BREAKDOWNS continues! Mike Atchison joins The Irredeemable Shag to chat about Justice League America #56! The U.N. revoked the charter of the JLI! With no official status, the American team falls apart. Then Paul Hix stops by to discuss Green Lantern #18 & Justice League Europe #32! Regrouping at the Secret Sanctuary cave, our heroes step into the surreal world of the Doom Patrol! Finally, we wrap up with YOUR listener feedback!
Have a question or comment? Looking for more great content?
- Leave comments on our JLI PODCAST website:
http://fireandwaterpodcast.com/podcast/jli56 - Images from this episode: http://fireandwaterpodcast.com/podcast/jli-56-gallery
- E-MAIL: jlipodcast@gmail.com
- Follow Mike Atchison:
- Mike's Comic Roadshow: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mikes-comic-shop-roadshow/id1662011650
- Twitter: @mikeatchison5
- Follow Paul Hix:
- Waiting for Doom Podcast Network: https://www.waitingfordoom.com/
This episode brought to you by InStockTrades: http://instocktrades.com
Follow the JLI Podcast:
- Subscribe via Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/justice-league-international/id1082000325
- Subscribe via other podcatchers: http://feeds.feedburner.com/jlipodcast
- Also available on Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible and Google Podcasts
- Follow JLI Podcast on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/JLIpodcast
- Like the JLI Podcast FACEBOOK page: https://www.facebook.com/JLIpodcast
This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK:
- Visit the Fire & Water WEBSITE: http://fireandwaterpodcast.com
- Follow Fire & Water on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/FWPodcasts
- Like our Fire & Water FACEBOOK page: https://www.facebook.com/FWPodcastNetwork
- Support The Fire & Water Podcast Network on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fwpodcasts
- Use our HASHTAG online: #FWPodcasts
This has been the JLI Podcast! Wanna make somethin’ of it?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
1. I LOVE the Master Jailer!
2 Crissis moved Rode ISLAND
3 Paul What do you think of the Golden age angel? His warden father letting Prisoners educate his son into super genius?
ps Please buy my book https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1143923135
Blues brothers both movies great . Probably have seen the first one and grease more times then I can count . Also I like the on the green lantern cover guy is doing his best Luke sky walker impression, and another wonderful episode. Also I just did a review of the Doctor who audio tomb ship staring the fifth Doctor . Also shag who’s your favorite doctor modern and classic in case I never asked .
Shag loves Colin Baker and has never watched modern Who.
Never would have thought shag was a Colin baker guy , of course my bros a big William Hartnell fan why I’m more of John Pertwee guy myself. Also my cat sassy sue has very boss of the house personality.
My guess for the cover of JLA 56: J’onn is sitting in Brooklyn and looking at the JLA HQ which mysteriously moved to Governor’s Island. Which is probably REALLY close to Titan’s Tower.
No DC hero would ever willingly sit in New Jersey.
Would anyone willingly be in New Jersey?
Aqua-Rob willingly sits in New Jersey, and he is a DC hero. I mean, he and the rest of this network have done enough publicity for the brand that they should all have official hero status.
I’ve only listened to the JLA portion of the podcast so far! But I like that cover of J’onn looking at the sunrise, too. The geographic oddness of the image can be explained by artistic license. J’onn is reflecting on his old home—NYC, location of the JLA embassy—and his old/new home, the Secret Sanctuary in Happy Harbor, RI.
Also, you were wondering how Fire and Ice would think to go to the Secret Sanctuary, saying they have no history with the place. They actually do! Starting in JLA #31, the Sanctuary is used to house the JLA planes, and they’d use the transporters to go back and forth between there and the embassy. Fire and Ice at least passed through there many times while going out and coming back from missions. And we see Beetle, Booster, and Scott there doing maintenance on the jet in that same issue and at one point they say they have to keep their noise level down of they’ll “disturb the Doom Patrol”!
….and I can’t believe I remember all this. I can’t remember what I did last week, but I can remember THAT.
> I can’t remember what I did last week, but I can remember THAT.
You’re in good company here. 😉
One neat little detail in JLA #56 is one panel where Ted admits to himself that he’s showing unhealthy depressive activities. It’s late 80s early 90s health ideas but it’s a nice call back to Ted’s previous activities. I find it amusing that everything that happened in the JSA apparently happened in just three days when their own issues seem to imply that it happens over a much longer period!
