MORRISON'S JLA: THE BE-ALL-END-ALL OF SUPERHERO COMICS!

books:

	• JLA Confidential, Book 1: Ultramarine Corps Grant Morrison, Ed McGuinness, ... DC Comics, 2007 - 144 pages average customer review:based on 6 reviews view larger image
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MORRISON'S JLA: THE BE-ALL-END-ALL OF SUPERHERO COMICS!

First off, JLA, as written by Grant Morrison, is THE superhero comic of all time. Exciting, reinvigorating, packed full of details and characterization! Ah, such characterization! And history, too! By history, I mean, JUSTICE LEAGUE history. Grant's run on JLA was a heartfelt love letter to all incarnations of the JLA, especially the Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman-led JLA. His run on this comic was the inspiration for The AUTHORITY (and no doubt influenced ULTIMATES as well as Jeph Loebs' run on Superman/Batman) ; widescreen, epic superhero extravaganzas of pure imagination and fun.

I can understand where some may be disappointed by the story featured in ULTRAMARINE CORPS, but in order to fully appreciate its many details, plot points, characters and events, one truly must be versed in Morrison's JLA run as well as his SEVEN SOLDIERS mega-meta-event, and even his current BATMAN run. This is not some marketing ploy hatched to sell comics; it's simply great storytelling of the truly EPIC quality and stature. One of the best aspects of Grant's work is that he always gives stuff to chew and mull over; his comics are never of the disposable, throwaway and forget about type. The more times you read them, the more you glean from them. Talk about your value for money!

Taking stock of the ULTRAMARINE CORPS, the infant universe of QWEWQ -- Grant first made mention of this back in issue 12 of JLA, Part 3 of the ROCK OF AGES arc; when Mote says to Green Lantern: "YOU SHOULD TAKE TIME TO SEE AND REMEMBER THESE WONDERS..." that's not an aside, that's foreshadowing at it's most subtle and skillful -- any aspiring writers would be wise to study Morrison's work for how to lay out a story in the long term and plant seeds that come to perfect fruition in due time. Now, QWEWQ gives birth to NEH-BUH-LOH, one of the prime villains of SEVEN SOLDIERS.

The Ultramarine Corps were introduced in the EXECUTIVE ACTION arc from JLA #s 24-26. Superbia, the floating city, was introduced right at the end of that arc, and, until Morrison wrote the ULTRAMARINE CORPS arc, I longed to see what he could/would do with such a great concept (which is, no doubt, a nod to Jack Kirby's SUPERTOWN, only with a more "AUTHORITY-esque/Post-WATCHMEN" spin put on it. The characters of Knight and Squire have also returned recently in the pages of Morrison's BATMAN -- the CLUB OF HEROES arc so exquisitely drawn by JH Williams III.

I find it interesting and a little frustrating to read reviews of this arc that dismiss it as weak or under-developed and it really is an indication of readers' inability/unwillingness to share in Morrison's vision.

I can tell that Morrison is having a blast playing in the DC-verse, where he feels truly at home. Who else but Morrison would equip Batman with such diverse and kooky stuff such as: a Dalek, the head of the IRON GIANT and the claw of the Robot from LOST IN SPACE? What? You didn't see that? It's all on display in Bats' "sci-fi closet" -- "DON'T TELL MY FRIENDS IN THE GCPD ABOUT THIS, ALFRED," indeed! This sequence PERFECTLY sums up the essential nature of Batman; how the character has changed over the decades and yet still manages to command such interest and awe. With this scene, Grant gives nods to the following: the 60's live-action TV series (Alfred hands Bats the Red Phone complete in a glass dome on a tray!), the 50s kooky, sci-fi era (sci-fi closet), and even straddles the current era with the post-Wertham censorship/Batman deputised-in-daylight era: "my friends in the GCPD" ("friend" being a nod to that "lame" era of the deputised Batamn; GCPD in my mind referencing the recent GOTHAM CENTRAL series). The fact that this neither undermines or diminishes Batman in the slightest is testament to Grant's skill at deftly handling the DC characters with such a level of respect -- a trait that Frank Miller certainly should take note of!

