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Supreme Power (Collected Editions) #7
Squadron Supreme Vol. 1: The Pre-War Years
It all starts here! Hyperion, Nighthawk, Blur, Power Princess, Doctor Spectrum and the rest of the deadliest super-team around are joined by a new group of super heroes, as only J. Michael Straczynski and Gary Frank can imagine! As the U.S. government plots to create two teams of super-powered agents to crush enemies both domestic and foreign, Mark Milton - a.k.a. Hyperion - has plans of his own. Plans that could uproot the government's control over its super-powered population and force them to contend with the ever-growing threat of Mark's constant insubordination.
Collecting: Squadron Supreme 1-5, Saga of Squadron Supreme
Collecting: Squadron Supreme 1-5, Saga of Squadron Supreme
168 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
About the author
J. Michael Straczynski
1,368 books1,300 followersJoseph Michael Straczynski is an American filmmaker and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS and is best known as the creator of the science fiction television series Babylon 5 (1993–1998) and its spinoff Crusade (1999), as well as the series Jeremiah (2002–2004) and Sense8 (2015–2018). He is the executor of the estate of Harlan Ellison.
Straczynski wrote the psychological drama film Changeling (2008) and was co-writer on the martial arts thriller Ninja Assassin (2009), was one of the key writers for (and had a cameo in) Marvel's Thor (2011), as well as the horror film Underworld: Awakening (2012), and the apocalyptic horror film World War Z (2013). From 2001 to 2007, Straczynski wrote Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, followed by runs on Thor and Fantastic Four. He is the author of the Superman: Earth One trilogy of graphic novels, and he has written Superman, Wonder Woman, and Before Watchmen for DC Comics. Straczynski is the creator and writer of several original comic book series such as Rising Stars, Midnight Nation, Dream Police, and Ten Grand through Joe's Comics.
A prolific writer across a variety of media and former journalist, Straczynski is the author of the autobiography Becoming Superman (2019) for HarperVoyager, the novel Together We Will Go (2021) for Simon & Schuster, and Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer (2021) for Benbella Books. In 2020 he was named Head of the Creative Council for the comics publishing company Artists, Writers and Artisans.
Straczynski is a long-time participant in Usenet and other early computer networks, interacting with fans through various online forums (including GEnie, CompuServe, and America Online) since 1984. He is credited as being the first TV producer to directly engage with fans on the Internet and to allow viewer viewpoints to influence the look and feel of his show. Two prominent areas where he had a presence were GEnie and the newsgroup rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated.
Straczynski wrote the psychological drama film Changeling (2008) and was co-writer on the martial arts thriller Ninja Assassin (2009), was one of the key writers for (and had a cameo in) Marvel's Thor (2011), as well as the horror film Underworld: Awakening (2012), and the apocalyptic horror film World War Z (2013). From 2001 to 2007, Straczynski wrote Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, followed by runs on Thor and Fantastic Four. He is the author of the Superman: Earth One trilogy of graphic novels, and he has written Superman, Wonder Woman, and Before Watchmen for DC Comics. Straczynski is the creator and writer of several original comic book series such as Rising Stars, Midnight Nation, Dream Police, and Ten Grand through Joe's Comics.
A prolific writer across a variety of media and former journalist, Straczynski is the author of the autobiography Becoming Superman (2019) for HarperVoyager, the novel Together We Will Go (2021) for Simon & Schuster, and Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer (2021) for Benbella Books. In 2020 he was named Head of the Creative Council for the comics publishing company Artists, Writers and Artisans.
Straczynski is a long-time participant in Usenet and other early computer networks, interacting with fans through various online forums (including GEnie, CompuServe, and America Online) since 1984. He is credited as being the first TV producer to directly engage with fans on the Internet and to allow viewer viewpoints to influence the look and feel of his show. Two prominent areas where he had a presence were GEnie and the newsgroup rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 11, 2020
Pre-war.. . what war? Well maybe one that has roots in U.S. government's intention to have 2 super powered teams! As missions progress so do double dealings, conspiracies and killings. More great work from this creative team! Collecting: Squadron Supreme #1-7 and the Squadron Supreme Saga. 8 out of 12.