I too am not a fan of the whole treatment of Kara here, as mentioned many times before, and it’s kind of sad that we don’t have her involved with the Doom Patrol parody as she actually worked with Doom Patrol (13-14) at the tail end of the Kupperberg run. In fact, she was in the issue that introduced Dorothy (as mentioned in the podcast).
JLE wise a cute running theme is Stinky basically beating up on Glory’s poor ‘lil dog, being just as grumpy as his owner it seems!
Well I’m so glad that the show has returned to form after last month’s second half.
First of all it was great to hear a new voice on the show with Mike, however I did an audio double take when he was introduced and our host was worried that he might “Shank me” when I thought he said “Shag me” and well… I thought there was a whole new avenue of discussion about Prisons we would end up on which wouldn’t be part of the Family Friendly show. Anyway… moving on.
Talking of not hearing things properly or perhaps the other end of that equation of mis pronunciations – Mike can take solace in the fact he wasn’t the only person to mispronounce John Byrne… for years and I blame my dyslexia in my youth I called him John “Brine” and then “Bye-Rhein” .
I also found it interesting that Shag had a Warden on the show as well as an Australian was this intentionally another dig at the history of Australia or just a co-incidence?
Paul’s return was most welcome and I loved how he was allowed to provide the music intro (I do love format breaking jokes). However I feel cheated that he got TWO issues but only one opportunity to do a theme tune. Surely we should have had a Green Lantern Theme in there… Little Green Bag might have worked well for Guy’s attitude but “it’s not easy being Green” might actually have been better and now I realise we’ve been robbed of Paul and Shag singing in harmony!
As to the issues in question… No-one picked up on the whole end of JLA and Start of JLE? How Ted, Tora and Bea were in one Panel Civilian clothes and then the next page in JLE they are in full costume. Are we just going to chalk this up to Doom Patrol Gas or another example of Editorial (and perhaps the JLE scripter) not getting things on the right page – consistently inconsistence.
Meanwhile I had no idea of the Green Lantern cross over. Which is odd as I do recall reading GL in this era but I guess I skipped this integral issue and thanks to reasons I might never read it! Oh the humanity…. Hang on I’ve listened again to confirm and thankfully I don’t need to get this as it’s been decided by the EXPERT of DC Events Mr Hix that this doesn’t have any impact at all!
Moving back to the JLA and JLE pages I find it somewhat… bemusing that last week’s eviction issue of JLE seemed like a pause in the action of breakdowns and again both JLA and JLE seem to be just an extension of that break. Again this feels like to me that the original plan was to have the JLI get caught up in the whole Queen Bee thing then get disbanded and that was going to be the end of the run, at the end of Armageddon 2001. It would have made a lot of sense to have Cap going, Charter revoked and launch a new team set up as an off shoot of A2001 or even War of the Gods. Thus allowing whomever was due to produce the new age have the “Band back together” story as their introduction in much the same was a JL #1 was. Of course Giffen and DeMattis team were asked to go a little longer on the title – for editorial reasons, so the next couple of big battles do feel a bit tacked on – a story device used famously by Antipodean Doctor Who Fan Peter Jackson in his seminal Return of the King. Perhaps Mr Hix can ask him, if he was inspired by Breakdowns, since they live nearby?
As to the art this time around, indeed JLA seems better, but I really do hate the style choice to have the heroes in costume look like someone is behind them pumping them up with air like an old Warner Bros Cartoon device. Out of costume they look almost spot on. JLE continues to shine however and it was nice to see the surreal elements used to show Robertson’s range.
I think we all agree on the “Putting the Band back together” of JLA was a great fun read story wise, while it seemed to be too quick for everyone to break up and fall back together I considered it was similar to a bunch of friends going out and having a stupid falling out over something incredibly trivial, like the location of a made up mountain which isn’t a mountain in a comic book all going off in a huff and then the next morning realise they’ve been dumb and then seeking each other out. The story with JLE however… While the Doom Patrol Parody is funny, if one doesn’t read Doom Patrol (sorry Waiting for Doom Fans I’ve barely read the Morrison run) it might seem a little nonsense (maybe nose sense) and without the idea of what was going on in DP at the time I think the jokes just don’t exactly work as well as they could at least they didn’t for me. It just seems to extend the whole “pause” and almost makes it seem like padding until the final rush.
