Saturday, June 14, 2008

Whatever Happened to the Negro League?

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New solicitation art in making George upset! I could have sworn just a few months ago I expressed my pleasant surprise at seeing not just a person of color on the League, but multiple blacks under the writing of a very talented African-American. Christopher Priest's career is spinning in its grave over the sheer audacity of Dwayne McDuffie to pull this shit off-- for all of five minutes. Look at that cover!

Now, picking apart the faults in Ed Benes' work is pretty much always like taking candy from a babe, but this is ridiculous! Here's the 25th issue of the new JLofA, in a story focused on the Nubian Princess Vixen, and she'd need Brother Eagle to lend her his eyes in order to see the DCU Trinity from where she's sitting. Green Lantern John Stewart looks like he's being gut punched by Hal Jordan for being uppity enough to serve in his stead of late. Not only is Firestorm at the furthest back of the JLA bus, but you just know he'll be wiped out completely by the logo come publication. The only black member that doesn't look like they're from a separate regiment bringing up the rear is Black Lightning, but he's almost entirely obscured by Batman and the extremely prominent Zatanna, who I wasn't aware was even a current teammate. Even from 22,300 miles up, you should be able to hear Sharpton going off about the Hall of No Justice!

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #25
Written by Dwayne McDuffie
Art by Ed Benes
Cover by Ed Benes
Vixen and Animal Man journey into the sacred Tantu Totem to solve the mystery of their altered powers. But Anansi, the African spider god responsible for these changes, has only begun reshaping the powers and histories of the Justice League, as eight-year-old Bruce Wayne shoots the burglar who killed his parents, Wonder Woman retires from the JLA after the tragic death of her husband, Superman, and The Green Lantern Corps quarantines Earth after one of their number destroys an American city. With the team’s history changing before Vixen’s eyes, is the JLA we now know gone forever?
On sale September 17 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US

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