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JLofA #12. Huh?

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  • Earth 2 Chris
    Verbose Member
    • Mar 7, 2004
    • 32498

    JLofA #12. Huh?

    Okay, I know this issues been out a few weeks, but I just got my monthly comics this week, so bear with me.

    The big head scratcher; Why does Meltzer portray the new Aquaman as the original, Arthur Curry/Orm, JLA founder, partner to Aqualad, husband to Mera Aquaman we all know and love? Didn't Aquaman I just die as the "Dweller of the Depths"? Not that I expect him to stay dead anymore than I expect Steve Rogers to be permanently pushing up daisies. Did someone at DC make a HUGE continuity mistake? If so, the whole issue has no point at all. Or is DC planning on somehow revealing this guy was the real deal all along?

    This issue had some nice character bits, although I think Meltzer forces things a bit much. Telling us constantly that these guys love one another and are really good and have camaraderie makes you feel like you might have a sugar overdose after awhile. Show us. Don't tell us.

    All in all, not much happened in his 12 issues. 20 years from now when the big decompressed comic movement is talked about, this will be a prime example.

    Chris

    Chris
    sigpic
  • namtab29
    #1 Aquaman Fan
    • Feb 22, 2005
    • 1856

    #2
    i was thrown by that, too--the dialogue is clearly referring to the orignal ("the League we created" and all that) yet visually it looks like the new guy.

    i still cant stand Meltzer's writing on this book--its so quasi-hip and detached it just makes me want to throw the book in the air. but i'll def give McDuffie a chance next issue. i want a regular JLA comic to read! is that too much to ask???

    rob!
    http://www.namtab.com
    http://www.treasurycomics.com
    http://aquamanshrine.blogspot.com
    http://digestcomics.blogspot.com
    http://www.allinblackandwhitefor75cents.com
    http://heykidscomix.blogspot.com

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    • Earth 2 Chris
      Verbose Member
      • Mar 7, 2004
      • 32498

      #3
      Okay, so it's either a HUGE mistake, or the first hint of an upcoming "revelation".

      Meltzer's trying real hard to be Alan Moore. But the fact is, Moore told engaging stories where things happened each issue. He fleshed out the characters through actions and incidents, not just dialog boxes. Applying too much realism to a title like JLA is a mistake anyway. It should be the "gosh-wow" super-hero book to beat them all. Save the realism for more grounded titles. Morrison and Waid understood this. Meltzer doesn't.

      I got so angry reading issue #11 (where Red Arrow and Vixen are trapped under the crashed Watergate hotel), I swear I really did almost throw that issue in the air. Having to turn a comic sideways 3 or 4 time does not a good reading experience make. You can push the envelope all you want, but if the story and situation is clear as mud, you took it too far. Gene Ha is a fine illustrator, but I couldn't make heads or tales of a lot that was going on. Give me clear storytelling with zing anyday.

      I'm all for McDuffie coming in. The man told 22-minute epics on JLU. Recompress the JLA!!!

      Chris
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      • namtab29
        #1 Aquaman Fan
        • Feb 22, 2005
        • 1856

        #4
        my problem with Meltzer's style of writing--and he's not alone--is that i think, deep down, a lot of these grown-up writers, while they love these superhero characters from their childhoods, can't believe their writing this juvenile material, so they take an ironic detachment from the material.

        theyre winking at the audience, basically saying "i'm too old to write this stuff, and you people are too old to read it." so there's a kind of mocking tone, by writing every character as Too Cool for School, calling each other by their first names and such.

        i remember i was at a panel at a mid-ohio con back around 2000 i think, and the writer Joe Casey(i think--dont hold me to that name) was sitting in the audience. someone at the dais asked him a question about an upcoming X-Men mini he was writing, and he said, gleefully, "oh, it oughta pi$$ off the fanboys a lot."

        and i thought, well, why is that something to strive for? why is pi$$ing off your audience automatically deemed a GOOD thing? and i so think a lot of that attitude is prevalent in some current comic writers--they can't let themselves be unironic and write a straightforward superhero story, full of action, humor, and maybe a dollop of significance--so instead its just endless obscure references that flatters the reader for knowing the secret handshakes, yet at the same time mocking them for it at the same time.

        rob!
        http://www.namtab.com
        http://www.treasurycomics.com
        http://aquamanshrine.blogspot.com
        http://digestcomics.blogspot.com
        http://www.allinblackandwhitefor75cents.com
        http://heykidscomix.blogspot.com

        Comment

        • Earth 2 Chris
          Verbose Member
          • Mar 7, 2004
          • 32498

          #5
          Good point Rob.

          Which is why I like Geoff Johns and Mark Waid. Both unabashed fanboys and proud of it.

          Chris
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          • The Toyroom
            The Packaging King
            • Dec 31, 2004
            • 16653

            #6
            I'm just glad he's off the book...Meltzer has some nice moments but for a 12 issue run it was much ado about nothing. When you relaunch a book like JLA you should already have the team in place, not spend as much time as he did flipping through photos of who should be on the team. And even after all of the time spent on that, they still have B and C listers like Red Arrow, Vixen and Geo-Force on the team. Not much thought put into that...

            Red Arrow I'll let slide cause I think he has some potential but I would've gladly traded Vixen for Animal Man (especially cause her powers are on the fritz...who cares...if you want to develope her character give her her own mini-series...don't do that in the main JLA book). And Geo-Force belongs with the Outsiders.