Thankfully despite the up and down on the plot and variance in the art from issue to issue and title to title – this show’s coverage of Breakdowns is helping me revaluate my overall feelings on the storyline. And unfortunately recalling what’s coming up it’s actually make we wish Breakdowns didn’t have the greatest hits elements coming back and had finished maybe at the end of JLA #56 with a fresh start in JLE forming the new team(s). But I’m getting ahead of myself and the podcast!
Anyway in summary great episode with great guests and Kudos to Mr Hix for his musical talents which caused me to have a snort laugh as I was having a drink that I then had to clean up.
Another great episode, with a great new guest and a great returning guest. Paul – should I ever appear on the podcast, your “Wanna make somethin’ of it?” has encouraged me to start practicing *before* I’m on the air, not during.
For those of us that are forgetting our continuity….when did the Doom Patrol move into Happy Harbor? Was there ever an on panel discussion on panel about it? I love when teams share headquarters or have some sort of interactions like this. I had forgotten about the reference in issue 31, also.
As for Green Lantern #18. Wow. I don’t remember that story whatsoever. I would think I would have picked it up at the time, but I have no recollection of it. It really is “Breakdowns Adjacent”. Does it enhance and flesh out Guy? Sure. It is really something you need to read to understand Breakdowns. Not at all. I’d file this under one of those Crisis on Infinite Earths “red sky crossovers”, where even with a banner on the cover, the only mention of Crisis was someone noticing the skies were turning red, and went back to the adventure in their book.
> when did the Doom Patrol move into Happy Harbor? Was there ever an on panel discussion on panel about it?
Dang it, DC Dave! Hang on a minute… (*click* blue mooooon, you left me standing aloooone. Without a beat in my *click*) Ok, back in JLA #31, Teasdale Imperative Part 1, page 3, Beetle, Booster, and Miracle are fixing up the team’s shuttle in the Secret Sanctuary, and Beetle says “Keep it down, we don’t wanna disturb the Doom Patrol.” And there’s a little more chit chat about renting the hangar to bring in extra cash to support the League’s operations, and I believe this is the only mention of the Patrol in the run until JLE #32.
Doh! Sorry Dave, I misread your comment, you already heard about JLA 31. Mea culpa, nothing to see here, move along, hold the anchovies.
Such a fun episode! A little note about prisons is that my family and I lived in Joliet, IL (not the prison itself, amazingly enough) for 6 years when I was a kid. A funny occurrence is out-of-towners seeing the high school and asking if *it* was the prison. The students certainly thought so.
About the location of the cave, to make the geography question worse, the narration box at the top of JLA #31 page 3 says “A rather famous cave, just outside METROPOLIS…” So there’s only one explanation. The Secret Sanctuary is actually Danny the Street’s cousin, Tony the Mountain.
But also to play Mephisto’s advocate, who says there’s only one set of twin towers in the DCU? They could be all over: New York, Happy Harbor, Metropolis, Des Moines. I daresay the twins on JLA #56’s cover are perhaps a bit shorter than the World Trade Towers. And I’m officially working too hard on this concept.
While the Sanctuary was “Secret” for the original League, it was public knowledge all the way back in JL #1, with live news coverage of the team members arriving for the first meeting, and reporters played an important and hilarious role in JL #4 for Booster’s fight with the Royal Flush Gang. Is that enough to explain Fire and Ice knowing its location? Maybe not, but I choose to believe Ice actually studies the computer files when she’s on monitor duty. (Yes, the Checkmate version of Fire would too, but your retconning mileage may vary.)
Why did it take so long the JLA to go to the cave, when the JLE went right away? Leadership. JLA has J’onn alone with Max out of action, and J’onn was understandably wrestling with what *he* wanted to do, an internal struggle we’ve seen play out since his miniseries, so he wasn’t in the right head space to rally the troops. Meanwhile, JLE has Catherine, not Captain Atom, and we see how awesome her leadership skills are. She would give great CEO presentations, and was not going to let the team fall apart, because she believes in them. I honestly love seeing this contrast actually happen between the teams.
Hey, did anyone else notice that the teams have lost one administrator (Max) and one field commander (Cap), leaving just one each (Catherine and J’onn)? This actually plays well into pulling them into a single team.
It was nice seeing Ted, Ralph, and Wally together. I hearkens back to the Beetle, Miracle, and Booster trio, and a good use of the combined casts.
