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Justice League of America
User Rating - 24 votes, 3.5 avg.
Plot Summary
The BLACKEST NIGHT darkens the skies over the Justice League in this important tie-in issue! Can the team get it together in time to survive the return of the undead Dr. Light? Or will his now-shadowy evil strangle everybody where they stand?
Flashbacks are shown from the life of Paco Ramone aka Vibe. His battles with Amazo and Professor Ivo's androids are documented. His memory download is complete and he is reborn as a Black Lantern.
Meanwhile in the Hall of Justice a crew of JLA members are exploring the wreckage and destruction. The female Dr. Light, Vixen, Red Tornado, Zatanna, Plastic Man and Gypsy explore its ruins. They explore it and remark about the villains coming back to life.
As they discuss the pros and cons of storing villains bodies they also discuss the fact that heroes have also returned to life in dark, twisted forms. As they proceed deeper in the Hall of Justice they're confronted by a familiar face and voice.
Zatara, Zatanna's father has been reborn as a Black Lantern. Zatanna says that it is definitely not her father and they engage in a series of spells. As they do battle Vixen says she senses more of them in the building. Zatanna tells her to deal with them and she will handle her father. The two magicians are then teleported away.
They continue to do battle with spell and hexes. He attempts to rip out her heart but she repels him with a spell and then transports them away again.
Back at the Hall of Justice the female Dr. Light senses something and flies away. The remainder of the team walks through the darkness and decide to keep moving. Gypsy comments to the team that it wasn't sheer luck that Zatara appeared to confront his daughter Zatanna. Vixen comments that Aquaman and Martian Manhunter aren't the only dead Leaguers. Gypsy asks if she means Triumph and Aztek but Vixen says she's thinking of two guys they spent more time with directly during their JLA Detroit days. At that moment another friend from their past then confronts them. Black Lantern Vibe says he missed them and wonders if they missed him.
Gypsy says its impossible he's here because he died. Vibe says its not a big deal these days and the team engages him. He insults the team to get an emotional reaction from them. Red Tornado orders him to stand back saying he will cut him to ribbons. Vibe tells him to go ahead and try. Red Tornado succeeds in destroying his undead body but he is quickly restored. Vibe says that Tornado doesn't have anything he wants. Vibe destroys his android body with his vibrational blasts and turns his attention to Plastic Man. He rips Plastic Man's heart from his chest and ponders what to do with it.
Vixen attacks Vibe and he says he noticed she's favoring her leg. He then insults her and says that she may just need to lose weight. He says Vixen let him die and its time for the JLA Detroit to be reunited. He says her and Gypsy are going to die. Hank Heywood appears as a Black Lantern to assist Vibe.
In another part of the Hall of Justice the female Dr. Light says she senses someone's presence. she says she knew they'd face each other. She flies through a series of corridors and discovers the original Dr. Light licking the corpse of Firestorm's girlfriend Jen. She had been turned to salt by the Black Lantern Firestorm during the main Blackest Night series. he attacks the female Dr. Light with a massive burst of dark energy. He then wonders what she tastes like...
To be continued....
Flashbacks are shown from the life of Paco Ramone aka Vibe. His battles with Amazo and Professor Ivo's androids are documented. His memory download is complete and he is reborn as a Black Lantern.
Meanwhile in the Hall of Justice a crew of JLA members are exploring the wreckage and destruction. The female Dr. Light, Vixen, Red Tornado, Zatanna, Plastic Man and Gypsy explore its ruins. They explore it and remark about the villains coming back to life.
As they discuss the pros and cons of storing villains bodies they also discuss the fact that heroes have also returned to life in dark, twisted forms. As they proceed deeper in the Hall of Justice they're confronted by a familiar face and voice.
Zatara, Zatanna's father has been reborn as a Black Lantern. Zatanna says that it is definitely not her father and they engage in a series of spells. As they do battle Vixen says she senses more of them in the building. Zatanna tells her to deal with them and she will handle her father. The two magicians are then teleported away.
They continue to do battle with spell and hexes. He attempts to rip out her heart but she repels him with a spell and then transports them away again.
