Salvation Run #4: And The Lack of Justice In The DCU (Spoilers)

[WorstThingUS]

So could it be true that The Brain and Monsieur Mallah finally bite the big one in Salvation Run #4? Just because Grodd got kicked off a cliff by The Joker doesn't mean he's dead because we don't see the end result, but that smashing open of the The Brain looked pretty final.

I kinda hope it is because The Brotherhood needs to die. They wiped out a city and for a year practically no one has lifted a finger to take them down. I mean, in a post 9/11 world, we have a pretty good idea how a government reacts to an attack like this, but in the DCU we've seen nothing targeting either Deathstroke who ordered the attack or The Brotherhood who executed it. It actually took more for the government to finally act. Worst still, Nightwing, who was the actual target of the attack by Deathstroke, was also guilty of total inactivity. Granted he was recovering form his attack by DiDio/Luthor, but after that how could you violate this character more to just have him move away and literally not even mention it once? You know who was tracking The Brotherhood? Wonder Girl. Who briefly takes Deathstroke down? Green Arrow, because now "suddenly" they're arch foes. Not the guy who's been fighting him since he was in short pants and buried two of Deathstroke's kids (though Jericho came back) and took the third away.

But I kinda hope they aren't dead because it alleviates the heroes from having to do something about them and we need to see the good guys in the DCU do something. For two years the villains raped and pillaged their way across the DCU and the response of the good guys has been nothing. The only reason the villains are even here for Salvation Run is because they attacked the JLA! The JLA wasn't out actually looking for the people who'd essentially nuked an American city. And in the one instance we have Nightwing dealing with Bludhaven fallout, he's prevented from destroying Chemo by some of the dumbest rationalization ever put forward (as if Superman would have just put him into orbit and not the sun to begin with) even though an issue of Superman shows that Luthor can recreate Chemos anytime he wants to, so why keep this one!?!

But ultimately I'm pleased to see this go down because I always felt it was the lamest cheat in the world when villains fight and don't kill each other (see "Grodd vs Deathstroke"). Of course they'd kill each other. This is an opportunity for DC to clean house. I hope they don't blow it.

[titanfan]

I kinda hope it is because The Brotherhood needs to die. They wiped out a city and for a year practically no one has lifted a finger to take them down. I mean, in a post 9/11 world, we have a pretty good idea how a government reacts to an attack like this, but in the DCU we've seen nothing targeting either Deathstroke who ordered the attack or The Brotherhood who executed it. It actually took more for the government to finally act. Worst still, Nightwing, who was the actual target of the attack by Deathstroke, was also guilty of total inactivity.

The Outsiders went after the Mallah and the Brain. Deathstroke spent most of OYL in Jail after Green Arrow caught him.

[Agent_Torpor]

Come on, we've got to have this! I'm kinda turned off the whole SR concept, but this issue by itself almost makes up for it! GORILLA V. GORILLA in a death match supreme!

And then there's a twist at the end (Joker kicks the just-victorious Gorilla Grodd off the cliff) that kinda left me flat (sure, the Joker has enough leg power to kick Gorilla freakin' Grodd offa cliff? Tell me another one) - but still an enjoyable issue. Definitely the first Salvation Run issue i've read that I didn't feel cheated out of my $2.99.

[davros42]

Personally a little more worked up by the "deaths" of the cutest homosexual couple in comics but...

Grodd'll be back. That's a given.

So.... nothing happened this issue.

[Agent_Torpor]

Personally a little more worked up by the "deaths" of the cutest homosexual couple in comics but...

Grodd'll be back. That's a given.

So.... nothing happened this issue.

Monsieur Mallah and his brain are DEAD! :( How can you say nothing happened! :D



That, and Deadshot and Bane seem to be working up a nice "relationship" together.

Who's the homosexual couple you're referring to?

[Jack Zodiac]

Considering nobody's reading it, I wouldn't worry about any of these deaths mattering or sticking. Psimon will be back, Mallah and Brain will be back. Everyone comes back.

[Jack Zodiac]

Who's the homosexual couple you're referring to?

Mallah and Brain are a couple.

[Rich L]

Ape vs Ape, good.

