Sunday, March 27, 2011

Justice League of America #0 (September, 2006)



Yesterday: Finally read JLofA #0 a few years late. About as bad as I heard. I'm currently reading "Slaughterhouse 5." Its story is told in similar fashion, but all the "future events," as well as a sort of literary retroactive continuity involving alien abduction, are really just the manifestations of the lead character's senility. At least I believe so. I have about another quarter of the book to go, just as there are seven more issues of JLofA before I know exactly how lousy Meltzer's run will be. Then there's the Turner cover, which looks like he's trying to do Alex Ross, but instead of live models he employed Kenner action figures. I'm so glad I didn't pay for this.

Today. Boy, do I hate when the role of Superman and Batman are played up as founders in the JLofA. They were part-timers whose editors were unwilling to allow use regularly in case it diluted the brand. Worse, everyone's into these secret cabals within super-hero circles these days. Beyond sounding like something off "Prison Planet," it's just so very Legion of Super-Heroes. Also, Wonder Woman was never one of the World's Finest. Her original comics were produced by what amounted to a separate company/studio, like the now decased DC/Wildstorm relationship. I know she's part of the "trinity" of DC greats, but does that mean we have to whitewash her history as a red-headed stepchild who wasn't even wholly DC's until recent years (see also: Alex Ross' Captain Marvel pimpage?)

Yesterday: Just finished "Identity Crisis." This Meltzer guy is pretty good with the monologues and heart-string pulling, but this is all really just bad fan fiction. He shouldn't be allowed to play around in-continuity. God, the only thing worse than reading more scripts like this is if Michael Turner's rubber people continue to grace Meltzer's covers.

Yesterday: Why would white jumpsuit Wonder Woman be on the satellite? Didn't they make a huge deal about her having to go through all those trials to rejoin the League after being one of, if not the, first members to bail on team? Plus, she stayed away again for most of the 80's and much of the 90's. If Meltzer can hold Martian Manhunter's 70's absence against him, why not Diana's? Even when she was on the team back then, she was a royal pain, not little miss team spirit.

Tomorrow: Who is responsible for the concept of vague allusions to potential futures? That guy needs to be thrown a beating. Also, Eddie Berganza, for allowing Meltzer to ramble on, and to allude to "future" stories some other writer will have to half-heartedly bring to some sort of fruition. Kind of like Phil Hester's servitude to J. Michael Straczynski's abortive plans.

Yesterday: "Detroit? Whose idea was that?" Batman continued to fume and predict doom for the League. Wonder Woman called him on his lack of actual intervention.

Tomorrow: At least we know Superman and Wonder Woman hopefully never marry. This is why God said brothers and sisters are not allowed to date, either.

Yesterday: One punch? Yeah, let's boil five years of great stories down to one punch. Also, let's not explain how Wonder Woman "joined" Justice League Europe for exactly one issue, quitting without notice.

Yesterday: Howard Porter is the worst Wonder Woman artist ever. I like his JLA, despite the flaws, but Diana if consistently fugly under his pen. Make it stop! Is the "zero" issue a dated notion or a value judgment?

2 comments:

Scott said...

I vaguely remember reading that issue. It didn't make much of an impression on me either. I do like the art, though. The Golden Age Hawkman pictured in the blog you posted looks awesome.

Diabolu Frank said...

It's gotta be a relief for Hawkman artists to just draw the pullover mask every now and again. It's been a very long time since Jim Lee was one of my favorite artists, but it's nice to see DC characters drawn in the high end Image style sometimes. Most of the JSA look really spiffy, especially that uncommonly super-heroic Spectre. I'd have though Aquaman would have come off better, but he really needs to smile. Most of the Satellite League look really nice, but Ollie is kind of boxy, and J'Onn desperately needs a nose (not that Lee has ever drawn the Martian Manhunter well...)