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JLA: Act of God
#1
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I've been picking up Elseworlds TPBs lately. This one was pretty good. The story is simple, actually. Some unknown (and never explained) event called the Black Light Event causes anyone with organic powers to lose them permanently. The non-powered and tech-based heroes and villains take over in the wake of this event, and many of the powered heroes become despondent.
The art is what attracted my eye. Not the cover--that's actually fairly mediocre. But the pencils are really well done. In particular, Dave Ross has little trouble with civilian clothing, which he draws a lot of for obvious reasons. And he ought to be called the ass master, because he's really good at rendering nice female booties. He does a better job than many with facial expressions, too. A place where many pencilers fail.
The story is decently written. The dialogue is pretty stiff, but I get a distinct "hey, look, we're the Silver Age!" feel from it. Worst of all is Joker's monologue about the joy of being evil. Really? I seriously doubt the Joker would call himself evil, eschewing both good and evil as labels. I give it a good 3.5 out of 5 stars (yep, I used a half star instead of a ten star scale, since someone brought it up as a bad thing. Why? Because the half star explicitly points out that it's not quite good enough to warrant a 4, but not bad enough to get a three. In the same way that saying 'somewhere between blue and green' puts the emphasis on the endpoints rather than the exact location between them.)
The art is what attracted my eye. Not the cover--that's actually fairly mediocre. But the pencils are really well done. In particular, Dave Ross has little trouble with civilian clothing, which he draws a lot of for obvious reasons. And he ought to be called the ass master, because he's really good at rendering nice female booties. He does a better job than many with facial expressions, too. A place where many pencilers fail.
The story is decently written. The dialogue is pretty stiff, but I get a distinct "hey, look, we're the Silver Age!" feel from it. Worst of all is Joker's monologue about the joy of being evil. Really? I seriously doubt the Joker would call himself evil, eschewing both good and evil as labels. I give it a good 3.5 out of 5 stars (yep, I used a half star instead of a ten star scale, since someone brought it up as a bad thing. Why? Because the half star explicitly points out that it's not quite good enough to warrant a 4, but not bad enough to get a three. In the same way that saying 'somewhere between blue and green' puts the emphasis on the endpoints rather than the exact location between them.)
#2
I remember seeing this years ago, but never got a chance to pick it up. Where did you get it? Ebay?
It looked like a decent, at best, but I liked the concept behind it.
It looked like a decent, at best, but I liked the concept behind it.
#3
Covar
Covar
Joker would have no problem calling himself evil. He's a sociopath, he knows the difference between good an evil he just doesn't care, as long as he finds it funny its all the same to him.
#4
Shannow
Shannow
Ugggh, I hated this Elseworld. A lot. Nick, if you want em all, PM me. I can get them to you.
#5
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No, I just don't see it. I didn't say he didn't know. He just wouldn't call himself that, because he would find them useless labels. But regardless of any of that, it was still a corny speech.Covar said:Joker would have no problem calling himself evil. He's a sociopath, he knows the difference between good an evil he just doesn't care, as long as he finds it funny its all the same to him.
#6
Green_Lantern
Green_Lantern
I hated this story. Luckly I read it in the local public library so I din't need to pay for it.
The whole thing looked more like a though exercize and fan-fiction rather than a actual story.
I was going to give it a "3 out of 5" stars, but in the end [spoiler:2bsh28eb]Lois and Clark talk about they past relatioship and deciding to be just friends, just for the sake of Clark and Diana shipping[/spoiler:2bsh28eb] also: [spoiler:2bsh28eb]Wonder Woman becoming a Christian? SERIOUSLY?[/spoiler:2bsh28eb]
The whole thing looked more like a though exercize and fan-fiction rather than a actual story.
I was going to give it a "3 out of 5" stars, but in the end [spoiler:2bsh28eb]Lois and Clark talk about they past relatioship and deciding to be just friends, just for the sake of Clark and Diana shipping[/spoiler:2bsh28eb] also: [spoiler:2bsh28eb]Wonder Woman becoming a Christian? SERIOUSLY?[/spoiler:2bsh28eb]
#7
Shannow
Shannow
yeah, I just went through it quick on my laptop, see if it was as bad as i remember...it was.
