Justice League of America #55Justice League of America 55 is a pretty good distillation of a lot of what I don’t like about comics today. Personally, I read a particular comic for that comic. I like continuity, and the whole “shared universe” concept, but since the folks at DC are showing on a regular basis they don’t really care about continuity, it makes it harder and harder for me to really care about what’s happening in the DCU as a whole. So, let’s take a look at what goes on in JLA 55.
We start off at the “Emerald City” that Alan Scott established in “The Dark Things.” Alan is in bed, paralyzed. Why? Well, you need to read Justice Society for that. Eclipso and his stooges show up to attack, interrupting Jade at her father’s bedside, and Jesse Quick, who’s hanging around in the background looking pathetic, unsure about her life. She wants to talk to Alan about her problems, but senses this isn’t a good time. Why isn’t she talking to her husband? No idea, he’s not in this book, I guess. We also learn her powers are fading. Why? Because that’s what you do to heroes these days, you either screw with their powers or make them absolutely miserable- Jesse is getting both, apparently. Jesse evidently regards Alan as a substitute father since her own died, and has ever since… well, this is the first I’ve heard of it, actually.
Eclipso and company gain control of the moon, defeating hordes of fairy creatures while Jade gets possessed and Jesse takes Alan and runs away. Elsewhere, Batman is trying to help Supergirl deal with the loss of New Krypton (another issue from another event in another book). They, in turn, are interrupted by first Boodika the Alpha Lantern, and then Doomsday. Why is Doomsday back? Yes, it’s another crossover! Oh boy! Doomsday ignores Dark Supergirl to attack Boodika, which we eventually learn is because the Cyborg Superman is hidden in her robotic parts. This might have been a more dramatic reveal were the Cyborg not featured on the COVER. Way to blow the surprise, folks. That story continues in the Superman/Batman title, so someone else can let me know how it turns out. Also on the cover is Congorilla, AKA Sir Not Appearing In This Film. He’s just there to fill up the body count of defeated Leaguers lying on the ground on the cover, another riff that’s getting REALLY old. Where is Congorilla in all this? No idea, he’s never mentioned.
Also for the Doomsday fight, a Blue Lantern called Saint Walker pops up. Blue Lanterns, I am told, can only tap into their powers in the presence of a Green Lantern, which seems silly. This time, however, he’s tapped into something or someone else, but isn’t sure what. He and Starman briefly clash with Doomsday, who takes off after the JLA teleporter finally takes Boodika, which it was told to do, Batman, which I can see as a rescue, and Supergirl..umm… just because?
Other seemingly random events include the JLA teleporter having issues transporting Bookida because of her “machine parts.” Yes, the teleporter that transports Cyborg and Red Tornado among many others is having issues with this. Maybe it’s because Cyborg Superman was hidden in her? If so, the JLA teleporter is apparently more sophisticated than the Guardian’s uber-tech, high grade special Alpha Lantern upgrades. I find that unlikely. Robinson has toned down Donna Troy’s new “I want to hit things” personality, maybe in response to long and loud fan complaints, but she still doesn’t seem her old caring self.
So, to sum up: Jesse is losing her powers for reasons unknown and doesn’t talk to husband about it; Jade gets captured by Eclipso and possessed (gee, Eclipso possessing heroes, haven’t seen that since…. the last big storyline involving Eclipso); and we have stories from JSA, Reign of Doomsday, and the war of the Technicolor Lanterns. Anyone know why there have supposedly been so many different colors of Lanterns all this time and we’ve never heard about it till now?
Here’s a thought: how about we do a story with consistent characterizations, not suddenly learning about deep seeded things that have been going on for a long time but we never knew, with an accurate cover in which the heroes actually win, don’t lose their powers or go off on soap opera like rants, and the story stays in the book you’re actually reading? Think we can do that? I don’t either, but it would be a nice change. Too many “events,” too many crossovers, too much “beat on the heroes”…. I’m getting tired of all this. Maybe that’s why I’m liking Green Hornet from Dynamite and even Darkwing Duck from Boom! There, the heroes manage to win most of the time, and you don’t have to read several other books to know what the heck’s going on. Oh well, I’m sure next issue Plaid Lantern will show up and save the day or something, in a story that crosses over with Teen Titans.
I suppose to some I sound like a cranky old man about to shout “Get off my lawn!” What I am is a fan of heroes. I get dramatic tension, I do, but the “tear them down to build them up” riff and the “everyone’s beaten down on the cover” riffs have gotten far over used, and the building them back up somehow never seems complete. Do the good guys still get to win sometimes?
What I liked and what I didn’t:
Dick, trying to help Supergirl at the beginning, doesn’t wholly trust her in this darker aspect, and brings along about every anti-Kryptonian weapon in Bruce’s armory. That’s good thinking, and shows an experienced planner. It doesn’t end up helping, but it was a nice thought. Donna, finally, doesn’t seem to be showing outright glee at the prospect of a fight.
What I didn’t goes on a while, and I touched on most of it above. The cover gives away a surprise from the issue, as well as showing characters who aren’t in the book and the team beaten on the ground. Doomsday and Eclipso are one trick ponies, back doing their same old thing for the most part. To really get what’s going on here, you need to have read JSA, Reign of Doomsday, and the various hues of Lanterns. Jesse’s sudden power loss and need to talk to someone without ever even thinking of her husband is just weird. I’m sorry, I know Robinson’s JLA is popular in some circles, and I thought it was getting better, but this one was just bad in my view.
A COMIC BOOK BLOG RATINGProsConsDick planning and Donna not drooling about fightingmulti-crossover, the cover Rating50% You might also like...
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Justice League Of America #46 ReviewBy BlogsdnaTagged with: Batman Doomsday Eclipso James Robinson Justice League of AmericaLeave a ReplyClick here to cancel replyYour name (Required)
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This post was added on 24 Mar 2011, 5:46 by Wayland who has contributed 270 posts to this blog.
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