JLA: The Age of Wonder – Review

By: Adisakdi Tantimedh (writer), Galen Showman & P. Craig Russell (artists), Dave McCaig (colorist)

The Story: I say, up in the sky!  It’s a bird, it’s a plane—oh, wait, those don’t exist yet.

The Review: I wasn’t sure how to classify these DC Comics Presents books.  Even though they’re released as “issues,” they really represent a collection of previously printed series, like a trade or graphic novel.  Function trumps form in my book, so graphic novels they will be.  Now that DC’s reaching out to a wider audience, it’s an ideal opportunity to showcase some of their great storylines of the past, and remind us why they’ve remained relevant for so many years.

The very concept of the Elseworlds imprint reveals how deeply rooted in the social conscious DC’s characters are.  Most people are well acquainted with their iconography and origins, and writers can use that familiarity to their advantage by crafting stories where we know from the start who the characters are and what motivates them.  This leaves our attention free to focus on the story’s premise and its underlying message.

To that, we must look first to the period, which spans the Second Industrial Revolution, one where America was at the very forefront.  It is significant that this technological era was the last to be characterized as a “revolution.”  While later decades yielded undoubtedly remarkable products, these largely built upon inventions inspired into being in the late 19^th century.  Never before had progress advanced so quickly and with such enthusiastic acceptance and popularity.

Now imagine the introduction of superhumans to this equation.  In any circumstance, they’d have a destabilizing effect on the world, but here, in a clever twist by Tantimedh, Superman and his ilk seem more like sideshows to an age that had more than enough marvels to wonder at.  If anything, our heroes only accelerate these groundbreaking events, and even then, not by much.  Even though in this world the Germans launch the first atom bomb against another nation, they do so in 1911, less than forty years before us Americans did the same thing for real in WWII.

The Shade #1 – Review

By: James Robinson (writer), Cully Hamner (artist), Dave McCaig (colorist)

The Story: Props, man—anyone who can pull off a top hat in public today is pretty legit.

The Review: I mentioned not too long ago that while Robinson’s efforts at writing the Justice League left me completely unimpressed, I thoroughly enjoyed his work on Starman.  Aside from the tremendous development he gave to the titular hero, Robinson also wrote a formidable Shade.  As a result, the villain-turned-“hero” gained a background of mythic proportions and one of the more complex, inscrutable set of motivations among DC personalities.

This issue captures Shade’s appeal very well: erudite, rugged, and charming, living in the lap of luxury (Starman: “I could give [the tea] a warming nudge with my power gem.”  Shade: “Not with my best bone china, you won’t.”), and tops in the metahuman ranks besides.  For the Bronte fans, Shade is pretty much Edward Rochester with superpowers.  Be prepared, though, for some obscure references: “Why don’t we skip the tea entirely and watch an Ingmar Bergman film?”

The Rochester parallel comes even stronger in Shade’s scenes with Hope O’Dare.  While he projects a very private figure, a master of understatement, he has no qualms speaking lavishly of his affection for Hope, who, like Rochester’s Jane Eyre, doesn’t find that kind of romancing all that romantic.  She tells him, quite perceptively, that there’s nothing sexy about Shade turning into her neutered beau and that he ought to look into taking up some adventurous hobby.

It seems like adventure is out to find him, however.  Amidst Shade’s many scenes of quiet contemplation, we catch a glimpse of German agent William Von Hammer, who in Bond style singlehandedly dispatches a whole motley crew of killers.  It’s an impressive sequence, for all that it doesn’t feature our star.  Against a thug in a rocket pack, a beast-man, and several goons in nifty armor, Von Hammer takes them all down with a single pistol.

Justice League of America #44 – Review

By: James Robinson (writer), Mark Bagley (artist), Rob Hunter and Norm Rapmund (inkers), Ulises Arreola (colorist)

The Story: A training session of the JLA is interrupted by a great big glowing green rock that sucks half the team into space. After the rescue, they race after it and face the demon Etrigan over who controls the rock.