Joker vs Ape, bad and against all the laws of physics...

[Agent_Torpor]

Mallah and Brain are a couple.

Now that would have been BEYOND awesome.

[Jack]

Now that would have been BEYOND awesome.
Mm? Would have been?

[Agent_Torpor]

Mm? Would have been?

Holy crap, am I missing some continuity here?

[Jack Zodiac]

Holy crap, am I missing some continuity here?

Mallah and Brain were made a couple by Grant Morrison, like, fifteen years ago during his Doom Patrol run. And that idea was recently revisited during the OYL arc on John's Teen Titans.

[Agent_Torpor]

Mallah and Brain were made a couple by Grant Morrison, like, fifteen years ago during his Doom Patrol run. And that idea was recently revisited during the OYL arc on John's Teen Titans.

Grant Morrison, I shoulda known. Hee hee.

[COMIC GEEK]

With the doom patrol revamped and a new titans series about to come out in a few weeks.

It kinda sucks that these two were killed off.

I always wondered when the brain was dipped into brother bloods blood pool back in the late 80's did he actually gain immoratility? It was never stated.

as far as grodd, sure he was kicked off a cliff. I really dont see this character being killed off though.

I guess well find out soon enough

[COMIC GEEK]

I read it and I been enjoying this series. I'm glad I went back and got issue #1 and #2 when I bought #3 (did ya get all that?) ;)

[WorstThingUS]

The Outsiders went after the Mallah and the Brain. Deathstroke spent most of OYL in Jail after Green Arrow caught him.

The Outsiders weren't after Mallah and The Brain. They were following up on the cloning of superheroes and stumbled on them. And Deathstroke wasn't in jail during OYL because it was during that year that Green Arrow was undergoing the training that Deathstroke learned about when he was finally put in jail for all of five seconds before escaping.

[Agent_Torpor]

MOD MAN: Feel free to merge my thread with the other SR thread (which came from nowhere, I assure you! It must have been in another forum!)

[rwe1138]

Everyone comes back.

Even Hellhound & Iron Cross? :p

[Laughing Mask]

Bane: "you owe me a steak dinner"

Deadshot: "yeah.........i'll get ya one at the next steak house we pass by"

[Jack Zodiac]

Even Hellhound & Iron Cross? :p

Give 'em time, man. Hellhound's only been dead for a couple years. One day someone'll go, "!@#$, y'know who'd be hilarious to kill off? Hellhound!" And some editor'll go, "uh, I think we killed him already." To which whatever writer will reply, "pfft, so the !@#$ what?" and kill him again anyway. It's the way comics work, man.

[rwe1138]

Give 'em time, man. Hellhound's only been dead for a couple years. One day someone'll go, "!@#$, y'know who'd be hilarious to kill off? Hellhound!" And some editor'll go, "uh, I think we killed him already." To which whatever writer will reply, "pfft, so the !@#$ what?" and kill him again anyway. It's the way comics work, man.

And both could be new guys under the masks anyway.

[jadehorde]

So could it be true that The Brain and Monsieur Mallah finally bite the big one in Salvation Run #4? Just because Grodd got kicked off a cliff by The Joker doesn't mean he's dead because we don't see the end result, but that smashing open of the The Brain looked pretty final.

I kinda hope it is because The Brotherhood needs to die. They wiped out a city and for a year practically no one has lifted a finger to take them down. I mean, in a post 9/11 world, we have a pretty good idea how a government reacts to an attack like this, but in the DCU we've seen nothing targeting either Deathstroke who ordered the attack or The Brotherhood who executed it. It actually took more for the government to finally act. Worst still, Nightwing, who was the actual target of the attack by Deathstroke, was also guilty of total inactivity. Granted he was recovering form his attack by DiDio/Luthor, but after that how could you violate this character more to just have him move away and literally not even mention it once? You know who was tracking The Brotherhood? Wonder Girl. Who briefly takes Deathstroke down? Green Arrow, because now "suddenly" they're arch foes. Not the guy who's been fighting him since he was in short pants and buried two of Deathstroke's kids (though Jericho came back) and took the third away.

