JLA-Z #3

November 23, 2003

Quick Rating: Below Average

Profiles and pin-ups of JLA members, friends and enemies from the Martian Manhunter to Zatanna.

Writer: Mike McAvenie
Aritsts: Too numerous to list
Colors: Tom McCraw & Wildstorm FX
Editor: Ivan Cohen & Stephen Wacker
Cover Art: Phil Jimenez & Hi-Fi
Publisher: DC Comics

As a huge fan of the old Who’s Who and Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe volumes, I was very excited when DC announced they were putting out this three-issue series as a companion piece to JLA/Avengers. My excitement is probably also the reason for my disappointment in this slim volume that’s mostly pin-up and short on information.

It’s a book of profile pages, which is exactly what I wanted, but each profile has less information than even your average Secret Files profile. How do you condense Superman’s history to one paragraph? I understand the need for brevity, but if this is meant as a primer for people reading the crossover that don’t understand the history and dynamics of the JLA, this book could have done much better. Why waste space on superfluous villains like the Weapons Master and the Royal Flush Gang? Why include a page on the Teen Titans? Even if you accept them as the next generation of heroes, as the JLA’s “farm team” if you will, why is the illustration of the Marv Wolfman/George Perez era of the team, with a little inset of the original team and nothing of the current Titans? And for Heaven’s sake, why does Hal Jordan get three profiles in this series – one as Green Lantern, one as Parallax and one as The Spectre?

The best, and almost only, reason to get this book is some of the artwork. As unnecessary as the Teen Titans profile is, Phil Jimenez does a great pin-up of the team (as well as a very nice triptych cover that I’d like to see a poster of). The same goes for Jerry Ordway’s imagining of the Weaponers of Qward. Other high points are a sneak preview of Jim Lee’s Superman, Jon Bogdanove returning to a character he co-created (and one of my favorites), Steel, Todd Nauck on the Red Tornado and Y: The Last Man’s Pia Guerra drawing Zatanna.

If you’re into this sort of book for the artwork, then it’s worth getting. If you’re hoping to pick up new information about DC’s greatest heroes, you’d be better off just asking a friend who already reads the book.

Rating: 4/10

Wonder Woman (1987 Series) #198

November 18, 2003

Quick Rating: Average
Title: Down to Earth Part Three

As the world deals with the ramifications of Wonder Woman’s book, an old friend is found to be missing.

Writer: Greg Rucka
Pencils: Drew Johnson
Inks: Ray Snyder
Colors: Richard & Tanya Horie
Letters: Todd Klein
Editor: Ivan Cohen
Cover Art: Phil Noto
Publisher: DC Comics

If Greg Rucka’s name wasn’t on this book, I never would have believed he wrote it. He has shown incredible proficiency in writing crime comics, detective stories, urban heroes (I’d love to see his take on Daredevil someday), but this story just isn’t clicking for me.

Wonder Woman’s book is stirring up controversy on the political scene and raising eyebrows as high as Mount Olympus, where a very different version of Ares than readers are used to seeing shows the book to Zeus. Back on Earth, Diana is horrified to learn that her old friend Vanessa, alias the Silver Swan, has been kidnapped from the hospital where she has been trying to recover from her obsession with the Amazon for six months.

Rucka’s Wonder Woman, somehow, doesn’t ring true to me. She seems gruffer, harsher than the peace-loving character readers expect. The “controversial superhero” storyline isn’t exactly new either, although to my knowledge this is the first time it’s been applied to Wonder Woman on a scale like this, and the scene with the debate on the “Crossfire”-style TV show is incredibly tiresome, no different from a thousand other identical scenes we’ve seen in comic books, movies and TV shows for years.

In general, I’m a big fan of Rucka, and on the strength of his name alone I was considering trying to jump back on to reading Wonder Woman regularly with issue #200, but this issue has somewhat quelled my enthusiasm for that. I’ll still probably pick up that issue to see where the book may go, but I’m no longer as excited about it.

Rating: 5/10

(2010 Note: It’s fair to point out here that, as time went on, Rucka’s Wonder Woman grew on me considerably. By the end of the run, I was sorry to see him leave the book.)

Teen Titans/Outsiders Secret Files 2003

October 27, 2003

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: “A Day After” and “Who Was Donna Troy?”

The writers of the regular Teen Titans and Outsiders ongoing series fill in the blanks from the end of Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day.

Writers: Judd Winick, Geoff Johns & Phil Jimenez
Pencils: Ivan Reis, Carlo Barberi & Phil Jimenez (Plus several others in the profile pages)
Inks: Marc Campos, Norm Rapmund & Andy Lanning (Ditto)
Colors: Sno Cone & Tom McCraw
Letters: Nick J. Napolitano & Comicraft
Editors: Eddie Berganza & Ivan Cohen
Cover Art: Tom Raney, Scott Hanna, Mike McKone & Lary Stucker
Publisher: DC Comics

With DC’s Secret Files series, the stories are almost always sort of superfluous, “fill-in-the-blank” tales that may shed a little light on the regular series, but are almost never necessary to understand the story. The challenge then, for the writers, is to tell stories that are still entertaining in that context. Winick and Johns tag-team to tell what happened in the fallout of Graduation Day, leading up to the regular Teen Titans and Outsiders series they have made into bestsellers. Most of the main characters get a page or two to show how they’re handling the events that tore apart their previous teams, and fans of either series get to peek into their favorites.

The real gem in this book, however, is Jimenez’s short story focusing on the funeral of Donna Troy. This is mostly a showcase for Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl, but Green Lantern, Starfire and Superman each have a moment to share their grief, and there is a wonderful scene with Batman that fits nicely into current events in the JLA title.

The profile pages, as usual, are good to help people brush up on the characters they may be less familiar with, and it’s nice to see different artists’ interpretations of the characters. It’s interesting to note that both Winick and Johns contribute artwork to the profile pages, with Winick breaking slightly from his usual, cartoony Barry Ween style for the Grace page and Johns doing an impressive piece with Kid Flash.

This book is indispensable for people who read either or both of the regular series. For others, it probably won’t resonate with you.

Rating: 7/10