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Mild Mannered Reviews - JLA Comics

JLA #70

Scheduled to arrive in stores: August 28, 2002

Cover date: October 2002

Writer: Joe Kelly
Penciller: Doug Mahnke
Inker: Tom Nguyen

"Revisionist History" (The Obsidian Age - Part 2)

Reviewed by: John-Paul Zito (ZitoMan11@aol.com)

Atlantis floats at sea level 3000 years in the past under the protection of a new league of metahumans: Whaler, The Hebrew, Sela, Gamemnae, and Rama Khan (an ancestor of the future Khan).

The League gathers to face a surge of energy, a portal, above the dome of Atlantis. They expect to face "the destroyers" whom they believe will bring about untold horrors. But instead are greeted by their comrades, Tezumack and the Indian, returned from the future. The Indian Shaman delivers the bad news, Atlantis no longer exists in the future, the Destroyers are stronger then previously imagined, and now they are here.

Meanwhile, just outside the city of Atlantis the time displaced JLA wait and ponder the inconsistencies in time they are facing. How is Atlantis above the sea? Where is Aquaman and the thousands of Atlanteans who disappeared with him? Why is Batman still deathly ill from the time travel?

Later that night Wonder Woman, J'onn, and Plastic Man sneak into Atlantis to examine the reflecting pool that Aquaman's message was found in 3000 years in the future. When Wonder Woman dips her golden lasso into the pool the "truth" is revealed. The water is made alive, and Arthur returns as living water.

To Be Continued...

Story - 4: As we get another chapter into the Obsidan Age, the puzzel pieces would appear to become more and more complicated. But so far complicated doesn't equal conveluted so we're on the right track.

What is most intresting to me at this point is that "The League" aren't the bad guys per say. Rama Khan and his followers believe themselves to the defenders of Atlantis. Maybe they are the defenders, and maybe the JLA really are the unwitting interlopers who's presence is doing more harm than good.

I like "The League's" line up better then I like the new JLA's in the present day. I would hope to see some of them survive this ordeal and become reoccurring characters.

Plus in Joe Kelly's run on JLA we've been seeing the occasional hint at an attraction between Batman and Wonder Woman. There's another one of those tender instances in this issue which makes for a character driven subplot that won't affect the individual character's on going titles.

Art - 4: The individual character designs for "The League" are fantastic. It seems that they're powers are all based in they're religious or magical beliefs, and their costumes reflect that nicely.

I really enjoy Mahnke's take on architecture. Whether is was back in Jarhanpur, or down town Atlantis there is a function and beauty to his structures individual to the culture. He puts in such detail that even the ornate designs of the scaffolding surrounding the dome compliment the massive columns supporting temple ceilings.

Cover Art - 2: The interiors of this issue pack such a punch that the cover falls short. None of the characters on the cover have the same feeling as they do inside. The Hebrew is not nearly as imposing on the cover as he is when he first shows up confronting the Egyptians. Tezumak doesn't really look like himself, his armor is blue on the cover when it should be gold. The cover just doesn't do the interior justice.