“Generations” is a John Byrne masterpiece, a celebration of the history of Superman and Batman, not to mention one of the very few instances where the premise of “what if superheroes aged in real time?” was handled to its fullest potential.
Its sequel “Generations II” is not at the same level of quality, but it’s an interesting companion piece that fills some of the gaps between the time jumps of the first miniseries.
They are highly recommended.
“Generations III” is crap.
But unfortunately it’s crap that features the Legion of Super-Heroes, so of course I’m going to talk about it.
Superman & Batman: Generations III #1 (2003)
by John Byrne
If you’re hoping that at least this will be nice to look at, since it’s drawn by John Byrne… we’re talking about 2003 Byrne.
If there was any doubt on the Legion connection, the FIRST page has an injured Saturn Girl show up at Superboy’s home.
And we have ALREADY broken the lore established in the first miniseries.
On the first page!!! That’s some kind of record.
The premise of Generations is that Superman really did start his adventures in 1938 and Batman in 1939, and that they would age regularly from there.
(well, Batman would. It’s more complicated for Superman but that’s not important right now)
The way Byrne did it in the original series was having Superman start out with the power set he originally had in the early stories, then give him all his Silver Age powers starting from the chapters set in the 50s.
Granted the final chapter of the first miniseries already screwed things up by adding an epilogue that showed Superboy acting in the 30s…
Hey I said the original was a masterpiece, not that it didn’t have any flaws.
(also: “Land o’Goshen”? Can someone please translate?)
Since time travel is going to feature HEAVILY into the story, I thought that maybe history was being changed… except Superboy does recognize her.
Also, we’re not even following the Silver Age version of events, because in THIS reality Superboy knows that Pete Ross is aware of his secret identity.
Most of the fun of the first Generations was STARTING with the original lore and develop things from there, but in this one Byrne isn’t bothering with that.
Also the Smallville kids are apparently 14 now. The very earlies Superboy stories depicted him even younger than that, sure, but we’re already deviating from the Silver Age.
Superboy then fights some alien-looking dudes who namedrop Luthor.
Since the military is involved in this, that’s the (feeble) connection to introduce a 14 year old Lois Lane into the mix, since her father is a general.
(which is a post-Crisis development, by the way, before Crisis her father was basically a non-entity)
But back to the reason I’m reviewing this, Saturn Girl wakes up.
Notice her dismissing of 20th century medicine; a common attitude from Legionnaires of other eras, but in the Silver Age they would’ve had more tact.
Not that Byrne is obligated to follow the Silver Age… this is an Elseworld after all… but I’m highlighting how different this is from the other Generations miniseries.
Perhaps the only interesting concept of this miniseries is that we’re seeing a time travel plot in reverse. Saturn Girl has already witnessed the final battle, but we’ll uncover during the miniseries what exactly this is about.
Granted I don’t think the execution works, AT ALL, but I appreciate the concept.
Unfortunately she’s too weakened by the dreaded Plot Convenience Virus to fight back against the military accusing the Kents to be helping the alien invasion.
Meanwhile Lana and Lois accidentally discover the Time Bubble™.
Yeah I think history is already screwed, Saturn Girl.
Since Batman is supposed to be the co-star, Bruce Wayne also shows up.
The other Generations did a great job giving pretty much equal importance to both characters, but this one will be HEAVILY centered on Superman.
Then Saturn Girl decides to mindwipe EVERYONE to make them forget this plot exists.
Couldn’t she do that to me as well?
I recognize I’m quite harsh on 2003 Byrne, but I have to give this to him: this is one heck of a panel, wonderful in its simplicity.
No you’re right, Superboy, you didn’t forget anything important.
Superman & Batman: Generations III #2 (2003)
by John Byrne
This is a 12-issue miniseries with a tenuous connection to the Legion, so obviously I’m going to skip A LOT of things.
We open the second issue by meeting the Superman and Batman of the far-flung future of 2025, which is so futuristic it resembles the Legion’s future.
We have one year left to pick up the slack, guys.
