JLA #94 REVIEW

[David Santee]

<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0304/JLACVR94.jpg"_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0304/JLACVR94t.jpg" align=left alt="JLA #94"></a> Reviewer: David Santee, davesantee@hotmail.com
Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: Suffer the Little Children-The Tenth Circle: Part One

The JLA faces a mysterious new challenge of the Tenth Circle

By: John Byrne & Chris Claremont with Jerry Ordway
Colored by: David Baron
Lettered by: Tom Orzechowski
Assistant Editor: Valerie D'Orazio
Editor: Mike Carlin


It is 1983. A friend of mine wants to borrow my ColecoVision (http://www.rolandit.com/games/Systems/viewsys.asp?SID=39) for a few weeks and offers me in trade some of his older brother’s comic books. It just happened to be a run of Uncanny X-Men from #120-#131. It was some and the first books I ever kept. It was the first time I ever looked at the credits and noticed who was creating these wonderful stories.

These books started me down the path that made me who I am today. The Colecovision is gone, but those books, along with the rest of Claremont and Byrne’s run on the X-Men are the highlight of an immense collection of comic books.

So when I heard the news that these two titans were going to write a six part arc on JLA, my inner child was elated. To see the two men responsible for my life-long addiction to comic books back together again was going to be wonderful. So does JLA #94 live up to the hype?

If you want to find fault with this book, then there are plenty of minor problems a critic could pick at. Byrne draws Batman’s cape so it’s longer than Spawn’s. There are too many thought balloons. Claremont uses “I AM CRUCIFER” to introduce the readers to the arc’s Big Bad. All of these are going to be big turnoffs for people who don’t like either artist. If you are one of those, then this book will be a major disappointment and a waste of your time.

To casual readers and fans of JLA, I think this will be an entertaining arc, full of clean, entertaining art and a engaging plot, a substantial improvement over the last arc. To fans of Claremont and Byrne, this will be a return to the comics of old.

In the first book of this arc, Claremont and Byrne has set up an interesting story. If one strips away all the nostalgia Claremont and Byrne bring to this issue, you are left with a old-school superhero story with enough twists to keep most new readers interested. This arc is also introducing Byrne’s new vision of the Doom Patrol, which he plans to make into a ongoing series after this arc is over. There isn’t enough to judge if this new group will be entertaining, but it does add a twist to the story.

Byrne and Ordway combine to make art that I want to see in JLA . It’s clean, the characters look like heroes, and the art doesn’t get in the way of the story. While there is nothing to complain about, neither is there much to praise. Nothing stands out as spectacular. At the very least, the art in JLA #94 is a vast improvement over the work in the last arc.

This issue is old-school superhero comic, much like Byrne and Claremont’s work back in the early 1980’s on Uncanny X-Men. Whether it is good or not is dependant on your personal tastes. If you can enjoy the old X-Men of the early 80’s, then JLA #94 is going to be a fun read. If the old stuff feels dated, then the Claremont and Byrne’s work today will too. I enjoyed the issue, but realize it won’t be for everyone.


ART:
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STORY:
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OVERALL:
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Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=135&amp;cat=JLA)

[Wolverine]

man this sounds great. I am so getting it

[Thorn]

:D I thought the issue was great! I am intrigued by the story and am glad that JLA can get back to the awesome super hero stories it does best.
Though Chris has only done a handful of issues in the past with these characters, they all seemed spot on.
John's pencils were good but made great by Ordway's inks. Lately, when John inks himself, it just looks sloppy. Ordways puts the shine on.

Can't wait till #95! Hey, why not give Chris, John and Jerry a shot at #100? I'll be bummed if that anniversary issue is another typical DC jam-session issue where the story is watered down and the art a missmash. MORE CHRIS AND JOHN!

[bigveney]

I have to get this...I'm not a big DC comics fan...but those two work magic together. I have the entire run of X-men with those two masterminds. I will definitely give this a try, they might get me to like DC...:eek:

[Sxr10]

Claremont and Byrne are my personal heroes when it comes to storytelling. I dont much like DC, although their the guys that started me with comics, but with these 2 helming this book? I gots to give it a go.

[Anthony Lucynski]

I'll pick this up because I was to young to jump on the first Claremont/Byrne bandwagon. So it'll be a new sensation for me. Sure, i've picked up the old X-men stuff in TPB, but it's not the same.

Anthony L

[hero4loan]

I was glad to see Chris use faith and the shaman (can't think of his name). It shows that he actually researched and cared about writing this arc and wrote something for the current jla. He didnt just slap a story that he had written for the big seven jla or for the xmen. I liked the story so far. The art while it is good, isnt really for me. I definitely don't think it's bad it just doesnt excite me. It didnt take away from the book at all, it actually told the story quite well, but like I said just not my style. I can't wait to see where this goes. It's not often we see superman taken out of the fight this early, so it should be interesting. I wonder what would happen if a vampire bit plastic man? I don't think he has blood. It would probably be like biting in to taffy or something. Hmmm delicious delicous plastic man taffy.

