Written by John Ostrander
Art by Val Semeiks; Prentis Rollins; John Kalisz; Heroic Age; & Ken Lopez
Cover Art by Val Semeiks; Prentis Rollins; & John Kalisz
Role Call: Green Lantern (Hal Jordan); Black Canary (Dinah Laurel Lance); Green Arrow (Oliver Queen); Atom (Ray Palmer); Aquaman; Flash (Barry Allen); Martian Manhunter (J’onn J’onzz); Hawkman (Carter Hall); Batman (Bruce Wayne); Superman (Clark Kent); Zatanna Zatara; & Firestorm (Ronnie Raymond / Professor Martin Stein).
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for September 2001, the 40-page third installment of this seven-part mini-series is entitled “Like a Tombstone in the Sky.” Even as the League busily finishes constructing their secret satellite HQ hovering above Earth, they make time to rout Kobra’s latest scheme. Green Arrow controversially takes his League gripes public. Using space technology from Lex Luthor, Kobra and his remaining forces attack the vulnerable satellite and take Black Canary as an expendable hostage. The League must devise a means of storming their own base to save Black Canary in time.
Note: This series’ continuity builds off 1998’s Justice League: Year One twelve-part mini-series, so Wonder Woman hasn’t yet joined.
REVIEW:
The hits keep on coming with this series, as writer John Ostrander further ups his game. Impressively juggling the League’s expanded roster, Ostrander devises a well-played nod to the launch of the ‘JLA Satellite’ era. His storyline, particularly the romantic chemistry between Black Canary and Green Arrow, deserves top marks. Ostrander also delivers multiple cool scenes to make this Kobra caper well worth reading – among them are spot-on exchanges between Green Arrow and Superman and then later Green Arrow and Green Lantern confiding in one other. Ostrander’s ongoing sub-plot re: TV news journalist Tully Reed (which parallels the team’s evolution) is also a nice touch.
Much like Ostrander, the art squad somehow kicks up their fantastic efforts up an extra notch, as this issue turns into a complete JLA entertainment package. As of this writing, this mini-series inexplicably hasn’t been collected by DC Comics as a trade paperback. Yet, even without the complete mini-series, JLA: Incarnations # 3 is definitely worth re-discovery.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Reviving the “JLA Mail Room” column, the last page offers fan correspondence for JLA: Incarnations # 1.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 9 Stars
