transporter. You’ll remember that last issue, Batman was summoning them to the Batcave; so unless they then went to JLA headquarters, they used Batman’s transporter. ["But Tom, if Batman has a JLA transporter, why doesn't he use it all the time?" Quiet, you!] It may represent an upgrade from the older versions, which had a more Star Trek “beam-up” effect. This looks like the “doors” used by the Authority.
Page 10
– Morgaine sums up the leadership dynamic well: even though Black Canary is the leader, the Trinitarians have a special status among their associates. The Trinitarians aren’t exactly humble about this, having established a secret meeting-place within JLA headquarters (first shown in JLofA v2 #21 (July 2008)) to talk about where they want to take the team.
Page 11
– No annotations.
Page 12
– … And the streak of Wonder Woman-related story titles ends at two.
– Fans of the Justice League International-era roster might feel a bit of deja vu at Konvikt’s K.O. of Superman. During the “Death Of Superman” storyline, in Justice League America #69 (December 1992), a Justice League team was trashed by the monster Doomsday on its way to killing Superman.
SECOND STORY
“Earth To Rita”; plotted by Kurt Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, scripted by Nicieza, pencilled by Mike Norton, inked by Jerry Ordway, colored by Allen Passalaqua, lettered by Pat Brousseau; Elisabeth V. Gehrlein, assistant editor; Mike Carlin, editor.
In Brief: Tarot, reluctant advisor to gangbangers, gets strongarmed by them before they’re mauled by something furry. Also, welcome back an old Superman supporting character!
Page 13 (story page 1)
– I’m not going to get too deep into Tarot interpretation here, and will instead refer you to the Tarotpedia site.
– I was unaware of “Paramore,” but I’m not up on what the kids today put in their Walk-Pods.
– We met Tarot in a cameo in issue #1′s second story, but here she gets a real name: Marguerita Arroyo Covas.
Page 14/2
– Another jagged double-line, not unlike Wonder Woman’s symbol or that thing on Konvikt’s head, can be seen in the upper-left corner of panel #1.
– “Like the universe … burped, and no one heard”: I presume this is how superhero-comic creative personnel want their periodic cosmic housekeepings and time-resets to be perceived.
– Although the Daily Planet is based in Metropolis, we’re in Los Angeles. Clearly the Planet has a significant national readership on the order of the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, etc.
– “Nightwing” is the current heroic codename of Dick Grayson, who as Robin the Boy Wonder was Batman’s first sidekick, starting in Detective Comics #38 (April 1940). Dick took off his Robin costume for the last time in The New Teen Titans vol. 1 #39 (February 1984) and adopted the Nightwing identity in Tales of the Teen Titans #44 (July 1984). Since he’s presently a curator at The Cloisters in New York City, it’s possible the referenced museum robbery was there.
Page 15/3
– Although his last name isn’t given in this story, I have no doubt that the guy in panel 2 is José Delgado, a/k/a “Gangbuster,” created by Marv Wolfman and Jerry Ordway. José first appeared in The Adventures Of Superman #428 (May 1987) and first appeared as Gangbuster in Adventures #435 (November 1987). Both as an educator and a masked vigilante, José fought gang violence in Metropolis for several years.
– Gangbuster has connections with two of the main story’s characters. Not only has he worked with Superman, the Man of Steel suffered a breakdown where he unconsciously assumed the Gangbuster identity (for example, in Adventures #447 (December 1988)). Later, José worked with Black Lightning to stop a Gangbuster impersonator (Black Lightning vol. 2 #6 (May 1995)).
– I’d like to think that the small flyer in panel 2 advertises “The Flaming Carrot.”
– Graffiti very similar to the Gangbuster no-fist symbol can be seen in the background of panel 5.
Page 16/4
– No annotations.
Page 17/5
– No annotations.
Page 18/6
– “Been a while since I did this”: Gangbuster’s last appearance was in The Power Of Shazam! #47 (March 1999).
Page 19/7
– The shadowy figure in panel 3 could be one of a couple of were-beast villains: the Weasel, who was a guy in a furry suit; or one of the Hyenas. Both were foes of the original Firestorm.