But I kinda hope they aren't dead because it alleviates the heroes from having to do something about them and we need to see the good guys in the DCU do something. For two years the villains raped and pillaged their way across the DCU and the response of the good guys has been nothing. The only reason the villains are even here for Salvation Run is because they attacked the JLA! The JLA wasn't out actually looking for the people who'd essentially nuked an American city. And in the one instance we have Nightwing dealing with Bludhaven fallout, he's prevented from destroying Chemo by some of the dumbest rationalization ever put forward (as if Superman would have just put him into orbit and not the sun to begin with) even though an issue of Superman shows that Luthor can recreate Chemos anytime he wants to, so why keep this one!?!

But ultimately I'm pleased to see this go down because I always felt it was the lamest cheat in the world when villains fight and don't kill each other (see "Grodd vs Deathstroke"). Of course they'd kill each other. This is an opportunity for DC to clean house. I hope they don't blow it.

At the very least a North Korean city has been nuked fairly recently. In all honesty a 9/11 would never happen in a comic world. And if it did...it would barely register as a blip after the 10th time Manhattan/NYC is destroyed or Metropolis is leveled by aliens or Gotham is destroyed by an earthquake.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I like the concept enough that I'm gonna stick with this story despite the creative hiccup it had due to Willingham's health.

The art is okay, but I would've liked Scott Kolins on this instead, or at least this issue. Kolins' drawing Grodd gay bash French Monkey & The Floating Brain would have been stellar. They'll be back though, in some form or another. Perhaps Brain will survive and create a younger, hipper, Monkey Manboy to carry him around in a jar.

I do like how Vandal Savage is being portrayed. Surrounded by women to breed more meals for himself. Ewww.

I don't like that Luthor has stubble though, unless it's penciled on by himself. I do subscribe to the theory that Luthor has absolutely no hair. None. No eyebrows (those are artificially grown in a lab).

By the way, Salvation Run is great and all, but Ostrander's Suicide Squad is heaven. Better, in a lot of ways, than the original book. They found a way to include Waller in the action without giving her a frickin' Uzi. She's Chemo. CHEMO! And Wade Eiling as The General is the best.

Where's Wade Eiling in Salvation Run? Dead? Or CEO of Hakke-Burton? (great name!)

[Agent_Torpor]

I like the concept enough that I'm gonna stick with this story despite the creative hiccup it had due to Willingham's health.

The art is okay, but I would've liked Scott Kolins on this instead, or at least this issue. Kolins' drawing Grodd gay bash French Monkey & The Floating Brain would have been stellar. They'll be back though, in some form or another. Perhaps Brain will survive and create a younger, hipper, Monkey Manboy to carry him around in a jar.

I do like how Vandal Savage is being portrayed. Surrounded by women to breed more meals for himself. Ewww.

I don't like that Luthor has stubble though, unless it's penciled on by himself. I do subscribe to the theory that Luthor has absolutely no hair. None. No eyebrows (those are artificially grown in a lab).

By the way, Salvation Run is great and all, but Ostrander's Suicide Squad is heaven. Better, in a lot of ways, than the original book. They found a way to include Waller in the action without giving her a frickin' Uzi. She's Chemo. CHEMO! And Wade Eiling as The General is the best.

Where's Wade Eiling in Salvation Run? Dead? Or CEO of Hakke-Burton? (great name!)

Suicide Squad is 100x better than Salvation Run. That's a given.

[brundlefly]

I do like how Vandal Savage is being portrayed. Surrounded by women to breed more meals for himself. Ewww.

I wondered if Vandal was going to show up in Salvation, since last we saw him in JSA he had been carted off to jail after getting run over by that ambulance. Nice setup he's got for himself here. But he takes Phobia and passes on Selina, Lady Vic, and the Body Doubles? :confused: Each to his own, I suppose...


I don't like that Luthor has stubble though, unless it's penciled on by himself. I do subscribe to the theory that Luthor has absolutely no hair. None. No eyebrows (those are artificially grown in a lab).

