DCU Comic Book Reviews

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #21

The Gathering Crisis

July 2008

Written by Dwayne McDuffie

Pencils by Carlos Pacheco

Inks by Jose Merino

Cover by Carlos Pacheco and Jose Merino

Synopsis

In the Hall of Justice, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman gather in a special room to discuss recent events.  Elsewhere, a bank robbery by Mike Miller (aka The Human Flame) is interrupted by Red Arrow and Hawkgirl.  The Human Flame attempts to get away, but does not fare well, until Libra comes to his rescue.  Libra then takes The Human Flame to Central City to introduce him to the rest of the villains Libra has gathered together.  Libra then tells him that he will grant The Human Flame’s fondest desire.  The Human Flame tells him he wants revenge.  He wants the Martian Manhunter dead.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Sightings!  I don’t know why I feel impelled to state this, but you know, I guess I can always use the excuse to cross link within the site to get more hits or something like that.  Anyway, in case you missed it, the sightings tag on the cover of select comics indicates a connection in some way to Final Crisis, the upcoming big mini-series.  In this case, the sightings tag indicates what looks to be the prologue to Final Crisis.  Shouldn’t the contents of this issue be part of Final Crisis?  Well, I suppose it depends on how that series shapes up, but, man, this set-up certainly feels like it is in the wrong place.  Much more like DC Universe 0, this issue sets the stage for Final Crisis, providing more of Libra, his motives, and the impetus for the events to come. 

Actually, this comic is divided into two parts, neither of them connected.  I have to give McDuffie credit for doing this.  Since he began as the writer of this series, McDuffie has been saddled with numerous tie-ins and crossovers, effectively restraining his ability to tell the stories that he wants to tell.  So, rather than trying to weave the Libra and Human Flame plot into whatever he wants to do with the title, McDuffie does what he can with the Sightings! connection and then concentrates on the story he wants to tell. 

The first part is the best, with the Trinity sitting together discussing recent events.  Not only does it evoke the earlier issues of this series, but it helps to put recent events into perspective.  Nearly half the issue is devoted to this conversation, but it so well-written with a great dynamic among the Trinity that it doesn’t feel tedious or drawn out at all.  McDuffie captures the characters better than most writers, revealing a lot about the three of them with crisp, sharp dialogue such that the chemistry among the three is palatable.  McDuffie manages to capture the essence of each without falling into caricatures; they feel like well-rounded characters.

The second part also works fairly well, helped along with a good characterization of the Human Flame.  Sadly, where the story falls apart is the sledgehammer of plot point that does more than hint at a death that has been rumored for some time.  It seems too heavy handed and I’ve got to wonder if Grant Morrison, the writer of Final Crisis, wanted it that way or not.  In contrast, I appreciate the effort by McDuffie to provide a callback to the previous Secret Society of Villains or Injustice League or whatever that only occurred recently that not to mention would be an insult. 

Finally, during the conversation scene, I think editorial dropped the ball in not providing editorial boxes linking what the Trinity is discussing to past issues, especially the All New Atom issue (this one!) that Wonder Woman refers to when she says she offered Ryan Choi a spot in the league.  Or the final image, letting the reader know what was happening with Martian Manhunter recently (Salvation Run).  It is these types of things that could only help drive sales for other books by pointing readers in the right direction. 

ïPREVIOUS	Main		Page	NEXTð

Home ●  Blog ● Who Are We? ● Site News
Alive and Well since April 16, 2006

 DC Universe Reviews.  All Rights Reserved
  Characters, trademarks, brands are property of DC Comics

For problems or questions regarding this website, please contact our kindly webmaster.
Last updated: 08/06/11.