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Post by Reptisaurus! on Nov 13, 2014 23:04:29 GMT -5
It might not line up well with Kirby canon, but JLA: Rock of Ages was pretty damn awesome. DARKSEID ISEveryone says that but I don't see it. RoA looks to me much the same as the usual DCU version where Darkseid is just there to be physically defeated by the heroes. Instead of getting punched out by Superman, the Atom brings him down by going inside his head or something, isn't that the one? I could be mixing it up with some other JLA/Darkseid story, it's been a long time since I looked at it. "I CANNOT BE DESTROYED! I AM EVERYTHING! I CANNOT BE STOPPED! AND IN THE RUIN OF THIS ANTHILL PLANET I WILL BUILD AN EMPIRE OF ORDER! THAT IS MY WILL! THAT IS THE WILL OF DARKSEID!" For the defense here: While I believe that Morrison wasn't overly familiar with the 4th world stuff when he wrote this story, I believe it captures Darkseid fairly well: A) It portrays Darkseied as "lawful evil" (to borrow a term from Dungeons and Dragons) and comfortable using the tools of government, beuracracy, and media to accomplish his ends. He works on a higher level and thinks on a wider scale than most supervillains. B) He did take over the entire planet earth - This shows that Darkseid is a major, constant threat and the heroes can only stave off his attentions through constant vigilance and A LOT of luck. C) The heroes were only able to beat Darkseid because he didn't consider 'em worth killing. He defeated Wonder Woman and Batman with ease, but left the Atom and Green Arrow alive. "Go from here. Enjoy your hopeless victories. In the end you too will serve me." This isn't at all inconsistent with Kirby's Darkseid, who always seemed above the petty hero vs. villain struggles and would keep his enemy's alive because it amused him to do so. D) Darkseid's death didn't really accomplish much of anything... The world still ended, and in a very real sense Anti-life won. |
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Post by Icctrombone on Nov 13, 2014 23:22:23 GMT -5
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Post by dupersuper on Nov 13, 2014 23:24:53 GMT -5
It might not line up well with Kirby canon, but JLA: Rock of Ages was pretty damn awesome. DARKSEID ISEveryone says that but I don't see it. RoA looks to me much the same as the usual DCU version where Darkseid is just there to be physically defeated by the heroes. Instead of getting punched out by Superman, the Atom brings him down by going inside his head or something, isn't that the one? I could be mixing it up with some other JLA/Darkseid story, it's been a long time since I looked at it. I believe this is also the storyline where they have Batman scaring Metron literally just by saying "Boo!" to him: this kind of nonsense is the lowest order of fan-service and any writer who indulges in it isn't going to get high marks from me, no matter how accomplished they may be otherwise. And as far as I recall, Orion was written in Morrison's JLA as a mindless thug, slavering at the mouth in one scene (or was that in the Mark Waid run?), the more to impress the reader with the contrasting moral uprightness of Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, et al. When I see this kind of thing, I don't think they're even trying to write the New Gods - they're just using them to make the popular heroes look superior, introducing whatever distortions to the characters they deem necessary to that end. Much the same thing was done in a different way with Orion in the recent WW series. I thought Darkseid was portrayed as sufficiently scary up until Atom took him out rather cleverly. It's not like the good guys will loose in a Justice League comic book. The Orion thing was Waid (during 1 of 2 fill-in stories during Morrisons run, not Waids later run), but to be fair Orion was being used as slave labour at the time... |
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Post by badwolf on Nov 21, 2014 12:51:42 GMT -5
John Byrne used Darkseid and the New Gods several times in his Superman and Action runs. (I don't mind the Sleez storyline as much as others do.) Legends and Cosmic Odyssey are good minis. And I have a lot of sentimental feelings about this arc, since this was one of the first JLA issues I ever read:  |
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Post by Icctrombone on Nov 21, 2014 12:55:36 GMT -5
John Byrne used Darkseid and the New Gods several times in his Superman and Action runs. (I don't mind the Sleez storyline as much as others do.) Legends and Cosmic Odyssey are good minis. And I have a lot of sentimental feelings about this arc, since this was one of the first JLA issues I ever read: It's interesting to note that Darkseid used the Sleez to get his porn fix. |