(if you’re wondering how Batman is still around if he was a teen in the 20s, by the end of Generations he got Ra’s Al Ghul’s immortality)
Eventually Superman discovers the remains of the alien invaders, deducing they were Darkseid minions.
After a bunch of other stuff, Batman deduces that their memories were tampered with.
Which might have been a cool revelation if you didn’t straight tell us in the ending of the previous issue!!!
(the masked woman is “Blackhawk”. I don’t think the comic ever bothers to tell us her deal.)
Superman & Batman: Generations III #3 (2003)
by John Byrne
We spend this issue in 2125 with Kamandi’s son…
…who we learn at the last page is a girl.
Some of Superman’s descendants are around, but Superman himself is not in the story.
On one hand the series is clearly not as Superman-centric as I recalled… WHICH IS EVEN WORSE.
Superman & Batman: Generations III #4 (2003)
by John Byrne
This one is set in 2225, and as you’ve probably guessed we’re going to jump a century every time.
By now Superman has left Earth and is basically immortal thanks to solar energy.
And despite the fact that by the end of the first Generations he was married to an immortal Lana Lang (don’t ask), apparently now he’s with Beautiful Dreamer of the New Gods.
She is SUCH a boring character that I initially thought this WAS Lana with a different hair color!
Darkseid’s forces are now invading the 23rd century, but they’re stopped by Wonder Woman.
Who is still young because she’s Wonder Woman.
The whole reason to have Superman be with Beautiful Dreamer is because she can discover the plot unlock his memories.
Memories which include the murder of Brainiac 5.
His only contribution is to give her the keys to the time machine.
You probably see where this is going, if you remember a detail from earlier.
What a disappointment. John Byrne used to be among my absolute favorite writers and artists.
He gets to use the Legion in the follow-up to one of his best works… AND IT’S THIS THING.
At the very least he does give Saturn Girl SOME spirit.
Superman & Batman: Generations III #5 (2003)
by John Byrne
Too bad this issue has basically nothing to do with the main plot, because it’s the ONLY chapter that captures the spirit of the original miniseries.
It’s where Batman’s son dies and is reunited with the spirit of Superman’s daughter, who he married in the original and who was brutally murdered in a heartbreaking moment.
It’s a bit cheesy, but if you have any attachment to the first miniseries it does work.
Superman & Batman: Generations III #6 (2003)
by John Byrne
This one ALSO has barely anything to do with the main plot.
It’s about Superman’s great-granddaughter Lara, introduced in the previous miniseries, who ages so slowly she still look like a tween despite being centuries old.
Something that is a problem to her adult love interest, an alien Green Lantern.
She gives away her powers for him, which ends up dooming the Green Lantern when she’s powerless to save him.
If you consider both Generations II and Generations III, there are TWO subplots about a Supergirl equivalent who can’t get into a relationship because she still looks pre-pubescent despite being an adult.
Yes, that is exactly as creepy as it sounds.
Superman & Batman: Generations III #7 (2003)
by John Byrne
Hey remember when we had a plot? They suddenly do!
We’ve meandered SO much that a large chunk of the story is a recap to bring Superman up to speed.
This exchange did me laugh WITH the comic, and not AT the comic like most of it.
Also Lara has now grown into an adult, and Batman has full Superman powers.
We also bring it back to the Legion… or what’s left of it.
She sure has amazing hair considering she died in the 20th century and this is the 26th.
Remember when Lara and Lois took the Time Bubble™? The comic suddenly does!
Superman & Batman: Generations III #8 (2003)
by John Byrne
So far, in every issue we’ve jumped ahead 100 years.
But we interrupt the plot to have Superman go back to the Wild West to have a team-up with Jonah Hex for some reason.
With the last two pages dedicated to Darkseid monologuing about his master plan.
Which I guess involves moving his forces farther back into the past so that he literally screws up time?
I’m a sucker for time travel stories but this one seems way more complicated than it needs to be.
Also, you had eight whole issues to explain the plan, did you really need this massive infodump?
Superman & Batman: Generations III #9 (2003)
by John Byrne
In this issue we learn that the new Parademons that Darkseid sent through time are a new form that is capable of independent thought and free will.
Yep.
