JLA: Earth II

When it comes to Grant Morrison, he's the Alan Moore of the modern age. He breathed new life into the X-Men for Marvel, as well as Animal Man and Doom Patrol for DC/Vertigo, and of course, JLA for DC. Earth 2 finds Morrison once again writing DC's superteam as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and the Martian Manhunter get their world rocked when Alexander Luthor makes a visit. On his alternate world, he's the only hero, and the JLA's evil alter-egos, the Crime Syndicate of Amerika, have total control. In response to Luthor's pleas, Supes, Bats, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern plan to overthrow the evil empire, but as they soon find out, things aren't so easily done in this alternate world. Morrison has taken the classic pre-Crisis Earth 2 world and used it brilliantly here, making Ultraman, Owlman, Superwoman, Johnny Quick, and Power Ring some of the most evil and coloful villains you'll ever see. Morrison's longtime partner in crime Frank Quitely provides his usual superb art here, so longtime Morrison fans know what to expect here. All in all, Earth 2 is one of, if not the, best JLA yarns you'll ever check out, and it's easily one of Morrison's best superhero stories.

In'JLA: Earth 2' we see a pair of creators firing on all cylinders. Grant Morrison's highly divisive run on the monthly JLA book was hampered by marginal art and an at times suffocating overabundance of characters. Here, he hones it down to the basics: DC's 'Big Seven', and proves what can be done with these characters. The story thumbs its nose at the monolithic changes made to the DC Comics universe by the 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' and 'Zero Hour' series, which streamlined all the many worlds down into one universe. What fun is super hero/science fiction, Morrison asks, if you can't go to other dimensions? He does what the genre does best: mindbending, impossible scenarios and fantastic action. It was refreshing, in a dark sort of way, to see actual death and destruction in a DC Comic, which usually feature countless 'injuries'. Frank Quietly's art, as per usual, is astounding. The fine details he invests in virtually every panel reward rereading. His attention to technological detail and architecture are in evidence throughout this book. It's enough to make you wish he could keep to a monthly schedule, or abandon them altogether and stick to larger graphic novels. Pay attention to the many sight gags that populate the alternate universe, especially the Crime Syndicate's headquarters, for an extra treat.Morrison and Quietly have crafted a highly entertaining story. It's not high-minded. It's not deeply moving. It doesn't aspire to be. It's designed to impress you, and it hits the mark.

Grant Morrison's writing really shines in this self-contained JLA tale about an alternate dimension containing evil counterparts for every member of the Justice League (think "Mirror Mirror"). Morrison plays with every character as much as he can, giving them all a little more depth than usual as he fleshes out a charming tale straight out of the pre-continuity DC days. The conflict is interesting, the heroes are fully realized, and Frank Quitely's artwork is as good as it gets. Never have so many looked so cool so often. The attention to detail in this book is beyond the pale - so many little things stand out on re-reading and re-re-reading that it's worth your money just for the pictures. Pick this one up; it's well worth it.

Yes, it's a comic book.More specifically, it's what those in the know like to call a "graphic novel". It's hardcover, it's longer than your average comic book, and it's usually a self-contained story or story arc from a series. This is one of the former types of GNs, and likely one of the best GNs I've ever read. It's so good, non-comic book readers who venture to pick it up will likely find themselves drawn quickly and uncontrollably to the story and characters.And why not? Anybody who's been living on Earth for the past 50 years already knows these characters: The Justice League of America, specifically Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter. You know, the Super Friends.This graphic novel actually takes off from an idea from one of te old "Super Friends" cartoons and runs with it like an Olympian quarterhorse: what would happen if there was an anti-matter version of our own world, where things that were good are bad? What would happen if beings from these alternate dimensions found their way to their counterpart realities?Think of that old "Star Trek" episode "Mirror Mirror", where the Federation was a pirate outfit and Mr. Spock had a goatee.Now think if Batman killed cops, Superman fried citizens who questioned him with x-ray vision and Wonder Woman was a sex-craved vixen with super strength.White Boy Kevin said, "wow".The story starts off with an interesting twist right off the bat: Lex Luthor is the only GOOD person on this alternate Earth and breaks through the dimensional anti-mater barrier to get to our Earth to recruit the JLA to come back to his world and fix things. They go, and mayhem ensues on both sides of the barrier (don't want to give anything juicy away), as the worlds slowly start a collision course that could mean the extinction of both realities.Powerful, epic stuff here, folks, and filled with intelligence, humor and characters you don't want to see go away, even if they are evil.Thanks to the deft writing of Grant Morrison (living legend in comic writing who wrote the first 20 or so issues of the new JLA book that's hot now), you are as equally drawn to the evil characters as you are your favorite icons. Especially when you see OwlMan and Super Woman (you match them up; it's fun) necking behind every corner of the villain clubhouse, and Ultraman (Superman-minus) using his x-ray vision to fry citizens and cats in trees.Quitely's art is phenomenal, and his style, which lends all kinds of interesting depth to his regular "The Authority" series, literally pumps up the volume of the characters in JLA: Earyth 2. Superman LOOKS like a super man, and Super Woman (the evil Wonder Woman) changing from her alter-ego to her villain persona is, well, downright sexy. Muscles ripple, buildings explode, and heroes look like heroes.Anyone who thinks comic books are for kids and are immature fare haven't the faintest clue as to what's going on in that medium anymore. Com