By: Russ Burlingame on February 20, 2013
From the opening scene, it’s clear that DC is invested in making Justice League of America’s Vibe #1 an “important” comic in the New 52.
At the moment the character gets his powers, for instance, readers see Darkseid, whose appearance really signaled the dawn of the age of superheroes, as far as the New 52 is concerned. We also see Pandora, whose presence has been a sure sign of a “must-read” issue of any given book since her introduction in the final issue of the Flashpoint crossover the spawned the New 52′s version of the DC Universe.
Periodically throughout the book, we’re treated to reminders of exactly how big a deal Vibe is supposed to be, and that’s all pretty standard stuff for a #1 issue of a superhero title.
In the final sequence, though, the curtain is pulled back at A.R.G.U.S. and there’s some interesting figures trapped in custody.
Alongside Gypsy (and, no, that’s not the only reference to vintage Vibe we get in the issue, as there’s a Detroit reference dropped almost immediately), and a vacant cell for Vibe himself, should he step out of line, there are a couple of figures that are of huge potential interest to those who believe that one of the great benefits of the New 52 is the ability to reinvent some of the classic stories of the DC Universe with a new twist.
Specifically, A.R.G.U.S. has both a Weaponer of Qward and Pariah in custody.
Yes, that’s right–Pariah, a character whose only known purpose is to travel the Multiverse alerting universes to their impending doom, a punishment handed down to him after he unleashed the Anti-Monitor.
Granted, we’ve seen A.R.G.U.S. has access to the Multiverse, but just the implication that Pariah exists should be enough to put fans on notice that somewhere in the rebuilt Multiverse exists a version of the Crisis on Infinite Earths.
And, no, there haven’t been any Crisis-level events yet in the New 52′s history. At least, not according to various statements from DC brass…
