Alan Scott: Green Lantern #5: Now we're getting somewhere.
The best part of this issue is Sheridan's ability to maintain the tension as we build to a shocking finale. I wasn't expecting a series built on a quiet moment in a motel room to end with a Cold War battle between two superhero teams, but here we are. I also didn't see the Crimson Host's introduction coming, even though I was aware Sheridan was planning something with all his allusions to the sunken Soviet sub.
But let's start at the beginning. Alan is holding Vlad by the throat demanding to know why he's framing him for murder. Vlad warns Alan that he can't maintain using the Crimson Flame's power because the Red Labs proved it only works for him. He shakes off Alan's hypnosis and, when Alan tries to punch him, escapes from his grip. Alan remains focused on Vlad's actions, hypothesizing that he's trying to frame him and replace him as New York's savior, taking down America from the inside. Vlad responds, "Work is work," seemingly confirming Alan's theory. (We never discuss it again so I guess it's as good as we're going to get in terms of a motive.) Vlad does note, though, that all of "our...'friends'" looked "so very familiar." He then says that "men like us, Alan" aren't innocent. Telling, Vlad.
Meanwhile, Alan's manservant, Derby, is listening to the news about the abandoned Soviet sub when he hears about the Green Lantern appearing powerless during a fight.
Returning to the fight, Alan notes Vlad said, "men like us." (Apparently Alan thought it was telling, too.) Alan says Vlad knows that Alan could never do what Vlad did and asserts that the man he loved could never do what Vlad did without "powerful outside influence." Vlad tells him Johnny was a lie, and Alan, movingly, responds, "Not to me." Vlad then confesses that he has to work for the Soviets as the Crimson Flame is the only thing keeping him alive.
Vlad expresses concern over Alan's deteriorating state under the Crimson Flame's influence, but Alan makes him tell him the truth. Vlad tells Alan that the Red Labs killed him over and over again and each time he resurrected more powerful. Eventually, they found Vlad's connection to the Flame and severed it, leaving Vlad dead for weeks. Alan asks what they did with the Flame, but Vlad says that he doesn't know — it's classified above his level. But, at some point, the Flame called to him and resurrected him.
Meanwhile, Derby hears the Green Lantern speak to him, so he brings it to the roof, where it sends out a beam that hits Alan. Suddenly, Alan's inside a train car with Jimmy, who's clearly the Emerald Flame, which Alan eventually realizes. The Flame exposits his origin story at this point.
"Eons ago," the Guardians gathered all the "ancient, wandering magic of their realm and, to keep it from falling into corrupt hands, bound it within the heart of a star." Eventually, the magic — now dubbed the Starheart — became sentient. It grew lonely and eventually expelled a portion of itself to travel the Universe to seek its destiny. At the same time, a portion of its sentience "leached into the corona of its starry tomb." Separated from the rest of itself, this part became even more intensely lonely, and its loneliness turned to sorrow and its sorrow turned to rage. When it saw Starheart's essence rocket through the sky, it expelled itself as the Crimson Flame.
Eventually, the meteor became the metal that Billie used to create the Green Lantern. Alan asks why the Emerald Flame chose him, and the Flame tells him that it's his will. It was drawn to him at the moment he stared down the Crimson Flame. The Emerald Flame reviews the various times Alan's helped others in the face of adversity — sacrificing the Crimson Flame to save his crew mates, staying at the Asylum to help free others, allegedly confronting Dekker (though I don't recall seeing that). The Emerald Flame gave him its power because he makes the world a better place.
Honestly, it's one of the least outrageous origin stories I've read.
The Emerald Flame then warns Alan that "they must be stopped" and returns him to consciousness. As Vlad says, he returns "all spiffied up." Vlad prepare for another round, but Alan warns him that they have a common enemy coming. As crimson energy beams rain upon the city, Alan asks Vlad how well he trusts his government. Vlad angrily grabs a paper from Alan's hands and learns of the missing sub. Alan alludes to the time when Vlad died while the Soviets retained access to the Crimson Flame, and Vlad wonders why they would hide the truth from him. Vlad's ring then "ftz"-es, something it's never down before, when suddenly they're both knocked on their asses.
They're now face-to-face with the Crimson Host! Major Blaze informs Vlad that he's been relieved by him, Comrade Kostra, the Countess, Professor Molotov, and Proletari-ant! Vlad watches in horror as Blaze destroys the Crimson Lantern as a miniaturized Proletari-ant (I missed this part the first time) tries to steal Alan's ring. Alan says they need backup, and Vlad asks about his friends. As Alan mutters, "Friends? I...I don't...", the Flash responds, from behind him, "Of course you do." as the Justice Society of America arrives.
That ending is a bad-ass moment, y'all, and I can't wait to see how Sheridan wraps up this story.
Duke #4: This issue moves us pretty quickly from start to finish, as Duke impresses the Baroness by accurately laying out the stakes (i.e., the people who created the shitshow in which they find themselves are going to go scorched Earth to cover their tracks and she's going to get burned). So they throw in their lot together to escape the Pit.
With Rock 'n Roll and Stalker with them, the group makes its way into a sub-basement full of vehicles for Clutch to activate. Meanwhile, outside, it turns out Bludd survived the Baroness' attack though lost an eye in the process. The group bursts from the Pit as Bludd's men flee in the face of the Joes (and Baroness). The Baroness takes one of Bludd's men's personal helicopters and escapes, while Duke flies a jet to where Burkhart's tracker leads.