Now I do have a complaint: Ice was relegated to Fire’s sidekick in JLA #56. We don’t see her saying for herself what she wants to do, why she’d want to be with the League, or even her discussing it with Fire similar to how General Glory did with Guy. She was given no agency at all, which wouldn’t be a problem except the other members get so much attention.
Ok, I did have GL #18 back in the day, and you guys were spot on with it not really being a Breakdowns crossover except for its continuity placing it concurrent with JLA #56. But whatever. I really would rather hear a discussion about GL #9-12, the Guy/G’nort story. It’s a big favorite of mine. I just felt like saying that, as it’s just as relevant to Breakdowns as GL #18 is. Heh-heh!
Wait, this completes the halfway mark of Breakdowns! The end is near! *wail* *gnash teeth* *sulk* *furrow eyebrows*
It would’ve been great to podcast WITH Michael directly as I loved meeting him at HeroesCon.
The Doom Patrol moved to Rhode Island in their issue 21. As the Chief said in that issue “IT BELONGED
TO THE ORIGINAL JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: THE GOVERNMENT WANTED TO USE IT TO STORE NUCLEAR WASTE, BUT I PERSUADED THEM TO GIVE IT TO ME.”
As usual he probably lied about these details. This was Morrison’s 3rd issue. Issue 25 had the contents of the JLA trophy room as a plot element.
(Forgive the caps, I did a text copy from a screenshot).
Anyway, must dash, Rob and Ryan want me to do the intro music for their podcasts.
What are your rates for podcast intro music? Asking for a friend.
Friends, it is ANDREW HELFER who was drawn as the guy who painted the bomb yellow in COSMIC ODYSSEY. I just like correcting the Hix. I get it though; he lives on a continent where all animal life is designed to kill humans.
Good to see your comment, David. I’m probably just frequenting the wrong comment threads, but it’s been a while.
I sit corrected.
Mike Atchison AND Paul Hix? Shag, you are bringing the star power this episode. So let’s see, Doug was the JLE guest last time, and Mike and The Flanger are on this time… Are the guests just going to be all FOCE (Friends of Captain Entropy) — ones I’ve actually met in person — until the end of the run? Gotta say, I approve of the theme. Can’t wait to find out which of the HeroesCon crew we’ll hear next time. Ooh, or maybe you could bring in people I went to high school with! Let me send you my contacts list…
Seriously, fun episode as always. It does add to the anticipation when you keep bringing on guests I already know I like. Mike’s such a kind, generous, and thoughtful imprisoner of men! And Paul’s so charmingly witty and obstreperous! (Shag, you can just say “difficult.”)
So to be clear, Capt E, do you or don’t you want your prom date to be a guest host? Asking for a friend.
She’s pretty funny, Podcrasher, and she’d have a lot of material to work with (in and out of the comic). I’m torn between fear of embarrassment and anticipation of comedy gold.
Comedy requires pain, sounds like a done deal.
Is THAT why my back aches?
Impressive podcast most impressive. Ah the break up that didn’t last one issue. Well it is what it is. John on the cover is Awsome. I normally don’t like covers like this, but it works so well with this issue. Not the biggest fan of the Art inside the book, but Bea looks good in it.
Ah so that’s why Desparo is so mad. He’s all Ken doll down stairs. Ah Booster having to tell Beatel go. Bumber. Yeah I’m thinking at lest the plot is a bit Gifen. Definitely the whole. cry me a River look at every one crying about how everything was for each of them. But it’s reality not that bad.
Sounds like one of his bits. Fire and ice at the donut shop is great. What a dorky thing to do. That he’d only work with Fire because of her JLA connection. I can relate to having that Oy feeling and others not feeling it’s that big a thing so the other day I we went to a Comic Convention. Dressed as Super Girl , but people thought I was …. super Man…. Oy. Ah well. I met a few good famous people. Like the guy who played Spider Man er Miles Morales version. For the video games and tv show not the movies. Nadji Jeter Seemed like a cool guy.Mairyln Chicliotti she was in a Kevin Smith movie. Clerks I think. And I met the voice of Scobby Do , Scappy Do and others.
Scott Innes. He even asked to have a photo with me. That was awesome. And I of course got a picture with him. So being thought of as Super Man instead of Super Girl was Oy… but the day became good. Later… moving on.
So they went back to the land base once they came back together? Have they even been there in decades? Didn’t they go from the Satellite to Detroit? I don’t know. I drifted in and out of JLA till JLI came in. Had got into Titans thinking it was a JLA comic. Since it was a crossover. I just found it on the Rack.
