DCU Comic Book Reviews

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #12

Monitor Duty

October 2007

Written by Brad Meltzer

Pencils by Ed Benes and Eric Wight

Inks by Sandra Hope

Covers by Michael Turner and Alex Ross

Synopsis

Yesterday...The Justice League of America comes together for the first time, although the members become closer friends with some more than others.  Today...Red Tornado decides to skip a visit from his mother-in-law to take monitor duty.  Eventually, Red Tornado is replaced on Monitor Duty, but he decides to remain at JLA headquarters.  Over the course of the day, each member takes a time watching the monitors.  As this goes on, two mysterious people watch the JLA and comment on what they mean to the team.  By the end of the day, the alarm goes off and the Justice League springs into action.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Leave it to Brad Meltzer to take a simple concept such as pulling monitor duty and turn it in a freaking narrative mess that tries to give the entire situation gravitas that it doesn’t need.  I am not sure why Martian Manhunter or Aquaman are watching the JLA on monitor duty and commenting on who they are and what they offer the team.  Just in terms of storytelling, it adds a layer to the story that just confuses the entire thing.  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised; Meltzer seems intent on writing dialogue and narrative boxes that are disjointed.  Sometimes it takes a moment or two just to figure who the hell is talking.  It hurts the flow of the story.  Now, remove J’onn and Arthur and take the story for what it is and it actually becomes a pretty good story about the personal relationships among the league members as they go about their monitor duty.  We have Red Tornado avoiding his home, Hawkgirl and Red Arrow become, ahem, closer to each other, Black Lightning getting caught in a trap, and Batman and Superman setting up Geo-Force into Deathstroke’s trap.  All of this is interesting, compelling material, but it gets bogged down by the über-narrative layered on top of all of the action. 

To compound the problem, he chooses two characters that historically make sense for the Justice League, but currently don’t make sense in the DC Universe.  Martian Manhunter is in the Outsiders.  Why would he care so much about the JLA?  And Arthur Orin Curry is, at the time this issue is published, dead.  I suspect he will be brought back to life in some manner within the next couple of months.  But, come on, he’s dead.  And, lord, if Meltzer means for this Arthur to be Arthur Joseph Curry (who might be in the new version of the Outsiders with J’onn) then I don’t even know where to begin with how stupid it is. 

The other problem I have is that while Meltzer has laid the groundwork from some compelling plot developments, this is also his last issue.  Although I try my best to avoid future solicitations, I get the sense that some of these plots won’t be followed by new writer Dwayne McDuffie.  There is nothing to say that McDuffie has to, but it seems odd to introduce (or continue) threads from previous issues without being around to follow them up. 

The best description of Roy and Kendra’s relationship?  Hawkgirl wants Red Arrow to puts his arrow into her quiver.  Ba-da-bing!  Let’s just hope there’s another reason why they used to call him Speedy.  Zing!  Ha!  I slay me. 

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