Polite Dissent

What’s wrong with JLA #100 can be summed up in one sentence describing the plot of the issue:

Faced with a vague and dubious threat, the JLA decide the only way to defeat it is to lie to the entire world.

To expound upon this theme:

1) The Storyline:
Mother Earth is upset at mankind. We know she is upset because Major Disaster is crying. That’s not all! Sister Superior, leader of the Elite, strolls into the JLA headquarters and tells them that Mother Earth is angry. Major Disaster, a former villain, channels Mother Earth with an ability he’s never shown before and lets the JLA know that she is mad because mankind cannot get along with itself. She will destroy the world in 2 days unless things change. Wonder Woman agrees, saying that the records on Themyscira point out that Mother Earth has wiped out mankind many times before (though how anyone remained alive to take notes is never discussed).

Faced with this threat, the JLA decides its best course of action is to deceive the entire world secretly teaming up with the Elite in a plot clearly pilfered from Alan Moore’s Watchmen.

The next day, as the Senate is debating (though why they’re in the dome of Capitol is never explained, although that would explain why the room they’re in looks nothing like the Senate chamber), the Elite break in and attack. The JLA respond, but are soundly trounced by the Elite.

Wonder Woman appears before the UN explaining that the Elite are too powerful for the JLA to defeat alone and they need the help of the entire world to defeat them. Though apparently she means only the help of the world’s military – so much for a mission of peace. And what about countries like Luxembourg with no military, aren’t they going to feel left out?

The next time the JLA and Elite meet, both teams are teleported to some desert where the world’s military is standing in a circle. A circle so small that people cannot help but shoot each other, never mind the large weapons on the tanks and APCs. And the howitzers. And the airplanes flying overhead. Still the soldiers fire anyway. In the end, it doesn’t matter that the military is there at all, as it is the JLA that defeats the Elite. Mother Earth appears and says she is satisfied.

An age of peace settles over the Earth. The JLA lies again, telling the world that the Elite are so dangerous that they will be imprisoned in a secret prison in the moon, but they are really allowed to go free (and set up the Justice League Elite miniseries).

2) The Story Telling
In an attempt to appear clever, this story is told as a mix of current action and flashbacks. The only thing gained by this approach is so that the writer can pull a “gotcha!” at the end, surprising the reader with the fact the JLA and Elite were working together, something that was blatantly telegraphed for the last half of the comic.

3) Questions and Concerns:

• I find it hard to believe that the JLA, especially Superman, would so quickly and easily agree to lie to the world. The true extent of the threat is never determined; the JLA is depending on the word of some semi-villains and a reformed villain.
• How many times has the JLA been defeated by enemies at first, only to rise up and win on the second attempt? Hundreds! Why should the world believe that this time is any different? The JLA has defeated entire armies and space armadas, why should they need help against four opponents?
• What good are normal foot soldiers going to do against super-powered villains? The Human Defense Corp had special training and weapons and they still routinely got slaughtered.
• What kind of name is “Hat”? Have all other good names been taken so we’re down to items of apparel? I can see it now: “Look out, it’s the mighty Culottes!”
• We prove to Mother Nature that we can all get along by taking a large group and beating up on a much smaller group? So armies fighting each other are bad, but Mother Earth thinks bullies are OK?