So was this resent? Ware they were at this base? Just seems weird. Ah well was cool seeing the JLA and JLE teaming up again. As Gifen, Manaus and the gang put the toys back in the toy box. I see why Destro is mad all time he’s got Ken doll action down stairs.
Next story the guy cover was great. I wasn’t the woman on the cover I swear… Anyway to bad the comic was Oy. Sorry to hear it was meh. Next one the JLE cover was cool. Sorry to the Doom Patrol guy, but this looked cool. And the story works. Ah Lobo looks great in this issue.
Definitely an impressive art style in this one. I like the jokes sorry DOOM Patrol fans, but I like the gag on it. I liked the Vertgo run, but this is still fun. So they can get threw this, fight Doomsday, Desparo, tons of other villains, but Niles scares them off …. Em. Hmm, maybe the Check mate Max was also a fake? Could explain a lot. Anyway can’t wait for the next episode.
I don’t often comment on this show, because it’s so long you guys. So… so long. Routinely going over an hour for each 22 page comic book? I’m just sick of hearing about it by the time any given show’s over. I’m only giving this podcast another six months or so to tighten up, or else I’m tapping out. Plus, I’m an old man, and I’ve usually forgotten whatever points I wanted to make after 2½ hours.
Oh yeah…
Andy Helfer is the editor featured in Cosmic Odyssey. He’s easy to identify because Kevin Maguire drew his picture for the first ever JLI trade paperback, featuring a few dozen other headshots commonly used for the JLI members from this period. Maguire probably did this because it was for the foreword Helfer wrote for the trade, about how Helfer discovered Maguire and made him a star on his first assignment, JLI. And also how he hired Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis to create the JLI, and later would have the idea for a spin-off and hired Bart Sears to draw that. I don’t remember why you guys referenced Kevin Dooley, who looks nothing like Andy Helfer, because the show is really long, you guys, but it’s definitely longtime JLI editor/co-creator Andy Helfer in Cosmic Odyssey.
Yeah, that’s a swell Martian Manhunter cover, though curiously it most reflects his mood and sentiments in JLI #60, rather than #56. I wonder if the writers were inspired by that cover to reflect it in the farewell. It’s appropriate too that the World Trade Towers were featured in a U.N.-themed team book. I don’t think it ever occurred to me that the Secret Sanctuary was also in that picture, because geography. I mean, why not throw in the Eiffel Tower for good measure? Man, going from Chrises Sprouse to Wozniak is like biting into a chocolate covered cockroach. Not the cream-filled center I was hoping for. I never realized the “Breakdowns” referenced in the title was the JLI’s suffering from sudden onset Cushing’s disease. I didn’t know that was infectious, and yet everyone’s got a JLthyroid disorder. I did like the duck bit, and in my earliest thoughts about a possible Martian Manhunter series, I had L-Ron in mind as a sidekick. I got a manga artist to draw L-Ron into one of my Martian Manhunter jam pierces. That was nearly a decade ago, but when I searched my blog just now, I couldn’t find it. Is it possible that I never posted it? Oh no, wait, I put it on DC Bloodlines…
https://dcbloodlines.blogspot.com/2016/09/2015-l-ron-amazing-houston-comic-con.html
I got the floating in space bit when I bought JLE #32 in ’91. It’s just not a great cover, though I’d never go so far as to compare Robertson disparagingly to Wozniak. I didn’t like either at the time, but one was still a vast improvement over the other. I didn’t fully “get” the Doom Patrol references at the time, but I was fully uninterested in trying. Despite being easier on the eyes, I definitely preferred the J L A, both this month, most months, and certainly as a team. Oh hey, you know what I didn’t need though? Two issues and a full month of “breather.” God, get on with it already! Yes, “Breakdowns” has its moments, but it’s also the Clone Saga of League longform. No, it’s not worth it.
Thanks for another great show. I somehow never got around to commenting last month, though I have great notes. I may put them in your Christmas card, Shag.
Anyway, it’s lovely to have a new guest with fine insights. I’m shocked at how similar Mike and Shagg sound.
Regarding the JLA book, it makes sense, I suppose, J’onn going back to the cave, but none of the other Leaguers who turned up have a big emotional connection to it, the new League was barely they’re five minutes before being whisked off to a swanky embassy. (Batman, Green Arrow, Aquaman… why are superheroes so into caves anyway, they’re dank and creepy and often claustrophobic? Sometimes they even house a Snapper Carr.)
