Dan Mora produces an especially fabulous cover this issue, it’s just a shame the very traditional JLA stars circling the characters have been cut off. As for the particular group, it’s a mix of heroes and villains, but for once they’re not fighting, they’re mingling. And the title, Villain Amnesty, implies bad guys are joining the League – I doubt that will end well, and it looks like several Leaguers share my pessimism.
But what would inspire Justice League Unlimited, a grouping involving every known superhero on Earth, to allow villains to join the ranks?
After a cold open showing Giganta, Lex Luthor and a mini-Starro – Jarro from the Geoff Johns days? – out on League business, we flash back three days. A gaggle of good guys are holding the fort at the Watchtower while bigger names are fighting in the DC KO tournament; unknown to them, it’s over.
Seconds later, the other heroes return – all except Superman,who’s off on a personal secret mission as he plans to divest himself of the god-level energy he’s recently absorbed. While he’s away, says Wonder Woman, the rest of them have their own tasks…
Before everyone can digest this rather wild nugget of information, news arrives that there’s trouble in Keystone City – Flash rogues Tarpit and Girder at a crumbling bridge.
Appearances are deceptive. Yes, the structure was falling, but the huge, lumbering figures were propping it up and saving lives. The recent KO event, which saw Earth transformed into a hellscape, changed them, they say.
Watching from 22,300 miles above are Batman and Wonder Woman, and the latter has an idea.
What does Captain Marvel have in common with Diana? God-given wisdom, which Batman wants him to apply to Wonder Woman’s idea. They also bring Mon-El, future Legionnaire and current warden of the Phantom Zone, into the discussion.
…do we grant them full and unconditional amnesty?’
Of course not, why even consider it, you Bat-numpty. Yes, look into a rehabilitation programme for super-criminals who have served their sentence and wish to go straight, but just let everyone – including the worst, most dangerous people on the planet – go free and represent the League? Also, you don’t have the legal remit to decide who goes to jail and who goes free.
Well, from the cover and the start of this issue, it certainly seems Batman isn’t listening to me. I wonder what precautions have been taken – will villains be observed from above so Red Tornado or whoever can activate a power dampener should they stray? Has psychic J’onn J’onzz checked their motives are pure?
I get that another crisis is coming. Another crisis is always coming. But in the meantime do the bad guys need to hang out with the good? It’s not like they need training, they could step up as needed.
So, prophetic visions. That wasn’t something that came up in DC KO, it’s the type of random nonsense we’ve had with the last few crossovers – powers swapped among people, powers changing, now ambiguous previews. I just hope we don’t have a Hawkgirl or Woman under Carter’s wings.
Mind, if it follows the previous patterns, the visions business will be forgotten about.
It’s interesting to see the heroes returned from the KO tourney looking physically well, but mentally dazed, with Captain Marvel apparently worst affected.
Writer Mark Waid certainly gives me lots to think about this issue, and artist Clayton Henry makes everything look wonderfully right. His slick characters are a joy to watch, whether they’re larger than life like Swamp Thing, Lobo and the Demon, or a very Kevin Maguire Blue Beetle.
Little details such as a prisoner’s untied laces, and Batman and Wonder Woman’s body language add to the verisimilitude of proceedings.
Tamra Bonvillain’s unashamedly bright colours and Ariana Maher’s lovely letters – she throws in an old League logo to brighten my day – add to the goodness.
I’m not down with the basic idea, but the character work and action in this first issue are a joy.
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 