Back at the Hall of Justice the female Dr. Light senses something and flies away. The remainder of the team walks through the darkness and decide to keep moving. Gypsy comments to the team that it wasn't sheer luck that Zatara appeared to confront his daughter Zatanna. Vixen comments that Aquaman and Martian Manhunter aren't the only dead Leaguers. Gypsy asks if she means Triumph and Aztek but Vixen says she's thinking of two guys they spent more time with directly during their JLA Detroit days. At that moment another friend from their past then confronts them. Black Lantern Vibe says he missed them and wonders if they missed him.
Gypsy says its impossible he's here because he died. Vibe says its not a big deal these days and the team engages him. He insults the team to get an emotional reaction from them. Red Tornado orders him to stand back saying he will cut him to ribbons. Vibe tells him to go ahead and try. Red Tornado succeeds in destroying his undead body but he is quickly restored. Vibe says that Tornado doesn't have anything he wants. Vibe destroys his android body with his vibrational blasts and turns his attention to Plastic Man. He rips Plastic Man's heart from his chest and ponders what to do with it.
Vixen attacks Vibe and he says he noticed she's favoring her leg. He then insults her and says that she may just need to lose weight. He says Vixen let him die and its time for the JLA Detroit to be reunited. He says her and Gypsy are going to die. Hank Heywood appears as a Black Lantern to assist Vibe.
In another part of the Hall of Justice the female Dr. Light says she senses someone's presence. she says she knew they'd face each other. She flies through a series of corridors and discovers the original Dr. Light licking the corpse of Firestorm's girlfriend Jen. She had been turned to salt by the Black Lantern Firestorm during the main Blackest Night series. he attacks the female Dr. Light with a massive burst of dark energy. He then wonders what she tastes like...
To be continued....
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User Reviews
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Flashback Wednesdays! |
1 out of 2 users found this review helpful.
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VIBE is back from the dead?!?! Seriously? Is this for reals?
Believe it, folks, because this is really happening. And what's worse is he even talks in his Chicano gang slang! It's just too good to be true! Not even death can wash away the failure that is Vibe and his urban street slang!
I was worried something like this would happen. I just knew they were going to bring back some lame character from the late 80's or early 90's. Next we'll be treated to someone like "The Hoop Master" or "Stilt Man." Because lets be honest… I can't say if they're dead or not, but with a name like "Stilt Man" I'm inclined to think they would have committed suicide long ago…
So the issue…
We see Black Lantern Dr. Light use… his Dark Light as a power.
And Vibe uses his… Dark Vibes as a power.
And Abracadabra uses… his Dark Dabra as a power.
And Commander Steel… Is real good at standing around not using his powers.
Apparently all Black Lantern powers will be manifested in huge splotches of black ink from now on as declared by Geoff Johns in accordance with the prophecy.
I know I'm making a lot of fun here so I'll try to be series. I hate all the JLA second stringers. I never would have picked this title up if not for it being a Blackest Night tie-in. As it turned out I'm sincerely happy with this purchase. I felt that it was written well, drawn even better and really enhanced the overall Blackest Night experience.
I didn't expect Mark Bagley's art to work for this tie-in. His art is more "Looney Tunes" and less "Dawn of the Dead" so I was surprised with how well his dead heroes and villains turned out. I suppose I was just accustomed to his work for Ultimate Spider-man.
Overall if you're following Blackest Night this will be a nice side dish for you. If you're avoiding Blackest Night for some weird reason I imagine you're annoyed with this detour.
0 Comments
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Justice League of America #39: Motor City Massacre |
1 out of 1 user found this review helpful.
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By now, every one is sick of the repetitive formula marked by the Green Lantern cross-over event Blackest Night. Black Lantern rings seek out deceased metahumans to use their bodies like puppets to seek and savagely kill other metahumans in order to strengthen its battery source as well as its ranks. So what makes this cross-over issue any more significant than the main title or its satellite titles?
How about the first issue where its entirely possible that for once the entire JLA team is expendable? James Robinson reunites living and dead members of the JLA's forgettable roster back when they operated out of Detroit, Michigan.
