I don't like him either, Booster, but don't bite off more than you can chew.

Magog gets his own logo in what I think is Kingdom Come's font, in 2009's Brave and the Bold #23, "Shadows of Tomorrow" Story and art by Dan Jurgens, finishes by Norm Rapmund.

When Rip Hunter returns from the future with an intruder, and a torn black S-shield, he mutters the "Magog" to his partner, Booster Gold. Booster goes into the future for a look, but only gets a peek of future devastation before Rip pulls him back. Booster complains he's from the future and already knows a lot, but Rip tells him he doesn't know everything. Booster decides if he can't see Magog's future, he can investigate him in the here-and-now.

In Iraq Kahndaq, Magog offers his assistance with a hostage situation: separatists had taken children hostage, and planted explosives throughout the city. Magog is able to elbow his way into the situation since he knows the separatists want attention, and the involvement of a "cape" means news. Booster arrives to catch some grief, but is a known pro, at least for certain values of "pro." (Booster was allowing his reputation to be dragged through the mud in the present, so he wouldn't be thought of as a threat in the future.) While Booster has Skeets lock on the explosives, Magog takes a unique approach to a terrorist with a dead-man's switch: slapping a tourniquet on him, then tearing his arm off!

Booster is appalled, but Magog turns his nose up at him as a "lightweight." Still, for his tough talk, Magog had missed a guy with an RPG and some hostages, which Booster had to take care of. He also has Skeets match the dead man's switch frequency, so Magog doesn't have to keep holding a severed arm and would be free to throw down. Before Magog can try to feed Booster his teeth, Rip shows up to tell Booster he can't fight Magog now, since he has a role to play in the future. (Killing the Joker, maybe?)

This isn't a bad issue, but it's all set-up! I wanna see some fighting! Especially since Magog is a tool. I have a DCUC Magog figure, purchased in a case with S.T.R.I.P.E, and I've had a strip in mind for him for years that I haven't gotten around to...

We saw an earlier chapter of this some time back, but we found the conclusion at the comicon: from 2002, Batman #605, "Courage" Written by Ed Brubaker, pencils by Scott McDaniel, inks by Andy Owens.

This issue does take a moment to acknowledge a couple of points that I had thought were going to fall by the wayside: Batman visits the grave of Vesper Fairchild, who had been murdered and Bruce Wayne framed for it. And in the Batcave, to his then-current support team of Nightwing, Robin, Cassandra Cain/Batgirl, Oracle, and Alfred; Batman admits "I'm not an easy person to know." The conspiracy behind the frame-up is revealed, but that it had two parts that hadn't occurred to them: it was a two-pronged attack on Bruce Wayne and Batman.

Then-president Lex Luthor was behind the first part, since Wayne and Luthor had been at odds since the "No Man's Land" crossover. Luthor's man Amherst, whom Batman had recently captured, had hired a professional to break Wayne, and said professional had used a nerve strike on Vesper: a nerve strike that Batman would know, which threw suspicion on him killing her to protect his secret identity. Batgirl had recognized the move, since she had learned it from the same man who taught Batman: the assassin David Cain, Batgirl's father.

Most of the rest of this issue is a shell game, as Batman's team tries to trap Cain, who knows Batman's identity and doesn't consider that "emotional cripple" fit to be Cassandra's father-figure. Batman beats Cain down, but won't kill him; and Cain, having no reason not to now and at Cassandra's behest, confesses to Vesper's murder. In Washington, Luthor asks his staff to track down Amherst; but they won't find him: Batman had him taken to Arkham, and committed under an alias. This would be as close to justice as Vesper would get, since I'm not sure she was brought up when Luthor's presidency ended.

Drawing the line, somewhere...

I don't mind getting spoilers on the new Captain America (I'd be surprised if Jack Flag was even dead, let alone anything else that allegedly happened...) or DC Universe: Rebirth (don't all hit up Geoff Johns for a refund at once, guys) but I draw the line at X-Men: Apocalypse or Omega Men. The last issue of that came out Wednesday, I just got it, and io9 had a spoilery article title up.