[Douglas Cuckler]

I enjoyed this issue a lot. Of course I'd enjoy anything after that last arc. But this arc looks and reads fantastic. Good stuff.

[LizardKing27]

I was disappointed with this issue. To begin with, I do believe both Chris Claremont and John Byrne have fallen in recent years but with the hype of their reunion, I thought they could rekindle the magic. Sadly, I don't believe that will be the case with this story. First, my biggest complaint with this issue was Superman being fed on. This may not be such a big deal for some of you but I do recall a Superman issue two years ago where Superman went up against Dracula (at least that's what he called himself). Anyways, Dracula attempted to feed on Superman but because Superman is a battery absorbing sunlight, Dracula turned into ash. Knowing this little detail, I was disappointed with Claremont's and Byrne's approach because just for once, I can recall a minor detail that a lot of fans don't. Also, with the dialogue being hokey with thought balloons and the situations these characters faced themselves with, I don't know....these were not the Justice Leaguers I know. All and all, some of you may feel differently about this issue but I know I wasn't blown away by it. Thumbs down.

[Firelion]

Originally posted by hero4loan
I was glad to see Chris use faith and the shaman (can't think of his name).

I'm not entirely sure how to spell the shaman's name, but it's something like Manitou Raven (it's Manitou, yeah). He was based on Apache Chief from Superfriends.

[Riliss]

This was the worst issue of JLA I've ever read.

Come on, Crucifer?

[trinh]

Originally posted by LizardKing27
I was disappointed with this issue. To begin with, I do believe both Chris Claremont and John Byrne have fallen in recent years but with the hype of their reunion, I thought they could rekindle the magic. Sadly, I don't believe that will be the case with this story...I know I wasn't blown away by it. Thumbs down.

you're not alone. i'm convinced the last arc was written bad purposely to make claremont/byrne look good...but that still doesn't help. snore.

[Mike Gonzalez]

Not bad.

[Geek]

Man, I'm bummed out. This issue did nothing for me at all. The art was average, and I really don't care for the whole Crucifer thing.

Sadly, I don't think I'll be picking up #95.

[GilSpiderig]

Yeah, if i need any super group comics from DC, I'll be picking up Teen Titans, JSA, or Outsiders...JLA is certainly not going to be apart of that list anytime soon. This doesnt include Wildstorm comics

[david r]

I enjoyed JLA #94. Was it as good as the Claremont/Byrne era of old, no way!! But it was still a good read,in and of itself.

Byrne's art has definitely slid in the past 10 years. I think he's just gotten lazy. You go back to his glory days of the 1970s and 80s, and you realize how bland his artwork has become. Claremont is a very verbose writer, but his current X-Men books run rings around Byrne's current books.

Since this was entirely John Byrne's plot, we should criticize him for the story. Claremont just wrote the dialogue. The story does seem a bit dated, but it really wasn't that bad. I agree about Superman being bitten by a vampire. Huh??? How could the Man of Steel be taken so easily?? Mind control on him, then he's bitten. Apparently, Superman should have been killed ages ago, if he can be this easily taken!!

[Douglas Cuckler]

Originally posted by Riliss
This was the worst issue of JLA I've ever read.

Come on, Crucifer?

Did you happen to pic up the last arc with Pepe the scarey Monkey ?;)

[Riliss]

Originally posted by Douglas Cuckler


Did you happen to pic up the last arc with Pepe the scarey Monkey ?;)

I'm afraid not. I left with Kelly.

[Hotknife86]

I thought it was alright. Nothing revolutionary about it, that's for sure. I'll probably stick around for the duration, but I'm not blown away yet...

[Benjamin Ong]

Originally posted by david r
I agree about Superman being bitten by a vampire. Huh??? How could the Man of Steel be taken so easily?? Mind control on him, then he's bitten. Apparently, Superman should have been killed ages ago, if he can be this easily taken!!

He was already hypnotized by the girl. I guess he must've been weakened by that. Therefore, the vampire could easily sink his teeth into Supes.

Never underestimate the power of a girl/woman! :p

But seriously, I think Supes has a weak spot for magic. Correct me if I'm wrong...

[LizardKing27]

Originally posted by Riliss


I'm afraid not. I left with Kelly.

I have to agree that the downfall of this series lies with Joe Kelly. Thinking about it, we had Grant Morrison and Howard Porter for forty issues, followed by Mark Waid and Bryan Hitch for a year. True, a year is not a long time, but it was a pretty good year. With Kelly-------the stories are not impressive at all. And as I stated earlier, I wasn't impressed by this issue either. Hopefully, we'll have a much needed JLA revamp in the near future. Perhaps when his run on Superman is over, Jim Lee might consider tackling the art chores on the Justice League.

