Previously: A monster found its way out of a secret lair from the 90s and decided that it wanted to punch things and squeeze birds. We call him Doomsday, but he's really just a misunderstood teenager. The Justice League was dispatched to check out a highway crash in Ohio, while Superman did something about people in Metropolis. Weird.
Well after a good chunk of time we're back to examining this little piece of comic history, one that totally isn't at all important, and this week we're going to get a pretty hefty guest star lineup of heroes that many people aren't normally aware of. The 90s were certainly a different time for us all.
This week, as the book title suggests, features the Justice League as they take on Doomsday. It's a good issue in that we get to see just how powerful Doomsday really is. It does make the members of the JLA look like pipsqueaks, but its' not without its purpose or merit. Besides, one could even argue that they were caught off-guard for his strength, completely unprepared for it.
The cover is okay, just a very simple red background while the members of the JLA try to hold down Doomsday, who now has more of his green outfit ripped off and we see those little white shards around more of his body. Also Guy Gardner laying down in defeat is never a bad sign, right?
The comic starts with the JLA immediately on the scene, helping citizens as a large inferno consumes the highway. Booster Gold, Ice, Maxima, and Guy Gardner work directly against the fire while Bloodwynd and Blue Beetle work along the exterior to contain it. Betting you didn't really recognize any of those names, but, it's not really that important to know who they are. I'm not all that familiar with them myself--I mean, besides Booster, Guy, and Beetle--and their relevance isn't all too great except for a small mention later on that we'll get to. But even then, that isn't too important.
We can see just from the opening that the team works very well together and is very aware of each other's strengths and weaknesses. Sadly, the lettering is a bit weird. Words like "wrist" and "Ohio" are emphasized so reading it is kind of funky. Sure, when a name is emphasized it makes sense, it's introducing the character to the comic. But saying, "I have my wrist communicator tuned to the police band" just comes off as strange. Shouldn't wrist AND communicator be emphasized?
The team leaves, intent on following the trail, and we see what Superman is up to juxtaposed against the hunt for Doomsday beginning.
Oh, fantastic. So he's going to be on a talk show while the heroes jump into battle, how great! How do you even schedule that, does a reporter just hale Superman down and ask if he wants to show up at this time on this day on this show? Does he do this often?
While we see the bug run through the destruction--love the vehicle, by the way--we see Booster and Guy act like idiots but at least Booster is joking. For the most part this is just padding dialogue, nothing important is really said or accomplished here. All these pages do is establish the status quo for much of the book, and it's one I like.
As Superman goes through his interview with Cat Grant, the team continues their hunt in the panels below, almost as if there are two separate stories going on. But as the issue proceeds, we see that there are subtle hints in what Superman says that eventually pay off in what the Justice League is doing. The interview isn't too important to the story, so I won't bring it up that much.
Both Bloodwynd and Maxima try to tap into Doomsday's mind and Maxima finds that all that is there is blood, death, destruction, and a need to obliterate all peaceful wildlife.
Doomsday, meanwhile, has decided to change his ways. Instead of squeezing birds, he goes and squeezes the life out of a deer. Gosh dang it, Doomsday, that's no way to pet a deer. What's PETA going to say about this?
Luckily, they don't have to worry too much about it. Instead, Doomsday decides he wants to try out for the Olympics, and uses a tree as a lance and tosses it as the Blue Beetle bug, smashing into it. Hey, he might be pretty good at that.
Guy Gardner is brought up in the interview and when he manages to save Ice, there's a funny little moment where he asks what Supes has over him, and Ice replies with, "Class!" Truer words, my friends.
The team is in shock that they were attacked like that and after some exposition on their powers, random but whatever, they continue their pursuit.
Doomsday, meanwhile, continues his Olympic dream by practicing his boxing against a semi truck. Well, I mean, if opportunity knocks. He wins, of course, and takes a few cars with him. Guy Gardner flies off and attacks Doomsday head on, only to get exactly what people were expecting/ hoping for:
Not much I can say. I mean, it is what it is. Moving on.
A few kids watching the interview point out that they wished Guy Gardner were on TV rather than Superman because this is the 90s and kids are rebellious and like their rebels like Guy Gardner, right? Heh, no so much. They even say he has his head screwed on straight. Oh, yeah, sure! The guy who got kicked out of the Green Lantern corps and would eventually--20 years later but whose counting?--lead the Red Lantern corps sure has his act together!
Fire shows ups and manages to stop Doomsday from doing what Android 20 did to Yamcha.
The rest of the team starts to file in but it's hardly of any use, as Doomsday is just flinging them around into various corrosive and explosive things. I mean, it's Lexoil so if it's coming out of Lex Luthor's pocket it can't be that bad, right?
Blue Beetle goes to save Bloodwynd before realizing who he must really be--a mystery in previous books no doubt--but it's quickly erased as Doomsday quite literally tosses him around like a sheet of paper.
Oh, wow.
Superman is alerted to what's going on and quickly leaves the interview to go help. Booster decides he needs to finally get in on the action and charges at Doomsday while Ice realizes Blue Beetle is probably going to die. I mean, yeah. Remember: Blue Beetle is a regular human. With a super suit, yeah, but, Doomsday made super-powered Guy Gardner look like a puppy compared to a dinosaur. And he doesn't hold back.
Booster lands a hit that does absolutely nothing and just barely manages to protect himself, getting flung miles and miles away to the point where Superman actually manages to catch up to him. Thus, our comic comes to a close as Booster remarks that the creature is like Doomsday! :O
So yeah, uh, the JLA is all doomed, Superman's nowhere close to there, and Doomsday has proven that he's effective at punching things, squeezing wildlife, and throwing trees. What a formidable adversary!
Much like the last issue in this little arc, this issue was mostly set-up to show what Doomsday can do--be destructive in all the right ways. It is indeed scary to think that not even the Justice League can hold a candle to this guy, and makes you wonder how Superman is going to be able to handle him. I mean, so far two people have landed a hit but that hasn't even slowed him down at all. It's a good issue showcasing just how strong Doomsday is and leaves on a rather haunting note about doomsday itself coming in the form of a monster.
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