DARKSEID, famously known for valuing free will and not at all obsessed with eradicating it.
Sounds legit.
Superman & Batman: Generations III #10 (2003)
by John Byrne
Superman fights the son and daughter he had with Beautiful Dreamer.
Darkseid then murders both his son and Beautiful Dreamer.
And they’re both such non-characters that I can’t feel anything about it.
Especially since it calls back to the BRUTAL murder of Superman’s daughter in the first Generations, which was just heartbreaking. This PALES in comparison and I can’t believe it’s from the same writer.
Superman & Batman: Generations III #11 (2004)
by John Byrne
We FINALLY pick up the Lana and Lois plot in the 29th century, where they can’t avoid spoilers.
Well this is awkward.
The whole reason Superman and Batman are able to do anything relevant is that the Time Bubble™ breaks all established time travel rules for… reasons, I guess.
Including going back to the beginning of the series and saving Saturn Girl.
Like I said: awkward.
Turns out that mindwiping Smallville was Batman’s idea.
Byrne will you PLEASE stop being a creep!?
PLEASE MINDWIPE ME TOO!!!
The entire Legion is likely dead at this point, you’d think she’d mention it!!!
No Batman, it really doesn’t make sense.
Superman & Batman: Generations III #12 (2004)
by John Byrne
We have reached the final issue and the 30th century. At least not ALL Legionnaires are dead.
YOU HAVEN’T DONE ANYTHING TO STOP THIS IN A THOUSAND YEARS!!!
Also Superman’s great-granddaughter dies. And apparently she had a thing with Batman too?
She’s an adult by this point, but considering she was stuck in the body of an 11 year old for most of her stories… still a bit creepy.
The heroes have a plan that will erase the entire storyline from existence.
Wonder Woman has ethical doubts about it, but as you can imagine I’M ALL FOR IT at this point!!!
And now, ladies and gentlemen, get ready for the stupidest thing John Byrne has ever written.
Yes.
Even worse than Chapter One.
Because he has Wonder Woman meet Kanto, one of Darkseid’s least interesting minions…
…and he kills her with that poisoned needle he just touched her with.
Seriously, these are ALL her panels before she dies!!!
Eventually Superman gets SO mad at Darkseid that he punches him SO hard…
…that the entire storyline is erased from history, and reality snaps back to the epilogue of the first miniseries.
THEN WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THE ENTIRE THING!?!?!?
Does any of this show up in any regular continuity?
SHOULD any of this have happened in regular continuity?
It better not!!!!!!
Silver Age-ness: 0/10
There are some peaks of absurdity, but here’s something I rarely get to say: THE SILVER AGE would have made more sense!!!
Does it stand the test of time? 0/10
Crap.
Do yourself a favor: read the original Generations and leave this travesty alone.
We are legion
Active Legionnaires: 3
-Saturn Girl
-Cosmic Boy
-Chameleon Boy
Reserve members: 1
-Superboy (presumably)
Deceased members: 1
-Brainiac 5
5 people have been members
This is most likely the Legion incarnation with the least members.
“Land O’ Goshen” is one of those exclamations like “Heavens to Betsy” or “Oh my stars” that writers will deploy when they want to show a character is older and a bit of a fuddy-duddy. It’s a biblical reference to the area where the Israelites lived during the captivity in Egypt. I assume it originated as way to not take the Lord’s name in vain, but I have no idea what specific oath it was generally intended to be replace – maybe “Lord have mercy.”
Land O’Goshen is just an old timey exclamation of surprise. I don’t think it ever had a literal meaning. Period accurate for a Midwestern granny according to my childhood forced viewings of Lassie reruns.
As said, “Land o’ Goshen” is one of a bewildering array of American idioms that let people “swear without swearing” back in the day. They were mostly of southern origin but spread nationwide before fading away as actual cussing became more socially acceptable, a process that’s gotten to the point where it’s pretty difficult for any (former) obscenity to have much impact anymore. Other examples of old-timey exclamations include tarnation, goldarn it, heavens to Betsy, oh fudge, jumping Jehoshaphat and my personal favorite, consarn it!