In the shadow of the Finacial Crisis of 2008, the idea of a world divided between the ultra-wealthy "1%," and everyone else, the "99%" took strong roots within the world consciousness. A world in which the "one-percenters" structured economic, political, and social policy to benefit themselves while leaving the remaining "ninety-nine percenters" to bear the burden of paying for it all through various financially painful means. This was a popular notion in the early 2010s as the world economy was still reeling from the devastating effects of the Finacial Crisis of 2008. Many within the 99% lost jobs, homes, retirement savings, and the ability to borrow money while those in the 1%, many of whom were responsible for the conditions leading to the Financial Crisis via reckless and irresponsible investment tactics, were either insulated from the brunt of the crisis by extreme wealth or were "rewarded" for crashing the economy in the form of "golden parachute" clauses in their employment contracts were they ever to leave their companies, while facing no criminal or civil charges as a result of their callous disregard for the consequences of their actions for millions of innocent people.
Watching those that they held responsible for the worldwide financial calamity go unpunished, many within the 99% decided to make their voices heard, loudly. The Occupy Wall Street Movement took its first real action in July of 2011 by physically occupying Zuccotti Park in Manhatten after the New York Police department blocked off other locations. The park was the site of many protests, speeches and other forms of demonstrations designed to both bring attention to issues like income inequality and political and financial systems "rigged" to favor the wealthy. Over the next months, the protesters continued to make their voices heard, though their numbers did wain over time. Diehards kept the protest at Zuccotti Park going until finally they were forced to vacate the park by early in November of 2011.
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| DC Comics house ad for The Green Team: Teen Trillionaires (2013) and The Movement (2013) |
But years after the last protester left Zuccotti Park, the issues between "have everythings" and the "have-not-a-lots" were still part of the public consciousness. Enter Gail Simone, Art Baltazar, and Franco Aureliani to examine issues of the 1% versus the 99% for DC Comics. Simone explored the plight of 99%ers who were abused and exploited by an unfair system in The Movement (2013). Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani's title, The Green Team: Teen Trillionaires (2013) looks at the 1%er perspective by addressing the question that if money can buy power, can it also buy super-powers?
Baltazar and Aureliani's Green Team reboots a 1975 Joe Simon and Jerry Grandenetti concept about a group of super-rich teen-agers that use their vast financial resources to go on super-heroic adventures. Unlike the original version of boy millionaires, the new Green Team featured a mix of young men and women trillionaires (I'm assuming they are adjusted for inflation) like Commodore Murphy, J.P. Houston, Lucia Lynn "L.L." Houston, Cecilia Sunbeam, and Mohammad Qahtanii. In issue #3 of The Green Team, Commodore hires Deathstroke to put a stop to Riot, villain who had been coming after members of the Green Team for months. The cover of issue #3 spotlights a less-than-enthused Deathstroke flanked by Commodore and Prince Mohammad (Mo) with art by long-time Harley Quinn artist, Amanda Connor, which is posted below with and without title graphics.
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| Art by Amanda Connor |
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| Art by Amanda Connor |