#8
Green_Lantern
Green_Lantern
Oh, i forge to post, that my rating after the examples that I mentioned droped it to 0.5 out of 5 stars.
#9
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Well, I liked it. Especially, like I said, the art. I also particularly liked how out of it Superman and Billy Batson got. It reminded me of the similar scene in The Black Cauldron, where Taran has to give up the broach. That great line Taran says...something like "I didn't know I could be so full to feel so empty." I'm certainly not going to let the WW-SM relationship thing, which pops up in 9/10 Elseworlds, bother me.
It's funny--I'd put this one at least on par with Kingdom Come because of the realistic development. It doesn't have superior writing style of KC, but it certainly develops a LOT more believably than Kingdom Come, and has more swallowable dialogue (Joker aside) than KC. Yet people still gush over that one.
It's funny--I'd put this one at least on par with Kingdom Come because of the realistic development. It doesn't have superior writing style of KC, but it certainly develops a LOT more believably than Kingdom Come, and has more swallowable dialogue (Joker aside) than KC. Yet people still gush over that one.
#10
Shannow
Shannow
Wow, I am just going to have to go ahead and completely disagree with you on that one, and I guess leave it at that.
#11
Shegokigo
Shegokigo
For most people, that's a compliment Shannow. :slywink:Shannow said:Wow, I am just going to have to go ahead and completely disagree with you on that one, and I guess leave it at that.
#12
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Well, I totally respect that you guys don't like it. It doesn't bother me, and I won't really try to convince you. To each their own.
Also, my crack about Kingdom Come isn't just an elevation of Act of God, it's also a tearing-down of Kingdom Come. I never really thought it quite deserved the praise it got, Alan Moore or not. I found it a bit slow and stiff. It used plot devices to protect Superman and to wedge in as many superheroes as possible. On top of all that, I'm not a huge fan of Ross's photorealism. I don't read comics to see photos. And like I said above, the dialogue was really, really unrealistic and flowery.
Also, my crack about Kingdom Come isn't just an elevation of Act of God, it's also a tearing-down of Kingdom Come. I never really thought it quite deserved the praise it got, Alan Moore or not. I found it a bit slow and stiff. It used plot devices to protect Superman and to wedge in as many superheroes as possible. On top of all that, I'm not a huge fan of Ross's photorealism. I don't read comics to see photos. And like I said above, the dialogue was really, really unrealistic and flowery.
#13
Green_Lantern
Green_Lantern
You know, actually saying that probably had a reverse effect in me, I totally think that our disaproval is eating your soul right now. >___<fade said:Well, I totally respect that you guys don't like it. It doesn't bother me, and I won't really try to convince you. To each their own.
I liked the art, and I like elseworlds stories that show future generations, I understand the "as many superheroes as possible" issue, but I liked to see too, with the only problem that i was curious with the background that each one had.fade said:Also, my crack about Kingdom Come isn't just an elevation of Act of God, it's also a tearing-down of Kingdom Come. I never really thought it quite deserved the praise it got, Alan Moore or not. I found it a bit slow and stiff. It used plot devices to protect Superman and to wedge in as many superheroes as possible. On top of all that, I'm not a huge fan of Ross's photorealism. I don't read comics to see photos. And like I said above, the dialogue was really, really unrealistic and flowery.
#14
Norris
As far as "Act Of God" goes...I like the concept. But you're the only positive review I've seen of it. It's the kind of story that deserves a new take.
Norris
Mark Waid wrote KC. Mr. Moore wrote up a proposal that's moderately famous and similar to Kingdom Come called "Twilight Of The Super-Heroes".fade said:Kingdom Come...Alan Moore or not.
As far as "Act Of God" goes...I like the concept. But you're the only positive review I've seen of it. It's the kind of story that deserves a new take.
Elliot S! Maggin wrote a novelization of Kingdom Come that gave bits and pieces of background. The sketchbook in the back of Absolute Kingdom Come provides some too. It's pretty neat stuff.Green Lantern said:I liked the art, and I like elseworlds stories that show future generations, I understand the "as many superheroes as possible" issue, but I liked to see too, with the only problem that i was curious with the background that each one had.