
Every cat owner recognizes this picture.
The titles of these four books sketch out the proper way to organize a story.
1. Discovery: the characters determine what they want and set out how to get it. This could be a dilemma which was thrust upon them (Hamlet) or the realization of a desire they had yet to act upon (Macbeth).
2. Disaster: the act of pursuing their desire or trying to solve the dilemma presented to them falls apart in a huge way, dominoes begin to fall, dangers appear from all corners, and futures look bleak.
3. Decisions: the characters must now make new plans to deal with the dangers they created in their earlier pursuits. Alternately, they can continue to wade through the blood getting equally bloody going forward as back.
4. Death: everybody dies except Horatio because the writer couldn't think of a better way to solve all of their tangled plot problems.
Every book you've ever read follows Starlin's "Four Easy Steps to Story", especially Cujo (I think the mother was Horatio in that. I don't remember. It's been like (ulp) 40 years since I first read it).
The issue begins with Lightray and Starfire sitting around the Doomsday Bomb tending to an unconscious Adam Strange. Then they respond to each other continually by beginning their statements with "then". Then Starfire even responds to one of her one statements with a "then" statement which makes it sound as if she's disassociating.
1. Discovery: the characters determine what they want and set out how to get it. This could be a dilemma which was thrust upon them (Hamlet) or the realization of a desire they had yet to act upon (Macbeth).
2. Disaster: the act of pursuing their desire or trying to solve the dilemma presented to them falls apart in a huge way, dominoes begin to fall, dangers appear from all corners, and futures look bleak.
3. Decisions: the characters must now make new plans to deal with the dangers they created in their earlier pursuits. Alternately, they can continue to wade through the blood getting equally bloody going forward as back.
4. Death: everybody dies except Horatio because the writer couldn't think of a better way to solve all of their tangled plot problems.
Every book you've ever read follows Starlin's "Four Easy Steps to Story", especially Cujo (I think the mother was Horatio in that. I don't remember. It's been like (ulp) 40 years since I first read it).
The issue begins with Lightray and Starfire sitting around the Doomsday Bomb tending to an unconscious Adam Strange. Then they respond to each other continually by beginning their statements with "then". Then Starfire even responds to one of her one statements with a "then" statement which makes it sound as if she's disassociating.

Improv on New Genesis and Tamaran took an evolutionary turn into "Yes, then...".
Lightray was told by Highfather that Martian Manhunter and John Stewart failed to save Xanshi. But nobody told him why they failed to save Xanshi: because John arrogantly chose to hunt it down on his own. If only that information had been passed on to the other teams to help them. Oh well, I'm sure Lightray will approach the task in a more humble manner than John Stewart did.

Oh shit. Rann is fucked.
After Lightray leaves, Starfire notices a trail of snot leaking across the floor. They both missed the snot dripping from the grate in the dead end where Adam Strange was attacked earlier so Starfire just assumes it's some innocent Rannian byproduct of their industrialization process that somebody forgot to mop up. But it's really the Anti-Life Entity! Is it its true form? Or did it inhabit a Rannian Slug? Starfire's too concerned with the trail before her and not where the trail goes, so she misses that one end of it forms a slimy hand to pick up a heavy piece of equipment and smash it over the back of her head.
While checking out the snot, Starfire pops a hot squat. Starlin's script probably read, "Investigating, Starfire squats in a way that you can practically see everything! Don't let the colorist shadow out her camel-toe!"
While checking out the snot, Starfire pops a hot squat. Starlin's script probably read, "Investigating, Starfire squats in a way that you can practically see everything! Don't let the colorist shadow out her camel-toe!"

Stupid colorist.
Then the scene ends with Starfire getting kathugkked in the back of the head. Whether it knocks her out or just makes her stand up, turn around, and stare angrily at a confused pseudopod remains to be seen.
On Thanagar, Superman and Orion have located the Anti-Life Entity. It (and presumably its Doomsday Bomb) are barricaded in a city surrounded by hawk cops. Orion just wants to murderhobo his way in but Superman is all, "I've got a better and more ridiculous idea! I'll spin super fast and become a Kryptonian drill! I'll drill through the bedrock and pop up right inside the Anti-Life Entity's lair! You distract them by murdering as many of them as you can!" Superman doesn't actually request that Orion murder the hawk cops but he does ask Orion to distract them which means Orion's going to murder them. Superman really is kind of naïve and will eventually blame the murders on Orion when he should blame himself for not being clear enough in his directions.
On Thanagar, Superman and Orion have located the Anti-Life Entity. It (and presumably its Doomsday Bomb) are barricaded in a city surrounded by hawk cops. Orion just wants to murderhobo his way in but Superman is all, "I've got a better and more ridiculous idea! I'll spin super fast and become a Kryptonian drill! I'll drill through the bedrock and pop up right inside the Anti-Life Entity's lair! You distract them by murdering as many of them as you can!" Superman doesn't actually request that Orion murder the hawk cops but he does ask Orion to distract them which means Orion's going to murder them. Superman really is kind of naïve and will eventually blame the murders on Orion when he should blame himself for not being clear enough in his directions.

