Mild Mannered Reviews - Specials
JLA/Witchblade
Scheduled to arrive in stores: November 29, 2000Cover date: January 2001
Writer: Len Kaminski
Penciller: Mark Pajarillo
Inker: Walden Wong
Reviewed by: Neal Bailey (baileyn@cc.wwu.edu)
Reviewer's note: Please, Witchblade fans, forgive me any trespasses in advance. I've never read a Witchblade comic, and I have only the most general idea of the concept behind it. That said...
A man named Mr. Irons is in a shady business deal with Lex Luthor (one assumes that this is the major bad guy of Witchblade). Irons wants to get the Witchblade, and he's hiring Luthor to do so. Several days later, in Gotham, Witchblade stumbles down the street. She's brutally beaten, and dying. She busts in on Barbara Gordon, her old friend, and asks for help.
The JLA examines Witchblade. Manhunter probes her mind, and sees a scene in which Luthor's robots blow the heck out of Witchblade, sending her into the situation she was just so recently in.
Oracle's system glitches. Batman is very alarmed, because he designed the systems, and his systems don't glitch...
They show up at Oracle's, and she's turned into a giant Witchblade spider. The Witchblade is moving from host to host, seeking the most powerful woman in the direct vicinity.
They fight the spider, finally defeating Oracle by cutting her off from the internet, which the Witchblade traveled through. The Witchblade jumps to the Huntress, who Batman called in to help before they moved in.
Batman knocks her out with a batarang.
At the Atlantis library, Aquaman discovers what he was looking for earlier about the Witchblade, and rushes off to tell the League.
Wonder Woman, examining the Witchblade, becomes the unknowing host. The Witchblade "disappears". The JLA searches for it. Wonder Woman is not immediately overcome, as her pure spirit saves her.
Wonder Woman gives a speech on women in the 21st century, then is overcome by the Witchblade. She gets mean, beating up UN senators... fun! Heh, heh, heh.
The JLA confronts Wonder Woman, who wastes Superman, then Green Lantern. The true Witchblade arrives, and she commands the Witchblade back to her body. It comes, reluctantly. All is well.
Oracle and Witchblade share a drink and laugh about the whole situation.
Story - 3: Pretty good, given the medium, but a lot of little continuity errors bugged me, my knowledge of the Witchblade notwithstanding.
How is Oracle a better host than the original Withblade? Why did Batman call Huntress to a situation he could handle, if not as a plot device to get Huntress infected?
Why is Superman knocked cold, and then fine on the next-to-last page, seconds later?
Why are there no repercussions for Wonder Woman beating up UN reps?
Art - 3: Nice art, but all of the women, and I mean all of the women, look exactly the same. Sexy as heck, but all the same, save hair color. Even breast cups, if I may be so vulgar, do not change from a steady C/D. No, I do not obsess over comic book breasts, but it's where I naturally gravitated after noting the facial features were pretty much all the same. Maybe a slightly fatter cheek on Wonder Woman, but... it bugs me. And the guys too, to a degree. Irons is Luthor with hair. I like distinction. Try Grummet's Superman versus his Bibbo.
Cover Art - 3: Captivating, but a bit morbid given the subject matter of the book. Plus, Wonder Woman never actually beats the crud out of Batman.
Mild Mannered Reviews
2001
Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic was on sale.January 2001
- [1] Superman #164
- [2] Lex 2000
- [3] Adventures of Superman #586
- [4] Superman: The Man of Steel #108
- [5] Action Comics #773
- JLA #49
- JLA/Witchblade
- JLA: A League of One
- JLA: Act of God #1
- [6] Superman #165
- [7] Adventures of Superman #587
- [8] Superman: The Man of Steel #109
- [9] Action Comics #774
- JLA #50
- JLA: Seven Caskets
- JLA versus Predator
- Justice Leagues: JL? #1
- JLA: Act of God #2
- [10] Superman #166
- [11] Adventures of Superman #588
- [12] Superman: The Man of Steel #110
- [13] Action Comics #775
- President Luthor: Secret Files and Origins #1
- JLA: Act of God #3
- Justice Leagues: Justice League of Aliens #1
- Justice Leagues: JLA #1
- [14] Superman #167
- [15] Adventures of Superman #589
- [16] Superman: The Man of Steel #111
- [17] Action Comics #776
- JLA #51
- Legends of the DC Universe #39
- Superboy's Legion #1
- [18] Superman #168
- [19] Adventures of Superman #590
- [20] Superman: The Man of Steel #112
- [21] Action Comics #777
- Superman Adventures #55
- JLA #52
- Superboy's Legion #2
- JLA: Black Baptism #1
- Batman: Gotham Adventures #36
- [22] Superman #169
- [23] Adventures of Superman #591
- [24] Superman: The Man of Steel #113
- [25] Action Comics #778
- Superman Adventures #56
- JLA #53
- [26] Superman #170
- [27] Adventures of Superman #592
- [28] Superman: The Man of Steel #114
- [29] Action Comics #779
- Superman Adventures #57
- JLA #54
- JLA: Incarnations #1
- Super Friends! Trade Paperback
- Superman: Where Is Thy Sting?
- [30] Superman #171
- Green Lantern: Our Worlds At War #1
- [31] Adventures of Superman #593
- [32] Superman: The Man of Steel #115
- [33] Action Comics #780
- Superman: Our Worlds At War: Secret Files and Origins #1
- Superman Adventures #58
- JLA #55
- JLA: Incarnations #2
- [34] Superman #172
- [35] Adventures of Superman #594
- [36] Superman: The Man of Steel #116
- [37] Action Comics #781
- JLA: Our Worlds At War #1
- JSA: Our Worlds At War #1
- Superman Adventures #59
- JLA #56
- JLA: Incarnations #3
- [38] Superman #173
- [39] Adventures of Superman #595
- [40] Superman: The Man of Steel #117
- [41] Action Comics #782
- World's Finest: Our Worlds At War #1
- Superman Adventures #60
- JLA #57
- Superman & Batman: Generations II #1
- JLA: Incarnations #4
- [42] Superman #174
- [43] Adventures of Superman #596
- [44] Superman: The Man of Steel #118
- [45] Action Comics #783
- Superman Adventures #61
- JLA #58
- Superman & Batman: Generations II #2
- JLA: Incarnations #5
- Joker: Last Laugh #1
- Joker: Last Laugh (Secret Files & Origins) #1
- Joker: Last Laugh #2
- [46] Superman #175
- Joker: Last Laugh #3
- [47] Adventures of Superman #597
- Joker: Last Laugh #4
- [48] Superman: The Man of Steel #119
- Joker: Last Laugh #5
- [49] Action Comics #784
- Superman Adventures #62
- JLA #59
- JLA: Gatekeeper #1
- Superman & Batman: Generations II #3
- JLA: Incarnations #6
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Check out the Comic Index Lists for the complete list of Superman-related comics published in 2001.