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December 4, 2011Addictive escapism ... much like eating cotton candy or watching sit-com reruns for hours ... at the last page I felt bloated, dizzy, and on the downhill slide of a sugar crash.
September 4, 2016
One of the joys of JMS' Supreme Power was that he was always writing about the Squadron Supreme. Sure, the early issues returned them to their JLA roots, then reimagined them, but it still felt true to the original. That's even more true in this volume, when JMS even expands out to esoteric Squad members like Inertia (and gives more attention to ones from last volume like Shape).
Oh and this volume, it's finally about the Squadron Supreme, after an overly decompressed origin, badly disrupted by JMS' bad follow-through and them a clunky volume of Hyperion. But here, the gang's finally all together, and unlike in Hyperion, JMS actually manages to maintain his strong characterizations despite the size of the group.
The main problem of this volume is actually the plot. The idea of the Squadron going out and bringing justice to the world (in the form of Africa and the Middle-East) very quickly gets old, but even JMS seems to realize that, and thus he gives over most of the Middle-East arc to Inertia's origin. And of course it's all in service to the return of Redstone, a wonderful bit of continuing that nicely dovetails into the Squad's new global role.
Unfortunately, that dovetails right into the other problem, which is, of course, JMS' wavering responsibility to the comic and his readers, which utterly collapses after issue #7, leaving the story forever unfinished (minus a few panels of "What Happened" in Ultimate Power).
In the end, Supreme Power was a noble failure, mainly let down by JMS' lack of commitment, a problem of his that has continued through his runs of Superman and Wonder Woman, to the point where one wonders, "Why Does Anyone Hire Him?" This was a great take on Squadron Supreme (and the JLA), full of modern deconstruction and serious characterization. But without an ending to the many plotlines setup by JMS ("What is Spec channelling?" "How does the dark future of Hyperion taking over emerge?" "What's up with Zarda?" "What's up with Kingsley?") or even the fight that kicks off in issue #6 ... how can you say the overall story was any good?
Oh and this volume, it's finally about the Squadron Supreme, after an overly decompressed origin, badly disrupted by JMS' bad follow-through and them a clunky volume of Hyperion. But here, the gang's finally all together, and unlike in Hyperion, JMS actually manages to maintain his strong characterizations despite the size of the group.
The main problem of this volume is actually the plot. The idea of the Squadron going out and bringing justice to the world (in the form of Africa and the Middle-East) very quickly gets old, but even JMS seems to realize that, and thus he gives over most of the Middle-East arc to Inertia's origin. And of course it's all in service to the return of Redstone, a wonderful bit of continuing that nicely dovetails into the Squad's new global role.
Unfortunately, that dovetails right into the other problem, which is, of course, JMS' wavering responsibility to the comic and his readers, which utterly collapses after issue #7, leaving the story forever unfinished (minus a few panels of "What Happened" in Ultimate Power).
In the end, Supreme Power was a noble failure, mainly let down by JMS' lack of commitment, a problem of his that has continued through his runs of Superman and Wonder Woman, to the point where one wonders, "Why Does Anyone Hire Him?" This was a great take on Squadron Supreme (and the JLA), full of modern deconstruction and serious characterization. But without an ending to the many plotlines setup by JMS ("What is Spec channelling?" "How does the dark future of Hyperion taking over emerge?" "What's up with Zarda?" "What's up with Kingsley?") or even the fight that kicks off in issue #6 ... how can you say the overall story was any good?
April 8, 2025
This one tackles some heavy fucking topics very seriously, but given the time of the writing and the state of things in the very country it was hating on, it had its fair share of problems while trying to. But I really liked it and honestly I wish there was more. It worked very hard to keep itself as respectable as it could be and was clearly written by a writer with a gift and a lot to say (which doesn’t surprise me, since J. Michael Straczynski wrote the only Before Watchmen issues I liked besides Minutemen and tackled them at about the same speed as he did here).