If memory serves, DC and Marvel both tried to spread out their heroes during the early to mid 80s. They substituted New York City inspired fictional cities for more level, gritty secondary and tertiary cities like Detroit. It wasn't a bad idea but it was done mostly out of panic because readership was in decline. Ultimately JLA Detroit lead to JLA's cancellation after a very long run.
In this issue, Vibe becomes a Black Lantern. Vibe is basically an ex-gangster dressing in a Duran/Duran costume from the 80s New Wave. Today, you might find him as an extra in a Lady Gaga music video. A spooked out team loses another League member, and there is something far, far more disturbing than the return of Steele...that is the return of original Doctor Light. His return is marked something that is pretty disgusting right before he battles the JLA Doctor Light.
Mark Bagley always has a Kubert-esque consistency about him. Its not bad. It's definitely serviceable. If only he can cut down on his number of page sized pose downs. He seems to have his compositions trapped in medium format and should play a little more with the way he lays out his issues. The action always goes from left to right from one cell to the next. Really, he needs to desperately change the perspective.
Rating: Borrow it. Its definitely a tasty appetizer because all bets are off on who survives this encounter.
How about the first issue where its entirely possible that for once the entire JLA team is expendable? James Robinson reunites living and dead members of the JLA's forgettable roster back when they operated out of Detroit, Michigan.
If memory serves, DC and Marvel both tried to spread out their heroes during the early to mid 80s. They substituted New York City inspired fictional cities for more level, gritty secondary and tertiary cities like Detroit. It wasn't a bad idea but it was done mostly out of panic because readership was in decline. Ultimately JLA Detroit lead to JLA's cancellation after a very long run.
In this issue, Vibe becomes a Black Lantern. Vibe is basically an ex-gangster dressing in a Duran/Duran costume from the 80s New Wave. Today, you might find him as an extra in a Lady Gaga music video. A spooked out team loses another League member, and there is something far, far more disturbing than the return of Steele...that is the return of original Doctor Light. His return is marked something that is pretty disgusting right before he battles the JLA Doctor Light.
Mark Bagley always has a Kubert-esque consistency about him. Its not bad. It's definitely serviceable. If only he can cut down on his number of page sized pose downs. He seems to have his compositions trapped in medium format and should play a little more with the way he lays out his issues. The action always goes from left to right from one cell to the next. Really, he needs to desperately change the perspective.
Rating: Borrow it. Its definitely a tasty appetizer because all bets are off on who survives this encounter.
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JLA 39 - Detroit fans only! |
1 out of 1 user found this review helpful.
|
JLA DETROIT that is.
Another of the Blackest night tie ins, JLA #39 is a blast from the past... if your past involved being a hardcore fan of the so-so adventures of JLAD.
I say hardcore because all of the Detroit members who everyone loved (Guy Gardener, Martian Manhunter, Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Elongated Man, and Aquaman) fail to make more than a one page flashback cameo if that.
Luckily, this issue isn't solely about the revival of Vibe (yeah. its ok. Don't worry about it). There is a superbly satisfying magical duel between Zatanna and her reanimated father Zatara. And even though we only see the start, Dr. Light vs. Dr. Light! A match i personaly have been waiting for since Dr. Light the Mr. went up against every living character who ever rallied under the Teen Titans Banner.
Still, i feel like DC should know that you cant make a successful JLAD story without the SUCCESSFUL JLAD characters. What cold have been a 5 is now a 3 1/2.
Another of the Blackest night tie ins, JLA #39 is a blast from the past... if your past involved being a hardcore fan of the so-so adventures of JLAD.
I say hardcore because all of the Detroit members who everyone loved (Guy Gardener, Martian Manhunter, Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Elongated Man, and Aquaman) fail to make more than a one page flashback cameo if that.
Luckily, this issue isn't solely about the revival of Vibe (yeah. its ok. Don't worry about it). There is a superbly satisfying magical duel between Zatanna and her reanimated father Zatara. And even though we only see the start, Dr. Light vs. Dr. Light! A match i personaly have been waiting for since Dr. Light the Mr. went up against every living character who ever rallied under the Teen Titans Banner.