Nah, that's All-Star Supes Lex who has to pencil in his eyebrows. DCU Lex could grow a full head of hair, but chooses to shave his head (final pages of JLA #15 from Morrison's "Rock of Ages"). :D


Ostrander's Suicide Squad is heaven. Better, in a lot of ways, than the original book. They found a way to include Waller in the action without giving her a frickin' Uzi. She's Chemo. CHEMO! And Wade Eiling as The General is the best.

Word; that's one of my favorite DC titles right now. Pity there aren't more threads extolling the virtues of that book. I'd love for that to be an ongoing instead of a mini.

[steve2275]

vandal savage is gonna get lucky :p

[Will.S]

Give 'em time, man. Hellhound's only been dead for a couple years. One day someone'll go, "!@#$, y'know who'd be hilarious to kill off? Hellhound!" And some editor'll go, "uh, I think we killed him already." To which whatever writer will reply, "pfft, so the !@#$ what?" and kill him again anyway. It's the way comics work, man.
I could honestly care less about Hellhound so if he pops up again it wouldn't affect me one way or another. I didn't think creators will even give a crap about that character to want to use him but I'm sure they can keep him going by making another new identity for him.

Anyway, another solid issue. Nice Deadshot & Bane moments, Mallah and Grodd get into a brutal fist fight which surprised me a bit given that they would kill off Mallah. While the ending was interesting I was expecting something with more "wow" factor. I'm still looking forward to seeing how Lex will get them all out of there because half of them are idiots for following the Joker anyway.

[COMIC GEEK]

well warp and phobia are there as well, so if they get killed off, you know the brotherhood is in trouble :mad:

shame too, I always like the brain and mallah, the stories when they fought the titans in the 80's kicked ass

[stamen]

Deathstroke spent most of OYL in Jail after Green Arrow caught him.

Ahhh, but remember Deathstroke "wanted" to be captured so he could get information behind bars. And now's he's on the loose again thanks to a magic button that cost 12 million dollars and eliminates the JLA's powers with a force barrier.

[WorstThingUS]

Ahhh, but remember Deathstroke "wanted" to be captured so he could get information behind bars. And now's he's on the loose again thanks to a magic button that cost 12 million dollars and eliminates the JLA's powers with a force barrier.

Such unmitigated crap it just makes me....aarrrrrggghhh! Especially considering the fight is narrated by him and he is shocked by Green Arrow's new fighting abilities and is actually trying to get away.

[Sean Walsh]

Whoops. Double post.

[Sean Walsh]

Give 'em time, man. Hellhound's only been dead for a couple years. One day someone'll go, "!@#$, y'know who'd be hilarious to kill off? Hellhound!" And some editor'll go, "uh, I think we killed him already." To which whatever writer will reply, "pfft, so the !@#$ what?" and kill him again anyway. It's the way comics work, man.

And both could be new guys under the masks anyway.

Yup. Hellhound was one of the guys who was "franchised" by Calculator and the Society. Black Spider and a few others did too. His costume was given to some nameless criminal who wanted an identity; one of them died in BOP and I guess this new one's dead too.

[AllisterH]

The thing I don't understand is why the JLA is against the government sending them off?

From what I understand, the government finds this paradise planet, figures "hey why not ship the villains offworld?" and yet the JLA seem opposed to this?

[The Cool Thatguy]

The thing I don't understand is why the JLA is against the government sending them off?

From what I understand, the government finds this paradise planet, figures "hey why not ship the villains offworld?" and yet the JLA seem opposed to this?

Even ignoring the fact that it's not a paradise planet, it's because it's permanant exile to a far off planet with no due process. It's life imprisonment for all metas regardless of their crimes, powers or needs.

Is it fair to trap someone like Catwoman with evil powerhouses like Dr. Light and Girder? Tapeworm was a low level flunky, yet he's getting the same punishment as Lex Luthor. Mr. Freeze depends on his armor to survive, where is he going to get spare parts?

Some of the people exiled are barely villains. Catman's reformed, Scandal has no major crimes to her name (that I know of), Magneta's powers play havoc with her mental state (though she was the only Rogue not to defect in the Rogue War) and Thunder and Lightning have long careers as casual heroes. Why do they deserve the same treatment as guys like Joker, Killer Croc and Grodd?