I like the colouring on the cover but Martian Manhunter looks far too skinny.
I remember being pretty sick of the whole Breakdowns palava by the time this issue stumbled into view, and stupid scenes like the overdramatic phone call between Ted and Booster didn’t help. Also, Wozniak’s art was often hideous, as in that close-up of General Glory in the gallery, or the nearby J’onn head that looked like he’d been punched half to death. As for Supposed Bea on the roof, who is that skinny-headed chick in the green wig? The best thing in the book was Ted’s description of the Doom Patrol as ‘surrealists’.
Hix is back! As I said, it’s great to have a new guest with fine insights.
That Guy issue was an OK read, love the cover… is it a Richard Corben homage? (Looks it up at Grand Comic Database…) ‘Cover is an homage to a Frank Frazetta painting: Conan the Adventurer.’ Oh well, I’m still giving myself a point. Guy’s sword, maybe.
And yes, this was Joe Staton art at its goofiest. Brrrr Kari Limbo, she now looks as ugly on the outside as she is on the inside, stupid Mantis/Moondragon wannabe. And look at her lecturing Guy about not being a soft-hearted PE teacher anymore, she’s the one who couldn’t wait to let Hal Jordan get his hands on her crystal balls.
Guy really is terrible in this issues, though. Goldface should have recruited G’nort.
I did like the ‘Akron Brand: Aerialist’ sight gag, mind.
As for JLE, I’m with Paul, this was a disappointing issue for a Doom Patrol fan, they should’ve been front and centre with the Leaguers, getting a sales boost. Mind, I did enjoy the bureau/chest gags, and the deviated septum, which was more entertaining than some of the stuff happening under Grant Morrison at the point – that really could be weird for weirdnesses’ sake, whereas this was weirdness for fun’s sake, and it worked for me.
Mention was made of the two Crimson Foxes, but wasn’t Vivian well dead by this point?
Major Disaster was looking rather great in civvies on that final page. I may have to write some Major Disaster/Bluejay slash fic, possibly my final shot at getting a Double Stud award!
Shagg and Paul debated whether the Doom Patrol portion of JLE was a parody and whether it was good. Paul was wrong… it was great. Shagg? Of course it was a parody! I re-read both the entire run of JLI and Morrison’s Doom Patrol about 8 months ago, coincidentally at the same time… just like back when they were coming out. I feel the Doom Patrol portions of this JLE were the best part! Giffen was clearly gently mocking Morrison… whose book was receiving all kind of praise at the time. The over-the-top soliloquy by the chest of drawers was a perfect parody of the type of over-indulgent “look how clever I am” stuff Morrison was writing in Doom Patrol.
Another thing… I didn’t work in a comic book shop at the time nor did I talk to anyone else who was reading comics… so I was unaware of this supposed non-love for Breakdowns. Every time you mention it… I get all “huh?” The only thing I didn’t like about Breakdowns was that it reminds me of one of the greatest comic series ending. In fact, because the Giffen/DeMatties era of JLI ended and I was running out of money… it pretty much ended my comic buying at the time. So, Breakdowns just makes me sad… but I did love it.
Keith Giffen did Morrison Doom Patrol parody again in Ambush Bug Nothing Special (the Bug is turned down for membership because his sound effects are too conventional), which I find interesting since he went on to actually write the DP years later.
By this point the Doom Patrol had moved to Danny the Street, but the Chief stuck around in Happy Harbor to run his project, so it makes sense that he’s the only one the JL run into. I wonder which member is meant when Ralph mentions “the one who talks funny.” Rebis has unique text bubbles, but I never noticed anything unusual about hir speech patterns.
Another really fun episode where you had one interesting guest and one guest who, after two appearances, I can only surmise is one of your arch-nemesis. You two are like Batman and the Joker, but if they were sarcastic podcasters.
Anyway, the conversations about these issues were great to listen to. I loved the deep dive into the cover art, the back-and-forth on the Doom Patrol parody, and everything in-between.
These two issues were obviously better than the last two, and the art from Wozniak was much more palatable. Perhaps he just can’t really tackle action sequences yet. Anyway, what I enjoyed the most, was how these issues slowed it down and returned to telling stories between the action, which I think is worthy of being called a rebirth of the Justice League. They took it back to formula and that worked for me.
