"Post No. 540"

Read a run of JLA (DC) #'s 101 thru 109 (September '04 thru February, '05); the previous series to the current one.

#'s 101 thru 106 contained the complete "Pain of the Gods" storyline, and it was very good. Each issue took on an individual JLA member (Superman, The Flash, Green Lantern, J'onn J'onzz, Wonder Woman, & Batman, in that order) and told about some tramatic event in their lives as a super-hero. For instance, Superman allows a new super-hero to take the danger in a collapsing building while he flies the victims to safety, and the building explodes killing said hero, who Supes didn't realize didn't have as much power and invunerability to withstand such. The Flash is rescueing victims from a burning apartment complex, but can't save two children. Wonder Woman is almost killed by a super-villianess she's never met before, and Green Lantern tries to save an abused woman from her husband, only to accidently allow a stalker to kill another woman in the same building, etc. Each of these events leaves the heroes shaken in their abilities to save mankind, and they lean heavily on the other members of the JLA for support. An ongoing story within this is Superman trying to watch out for the son of the hero who lost his life, only to discover the entire family are super-powered beings.

This is one of the better efforts I've read from writer Chuck Austen. I give it a X^D

#'s 107 thru 109 contains half of a story called "The JLA VS. The Crime Syndicate". I can't fully review this due to not having read its entirity, but from the first half I was a little disapointed in writer, Kurt Buseik, perhaps because I've always expected more from him after his Astro City series.

The tale involves the "Crime Syndicate of America" (from "Earth A"? I never could get that straight. The JLA evil counterparts such as "Ultraman", "Owlman", "Johnny Quick" & "Superwoman", who was first introduced around #'s 29 or 30 of the original Justice League series circa 1963-64) coming to our own earth and disgusing themselves as the real JLA. And that's about as far as it read in those three issues. It was "okay", but... From what I read it's a :^)

Ron Garvey did the artwork in all of these issues. Not one of my favorite of comic book artists, but capable.

Not much going on around here today. My wife and I had the day off together and thought about maybe going out of town to some flea markets, but just didn't make it. I had a lousey night's sleep and it was late before we even got up. When we finally did we sat around on the couch for a good hour and a half before we got the enthusiasm just to go down to the local flea market, of which there wasn't anything of interest, then by the nursing home for an hour or more to visit with my mom.

Later on, we took a walk for a mile or better, over to the cemetary where I checked on my dad's grave and removed some weeds from the plot, and we walked around looking at the old stones, some of which dated back into the mid to late 1800's. It's where a large portion of my family is buried, including my brother and his wife, many aunts-uncles-great "whichevers", grandfathers & grandmothers, and my great grandfather who was a sergent in the 29th. Infantry of the Union Army and fought in The Civil War.

Stopped by mom's place and watered her flowers and back home.