Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Justice League of America # 9

By Koppy Mcfad
May 19, 2007 - 04:46

The Justice League and the Justice Society go in search of the missing members of the Legion of Superheroes, a quest that takes them to Gorilla City and Thanagar. But don't expect any gorilla warfare or hawk-hunting in this issue. There is virtually no action. Instead, there is a lot of dialogue with some elaboration on the growing attraction between Red Arrow and Hawkgirl and the mystery of how the Legion members got lost in time and how this is somehow connected to the Ultra-Humanite. Now, it is possible to have an exciting, suspenseful comic book without extended fight scenes or chases but this comic fails to do that. Sure, the characters are interesting and the art makes them look very attractive but neither words or artwork convey a sense of danger or urgency or a notion that the story is actually gaining momentum instead of just pacing along. Perhaps this is because Meltzer still writes as a novelist and not a comicbook writer but partly, it is apparently because DC has gotten lazy. The company knows people will buy this comic because of the talent and characters involved, even if the contents are boring and the story so involved that only the most devoted DC comicfans will understand it. The most interesting things about this issue are the hints that Dawnstar is gay or bisexual and that Power Girl and Hawkman almost had an affair-- not to mention the great shot of Dawnstar's cleavage in the last page. But even all this comes off as exploitative tittilation (pun intended) than actual characterization. Two out of five stars.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12