Written by Mark Waid.
Art by Bryan Hitch; J.H. Williams III; Javier Saltares; Phil Jimenez; Ty Templeton; Doug Mahnke; Mark Pajarillo; Mike S. Miller; Paul Neary; Mick Gray; Chris Ivy; Kevin Nowlan; Drew Geraci; Walden Wong; Armando Durruthy; Laura DePuy; John Kalisz; & Ken Lopez.
Cover Art by Bryan Hitch; Paul Neary; & Laura DePuy.
SUMMARY:
Released by DC Comics in 2001, this 208-page paperback compiles JLA # 47-54 from 2000-2001. The JLA roster presently consists of: Wonder Woman; Martian Manhunter; Superman; Wally West’s Flash; Plastic Man; Aquaman; and Kyle Rayner’s Green Lantern. After Tower of Babel’s controversial events, a malcontent Batman is now exiled from the team.
Introducing the wicked Queen of Fables, the storybook sorceress transforms DC’s New York City into a medieval fantasy-land upon mistaking Wonder Woman as her hated step-daughter: Snow White. Without Batman’s leadership, the League struggles to improvise an effective strategy to thwart the Queen. The storyline’s three issue titles are: “Into the Woods;” “Truth is Stranger;” and “Unhappily Ever After.”
Describing the team’s struggle with trust issues vs. Doctor Destiny, the Man of Steel privately implores Batman to make things right with the League in “Dream Team.” Yet, the Dark Knight won’t compromise his privacy unless Superman is also willing to play by these new rules.
With the team’s secret identities now revealed to their teammates, an extradimensional entity known as ‘I.D.’ splits Superman; Batman; Green Lantern; Flash; Martian Manhunter; & Plastic Man from their alter egos into separate individuals. As conveyed in costume changes by the Flash and Superman, without their mortal personas, the League finds itself eerily more efficient than ever before.
Yet, the six powerless ‘secret identities’ conclude realize they must end I.D.’s possibly irreversible damage to Earth. Could old-school mobster Patrick “Eel” O’Brian (aka Plastic Man) be their unlikely catalyst? Does Metamorpho’s bizarre predicament tie in? Divided We Fall’s four related segments are “Man and Superman;” “Element of Surprise;” “It Takes a Thief;” and “United We Fall.”
The outcome secretly sets up the next volume’s main storyline: Terror Incognita.
REVIEW:
Boasting often stellar visuals, the Queen of Fables’ storyline excels with an assortment of inspired twists, even if its outcome is hardly in doubt. In that sense, writer Mark Waid has a field day playing up macabre elements of familiar fairy tales.
By comparison, the split-personality caper is a dose of formulaic JLA storytelling with sporadically above-average artwork. Still, the role that Plastic Man’s alter ego contributes is well-played. Bridging the two halves is a good Doctor Destiny adventure that allows the team to briefly escape Batman & Superman’s enormous shadows. As with the scripting, the artwork isn’t remarkable, but it is easily more than sufficient.
Ultimately, JLA: Divided We Fall isn’t a must-have read, but this collection is reasonably good DC entertainment.
Parental Note: The grotesque fates of the Queen’s first victims (a mother and young daughter) are presumably undone, as inferred by a comment made by Wonder Woman. Still, Waid should have been more overt updating what has happened to them.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Rendered in full-page format, Hitch & Neary’s eight covers are provided.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
