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Mild Mannered Reviews - JLA Comics

Justice League of America #19

Justice League of America #19

Scheduled to arrive in stores: March 19, 2008

Cover date: May 2008

"Sanctuary - Part Three"

Writter: Alan Burnett
Penciller: Ed Benes
Inker: Ruy Jose

"Meanwhile at Owl Creek Bridge..."

Writter: Dwayne McDuffie
Penciller: Jon Boy Meyers
Inker: Mark Irwin

Reviewed by: Michael Bailey

Click to enlarge


The Justice League head to the planet where Earth's super villains had been sent as part of a deportation program and find it deserted. They split into groups to cover as much ground as possible but with the exception of Hawkgirl they are all taken captive by a strange form of energy which envelops them. Their captor is revealed to be Kanjar-Ro. The villain reveals that he had been monitoring Earth for some time and knew that the villains were supposed to be sent to Cygnus. Kanjar had waited to enslave them but the prisoners never arrived. Somehow they were diverted to another planet and all of Kanjar-Ro's preparation had been wasted. When he learned that the Justice League was coming he knew he finally had his chance at revenge. With Hawkgirl's help the League escapes their imprisonment and makes short work of Kanjar before returning to Earth.

3Story - 3: This book grows more and more frustrating as the months go on.

Between this issue and last month's chapter of "Sanctuary" I am really disappointed in this title. It's not that it has been terrible but despite a lot of story potential and a strong opening chapter this story went nowhere. This conclusion was disappointing and frankly rather boring.

I mean if you are going to tie into another book then just do it. Don't make the audience think they are tying into each other and then, right at the end, reveal that they are two separate stories and everything you seemed to be building up to won't come to fruition. I thought that we were going to see more of a confrontation over the villains being shipped off to another planet or how the Justice League is trying to make up for their past mistakes. Instead we got Kanjar-Ro.

Where did that come from? Villains seeking sanctuary. Suicide Squad vs. Justice League. Big huge rescue operation. Kanjar-Ro.

Wow, that makes no sense whatsoever.

It's bad storytelling and kind of insulting.

Add to all of that some lousy character conflict involving Roy and Hawkgirl and it's hard to like anything about this book lately.

I was so excited just two, short months ago. Now it's getting hard to feel that way.

My hope is that with next month this book gets back on track. Of course the villain is Queen Bee, so it's a fifty-fifty shot really.

Sigh.

4Art - 4: I was rather unimpressed with this issue and unfortunately the art really didn't do anything spectacular to boost my opinion of it. It was typical Benes, so I can't say too many bad things about it (despite the cheap shot in my cover review) but I can't say too many good things either.

3Cover Art - 3: I have to tip my hat to Ed Benes for his cover this month. He really took some chances. There's Superman, with his eyes all red and everything, which is something that I have never seen before. And then there's Black Canary with her rear end sticking out, another image that hasn't been over done in the past. And it's a group shot to boot.

The originality of this cover astounds me.

Or am I being too sarcastic here?

Mild Mannered Reviews

2008

Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

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