JUSTICE LEAGUE #19

Review by: ghostmann

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Story by Geoff Johns
Art by Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, & Gary Frank
Cover by Ivan Reis & Joe Prado
Variant Cover by Ivan Reis & Joe Prado

Size: 40 pages
Price: 3.99

75 years ago the first super-hero appeared. Action Comics #1 featuring Superman hit the newsstands and the world changed. For the first time Superman “saved the world” – his appearance would inspire and motivate countless people, whether they be a kid with a towel tied around his neck to Hollywood moguls looking for the next big thing. This “Super-Hero” thing had legs – it was here to stay.

All these years later Superman is still inspiring kids and Hollywood. Have you seen that new Man of Steel trailer? Yeah, wow. I feel pretty lucky to live in a moment in time where technology can give us these fantastic films of the unbelievable and make them believable – 75 years ago they where throwing a paper mache dummy across the camera to make you believe man can fly.

Yep, the times have changed. One of the many cool things about comic books is that they much like the “cave drawings” of our time – they capture our history at the moment it is happening. A real-time chronicle of our hopes and dreams, our fears and loves. Want to know what America was feeling about things back in 1951? Well just get your hands on a copy of Superman or Batman from that year and if the writer knew what he or she was doing then chances are you will get a pretty good idea of the times back then.

My own comic book collection goes back only to 1983. When I feel like revisiting the past I’ll crack open one of those old issues and remember the 1980’s in a way that other media just can’t compare. Sure when I watch E.T the Extra-Terrestrial I am transported back to my youth, but when I hold in my hand a document from that era I can smell it. My comic collection is my own personal time machine, each monthly issue is a date in time I can revisit whenever I want to.

Open up Action Comics # 1 and here is what you get: Superman saves a woman who is going to be executed by finding the real killer. He stops a man who was whipping his wife with a belt and he confronts a lobbyist who is trying to get the United States involved in World War II.

Superman’s tights may be a little bit faded and brittle, but the message remains the same. He is here to help. To help us.

This months Justice League comic highlights everything I just wrote about.

In issue #19 Superman and Wonder Woman travel to the Arab nation of Kahndaqi (a fictional one written for the comic) to rescue some hostages being held by terrorists. They succeed in their attempt and Wonder Woman feels perhaps they should take things further – not just rescue hostages but the whole country from these oppressors. Superman replies to her, “It’s not up to us to change the world Diana. I made that choice a long time ago and it was the right choice. I use my powers to inspire not interfere.”

75 years from now in the year 2088, someone will crack open this issue and get to see the issues that our country and world were dealing with at the time – Terror. And they will get to read about how Superman saved the day and they get to be inspired by him.

Kings and Princes – Presidents and Rulers will all come and go. Some will do good. Some will do bad. But Superman will always be there after they have passed on, long forgotten. When you stop to think about it it is quite amazing.

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it–always.” Mahatma Gandhi

Story: 4 - Very Good
Art: 4 - Very Good

Comments

  1. I found a petition online to “Return Wonder Woman to her mission of peace”. Although the stories I read where she tries to do that (Kingdom Come, Flashpoint) they’re always have this feeling of fear. The scary thing about Wonder Woman is that once she’s set on a path she doesn’t stop and usually is willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish her goals. Sure she may try nonviolence first but she does get ruthless. So I’m kinda glad Superman convinced her not to try to pull a “Justice Lords” on the New 52 Earth.

    • Well I suppose being an Amazon non violence doesn’t really go with the territory – but it’s how she handles that “non violence” in her nature that makes WW such a great hero – and in the right hands (Brian Azzarello) star in her own great comic.

    • Totally agree with that. Azzerallo’s take is the first time ice found WW interesting, I wish I had started buying the series from the beginning but I’ve only read volume 1.

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