scans_daily

This is Giffen, Jones,
and Mike McKone’s
story about zones
full of dead bones
and a grieving guy who groans
and moans
when the plan he hones
ends worse than Game of Thrones.

The two Justice Leagues are getting together for an “ice cream social” to mix and mingle. It’s healthy and good workplace management from Max and Catherine. So, naturally, it somehow leads to League-adjacent personnel f#cking around with the fabric of time.

From the cover, “When You Wish…” looks like it'll be a simple "Honey, I Shrunk The League" yarn...

But it starts just like the “Extremist Vector” did, with somebody wandering the dead world that used to be full of Marvel analogues.

Except this time the wanderer is Mitch Wacky, the Walt Disney analogue, who has come back to his homeworld via technology rather than magic.

Mitch realizes there’s nothing he can do, and his not-quite-a-Mickey-Mouse watch reminds him he should join the others at the JLI conference.

Mitch and Kilowog build the time machine, and Mitch links it to the machine that let him travel back to his homeworld. He flirts with the idea of inviting the Sorceress along, and we can see how his old, sad heart has been galvanized:

Mitch and Kilowog activate their machine, and the other JLI heroes soon figure out what they’re up to. The Silver Sorceress recounts the origins of the original Extremists:

This might explain why the original Extremists thought they could survive nuking their planet.

Kilowog and Mitch discover a flaw in their time travel machine: the Imskian tech has reduced them to about two inches tall. This puts a big crimp in Mitch’s plan to walk in and warn the Justifiers about the Extremists. But he still has access to the resources of Wacky World, so he has them build a robot double of himself that he and Kilowog can pilot.

Meanwhile, the not-Avengers as they're wallowing in Marvel-style hand-wringing about their lives and problems: "What about the AGONY? The agony of growing huge? Of being a living FREAK? Huh? What about THAT?" But an unexpected guest lightens their mood:

Mitch and Kilowog scamper away from the ruins of the robot and steal the Iron Man analogue’s boot, using its jets to pilot their way out. A motley team of JLA and JLE members are in pursuit, also shrunken.

"...ya just can't change what's gotta be."

Mitch once ended the threat of the robot Extremists by pushing one button. Now, by pushing another...

When the Leaguers catch up to Mitch and Kilowog, their anger evaporates as soon as they get a good look at Mitch’s mental state.

The Silver Sorceress can get them back to the Justice League’s dimension…but not enlarge them or get them back to the present. Kilowog could build another time machine, but not out of ordinary tech from the past. They need a source that's technologically far ahead of its time, from about twelve years ago. Captain Atom thinks of one, and they make their way there. They hope nobody's home, but unfortunately...

The irony of J’Onn’s reaction is not lost, right? “M-m-me? In a LEADERSHIP role?”

Cap apologizes to Wally for his clipped tone from earlier.

The new time machine gets them back to their home time and the Justice League embassy, but…

Even with their powers, the Leaguers barely make it out of the basement. Entering the hall, they run into General Glory’s dog. Guy tries to motivate the dog to get help, but at his reduced size, the dog doesn’t recognize him and eats him.

Cap decides it’s time for plan B: they need to ride the dog to find help. “Make like fleas, everybody!”

The others talk and laugh about their adventure, but Wally slips out and goes up to the roof.

Max disciplines Kilowog by making him work double shifts for a while. Turning to Mitch, he recognizes that what Mitch needs is not a stern talking-to, but a dose of compassion…and a role in the still-living world around him now.

Nice little ending! As long as you didn’t read any more stories with Mitch, the Sorceress, or Bluejay in them after this. Let's just...shut the door behind on us on those...

...there.

This would be Keith Giffen’s last contribution to JLQ. but the quarterly series would carry on in his spirit for a while, albeit in more of an anthology format. On Saturday, we'll see what that looks like, with a real high point for comic-book shippers everywhere.