What’s Good: Bagley does action well. I have small issues with his proportions, but his layouts are dynamic and people in his panels *move*. Bagley is ably assisted by thick, textured inks by Hunter and Rapmund and some bright and evocative color work by Arreola. On colors, Arreola used dominant color for a lot of panels that really helped the layout choices burst from the page – like the green explosion on the satellite, the fiery orange in Germany and the grays and earth-tones after the dust settles in the big JLA fight. The art was also consistently clear, in that no matter what was going on or how many fists were swinging, who was where and which direction they were going was never a secret.

Justice League of America #43 – Review

By: James Robinson (writer), Mark Bagley (artists), Rob Hunter and Norm Rapmund (inker)

The Story: Green Arrow is defending the JLA satellite at the same time that the rest of the JLA (plus hangers-on) are duking it out with a bunch of villains. The JLA aren’t doing well because they’re not working like a team. Dick Grayson (the guy who seems to me the most likely to eventually emerge as the leader) doesn’t have time to try to make them work better together because the villains get away. Then they find the JLA satellite trashed and Green Arrow gone hunting. They have lots to do, but their experienced, heavy-hitters have other things pulling them away. Is this JLA roster going to be dead on arrival?

What’s Good: Robinson is on his game. I trampled his work on Cry for Justice, but liked his work on New Krypton. He’s got a grip on most of his characters here, has clear personal challenges for each and has obvious (if occasionally overly-obvious) external obstacles for the heroes. This is a story about people growing into big shoes, either overtly (Dick Grayson and Donna Troy filling in for Batman and Wonder Woman on the JLA) or more subtlety (Congorilla and Starman getting to the idea that they’re good enough to be on the Justice League). And the dialogue was crisp and fun. Check out Congorilla’s deadpan lines like “I feel like I’m sixty all over again” and “Now all I need to do is make people understand that apes aren’t monkeys.”

On art, Mark Bagley gave us a mixed offering. The action sequences that require a Kirby-esque dynamism were on target and he makes flying characters look effortlessly graceful. He also did a fine job of keeping a 31-page comic with about 20 characters pretty clear. And his work on faces and expressions was excellent in close-up.

Justice League: Cry For Justice #4 – Review

By James Robinson (writer), Mauro Cascioli (artist), Eddie Berganza (editor)

The Story: Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Freddie Freeman, the Atom and Supergirl pull themselves out of the wreckage of last issue’s cliff-hanger explosion and decide to follow Prometheus’ trail through the torture of the other villains they’ve captured. Jay Garrick is running around the country, checking up on all sorts of people, while Congo Bill and Starman fight for their lives.

What’s Good: Mauro Cascioli continues to knock this book out of the park. In evaluating comic art, I always do a gut-test first: How long do I want to linger, looking at the pictures? Cascioli’s art really keeps the pages from turning because there’s so much in each panel. Every expression is brilliant. The clothes wrinkle, the lights shine, and the shadows are moody and real. And as I said in my review of issue #1, Casciolo’s rendition of Congo Bill is stunning.

Robinson kept me guessing throughout the story. Freddie’s analysis of Prometheus (using the patented wisdom of Solomon) was fun to watch in a Bourne Identity sort of way. And Jay Garrick’s mysterious investigation is drawing in some pretty interesting people, like Mon-El, the Shade, and a bunch of second string heroes. I’ve been following some of DC’s podcasts and in a couple, Robinson talks about how Cry for Justice is going to tee up his run as the writer for the JLA, a team he intends to refashion. I don’t know what he’s doing with these second-stringers now, but I would be interested in seeing him try to make some of them first-stringers. That, however, is just a bit of idle speculation on my part. Robinson is nonetheless using the large cast of the DCU to good effect.