Now that we are at the halfway point, I think i know what has been wrong with Breakdowns so far. Since the beginning of the series, The Giffen-DeMatteis Justice League showed us that they could be successful without any action (Moving Day) and that they could be great without a lot of jokes (Scott Free’s funeral), but the book can’t survive without heart. And the first half of Breakdowns was light on heart, specifically part 5 and 6. Part 7 and 8 brought that back to the forefront. Let’s hope they hold onto that through the 2nd half of Breakdowns. It will be difficult though, because in my opinion, the loss of Oberon really crippled this book, sine he was integral to the beating heart of this series, and I can’t remember if we see him again before the end. His unique relationships with the different characters in the book really added depth and humanity that I don’t think they recaptured after he left.
For that Green Lantern issue, I had to dig deep into my comic boxes to find it. I knew I had it because I recognized the cover, but didn’t remember anything about the story. Reading it, I expected it to turn out to be a dream or some fortune teller vision type thing showing Guy what life out of the league would be like, but no. It was just a weird thing that made no sense.
P.S. I always get a kick out of the feedback section because when you read everyone’s comments you list all their Bona Fides as either podcasters, artists, PhDs, content creators, or as kings of Norway or whatever other amazing things your listeners are and then it gets to me and it’s like “….and here is some dude….” like I crashed a dentist convention to steal free drinks and appetizers and everyone is calling each other doctor and I’m stuffing a mini quiche in my mouth so no one asks me too many questions.
Well, Chris, in 2016 I had never listened to a podcast before. Ever. Then I heard about this one, and I was the “random internet” dude for quite a while, but in the end, there’s nothing random about it. We’re all fans, and that’s really why we’re writing in and sharing our affection for this comic and show, so the more the merrier. But please stop bogarting the mini quiches, especially the spinach ones!
Marvellous stuff, as always. And as mentioned in this episode’s feedback, JLA#56 is one of my favourite-ever comics covers. Just a gorgeous shot of J’onn looking pensive and melancholy.
Thought I should mention that Fire and Ice have indeed been to the Secret Sanctuary before, back in JLQ#3, when they were among the miniaturised, time-displaced Leaguers.
Much as I have little affection for these issues in general, that page of L-Ron tormenting the ducks and J’onn chastising him for both meditation disruption and animal abuse is absolute gold. Leave the ducks alone, indeed! And is this the first time J’onn’s true Martian form, as revealed in his 1988 mini-series, appeared in the main JLA title? I know he was in the Armageddon 2001 annual in Gumby mode, but I can’t recall him doing that before in the monthly book.
Finally, I have a No-Prize explanation for the seeming geographical blunder on the cover. The New York in question is not the New York of our Earth (Earth Prime), but the New York of Earth-1. That reality already diverges geographically from our own by having a Metropolis, a Gotham, a Qurac and a Gorilla City, so it’s not too much of a stretch to say that Rhode Island could be a few inches to the left.
JLQ #3: great catch! Fire and Ice were indeed with the itty-bitty, teeny-tiny Leaguers!
J’onn Gumby: See JLA #31, the first part of the Teasdale Imperative, J’onn was meditating and walks in on Oberon giving Dr Fate and Huntress a tour of the NY embassy, embarrassingly hilarious.
Aha, good call Tim. I knew I was missing something. Cheers!
Great show, Shag, Mike, and Paul. Well, I think the doily search has run its course. When the embassy wood furniture gets scratched, they’ll have no one to blame but themselves. Breakdowns is breaking down a bit, but the podcast is still running on all cylinders. The JLA cover immediately made me think of the All-Star Superman issue 1 cover. I doubt Frank Quitely was homaging this, but the look and feel is very similar. Also, I want to go to “All-Nite Do-Nuts.” Look at that glorious donut display. It’s gotta be 12 feet high! Now I want a donut. Boston cream or cinnamon. And Krispy Kreme is garbage, I will not debate this.
I’m only halfway through the episode and I know you have a new episode coming on Sunday so I’m probably too late but I have to answer one of Shag’s questions.
Where is Batman?
He’s too busy setting up a street gang with Bart Sears in Legends of the Dark Knight.
Good call about Batman! And yes, next episode’s feedback has already been recorded. Sorry!!
Quack
Quack quack quack quack
Quack quack
Bwah-ha-ha!! And sorry, but next episode’s feedback has already been recorded.