4 issue Test #12 - JLA (Justice League of America)

So, time for another continuity bubbled Justice League. The regular continuity with the Justice League titles is one giant clusterf*ck. The way I see it, Geoff Johns’ League is a pre-convergence story, since it features Bruce Wayne as Batman and a fully powered Superman (although I haven’t seen him do his super-solar flare (yeah, that was added recently because if there’s one thing Superman really didn’t need it’s another new power)) this I can only imagine takes place in the 5 years between the opening Justice League story, and the second, that’s a 5-year gap, give or take.

How does this story hold up? Let’s take a closer look

This was one of a series of covers released with this book, each featuring one of the various heroes, they look good but don't say much

Issue one opens with a distraught Superman in the ruins of presumably Metropolis ranting angrily to an off-screen villain who says it’s too late before blasting Superman on a two-page spread off the planet. 3 orbs approach him and disappear.

In current Metropolis (we’re not indicated as to whether that’s a parallel earth or the future) Lois Lane hands Clark Kent an invitation to an event at the Infinity Corporation. Lois has swapped her desk with Clark’s whilst he was out to avoid the sunlight.

Cut to the Maw, a super-max prison off the coast of Metropolis. A man is carrying a prisoner outside, the guards don’t have record of any transfers but the man persuades them otherwise. He reports into his boss as he flies off with the prisoner on a jet.

Superman flies into the infinity corporation, inside the invitation was the superman logo printed on lead foil, he first meets up with Alexis Martin, who shows him around. Superman gets impatient and threatens to tear the building apart unless he gets answers (there’s the gentle, kind Superman we all know) Alexis shows him the lab, a room full of dead versions of Superman.

They manage to bring in another one, the one we saw earlier who’s still alive before likely dying he warns Superman not to trust ‘him.’ In the New Metropolis Clean Energy Power Plant Jones, the guy from earlier lands his aircraft and delivers the prisoner before heading off.

In the United Nations, Aquaman is giving a speech claiming their mutual defence pact which sees that Atlanteans give them technology in return for leaving Atlantis alone is failing. A governer is concerned about such a powerful nation as Atlantis not even having trade agreements with any UN Nation.

Aquaman argues that the people of Atlantis aren’t interested in acting against the surface world (a theory which will be disputed multiple times in the future, assuming this is the past) Aquaman says he’s needed and dives away.

Back at the infinity corporation Vincent, one of the workers explains they’ve been using the ‘stones of forever’ (the orbs from earlier) and they have, of their own accord brought back these bodies. They are each from an alternate future from this earth. They don’t know how or when he’ll die but when he does, the future ends with him. Superman says he doesn’t have enough information to prepare. Vincent says that all he needs to do is not die, Superman refuses to back away and Vincent berates him for that (you’re a pr*ck, Vincent)

Hal Jordan lands at the New Metropolis Green Energy Plant (wow, we’re 20 pages in and he’s only the third member of the league to show up) where the prisoner was dropped off earlier. He doesn’t see anything and is quickly joined by Wonder Woman, The Flash and Batman (ah, so we got them in now, only Cyborg left I believe) each of them were given an invitation similar to Superman’s but to meet at the plant.

Batman notices the casket containing the prisoner which is about to open. Batman warns the others to leave but rather than follow his advice they decide to ask questions before something starts draining the energy from Hal’s ring, Hal’s pulled into contact with the prisoner causing a shockwave that knocks the others back. The creature is the Parasite.

Batman kicks the Parasite in the face and attempts to interrogate it, the Flash runs with him but the parasite gains access to the speed force and begins syphoning energy from there. Wonder Woman uses her lasso around him to force him to let go of the Flash, breaking his connection, he falls onto Batman and both are trapped under some debris.

Superman considers the don’t trust him might be referring to Vincent. Vincent shows Superman the Parasite’s attack and Superman says he’ll be back before flying off to help. Vincent tells Alexis that it was too risky to tell Supes the full truth.

Parasite begins to absorb energy from Wonder Woman, growing to the height of a city tower block. Superman arrives and rescues her from being swallowed. Wonder Woman is plugging her ears because she can hear a load of voices. The Parasite prepares to attack Superman but instead feels the wrath of the recovered Green Lantern who gives everything at him, draining his ring in the process.