Fave Characters:
- Inertia (loved her, even though I know she was tackled VERY unevenly)
- Nighthawk (even though it’s clear a white guy wrote him from cover to cover and he’s kind of one of those characters that gets too much hype before he shows up not to be a let-down when he does - [how my old buddy Thomas felt about Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now lol])
Least Fave Characters:
- That smart murder hobo guy with no codename for some reason
- Every piece of shit that existed to make this a MAX imprint, particularly the kids at Inertia’s school
Anyway, very much a product of its time but clearly passionate and as dense as it permitted itself to be. I plan to read the Nighthawk, Hyperion and whatever other one-offs they wrote for this soonish.
3.2/5.
Fave Characters:
- Inertia (loved her, even though I know she was tackled VERY unevenly)
- Nighthawk (even though it’s clear a white guy wrote him from cover to cover and he’s kind of one of those characters that gets too much hype before he shows up not to be a let-down when he does - [how my old buddy Thomas felt about Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now lol])
Least Fave Characters:
- That smart murder hobo guy with no codename for some reason
- Every piece of shit that existed to make this a MAX imprint, particularly the kids at Inertia’s school
Anyway, very much a product of its time but clearly passionate and as dense as it permitted itself to be. I plan to read the Nighthawk, Hyperion and whatever other one-offs they wrote for this soonish.
3.2/5.
October 7, 2024
The Squadron is now an official team, and the government wastes no time sending them to the middle east to "establish peace." Then an old enemy shows up in Redstone.
However, this series ends on a cliffhanger that I don't think was ever really resolved. That sucks, because the ending left me wanting more.
I'll continue with the series, but I think after JMS left, things were never the same.
However, this series ends on a cliffhanger that I don't think was ever really resolved. That sucks, because the ending left me wanting more.
I'll continue with the series, but I think after JMS left, things were never the same.
April 29, 2022
Things start to get going for the Squadron Supreme, we still get a creepy origin story.
There were two more issues before the series was abandoned.
There were two more issues before the series was abandoned.
May 18, 2016
This wasn't the Squadron I'm used to seeing, but it was still a fantastic brain-treat. Yummy! These here are grown-folks comics. Why? Because motherfuckers get killed. Yeah. But also because the characters have personal problems while trying at the same time to solve a few of the problems of the world. That's something that grown-ups have to do. Deal with shit while trying to deal with your own shit. Luckily we can escape all that by reading comics about people trying to deal with shit. Shitty deal? No. Good deal. Deal with it.
August 14, 2015
A very nice take on the Squadron Supreme, which is hardly surprising given the writer. This version of the Supremes is updated, modernized, and the volume cranked up to eleven. The roots of the original 80's series are there, but it's all been remodeled and given a fresh coat of paint. Be warned that this volume ends on one heck of a cliffhanger ...
February 5, 2025
Il volume raccoglie la mini dedicata all'esordio ufficiale dello Squadrone Supremo così costituito, ed alle dipendenze del governo USA.
Usati come arma d'invasione di paesi che supportano il terrorismo, questi "super uomini" e "super donne" non sono semplicemente agli ordini del Pentagono, ma usano questi ordini per conseguire alcuni obiettivi personali. In qualche caso obiettivi molto sadici, in altri solo opportunistici.
Hyperion intanto continua ad eseguire gli ordini a modo suo e ad avere dubbi, anche per via dei ricordi chiari che ha di quel futuro alternativo che ha osservato nella mini a lui dedicata.
Nel complesso siamo sulle 3 stelle piene.
Usati come arma d'invasione di paesi che supportano il terrorismo, questi "super uomini" e "super donne" non sono semplicemente agli ordini del Pentagono, ma usano questi ordini per conseguire alcuni obiettivi personali. In qualche caso obiettivi molto sadici, in altri solo opportunistici.
Hyperion intanto continua ad eseguire gli ordini a modo suo e ad avere dubbi, anche per via dei ricordi chiari che ha di quel futuro alternativo che ha osservato nella mini a lui dedicata.
Nel complesso siamo sulle 3 stelle piene.
August 13, 2021
Great art by Gary Frank. This is my first time to read a Squadron Supreme comic book and all I know about them are copy cats of Justice League. This story is somewhat political and it reminds me a little bit of Watchmen.