[rwe1138]

Yup. Hellhound was one of the guys who was "franchised" by Calculator and the Society. Black Spider and a few others did too. His costume was given to some nameless criminal who wanted an identity; one of them died in BOP and I guess this new one's dead too.

Heh. Hellhound should become the DCU's villainous version of Marvel's Grasshopper. :D

[Agent_Torpor]

I wondered if Vandal was going to show up in Salvation, since last we saw him in JSA he had been carted off to jail after getting run over by that ambulance. Nice setup he's got for himself here. But he takes Phobia and passes on Selina, Lady Vic, and the Body Doubles? :confused: Each to his own, I suppose...



Nah, that's All-Star Supes Lex who has to pencil in his eyebrows. DCU Lex could grow a full head of hair, but chooses to shave his head (final pages of JLA #15 from Morrison's "Rock of Ages"). :D



Word; that's one of my favorite DC titles right now. Pity there aren't more threads extolling the virtues of that book. I'd love for that to be an ongoing instead of a mini.

There's no reason Suicide Squad shouldn't be an ongoing monthly. Come on, would anyone cry if Gotham Underground was given the boot in favor of SS?

[AllisterH]

Even ignoring the fact that it's not a paradise planet, it's because it's permanant exile to a far off planet with no due process. It's life imprisonment for all metas regardless of their crimes, powers or needs.

Is it fair to trap someone like Catwoman with evil powerhouses like Dr. Light and Girder? Tapeworm was a low level flunky, yet he's getting the same punishment as Lex Luthor. Mr. Freeze depends on his armor to survive, where is he going to get spare parts?

?

Actually, that's one of the things that WAS legal depending on which version (Suicide squad says its legal, checkmate says its not). It's exile for all criminal metas but who said it was permanent? Given that the government can get to the planet, there's nothing to say that it is permanent.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Actually, that's one of the things that WAS legal depending on which version (Suicide squad says its legal, checkmate says its not). It's exile for all criminal metas but who said it was permanent? Given that the government can get to the planet, there's nothing to say that it is permanent.

I don't recall that they said it was legal, just that they were following the orders of those above their pay grade. They made it pretty clear that the exile was intended to be permanent. Rick Flag summed up the situation as the givernment washing their hands of the villains forever.

What's more, this is being accomplished with a Mother Box, tech that is all but impossible to recreate. After the last batch, they can 'accidently' break it, and that's that.

[Slaughter]

At the very least a North Korean city has been nuked fairly recently. In all honesty a 9/11 would never happen in a comic world. And if it did...it would barely register as a blip after the 10th time Manhattan/NYC is destroyed or Metropolis is leveled by aliens or Gotham is destroyed by an earthquake.

Frankly, 9/11 would be a boring weekend in DC. I can count many things that caused more death than 9/11 in the DCU:

1. The Destruction of Coast City (probrably the greatest tragedy in the DCU)
2. Gotham infected with Ebola, then Earthquake and then No Man's Land.
3. Metropolis destroyed by Lex Luthor during the Battle for Metropolis
4. Bludhaven Nuked by The Society and Deathstroke
5. Infinite Crisis (Five Million)

[brundlefly]

Tapeworm was a low level flunky, yet he's getting the same punishment as Lex Luthor.
....
Some of the people exiled are barely villains. Catman's reformed, Scandal has no major crimes to her name (that I know of), Magneta's powers play havoc with her mental state (though she was the only Rogue not to defect in the Rogue War) and Thunder and Lightning have long careers as casual heroes. Why do they deserve the same treatment as guys like Joker, Killer Croc and Grodd?

For the record, Mr. Luthor's attorneys would like to reiterate that he has not actually been convicted of any crimes since successfully clearing his name in court (Superman # 650). The baseless allegations from alien vigilantes like this "Superman" are nothing more than slanderous attempts to sully our client's good name and standing in the Metropolis community. ;)


There's no reason Suicide Squad shouldn't be an ongoing monthly. Come on, would anyone cry if Gotham Underground was given the boot in favor of SS?


