Broken Frontier

So farewell then (for the moment anyway) to J’Onn J’Onzz, the Manhunter from Mars. Why the parenthesized rider you may ask? Well, let’s face it, this is one death that’s never going to stick. J’Onn J’Onzz is just too good a character with too significant a role in the DC Universe for this to last long-term.

To be fair, in dramatic terms killing him off so brutally does perfectly underline the threat that Darkseid poses in Final Crisis. What can be more ominous than the very heart and soul of the DCU being ripped away in such a violent fashion? But fret not gentle reader... somewhere, somewhen down the line I have very little doubt that J’Onn will return. Indeed there’s a significant "out" in Final Crisis: Requiem #1 when the Martian Manhunter’s memories are transmitted to his friends on the point of his physical death. Any writer worth their salt can pull a resurrection out of that plot twist I’m quite sure.

Rest In Peace J’onn. But it's "a bientot" rather than "au revoir"...

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

Across the Universe
(A rundown of the week’s releases)

In Action Comics #867 Superman learns he may never have actually encountered the one, true Brainiac.

Batgirl’s first team-up with Catwoman reaches the midway point in Batman Confidential #19.

Booster Gold meets Peter Platinum, his successor in the far future in Booster Gold #1,000,000 – an issue where a major secret is revealed...

Hush returns with a surprising new mission in Detective Comics #846.

It’s your chance to pay your last respects to a favorite character in Final Crisis: Requiem #1.

In Green Arrow and Black Canary #10 Team Arrow take the fight to the League of Assassins.

It’s Helena Bertinelli versus Batgirl, Catwoman and Batman in Huntress: Year One #5.

Will the Penguin really find true love? The answer is in The Joker’s Asylum: The Penguin #1.

The questions surrounding Gog’s true nature prove a problem for the JSA in Justice Society of America #17.

Storylines cross and converge in Trinity #6 as the importance of Tarot in the destiny of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman becomes more pronounced.

Diana’s quest alongside Claw, Stalker and Beowulf takes a treacherous turn in Wonder Woman #22.

And finally over on Earth-50 there’s the penultimate part of the universe-shaking events of Number of the Beast #7.

The Bigger Picture
(All the developments, hints, clues and teasers for the overarching storylines)

A Crisis in Time? – Rip Hunter’s interest in Booster Gold becomes all too obvious when we quietly discover that Rip is actually Booster’s son. Rip is able to save Booster’s long-dead sister Michelle by plucking her from the timeline just before her demise. This is possible because she died in her own past, creating a temporal legal loophole.

Batman summons Booster to the Batcave and lets him know he’s aware of the importance, if not the true nature, of Booster’s mission (to police the timelines) and the extent of his heroism. From the Joker’s photos Batman has been aware for many years of the sacrifice Booster made in trying to avert the events of the night of Batman: The Killing Joke (in Booster Gold Vol. 2 #5). He knew the Booster who tried to save Barbara Gordon was an older version of the hero and has had to wait until now to talk to him. (Booster Gold #1,000,000)

The Tenth Age of Magic – Stalker betrays his comrades in their quest to end the threat of the demon D’Grth. Realizing he could never defeat him and regain his humanity he made a bargain: in return for a shard of the lost Rock of Eternity and the souls of the only three warriors who could beat him (Wonder Woman, Claw the Unconquered and Beowulf) D’Grth would return Stalker’s soul. The dreamlike quest of the last three issues has been a trap from the start. (Wonder Woman #22)

The Religion of Crime – The true brutality of the Martian Manhunter’s death (and it was far more horrific than events in Final Crisis #1 may have led you to believe) is revealed. (Final Crisis: Requiem #1)

The Mystery of the Legion – Gog cures Starman’s mental illness but, mysteriously, according to the hero this is not a good thing. (Justice Society of America #17)

Batman R.I.P. – Hush returns to Batman’s world having heard about the Black Glove’s plans for the Darknight Detective. Vowing that no-one but he has the right to destroy Bruce Wayne’s life he sets himself up as Batman’s protector. His first action in his new mission is to shoot dead (?) current Bat-foe Doctor Aesop. (Detective Comics #846)

The Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul – Batman reveals to the super-villains currently believing themselves to be the League of Assassins that they have never met the real Ra’s Al Ghul. So who is really behind the attempted assassination and kidnapping of Connor Hawke then? (Green Arrow and Black Canary #10)

Talia has allied herself with Libra’s new Society. Is this another attempt to protect herself from her father’s vengeance? (Final Crisis: Requiem #1)

Mystery in Space – Supergirl has knowledge of Brainiac from her Kryptonian days. She informs Superman that no-one has ever encountered the real incarnation of the villain and every Brainiac he has faced (nanite-infected humans, androids, clones etc.) are all probes of the real Brainiac. By reverse-engineering the recent probe he encountered, Superman tracks Brainiac to the planet Larroo in the Raagan system. When Brainiac destroys the planet the Man of Steel is left unconscious and is easily captured... (Action Comics #867)

