Apokolips Rising! - Justice League of America #183

Where Have All the New Gods Gone?

Justice League of America #183

Cover Date: October 1980
Released: 10th July 1980

Welcome to the 80s!

It's been almost a year since the last time Power Girl appeared, it won't be the longest gap between appearances (by a long shot) but it is the first break that happened. Though to be fair, both All-Star Comics and Adventure was both bi-monthly so it wasn't a constant thing month to month. Still, Kara will now have an almost constant run right the way through the eighties.

After our one page summary of Earth-1 and Earth-2, we get a glorious two-page splash of the two teams arriving on what happens to be New Genesis. We then get this weird page where Supes explains to Power Girl how he feels a misfit on Earth, but here on New Genesis, he feels among equals. The bit I do get is that he stays on Earth because it's his responsibility to help protect humanity. Obviously feeling left out, Wonder Woman goes on a mini-rant about the only god she believes in are the old kind that lives on a mountain in Greece. Having enough of this Firestorm wanders off to get away from all this blathering.

Ah yes, Firestorm! A few issues ago (JLA #180) he joined the team and gets a fair amount of attention here, which I feel has a lot to do with him being created by the writer of this character. This probably explains that he gets a few pages here where he fights with Orion before the rest of the teams show up and take the New God down with a coordinated effort. After that Metron and his chair shows up, along with Mr Miracle, Big Barda and Oberon.

Fun aside my first experience was in the days before I (more) seriously followed comics. It was a Superman weekly comic that printed the infamous Superman and Barda make a porno, actively Action Comics #592. Despite this vivid memory, or perhaps because of it, I'm a fan in general of Big Barda.

Whilst Orion literally sorts himself out with his Motherbox Metron explains about Apokolips and Darkseid, who thought dead at this time. Working with the Injustice Society all of the folks of New Genesis have been kidnapped and taken to Apokolips. Obviously, the heroes agree to help and as is the 

the tradition of JLA / JSA team-ups they all split into small teams to deal with different threats.

We start with Batman, who must look at Metron and think "neat chair", and Huntress who get to be their usual badasses as they sneak into the palace. All the while Mr Miracle is explaining that Darkseid suffered the fate (this time) of becoming merged with the source wall, which is the fate of all that try to pass beyond it to learn the secrets of the universe!

 Meanwhile, Oberson spoils a classic prison exchange con, with Hal and Doctor Fate disguised as guards, when he can't resist giving the Apokolipsian guards a good kicking. Hal get into where the prisoners are probably being kept when he sees a cliffhanging something!

Wonder Woman and suitably Big Barda break into Grannie Goodnesses place where there free a young woman who was about to be punished for show mercy. Supes even gets to do a classic finger flick knock out of one of the guards, even if it's part of a cliche never hit a woman moment. 

Meanwhile, our Power Girl, new guy Firestorm and Orion find a giant ray gun guarded by the Injustice Society. But more important we see the giant head of a very much alive Darkseid!

I don't generally complain about the art, having no talent for such things myself, but the slightly janky look of Barda's massive hat show that as an artist Jack Kirby was a master of the art. Apart from that this is pretty standard JSA/JLA stuff, by now these team-ups have been refined down to an art. Not that that's a bad thing, and I always enjoy the crazy cosmic shenanigans of Apokolips!

 ⋅ Writers: Gerry Conway ⋅ Pencilers: Dick Dillin ⋅ Inkers: Frank McLaughlin ⋅ 

Colourists: Gene D'Angelo ⋅ Letterers: Ben Oda ⋅ Editors: Len Wein ⋅