Mild Mannered Reviews - JLA Comics

JLA: Incarnations #1
Scheduled to arrive in stores: May 2, 2001Cover date: July 2001
Writer: John Ostrander
Penciller: Val Semeiks
Inker: Prentis Rollins
Part 1 of 7 - "Generation Gap"
Reviewed by: Jason Czernich (jczernich@hotmail.com)
With the original JLA thought to be passed on the JSA goes back into action only to end up bickering with the JLA when they "return from the grave". The old generation doesn't believe the JLA can cut it and all the while the magical villain Wotan adds fuel to the fire behind the scenes leading to him infiltrating both the JSA and the JLA.
Story - 3: Mr. John Ostrander has spun some really nice mainstream yarns in the past; Spectre, Martian Manhunter, etc. Mr. Ostrander also has written some not so great mainstream yarns; Gotham Knights #2, JLA 80 Page Giant #1, etc. This being the case I never know what to expect from him. This issue was, at best, a mixed bag.
There were some okay sequences like pages six and seven where Jay Garrick comforts the older Black Canary and then some obvious scenes, such as when the JLA and JSA bicker like school kids on pages twelve through seventeen. We know it's all part of a villain's ploy. This has been done countless times.
The scenes where the newscaster was gratuitously giving us plot details didn't strike me as brilliant either. This was just a plain mediocre issue that never rose above okay.
Art - 3: Val Semeiks has evolved as a penciler since his days on DC's Demon title in the early nineties and Prentis Rollins gives him a nice clean finish. The art in this issue was far from terrible, yet could still be improved upon. From page one to the final panel of the story almost every man is drawn with one build type as are the women. The art team actually makes decent use of silent panels a few times in the issue but overall I wasn't majorly wowed by the art.
Cover Art - 3: I've seen other covers to this limited series and I like the ongoing motif of characters standing up close and off to the side, as though they were the presenters of this month's installment. Other than that it's just a bunch of superheroes fighting each other. Not the worst cover I've seen but not the best either.
Mild Mannered Reviews
2001
Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic was on sale.January 2001
- [1] Superman #164
- [2] Lex 2000
- [3] Adventures of Superman #586
- [4] Superman: The Man of Steel #108
- [5] Action Comics #773
- JLA #49
- JLA/Witchblade
- JLA: A League of One
- JLA: Act of God #1
- [6] Superman #165
- [7] Adventures of Superman #587
- [8] Superman: The Man of Steel #109
- [9] Action Comics #774
- JLA #50
- JLA: Seven Caskets
- JLA versus Predator
- Justice Leagues: JL? #1
- JLA: Act of God #2
- [10] Superman #166
- [11] Adventures of Superman #588
- [12] Superman: The Man of Steel #110
- [13] Action Comics #775
- President Luthor: Secret Files and Origins #1
- JLA: Act of God #3
- Justice Leagues: Justice League of Aliens #1
- Justice Leagues: JLA #1
- [14] Superman #167
- [15] Adventures of Superman #589
- [16] Superman: The Man of Steel #111
- [17] Action Comics #776
- JLA #51
- Legends of the DC Universe #39
- Superboy's Legion #1
- [18] Superman #168
- [19] Adventures of Superman #590
- [20] Superman: The Man of Steel #112
- [21] Action Comics #777
- Superman Adventures #55
- JLA #52
- Superboy's Legion #2
- JLA: Black Baptism #1
- Batman: Gotham Adventures #36
- [22] Superman #169
- [23] Adventures of Superman #591
- [24] Superman: The Man of Steel #113
- [25] Action Comics #778
- Superman Adventures #56
- JLA #53
- [26] Superman #170
- [27] Adventures of Superman #592
- [28] Superman: The Man of Steel #114
- [29] Action Comics #779
- Superman Adventures #57
- JLA #54
- JLA: Incarnations #1
- Super Friends! Trade Paperback
- Superman: Where Is Thy Sting?
- [30] Superman #171
- Green Lantern: Our Worlds At War #1
- [31] Adventures of Superman #593
- [32] Superman: The Man of Steel #115
- [33] Action Comics #780
- Superman: Our Worlds At War: Secret Files and Origins #1
- Superman Adventures #58
- JLA #55
- JLA: Incarnations #2
- [34] Superman #172
- [35] Adventures of Superman #594
- [36] Superman: The Man of Steel #116
- [37] Action Comics #781
- JLA: Our Worlds At War #1
- JSA: Our Worlds At War #1
- Superman Adventures #59
- JLA #56
- JLA: Incarnations #3
- [38] Superman #173
- [39] Adventures of Superman #595
- [40] Superman: The Man of Steel #117
- [41] Action Comics #782
- World's Finest: Our Worlds At War #1
- Superman Adventures #60
- JLA #57
- Superman & Batman: Generations II #1
- JLA: Incarnations #4
- [42] Superman #174
- [43] Adventures of Superman #596
- [44] Superman: The Man of Steel #118
- [45] Action Comics #783
- Superman Adventures #61
- JLA #58
- Superman & Batman: Generations II #2
- JLA: Incarnations #5
- Joker: Last Laugh #1
- Joker: Last Laugh (Secret Files & Origins) #1
- Joker: Last Laugh #2
- [46] Superman #175
- Joker: Last Laugh #3
- [47] Adventures of Superman #597
- Joker: Last Laugh #4
- [48] Superman: The Man of Steel #119
- Joker: Last Laugh #5
- [49] Action Comics #784
- Superman Adventures #62
- JLA #59
- JLA: Gatekeeper #1
- Superman & Batman: Generations II #3
- JLA: Incarnations #6
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Check out the Comic Index Lists for the complete list of Superman-related comics published in 2001.