JLA: Salvation Run [Paperback]

Bill Willingham (Author), Matthew Sturges (Author), Sean Chen (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2008

Written by Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges Art by Sean Chen & Walden Wong Cover by Joe Corroney The hit 7-issue miniseries spinning out of COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS is collected in this new trade paperback. Exiled to a distant hell planet, the villains of the DCU split into two warring factions led by Lex Luthor and The Joker! 192 pg, FC

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401219306
• ISBN-13: 978-1401219307
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.3 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #775,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Matthew Sturges has written a number of comics for DC, including House of Mystery, Justice Society of America, and the Eisner-nominated Jack of Fables (with Bill Willingham). He has also written the novel Midwinter, available from Pyr, and its sequel The Office of Shadow, which will be published summer 2010.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Missed opportunity, October 5, 2008

By 

Jon Repesh (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: JLA: Salvation Run (Paperback)

On rare occasions, a comic story has the opportunity to transcend the normal parameters of its simpler and lighter format to explore more thoughtful terrain. When this happens, a work of exceptional quality can be produced, thereby elevating the genre into more cerebral realms. What is required is vision and scope beyond that normally employed with superhero fare, but when less is striven for, a missed opportunity results. With the premise of a group of callous, calculating and resolute villains being covertly teleported to an uninhabited planet for the purpose of forming their own society, a possibility to explore substantial subjects such as sociology, anthropology, history, political science, and religion presents itself. Some of these topics are briefly touched upon, revealing how provocative their further examination could have been. Instead we mostly bear witness to a series of silly and redundant infighting, a scenario much too reminiscent of the concurrent and equally lackluster Countdown Arena. Along with the misplaced prominence on pointless bickering, additional problems arise whenever you bring a large cast of characters into the mix. The loss of individual personalities and their unique appeal and identity occurs, with much of their posing and blustering blending into one homogenized and cliched voice. Some interesting angles are delved into, most specifically the contrasting of Luthor's rational methodology versus the Joker's nihilistic mania for leadership of Hell planet. All this for the perverse privilege of seeing what survival stance espoused by which crooked candidate will be nominated, an interesting and certainly apropos analogy in this current election year. Of course on this primordial campaign trail, it may come down to survival of the fittest, not issues and answers. Concerning the larger picture, even the much anticipated revelation of the behind the scenes adversary and their shrouded motivation lacks credibility and is ultimately a letdown, as was the anticlimactic ending, regrettably resigning a story that should have been a major player in the current affairs of the DCU as merely a minor footnote. While this type of tale may be entertaining on an undemanding escapist level, so much more could have been attained, with the final outcome being a disappointing example of settling for less instead of striving for more.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Inconsistencies take away from the story, September 18, 2009

By 

Steve - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: JLA: Salvation Run (Paperback)

The story had potential. Villains who cause too many problems on Earth are sent to another planet to live out their lives (shades of Lord of the Flies or Space Seed if you like Star Trek). But it did not hold up. Why was Catwoman there (no powers, doesn't kill, just steals)? If she belonged there then everyone in a prison belongs there. Speaking of which, the original purpose were for these villains who kept causing major problems for the world to be sent here.

Shouldn't that really just include those with powers or mastermind type criminals? Besides Catwoman, why would Two-Face be there or just about any Batman-villain except Joker who does kill many people.

Then there were the villains who held their own even though they had no powers. Bane and Deadshot for example. Would they really be able to stand up to villains who take on heroes with more powers? Yes I know Batman does it, but these are villains, not heroes.

On the plus side, I think both Joker and Luthor were handled well in the story. I liked the narration and the discussed as well.

Overall, I would have preferred the story to be outside of normal continuity so the writers could have done whatever they wanted with the characters.

As it stands, an OK read if you borrow it, but not worth buying.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I usually prefer my villains with a side of heroes whipping their butts, but this was a delightful stray to the dark side., May 11, 2011

By 

R. A. McDowell "WWSista" (San Antonio, Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: JLA: Salvation Run (Paperback)

This sooooo didn't sound like my cup of tea, and as a result, I put off ordering this graphic novel for more than two years. But eventually I broke down and ordered it for my collection, and was pleasantly surprised. I don't generally like villains, except for what they contribute to a great story. So what happens when you take ALL villains, with only the slightest appearance of a super hero, and ship them off to a prison planet? (Takron Galtos this is NOT! LOL) The basic premise is that the recent rash of wide spread evil committed by super villains has left those in charge just completely fed up. The result is to round them up in stages and ship them across the galaxy to a true hell hole of a planet. (There's a delightful twist, but I can't go into details without spoiling it.) Almost the entirety of the graphic novel takes place revolving around the villains as they try to survive the planet, and each other. It's unclear why Catwoman is there, but she is, and that leads to some surprising moments with the ONLY hero to be in the picture, which is one of the big guns of the Justice League. (Again, can't go into more details without spoiling it.) All in all it's an intriguing social experiment, and there's a LOT of the different loyalties within the villain dynamic butting heads and fighting to be in charge. Sturges clearly has a delightful time writing Luthor and Joker, and I was surprised to find myself reading through the whole thing in one sitting. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I'll ever be able to completely go all Dark Side and Lord of the Flies, but for what it was (Which is an above average, enjoyable story.), it just worked. I really enjoyed it, and I think if you give it a chance, you won't be disappointed either.

Thanks for your time folks.

Sincerely, R.A. McDowell