Stephanie Kay
Oct 13, 2007, 11:02 pm
<a href=" http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/1006/JLACv3.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/1006/JLACv3t.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="JLA 3"></a>Reviewer: Andrew Jastrzembski, adjastrzem@msn.com
Story Title: The Tornado’s Path: Chapter 3, The Brave and the Bold
More plot, even more action, and another big mystery
Writer: Brad Meltzer
Penciler: Ed Benes
Inker: Sandra Hope and Mariah Benes
Covers: Michael Turner & Peter Steigerwald and Chris Sprouse, Karl Story & Alex Sinclair
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Rob Leigh
Assistant Editors: Jeanine Schafer
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Published by: DC Comics (www.dccomics.com)
When DC comics decided to end JLA, like most people, I was not exactly heartbroken. By the end of the series, the book felt stale and was in need of a facelift. The stories were not there and either were most of the major DC characters. Then several months later, the Justice League of America re-emerged from its hiatus, rested, tanned, and roaring to go.
My initial expectation was that the first issue was going to introduce the team and start smacking down on the bad guys. A boy can dream, I suppose. Instead, we are into the third issue and the team has yet to officially form. The big three are still sitting in the Batcave going over resumes while Meltzer has the other potential team members out and about facing various evils.
First off, I love getting glimpses into how the big three rate other heroes in the DC Universe. From Justice League of America #0 , readers knew that Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman would be choosing the next iteration of the Justice League. Granted, internet-savvy readers pretty much who the new team was going to be by the time the issue hit the stands, but I just didn’t expect it to go on this long. Although after the end of this issue, they probably won’t have the time to take anymore interviews.
Meltzer is crafting an engrossing and intricate storyline revolving around the Red Tornado and our mysterious bad guy. Credit has to be given to Meltzer. He has been balancing a dizzying six different angles to the same story very effectively. Most writers who choose to approach an arc in this fashion would falter somewhere, but Meltzer handles the different angles deftly without sacrificing character development or the pace of the story. Justice League of America #3 now starts to weave each angle together but as this happens, the situation starts to grow more mysterious and dire for our heroes.
Now, I have to take a moment and say that Meltzer has also chosen a nice mix of old Justice League staples (Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern, Black Canary, Red Tornado) and new members (Hawk Girl, Vixen, Black Lightning, Arsenal). This is the best part of the Justice League. Writers get the chance to pick and choose from the vast library of DC characters to build their fantasy dream team, and Meltzer has chosen some interesting picks, such as Arsenal and Vixen, for new members, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see an addition or even a subtraction to the team roster by the end this storyline just to keep us on our toes.
One of the annoyances about the previous two issues was that the action was sparse, but the pace picked up as Black Lightning, Green Lantern, Arsenal, and Black Canary all got some time on the battlefield. It was fun to see Green Lantern, Arsenal, and Black Canary do their worst to the armada of Red Tornados. Granted, it was not a lot action, but Meltzer and especially Ed Benes doesn’t let us down. Benes’ style works well for a series such as Justice League of America. It is all big muscles, bright colors, and big action. It just is classic superhero art.
Justice League of America is a fun and good read. Meltzer has put together a complex story that continues to surprise and engage the reader on top of all the pretty pictures Ed Benes keeps pumping out. The best part of the book is it a platform for DC largest characters to come together and stomp the snot out of bad guys. Hopefully Meltzer and crew will deliverer those goods in the near future.
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/jlafull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/jlafull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/jlafull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/jlafull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/jlanone.jpg
‘Buy this Justice League of America online now from X-WORLD and save!’ ( http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=2352&cat=JUSTICE+LEAGUE+OF+AMERICA)
Story Title: The Tornado’s Path: Chapter 3, The Brave and the Bold
More plot, even more action, and another big mystery
Writer: Brad Meltzer
Penciler: Ed Benes
Inker: Sandra Hope and Mariah Benes
Covers: Michael Turner & Peter Steigerwald and Chris Sprouse, Karl Story & Alex Sinclair
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Rob Leigh
Assistant Editors: Jeanine Schafer
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Published by: DC Comics (www.dccomics.com)
When DC comics decided to end JLA, like most people, I was not exactly heartbroken. By the end of the series, the book felt stale and was in need of a facelift. The stories were not there and either were most of the major DC characters. Then several months later, the Justice League of America re-emerged from its hiatus, rested, tanned, and roaring to go.
My initial expectation was that the first issue was going to introduce the team and start smacking down on the bad guys. A boy can dream, I suppose. Instead, we are into the third issue and the team has yet to officially form. The big three are still sitting in the Batcave going over resumes while Meltzer has the other potential team members out and about facing various evils.
First off, I love getting glimpses into how the big three rate other heroes in the DC Universe. From Justice League of America #0 , readers knew that Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman would be choosing the next iteration of the Justice League. Granted, internet-savvy readers pretty much who the new team was going to be by the time the issue hit the stands, but I just didn’t expect it to go on this long. Although after the end of this issue, they probably won’t have the time to take anymore interviews.
Meltzer is crafting an engrossing and intricate storyline revolving around the Red Tornado and our mysterious bad guy. Credit has to be given to Meltzer. He has been balancing a dizzying six different angles to the same story very effectively. Most writers who choose to approach an arc in this fashion would falter somewhere, but Meltzer handles the different angles deftly without sacrificing character development or the pace of the story. Justice League of America #3 now starts to weave each angle together but as this happens, the situation starts to grow more mysterious and dire for our heroes.
Now, I have to take a moment and say that Meltzer has also chosen a nice mix of old Justice League staples (Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern, Black Canary, Red Tornado) and new members (Hawk Girl, Vixen, Black Lightning, Arsenal). This is the best part of the Justice League. Writers get the chance to pick and choose from the vast library of DC characters to build their fantasy dream team, and Meltzer has chosen some interesting picks, such as Arsenal and Vixen, for new members, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see an addition or even a subtraction to the team roster by the end this storyline just to keep us on our toes.
One of the annoyances about the previous two issues was that the action was sparse, but the pace picked up as Black Lightning, Green Lantern, Arsenal, and Black Canary all got some time on the battlefield. It was fun to see Green Lantern, Arsenal, and Black Canary do their worst to the armada of Red Tornados. Granted, it was not a lot action, but Meltzer and especially Ed Benes doesn’t let us down. Benes’ style works well for a series such as Justice League of America. It is all big muscles, bright colors, and big action. It just is classic superhero art.
Justice League of America is a fun and good read. Meltzer has put together a complex story that continues to surprise and engage the reader on top of all the pretty pictures Ed Benes keeps pumping out. The best part of the book is it a platform for DC largest characters to come together and stomp the snot out of bad guys. Hopefully Meltzer and crew will deliverer those goods in the near future.
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/jlafull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/jlafull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/jlafull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/jlafull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/jlanone.jpg
‘Buy this Justice League of America online now from X-WORLD and save!’ ( http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=2352&cat=JUSTICE+LEAGUE+OF+AMERICA)