Written by Marv Wolfman.
Art by Brent Anderson; Hi-Fi; & Dave Sharpe.
Cover Art by Brent Anderson & Hi-Fi.
SUMMARY:
DC Comics released this 56-page one-shot for February 2011. Knowing he will regret it, Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern is convinced by Plastic Man to team up against an alien threat secretly recruiting Earth criminals, not to mention stealing nuclear materials. Worse yet, these same alien mobsters are evidently seeking fresh recruits throughout the galaxy. Between their seedy undercover work on Earth and multiple deep space battles, Jordan gains a new perspective into his fellow Justice Leaguer’s complex personality.
Facing the fearsome Kaladarian crime cartel, Green Lantern and Plastic Man are vastly outnumbered. The question becomes: is their mismatched partnership sufficient to keep them alive long enough to save Earth?
REVIEW:
If one can envision The Brave and the Bold as a sci-fi/action-comedy, then Weapons of Mass Deception # 1 is a reliably good read. Reminiscent of Batman, a no-nonsense Hal Jordan understandably has little patience for his obnoxious partner. Still, fans should find the ridiculous plot worthwhile.
Playing it for sitcom laughs, writer Marv Wolfman devises a fun caper that mirrors Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin’s style of comedic chemistry. Anchored by artist Brent Anderson and Hi-Fi’s likable visuals, Wolfman keeps his contrived silliness from crossing the line into the utterly stupid – though he comes close a few times.
Like fans will, the greatest risk Hal Jordan faces is: even a little of Plastic Man’s incessant Jim Carrey-like antics and blabber-mouthing stretches a long way. Wolfman, unsurprisingly, overplays Plastic Man’s goofy humor, given the story’s considerable page count. Hence, it would made have better creative sense streamlining Weapons of Mass Deception’s charm, i.e., sharp editing would have made 40-48 pages a more-than-sufficient read.
The bottom line, however, is: enjoy this over-inflated one-shot as an oddball super-hero comedy. Assuredly, a sequel is not necessary.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The single-page “DC Nation” column offers thumbnail cover previews for sixteen of DC’s January 2011 titles.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
