Help with JSA Classified #9

[Kidonpatrol]

Hey, guys. I did a quick search and didn't really see anything about this, but if there is already, sorry.

So, what's the deal with the end of JSA Classified #9? Presumabley right after Wildcat and Flash defeat the Dragon, they are back at the JSA HQ sipping on champagne. So as they are doing this, the universe "melts" in what I assume is Alex Luthor's recreation of Earth-II.

Now, unless I'm mistaken on what just happened, this causes borderline serious continuity errors. Remember in IC #4, when Jay tells what's left of the JSA, Doom Patrol and Teen Titans that the Speedforce had disappeared? Didn't that strip him of his powers? And wasn't that just before Alex Luthor brought back Earth-II?
What gives? This seems a bit too major to be a slip-up, but I can't think of any other explination. I've been reading comics for a realatively short time, but from what I've experience, DC seems to have their facts straight for most major things like this, so I'm willing to consider that I've missed something.

Yeah, so, I'd like to hear what y'all think: Is this a flub, or have I missed something?

[davros42]

Yes, JSA Classified #9 does seem to take place in some random pocket of time that is even more out of whack with the DCU than most of their slight flubs.

1) It's New Years Eve, we don't hear anything about that (or even any indication that it's winter) in any other IC stories.

2) It doesn't seem to fit either before or after the Superboy Prime vs. The World battle in IC #4.

3) Flash still has his speed, so it DEFINITELY isn't after IC #4.

4) There are statues of Captain Marvel and the Phantom Lady in JSA headquarters. Which leads me to believe this doesn't take place on the newly split Earth-2... Which it still might, I guess...

So yeah, it's a funky mess, but a good story anyway. I'm going to take a guess that someone wrote a cool Flash & Wildcat vs. The Spear of Destiny story and it got greenlit but had to be shoehorned into Infinite Crisis somehow for continuity's sake. So what you get is a bit of a mess...

What makes you think the end is the effect of splitting the Earths? (I'm not saying it ain't, it very well could be) It's happening in Superman/Action Comics/Adventures of Superman too, which are set during/after IC #5... I think it's something bigger than that... Something we're going to have to wait another week to see....

[Lex]

You're best bet is to just think of it as a cool Flash/Wildcat team-up and ignore the Infinite Crisis stuff.

The guys at DC are having to coordinate so many things now that virtually every book is connected to Infinite Crisis. So, it's natural that something would slip through. Hey, they're humans too. No worries.

[glennsim]

Actually, in most of those "different versions" endings this month, the character doesn't seem to realize it's happening. Which makes it more of an effect for the reader that isn't actually a part of the story (which sorta begs the question of what its actual purpose is, but that's not pertinent).

So to my mind the mistake here is just Wildcat and Flash noticing something happening.

Of course, they could be noticing something happening that has nothing to do with the fact that we're seeing them "split".

[Steve Brady]

Actually, in most of those "different versions" endings this month, the character doesn't seem to realize it's happening. Which makes it more of an effect for the reader that isn't actually a part of the story (which sorta begs the question of what its actual purpose is, but that's not pertinent).

So to my mind the mistake here is just Wildcat and Flash noticing something happening.

Of course, they could be noticing something happening that has nothing to do with the fact that we're seeing them "split".

Exactly, it fits, except for their noticing.

Anyway, it's not exactly a major glitch.