So, reading time! I'll be out for the long weekend, but have fun, and be safe! (Scan from Omega Men #1, story by Tom King, art by Barnaby Bagenda.

When going undercover, it does help to commit to the role...

Today, one of the books on my comicon bingo card: from 1977, Secret Society of Super-Villains #10, "Triumph and Treachery" Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by Dick Ayers, inks by Jack Abel. And the cover promptly fell off of this one...

Tying into the Atom's Super-Team Family story, this issue the Creeper and Star Sapphire kidnap the unstable super-powered Jean Loring. The Creeper had been mistaken for a villain, and only joined the Society to try and figure out who was giving Funky Flashman his orders, yet still helps kidnap Jean, and doesn't seem to give it a second thought later! Captain Comet tries to stop Gorilla Grodd and the Wizard from stealing another of the Sorcerer's Treasures, the Invisibility Cloak, and gets beat down. Seeing that, the Trickster decides to opt out of any more work with the Society: they play too rough! This was something this title did often, rotating villains in and out of the book. It's something that should happen more in villain-centric books, but I'm never sure if this was by accident or design here.

Comet catches up to the Society as they gather all three of the Sorcerer's Treasures; which Comet mentions had been thrown into orbit by Superman, yet drifted back to earth later, which seems weird for a cloak...While they fight, Creeper notices Funky Flashman swiping the treasures, and follows him to a bus terminal. Funky puts them in a locker, then drops the key; and the Creeper changes back to Jack Ryder and catches Funky's contact...the Wizard? In jail, the Wizard protests that he was merely a hired hand, but we saw before being arrested was part of his plan all along. Meanwhile, Funky Flashman returns to the Society's Secret Citadel, where Grodd reveals another new lineup for the Society!

With the rotating cast, it seems like it would be a lot of fun to write Secret Society of Super-Villains...I don't know if I'd use Funky Flashman, but still.

"Restitution."

I'm sure Misty wouldn't usually rush headlong into a situation like that, except I don't think she thinks much of Pool. Also, there's no fire escape on Pool and Kurt's building, since Kurt removed it in the second episode, over eight years ago! (Actually, they aren't in the same building anymore, since it was blown up!)

We saw that new status/origin for Thundra the other day; but I had thought in her old appearances, her world's battle of the sexes had as much as been won by women, and men were considered "the weaker sex." They may or may not have been considered second-class citizens (or worse) but Thundra is acting like they are now.

This panel might not be a non sequitur, if you have the previous issues...

From 1995, Justice League Task Force #19, "Savage Legacy, part III: Inquisition" Written by Mark Waid & Priest, pencils by Sal Velluto, inks by Mark McKenna.

The cover blurb is "The Enigmatic Savage," and since Legends of Tomorrow is getting ready to finish its season, I grabbed this issue up. Vandal Savage had enlisted the JLTF to investigate the theft of a list of his descendants: Savage would use them as unwilling organ donors whenever he needed a replacement to maintain his immortality. Whoever stole that list was killing Savage's descendants, presumably in the hopes of eventually killing Savage; but that list was potentially millions of lives.

The Task Force era's only big name was J'onn J'onnz; with Gypsy, Triumph, the Ray, and L-Ron the robot in Despero's body making up the team. Already there were hints that L-Ron might be losing control of the alien tyrant, and Triumph and Ray let some mysterious hoverbike goons think they're working with Savage, even if they don't seem to agree if Savage is a master planner or a dumb caveman. Meanwhile, one of Savage's goons (or a turncoat) stalks Gypsy, since he may have figured out her invisibility power. While J'onn works the case like a detective, the power source of Savage's palace is sabotaged, by the aforementioned goon, whom Savage kills before he can undo his work!

"The Stars My Aggravation."

Ten years of this blog, and over two of them have been this "Pool 'n Kurt in Space" storyline! Here's a huge chunk of it after the break to clog up your browser!

I still have the last two chapters of this finished: I keep having to move them further down the schedule. The "B-plot" with Black Cat and Satana staying at, and occasionally trashing, the guys' apartment; has continued to grow. Especially as I randomly pick up figures and set pieces for it! Maybe we'll wrap it up this year, but no promises.