Williamson then sets up Destro's role in the Energon Universe as his scientists inform him that the robots that they're creating need a more durable power source, making it clear that he'll join the hunt for Energon. Meanwhile, he orders a minion, Scrap-Iron, to roll out the welcome wagon for Duke in the form of anti-aircraft missiles. Duke crashes into the body of water outside Destro's headquarters but makes his way inside. Thinking he's going to face Starscream, he's surprised when a different robot attacks him.
Williamson does a nice job here setting up the final issue. Unlike most mini-series at this point, I feel like we don't have too many loose ends, so we may actually get some sense of satisfaction when this mini-series ends. Crazy, right?
Dungeons and Dragons: Saturday Morning Adventures II #3: This issue makes not a lick of sense.
Minsc arrives in the pirates' hideout announcing that he bought Bobby's club off Bobby's former teammates, and Wrathun asks how exactly Minsc found the Hanged Man Crew's hide-out. Bobby calls bullshit and tells Minsc that his sister would never sell his club, and Minsc confirms that he's there to create a diversion. The team arrives and attacks. Although Kambadais never shows this moment, the Crew obviously intimidates the team, because they surrender.
Wrathun exposits that they have a deal with the dragon turtle, but given they're low on treasure they'll feed the team to the turtle instead. He decides to test Bobby's loyalty by having him choose which one of his former teammates will fight the turtle: if the teammate wins, he'll free everyone; if they lose, he'll feed them all to the turtle. (I don't get how choosing someone proves Bobby's loyalty to the Crew, since it isn't like he's condemning them to death, necessarily. But, at this point, I have greater fish to fry.) Bobby chooses himself though all the other teammates (except Eric, obviously) offer to fight the turtle, too.
Then we really go off the rails. Bobby suddenly turns on Wrathun, demanding his wooden leg. He exposits that he never intended to become a pirate; he overheard Wrathun telling his crew that his peg leg is a magical healing staff, which Bobby figured was the one Jarlaxle identified as able to help Dungeon Master. (I *think* Bobby turned on Wrathun because he realized they were going to die against the turtle anyway, but I'm not 100% sure.) The team then fights the turtle, and they're saved when Jarlaxle arrives with their Spelljammer. (He doesn't explain at any point where he went or why they couldn't've just used the Spelljammer in the first place, instead of hitching a ride on the boat. But again bigger fish.)
In the end, it's revealed Bobby swiped the staff from Wrathun in the chaos, though: 1) the staff looks nothing like Wrathun's peg leg and 2) you would've figured Wrathun would've realized it when someone stole his leg.
I saw on Comic Book Round-Up this issue got a low score and now I know why. Oof.
Local Man: Bad Girls Special #1: This issue is fine, but I can't say it's really necessary.
Honestly, the issue's best part is Neon's summary of Inga's crimes. It not only serves as the framing device for the fairy tale that Neon tells Inga (more on that later), but it confirms the story as I thought it was. Namely, Inga made a deal with Camo Crusader to launder her "superpower laborer" business through her bakery and killed the 4th Gen recruits to make the business possible. The only question mark for me is why Camo Crusader wanted to edge out Inga from the partnership, though it's totally possible Seeley and Fleecs covered that in the series and I just don't remember.
At any rate, it's a good reminder of how deftly Seeley and Fleecs handled the series' revelations, unlike most series, which would've dragged on the mystery too long and tied up all the loose ends at once. (Given I said the same thing, essentially, about "Duke" #4, it's a good time to be a comic-book fan.)
As I said, Neon's conversation with Inga serves as a framing device for three stories that give us more background into this world.
First, a super-villain named The Sixth (as in the sixth major extinction) eliminates all men to end humanity's ability to procreate. When Seascape - in her form as a water sprite of sorts - encounters a female superhero, Lovebunny, she asks after the "sweet boys" who "came to my stream laughing and catching frogs" went. Lovebunny tells her about The Sixth, and Seascape travels via a subterranean ocean to kill The Sixth at her lair in Canada. Ending the story, Neon notes that she left Seascape in Farmington, where Inga then tried to process her for raw materials. (I'm still not entirely sure why Seascape murdered the girl working for Inga, but at this point I'll just accept the authors gave us a reason.)
Second, in Inga's car, the pair listen to Frightside's audiobook, which recounts an encounter with Crossjack where the Fright tried to get his hands on him. It's the weakest of the three stories.
Finally, Neon recounts her origin story, telling Inga that she was raised on a New Age commune in Texas. A CIA agent viewed the commune as a threat and used an extraterrestrial power source to wipe out the group, their minds communing with the Universe as the "magenta fog" turned their bodies into liquid. Neon survives the fog, which imbues her with powers. Calling herself the Neon Demon, Neon went on a rampage against religion until Camo Crusader found her and directed her to the agent who ordered the hit. When Second Gen was dissolved, Neon took a place on Camo Crusader's Third Gen.
The issue ends with Inga forced to reckon with all the people she hurt. Neon asks Inga if she killed Jack's father or if his heart stopped beating of its own accord. Before Inga can answer, Neon tells her that she believes "a girl deserves some contradiction every now and then." But Neon tells her that if she steps "one toe out of line" she'll tell Jack where she is, the favor Camo Crusader did for her.
All in all, it's an excellent coda to the series' first story. Without the mystery of Farmingham driving the story, I wonder where Jack and we go from here.
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