Solomon says Relax - Infinity Inc #3
Infinity Inc #3
Cover Date: June 1984Released: 22nd March 1984We start we the Power Girl waking up, and for the first few pages, she really takes the lead waking up the other two (Huntress and Star-Spangled Kid), though waking them up by flying in the fresh air is a little dubious at best. As the three recover from the last issues mind whammy we get a quick summary of what happened previously. They then tell us about all the adventures in 1942, in a couple of pages, fighting the wonderfully named Lady Ultra-Humanite. As a quick aside I find it fascinating that the original Ultra-Humanite brain transplant was into Dolores, I know it's a pulp thing but from my (limited) reading it's never made a big deal that he choose a female host. Of cause being comics no big deal is made about him choosing an ape next, but I can't help reading it with my progressive 21st-century brain.
With a quick Central Park aside to show, pretty subtly for comics, that Brain Wave Jnr is on the level we finally get to this issues actual story. Well, actually we get a quick side trip to the residence of the Hall's (as in Hawkman) where we get the set-up for the next issue of the comic. Which thanks to my time on All-Star's I'm totally used to it! Though it's a little weird that we're now halfway through the comic and only now is the story getting to the point, a few decades later this would be called writing for the trade and celebrated (and decried) and the next big thing.
Oh, wait no! Now as we make our way to San Fernando Valley, and Stellar Studio's, we get some more retelling this time of Star-Spangled Kids background, including stuff we covered in All-Star's #71. We do get the revelation that Brainwave Jnr mom was actually Merry Pemberton, making him and STar-Spangled Kid related. Then finally Solomon Grundy!
Now I unironically love Solomon Grundy what with his whole undead hulk speech stick, and it's fun that he show up here but I got to admit that this is just a fight because a superhero comic book must have a fight in it. He was just chillin' at this backlot keeping out of trouble when these young heroes come bumbling in and just start trouble. It is a pretty good fight though escalating with each person coming in, and Power Girl gets to throw some pretty good attacks here and there. It also ends with this page that thing is just glorious and needs to be shared with you all!
We then end on the JSA going to meet Superman in some tunnels before all being knocked out by a sudden flash flood. And the final reveal of a triumphant Superman!
Whilst I've hammered home just how much setup there still is in this comic, three issues into a run at that, I actually still enjoyed the comic. I will admit it's probably because I know I still have many more issues to go and this is just the style of comics I've gotten used to thanks to All-Star's comics. I do wonder how this would have played to a reader at the time, one that unlike now didn't have the option to binge read the whole story and had to wait for the comic to come out monthly (especially as there was a two-month wait between issue one and two).
⋅ Writers: Roy Thomas / Dann Thomas ⋅ Pencilers: Jerry Ordway ⋅ Inkers: Mike Machlan / Rick Magyar / Bill Collins ⋅ ⋅ Colourists: Adrienne Roy / Anthony Tollin ⋅ Letterers: David Cody Weiss ⋅ Editors: Roy Thomas ⋅
We start we the Power Girl waking up, and for the first few pages, she really takes the lead waking up the other two (Huntress and Star-Spangled Kid), though waking them up by flying in the fresh air is a little dubious at best. As the three recover from the last issues mind whammy we get a quick summary of what happened previously. They then tell us about all the adventures in 1942, in a couple of pages, fighting the wonderfully named Lady Ultra-Humanite. As a quick aside I find it fascinating that the original Ultra-Humanite brain transplant was into Dolores, I know it's a pulp thing but from my (limited) reading it's never made a big deal that he choose a female host. Of cause being comics no big deal is made about him choosing an ape next, but I can't help reading it with my progressive 21st-century brain.
With a quick Central Park aside to show, pretty subtly for comics, that Brain Wave Jnr is on the level we finally get to this issues actual story. Well, actually we get a quick side trip to the residence of the Hall's (as in Hawkman) where we get the set-up for the next issue of the comic. Which thanks to my time on All-Star's I'm totally used to it! Though it's a little weird that we're now halfway through the comic and only now is the story getting to the point, a few decades later this would be called writing for the trade and celebrated (and decried) and the next big thing.
Oh, wait no! Now as we make our way to San Fernando Valley, and Stellar Studio's, we get some more retelling this time of Star-Spangled Kids background, including stuff we covered in All-Star's #71. We do get the revelation that Brainwave Jnr mom was actually Merry Pemberton, making him and STar-Spangled Kid related. Then finally Solomon Grundy!
Now I unironically love Solomon Grundy what with his whole undead hulk speech stick, and it's fun that he show up here but I got to admit that this is just a fight because a superhero comic book must have a fight in it. He was just chillin' at this backlot keeping out of trouble when these young heroes come bumbling in and just start trouble. It is a pretty good fight though escalating with each person coming in, and Power Girl gets to throw some pretty good attacks here and there. It also ends with this page that thing is just glorious and needs to be shared with you all!
We then end on the JSA going to meet Superman in some tunnels before all being knocked out by a sudden flash flood. And the final reveal of a triumphant Superman!
Whilst I've hammered home just how much setup there still is in this comic, three issues into a run at that, I actually still enjoyed the comic. I will admit it's probably because I know I still have many more issues to go and this is just the style of comics I've gotten used to thanks to All-Star's comics. I do wonder how this would have played to a reader at the time, one that unlike now didn't have the option to binge read the whole story and had to wait for the comic to come out monthly (especially as there was a two-month wait between issue one and two).
⋅ Writers: Roy Thomas / Dann Thomas ⋅ Pencilers: Jerry Ordway ⋅ Inkers: Mike Machlan / Rick Magyar / Bill Collins ⋅ ⋅ Colourists: Adrienne Roy / Anthony Tollin ⋅ Letterers: David Cody Weiss ⋅ Editors: Roy Thomas ⋅
Now I unironically love Solomon Grundy what with his whole undead hulk speech stick, and it's fun that he show up here but I got to admit that this is just a fight because a superhero comic book must have a fight in it. He was just chillin' at this backlot keeping out of trouble when these young heroes come bumbling in and just start trouble. It is a pretty good fight though escalating with each person coming in, and Power Girl gets to throw some pretty good attacks here and there. It also ends with this page that thing is just glorious and needs to be shared with you all!
⋅ Writers: Roy Thomas / Dann Thomas ⋅ Pencilers: Jerry Ordway ⋅ Inkers: Mike Machlan / Rick Magyar / Bill Collins ⋅
⋅ Colourists: Adrienne Roy / Anthony Tollin ⋅ Letterers: David Cody Weiss ⋅ Editors: Roy Thomas ⋅
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