Broken Frontier

Welcome to Part 2 of Broken Frontier’s weekly issue by issue roundup of events from every corner of the DC Universe. For Part 1 click here. This is where to come to catch up on what’s been happening with your favorite DC characters and how events in their books affect the DCU’s recent "Bigger Picture". We also point out any interesting continuity tidbits, link to suggested background reading and examine any pertinent questions raised by events in the week’s releases.

Spoiler Warning: Read no further if you’ve not had your DC fix this week and don’t want to hear about key story elements.

Outsiders #18

The team continues to look into the activities of the mysterious group of near immortals known as the Insiders who, with the aid of their loyal acolytes, have been searching for shards of the meteorite that empowered Vandal Savage. An internal dispute in their ranks necessitates the employment of the assassin Deathstroke whose assignment converges with the Outsiders’ investigation - bringing them into a tense confrontation.

The Bigger Picture: Poppy, Deathstroke’s new protégé, is the young homeless girl he took under his wing at the end of Faces of Evil: Deathstroke #1. Deathstroke and Geo-Force have some major recent history following their violent confrontation during the Final Crisis shown in the pages of DC Universe: Last Will and Testament #1. That battle left Slade Wilson close to death.

As mentioned this issue Vandal Savage was last seen, bearing the Mark of Cain, in the Final Crisis: Revelations miniseries where he came into conflict with the Spectre. His daughter Scandal Savage is currently a member of the team in Secret Six.

Deathstroke’s contract takes him to Opal City which, of course, was the home of Jack Knight in the 1990s Starman series.

Continuity Corner: It’s revealed to Metamorpho that the Orb of Ra, the meteorite that gave him his element-controlling abilities back in The Brave and the Bold #57 (Jan 1965), was part of the same meteorite that imbued Vandal Savage with his super-powers 50,000 years ago. It is theorised that this explains Metamorpho’s many deaths and resurrections which have included his demise during the Millennium event in The Outsiders #27 (Jan 1988) and subsequently his second "death" in JLA #1 (Jan 1997). For more on the character’s early days check out the recent Metamorpho: Year One miniseries.

Questions: What is the origin of the Insiders group? What else could the meteorite’s radiation be responsible for in the DCU? Are there more links between Metamorpho and the Insiders than we have seen so far?

Vigilante #6

Jericho believes he has created the perfect inescapable trap to take out both teams of Titans but his triumph sours when he discovers their deaths are a Raven-created illusion. Finally defeated by the assembled heroes Raven reveals Jericho's soul is beyond redemption and the delusional former hero is taken away by the authorities. But on the way to inevitable incarceration Vigilante hijacks his transport and ends Jericho’s threat forever by cutting out his eyes so he can never use his body-jumping powers again.

Crossovers: Deathtrap Conclusion

The Bigger Picture: Although many questions are left unanswered, this is the concluding part of a storyline that began with Jericho’s involvement in the Presidential bombings in DC Universe: Decisions #s 1-4 and continued through Titans #s 7-11 with his assault on his former teammates. Vigilante #s 1-4 have been largely concerned with the violent anti-hero’s search for Joey Wilson, culminating in the Deathtrap crossover between Teen Titans, Titans and Vigilante. Jericho has been driven insane by years of possessing people which have left echoes of their personalities trapped within his mind.

Continuity Corner: In another moment of self-delusion Jericho discusses his desire to become a greater assassin than his father to a phantom image of Deathstroke. He mentions his father’s greater love for his deceased brother Grant. Grant Wilson was the first Ravager, preceding Rose Wilson, and he both debuted and died in New Teen Titans #2 (Dec 1980).

Questions: Who is the new Vigilante and what is his connection to Adrian Chase, the star of the 50-issue 1980s Vigilante run? What does the Vigilante feel he needs to atone for? Who is Vigilante’s criminal father-in-law? Just what was Jericho’s reason for attacking the Presidential candidates and will we ever discover who was also behind that episode? Is Jericho really beyond redemption and how will Rose Wilson react to Vigilante’s brutal justice against her brother? What is the story behind the cross-dressing killer whose subplot has been building up for some months here?

Supergirl #41

Project 7734’s Superwoman stands revealed as Lois Lane’s sister Lucy. Lana Lang’s health continues to deteriorate. In a climactic final battle with Superwoman, Supergirl destroys her costume/power source causing a feedback which apparently kills Lucy Lane.

The Bigger Picture: As Jimmy Olsen and Cat Grant wait for news on Lana a television report playing in the hospital reports on the Olympian addressing the United Nations as seen in this month's Wonder Woman #31.

Questions: What is the truth behind Lana Lang’s ill-health? What happened to Lucy Lane, once the sweetest and most innocuous of the Superman supporting cast, to turn her into a psychopathic murderer? How will Lois and Clark react when they discover that Lucy died in battle with Supergirl? What was the source of Superwoman's powers? Is Lucy really dead...?

Green Arrow and Black Canary #20

Ollie and Dinah enter relationship guidance counselling. In flashbacks to her childhood more information is revealed about how Dinah first discovered her Canary Cry. The villain Discord begins his revenge attack on our heroes and Ollie’s stalker Cupid continues to be a pain in his emerald butt.

The Bigger Picture: Foiling a robbery in a one-panel cameo is the Archie Red Circle character the Shield. For more on this hero look out for the upcoming The Red Circle: The Shield #1 in August.

Both the Canary Cry subplot and the hint that Green Arrow and Black Canary would split up have their beginnings in the "Origins and Omens" backup that ran in Green Arrow and Black Canary #17. New bad guy Discord was an innocent civilian who, unknown to Black Canary, was rendered entirely deaf when she recklessly used her Canary Cry in Green Arrow and Black Canary #15.

Continuity Corner: In flashbacks to Dinah’s childhood we see more of her relationship with her mother who was the original Black Canary and a member of the Justice Society of America.

Questions: Will the law ever catch up with Ollie and Dinah? After all, in the last few issues Dinah’s negligence has cost an innocent man his hearing and in #18 Ollie viciously, and most certainly criminally, tortured Count Vertigo for information...

Rounding up... The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel finds themselves mysteriously transported to another Earth that is an amalgam of parts of their own world in Superman/Batman #60. In the city of Gothamopolis they encounter the Justice Titans and waiting in the wings are the villainous threats of Doomstroke and Lex Joker... The penultimate chapter of the year-long weekly saga in Trinity #51 sees the Troika in ruins, Krona humiliated and the Trinity restored to their humanity. But the threat of Earth-II’s Crime Syndicate of Amerika is still very real...

Fanboy Moment of the Week

This week’s DC Nation page confirming the rumors that pulp hero Doc Savage is returning to the pages of DC Comics (he had a previous short-lived residency at DC between 1987 and 1990), and the tantalising tease that he will be interacting with some established DC heroes, is a most intriguing prospect.

DC have a long history of integrating characters originally published elsewhere into their Universe - from Blackhawk and Plastic Man through to the Charlton characters in the 1980s. Recently we’ve seen the Milestone heroes become part of New Earth with the Archie Red Circle characters next up. And for Doc Savage this will potentially mean the golden-hued hero has been an active part of both the Marvel and DC universes!

That’s your lot for another week. Please feel free to post comments, criticism or corrections below. All you have to do first is register quickly and painlessly with the Broken Frontier Community. Thanks for reading!