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Not
Quite Golden, But Working on It:
JLA: Golden Perfect
DC Comics trade paperback review
By
Troy Brownfield
Writer:
Joe Kelly
Art: Doug Mahnke and Tom Nguyen
More
Info: www.dccomics.com
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Among
the most dreaded phrases in the comic fan vocabulary list
is "New writer! New direction!" The very thought
can send a loyal fanbase into a tizzy of message board posting
and hand-wringing, often before the first issue of the new
run even hits the streets. Such tension is especially high
on a flagship title like the JLA, and it's worse after runs
by fan-favorite creators. Grant Morrison redefined the JLA
for the modern era, and Mark Waid's too-short run was bursting
with great ideas. Joe Kelly got the gig after them, and I
don't really envy him. In retrospect, while it's taken him
a while to find a truly strong footing on the book (I found
the Obsidian Age to be largely headache inducing), his first
few issues show a lot of the promise that he's beginning to
deliver on.
The
two strongest tales in this volume are actually the stand-alone
installments that bracket the collection. "Two Minute
Warning", basically a day-in-the-life-of-the-League story,
has great pacing and dead-on characterization. The attraction
between Batman and Wonder Woman that has become a more pronounced
theme of late begins to simmer in this installment.
The
final story, "Bouncing Baby Boy", follows Batman
and Plastic Man as they address a particularly difficult personal
issue for the pliable hero. Perhaps one of the best Plastic
Man stories ever written, it shows the jesting hero to be
as fallible as the next guy and portrays Batman as an experienced
parent. There's no small irony in the conversation where Batman
tells Plastic Man that he always figured he would be the best
dad of all of them because he'd make his kids laugh. Batman,
of course, having raised Nightwing and having provided leadership
to a whole cadre of younger heroes, goes through conflicts
with his charges, but more often than not emerges successfully
as a mentor. It's a terrific dichotomy that Kelly handles
well.
"Golden
Perfect", the main arc, didn't excite me overmuch. The
breaking of Wonder Woman's lasso resulting in the disintegration
of truth was a great idea, but it didn't really grab me. I
wasn't enamored of Rama Khan as a villain either, setting
up my disappointment for his involvement in "Obsidian
Age". Still, throughout all of these chapters, Doug Mahnke
cuts a strong artistic presence. His jagged style, nicely
inked by with a heavy line by Nguyen, makes the book his own
after the run of Porter and the sort-of run by Hitch.
Fans
of the JLA should definitely give this one a look. It's not
a superb volume, but it has good moments. Readers would be
best served by diving into the current run of issues. Kelly's
JLA writing has evolved greatly; it deftly mixes new and old
characters with strong ideas and Mahnke's unique and confident
art.
Troy
Brownfield is the Editor-in-Chief around here. He's never
asked his wife to dress up like Wonder Woman, though there's
been some strong hinting. Email him at psikotyk@aol.com
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