I gave in to my innermost fanboy and ponied up the cash for the JLA/Avengers hardcover special edition.

It is extemely sweet in the larger format, and comes with an extra volume containing Perez's original penciles of the aborted 1983 attempt (21 pages) and complete annotation of the entire mini-series. It's like having a Marvel/DC history book. t /drool

As for Identity Crisis, this issue should silence the critics, right? I wonder if DC let Meltzer off Jimmy Olson?

Oh, I think timewise that IC is set just a bit ahead of "War Games" at this point.

More later as I digest the implications of "hearing what they want to hear".

Legends of the Dark Knight seemed to me to be mostly exposition, but for a story as sprawling as this one is, I think it is necessary exposition.

Nightwing was gut-wrenching, wasn't it? Dick trying to play things cool ("give me something to hit"), while Taratula goes out and brags about capping Blockbuster. The shit is so going to hit the fan.

I may have to move JSA up on my reading pile, but Teen Titans is next, followed by Powers.

Who needs sleep?

As for Identity Crisis, this issue should silence the critics, right? I wonder if DC let Meltzer off Jimmy Olson?

No. Notice that while Meltzer might have speculated about Jimmy being in danger, it's actually Jean Loring that gets the 2-page graphic victimization sequence. At this point I'm surprised she wasn't in a flimsy negligee and holding a dead rabbit for the proceedings .

Matt, I was speculating on future victims, perhaps to balance out the gender inequity of the killings. I'm trying to come up with known associates of superheroes as targets. The two offed so far were known because the hero's secret identity had been revealed, but maybe the M. O. will change to civilian friends of the heroes, thus placing Jimmy Olson square in the cross-hairs, so to speak.

What other DC characters have had their secret identities revealed to the world?

in Identity Crisis, when Dr. Light suddenly remembers the lobotomy, he sees Batman holding him down. Am I crazy for thinking that's significant?

Staying out of the gender politics quagmire while I sort out my own reactions.

Can't wait for lunch. Going to the comic shop. Have a shopping list. This is not good.

I noticed that switch, -t, and it confused me.

As for IC#3 and people in peril: how many men (I don't for a second believe Jimmy's in jeopardy unless his is the big civilian death) are in vulnerable positions, and how many women?

IC thoughts :

I got confused at first when it switched to what looked like a headline. And then there were characters and back story I wasn't familiar with. Some of the mind wipe stuff made sense....protecting people's identites and such.

When Jimmy Olsen was talking about possible future victims I got my hopes up. When I saw .... what's her name (so blanking) I thought "aw christ!" Because here we go again with a woman being a victim. But I'm hoping there's someway she can get free. I wasn't even that bothered by Sue being the first victim. Except I thought the pregnancy thing was over the top.

Why can't a guy...son, brother, father, be in jeapordy.

I'm thinking of not getting Green Arrow anymore. I like Ollie, but I really can't stand the artwork and it's driving me nuts. And maybe Gotham Central, which I like because it's rather Homicide like but I can't keep the characters straight and keep having to go back and read back issues. Normally I don't mind reading back issues, but I keep having to do that every time a new issue comes out and I don't have to do that with the others.

But askye, who are those? I'm really curious to know who's at risk.

As for IC#3 and people in peril: how many men (I don't for a second believe Jimmy's in jeopardy unless his is the big civilian death) are in vulnerable positions, and how many women?

They also seem to be spending an inordinate amount of time on Robin. If they're going back after known JLA associates, maybe Snapper Carr is on the list.

Oh, I think timewise that IC is set just a bit ahead of "War Games" at this point.

It seems like it has to be, if only for the Tim Drake factor.

I noticed the switch in IC, and I have no idea what that means. Is it possible that Zatana set Dr. Light up with a false memory, in case the mind wipe eventually wore off? Though it's not really "false," per se, because all the characters are the same as the real incident -- except Bats was added in. So that's probably not what happened.

I immediately got a vibe of Jimmy-Olsen-is-going-to-buy-it when I read that scene. But I *also* think that Tim Drake's dad is going to die, too. Though it's possible that's a vibe I'm getting from "War Games," and if IC is set *after* "War Games" (which we don't really know yet), then that shoots another of my theories to hell.

Nightwing just broke my heart, mang. Dick is almost decompensated worse than he was right after Tarantula shot Blockbuster. It's those first 4 pages in particular that make me think that. He's gone all fanboy over Batman, and he's so deperate for Bruce to tell him that everything is going to be okay, that his involvement in Blockbuster's death isn't going to take away Bruce's approval -- and love. It's like he's reverted back to childhood, emotionally.

And I loved how Batman immediately knew something was wrong with Dick, the minute Dick showed up, before they had even conversed.

Teen Titans -- what can I say? The Beast Boy plot isn't terribly thrilling, but I'm intrigued by what's being set up with Raven. And then Conner in Tim's bedroom -- I let out a fangirly squee when I saw that. Theirloveissopure.