Well, GU is also a miniseries, but I agree that a superfluous book like Superman/Batman could, in a just world, be culled to make way for an SS ongoing.:D

[jadehorde]

Actually, that's one of the things that WAS legal depending on which version (Suicide squad says its legal, checkmate says its not). It's exile for all criminal metas but who said it was permanent? Given that the government can get to the planet, there's nothing to say that it is permanent.

Well given the writer (at least for the 1st two issues) and his previous work, I think it likely that it was supposed to be permanent. It was a plot point of that previous work that the exile was permanent and it involved the murder of a child and a mainline hero as well the permanent imprisonment of another to ensure that it remained so.

[titanfan]

Monsieur Mallah and his brain are DEAD! How can you say nothing happened!

Clones. Next writer is going to ignore their deaths. Total waste of an issue where nothing happened.

[JCAll]

Mr. Freeze depends on his armor to survive, where is he going to get spare parts?

That's been bugging me. Last I checked, Freeze's armor needed recharging. And I doubt he got shipped off with a sack full of batteries.

Any sort of situation like this is a slow death sentence for him and yet it hasn't been touched upon at all.

[The Cool Thatguy]

That's been bugging me. Last I checked, Freeze's armor needed recharging. And I doubt he got shipped off with a sack full of batteries.

Any sort of situation like this is a slow death sentence for him and yet it hasn't been touched upon at all.

Another thing that's bugged me is guys like Heatwave, Body Doubles and Deadshot using weapons that need fuel or ammo casually. There seems to be no emphasize on conserving limited resources.

As an aside, can anyone tell me what happened with Bane and Deadshot? I saw previews with them being confronted, how'd that go?

[LtMarvel]

Aside: It was great. Deadshot lost a bet and now owes Bane a steak dinner. Perhaps to your point, Deadshot was trying to kill the monsters without firing a shot!

Are some of the bad guys living resources? ("Hey Plasmus, can we boil this water over your head?")

[DoctorDoom]

Aside: It was great. Deadshot lost a bet and now owes Bane a steak dinner. Perhaps to your point, Deadshot was trying to kill the monsters without firing a shot!

Are some of the bad guys living resources? ("Hey Plasmus, can we boil this water over your head?")
That is awesome!

[OverMaster]

It's exile for all criminal metas but who said it was permanent? Given that the government can get to the planet, there's nothing to say that it is permanent.

And if, say, Catwoman is tortured, raped and killed by, say, Dr. Light before that happens, what is the government's excuse for that?

This whole mini is nothing but a half-assed attempt from DC to play Supervillain Battle Royale, and Battle Royale was a movie with an idiotic enough premise already.

[OverMaster]

Not to mention, putting all of Earth's villains in a distant planet is like an open invitation for any hostile alien race to drop there, and offer them a chance for revenge in exchange for working with them. It's a stupid premise full of holes any way you look at it.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Did he and Bane throw down with the other criminals though, or was the situation disfused?

[jadehorde]

Another thing that's bugged me is guys like Heatwave, Body Doubles and Deadshot using weapons that need fuel or ammo casually. There seems to be no emphasize on conserving limited resources.

As an aside, can anyone tell me what happened with Bane and Deadshot? I saw previews with them being confronted, how'd that go?

And that was the other plot point. That the exiles quickly decided to conserve ammo and fuel even when faced with certain casualties if they were not used. Flesh can be replaced eventually I guess.

[The Cool Thatguy]

And if, say, Catwoman is tortured, raped and killed by, say, Dr. Light before that happens, what is the government's excuse for that?

This whole mini is nothing but a half-assed attempt from DC to play Supervillain Battle Royale, and Battle Royale was a movie with an idiotic enough premise already.

It was a manga first, actually.

The idea isn't that bad, IMO. Prison planets have been around for ages in science fiction. Personally, I wish we'd seen how this entire thing was put together in the first place instead of the info dump we got. Where'd the government get that Mother Box, for instance? In issue one, we weren't even told they have one (though it's easy to infer) and it's only in Checkmate that we see it.

[jadehorde]

Not to mention, putting all of Earth's villains in a distant planet is like an open invitation for any hostile alien race to drop there, and offer them a chance for revenge in exchange for working with them. It's a stupid premise full of holes any way you look at it.

