Schlock and Awe: JUSTICE LEAGUE QUARTERLY #2 (JLI 62)

[tcampbell1000]

JLA #36 had introduced the Scarlet Skier as herald to Mister Nebula, an obvious Galactus pastiche who brings his “gift” to all worlds. A “gift” not of death, but of decadent design. He hungers…for kitsch.







In JLQ #2, Mister Nebula finally realizes he’s been heraldless for a while and comes to Earth to track down the Scarlet Skier. Once on Earth, he can’t help doing what he’s born to do. This one is by Giffen, DeMatteis, and Tom Artis, the same artist who did Mister Nebula’s origin story above.

I feel like pacing is more important to this issue’s stories than usual, so I’m going to eschew most of my typical crosscutting. Instead, I’ll just give you a couple of blocks from both stories’ third acts, almost unbroken.




(Wow. The Crimson Fox finally did something I like, beyond just fighting the bad guys. It would be more on brand for her to respond to Tora's "ice goddess" claim with "Vous etes frigide? Ah, then I must say to you, merci beaucoup for leaving more of les hommes passionantes to MY attentions!" But instead, in her way, she tries to lift Tora up. She may not "get" things like asexuality or shyness, but she wants to make Tora feel better about herself, tell her that happiness is attainable. It's nice! Okay, no more interruptions...)

















What a relief to know that the Justice League’s world would never be invaded by tacky, overdone schlock art! Unrelated: a few samples from the series’ later issues:



In “Running Hot and Cold,” a nostalgic Captain Cold and Heat Wave get drunk enough to think a bank robbery for “old time’s sake” is a good idea. This interrupts Fire and Ice’s shopping day. When Ice tries to seal the crooks in with an ice barrier, a narrow-minded cop yells at her. He didn't see the robbery, but he did see the obstruction of traffic and public nuisance, and he only gets madder the more the Leaguers tell him they're not the biggest lawbreakers here.

What’s worse, Ice neglected to block the bank’s back door. So Fire pursues the super-criminals into the subway. Giffen and DeMatteis, with art by Aldrin “Buzz” Aw.








That power-tripping cop is one of those details that hit a bit different in the 2020s.

Heat Wave and Captain Cold would, by degrees (har), step away from the nostalgia they're wallowing in here and embrace the darker times they now lived in. You know what they say: if you can't beat 'em, Geoff-Johns 'em. Or join 'em. One of those.

Sunday: John Cleese destroys the JLE's home, so they take over his.

Comments

[mazway_75]

Left off is Batman showing up, hearing them argue on "Earth is about to be invaded by...a cosmic interior decorator?" He then turns around to march out, telling L-Ron "You never saw me."

[metadronos]

Nice. J'onn pacified Mister Nebula, and revealed him to be actually an okay kinda guy, just by showing him Vegas. Kind of like the parodic Marvel Team-Up #137 (1983) in which Aunt May, as Galactus's latest herald Golden Oldie, pacifies the big galoot by feeding him a Not-Hostess-Twinkies planet instead of Earth. He then returns, briefly, to Earth to ask very politely if anyone has a glass of milk. (The second-last panel of the story shows Stan Lee waking from a dream and saying, "Every true believer knows Galactus doesn't drink milk!")