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Mild Mannered Reviews - JLA Comics

Justice League of America #43 Justice League of America #43

Justice League of America #43

Scheduled to arrive in stores: March 31, 2010

Cover date: May 2010

"Rise and Fall: All Along the Watchtower"

Writer: James Robinson
Penciller: Mark Bagley
Inker: Rob Hunter and Norm Rapmund

Michael Bailey Reviewed by: Michael Bailey

Click to enlarge



Green Arrow flashes back to a simpler time in the League's history while fighting Neon Black, Dr. Impossible and Hunter in the Watchtower. Back on Blackhawk Island the rest of the League continue their battle with Chair and Tender Mercy. Donna Troy is almost happy to be in the fight since it is allowing her to momentarily forget about her problems and recognizes Tender Mercy as an Amazon. On the flip side Batman (Dick Grayson) is disappointed that the team is not functioning as a unit and feels that Bruce would be disappointed. In the end Tender Mercy and Chair escape thanks to a handy Boom Tube.

Back on the Watchtower Green Arrow evades his attackers and finds Red Tornado. Ollie tells Tornado to pretend he is deactivated or the interlopers will kill both of them. Tornado insists that they are teammates and drives Black, Impossible and Hunter off leading them to escape via a Boom Tube. Green Arrow tells Red that he's hurt but refuses to stick around and wait for the rest of the League. He came to the Watchtower to get any info he could on the Electrocutioner. Tornado mentions that the Electrocutioner was one of the people responsible for what happened to Star City and asks Ollie what he plans to do with the information. Ollie tells Tornado to ask him no questions and he'll tell the android no lies.

On Blackhawk Island the League lick their wounds and count their blessings. The Flash races in and asks Hal to come along to hunt up a new lead on Prometheus. The rest of the League grumble about this for a minute before Donna Troy invites Mikaal and Congo Bill to join them on the Satellite. The Atom is skeptical but soon everyone except Black Canary, who is checking in on Roy, teleport to the Satellite. Once there they find all of the destruction and ask Red Tornado what happened. He doesn't know where to begin.

Days later the League discovers the fact that Ollie killed Prometheus, Starfire leaves the League for space, Black Canary leaves the League for the Birds of Prey, Green Lantern deals with the aftermath of Blackest Night, the Atom is busy helping out Martin Stein and the Guardian is too busy in Metropolis leaving Mikaal, Congo Bill, Batman and Donna Troy to serve as the League.

In Happy Harbor the Flash responds to a summons from Obsidian to come help his father, who has green light shooting from his eyes and ring.

In Greenland, the "dark gods" complain about the fact that if they were going to go up against the League it should have been for their own ends. Chair inserts the captured Blue Jay into a device and unlocks a viewer to the Multiverse.

1Story - 1: What the heck just happened here?

Let me retrace my steps here. I was reading the third part of a Justice League story written by James Robinson. A new League was being formed and there was a mystery surrounding a device of some sort. There was also this evil version of the gods from New Genesis and Metron that the League was fighting. Oh, and Blue Jay was involved. I got all of that. I was even halfway enjoying that.

And then in this issue the fight on Blackhawk Island and the fight on the Satellite come to an end and suddenly the League THAT JUST FREAKING FORMED is broken up.

So I ask again...what just happened here?

I can't really articulate how annoyed and frustrated I am with this book. For months the Justice League have had all of these false starts and now it is falling apart... Again. We had a big push for this new line-up and after three issues that line-up is no more. What was the point of all of this? Is DC really that disorganized that they can't keep a consistent line-up? Is there really that much horse trading with characters? I'm serious about this. This is the Justice League. While I personally believe that the Justice Society is the best super-hero team ever this is the team that people are most familiar with and DC can't get their act together and make it a great title.

There wasn't even a coherent story this month. The big fights come to an end and then, towards the end of the issue, a bunch of stuff happens off panel and we are told what's happened against the back drop of a hero/villain throw down. That is so disappointing. I was really getting into this story and now it's just gone and to add insult to injury we get a tease for next issue that involves the Justice Society. Again, I love the JSA but this is a book about the JLA.

And was I supposed to get all excited about that ending? The second ending I mean, not that first one. It was supposed to be a cool moment and all I feel is meh. You could argue that at least that part of the story reached some sort of conclusion but to me it was too little, too late.

I thought my time with being completely disappointed with this title was behind me. Apparently I was really wrong.

4Art - 4: The art was fine. Bagley continues to do cool things with the DC characters and I really liked the flashback at the beginning. The problems I had with the story overshadowed my feelings about the issue as a whole so I don't have much to say about the art but I can't give it a low rating because the art in and of itself doesn't deserve it.

3Cover Art - 3: Hey look! Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman! On the cover! Again! And they were even in the issue too, albeit in a flashback!

Sigh.

I'm sick of seeing this cover design. It looks fine but the whole thing feels tired and repetitive.


Mild Mannered Reviews

2010

Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

January 2010

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