One of our posters asked, “Why isn’t John Stewart in the JLA line which had the 3rd wave solicited this week. I started writing and decided it was kind of long for a post.
The current JLA line of figures form DCDirect covers the JLA comic era that was started roughly at the "One Year Later" event, after "52". Brad Meltzer’s story is part Bats, Supes, Wondy sitting around debating who would be the ‘best’ to pull into the League while outside events cause it to form organically.
Act 1. Black Canary, Hal Jordan, Red Arrow, and eventually Vixen are lead to the Red Tornado. Black Lightning is operating undercover, runs into Hawkgirl and their investigation leads them to take evidence to the Batcave where Bats, Supes, Wondy are meeting. The analysis of the evidence leads this group to Red Tornado as well. The case is solved and the group decides to become the new JLA. Bats, Supes, and Wondy decide that this team will do.
Act 2. Geo Force shows up asking for the League’s help just in time to be involved in the JLA/JSA/LSH team up story which returns Wally West to the DCU and the JLA. Brad Meltzer’s stories also briefly includes Zatanna, and on his website, www.BradMeltzer.com , Brad states that he intended to get Cyborg on the team, but it just did not fit in after all the other stories he wanted to tell in the span of 12 issues.
I’ll be brutally honest here. Brad and I do NOT see eye to eye on what should be a story in the DCU. Brad’s DC work includes Green Arrow “Archer’s Quest” (highly recommended), and JLA “Identity Crisis” (which I feel contains material inappropriate for super hero comics and should never have been published). That aside, his main JLA comic stuff, in the current JLA series issues 1-12 is very good. I found it a little slow at times. I disagree with some of the membership choices. That said, there are a lot of good things about Meltzer’s run. 1) Black Lightning, after being written off as a possible member some 20 years ago, is finally a member of the team. 2) The tragic error of the ‘death’ of Wally West is reversed. 3) We got an awesome JLA/JSA/LSH cross over. 4) Vixen is given a second, well deserved chance to shine. 5) Geo Force got to appear in the book. 6) The art is stunning. 7) Brad was able to influence DC and DCDirect to give us action figures of characters we’ve never gotten in DCDirect before.
My thanks to Brad for 12 great issues and the action figures.
Wave 1
Wave 2
Wave 3
So, the answer is, Green Lantern John Stewart was not on the team at the time of the League that this line covers. John joined the team after Dwayne McDuffie took over as writer, like the Jason Rusch Firestorm (www.DwayneMcDuffie.com ).
The Flash figure has blue eyes. There’s speculation that this is Barry, not Wally (who has green eyes). Could be an error on DCD’s part or they could be foreshadowing something that’s about to happen in the books.
Thoughts?
In the story (Act 2 above), the heroes come to the expectation that it is Barry who is coming back and it is to the writer’s credit that when it is Wally, all the clues are there if you look back for them. You just are misled by the hopes of certain characters.
I think Walter West, the alternate Flash from an alternate reality during the Mark Waid run of stories in the Flash comic had the wrong color eyes on purpose to hint that “Wally” Walter West was not “Wally” Wallace West.
I’ll go to the grave saying this, “Barry Allen should stay DEAD!!!” Wally is The Flash & has properly earned the right to the mantle of The Flash after first donning the suite TWENTY-TWO years ago at the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths #12!!!
I agree with most of what you have said, except for your view on Identity Crisis. That book is hands down one of the greatest Comic Stories I have ever read, inapropriate or not.
But you did inspire me to go pick up Archers Quest.
Thanks SF
Glad you are going to check out Archer’s Quest. Stop by Brad’s own site – link in article – and let him know what you think.
As for Identity Crisis, what I don’t like about that story could fill another blog. And maybe someday it will.
Great action figure series! I enjoyed Meltzer’s run as well. One question about the DCD series: Where is Red Tornado? He was the focal point of Meltzer’s first 6 issues. Maybe they will do one more wave and give us Reddy, Grundy in a suit and tie, Zatanna and Trident?
-R
Agreed
1. Red Tornado is strangely absent.
2. Zatanna would make sense in a 4th wave.
3. Trident gets the same cold reception from me that DrImpossible did. Not enough time spent on his character to let me know who he is and what he can do.
Since the same artitst is still drawing the book, a 4th wave could include new members Green Lantern John Stewart and Firestorm Jason Rusch.