The Trinity – As Tarot begins to see Trinities all around her Morgaine Le Fey makes her move, sending her mystical thralls to kidnap her. When Gangbuster pursues his missing friend he becomes involved in aiding Hawkman with a series of museum robberies focusing on artefacts from the reign of Egyptian ruler Khaf-Re. (Trinity #6)

Rip Hunter’s Chalkboard – More clues from the ever-cryptic Time Master this week. There’s another indication that there could be a brief return for the Azrael identity and a potentially important role for one of the deceased Dibnys in the near future of the DCU. Booster looks set to take part in the events of the Armageddon 2001 series soon and given the temporal nature of that crossover, not to mention the dreadful mess of continuity it’s become over the last few years, it seems a fitting point in the timestream for the Time Hunters to become involved in. "Death leads to darkness" may well refer to Final Crisis or In Blackest Night... . "For every positive there is a negative" is the most obscure clue this time around. Perhaps there is more than one Anti-Matter Universe after all? (Booster Gold #1,000,000)

Rounding up... Superman of Earth-22 remains concerned that Gog will still create a herald known as Magog (new JSA member Lance Corporal David Reid looks to be the character set up to take this role but that could be a case of cunning misdirection...) who will lead the heroes of New earth down the same dark path that Earth-22 travelled down. (Justice Society of America #17)

A shadowed stranger breaks into Blue Beetle’s lab at Kord Industries (currently an Intergang front as revealed in Gotham Underground) with the Beetle scarab in his hand. Could this be the future Black Beetle? (Booster Gold #1,000,000)

Lots of hints as to the future of Booster and team in the "next season" teasers. The Dick Grayson Robin confronts what could well be Booster’s sister Michelle in the Batgirl uniform. Booster will also team with Elongated Man and, at last, Brainiac 5. And a robotic nemesis who could be anyone from Brainiac to Metallo to the Cyborg Superman will promise Booster’s death for the "last time". (Booster Gold #1,000,000)

Earthwatch

Earth-2 – Gog gives Power Girl her heart’s desire by sending her through a temporal black hole back to Earth-2. (Justice Society of America #17)

Earth-Stalker? – Stalker’s world has its own version of New Earth’s Oracle giving rise to the outside possibility it is a version of Earth and thus one of the 52. (Wonder Woman #22)

Continuity Corner
(The whys and wherefores of some of this week's characters and events)

Final Crisis: Requiem #1: My Favorite Martian

Peter Tomasi, writer of Final Crisis: Requiem #1, was also the editor of the much under-rated Martian Manhunter ongoing series that ran between 1998 and 2001 for 36 regular issues, two Annuals, a #0 and a #1,000,000 issue. The follow-up for John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake to their The Spectre run, Martian Manhunter was, without a doubt, the seminal take on the character and his world.

Why am I plugging a series that was cancelled seven years ago quite so heavily? Well a large chunk of J’Onn’s transmitted memories in FC: Requiem come from history established or elaborated on in that book. If you’ve never read these tales they’re well worth picking up for all the backstory on the Martian race and its history, J’Onn’s evil brother Ma’alefa’ak (or Malefic as he became known), his people’s relationship to the Saturnians from J’Emm Son of Saturn and so much more. In fact a huge part of that series is referenced here (alongside events like J’Onn’s membership of the Justice Experience, the JLA forerunners who debuted in the pages of  Chase, and the Fernus storyline that gave a new slant on the Martians’ origins in Joe Kelly’s JLA run).

The best part of the Ostrander run, though, is that Martian Manhunter #1,000,000 has already established that J’Onn is alive and well in the 853rd Century having become one with the planet Mars....

Booster Gold #1,000,000: Give the Boy a Goldstar

After being swept into a timestorm Booster makes a brief visit to the year 1,000,000 and meets his far future successor Peter Platinum – a media-obsessed super-hero who reminds us how far our Booster has come these last few years. This issue of Booster Gold provides a (short) tenth anniversary celebration of the 1998 DC crossover event DC One Million. The Peter Platinum part of this story is actually set in the actual year 1,000,000 which is an unfortunate continuity error (although the cover gets it right even if the interiors don’t!). DC One Million actually took place in the 853rd Century of the DC Universe – the time when the first one millionth issue of a DC book would be published – not in the literal year 1,000,000.

The original crossover teamed the JLA with their 853rd Century counterparts the Justice Legion Alpha against Vandal Savage and Solaris the Living Sun and was notable for spinning off the android version of Hourman into the mainstream DCU. Written by Grant Morrison and heavily tied into his JLA run of the time, DC One Million adopted a slightly different take on the crossover concept. For a month in 1998 every DC book was given a #1,000,000 issue and largely featured futuristic, high concept versions of the characters in one-shot tales.