Superman should have invested in an Apokoliptian Dictionary of Urban Slang to learn "Diversion Routine" means "Spree Killing".
I was going to say a New Genesis Dictionary of Urban Slang but that one would define "Diversion Routine" as "Unexpected Hugs and Kisses". Besides, you know Orion longs to live an Apokoliptian Gangster Life. Can you imagine how big a puss Orion must think Scott Free is? What a waste of a diploma from Granny Goodness's School of Being Mean. Was that the name of her school? Probably close enough.
Then back on Rann because nothing exciting is happening on Earth yet, Lightray, using his Magna-vision, follows the trail of the Anti-Life Entity back to the chamber with the Doomsday Bomb, Adam, and Starfire (or "Cory", as he calls her). Then it surprises him by WA-THAAAAAAAMing a large piece of electronic equipment into his back causing him to drop his Ghostbuster Anti-Life Entity Trap. Then it drops some heavy machinery on the Trap, destroying it. Then Lightray finally gets a glimpse of what he's up against.
Then back on Rann because nothing exciting is happening on Earth yet, Lightray, using his Magna-vision, follows the trail of the Anti-Life Entity back to the chamber with the Doomsday Bomb, Adam, and Starfire (or "Cory", as he calls her). Then it surprises him by WA-THAAAAAAAMing a large piece of electronic equipment into his back causing him to drop his Ghostbuster Anti-Life Entity Trap. Then it drops some heavy machinery on the Trap, destroying it. Then Lightray finally gets a glimpse of what he's up against.

It's either the Anti-Life Penis or a massive, sentient buttplug.
Unluckily for Superman, his Anti-Life Entity cloaked itself in an Nth Metal Robot about thirty feet tall. "Unlucky is used here not to mean Superman might have some trouble battling this robot but unlucky that Superman doesn't get to fight a penis or buttplug.
The layout for the subsequent battles on both planets is pretty cool. The Superman/robot fight takes place in one long panel in the top third of each page as the Lightray/Anti-Life Penis fight take place in the bottom two-thirds. That's probably because Superman's fight will be Superman getting hit once each page until Superman finally does the mental arithmetic on how hard he needs to punch the robot to destroy it without sending shrapnel in every direction and killing multiple bystanders outside the building. Meanwhile Lightray isn't as good at shooting light blasts as he bragged so he misses every shot against the Rannian Snot Monster. It eventually knocks him unconscious and turns on the Doomsday Bomb. Luckily for the entire universe, it chose to have a two minute countdown instead of blowing up instantly. Maybe it takes that long to prime a Doomsday Bomb. How would I know? I never took Shop Class in high school.
Then Starfire regains consciousness as Lightray loses his. That's why Darkseid chose teams of two, stupid John Stewart! Too bad Starfire also can't hit it with her starbolts like she totally intended to do. Unless she's hitting it with the ol' loop-de-loop shot! Probably dismantling the Doomsday Bomb while it thinks she's trying to shoot it!
The layout for the subsequent battles on both planets is pretty cool. The Superman/robot fight takes place in one long panel in the top third of each page as the Lightray/Anti-Life Penis fight take place in the bottom two-thirds. That's probably because Superman's fight will be Superman getting hit once each page until Superman finally does the mental arithmetic on how hard he needs to punch the robot to destroy it without sending shrapnel in every direction and killing multiple bystanders outside the building. Meanwhile Lightray isn't as good at shooting light blasts as he bragged so he misses every shot against the Rannian Snot Monster. It eventually knocks him unconscious and turns on the Doomsday Bomb. Luckily for the entire universe, it chose to have a two minute countdown instead of blowing up instantly. Maybe it takes that long to prime a Doomsday Bomb. How would I know? I never took Shop Class in high school.
Then Starfire regains consciousness as Lightray loses his. That's why Darkseid chose teams of two, stupid John Stewart! Too bad Starfire also can't hit it with her starbolts like she totally intended to do. Unless she's hitting it with the ol' loop-de-loop shot! Probably dismantling the Doomsday Bomb while it thinks she's trying to shoot it!