Page 20/8
– If it’s someone established, then given the level of violence, I’m guessing the Hyena.
– This story reminds me, at least superficially, of another Kurt Busiek character. During their run on Avengers, Busiek and George Pérez created Silverclaw, an Hispanic heroine who could mimic animals’ abilities and transform herself into were-forms of those animals. Here, an Hispanic heroine is saved by what looks like a were-beast.
Page 21/9
– No annotations.
Page 22/10
– Since Morgaine opens issue #2 by saying she has “set matters in Los Angeles into motion,” I presume she’s behind Rita’s savior.
– Rita’s cameo in issue #1, where she refers to “the gangs … that dream … whatever that monster was,” foreshadows the events of this story although it takes place after them.
– Back in issue #1, Morgaine lists the Tarot as one of the ways “the ancients” could “chart and manipulate the fundamental forces of reality.”
* * *
Well, that’s all I’ve got this week. Keep an eye out for Busiek’s next Newsarama interview, and I’ll be back next Thursday!
June 19th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
I can’t wait till next issue’s exciting installment, “KLUDD!!”
June 19th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
A couple of responses:
>>In that Newsarama interview linked above, Busiek seemed to hint that Konvikt was able to disrupt John Stewart’s concentration somehow, and thereby weaken his control over his power-ring constructs.>>
John’s concentration was disrupted, but it wasn’t Konvikt that did it.
>> Google still didn’t help me find a real town called Thayer’s Notch, but I’m open to a correction.>>
Thayer’s Notch is fictional (much easier on Mark Bagley that way!), but if you want an annotation, it’s named for the late Thayer David, of the classic DARK SHADOWS cast…and the voice of The Kingpin on SPIDER-MAN THE ROCKOMIC. But it was his New England-y characters on DS that got him the nod, not his Kingpin.
>> Pages 2-3
– Looks like the two-page spread on pages 2 and 3 might be a regular feature of this series.>>
It isn’t. Next issue has a double-page layout of sorts, but it’s got 6 panels on it, all told. And #5 doesn’t have that kind of spread at all. But it does look good, so we use it where appropriate.
>> Here’s the Canary Cry in action. It seems to work independently of Dinah’s normal vocal chords.>>
Actually, she’s screaming, then talking in a short gasp as she takes a breath, then hitting him with another scream, then gasping out something else, and like that. My editors assured me she can do that. It’s not as clear as it might be, but it would have taken way too many panels to break up all the screaming and talking…
>> If it’s someone established, then given the level of violence, I’m guessing the Hyena.>>
It’s someone established, but not the Hyena.
kdb
June 19th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Hey Kurt,
Great to have you come by and respond to the summary/annoits. Thanks for doing this. i really appriciate your presence on the web. dan j.
June 19th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Correction about Vixen-
She was originally created by Gerry Conway and artist Bob Oksner and was due to debut in her own series before the “DC Implosion” of the seventies. She eventually debuted with artist Curt Swam in what has been mentioned above, but Bob Oksner created her visuals and Vixen was seen in DC in-house ads, years before.
June 19th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
“– Vixen (Mari McCabe), created by Gerry Conway and Curt Swan, first appeared in Action Comics #521 (July 1981). The “Tantu totem” she wears allows her to mimic the abilities of any animal or bird.”
Animal or bird? When did birds become separate from animals?
June 19th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Thanks, Kurt, for your help! I wasn’t trying to nitpick about the Canary Cry, but it’s good to know you guys think about those things.
And thanks, Wonder Man, for the Vixen correction. I had forgotten that part of Vixen’s history.
June 19th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Thanks Tom, really enjoy these annotations. Even better when Kurt turns up to drop little hints like that. Not Hyena? Ye gods, it’s not Weasel (another far more obscure Firestorm villain) is it?
June 19th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Thanks for the Thayer’s Notch confirmation!
June 19th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
I am tired of Superman being written as everyone’s $itch. Knocked out with one freakin’ punch. I was in awe of the Superman of my day. He could move worlds and fly through time. Would Wolverine be so popular if everyone and his sister kicked his ass every issue? Come on Kurt, write him right. Ever since he died, he’s just never been the same. Big Bad Bummer!!