What’s Not So Good: Cry for Justice is losing its way. It started with an effective bang in issue #1. Since then, it has started repeating itself. This is now the fourth issue where the Green Lantern orders the Atom to torture some (or many) hapless villain. The Atom, same as before, jumps out of some guy’s nostril, as if he’s put in a tiresome day’s work. Hal Jordan doesn’t flinch. And Freddie and Kara continue to be non-entities in the central debate of this series. There is some character growth in Green Arrow (“Torture is wrong”), but it comes off as contrived because it just begets more violence. I know Robinson is going for a ‘Now do you see what you’ve been doing?’ moment, but we’re talking about some of the most powerful and perceptive personalities in the DCU – they’ve taken bigger punishments than this without surrendering their values.

Conclusion: The story is suffering from a few missteps, but a powerhouse set of characters, a promised change in the status quo of the DCU and the art make this book worth the buy.

Grade: B-

DS Arsenault

Adventure Comics #1 – Review

by Geoff Johns (writer), Francis Manapul (art), Brian Buccellato (colors), and Steve Wands (letters)

The Story: Conner Kent returns to life in Smallville, trying to understand and relive the experiences of both Clark Kent and Lex Luthor.

What’s Good: If there were ever a wholesome, family comic, this is it. This really is a kid-friendly comic, but I don’t mean that in a disparaging or simplifying sense that should put off any more wizened fans. Adventure Comics is kid-friendly in the way that the Paul Dini/Bruce Timm manned Batman animated series was kid-friendly. It’s comfort food certainly, but it doesn’t condescend, leading to an awesome comic for younger readers and a fun, relaxing read for the more wizened.

This entire issue serves merely as a prelude of things to come and certainly opens promising doorways. I enjoyed the characterization of Superboy, a character as much trying to find his place in this world as he is attempting to negotiate his lineage, recognizing both Luthor and Kal-El as his parents, leading to a very effective ending…  And of course, there’s Krypto– only the most heartless of readers can despise Krypto, who has a scene this month that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. The damned mutt is adorable, thanks in no small part to Manapul.

Speaking of Francis Manapul, the man’s work is a thing of beauty. His work carries that same warm, lovable tone as the writing, truly capturing the sparse grandness of the American heartland. Manapul makes Smallville look like a place that’s impossible not to embrace, while many of his frames carry a kind “flashback” feel, thanks to the pseudo-painted style to run parallel to the warmth and vitality of the young characters.

What’s Not So Good: Unfortunately, plot-wise, there’s not a whole lot going on. I said that this month functions mostly as a prelude, and really, one can’t help at times to feel that this issue is nothing but a giant preview. Characters of future importance are given the barest glimpse, Superboy begins to establish his life in Smallville, and well, that’s pretty much it. It is done fairly masterfully so that it isn’t blaringly obvious, but in hindsight, there’s only the slightest bit of forward momentum, and that comes from the ending. If this weren’t a full-sized issue, I’d be tempted to call this Adventure Comics #0 if there wasn’t one already.  There’s no sign of clear direction and no real development of any of the supporting characters.

Also, the back-up is a complete mess and an utter waste of time. Despite being advertised as a Starman story, you’re getting one page recapping Superboy’s history with the Legion, a double-page spread detailing all the Legion’s members, and a final page of teasers for things to come. That means the actual story is all of four pages. Those four pages feature a babbling insane Starman, playing an albeit amusing game of bowling, before having an encounter/revelation that’ll probably only be of any worth if you’re fairly familiar with the character. There’s just nothing here.

Conclusion: A lead feature that goes down easy, yet it is unfortunately paired with a weak back-up…  Make no mistake, the main is good and expertly executed, but it’s just a preview.

Grade: B-

-Alex Evans

Justice League: Cry for Justice #1 – Review

By James Robinson (writer), Mauro Cascioli (artist)

The Story: Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern of Sector 2814, tells the assembled JLA that he’s had enough and that it’s time to put the justice back into the Justice League and to take the fight to those who make the evil in the world. However, not many are willing to follow where he’s headed. At the same time, Ray Palmer (the Atom), Mikaal Tomas and Congo Bill come to views very similar to Green Lantern’s.

