All-Star Squadron #3

All-Star Squadron #3 (Nov 1981)

title: "The Dooms of Dark December!"

writer/co-creator: Roy Thomas

penciller/co-creator: Rich Buckler

inker: Jerry Ordway

letterer: John Costanza

colorist: Carl Gafford

editor: Len Wein

cover: Rich Buckler & Dick Giordano

Order of Appearance: Phantom Lady is the only Freedom Fighter to appear in this story. 

Other Stars:  Hawkman, Robot Man, Johnny Quick, Plastic Man, the Atom, Dr. Mid-Nite, Liberty Belle, Shining Knight; cameos by Starman, Dr. Fate, Johnny Thunder, the Sandman, Green Lantern, the Flash, Wonder Woman, Batman, Robin, and the Spectre

Supporting Characters:
Danette Reilly, Professor Zee, Eleanor Roosevelt

Opponents:
Per Degaton and his gang from 1947: Wotan, Professor Zodiak, and Solomon Grundy

Overall Summary: 
The all-new all-different All-Star Squadron squares off against Per Degaton in final battle---! (Guess who wins) 

Plot Summary:
Phantom Lady has joined the other "mystery men" in patrolling San Francisco to keep it safe from imminent Japanese invasion... and also from looters and saboteurs. They give the people pride and a sense of hope instead of the stark fear that Per Degaton was hoping for. 

Shining Knight and geologist Danette Reilly escape from Per Degaton's submarine. With the aid of the Knight's flying horse, Winged Victory, they head back to the volcanic island to try to rescue the Justice Society members imprisoned there. Wotan and Professor Zodiak follow them. 

Later, Phantom Lady and her group head out into the Pacific Ocean to investigate the claims that the missing Zeroes had come inland. They find Per Degaton's submarine, and they dive into the water after it. Plastic Man makes himself hard enough to drill through the metal hull, getting them all inside. 

On the volcanic island, Professor Zodiak's "Universal Solvent" accidentally lands on the Spectre, who frees himself and then all of his team-mates. Wotan and Zodiak disappear back to the future. 

Inside the submarine, Phantom Lady and company face off against Solomon Grundy, Per Degaton's hypnotically controlled guards, and Per Degaton himself. As things unravel, Per retreats back to the future, making Grundy, all of his guards, and the submarine disappear, too. 

The super-heroes rise to the surface, where they are surprised to find Shining Knight and the missing Justice Society members. The Spectre whisks them all back to San Francisco, then allows them to hear First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt speak of their founding on the radio. They pledge to help protect the US home front in the War. "Remember Pearl Harbor!" 

Review: 

As mentioned in last issue's review, here we see Per Degaton failing miserably in his time-travelling plot to take over the world. Was anyone....surprised? I mean, with non time travelling stories it seems like there is an off-chance that someone might be injured or killed or something of consequence might happen, but with time travelling stories isn't it a GIVEN that we will LITERALLY return to the status quo? Am I wrong here? 

Well, anyway, let's agree that I didn't care too much for the mechanics of the story, and move on to the art. It sure did look nice. Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway make a great team. As mentioned in last week's review, the enthusiasm from all of the creators is still clearly evident, but when you're writing about characters popping in and out of time and dropping "universal solvents" on ghostly guardians, the readers are just naturally going to appreciate the art a bit more than the story, yes? 

So let's talk about the finale. Separate from the time-travelling of Per Degaton, the Justice Society is able to survive their death trap because....Professor Zodiak is a clutz?!?! Hardly your heroic rescue, now is it? I had to go back and re-read the story again to see how and why the Spectre was saved, it was such a surprise to me. I don't want to sound like a college Creative Writing professor here but isn't it a bit odd that 1. Professor Zodiak BRINGS a "universal solvent" with him to the island (whatever the hell a "universal solvent" is, notwithstanding) and 2. that none of the World's Greatest Super-Heroes could figure out a way to escape from the death trap on their own, or with the help of the Shining Knight or Danette Reilly? No? Okay, moving on....

Let's talk about Phantom Lady, the reason we're here. She comes off (again) as a professional, with a lot to add as a member of the team. She has a cool gimmick similar to Dr. Mid-Nite, and with her mastery of jiu-jitsu she actually comes across as a more interesting character than, say, the Atom. I don't particularly care for her inclusion here based on my own in-continuity preferences, but if she continues to be portrayed the way she has been over these two issues, I will not complain too loudly. 

No, my biggest complaint with this issue is the heavy-handedness with which Roy Thomas writes. I haven't read these stories in close to 40 years, and I am regrettably finding that they do NOT hold up as well as I would have hoped. I'll just give two examples, both on the last two pages. 

When the Justice Society, the Shining Knight, Danette Reilly, and Robin show up over the Pacific Ocean, Plastic Man blurts out, "It's the Justice Society!" He (Roy Thomas) then feels the need to include the thought balloon, "Plus a couple!" Now I ask you, would anyone REALLY ever over-think that? You aren't going to add footnotes to your own thoughts! 

One page later, after hearing the First Lady's speech about the creation of the All-Star Squadron, all the heroes standing there spontaneously shout, "Remember Pearl Harbor!" about three months before anyone else was ever reported to have uttered that phrase. Think of it this way, if you can: ON September 11, 2001, did ANYONE say, "Remember 9-11!" Of course not, because it was that very day! I'm not sure if this is pandering on Roy's part or just laziness in trying to create a certain atmosphere, but last issue's scene of average Americans singing The Star-Spangled Banner worked; this doesn't. 

That's it for me this time. And let's face it, if you're familiar with this series you know how Roy Thomas wrote, and you either love it or can overlook it.  I contend that Roy Thomas should have had a good editor, a friend he respected who could call him out when he was getting too verbose or going off too far-afield. But maybe I'm in the minority? I remember the early issues of this series fondly, so I hope I'm not in for a huge shock as I re-read them now... 

Phantom Lady Moment 

Phantom Lady tosses one of Per Degaton's men into Solomon Grundy!  

Freedom Fanmail
There is no letter column in this issue. 

The Freedom Fighters

assembled by Len Wein