drive-by readings: JSA vs. Kobra #2

JSA vs Kobra #2 (DC) "Engines of Faith, Part 2: Strange Days" Eric Trautmann Don Kramer Michael Babinski Pat Brosseau Art Lyon Gene Ha (cover)

i like it when the requisite superhero team gets confounded at every turn by their enemies. it's no fun if they figure out the plot and smash the villains easily. the early-Morrison JLA epitomized these thriller rides. now the Justice Society, a collection of the smartest and most powerful heroes in the DCU, is playing catch-up to a resurgent Kobra, who's determined more than ever to bring about the Apocalypse and makes Al Qaeda look like amateurs. well, the glaring difference is that with Kobra, terrorism is their religion. they also seem to know how to deal with metahumans, as evidenced by decoying them to lock up S.T.A.R. Labs, bombing other places while taking the real prize inside LexCorp offices. this fight is far from over. i guess Power Girl heaving her chest doesn't really work as a distraction anymore. except for me.

drive-by readings: JSA vs Kobra #1

JSA vs Kobra #1 (DC) "Engines of Faith, Part 1: Bad Religion" Eric Trautmann Don Kramer Michael Babinski Pat Brosseau Art Lyon Gene Ha (cover)

so this time, the JSA wants to bring down the vicious terrorist organization led by Cobra Commander ... whoops, wrong Cobra. foreshadowed in the Faces of Evil gimmick (the Kobra issue was actually one of the more interesting ones), Kobra comes back from a sabbatical and ready to take their place as the eminent terrorist organization in the world. screw Al Qaeda and that Cobra. this Kobra is upping the body count.

a suicide bomber nearly takes out Mr. Terrific, despondent as he is with his personal issues. i like the fact that his role in Checkmate comes back to bite him, as some shady arms dealers operate with Checkmate's blessings (including post-hynotic commands) in hopes of catching bigger fish. of course, this does not make Powergirl happy. but that could be a good thing, because when she's mad, she breathes heavily and in a heaving manner, and - ah forget it. anyway, you know how hard is it to deal with religious zealots, and the Society will have their hands full on this one. and oh, welcome back, Don Kramer.