What’s Good: Almost everything. Robinson starts us off with a very strong concept: that some heroes are taking the initiative. They’re not going to act like police respecting Miranda rights; they’re going to take the informal war between good and evil on the offensive. This is a very “mature reader” perspective to bring to such an iconic series. which has been long overdue. It’s similar to the switch that detective fiction took in the 1920’s when American writers found the British cozy mysteries too contrived and artificial and instead introduced the gritty, realistic American detective that had to confront brutal criminals in violent ways. This is the can of whoop-ass that is going to put the JLA at the center stage of the comic book industry for months.

The concept of justice itself is very emotional and it allows Robinson and Cascioli to shine some powerful lights into the inner worlds of Green Lantern, Green Arrow, the Atom, Congorilla, and Mikaal. The emotions they uncover are raw and visceral, making the storytelling powerful both in words and pictures.

Speaking of pictures, where has Mauro Cascioli been all my life? He’s freaking awesome! The lighting is brilliant and he’s got some tricks of shadowing and light that put such texture onto the page that you have to see to believe. And if you really need convincing (as if the cover doesn’t convince you), look at the flashbacks of Batman and Martian Manhunter tragedies. Look at the billowing clouds of fire and smoke bursting out of a car. Look at Congorilla’s face! The art is just unbelievable!

I also loved Robinson’s message to the readers at the end. He tells us what JLA: Cry for Justice is about, what he thinks it will do and where the characters are coming from. And to top it off, we got a punchy little Len Wein/ Ardian Syaf/ John Dell two-pager at the end on the origin of Congorilla.

What’s Not So Good: My only compaint, other than some slightly over-developed biceps in places, were two pieces of clunky dialogue. My pet peeve is when dialogue is used to tell readers something that the other characters on the page already know. It’s just not genuine. Superman indulges in some (“We all know exactly who and what we’ve lost”) and so does a mortician (“I guess you know the details. He was visiting….”). These are tiny notes in an otherwise flawless symphony.

Conclusion: JLA: Cry for Justice is expected to do big things for the DCU and set up conditions for Robinson when he takes over the main JLA title. This is big stuff and it shows. Buy this book!

Grade: A-

-DS Arsenault

A Second Opinion

Justice League: Cry for Justice #1 is a lot like the majority of comic books throughout the 90s; the art shines, and the story/ writing tanks. Each subplot reeks of a lack of originality, inconvenience, camp, and unimportance.

In the part where Hal Jordan calls out the Justice League, and decides to serve his own brand of justice, the dialogue is made up corny and cliche banter. With phrases like, “You and me. Old times, new times, all the time.” and “I’m saying this will not stand. I’m saying they hurt us, we hurt them back,” Robinson is unforgiving in shoving stock moments down our throats.

In the second part where the Atoms are raising hell in a dive bar, it’s text box galore, where Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi take turns jocking one another, just like Superman and Batman in Public Enemies. It’s unoriginal, and it’s annoying to read the same words from each character… Robinson fails to give Ryan Choi a memorable voice, while the faux-badass attitude he has tagged on Ray Palmer is laughable. “He’s a hero. I’m Ray Palmer. Welcome to pain.” WTF?!

As for Congo Bill/ Congorilla, who gives a shit? It’s obvious that DC and Robinson knew he is/ was going to be the least cared about character in this book; which is why they had to throw in a last minute origin wiki at the end.  Are we really going to be seeing origin tales for characters that we should already know and care about?

It’s unfortunate that this book didn’t live up to my expectations. I was duped into thinking that this was going to be one serious story with “Identity Crisis like” themes and situations. Instead, I got a book that features a poorly written tale and an article in the end  from the writer in which he tries to assure me that what I’m reading is going to matter.

Grade: C+

-Ray Hilario