KAARAAM is the sound of Starfire's thong snapping and shooting across the room.
On Earth, finally, Batman and Forager have made their way to Moosejaw, Arizona. But they arrive in the middle of the day so now they have to wait for night because Forager changed his entire look for night-fighting. Okay, not his entire look. I think Alfred just spray-painted black over the white fabric. I think the main reason they arrive early is so Batman can explain how he didn't actually killed the Dog Soldier at all and if he had, it would have been an accident. But according to Batman's Rule of Being Blamed for Killing Somebody, a creature mortally wounded by Batman doesn't count as Batman killing them if Batman can skedaddle away from the victim fast enough.

"Even if I had killed him, it was his fault for having such a powerful gun. But I didn't because he was breathing. Plus he's now possessed by the Anti-Life Entity so blame it if he dies for good."
Editorial must have gotten hold of Starlin at DC's Offices and were all, "Even though the victim was an alien from Apokolips, you have to fix that bit where Batman uses a gun and obviously kills it. We let you destroy John Stewart's reputation; we can't let you destroy Batman's as well!" So Starlin was all, "Whatever. I'll have Batman mention how he blew a hole in it because that's how Mignola drew it but then say Batman left it breathing even though he later goes back with Gordon and when Gordon asks about the missing body, Batman is all, 'No way, man! I totally killed its ass!'"

Look, I don't know how Batman defines "last word" or "still breathing" but he didn't fucking kill this thing, okay?!
On Thanagar, Superman easily dispatches the Anti-Life Aspect and catches it in his Ghostbuster Gun. He's Superman, you know? His battles should never be hard fought when he's like the strongest person in the universe. His real battles should be intellectual or social or having to deal with the repercussions of a god on a hawk cop murder spree. Superman reports his success back to Highfather on New Genesis and the scene ends as he heads topside to collect Orion for the journey home. That's when the real conflict will take place!
Back on New Genesis, even though Plan A seems to have a reasonable chance of success, Darkseid continues to push Plan B where he takes The Demon into the Anti-Life Entity's realm and destroys it, taking its power into him so that he can conquer the universe. Not that Highfather knows that's his plan! But the reader gets to learn that's Darkseid's plan even if the reader already knew Darkseid was up to something because he's Darkseid and I guess the readers are smarter than Highfather and the others who have chose to take Darkseid at his word. I'm not including Batman in "the others" because Batman's first move was to send somebody to spy on Darkseid. Who that was, we still haven't learned!
Back on New Genesis, even though Plan A seems to have a reasonable chance of success, Darkseid continues to push Plan B where he takes The Demon into the Anti-Life Entity's realm and destroys it, taking its power into him so that he can conquer the universe. Not that Highfather knows that's his plan! But the reader gets to learn that's Darkseid's plan even if the reader already knew Darkseid was up to something because he's Darkseid and I guess the readers are smarter than Highfather and the others who have chose to take Darkseid at his word. I'm not including Batman in "the others" because Batman's first move was to send somebody to spy on Darkseid. Who that was, we still haven't learned!

He's so fucking chuffed with himself.
Highfather goes off to contemplate falling into Darkseid's trap when he stumbles upon the person Batman sent to spy on Darkseid. He almost mentions his name but then the mystery person interrupts with "a friend of Batman's" and all we get is a yellow-gloved hand. So it's Doctor Fate as depicted on the cover of Book Four: Doctor Fate. Doctor Fate explains that Darkseid is indeed setting up a trap to gain all the power in the universe and Hell which means they have to go along with the plan. Highfather is all, "Whuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut?" But Doctor Fate doesn't explain any further. I guess since he announced he's a friend of Batman, Highfather has to believe him.
Back on Rann, Starfire has been knocked out so it's Lightray's turn to tag in. Plus Starfire's "It's so fast it can dodge my bolts but then I expected that anyway" doesn't seem to have meant anything. She's currently been captured by the Anti-Life Entity and gripped in such a way that I still don't know if it's an Anti-Life Penis or a Sentient Buttplug.
Back on Rann, Starfire has been knocked out so it's Lightray's turn to tag in. Plus Starfire's "It's so fast it can dodge my bolts but then I expected that anyway" doesn't seem to have meant anything. She's currently been captured by the Anti-Life Entity and gripped in such a way that I still don't know if it's an Anti-Life Penis or a Sentient Buttplug.