On Atlantis Aquaman is taken into a church-like building, there he meets a prophet who claims the ‘true god’ is coming. Hal falls, unable to sustain flight without power in the ring, Superman catches and attempts to fly both he and Wonder Woman away but the Parasite grabs him. The Flash recovers and frees himself but the Parasite attempts to grab him and reclaim access to the speed force, the Flash runs but is not able to reach his normal speed.

Back at the Infinity Corporation, we see Jones works for the company and deliberately freed the Paraiste (to be honest, the invitations already kinda gave that away) Alexis apparently wasn’t being herself and secretly fishing around in Supes’ mind. She asks what will happen when Supes returns with the rest of the league. He says there are measures in place and goes to talk to the stones.

Meanwhile Cyborg (oh hey, it’s page 37 of the chapter, time to introduce our final League member) enters via boom tube and lands a blast on the Parasite. Superman recovers, finding Diana missing, Green Lantern’s ring for some reason won’t respond to a recharge. The Flash is building up speed and needs Superman to catch him but Supes misses and he and Green Lantern fly through a wormhole to Oa that the ring had created (amazing how it can do that with no power, really)

Cyborg accesses the Parasite’s files and finds he absorbs and stores energy (well duh), Batman reminds him he’s in a power plant. They formulate a plan and Supes provides a distraction. Batman and Cyborg enter the plant and find a way to drain the Parasite’s energy, dumping it in the national grid (would like to know how that’d respond to speed force energy)

The Parasite is soon to cold and passes out. When Batman reveals the invites Supes asks Cyborg to beam them back to the infinity corporation but when they arrive, it’s gone. Batman says he’s never heard of them, leading to them feeling even more disturbed. Before they can investigate further a giant ship appears in the sky. The great god Rao has come to save them.

 

I don't particularly care for covers that don't relate to the issue. Green Lantern and the Flash aren't in this issue, Wonder Woman's barely in it and Aquaman's role in events is negligible, why are they on the cover?

Phew, that was a long first issue. Issue 2 opens with Superman and Rao approaching each other and making contact, soon after Superman falls to the ground but Rao catches him. Rao asks for Superman’s help and he says that he will help. Rao tells Superman to tell the people of Earth that he is a force of good.

As Superman carries out that mandate Batman and Cyborg take the Parasite back to his cell. On Atlantis the prophet says that he has come to free them from the Ocean God Poseidon. Aquaman laughs citing that he and his people don’t believe in gods (even though you’ve fought Darkseid) he also laughs about Rao’s doing a cr*p job on Krypton. The prophet simply asks that the people get to make up their own minds. Aquaman agrees but warns that he’ll likely be disappointed.

With Rao’s arrival having upset many leading to military being dispatched to fire upon Rao’s ‘cathedral’ should any aggression follow. Superman has moved to assure them that that won’t happen and remains on site, taking personal responsibility for the safety of the world (he didn’t already?) In the Daily Planet Perry White tells his staff to find out everything they can about Rao. When Perry asks where Clark is Lois tells him about the invite from the infinity corporation and worries that he’ll be in the middle of it.

Batman and Cyborg arrive in the Batcave, Batman suspects that the current goings on are connected by can’t see how. They search public records for the Infinity corporation, but find nothing, officially the corporation doesn’t exist. They’ll have to dig deeper to find any information on them. Regarding Rao, Batman asks that Alfred bring out the Kryptonian protocols, a series of ideas people have come up with to stop Superman.

Cyborg is asked to figure out which of them would work. Superman only got close to Rao and he dropped, he’d like to know that should it come down to it, they could take Rao down. Batman needs to look for the others, find out about the infinity corporation and consider Rao as well, he’ll keep busy. The next two pages are an article written by Lois lane with some images in the background. She asks what Rao hopes to gain by gaining faith by those who already have their own religion. It briefly mentions that we’ve already encountered the New Gods and the Olympian Gods through Wonder Woman (I will mention how much I hate that retconned origin at some point I’m sure) she asks the readers if Superman can bring hope to so many, what can Rao do?

