Though it's just a case of coincidental timing, I'm struck by the similarities that JLA currently has to Marvel's Thunderbolts. Bi-weekly, with two tracks, each one following a different team in a different story. And, just like with Thunderbolts, I'm much more interested in one track, in this case the modern arc that follows the new JLA team. Kelly has captured my attention with this issue, exploring the character dynamics of a bunch of heroes suddenly asked to be the A-list team while dealing with an A-list crisis. Kelly is getting closer to the ideal blend of epic story and personal interaction, and Guichet and Propst provide solid if not always spectacular artwork to back it up.
With any super-hero team book, half the battle is creating personal dynamics that make it fun to watch the team no matter what they're doing. I wasn't completely sold on Kelly's lineup when they were introduced, but I have to admit that the way these characters interact has won me over. Major Disaster's desire to prove himself, and the distrust he faces, makes for some nice friction, and having a new character in the mix to give him a sympathetic ear works out very well. Green Arrow is, as expected, terrific comedy relief, and it's interesting to see Nightwing work in a group setting, living up to the mantle that has been set before him since he was a boy.
Kelly has also begun to make me believe in the epic feel of this book once again. The plot is big enough, seemingly based around a group of prehistoric villains robbing the Earth of all its water, but the epic approach also shows through in other parts of the writing. The sense of responsibility that being in the JLA carries is depicted very well, from Firestorm's reaction to Nightwing's speech, and the amount of power these beings have is also conveyed in Firestorm's plan for dealing with a water shortage or Blood's visually stunning use of magic.
In fact, though I'm still not convinced that JLA has ever had an ideal art team, Yvel Guichet and Mark Propst provide some impressive visuals in this issue. They're at their best when they're doing big scenes, such as the JLA rescuing Japan from volcanic eruptions or Blood putting on an impressive magic show, but I like their work on several of the characters in any setting, particularly Jason Blood, Nightwing and Green Arrow. I could wish for more consistent anatomy and a similar consistency in characters' faces, but in general I'm pretty happy with the artwork.
It's been some time since JLA was a buzz book, and the departure of Grant Morrison seems to have robbed it of its A-list status, at least for a while. However, with a few more issues like this one, I can see JLA once again becoming a book that I look forward to seeing on the shelves.
