JLA: Crisis of Conscience

published	January 11th 2006 by DC Comics
binding	Paperback
isbn	1401209637 (isbn13: 9781401209636)
pages	126
description	In the wake of Brad Meltzers IDENTITY CRISIS, the JLA decides the time has come to tell Batman that they stole part of his memory. However, the League...more [close] In the wake of Brad Meltzers IDENTITY CRISIS, the JLA decides the time has come to tell Batman that they stole part of his memory. However, the League is attacked by the Secret Society of Super-Villainsout for vengeance now that their own memories are restored. As the JLA battles, Martian Manhunter confronts Desperothe alien conqueror behind the villains memory-restoration. By the time the dust settles, the League may have won the battle but lost the war. [close]
date added	02-23-07 edit book

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Trebro rated it:

01/25/08

bookshelves: tradepaperbacks

Read in January, 2008

This trade follows the revelations of Identity Crisis, the point at which DC decided that "Lo, there Comes a Crisis..." means a yearly crossover. This is the start of the end for the DC Universe that Byrne, Giordano, and Stern created lo those many years ago. Bats flips at the news that his "friends" in the JLA have wiped his mind, the League fights over whether or not it was right, Superman plays dumb, and the next thing you know. villains are attacking secret identities, ...more This trade follows the revelations of Identity Crisis, the point at which DC decided that "Lo, there Comes a Crisis..." means a yearly crossover. This is the start of the end for the DC Universe that Byrne, Giordano, and Stern created lo those many years ago. Bats flips at the news that his "friends" in the JLA have wiped his mind, the League fights over whether or not it was right, Superman plays dumb, and the next thing you know. villains are attacking secret identities, J'ohnn is accused of being no better than Zatanna, and oh yeah, we get a super surprise Guest Villain.

The Cliff Notes version of all this? Geoff Johns does Avengers Disassembled.

That's not to say this is a bad story. In fact, given what happens in the mini-series, for anything *other* than this to occur would make no sense. When Bats goes against the League, the League falls because he's the brains holding it together. When Supes gives up on the League and lets himself get played, the League falls because he's the heart holding it together. There was only one thing that was going to happen when the dust cleared--a League unable to sustain itself.

There are some really great moments here--Johns handles the Bats-Catwoman interplay well, for instance, especially when she shows that she wants to be with him and not the villaisn with whom she used to associate. He also gets the Carter-Ollie dynamic going well. But some of the others--Hal and Wally in particular, seem to be playing the roles the writers want for them, rather than using their natures to tell the story. (In fact, Wally gets a little mental whiplash--he's against the mindwipe in his own book but appears to be for it here.) Martian Manhunter also seems to be playing the role of "Everyman" rather than that of the league's core.

I think the biggest problem here--and one that's plaguing DC and Marvel very badly right now--is that these are no longer stories written for their own sake. This is an arc entirely devoted to clean up and set up. Can it be a good story? Sure. It can even be a great story. But to my mind, a comic has to stand on its own two legs, not be propped up by the uber-plot of the year (or in this case, years). There's a way this could have been handled to do that, but it would have meant more talking and less action. In a slugfest against a whole slew of League villains, there's simply not enough time for such things as real character development, beyond the obvious. It's a shame, really. However, to get the full picture, of today's DCU, this is a must-read. (Library 01/08)

Trebby's Take: Helps move the big picture along, doesn't really shine as a League story.
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JLA: Crisis of Conscience

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