Justice League of America #38
by Andrew Dowdell
Thanks for joining us here at Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice, a seriously fun look at the activities within the DC Universe. If you love comic books, and the DCU in particular, then I'm happy to have you drop by. In the past, I have written articles, reviews, and blogs dealing with Infinite Crisis, 52, Countdown to Final Crisis, Justice League of America and various other books, and after taking a year off to recharge my batteries, am excited to jump back into the world of review, analysis and trivia. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride...and feel free to e-mail or post a comment if you like! I'd be happy to hear from you!
Writer: James Robinson
Pencils: Mark Bagley
Inks: Rob Hunter
Editor: Eddie Berganza
I apologize in advance for this piece. My reviews tend to start off as coherent commentaries about the issue in question that, at some point, veer off into snarky, non-sensical ramblings, only to somehow tie back into the larger topic. Kind of like talking to me in person, only without lots of distracting hand-gestures.
So, Justice League of America #38, the start of a brand new era for the team. Out with the old, in with the new. New direction, new team, blah blah blah. How many times have I hard this before?
Honestly, I've lost count. DC likes to destroy and resurrect the JLA every few years, to keep it fresh and exciting, I guess. Unfortunately, after a while it just seems like a stunt to attract new readers.
Most importantly, I had a question about this book that, thankfully, was asked by Vixen very early on. "Why are we in the Justice League at all?" It seems that this latest incarnation of the group (introduced in Justice League of America #1 by Brad Meltzer back in 2006) has lacked a purpose, a mission statement, a reason for being. They're the world's greatest heroes, sure, but what does that truly matter anymore?
This, in my opinion, is a problem plaguing many of DC's team books as of late. Currently, there are the JLA, the JSA, two teams of Titans, the Outsiders and the Doom Patrol. Let's not forget the other JSA team that's coming soon. And the Secret Six. The R.E.B.E.L.S. are out there as well. The Legion...well, you get the idea. A lot of teams. And, with a few exceptions, I really can't tell you the purpose, the core concept, of many of these groups. When the heroes can jump from team to team and become interchangeable, then what's the point?
Two of my touchstones for the Justice League are the Giffen/DeMatteis JLI, and Morrison's "big seven" JLA. The JLI was the United Nations' superhuman peacekeeping group; the "big seven" JLA were there to catch humanity when they fell. Like it or not, these are concrete concepts, something you can build a series on. That's why those teams existed, and that's why its members were there. The current JLA? They've spent more time getting its roster in order and defending the Hall of Justice from attack than doing anything else. The groundwork and team were there; the execution was poor.
Brad Meltzer wrote Justice League of America (second series) #0-12, which introduced the current team. Honestly, I enjoyed his run, but it was very much a Brad Meltzer story. If you aren't a fan of his novels or other comic book work, you probably hate it. It's very much consumed with how the heroes come together and their internal dynamics. He spent his issues building the roster and examining what each hero was after and why they were a part of the JLA. Unfortunately, I think he dropped the ball on examining how important the JLA was to the rest of the DCU, and what their mission was. He also introduced a number of plotlines that were left unresolved when he left the book, which were then resolved by new writer Dwayne McDuffie.
Now then, I liked McDuffie's Justice League of America. His first story, featuring the Injustice League, was strong, and then...well, after a few fill-in issues, I just don't feel like he ever got any traction on the book. He dealt with Meltzer's leftover plots (involving Vixen's power changes, Red Tornado's new body, Red Arrow and Hawkgirl's relationship...yeah, all that stuff) but never really seemed to write his own stories. I thought that his single best issue was Justice League of America #21, the Final Crisis prelude, which was essentially just a character piece - a conversation between Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. I loved it.
But the issues that followed had another appearance by Amazo, a confusing story about Vixen, and then the introduction of the Milestone characters to the DCU which was a bit...jumbled. Confusing. And just...blah.
McDuffie was seemingly hamstrung by editorial edicts and the fact that certain characters were off-limits to him. Much has been written about this, and I am sure that mountains have been made out of molehills on either side of the argument, but I was just thinking about this today - when Keith Giffen was given the green light to relaunch Justice League back in 1987, he wasn't allowed to use Superman, Wonder Woman or the Flash due to the fact that each of these characters was being revamped at the time. He was handed a team, and made do with it. Grant Morrison had "the big seven" in his JLA, but only five issues into the series, Superman turned electric and blue; months later, Wonder Woman died. As the series went on, an earthquake struck Gotham, the Flash was replaced by his alternate universe duplicate, and no one wanted a Hawkman around.
The point is, if you are going to write what should be the premier superhero team in the DC Universe, you need to expect to deal with editorial constraints and influence. Moreover, a connection to other books within the DCU might be a help as well, so you are better connected to the ebb and flow of events and continuity.