The problem is too many things have a defining characteristic of "Can be put up the butt."
From now on my first question in "20 Questions" will be "Can you put it up your butt?" My second question, on a yes answer, will be, "Can I see?" And that, kids, is how I met your mother.
As the previous panel shows, Rann only has ten seconds left before it explodes and dooms the Milky Way and probably the entire universe. Superman has saved Thanagar. Batman will save Earth. So this moment is where all the tension remains! Will Rann, a popular planet in DC lore, be destroyed? And if so, can Darkseid and his pet cat Etrigan save the day anyway?! I don't know. Let's see how Superman reacts to Orion doing some casual hawk cop genocide.
As the previous panel shows, Rann only has ten seconds left before it explodes and dooms the Milky Way and probably the entire universe. Superman has saved Thanagar. Batman will save Earth. So this moment is where all the tension remains! Will Rann, a popular planet in DC lore, be destroyed? And if so, can Darkseid and his pet cat Etrigan save the day anyway?! I don't know. Let's see how Superman reacts to Orion doing some casual hawk cop genocide.

Whoops!
I understand it's not like Superman asked Lobo to distract the hawk cops while Superman saved the planet but Superman had seen Orion in action previously. Will Superman learn his lesson about the fluidity of language, especially between other alien cultures? Probably not. He's probably just going to call Orion a cold-blooded murderer. I could scan the panel where he eventually calls him that and then proclaim I'm a Grandmaster Comic Book Reader but, in actuality, that's the panel on the back cover of this issue.

My guess is that only one of these two characters has read Slaughterhouse-Five
After being punched in the face, Orion simply picks himself up and heads back to New Genesis. Superman stays behind to bury the dead. And presumably explain to the living how he didn't have a part of this and he was saving the entire universe and the guy who helped save the universe did way more damage than the Anti-Life Entity. That'll be fun.
Starfire's thought that the Anti-Life Entity was too fast for her to shoot was actually her coming up with a new plan: get captured by it so she could ignite it with her flame trail as she flies out of its clutches. Earlier, she noticed it smelled like gasoline so she assumed it would explode if she ignited it. She also assumed it would blow up the Doomsday Bomb and not cause the Doomsday Bomb to explode. She also believes that she leaves a flame trail behind her and not a hair trail. Maybe her hair just has so much product in it that it spontaneously combusts when it comes into contact with gasoline?
Back on New Genesis, Darkseid and Etrigan shift realities to face off against Bob the Anti-Life Entity. Highfather and Orion, too late to stop them, are recruited by Doctor Fate to follow them beyond the pale and stop them from gaining the power of the Anti-Life Equation. Also following everybody through the mystic portal? The Anti-Life Entity from Rann which managed to escape.
Back on Earth, Batman and Forager wait until dark which is almost too long. Just as darkness falls, the Anti-Life Entity sets the two minute primer on the bomb. Earth's fate is sealed!
Cosmic Odyssey: Book Three: Decisions Rating: A. Sometimes DC will put out a Prestige Format book and you wind up reading it and thinking, "Why the fuck was that Prestige Format?" But not this one! Starlin and Mignola have crafted (so far) a (mostly) coherent story with a nicely varied group of DC's heroes. I'm enjoying the art. I'm enjoying the layouts. I'm enjoying the coloring. Am I enjoying the inking? I guess? Maybe? How can you even tell what's Mignola and what's Garzon?! And I'm enjoying the dialogue as well as (gasp) the Narration Boxing! It's a pretty complete package, especially for 1989.
Starfire's thought that the Anti-Life Entity was too fast for her to shoot was actually her coming up with a new plan: get captured by it so she could ignite it with her flame trail as she flies out of its clutches. Earlier, she noticed it smelled like gasoline so she assumed it would explode if she ignited it. She also assumed it would blow up the Doomsday Bomb and not cause the Doomsday Bomb to explode. She also believes that she leaves a flame trail behind her and not a hair trail. Maybe her hair just has so much product in it that it spontaneously combusts when it comes into contact with gasoline?
Back on New Genesis, Darkseid and Etrigan shift realities to face off against Bob the Anti-Life Entity. Highfather and Orion, too late to stop them, are recruited by Doctor Fate to follow them beyond the pale and stop them from gaining the power of the Anti-Life Equation. Also following everybody through the mystic portal? The Anti-Life Entity from Rann which managed to escape.
Back on Earth, Batman and Forager wait until dark which is almost too long. Just as darkness falls, the Anti-Life Entity sets the two minute primer on the bomb. Earth's fate is sealed!
Cosmic Odyssey: Book Three: Decisions Rating: A. Sometimes DC will put out a Prestige Format book and you wind up reading it and thinking, "Why the fuck was that Prestige Format?" But not this one! Starlin and Mignola have crafted (so far) a (mostly) coherent story with a nicely varied group of DC's heroes. I'm enjoying the art. I'm enjoying the layouts. I'm enjoying the coloring. Am I enjoying the inking? I guess? Maybe? How can you even tell what's Mignola and what's Garzon?! And I'm enjoying the dialogue as well as (gasp) the Narration Boxing! It's a pretty complete package, especially for 1989.
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