            I also think forcing the JLA/JSA/LSH cross-over during Meltzer's run hurt the book...again some cool moments but I'm still not sure what the heck was going on there...too much unanswered. Seems like a LOT of set-up for future things but when are we going to see the pay-off?

            Issue #11 was the worst piece of crap to date on this run...pointless IMO other than the big reveal about Vixen's powers. Whooo-hoo! And I agree that his last issue even confused matters more with Aquaman...I'm hoping it's the original real deal instead of Artie Joe but it wasn't made clear.

            In my opinion, JLA should be a book about epic battles with supervillains...leave the character development to their individual books. And if they don't have a book, keep it to a minimum...after all, I'm not reading JLA to find out if Red Arrow shags Hawkgirl.

            And what ever happened to the 3 behind the scene villains: Per Degaton, Despero and Ultra-Humanite? Was that throwaway or what?

            Long arcs aren't necessary either....2 to 3 issues or even 1 is fine with me to tell a story. If it worked for Gardner Fox, Denny O-Neil and Gerry Conway, it should work for these new "writers".
            Think OUTSIDE the Box! For the BEST in Repro & Custom Packaging!

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            • palitoy
              live. laugh. lisa needs braces
              • Jun 16, 2001
              • 59204

              #7
              Originally posted by Earth 2 Chris

              Which is why I like Geoff Johns and Mark Waid. Both unabashed fanboys and proud of it.
              I always thought Morrison wore the crown in that department. He wrote my favourite run on Justice League ever, it was knockout despite being stuck with flavour of the months like "Electric Superman".
              Places to find PlaidStallions online: https://linktr.ee/Plaidstallions

              Buy Toy-Ventures Magazine here:
              http://www.plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop

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              • Earth 2 Chris
                Verbose Member
                • Mar 7, 2004
                • 32498

                #8
                How could I forget Morrison. Honestly, I haven't been as nuts about his Batman run as I thought I would, but it's been okay. The Club of Heroes storyline is great so far though!

                Yeah, Morrison's JLA run is fantastic. Just think how much better it would have been without BLL Aquaman and Electric Supes!

                Chris
                sigpic

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                • The Toyroom
                  The Packaging King
                  • Dec 31, 2004
                  • 16653

                  #9
                  Morrison is one who can take old, dated concepts and make them seem fresh and new....his JLA was a great reboot to a title that had been watered down previously with concepts like JLInternational, JLEurope, etc. The Giffen/DeMattteis/Maguire stuff was good initially but grew thin as time went on. Morrison put the JLA back on the map as the DC Universe's premiere team. But after he left, as time went on, the book became crap again (think "Obsidian Age" and "Justice League Elite"). Meltzer's reboot at least brought back name players again but it's not close enough...hopefully McDuffie kicks some life into this once great title again.
                  Think OUTSIDE the Box! For the BEST in Repro & Custom Packaging!

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                  • palitoy
                    live. laugh. lisa needs braces
                    • Jun 16, 2001
                    • 59204

                    #10
                    After Morrison left JLA, I hung on for a short time and the storylines that followed were OK for a while then I remember thinking "OK, this is crap" and I haven't gone back.
                    Places to find PlaidStallions online: https://linktr.ee/Plaidstallions

                    Buy Toy-Ventures Magazine here:
                    http://www.plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop

                    Comment

                    • Earth 2 Chris
                      Verbose Member
                      • Mar 7, 2004
                      • 32498

                      #11
                      Waid continued Morrison's momementum fine, but his run was too short. Joe Kelly putting no-name heroes on the team was a return to the JLA-Detroit fiasco for me.

                      I have high hopes for McDuffie. I wouldn't mind seeing JLA have a core team of the original big 7 (plus maybe Canaray and GREEN Arrow), with rotating guest heroes. Sounds like something McDuffie knows something about, eh?

                      Chris
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                      • palitoy
                        live. laugh. lisa needs braces
                        • Jun 16, 2001
                        • 59204

                        #12
                        Waid's "Tower of Babel" was memorable enough but after that I got really disinterested in JLA.
                        Places to find PlaidStallions online: https://linktr.ee/Plaidstallions

                        Buy Toy-Ventures Magazine here:
                        http://www.plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop

                        Comment

                        • jwyblejr
                          galactic yo-yo
                          • Apr 6, 2006
                          • 11141

                          #13
                          Originally posted by palitoy
                          After Morrison left JLA, I hung on for a short time and the storylines that followed were OK for a while then I remember thinking "OK, this is crap" and I haven't gone back.
                          Thing was,Morrison set the bar so high,how could anyone compete after his run? At least I give Waid credit for trying.

                          Comment

                          • palitoy
                            live. laugh. lisa needs braces
                            • Jun 16, 2001
                            • 59204

                            #14
                            Originally posted by jwyblejr
                            Thing was,Morrison set the bar so high,how could anyone compete after his run? At least I give Waid credit for trying.
                            Yeah, I seem to be coming off as I'm dumping on Waid, when he was on the book I was still interested, it went downhill after him for me.
                            Places to find PlaidStallions online: https://linktr.ee/Plaidstallions

                            Buy Toy-Ventures Magazine here:
                            http://www.plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop

                            Comment

                            • Earth 2 Chris
                              Verbose Member
                              • Mar 7, 2004
                              • 32498

                              #15
                              DC should have never let anyone below Waid and Morrison on the title. Joe Kelly has a good resume, but JLA should only go to the TOP writers in game. Busiek was a good choice, but the damage was already done, and the title had lost it's luster.

                              Chris
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