Within 24 hours Superman has persuaded the world’s leaders, most of them to come to Rao, the world’s religions have yet to respond to his requests but after today that may soon not be the case. The world has gathered to listen as Superman makes a speech about how Rao transformed his world. Rao takes stage, one of the world leaders asks why Rao is here, Rao responds that there’s a need for him, that there are people sick and dying whose prayers go unanswered. He sends his prophets into the world’s hospitals and they begin healing the sick, even allowing a man to walk again (so that’s how Barbara got to be Batgirl again – I’ve got to think of something, you don’t just magically recover from a bullet in the spine, although if it was Rao maybe she did)

After the meeting concludes Rao asks Superman if the people will heed his message. Superman hopes they will but asks why he can remember Rao when he did not grow up on Krypton. Rao explains he went travelling in his cathedral, and when he returned Krypton blew up, had he not left it might not have happened.  Superman says that there’s nothing to forgive but asks how he knew about Rao again. Rao explains that he is in every part of him (I’m calling bullsh*t on that, just a hunch)

With news spreading about Rao’s healing Batman ponders, everyone was healed be they good or a thief, rapist or murderer, people who ‘would be better off dead’ (that line would’ve worked from anyone other than Batman, who has spared the lives of psychotic mass murderers on multiple occasions) Superman calls out to Diana, wanting to tell her about Rao and asking where she is. Wonder Woman wakes up on Olympus only to find it in ruins.

This cover at least has something to do with... the first few pages of the issue

Issue 3 opens with Barry and Hal landing on a feuding alien world. This isn’t Oa. They both have trouble getting up, noting that the gravity here is much stronger than Earth (you’ll never guess where they are) with the feuders attacking them Barry runs around in circles, covering Hal so he can charge his ring (hmm, it works now, go figure) Hal manages to knock them all out but Barry is gone, the ring detects residual speed force energy and also tells him they are on Krypton, 250000 years ago.

Wonder Woman searches through the ruins of Olympus and finds an oraculum. It informs Wonder Woman that the gods have fled because the end of everything is coming. Wonder Woman asks why, as a god herself (sigh) she wasn’t informed of this but the oraculum doesn’t know. She wants to return but is informed an energy surrounds Olympus, it was intended to trap the gods but it now only traps her.

Back on Earth in the days since Rao’s address hospitals are empty and hundreds of thousands have sought his blessing, preaching peace and love in a way that even makes bad guys go good. People collecting for homeless shelters seem to be less fortunate in the wake of this as people don’t see the need for charity. One of the collectors is a child named Kevin who prays to Rao and he appears before him. They travel to a non-descript African nation, filled with famine and Rao changes the ground beneath their feet to be more lustrous. The older man warns that dictators will take claim over this land, Rao says they’ll have to change that too.

In a news broadcast we hear that Rao has done exactly that, taken down every corrupt regime in the entire continent. The world assembly is worried that he might turn his wrath to them if they do something he disagrees with. They want Rao to slow down but he refuses. Superman and Batman meet on a rooftop. Batman wants to know if Supes is sure about Rao.

Batman remarks that his actions gave up the entire planet to him. Superman should stand for truth and that means questioning everything. When Batman remarks that trust is in his DNA supes seems to have an epiphany. Batman has eyed a former career criminal turned by Rao. Batman asks Superman to show him that he’s wrong about Rao and he can still believe in Superman.

The infinity corporation building has showed up in September 1961 (where it looks extremely conspicuous I might add) Vincent continues to commune with the stones when another energy is brought through, the Flash.

Green Lantern finds out that the speed force Barry was giving off sent him back in time and in the wrong direction (how very convenient that he ends up on a planet and in a time extremely relevant to the plot) some Kryptonians recognise him as a Green Lantern and decide to take him to meet their great god Rao.

Spoiler alert: Wonder Woman doesn't appear in this issue and Aquaman's role in minimal once again

Superman takes his blood to Cyborg to get it analysed, he wants to know if there’s anything unusual about it. Victor and his dad get to work, leaving their anti-kryptonian projects they’ve been doing for Batman. Cyborg’s father laments that they could make a lot of things with Superman’s blood (eww) but more importantly it could help with the anti-kryptonian arsenal.

Rao begins to create new prophets from the people of New York. The UN invites all nations to open their borders to Rao and his prophets. At Gotham General Hospital a nurse walks in on Batman examining a patient. He wants to know what happens when Rao blesses people. The Nurse, for some reason, agrees to give him a full scan including MRI, DNA, physical, mental, everything. Batman allows the Nurse to work.