May 24, 2019
This was pretty good. There's some continuity, some characterization, some heavy-handed geopolitics.
November 25, 2016
Writer J. M. Straczynski and artist Gary Frank are both in top form here, doing what they do best. Straczynski had to face a major challenge here, carrying over the intense character development he mastered in Supreme Power to a series with twice the number of key characters. I think he passed with flying colors, even if it meant the characters featured so prominently in Supreme Power had to take a back seat so we could get to know the rest of the Squadron. He also had to overcome the fact that the whole "government sponsored superhero team" idea has been done to death, and while Squadron Supreme may not have the same impact as Ellis's Authority run or Millar's Ultimates, it still presents a fresh take on a timeworn subject.
Gary Frank's artwork is fantastic as usual. Beyond the dynamic character designs and powerful action sequences, he has a skill for displaying a wide array of emotion on his characters' faces that is second only to Steve Dillon.
I will second the argument that losing the MAX label was a poor decision. The more mature, but never gratuitous, content in Supreme Power added a sense of realism that Squadron Supreme is lacking. Sometimes PG-13 just isn't enough to tell the story the right way.
Overall, Squadron Supreme: the Pre-War Years is quite satisfying. It serves as an excellent transition between Supreme Power and the ongoing Squadron Supreme series, introducing the key players and setting the stage for things to come.
Gary Frank's artwork is fantastic as usual. Beyond the dynamic character designs and powerful action sequences, he has a skill for displaying a wide array of emotion on his characters' faces that is second only to Steve Dillon.
I will second the argument that losing the MAX label was a poor decision. The more mature, but never gratuitous, content in Supreme Power added a sense of realism that Squadron Supreme is lacking. Sometimes PG-13 just isn't enough to tell the story the right way.
Overall, Squadron Supreme: the Pre-War Years is quite satisfying. It serves as an excellent transition between Supreme Power and the ongoing Squadron Supreme series, introducing the key players and setting the stage for things to come.
July 14, 2016
J. Michael straczynski is a tremendous talent. Loved his run on Thor, and Superman: Grounded. As my good friend J said, this is grown-up comics. the characters here are all multi-faceted (even Shape), all tormented and all kick major butt. for those not familiar with Squadron Supreme, it's kinda like the Thunderbolts or to compare with a similar title from over at DC, maybe the Suicide Squad or Rebels. but again, this is a much more in depth look at the use of power and how it can work until it starts to turn on you. this series is similar in some ways to Mark Waid's Irredeemable, where the Plutonian turns on the world, and it's up to his old group of fellow heroes etc. to try and bring him down. similar tone, and themes. anyway, this was excellent and I can't wait to read the rest of Straczynski's run.
October 26, 2013
It's maddening to me how good JMS's Squadron Supreme is, because it's clear it's never going to come to fruition. (This actually seems to be a regular occurrence with JMS: see Thor, or The Twelve, for example.) I wish Marvel would either contract him to finish the freaking thing, or sell it to HBO, or even give it to me to finish! Anything! These are an awfully lot of fun to read, BUT I hate things that don't resolve satisfactorily. And this never resolves at all. I think I'm giving up....
August 19, 2015
The dialogue about race relations and imperialism are straight out of high school, or worse yet, "Crash". The costume designs are boring and the women are ridiculously drawn. Some ideas are interesting enough to warrant 3 stars, but this series in unfinished, and will never be finished satisfactorily. The main author just stopped working on it, so the whole universe just randomly got folded into the Ultimate line, even though this book ends in a cliff hanger.
September 11, 2013
I thought that this was a pretty good series. But it ends so abruptly and as far as I can tell, there is no continuation out ending to this story line. Blah.
January 17, 2018
ABSOLUTE RATING: {3.5/5 stars} (Rounded Up)
STANDARDIZED RATING: <4/5 stars>
STANDARDIZED RATING: <4/5 stars>
February 16, 2016
How would super beings really look at this world of mortals and act? How would we view them? Awesome book, incredible plot and great art. Highly recommended
April 24, 2013
Sadistic "good guys" killing people for George Bush....nothing to like in here
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews