JLA #57
"Mind Over Matter"
Mildly Recommended (5/10)
|
DC Comics
Writer: Mark Waid
Pencils: Mike S. Miller
Inks: Paul Neary
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Ken Lopez
Editor: Dan Raspler
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
This issue is a bit chaotic, as it jumps from fight scene to fight scene with little rhyme or reason. Furthermore, though it hints at another clever, outrageous idea for next issue, this episode is a bit empty when it comes to the immense and original concepts that have made it a fan-favorite, both during Mark Waid's run and Grant Morrison's tenure on the title. In other words, this issue comes off as a little more ordinary than I've come to expect.
The Justice League scrambles to fight the White Martians, but they don't know who to trust, given the aliens' shape-changing abilities. Fortunately for them, their teammate, the Martian Manhunter, has escaped their clutches, and he's able to destroy the devices that protect the White Martians from fire. But has he managed to do so in time to save the world?
Well, of course he has. We know the JLA is going to come out on top, but Waid manages to maintain a level of suspense by keeping the reader guessing how they'll pull it off. Though I wasn't wild about a trip to the Fortress of Solitude to access its weapons and Krypto the Super-Dog, the cliffhanger did pique my interest.
Mike Miller is a good artist. He captures the dynamics of super-hero action nicely and his work boasts a good level of detail. But there's not much in his style that really grabs me. His work, though quite capable, doesn't strike me as anything more than standard. I miss the work of Bryan Hitch a great deal, and though I rarely cared for his stuff, Howard Porter (the book's original penciller) at least boasted a unique style all his own. Miller's stuff lacks... personality, for lack of a better term.
Waid has obviously had some fun with this storyline, but this issue isn't nearly as strong as what we've seen before. It seems to me this story arc is being stretched out a little too long. The fight scenes do little for me here (especially when the JLA resorts to using Big Guns), and very few pages actually advance the storyline.
Email Don MacPherson comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.
|