Back on old Krypton Hal is taken to Rao, a 300-year old god who is fast asleep, Hal helps him up and Rao explains about the civil war occurring. In the neighbouring city of Argo (they’re in Kandor) a local warlord has turned people against his teachings. He wants Hal to accompany him on a peace mission to Argo.

The Nurse arrives back with the results of the scan for Batman, certain areas of his brain have been enlarged and there are new protein markers in his DNA. Human behaviour is being rewired, essentially making the human race docile. 2 parents are trying to convince their daughter to be blessed by Rao, she’s resistant, friends of hers that were blessed were like different people but her parents force it upon her.

In a lighthouse Mera and Aquaman are watching the news of this spreading, Aquaman’s still confident it won’t happen in Atlantis. Superman lands in the fortress of solitude asking for any information about Rao, there’s are some speeches about his genetic programming and whether it’s possible, or even right to reverse it. They also wonder what Rao gets from this.

Batman contacts Cyborg asking to compare his results with the tests on Superman’s blood, it’s a match so they contact Superman, he was also converted. As a prophet breaks into the medical room, Victor informs Superman that his conversion wasn’t recent it was bread into him (oh so, Rao really is a part of him) likely into his whole species and planet.

Back on Krypton, Rao absorbs some of the life force from his prophets to return to physical health so he and Hal can go and save Krypton. Batman fights off the prophet, putting the criminal back in the MRI scanner (I’m sure that’ll have a point) and he and the nurse run, Batman now possesses one of the prophets’ staffs. Cyborg alerts Superman that the protein markers are a form of genetic programming which is likely connected to Rao. Rao appears in the fortress saying it’d be a lot easier if he’d just believed.

So, that was Justice League America #1-4, was it worth the read, let’s take a closer look.

I’ll give credit that having a Kryptonian God show up on earth, performing miracles that no other god could is a neat concept. The problems are largely in the execution of said concept. There are some great moments, I particularly enjoyed that scene with Batman and Superman on a rooftop. I thought that captured their characters pretty much perfectly

The dialogue is usually pretty average. Few have much of a unique voice in this. Batman commenting on people who should’ve died is a little odd to me.

Character balance is also an issue. This is very much Superman’s story, Batman and Cyborg have large supporting roles whilst the Flash has barely been present outside the first issue, Wonder Woman’s in limbo unable to do anything, Green Lantern might have significance later on but hasn’t really revealed anything interesting yet (apart from Rao taking his prophet’s life forces) and Aquaman’s presence is frankly an afterthought. If you’ve got a first issue of an already established team, they should all be present in the book in the first few pages, I shouldn’t need to be waiting 20 pages for character other than Superman to get involved in the actual plot.

Speaking of which, the oversized first issue was absolutely unnecessary. Nothing from Superman’s visit with them is all that relevant. Sure the dead superman warned him not to trust ‘him’ but assuming that Rao is the person he means, it’s Batman who convinces him to do that, so what was the point? That whole segment could’ve been cut and it’d barely affect the story. And we’d have the Flash continuing to work with Green Arrow and they make an awesome pair. It seemed more of an excuse to charge people $5.99 + tax to read it. It’s not good marketing to charge that high for a book like this.

There’s also an issue with plot convenience, Wonder Woman being pulled to Olympus might be given an explanation but Barry and Hal happened to go to Krypton when Rao was still a god there, Barry happened to reappear in an Infinity Corporation building, really?

Bryan Hitch handles both the writing and sketch duties on the book. And I think DC may have let him down with their soliciting here. The fact is, there was no chance of issue 2 coming out on time, and the affect it’s had has resulted in a delay totalling around 6 weeks now. Being both the writers and one of the artists on a high profile book is tough, and I’ll happily say the artwork looks nice for the most part but the delays may have partly been down to DC’s haphazard scheduling, but 6 weeks implies there’s fault in his camp too.

Ratings

#1 4/10

#2 4.5/10

#3 5/10

#4 4/10

Overall: 4.375/10

Recommendation: If you want a good league title, pick up Darkseid War, the current story in Geoff Johns' book. This is a mediocre title and not one I can recommend.

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Images used in this review are from JLA Justice League of America and belong to their respective owners. All images in this review are subject to fair use