Morrison's dialogue in this arc is no slouch at all! Superman berating the defeated apes: "A bunch of dumb slogans, a few bananas and you belong to anybody, it seems. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves." And Morrison knows not to overload it all with too much talking - I love the bit where Batman winks his approval at the Squire. Genius!

On the art side, Ed McGuinness's pages are nothing short of spectacular. One should grab copies of the single issues in order to truly behold and appreciate his layouts. Superb stuff!

Overall, this a great, great story. A good swan song for Morrison's JLA as well as a good intro to SEVEN SOLDIERS. Editorial at DC perhaps could have written more detailed notes (actually referring to the SEVEN SOLDIERS link on the back copy, for example. Hint!)

JLA/WILDCATS -- at first this reads like just a filler type of story, But then, that's the genius of Morrison. EVERY TIME he gets me more on the subsequent reads!

Val Semeiks art is, as usual, classy and story-centric. Truly one of those under-rated artists that produce so much work and yet never seem to get the glory, Semeiks always (just like Grant's Animal Man cohort, Chas Truog) tells the story visually without degenerating into mere overblown pin-ups. Substance over style.

I generally have a problem with these type of cross-overs anyways. The fact that Morrison not only had to contend with the Blue Superman, but also a WILDCATS that were missing a couple of their original members, arguably undermined the "wow!' factor so necessary for these type of comics. But Morrison being Morrison, he pulls it off better than most could have. What probably sours this more than it should, is the fact that his and Jim Lee's "WORLDSTORM" revival of the WILDCATS is currently in comic book limbo after only ONE issue. Still, that one comic was/is still better than the 8-9 issues combined that Miller and Lee have produced on All-Star Bats! Now THAT is a comic deserving of one's bile and ridicule. Talk about out-Schumachering Joel Schumacher! Ouch!

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So-so tales of the JLA and Ultramarines

Grant Morrison is an amazing writer, perhaps the Alan Moore of his generation, so don't let what you find here in JLA: Ultramarine Corps fool you. The author of such amazing runs on JLA, New X-Men, Doom Patrol, Animal Man, and All-Star Superman launched JLA Classified with a three part arc collected here, in which the JLA is busy in a pocket universe, leaving Batman as the only hero to take on Gorilla Grodd after the Ultramarines get taken out. No worries though, 'cause Bats has robot versions of his fellow JLA members to go into battle with as he tries to avoid becoming dinner for Grodd. The art is from Ed McGuiness, so you get a pretty solid mix of well drawn/cartoony art. The second story is a pretty lame team up/crossover with the JLA and the Wild C.A.T.S., which lacks any sort of the personality or intrigue that usually populates Morrison's work. The Ultramarines story from JLA Classified is a fun diversion, but definitely not that close of a worthwhile effort from Morrison that we usually get. All in all, JLA: Ultramarine Corps is worth a look for JLA and/or Morrison fans, but you could do better.

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Must reading for "Seven Soldiers" fans

Any Morrison is good Morrison and any problems I had with his previous JLA work had more to do with the sometimes awkward and usually overblown artwork. McGuiness is a perfect partner in crime for this story, however, as his tight, expressive linework really sings.

It's a neat little superhero tale on its own, but, in the broader context, is an important prequel to Grant's "Seven Soldiers of Victory." There were a number of puzzling questions in my mind after I finished SSoV and this mini cleared several of them up nicely.

Graphic SF Reader

Two similar storylines here, but one of them is an inter-company crossover. The second part of the trade is JLA-Wildcats, from the blue Superman era.

For the Wildstorm era, they all get along fairly nicely, particularly when Zealot works out Wonder Woman can take all she has and more.

The Ultramarine part is a US government created Superman that has the problem of not having the smart people that the JLA does, so they get infiltrated and taken over. Throw in Gorilla Grodd, the Justice League out of action, it is up to the Batman, and the Batman clone's sidekick to save the day.

Pretty mediocre, really, although giant insane gorillas are usually entertaining, as is the lecture about how easily his followers are bought for bananas.

3 out of 5

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reviews: page 1, 2