June 19th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Not to be confused with the oft-visited Shayera’s Notch.
June 20th, 2008 at 2:21 am
these articles i believe improve the trinity reading experience, and the autor himself joining to comment make it 10 times better.
good work on all parts.
June 20th, 2008 at 9:11 am
http://www.paramore.net/music
Listen to “Misery Business.”
My daughter was playing it one day and I totally got into it, which doesn’t happen for me too much anymore now that I’m an old man.
– fabian
June 20th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Old Doom: the beauty of a weekly book is that it only takes 7 days for a reader jumping to conclusions to be proven wrong rather than the usual 30…
–fabian
June 20th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
It’s referred to as “Kendra’s Notch” post-IC, Ugly.
June 20th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Tom – thanks for these. They’re a great supplement and add to the fun.
Kurt- thanks for chiming in, it’s great to hear directly from the writer.
June 20th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Thanks for the tip, Fabian! It was a good listen.
Passing along a note from would-be commentator EdCoyote:
I’ve tried 2-3 times to submit this post. When I try, I get a screen that tells me I need to make sure that JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, followed by a message that says that both are, and I should notify the author of the blog and tell him to check with Technical Support.
For what it’s worth, I haven’t been able to post on any board here since the change to the new format.
Here’s what my message would have been:
>>>>>
Don’t know if anyone can play the annotations game or not, but…
“She is meant for the three who are to rise.” (20/8)
Might be a reference to the three demons Abnegazar, Rath, and Ghast. First introduced in Justice League of America Vol 1, #10-11 along with Felix Faust. The three were ancient evil demons imprisoned by “The Timeless Ones”. Faust’s plan was to release them, using the Jar of Calythos, the Bell of Uthool, and the Wheel of Hyorlath. The League didn’t thwart the plan so much as delay it. The spell released them 100 years after Faust began it. The League put them back in confinement.
Just a guess. But three demons and three mystical objects that may have last been seen in JLA/Avengers? And the title of the book is Trinity. Like I said, just a guess.
Am I the only one who thinks it’s odd that Jose was so close behind Tarot and the gang, yet so late arriving after the slaughter? “Someone established, but not the Hyena.” Hmmmm….
–Ed
June 20th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Re leaving comments:
I haven’t been able to leave comments using the browser embedded in AOL 9.0, but Internet Explorer 7.0 works, provided that the Privacy setting, found under Internet Options, is set to “Low.”
SRS
June 20th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Wasn’t Tarot in the Justice League Detroit with Tasmanian Devil and Vibe? For some reason, that’s who I assumed they were, even though I’m completely blanking on their real names and current locations.
June 20th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Josh: You’re probably thinking of Gypsy, whose major power was camouflage. (Also, Tasmanian Devil was in Justice League International.)
June 20th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Dude, I was just going to withdraw my question. I just remembered that it was Gypsy and Tarot is a Marvel character. I’m so bleeping embarassed.
June 20th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
1. love these weekly dialogues (please do this on all 52!)
2. If your not quite into the book yet remember it’s weekly and that will mean a different pacing. I think you’ll find it to be a lot more rewarding and deeper story because of it.
3. Kind of on the same topic as 2… but a cliff hanger at the end of every book would be like an exclamation after every sentence! I would suggest thinking of chapters over multiple books. (this is 52 books at about 22 pages per book that = 1144 pages per year, compared to a normal 12 issues at 264 pages, you will get a much deeper story over that year).
personally I’m loving it… and I really like the ways it’s being put out.
June 20th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
I tried the first issue of TRINITY and — eh. The JLA Clubhouse can be a fun concept once in a while, but I don’t need 52 consecutive weeks (at $156) of “Clark!” “Bruce!” “Diana!” eating pancakes.
And I have to wonder about any comic book that requires a weekly explanation about who the hell all the people are and what’s going on. Not that the effort isn’t appreciated, but if somebody can’t pick this up cold, we’re just playing to the shrinking circle of hardcore DC fanboys.