It's not necessarily likely. The universe is a big place and the odds of finding a specific planet is pretty infinitesimal. The Khund and Dominators are the only likely aliens.

I suppose there is a danger that an unknown powerful alien race will judge the Earth based on the behavior of villians, and that would be a somewhat poetic end to it all.

[Jack Zodiac]

Not to mention, putting all of Earth's villains in a distant planet is like an open invitation for any hostile alien race to drop there, and offer them a chance for revenge in exchange for working with them. It's a stupid premise full of holes any way you look at it.

The idea itself is great. Actually, I'd probably still be reading it if the writing weren't so bad and if there weren't so many stupid, needless character-deaths in just three issues. The original premise by George R. R. Martin was an Elseworlds, all of Earth's supervillains sent to a distant planet to create their own society and how that society would evolve over decades. Out of continuity, plot-driven, it could've been a great read. But Salvation Run, an in-continuity, crossover-driven story nobody's reading? Meh!

Like I said, it'll be ignored inside of a year. Someone's gonna wanna use Brain and Mallah or Grodd again soon and I doubt they're gonna go out of their way to explain this crap.

[The Cool Thatguy]

The idea itself is great. Actually, I'd probably still be reading it if the writing weren't so bad and if there weren't so many stupid, needless character-deaths in just three issues. The original premise by George R. R. Martin was an Elseworlds, all of Earth's supervillains sent to a distant planet to create their own society and how that society would evolve over decades. Out of continuity, plot-driven, it could've been a great read. But Salvation Run, an in-continuity, crossover-driven story nobody's reading? Meh!

Like I said, it'll be ignored inside of a year. Someone's gonna wanna use Brain and Mallah or Grodd again soon and I doubt they're gonna go out of their way to explain this crap.

Agreed. Outside of canon, this might have been an excellent story.

That said, they could have gone an alternate route, making it a blood bath in canon but plan to resurrect everyone with their memories intact. That way, you can still lay the ground work for lots of death while still retaining a foundation for future stories.

The Rogues could work together to kill Grodd and when Grodd's alive again, he could vow revenge. Someone could betray Joker, and once he's revived, Joker could use that person as an object lesson, etc.

Instead, they go half way, which is pretty damn boring.

[WorstThingUS]

Like I said, it'll be ignored inside of a year. Someone's gonna wanna use Brain and Mallah or Grodd again soon and I doubt they're gonna go out of their way to explain this crap.

Well I did say that Grodd's death was inconclusive since we saw the push over the cliff, but not the fall or a body...and sure enough DC's Solicitations show him back fighting The Flash this May. I just hope they leave Mallah and The Brain dead. They really needed to die.

[Agent_Torpor]

Whatever editor greenlit this p.o.s. needs to be demoted.

[CBikle]

. I just hope they leave Mallah and The Brain dead. They really needed to die.

Nah, I gotta disagree; they're great silver-age villains.

C'mon a beret-wearing gorilla holding a jar with a disembodied brain, pretty much sums up the entire silver-age.

[WorstThingUS]

Nah, I gotta disagree; they're great silver-age villains.

C'mon a beret-wearing gorilla holding a jar with a disembodied brain, pretty much sums up the entire silver-age.

Yeah, but that camp fun was ruined by the mass murder for me.

[Volvic]

Agreed with most of the people here, Salvation Run had a interesting premise, but it's execution was flawed to say the very least. With a different writer, logical story telling, and tighter dialogue, it would have made an excellent elseworlds tale.

Heck, it might have been an excellent canon tale, had they shaken things up a bit. Have characters like Luthor and Joker find themselves on the outside looking in and fighting for their very existance. Same with the other non- metas. If there were to be deaths then don't to it for the sake of it, make them mean something within the context of the story.

As it is just now, Salvation Run is just a showcase for highlighting the bad -assness of the more popular characters and expense of logical story telling and characterization. It's just another example of DC using the storyline to fit the characters rather than the other way around.

[Xero]

Frankly, 9/11 would be a boring weekend in DC. I can count many things that caused more death than 9/11 in the DCU:

1. The Destruction of Coast City (probrably the greatest tragedy in the DCU)
2. Gotham infected with Ebola, then Earthquake and then No Man's Land.
3. Metropolis destroyed by Lex Luthor during the Battle for Metropolis
4. Bludhaven Nuked by The Society and Deathstroke
5. Infinite Crisis (Five Million)

You forgot..

