Mild Mannered Reviews - JLA Comics
JLA #122
Scheduled to arrive in stores: November 9, 2005
Cover date: January 2006
Writer: Bob Harras
Penciller: Tom Derenick
Inker: Dan Green
Cover: Daniel Acuna
"OMAC Nation"
Reviewed by: Barry Freiman
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In Metropolis, the Key leaves JLA Headquarters (Jamieson Langley Associates that is). A man walks in as the Key walks out and he finds everyone inside dead with "The JLA is Dead" scrawled in blood on the wall.
Sometime later, the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit and JLA members Flash, Green Lantern John Stewart, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Aquaman, and Dawn are on the scene. The League quickly realize this could be a threat, a sick message about the JLA breaking up, or just a coincidence.
The Key follows a man who, like others he's sensed, can veil his mind from the Key's telepathy.
GL, GA, and Dawn greet Supergirl.
Back at the crime scene, the heroes figure out that the murders were committed via telepathy. Black Canary suggests they bring Batman in to help but Aquaman rejects the idea. Black Canary thinks that Batman had a point about the JLA becoming too arrogant. For instance, she brings up the League's treatment of Dawn. She's interrupted by an off-panel voice and a "WHOOOSH".
Meanwhile, GA convinces Supergirl to spend some time with the League and get to know them. Dawn is uncomfortable and excuses herself.
The Key continues to follow the telepathy-proof man just as GL, GA, and Supergirl fly overhead. The man - and countless others - suddenly transform into a legion of OMACs and attack the heroes.
As Dawn tries to help innocent bystanders caught in the wake of the OMAC attack, the Key telepathically persuades her that he is a victim in trouble. He tells Dawn that Raven forgives her for everything, including her affair with GA.
Back at the crime scene, the off-panel voice reveals himself as the newly rebuilt Red Tornado. Aquaman summoned him to help with the League's internal crisis as well as the external world crisis.
Aquaman receives a radio cry for help from GA. Aquaman's team joins the fight against the OMACs. Dawn realizes her friends are in trouble and goes to join them.
Suddenly the OMACs stop fighting and there's an explosion. A rock hits Dawn in the head and knocks her out. The Key and his robot Key Man take Dawn.
The OMACs have turned back into people.
The Flash feels sick and leaves the team to rejoin his family.
Donna Troy - formerly Wonder Girl and Troia - arrives on the scene.
 Story - 3: Cute cliché that's already so done - all the different things that JLA could stand for. They did it on "Smallville" with Aquaman's suggestion of a "Junior Lifeguard Association" and now they've done it here. Let's just get it all out of the way now.
Jarred Lizard Arms.
Jews Love Apples.
Janice Lefkow Aaronson.
Jason Lee Awards.
That's it - there are no more. Everybody clear on this? Good. If there's one thing I hate, it's an over-told joke. Just Leave it Alone.
By the way, this has absolutely nothing to do with the story but who else thinks Kara's first boyfriend should be Captain Marvel Junior? They're both living in the shadows of larger legends. And darn if they wouldn't have the cutest kids.
The "JLA" comic lately is serving as the "Waiting Room" for the doctor's office that is the DC Universe. You could be shown to any number of examination rooms when it's your turn, but everyone's experience begins the same. "JLA" is the check-in point for the super-heroes. The story itself appears secondary to the establishment of continuity.
Nonetheless, given how focused the "Infinite Crisis" is on the Big Three, it's nice to see characters like Aquaman, John Stewart, and the Red Tornado all given their chance to shine. And it's always fun when Supergirl - whichever Supergirl - pops up in a Justice League story.
 Art - 4: If you plan to draw for DC any time soon, there are two things you better have down cold - how to draw the "S" emblem and how to draw an OMAC. They're everywhere right now.
The artist continues to impress me. After I critiqued his ability to draw women last issue, I'm most impressed with his rendering of the Last Daughter of Krypton this time around. I just wish Supergirl would have the good sense to pay heed to those Google-ers and cover up her mid-rift.
Cover Art - 3: Hey Kara. Nice pseudo-Manga look you got going there.
The cover mistakenly places the wrong Green Lantern on the scene. Also, if I'd been the cover artist, I'd have featured Donna Troy alongside Supergirl as the inclusion of both heroines is a rarity in "JLA". There was no need to preserve the surprise of Donna's arrival; she's been arriving all over the DC Universe in comics these past few weeks as she assembles her "Infinite Crisis" strike force. So for giving us a predictable cover with a glaring green mistake, the artist scores a mere three out of five.
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Mild Mannered Reviews
2006
Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.
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