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In their spotlight on interesting shared comic universe continuity, CSBG shows how the Suicide Squad and JLI conflicted…over saving the same person!
Today, we look at what happened when the Justice League and the Suicide Squad both broke into the Soviet Union to rescue the same superhero.
In “Our Lives Together,” I spotlight some of the more interesting examples of shared comic book universes. You know, crossovers that aren’t exactly crossovers.
Today’s example is a bit different because it is based around a LEGIT crossover as opposed to the sort of quasi-crossover, but I think it still sort of works because the shared continuity of this story goes beyond simply this two-part story itself, as it is based on years of earlier stories and the sheer embrace of the DC Universe as a shared universe, something that was a relatively modern concept (really only since the late 1960s).
When Crisis on Infinite Earths happened, things were not fully planned all the way for what the continuity of the DC Universe would look like Post-Crisis, but there was a good deal more planning than, say, the continuity of the New 52, so there was still a high level of interconnectivity through a number of DC titles Post-Crisis, and this allowed Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis to plan an extremely detailed crossover with John Ostrander between Justice League International and the Suicide Squad.
The inciting event of the crossover was the Soviets going public with the fact that they had Tom Tresser, the superhero known as Nemesis, in custody. He was a part of the Suicide Squad and had been captured while on a mission. Batman had previously teamed up with Nemesis from his Brave and the Bold days (Nemesis had his own back-up series in that series) and so Batman respected him and wanted to free him. Batman goes to Soviet teammate, Rocket Red, for help…
Meanwhile, word gets out that Rick Flag has gone rogue and taken the Suicide Squad to break out Nemesis and Giffen and DeMatteis (the art in the issue is by GIffen and Al Gordon) and the Soviets send their other superheroes, like the Rocket Red Brigade, introduced by Steve Englehart and Joe Staton during their Green Lantern Corps run…
and the Red Star, introduced by Marv Wolfman years earlier in the Teen Titans (back when he was known as Starfire)…
The People’s Heroes, from Mike W. Barr’s Outsiders, also make an appearance.
The JLI are then shockingly sent to the prison…to DEFEND the prison from the Suicide Squad! Batman, of course, insists on getting to see Nemesis, which Dmitri arranges (because he’s a good guy) and they discover him beaten and Batman is such a jerk about it…
And then the Squad arrives…
As I just noted earlier today, just three issues earlier, Rick Flag had been disgusted to have to try to apprehend Batman, as he respects the superhero so much. So here, he was glad to see that he and Batman were both there to spring Nemesis, but now, seeing Flag, Batman decides that Nemesis ISN’T worth saving if he is working with the Squad. It is ROUGH. Flag can’t handle it and attacks Batman…
Dmitri ultimately decides to free Nemesis…
And the Justice League and the Suicide Squad leave, after first Flag nearly dies from his battle with Batman…
Such a brilliantly detailed and nuanced character-based story arc. Wow.
Okay, folks, if you have a suggestion for another interesting piece of shared continuity, drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com!
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