Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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34 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A '60's concept revisited for a new millennium, December 26, 1999
The concept of parallel worlds is in no ways new to speculative literature. Indeed, DC Comics introduced this idea in the famous "Flash of Two Worlds" story decades ago, but then came the equally renown (infamous?) "Crisis on Infinite Earths" in the mid-eighties and DC's parallel worlds mess was cleaned up, more or less. But now it's back; this time lightly veiled as an "anti-matter universe". This, the first hardcover JLA graphic novel, is an enjoyable tale for longtime DC fanboys and will cause little problem for those less familiar with the JLA and its also decades-long history. The villains here will look familiar, being the anti-matter universe (where everything is the opposite of the regular universe) counterparts of the JLA's "big guns": Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern as reflected in Ultraman; Owlman, Superwoman, Johnny Quick, and Power Ring. Grant Morrison with his usual mastery portrays the antithetical characters with wit and a bit more maturity than would be expected in a monthly four-color comic. Superwoman, apparently more of a dominatrix, is supposedly involved with Ultraman, but has Owlman as well on the side. Johnny Quick seems to have some sort of drug addiction which evinces itself in truly bizarre ways as it passes through his Speed Force. Power Ring, depicted with a very spiffy costume and spiky haircut, seems a tad schizophrenic and somewhat controlled by, rather than controlling his magic ring. Alexander Luthor, a hero in the antimatter universe, is also portrayed superbly with essentially the same personality as his "Earth 2" (his phrase for the DC Universe best known and home to Superman and the JLA), but neatly converted from villainy to heroism. Amazon has a great price for this sure-to-be a collector's item. Again, a fun read for fanboys and first-timers alike.
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11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully drawn, but it's the same-old same-old, February 17, 2000
By A Customer
There's no denying that this long story is spectacularly drawn (the artwork recalls the clean, beautiful lines of the French artist Moebius), and there's also no denying that Grant Morrison can tell a story very effectively and intelligently. But I for one am sick to death of seeing the old DC stories of the Sixties retold with these morbid sadistic spins put on them: to some extent, the "dark mirroring" of the Justice League by the Crime Syndicate seems a comment on Morrison's own "dark mirroring" of the classic Garnder Fox/Mike Sekowsky _Justice League_ stories that inspired this work, "Crisis on Earth-Three" and "The Most Dangerous Earth of All." Must we have to see, time and time again, these sadistic versions of old JLA foes set in contrast to the innocence of the old stories. I feel like Morrison and Alan Moore just keep re-echoing the same old tired points they made earlier before: that there was a darkness hiding behind the sunniness of the comics of the Sixties, that life is really bitter, etc. Let's see something new for once, and also something less fashionably dark.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Morrison's Best JLA Story, November 18, 2002
I like Morrison's run on the regular JLA title but I was never crazy about it. I thought that the writers that followed him generally did a better job than him. But this side project is one of the best JLA stories of recent years.
It pits the JLA against their opposites form a universe where evil supervillains have the upper hand over the heroes. It introduces important characters who have since made interesting appearances in the regular Superman series.
I also love the art which has a realistic carnoony feel to it, if you know what I mean.
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