Broken Frontier

Welcome back to Broken Frontier’s weekly issue by issue roundup of events from every corner of the DC Universe! 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.

Superman #690

A series of vignette sequences see Steel taken down by Atlas on behalf of Project 7734, another division of the Metropolis Science Police formed, a new mission for Zatara and an encounter between Tellus and Sodam Yat which may have major repercussions for the future of the DCU.

Crossovers: World Without Superman

The Bigger Picture: Ex-Robin supporting character Billi/Jamie Harper is assigned to the new plain clothes section of the Metropolis Science Police alongside Mon-El in his civilian identity. This story will continue in Superman: Secret Files 2009.

The Parasite attacks Zatara seeking to drain his magical abilities. He is rescued by veteran DC magic-user Mark Merlin who recruits him for a mission to find the missing Prince Ra-Man. Prince Ra-Man was last seen in Hell as Satanus’s Secretary of State in the Reign in Hell miniseries. A King Ra-Man appeared in the Seven Soldiers: Zatanna miniseries.

Prior to Sodam Yat’s "death" in Green Lantern Corps #33 he encounters the Legion of Super-Heroes’ Tellus who persuades him that meeting Earthbound fellow Daxamite Mon-El now will have serious repercussions for the future of the DCU timeline. This meeting was first foreshadowed in the "Origins and Omens" backup in Superman #685 and Yat showed an interest in Mon-El’s residency on Earth in Superman: World of New Krypton #4. The story will continue in Superman Annual #14 when Tellus passes on to Mon-El a gift from Sodam Yat. Tellus was identified as one of a number of "missing Legionnaires" in last week’s Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #5.

We can look to upcoming Justice League of America issues for more on Dr. Light’s family relationships as she gets closer to the Guardian.

Continuity Corner: Steel references a number of past storylines in his first page narration this issue. AmerTek (or "AmTek" as they are called here) were the company that John Henry Irons developed his BG-60 energy cannon for, only to discover they were using his invention immorally. This was part of the reason Irons took on the Steel identity (as well as to honor the then-Superman who had previously saved his life) during the "Reign of the Superman" arc, as it was this same upgraded tech that was being used in Metropolis’s gang wars.

AmerTek was first named in Steel #1 (Feb 1994) and remained a long-time thorn in the character’s side. His one-time lover Angora Lapin, mentioned in this issue, was the recurring Steel villain known as the White Rabbit. Lapin was Steel’s former romantic interest and co-worker at AmerTek who eventually became an illegal arms dealer in her super-villainess guise. She first appeared in Adventures of Superman #500 and was a major player in Steel’s very first story arc in Superman: The Man of Steel #s 22-24 wherein she was selling Irons’s purloined technology.

Lex Luthor briefly turned Irons into a literal Man of Steel in the weekly 52 series. Finally, Hardware described Steel as too trusting during the 1993 DC/Milestone crossover event Worlds Collide.

Prince Ra-Man was originally introduced as mystical investigator Mark Merlin in House of Secrets #23 (Aug 1959). In House of Secrets #73 (Aug 1965) he was retooled as Prince Ra-Man after being transported to the dimension of Ra and given occult powers and the body of ancient Egyptian prince. The character continued battling supernatural menaces until he was killed during the Crisis On Infinite Earths. Mark Merlin turned up alive and well again, without explanation, in Detective Comics # 779 (April 2003).

Questions: Just how is Mark Merlin alive? And how did he and Prince Ra-Man separate? Does the quest Zatara has been enlisted on tie into events in the Reign in Hell series? Is Guardian aware of Billi Harper’s relationship to him? What will Steel’s final fate be? Why is stopping the Sodam Yat/Mon-El meeting so vital to the future of the DCU?

Detective Comics #855

Batwoman confronts Alice, the new leader of the Religion of Crime, seeking the answers as to why the cult tried to sacrifice her. Poisoned by Alice she suffers delusions and flashbacks to her past. Batwoman’s father arrives to save her but Alice looses monstrous animal men on her... The Question co-feature: Investigating the abduction of a young illegal immigrant the Question is pointed to the next link in the chain – a Mr. Chandless of GHC Exports. Tricking her way into his offices she is rendered unconscious by company security...

Crossovers: Batman: Reborn

The Bigger Picture: The Religion of Crime attempted to sacrifice Batwoman by means of stabbing her in the heart in 52 #48 to fulfil her prophesied murder in the Crime Bible.

Some of the flashback imagery looks set to be explored in greater depth in the upcoming Batwoman origin two-parter beginning in Detective Comics #858.

The Religion of Crime has some history when it comes to utilizing followers with the ability to change into animal forms. Whisper A’Daire, seen with the Religion in 52, could transform into a snake-form thanks to an immortality serum provided by her former employer Ra’s Al Ghul. Her estranged bodyguard Kyle Abbot was similarly transformed into a wolfman. At the end of Detective #855 two of the "animal men" display similar abilities. Whisper A’Daire was last seen furthering Intergang’s aims in Africa in the recent Vixen: Return of the Lion miniseries.

The Religion of Crime, under the auspices of Darkseid’s lieutenant Libra played a major part, of course, in the recent Final Crisis event. For more on the Crime Bible and its adherents check out the 52 Aftermath: Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood and the Final Crisis: Revelations miniseries.

Questions: Just why are the Religion of Crime so obsessed with Batwoman, the "twice named daughter of Cain?" Who is Alice and does she have any link to fellow Lewis Carroll-inspired Bat-villain the Mad Hatter? What is the significance of the drug-induced flashbacks Batwoman experiences? How extensively are the "animal men" linked to Whisper A’Daire?

Justice League of America #35

The Royal Flush Gang cause the remnants of the JLA problems when they rob a Las Vegas casino. The operation is actually a smokescreen for the Gang’s real objective which is not cash but the nanotechnology used there. Manipulating events behind the scenes are none other than villains Amos Fortune and Roulette who are backing the opposing teams in their own personal game.

The Bigger Picture: Wonder Woman and Black Canary are also checking out what they believe to be one of Roulette’s operations in Japan this week in Wonder Woman #34. Perhaps with the demise of the similar arena competition of the Dark Side Club in Terror Titans she is once again in the "Fight Club" business.

Plastic Man’s defensive nature at Dr. Light’s criticism is hardly surprising. He was recently convinced of his own worthlessness in the Eclipso feature in the recent Countdown to Mystery miniseries and was then captured and used for experimentation by Dr. Sivana as revealed in Green Arrow and Black Canary #s 8-12 where his DNA was used to give Connor Hawke super-powers.

The main JLA membership has been seriously affected by both events in this book and the Justice League: Cry for Justice limited series.

Questions: What is the full scope of Roulette and Fortune’s competition? What does the future hold for the depleted League and can it survive with a handful of B/C-listers?

Join us again tomorrow when we catch up with events in the lives of Wonder Woman, the JSA and the Teen Titans...