You’re looking at this wondering about Firestorm’s hat. I’m look at this wondering why Kara is Chinese.
Justice League Unlimited #16
DC Comics (February, 2008)
“Smashing Through The Snow!”
WRITER: Adam Beechen
PENCILER/COVER ART: Carlo Barberi
INKER: Jim Royal
COLORING: Heroic Age
LETTERER: Travis Lanham
EDITOR: Tom Palmer Jr.
Supergirl, Hawkgirl, Power Girl, Atom Smasher, and Firestorm are on holiday watch when Girder, one of Flash’s villains, breaks out of prison. Our heroes get their tails whipped by the living metal villain until Atom Smasher is finally able to stop him and put him back in prison. However, he learns the villain only broke out to see his son at Christmas and instead brings his son to see him.
What they got right: I’m not sure what crimes Girder created in the DCAU (I don’t even know what he’s done in the regular DCU) but it’s not right for him to go out at Christmas while he’s still paying for his crimes. Bringing his son to visit him however I’m okay with. It also helps Atom Smasher (who we learn is Jewish) deal with his own holiday woes. It’s a good story overall.
What they got wrong: They try to explain why Hawkgirl is wearing her traditional outfit despite the reasons in-universe that she dropped it but I think the artist just wanted to draw her in that outfit. Firestorm’s outfit is too dark. In his one cameo in the pilot episode of Justice League Unlimited it was the proper bright red and yellow. It’s a darker red here for some reason but this is the Ronnie Raymond Firestorm unless they messed up the skin color since we don’t know who’s in Firestorm’s head right now. Beechen forgot to add that little bit of info, though I guess it makes him neutral to which version it is. The big mistake is the inclusion of Power Girl, since she doesn’t exist in the DCAU. The closest we get is an evil up-aged Supergirl clone.
Recommendation: While not a story to rush out and find it’s not a bad one to add to the collection as holiday stories go.
