The Secret Wars boys take a quick break from their coverage of all things Beyonder to review and discuss the seminal Squadron Supreme mini-series by Mark Gruenwald and Bob Hall. Often referred to as "Watchmen before Watchmen", this comic takes a hard look at what would happen if superheroes stopped fighting villains and tried to actually save the world...almost destroying it in the process.
In this second episode, Greg and Sean are joined by the Irredeemable Shagg from the Fire and Water Network to review issues 2 and 3 of The Squadron Supreme. Join them as they discuss the sins we forgive in our heroes, what our home states would be named after in the Squad Universe, and why Nuke is the worst.
Promos: Unpacking the Power of Power Pack
The Power Princess comforting Doctor Spectrum moment was most likely an homage to Wonder Woman comforting the golden age Green Lantern in All-Star Squadron #20 when he imagined his power ring destroyed Japan. https://blogintomystery.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/squad20i.jpg
ReplyDeleteWow, I got to hear Shagg on both his Who's Who podcast and this episode in the same day. Suddenly, I need a shower.
ReplyDeleteSpectrum is just the worst. His "prank" on Power Princess wasn't funny when I originally read it, and is so much worse now. No spoilers, but we'll see if he gets his comeuppance later.
The focus on Tom Thumb was excellently done. His level of desperation is palpable by the end of the issue, but even with the reveal, it doesn't feel like he's doing it solely for himself. He really wanted to save Nuke's parents and everyone with cancer. But it was out of his reach, another metaphor of his stature. Wow.
And we're seeing already a big part of Gruenwald's style of writing: his character's are thinkers. Even a jock/jerk like Spectrum is thinking through his options and considering what he does. They're action characters, but they are very deliberate in what they do. But he doesn't always give the antagonists the same level of thought balloons. Interesting then that Nuke hardly even has any thought balloons.
Nuke's death shocked me back then, and still resonates now. It was an end of innocence for me. I started looking at the fights in my comics a little differently from then on, no longer taking it for granted that people could just be knocked, wake up, and be fine. Getting physical like this can turn badly very easily. I still accept the tropes, but now I see them for what they are.
But my question for you guys! Is there an analog of the Scarlet Centurion in the DC universe? I can't think of a time-travelling villain that he resembles. He's an alternate version of Kang, so it really breaks that model. But what do you think?
Keep it real, Supremists!