Justice League of America #40 Review

Justice League of America #40

Roll Call: Dr. Light II, Vixen, Gypsy, Zatanna, Plastic Man (sort of), Red Tornado (only in pieces)

Spoiler warning below.

Villains: Black Lantern versions of Dr. Light I, Steel, Vibe

This continues where last issue left off, as the Blackest Night(mare) continues. As seems to be happening with most of the crossovers, in this one we see the life and times of the former JLA Detroit hero Steel, ending with the “download complete” as the black ring resurrects him. We then return to the fight in the much the worse for wear Hall of Justice as Vixen and Gypsy face off against their dead teammates, Steel and Vibe. Much of the rest of the issue is spent with Vixen fighting Vibe, Gypsy fighting Steel, and both the Black Lanterns taunting them about being worthless as heroes. Elsewhere, Dr. Light I, the evil version goes more in character as the slimy rapist he was retconned as during Identity Crisis, and fights Dr. Light II, with her costume being slowly destroyed as the fight goes on. Also throughout the issue, we see the Black Lanterns reading the shifting emotions in the heroes, corresponding to the colors of the other lantern corps in this event.

Vixen tries to use her animal mimic powers to generate light like one of the lantern fish from the depths of the ocean, but Vibe heals from it, saying she’ll need something stronger. Elsewhere, the Doctors Light go at it, arguing about the costume and who is more powerful, as Kimiyo loses more costume. Gypsy finally shows some fighting skill, abut time with all the training she’s had from Martin Manhunter and later Bronze Tiger, using a knife on Steel. The fight ends up at the base of the memorial statue to the JL Detroit, ironically. Plastic Man recovers enough to tell Gypsy to hold up and stretch out the lens of his goggles to magnify the light Vixen is producing. This disables the Black Lanterns briefly, but they reform, both taunting, Vibe adding “Maybe that was the problem with Justice League Detroit the whole time… It wasn’t us, it was you two. You just don’t got it.” He is cut off by “Wouldn’t know, I’ve never been to Detroit!” as Dr. Light II shows up and fries them both, now wholly naked from her earlier fight. Dr. Light and Vixen both pass out, Zatanna teleports in, crying, asking how many times she must see her father die (she left last issue to fight her Black Lantern’d father, Zatara) and collapses, leaving Gypsy the last League member “standing” as she tries to tend to her fallen friends.

Ok this is going to sound like a rant. Let me preface with this: James Robinson wrote Starman in the 90s. It is one of the best series I’ve ever read. He did amazingly well with that. I am not, as the phrase goes, a “Robinson hater.” That said, his work of late on JLA and Cry For Justice has been horrible, in my humble opinion.

Credit where it’s due, as I said, it was nice to see someone remember that Gypsy isn’t limited to turning invisible, which is how most folks write her. So he gets points for that. As to the rest of the issue…. not so much. The majority of the issue a big slugfest, just endless fighting and bad guys taunting. Robinson seems to have forgotten that Vixen can heal herself, as she’s still all beat up from whatever fight we haven’t seen in Cry For Justice. The fight moves through the Hall of Justice as heroes are knocked backwards all over, yet somehow the nearly out cold Plastic Man, spread out on the floor, is there for the final scene. Zatanna is gone most of the issue, and ‘ports in at the end to just sort of fall over. But my biggest problem with this issue is the Dr. Light war.

First off, I’m curious about how this works. Dr Light has light powers, light destroys the Black Lanterns, but Dr. Light is still a threat as a Black Lantern? How’s THAT work? That to one side, this was just a creepy scene with some really unpleasant overtones. Dr. Light I, Arthur, was recast as a rapist in Identity Crisis, and has been acting like it ever since. Points for them keeping him in character I guess. But really, was this necessary? The two Lights fight, and Kimiyo keeps losing more and more of her costume as it goes on. By the end, she’s totally naked, gotten there by a man who assaults women. This is just… exploitative doesn’t seem right, but I’m not sure what is. Now, I’m a big fan of the female form, and I have no problem with nude scenes done right. This was just sort of a metaphorical rape. Last time they met, Arthur Light supposedly permanently de-powered Kimiyo, now he blasts her costume off? What’s next?

Overall, I think this was just a poorly executed issue, with some really disturbing imagery. If this is what Robinson is going to be doing, I don’t want some of my favorite characters anywhere near him, like Dick Grayson and Donna Troy. Maybe it’s just me, but I think this is going downhill fast, and this was a really poor issue. Such are my thoughts- what are yours?