[DCUnited]

Sounds like I should try and pick this one up.

[Anthony Lucynski]

I did, and I liked it.

I mean, it wasnt the greatest thing ever told, but it's a solid start to a story, and if you ignore the name and appearence of this silly villain, than you're okay. In addition, i liked the art, which was different from what you see on the shelves a lot today

I have a feeling this Crucifer chap is a pawn player in the grand scheme of things, and not the real bad guy, but we'll see :)

Anthony L

[pdm]

Originally posted by Riliss
This was the worst issue of JLA I've ever read.

Come on, Crucifer?

What is it in DC Comics that makes folks like Chris Claremont do mystic-themed stories?

This sucks!

[Steve]

Originally posted by david r
Byrne's art has definitely slid in the past 10 years. I think he's just gotten lazy. You go back to his glory days of the 1970s and 80s, and you realize how bland his artwork has become.

I respectfully disgree with you. I saw John Byrne's pencils for much of this issue and I feel they are awesome. He's gone back to doing full pencils and having someone else ink his work (instead of inking the work himself). Ordway's embellishment style, while still good, overpowered much of what John drew. Some faces and musculature were redrawn completely. If you go to the John Byrne Forum you can actually see some cool before and after JLA pages. In them you can REALLY see Ordway's influence.
With the new Doom Patrol series, John Byrne is still doing full pencils but there will be another inker (more faithful to the actual lines) besides Ordway. The pencil artwork looks better than anything I've seen for a while. I am really excited about this arc and Doom Patrol.

As for Crucifer, I liked him. Whenever I read "Salem's Lot" by Stephen King I imagined a creepy looking vampire similar to this guy. :eek:

[Jon Hancock]

Just a little note to say that every single one of the JLA now has a bio in the Comix-fan resource section. Those of you who've come on board for the Claremont and want to know a little bit more about the characters might find the info there useful. I know one reviewer did anyways :p

[cannonball]

Wow, I need to add Claremont and Byrne to the list of people that owe me money (this month, that list also includes Lobdell -- Alpha Flight was downright painful). Growing up, I was an X-Men kid. I devoured Claremont books. And even as Claremont returned to comics over the past few years, I was more than willing to respect him and give him the chance he deserves. I find that he still has the ability to write good stories. This, however, was not one of them.

Claremont often has the seed of a good concept that grows into a scary ass tree of horrid writing. JLA #94 is practically a by the numbers guide of what not to do with DC's most notorious team. A number of factors made this book extremely uncomfortable for me.

First off, from dialogue to action, these characters seem severely OUT of character. Batman didn't talk with the authority and prestiege of Batman. He sounded like any leader of any team ever created. And Superman acted like a B-rate rookie, completely new to the superhero gig. He just flew down, completely letting down his guard. And he was going to call the police? "Hey, I'm nearly invincible, but I have a facial at four so I'm going to let the boys in blue save ya, okay?"

Then there is the standard Claremont use of stereotypes. Any person of color, any person from a ghetto, any person from any group or segment of society must speak like the prescribed stereotypical person of that group. Vernacular. Ouch. Nuff said.

Finally, there was just some unsettling storytelling. The one person with more ability than Superman is Faith? Frickin Faith? Why don't we just go and grab Batmite and crown him King of the DCU. Crucifer? Give me a god forsaken break. Is this for real? This is one of those superhero meets movie monster stories we all tried to forget from the silver age.

Byrne too lets the JLA down. His art is oddly pulled together and polished some places, and very generic and lifeless in others. The main argument I have with the art is merely the lack of fluidity and no sense of realism. That and Wonder Woman looks like a fifty five year old drag queen.

The tenth circle has given me about ten migraines. I need a refund. Pay it forward, Claremont!

[Steve]

Cannonball, did you read the other posts in the thread?

In case you missed something, Claremont was only the scripter. So your complaint about Claremont's stereotypical dialogue makes sense. But if you hate the plot, then John Byrne is the one you have the beef with.
If you don't like the finishes and embellishments then its Ordway who "owes you the money". In some places Ordway COMPLETELY redrew over John Byrne's pencils. That's Ordway's style. He is definitely not what you'd call a "tracer". (Or maybe you liked Ordway's stuff better than Byrne's.) Check out Byrne's forum and check out his original pencils. Maybe then you can figure out who "owes you money".

At least you didn't dislike the letters. Those were done by Orzechowski, my favorite letterer of all time!:p

[Anthony Lucynski]

Nobody owes you any money. You pays your money, you takes your chances.

If we're demanding money from people now when we are unsatisfied by what we read, and if time is really equal to money, then a lot of ComiX-fan posters owe me.

Pay up, chumps.

Anthony L

[Jon Hancock]

how much do i owe ya big guy?

seriously though, i see faith as an enormous powerhouse. check her bio for more. the chick has down major tk stuff and has a rep as being really powerful.