6. Hub City abandoned by citizens, for being more corrupt than Bludhaven
7. Qurac's capital city, nuked by Cheshire
8. Montevideo, Uruguay nuked by Vandal Savage
9. Country of Bialya, genocide by Black Adam
10. Kahndaq, crushed by Four Horsemen
11. Atlantis, destroyed by the Spectre
12. Australia, destroyed during Invasion! mini-series entire population is enslaved
13. Final Night, the sun is eaten by a Sun-Eater

[matt_hatyber]

if dc wanted to make people think grodd was dead, they screwed up. Its all ready a given thats hes coming back because hes in a up coming issue of the flash.

[LtMarvel]

You forgot..

6. Hub City abandoned by citizens, for being more corrupt than Bludhaven
7. Qurac's capital city, nuked by Cheshire
8. Montevideo, Uruguay nuked by Vandal Savage
9. Country of Bialya, genocide by Black Adam
10. Kahndaq, crushed by Four Horsemen
11. Atlantis, destroyed by the Spectre
12. Australia, destroyed during Invasion! mini-series entire population is enslaved
13. Final Night, the sun is eaten by a Sun-Eater
14. Mr. Mind nuked (using Mr. Atom) the Fawcett City suburb of Billy and Mary Batson.

[Suicide Squad Fan]

Did he and Bane throw down with the other criminals though, or was the situation disfused?

Defused. From what I can remember, Luthor talked the other villians out of going after Deadshot and Bane (reminding them that certain of them - Captain Cold, Killer Frost, Dr. Light - had been in the Squad in the past as well so would they have to also be killed? Plus something about how they've all had to involve themselves in shaky alliances in the past but I don't remember the rest of it). He made them bodyguards in return for a million (when they get back home) and his protecting them from the rest of the villians (admittedly I don't have the issue in front of me - I pretty much quickly read it at the stands before picking up the latest Suicide Squad - but that's what I remember about this point.

BTW who's taking care of Deadshot's daughter during all this? Or has she been pretty much swept under the rug at this point?

[Taskmaster]

Defused. From what I can remember, Luthor talked the other villians out of going after Deadshot and Bane (reminding them that certain of them - Captain Cold, Killer Frost, Dr. Light - had been in the Squad in the past as well so would they have to also be killed? Plus something about how they've all had to involve themselves in shaky alliances in the past but I don't remember the rest of it). He made them bodyguards in return for a million (when they get back home) and his protecting them from the rest of the villians (admittedly I don't have the issue in front of me - I pretty much quickly read it at the stands before picking up the latest Suicide Squad - but that's what I remember about this point.

BTW who's taking care of Deadshot's daughter during all this? Or has she been pretty much swept under the rug at this point?

Her mother I assume, who has been taking care of her all along, Deadshot was never her caretaker

[LungerTony]

I have enjoyed SR a lot.
I am not a huge DC fan, and have a much smaller DC pull list compared to Marvel, but SR is a fun trip.
The character deaths bother people...but I don't mind it. It gives a certain 'anyone-can-go' atmosphere, with the exception of Joker, Luthor and a few others.
I don't think Grodd is dead, but I hope Mallah and the Brain stay dead though.
Whether you think they are good characters or not, they had a 'good' death when it comes to comics. It was entertaining and touching. And for that, it's a death that shoud stick.

As far as the plot. Sure, it doesn't make much sense when judged from a real-life logic, along with some other things. But its comics. Just go with it and enjoy the ride.

[vickvega]

They should have gone the "create a society" route. It was mentioned above, but it would be more interesting to see people like Mr. Freeze, who must charge his battery, go searching for a fix. or conserving ammo, and creating new weapons, together. They should add some lasting mythology to this story instead of mindless killing, thats probably not permanent. By the way, which Universe is this in? How would they Pro-create with hardly any female villains? Bring some new alien chicks in? I would love to see a future flash with Joker Jr. This would be fun to write, I dont know how you could *%#@ this up.