Also, and this is something I firmly believe in, the JLA should be at the forefront of events in the DCU. Things should spin out of the JLA and filter back through it. With the past few big events in the DCU, the JLA was all over the place - it was disbanded during Infinite Crisis, nonexistent during 52 and splintered during Final Crisis. The JLA should be leading and tackling these crises head-on.
What the JLA needs in Brian Michael Bendis. Okay, not the Brian Michael Bendis, but its own version. Think about it - Bendis has written the Avengers since 2004's "Avengers Disassembled" arc, and, in that time, he's pretty much controlled the Avengers universe of books. He's written sixty or so issues of New Avengers, plus other titles, and turned the team into a powerhouse. Moreover, he's also made sure that the Avengers are front-and-center at the past few Marvel events - House of M, Civil War and Secret Invasion. Not only have they been active participants in these stories, but they have also been radically changed by them.
DC needs a writer to take the reigns of the JLA and make the team important. Give them a purpose. Make them a force to be reckoned with and set them loose upon the DCU.
(Damn, I'm rambling. What's this piece about again? Oh, yeah, right...)
Back to the newest issue, with the debut of the new creative team of James Robinson and Mark Bagley. I'll start on the writing side first. Robinson, noted for his work on Starman, is a great writer. I'm enjoying his current work on the Superman titles. His Justice League: Cry for Justice? Not so much. I don't mind the dialogue between the heroes; these are longtime friends, and they don't have to stand on ceremony and be 100% professional around one another. Hal, Ollie and Ray can joke around and make fun of another, because that's what friends do. What I mind is the glacial pace of the story; we're up to issue #4 and not a whole hell of a lot has happened yet.
On the other hand, he's restored Prometheus to a position of prominence, making him a major-league threat once more. Robinson has also said, in interviews, that this JLA is going to a big team, with members coming and going as they are needed, a concept of which I am a huge fan. But how about the issue at hand?
It was...good. Not great, not fantastic...but definitely not horrible. He addresses the issue of "why are we in the Justice League" up front; and no one really has an answer. He's dealing with a broken and battered group of heroes - Vixen, Plastic Man, Doctor Light and Red Tornado - who have barely survived Prometheus' attack (this issue presumably takes place after the event of Justice League: Cry for Justice #7, not on sale for months) and are looking for direction and meaning. They won't get it here; their meeting is disrupted by Despero, and only a rescue by Zatanna saves them. There are forces at work moving against the JLA here, but the heroes don't know this yet. Zatanna spirits them away to deal with the events of Blackest Night, but, unbeknownst to them, their former ally Blue Jay has been attacked by a mystery foe while trying to warn them about...something.
It's a little bit cliche, but so is the whole breaking-down-the-team-to-build-it-up-again routine. And, let's face it, when you've been reading comics for over twenty years, every story seems a bit cliche; it's all in the execution of the story. It promises that this new team will be beset by a great many enemies and trials; I only hope that Robinson fulfills this promise.
As for the art...Mark Bagley, in my mind, is a good artist. He's not my favorite, by a long shot. I think that some of his faces, particularly with his female characters, look too much alike. He does do action well, and is wonderful at expressing emotion in characters.
His pencils have never dazzled me, but I enjoy them nonetheless, for this one, supremely important reason - he's dependable.
Mark Bagley is a journeyman artist; month after month, his work appears where it's supposed to. No fill-ins, no issues half-done, just consistent, dependable artwork. And, after three years of almost constant fill-ins and guest artists, Justice League of America needs a regular art team, one that's going to be there for the long haul, shaping and defining the look of the team. Like the late Dick Dillin before him, I see Bagley as an artist who can really redefine the JLA and make this title his own.
(Holy...can I possibly ramble on any further? Jeez...)
So, is this the start of a bold new era? Maybe. We'll see. I reserve the right to hold my judgment for now. This issue was decent, sprinkled with the promise of interesting things to come. For the next two months we get some Blackest Night crossovers, and, in January, the new roster begins to come together. I remain cautiously optimistic about the JLA, hoping that a return to greatness is right behind the corner.
Now if only someone could do something about the Titans...
Check out more Blackest Night annotations at my blog, Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice....
Andrew Dowdell lives in the wonderfully-named Sleepy Hollow, NY, with his wife Allison and miniature schnauzer Casey. Though he works as a bartender, he hopes someday to leave behind the world of customer service to writer for a living. In college, Andrew wrote, directed and produced several theatrical productions, and is currently working to hone his skills as a comic book scriptwriter. In the meantime, he spends his time trying to keep tabs on the convoluted structure and continuity of the DC Universe. His sanity should vanish any minute now. Please feel free to e-mail your questions, comments, thoughts and job offers to andrewdowdell@ymail.com. Emphasis on the "job offers" part...
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