June 20th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
>> I don’t need 52 consecutive weeks (at $156) of “Clark!” “Bruce!” “Diana!” eating pancakes.>>
Probably a good thing there were only a few pages of it, then. Though Tarot ate breakfast in #3, so that’s another page of breakfast-eating right there. Who knows what crullers might strike in the future?
>> And I have to wonder about any comic book that requires a weekly explanation about who the hell all the people are and what’s going on. >>
None of these columns are necessary. Newsarama is doing them because they think it’s fun and interesting for their readership, but not one bit of it has been “required.”
If it was, we’d put it in the book, along with the crullers.
kdb
June 20th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
We should sponsor a “Breakfast with Busiek” contest.
June 20th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Is Bagley still doing well schedule-wise, Kurt?
I’m liking the book, truth be told. I didn’t care for the Tarot sidestory, but I like how the book is addressing the Trinity as being integral to the DCU heroes but not making the other heroes out to be complete ponces without them, which is always the case when you put Superman or Batman into the mix (Wonder Woman, meh)
Trinity just has the tough task of trying to justify a weekly series after Countdown stomped on the premise pretty dang well.
June 20th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Who knows what crullers might strike in the future?
Well, you can’t spell “cruller” without c-r-u-e-l, so maybe there’s a new pastry-based villain on the horizon? (Out just for dough, of course.) I bet he’s part of some E-Z Bake Coven….
June 20th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
I will give Kurt Busiek three dollars if he puts cinnamon buns in an issue.
I’ve been fiending for them lately, is all.
June 20th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
>> Is Bagley still doing well schedule-wise, Kurt? >>
Oh, yeah.
kdb
June 20th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Kurt! great job, Trinty is the bomb-diggity(can’t believe I just said that… moving on…)
When are some Aqua characters gonna show up…???
June 21st, 2008 at 6:04 am
Yeah, Thayer’s Notch is only in The Berkshires of New Earth, because I’ve lived here in the Berkshires for 20-odd years now and we’ve never had a notch. haha
Housatonic would work, but it seemed more like Becket to me.
June 21st, 2008 at 9:30 am
Kurt,
awesome job so far, and don’t even worry about some of these pessimitic comments left by some, it is absolutely ridiculous how petty some fanboys can get over a story after just 3 friggin issues, QUIT COMPLAINING AND JUST ENJOY THE DAM BOOK!!!
Superman doesn’t have to win in every fight, and actually i usually find him boring as a character because he always does. There aren’t any credible threats to him, and after every issue he pretty much always wins and no damage is done to him. Superman is not at godly powerlevels, but in the last 10 years, who has really been a credible threat to him? He has defeated Darkseid several times, a character once thought to be above his power level. He defeated Doomsday several times, and Doomsday has been terribly depowered. Prime is clearly stronger, but they haven’t really had it out yet. I loved that Konvikt was strong enough to knock out an unsuspecting Supes, and it actually made me believe the justice league was in trouble, a feeling you rarely get
I say good job Kurt and company, you’ve done great so far, and we’ll be lucky if you keep up the high quality work all year
June 21st, 2008 at 11:48 am
I thought it was just cool to see Gangbuster back, I loved his character in the Superman books. Very nice surprise.
June 21st, 2008 at 8:10 pm
I have to agree with Dom. Tom’s annotations are great, especially for those who may be new to the comics scene or rejoining after an extended absence. Either way, the little nuggets of info and/or speculation add to the enjoyment of reading the book. What makes it better is Kurt coming along to answer some of those questions. Thanks to the both of you!
One thing I have always wondered… if Vixen can mimic the abilities of birds, why do we rarely (if ever) see her fly?
June 21st, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Vixen’s flying a fair amount in #3. So I guess my answer is — when I’m writing her, she flies just fine.
kdb
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Seeing as how she’s currently still mimicking super-hero powers, I think it is perfectly fine that she fly.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Oh…and FYI…I get the javascript/cookies message occasionally. I refresh the page, try again, and achieve success.
September 19th, 2008 at 10:12 am
for the record, “KPLOW” is an awesome issue title.
January 17th, 2011 at 5:11 pm
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