The Stop Button

I spoke too soon. Paul Levitz is back to solely dialogue this issue, with artist Wally Wood contributing to the plot. Presumably, then, it was Wood’s idea to do this issue of The Legendary Justice Society of America in All-Star Comics with the Super Squad as a Golden Age Superman comic. Some of the other heroes get page time, mostly Star-Spangled Kid it works out, but it’s just a Superman comic. Only it’s Superman as icon, not character.

The issue opens with Power Girl and Superman breaking free of Vandal Savage’s force field bubble to find themselves—apparently—in the far future. Now, they’re not in the far future (it’s never clear where they are, actually, maybe something else for next issue… Levitz promises two other things already), but it doesn’t stop Superman from destroying a bunch of robotics while Power Girl tries to figure out what’s really going on.

Power Girl isn’t around long; well, she’s not around and conscious long. Savage’s plan involves sapping Kryptonian life energy to replenish his immortality, and he takes her down first, charging himself up so he can handle fisticuffs with Superman.

Meanwhile, the rest of the JSA—now imprisoned in Savage’s future place—get free, one by one, and try to help Superman and Power Girl. The Flash starts back in Camelot times, going to the future and the distant past, in an excuse for Wood to do some trippy time travel art. It doesn’t serve any narrative purpose otherwise. At least Green Lantern moping about losing his business because he was too busy being a selfless superhero like a chump will be relevant next issue.

I mean, promises, promises.

Hawkman gets a decent all-action sequence after being so annoying a few issues ago. Merlin—in Savage’s future—frees Hawkman, who quickly frees Star-Spangled Kid and gets himself a fresh set of hawk wings. Now, Flash was talking to King Arthur in the past, which means for whatever reason Savage brought Merlin along. It’s never clear whether Savage actually needs Merlin’s magic—maybe just for the time travel—because he’s big into robot armies.

Star-Spangled Kid’s new cosmic converter belt is silly and looks like a wrestling belt, which may be better than the cosmic rod in terms of giggles but still strange energy.

The cliffhanger promises next issue will have something to do with the now three-issue old Injustice Society subplot. And Shining Knight gets a mention. Not an appearance, but a mention.

All-Star Comics is incredibly uneven—Wood’s art this issue, for instance, isn’t as good as the previous one, even though he does seem invested in the Superman in a Flash Gordon future stuff.

But a handful of neat visuals don’t a comic make.