Monday 25 November 2013

Monday Memories #47 - JLA: Earth 2

Each Monday this year I'll be taking a look back at a random comic, prestige format issue, graphic novel or collection of reprints from amongst my 3,000 or so comics that date from 1962 to 2003 - I figured anything in the last ten years would be too recent to hark back to.

The comics are chosen completely at random and apart from a four week lead-in period, even I don't know what I'll be looking at in the weeks to come!



JLA: EARTH 2 - 2000

Since the original Crisis on Infinite Earths back in the mid 80's, DC's original multiverse was pretty much off limits; it simply didn't exist, though there was the occasional knowing nod in its direction, particularly in Grant Morrison's Animal Man. The anti-matter universe, however, was still out there - after all, those villainous Qwardians had to come from somewhere, right?

Cue Grant Morrison performing one of his better manoeuvres - can't use Ultraman and the Crime Syndicate from Earth-3? Let's make them come from the anti-matter universe instead, allowing the characters to flourish while not causing any multiversal anomalies.

And it worked a treat. I'm not the biggest Morrison fan but here he's pretty much faultless. It's a nice, tight story that's done in one and manages to pack in both nods to the original and some nice twists along the way, not least of which is the Earth-2 of the title.


Yeah, the main DC Earth is now Earth-2 according to the anti-matter Luthor!

When the Syndicate do invade, Morrison makes brilliant use of J'onn J'onnz:


Why isn't the character written like this more often?

And he also introduces something that's been retained and brought into the latest (Earth-3) versions of the Syndicate currently appearing in Forever Evil - the romance between Owlman and Superwoman:


While some of Frank Quitely's art doesn't do it for me - his female figures are a little too skinny and their legs are waaaaaaaaaaay too long in some shots - on the whole this books looks as good as it reads.

If you haven't read this, you're missing some of Morrison's best work.

3 comments:

  1. I've never read it. I know, I really should correct that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You really should, Tony - it's splendid.

      Delete
  2. Yes Tony, you really really should. Damn good read. And as Gary pointed out while Quitely's work isn't the best here(well I like it and the his All-Star Superman run) he truly makes a fine artistic colaborater to Morrison. And yeah, sadly, J'onn's not always written as well and effective in combat as he is here. Hell even Aquaman shines more her than in he had(Peter David's run aside) in years.

    ReplyDelete

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