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Post by badwolf on Nov 21, 2014 14:31:44 GMT -5
It's interesting to note that Darkseid used the Sleez to get his porn fix. Granny Goodness just doesn't do it for him any more. |
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Post by Icctrombone on Nov 21, 2014 15:54:58 GMT -5
It's interesting to note that Darkseid used the Sleez to get his porn fix. Granny Goodness just doesn't do it for him any more. If only I could get Zatanna to mind wipe me to forget that statement. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Nov 21, 2014 16:48:48 GMT -5
I've always liked Cosmic Odyssey
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Nov 21, 2014 18:40:10 GMT -5
It might not line up well with Kirby canon, but JLA: Rock of Ages was pretty damn awesome. DARKSEID ISEveryone says that but I don't see it. RoA looks to me much the same as the usual DCU version where Darkseid is just there to be physically defeated by the heroes. Instead of getting punched out by Superman, the Atom brings him down by going inside his head or something, isn't that the one? I could be mixing it up with some other JLA/Darkseid story, it's been a long time since I looked at it. I believe this is also the storyline where they have Batman scaring Metron literally just by saying "Boo!" to him: this kind of nonsense is the lowest order of fan-service and any writer who indulges in it isn't going to get high marks from me, no matter how accomplished they may be otherwise. Apparently we see eye to eye on this subject. RoA is the only Morrison JLA that I read and it made sure I would stay faaaaaar away from the rest. *edit* I will however grant that "Darkseid is" is a good line. Is that from Morrison? |
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Post by badwolf on Nov 21, 2014 18:43:51 GMT -5
I loved "Rock of Ages" but I remember it more for the Injustice Gang than the Darkseid bits. I'm a sucker for villain groups, and it was actually this arc that got me to start picking up JLA after many years of being away from superhero comics.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Nov 21, 2014 18:48:33 GMT -5
New Gods for sure, followed by Hunger Dogs. I'll throw in all three series of Super Powers also. Not the best quality-wise, but it's campy fun and you get to see Superman and the rest of the gang battle Darkseid. My highest recommendation goes to: The Great Darkness Saga. No Orion or Supes in this one, but this was the first Darkseid story that really made me understand just how powerful he was as a villain. Also considered the definitive LoSH story by a contingent of Legion fans (including me).  I really enjoyed that arc, but isn't putting Darkseid on the cover a bit of a spoiler? (Of course, back then, seeing Darkseif show up was much more of a surprise than it would be today... so the surprise reveal had a WTF? quality that would be hard to get nowadays). |
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Post by badwolf on Nov 21, 2014 18:53:04 GMT -5
There was an arc in Abnett & Lanning's Legion that was apparently something of an homage to Great Darkness... I've never read the original but I really liked the D'n'A story.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2014 19:04:04 GMT -5
New Gods for sure, followed by Hunger Dogs. I'll throw in all three series of Super Powers also. Not the best quality-wise, but it's campy fun and you get to see Superman and the rest of the gang battle Darkseid. My highest recommendation goes to: The Great Darkness Saga. No Orion or Supes in this one, but this was the first Darkseid story that really made me understand just how powerful he was as a villain. Also considered the definitive LoSH story by a contingent of Legion fans (including me). I really enjoyed that arc, but isn't putting Darkseid on the cover a bit of a spoiler? (Of course, back then, seeing Darkseif show up was much more of a surprise than it would be today... so the surprise reveal had a WTF? quality that would be hard to get nowadays). No doubt, it's a spoiler alright. One that really bothers me. The best experience was reading those issues as they came out back in '82. Man what a treat that was. |
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Nov 21, 2014 21:13:35 GMT -5
One that really bothers me. The best experience was reading those issues as they came out back in '82. Man what a treat that was. Yeah! I didn't even know who Darkseid was, back then; only that he had been in a legendary Jack Kirby series and that he had a near-mythological status in the DC universe. That full page where he finally appears was a very strong moment to the young reader I was! |
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