Still, i feel like DC should know that you cant make a successful JLAD story without the SUCCESSFUL JLAD characters. What cold have been a 5 is now a 3 1/2.
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Light on Light Crime |
1 out of 3 users found this review helpful.
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It's not looking good so far for the Justice League of America. I don't just say that because this issue ties to Blackest Night, no because the 2nd issue of James Robinson and Mark Bagley run on the title was less then great. There were moments that shined a light through the darkness but most of it felt long and just bad. on to the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The Good
1.) A Scene with BL Doctor Light doing a nasty thing with a hot headed hero Girlfriend.
2.) A Battle of Magic Between Zatanna and a dead loved one.
3.) Nobody yelled JUSTICE!
The Bad
1.) The Spell battle may confuse some
2.) $3.99 price tag, even if it had more pages. It could have used less to get the story told.
The Ugly
1.) Some spots we see some ugly art from Bagley. Zatanna looked cross eyed in a panel as did Gypsy.
2.) I know they are hurt from the last issue, but the Titans did a better job of fighting the BLs.
Overall i see this series burning bright with the blue aura of hope. I see Robinson and Bagley doing great things with this title. Plus you can't be to much disappointed with the issue, You got a free Red Ring with it.
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The JLA, Down, But Not Out |
3 out of 3 users found this review helpful.
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Why can't the League remain this small group of heroes? Is it necessary to have Superman and Wonder Woman type characters in a group to make it great? The answer, "No." I'm loving seeing Red Tornado, Plastic Man, Vixen, Zatanna, Gyspy, and Dr. Light put to the test against the undead even as they remain in such a disheveled and battered state. Zatanna and Dr. Light are most definitely forced to face their fears as they battle their reanimated predecessors who possess equal powers to their own. In particular the Zatanna versus Zatara battle seemed like it could go either way as one opponent would immediately cancel out the spell or hex of the other. I'm very excited to see how my current favorite Leaguer, Dr. Light, handles battling her evil counterpart who appears in a deliciously evil scene drawn with frightening creepiness by Bagley and Hunter. This has been a great start by the Justice League of America's new creative team! Bravo!
~ Hype
~ Hype
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hell zombie |
1 out of 1 user found this review helpful.
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Oh, no, they aren't zombies, Zatanna clarifies for us, as the team blunders into their now spooky and desolate Hall. They're evil, and they eat hearts, but they're also smart. So, like zombies then, but with extra added head games thrown in.
I'm not asking for much from Blackest Night, as I'm not reading it except where it shows up in titles that I already buy. So all I want is that it not screw up things too badly, and maybe provide a little zombie thrill or two. The formula, in the books I've come across so far, seems fairly simple. Somebody who's dead narrates the intro, telling their life story up to the point of their death (usually with little rancor), before the black ring completes with its transformed download, and then the non-zombies go after their suddenly hated loved ones.
Basically, the black-ringed ones have all the motivation of Superboy Prime--they're one endless snit-fit, a very schematic way to be the worst nightmares of our heroes. What if someone you love actually hated you, like totally? Bummer! But once you sign on, there's room for a few scares earned with the right psychological pinions in place.
Robinson and Bagley turn their formidable skills to this less than worthy story, upping the atmosphere and making the Hall a pretty decent haunted house setting. Bagley and Hunter shroud every page in black shadows, so that our heroes' faces and defensive gestures become beacons of light in the darkness. The colors by Pete Pantazis are also designed to standout amidst the somber tones, like candles flickering. It's a little hard to keep track of the foes, as they all have a requisite Lantern-y costume design mixed with their own old costumes, in shades of helpful black.
But I think this issue the foes are Vibe, Zatara (who died a long time ago in a Swamp Thing comic IIRC) and maybe Steel. The group seems very worried about Aztek for some reason I can't fathom, but even the Detroit League can be a deadly threat with ring power. The desperation of Zatanna's counter-spells to her ersatz father's attacks are compelling and as she flees to protect her mates and draw the battle away, the other heroes split up (of course), in order to encounter their own tailor-made enemies.
