Truth & Justice stars Vixen, one of my favorite comics characters and also the Global Guardians, one of my favorite superhero teams! Truth & Justice is an anthology series that began online at DC Digital. The issue collects three issues from the digital series, the first arc was available on January, perfect. For some reason, this comic ties in almost perfectly with the Nubia story in Immortal Wonder Woman. So let’s step back a bit and go back to Vixen’s first appearance, Action Comics #521 (1981) from the team of Gerry Conway and Curt Swan, she is Mari Jiwe McCabe. An African woman, she moved to New York City, and became a model. She returned to Africa and took the Tantu Totem, her family’s legacy, it gave the power of any animal and was crafted by Anansi. In Justice League of America Annual #2 (1984), by Gerry Conway and Chuck Patton, Vixen joined the team. The character of Vixen was played by Maisie Richardson-Sellers in Legends of Tomorrow.
Next, the Global Guardians were an international team created by E. Nelson Bridwell and Ramona Fradon in Super Friends #7 (1977). The team formally entered the DC Universe, Super Friends was more a separate, cartoon universe, with DC Comics Presents #46 (1982). This was by E. Nelson Bridwell with art by Alex Saviuk. They were sanctioned by the U.N. had their headquarters, the Dome, in Paris. The team was led by the mysterious Doctor Mist, he showed up in Super Friends #12 (1978), and appeared in the DC Universe with DC Comics Presents #46. He was played as his character’s real name, Nommo, by Charles Parnell in “A Feast of Friends” (2014) episode of Constantine. Truth & Justice #1, “The Pantheon”, is written by Geoffrey Thorne with ChrisCross as penciller. Thorne is a writer for Future State: Green Lantern and also upcoming is Infinite Frontier #0. ChrissCross is an artist who worked on Milestone’s Blood Syndicate and also Justice League Odyssey #14 (2019).
The cover by ChrisCross is from the first issue of the digital comic, it has a large figure of Vixen in her black and yellow uniform, she is surrounded by small figures of herself transforming and racing around her. The comic opens at Lumumba, Africa, there is a fire with a hero named Mokose trying to contact Dr. Mist. We see him coming to stop after a super speed run, he has a black impala mask, black armor, and camoflague pants. This is the superhero Impala, the second one, introduced here. There is gorillas fighting as the fire burns around construction vehicles. Impala wants to use the Justice Protocol, the situation has gone out of control, and we see a gorilla roaring at him! Next, we move from a stuffed lion in Capetown, South Africa, part of a photo shoot with Mari Jiwe McCabe. She has a red head-wrap, robes, and a black and red bikini. Mari argues that the stuffed lion and jungle set won’t work to Elise, the coordinator. Then, we get Impala stumbling into the set. He activates his impala mask to heal himself.
Charles Mokose says that he is with GGI which is familiar to Mari. She knows it as the Global Guardians, the “I” must be “international” or “initative.” Since Dr. Mist shut down his request to bring in the Justice League, another hero named Flint (she is part of Stormwatch), or Vixen. Elise doesn’t like Mari running off the photo shoot, but she is told Mari’s contract has a Heroics Clause, I really like a legal excuse to walk off a job. Mari shifts into her Vixen uniform. Impala runs while Vixen uses the Tantu Totem to fly with wings. He has outraced her and Mari gets a telepathic message from Dr. Mist including his looming face, green in the projection. She doesn’t appreciate his “headjacking”, entering her mind. Dr. Mist explains that the U.N. set an archaelogical team to Gorilla City. This is the city inhabited by gorillas who are intelligent, like Gorilla Grodd, first appearing in The Flash #106 (May 1959). They are led by Dr. James Krieg. Vixen notes that Dr. Mist sent Impala as security. Dr. Mist says that the team uncovered an artifact that could possess anyone, possibly Superman! We see a close-up of Krieg’s face with glowing red eyes.
Vixen decides to catch up to Impala flying with horsefly wings! Mari flies up to Impala, she notes he has a “Idris thing”, very funny! Impala doesn’t get the reference. She has Impala help the survivors as she enters the swirling vortex of energy. Dr. Krieg enters her mind, says his goddess has arrived, and that he is Nyame. He has been taken over by the Ghanian Lord of the Sky. Vixen slams into Krieg with gorilla strength! The possessed Dr. Krieg unleashes his power that creates an explosion that worries Impala who is carrying away a man. This was the end of the first digital issue. Then, we get Krieg in Nyame god form. Vixen brings up the Seven God Emblems, one of which Krieg has found. Again, this reminds me of the artifacts in the Nubia story. We get other gods in shadowy form, one of which is identified by Krieg as Gilgamesh. This is the Babylonian hero that was in the Epic of Gilgamesh. The gods strike Krieg and have him bound in what looks like a gold lasso? Then, we have the African goddess of storms, Oya, swoop in to take the artifacts. This conflict ends with Vixen’s Tantu Totem broken, they go after the possessed Krieg, and also get the help of the new Olympian! Truth & Justice #1 offers some great superhero action and characters plus a bit of African mythology!
Five Totems out of Five!
#Truth&Justice, #ThePantheon, #GeoffreyThorne, #ChrisCross
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