Comic Info
Comic Name: JLA
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Joe Kelly
Artist: Doug Mahnke
# of Issues: 5
Release Date: 2003
JLA #62
Reprints JLA #61-65 (February 2002-June 2002). The JLA are faced with a quick mission to save the Earth, but then face one of their biggest challenges when the universe literally revolts when Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth is broken. With all “truth” in question can the JLA appease reality and have Wonder Woman restore the world? Plus, Plastic Man reveals a secret to Batman that could change his fun loving perspective on life.
With a new writer in Joe Kelly, JLA Volume 10: Golden Perfect is a short collection. Following the events of JLA Volume 9: Terror Incognita, the collection features art by Doug Mahnke. Not included in the collection is a back-up Power Company story in JLA #61 which introduced the Power Company and the issues in the collection are also included in JLA—Volume 6.
The collection in this volume still has a lot of focus on Wonder Woman and the loss of Hippolyta the previous year in Wonder Woman (2) #172 (September 2001) during the Our Worlds at War storyline and knowledge of this storyline would help the readers. Joe Kelly does not make much of a splash in this collection.
JLA: 10 Golden Perfect is a rather hodge-podge story. While most collections are one theme, this series has two stand-alone issues plus a three issue storyline in the middle. This leads to a not very smooth transition for the story and the final story also holds a random clue to a future storyline that seems a bit out of place since the previous stories didn’t do much to tie in with the others stories.
JLA (1) #65
The first story in the book appears to be a Mr. Mind-like story with the JLA discovering a worm controlling Abra Kadabra. I thought from the story’s structure that this was somehow going to tie into the “Golden Perfect” storyline, but it really was just a standalone. It isn’t a bad story but it is very stylized with all the pieces of the JLA leading toward a single goal as the clock ticks down.“Golden Perfect” is the bulk of this collection and is predominately a Wonder Woman story with the JLA playing second fiddle. I do enjoy the Wonder Woman/J’onn J’onzz storyline in this storyline since I feel both Wonder Woman and J’onn are often outsiders (even more so than Batman). Kelly tries a bit too hard and it leads to a rather confused (but thoughtful) conclusion that is a bit too heavy to have been worked out in three short issues. I do however commend the idea of multiple truths, and what it would do to a lasso which only seeks one truth.
I love Plastic Man so I did enjoy Batman’s team-up with him in the final issue in the collection. I always like it when Batman feels a bit out of place and when Plastic Man has to play serious so this is a good, but different pairing. It also introduces the DC Universe version of Plastic Man’s kid which was part of the Plastic Man cartoon show from the ’70s…in a more adult version. The issue also hints to “The Destroyers” storyline in the next collection.
JLA 10: Golden Perfect continues to help JLA be an interesting comic. I have to hand it to Kelly to try something new, even if I think it could have been worked with a little to make it even better. JLA 10: Golden Perfect was followed by JLA 11: The Obsidian Age—Book 1.
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