The worst part of the entire book is the premise that the bad Dr. Light be revived again, as having been reduced to a pile of sludge by the Spectre was an ideal fate for that creep. I'm tired of seeing him fight his distaff namesake, who has always been more worthy of the costume than he. I hope Robinson, who makes the dialogue stick this issue, keeps his renovation of the good Dr. Light going strong next issue, as I'd love her to say lights out to the villain for the final time.
I'm not asking for much from Blackest Night, as I'm not reading it except where it shows up in titles that I already buy. So all I want is that it not screw up things too badly, and maybe provide a little zombie thrill or two. The formula, in the books I've come across so far, seems fairly simple. Somebody who's dead narrates the intro, telling their life story up to the point of their death (usually with little rancor), before the black ring completes with its transformed download, and then the non-zombies go after their suddenly hated loved ones.
Basically, the black-ringed ones have all the motivation of Superboy Prime--they're one endless snit-fit, a very schematic way to be the worst nightmares of our heroes. What if someone you love actually hated you, like totally? Bummer! But once you sign on, there's room for a few scares earned with the right psychological pinions in place.
Robinson and Bagley turn their formidable skills to this less than worthy story, upping the atmosphere and making the Hall a pretty decent haunted house setting. Bagley and Hunter shroud every page in black shadows, so that our heroes' faces and defensive gestures become beacons of light in the darkness. The colors by Pete Pantazis are also designed to standout amidst the somber tones, like candles flickering. It's a little hard to keep track of the foes, as they all have a requisite Lantern-y costume design mixed with their own old costumes, in shades of helpful black.
But I think this issue the foes are Vibe, Zatara (who died a long time ago in a Swamp Thing comic IIRC) and maybe Steel. The group seems very worried about Aztek for some reason I can't fathom, but even the Detroit League can be a deadly threat with ring power. The desperation of Zatanna's counter-spells to her ersatz father's attacks are compelling and as she flees to protect her mates and draw the battle away, the other heroes split up (of course), in order to encounter their own tailor-made enemies.
The worst part of the entire book is the premise that the bad Dr. Light be revived again, as having been reduced to a pile of sludge by the Spectre was an ideal fate for that creep. I'm tired of seeing him fight his distaff namesake, who has always been more worthy of the costume than he. I hope Robinson, who makes the dialogue stick this issue, keeps his renovation of the good Dr. Light going strong next issue, as I'd love her to say lights out to the villain for the final time.
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The Dead Rise |
0 out of 1 user found this review helpful.
|
Story:The JLA are going to the Hall of Justice where they find that the father of Zatanna is resurected and she goes fighting him.When the leaguers go ahead they find that Vibe and Arthur Light are back.
The Good:The League are fighting they're most close ones except Dr. Light which is fighting Arthur Light.These are their biggest nightmares and I can say that I could feel the fear in the JLA.I liked that Arthur Light is back and we will see Dr. Light vs. Dr. Light.We get a really good magician fight with a great artwork.Maybe the thing I liked the most was that the JLA aren't so powerfull after their fight with Prometheus and can't defend themselvs so good.
The Bad:The thing I didn't like was the dialogue and the actings of the team because they were so afraid and I don't think the League should be so afraid and even Red Tornado who is and androit maked jokes how he watches Scooby-Doo.
Overall:An average issue with a good artwork and I think that next issue will be better.
4/5
The Good:The League are fighting they're most close ones except Dr. Light which is fighting Arthur Light.These are their biggest nightmares and I can say that I could feel the fear in the JLA.I liked that Arthur Light is back and we will see Dr. Light vs. Dr. Light.We get a really good magician fight with a great artwork.Maybe the thing I liked the most was that the JLA aren't so powerfull after their fight with Prometheus and can't defend themselvs so good.
The Bad:The thing I didn't like was the dialogue and the actings of the team because they were so afraid and I don't think the League should be so afraid and even Red Tornado who is and androit maked jokes how he watches Scooby-Doo.
Overall:An average issue with a good artwork and I think that next issue will be better.
4/5
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| Added by: | Exile-616 |
| Date Added: | Nov. 25, 2009 |