Booster’s sister Michelle briefly followed him as a super-hero in the first volume of his series (becoming the second Goldstar – the name Booster had originally chosen for himself) but died tragically soon after following the events in Booster Gold #21 (Oct 1987). Rip Hunter was also a featured character in that run...

Trinity #6: Gotham Underworld Unleashed

There’s a promised upsurge in the fortunes of some of the lesser Gotham bad guys in Trinity #6 with Nocturna and Killer Moth both raiding museums on the behalf of an unknown client. Killer Moth first appeared way back in Batman #63 (Feb 1951). After a number of appearances over the years as a minor Bat-villain (most noteably as Batgirl’s first opponent) he was transformed by Neron in Underworld Unleashed #1 into a monstrous moth/human hybrid renamed as Charaxes. He was apparently killed by Superboy-Prime in Infinite Crisis #7. In Batman #652 (June 2006) a new Killer Moth made his debut. This iteration of the character was most recently seen in the pages of Gotham Underground.

Also making a return, with some ominous comments about the rise of the Gotham underworld and "a darkness that will fall across the world", is former Bat-villainess Nocturna. Natalia Knight was a street child taken in by millionaire criminal Charles Knight. After an accident with laser radiation her skin was bleached of all color, giving her a supernatural, vampiric look. Alongside Knight’s son Anton (the costumed Night-Slayer) she began a career as a nocturnal thief, in part to finance her medical treatment. In the early to mid 80s Nocturna was a major part of the Batman supporting cast with her adoption of Jason Todd (who considered her his "mother") and romantic hints between her and Bruce Wayne.

Nocturna's eventual rejection of Anton Knight led to her near murder at his hands and she was last seen during the Crisis On Infinite Earths, gravely injured, floating away in a hot air balloon in Batman #391 (Jan 1986). She was then wiped from continuity post-Crisis when Jason Todd’s entire history was drastically retconned (itself the result of a Superboy punch in Infinite Crisis Secret Files #1!). Until her recent return to the DCU she had made no real appearances in two decades, although it must be noted that Jon Lewis did use a character calledNatalia Mitternacht in his Robin run who had striking similarities to Nocturna (beginning with Robin #100 in May 2002) and was clearly a post-Crisis incarnation of the villainess.

Rounding up... Superman’s first meeting with Brainiac in current continuity is still the first post-Crisis On Infinite Earths appearance of the villain when he took over the mind of human psychic Milton Fine in Adventures of Superman #438 (March 1988). (Action Comics #867)

There's also an interesting retcon that sees Barbara Gordon as Batgirl taking on Helena Bertinelli in combat. This rearranges the DC timeline a little as previous continuity had the events of Batman: The Killing Joke taking place before the Huntress's costumed debut. (Huntress: Year One #5)

Trading Places

For a cheap catchup on the first volume of Booster’s adventures including his sister’s death and his first meeting with Rip Hunter look no further than Showcase Presents: Booster Gold Volume 1. Sadly there’s no trade of the Ostrander/Mandrake Martian Manhunter but there is a Showcase Presents: Martian Manhunter Volume 1 . Those looking for significant (but fleeting!) Killer Moth appearances (don’t be shy I know you’re out there) may want to grab Showcase Presents: Batgirl Volume 1, the Underworld Unleashed trade or witness his demise in the Infinite Crisis trade. But be warned... these are of the blink and you'll miss it variety!

Fanboy Moment of the Week

I was tempted to go for a tiny detail in Wonder Woman #22 for this week’s entry: when Nemesis takes on the gorillas currently staying in Diana Prince’s apartment he briefly incapacitates one by throwing the contents of a perfume bottle in his face. That scent is called Mari: Parfum For She which I assume to be the designer perfume of former super-model, and recently-expelled JLA member, Mari McCabe/Vixen.

However, when all is said and done this week how can we not choose the closing moments of Final Crisis: Requiem #1? Batman says goodbye to his old comrade by leaving a Choco cookie in J’Onn J’Onzz’s coffin. It’s such an endearing scene because Peter Tomasi so ably sums up the friendship between the two characters in a handful of largely silent panels while, at the same time, reminding us that there is some humanity and tenderness to the normally grim and uptight Dark Knight. Coupled with the decency and respect that Batman shows towards Booster Gold, in #1,000,000 of Booster’s title, it’s a pretty good week for fans of a more human Caped Crusader...

Sadly, "Chocos"/Oreos remain as mysterious a confectionary item to this Brit in 2008 as Hostess Fruit Pies and Twinkies were to him in the 1970s...

That's it for another week. Until then feel free to post corrections, criticisms and commentary on the Broken Frontier ATDCU message board thread here. See you in seven days and thanks for reading!