JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: THE TORNADO'S PATH
DC COMICS
STORY: Brad Meltzer
PENCILS: Ed Benes
INKS: Sandra Hope
COLORS: Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: Rob Leigh
EDITORS: Eddie Berganza (original); Bob Harras (collection)
COVER: Michael Turner with Peter Steigerwald
MISC. ART: Ed Benes with Alex Sinclair; Ed Benes and Maria Benes with Alex Sinclair; Michael Turner with Peter Steigerwald; Phil Jimenez and Andy Lanning with Jeremy Cox; Chris Sprouse and Karl Story with Alex Sinclair; J.G. Jones with Alex Sinclair; Art Adams with Alex Sinclair; Adam Hughes; Ed Benes; Gene Ha; Luke McDonnell; George Perez; Howard Porter & Drew Geraci; Eric Wright; Kevin Maguire with Alex Sinclair
ISBN: 978-1-4012-1580-4; paperback (August 2008)
144pp, Color, $17.99 U.S., $21.99 CAN
Justice League of America created by Gardner Fox
Introduction by Damon Lindelof
The Justice League of America is a DC Comics team of superheroes. The team was conceived by writer Gardner Fox in the late 1950s as a then modern update of the 1940s superhero team, the Justice Society of America. The Justice League of America's original line-up of superheroes was comprised of Superman (Clark Kent), Batman (Bruce Wayne), Wonder Woman (Diana Prince), The Flash (Barry Allen), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Aquaman (Arthur Curry), and the Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz). This group first appeared together as the Justice League of America in the comic book, The Brave and the Bold #28 (cover dated: March 1960).
The team received its own comic book title entitled Justice League of America, beginning with a first issue cover dated November 1960. Justice League of America #261 (cover dated: April 1987) was the series' final issue, and a new series, simply titled Justice League, began with a first issue cover dated May 1987. The title, “Justice League of America,” would not be used for an ongoing comic book series for almost two decades.
After the events of the event miniseries, Infinite Crisis, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman reformed the Justice League of America as seen in Justice League #0 (cover dated: September 2006). The kickoff of a new Justice League of America ongoing comic book series was under the guidance of writer Brad Meltzer and pencil artist Ed Benes. The rest of the creative team was comprised of artist Sandra Hope (inks); colorist Alex Sinclair; and letterer Rob Leigh.
DC Comics reprinted Meltzer and Benes' Justice League of America issues #1 to #7 (cover dates: October 2006 to May 2007) in the collection, Justice League of America: The Tornado's Path. It was released first in a hardcover edition in June 2007, and was later released in its first paperback edition in August 2008.
Justice League of America: The Tornado's Path begins with a framing sequence. It depicts Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman's mission to build a new Justice League of America. Elsewhere, dark forces have gathered to take down a longtime member of the League.
John Smith, the robot superhero known as “Red Tornado,” is about to get a new lease on life. With the help of Deadman and Dr. Will Magnus (creator of the Metal Men), John is going to transfer his “soul” into a duplicate body of the recently deceased metahuman, Multiplex. The duplicate or clone is brain dead. By becoming a flesh and blood human, Red Tornado believes that he can become a real husband to his wife, Kathy Sutton, and to their adopted daughter, Traya. However, a conspiracy led by some of the Justice League's most powerful and evil adversaries has other plans for Red Tornado and for the new Justice League of America.
THE LOWDOWN: I remember, lo those many years ago, what big news it was that bestselling novelist, Brad Meltzer, would be the writer that would help launch (or relaunch) a new Justice League of America comic book series. Meltzer had already wowed fans and courted some controversy just a few years earlier with his DC Comics event comic book miniseries, Identity Crisis (2004-05).
Meltzer's opening Justice League of America story arc, “The Tornado's Path,” lived up to the anticipation. For one thing, the Red Tornado/John Smith's situation was just so tragic. Sure, the idea of his soul being transferred into the brain dead clone body of a dead man was (and is) super-gross. Still, Metltzer made me feel that Smith's journey was honest and genuine. Also, the villains were damn mean and evil. Meltzer wasn't trying to do something similar to what Marvel Comics writers have been trying to do with X-Men character, Magneto, for four decades – turn an evil, racist mass murderer into a tragic Holocaust survivor. No, the villains that appear in this story arc (and I don't want to spoil their identities for those of you who have not, but should read this story) are evil, lowdown, dirty-ass muthas, and they want to annihilate some JLA ass.
Speaking of the Justice League, I find that Meltzer did not so much give them personalities as he simply wrote an engaging character drama in which he made all the characters interesting. The characters were equal parts poignant, dramatic, and humorous, but the potential for superhero action-violence was always there.
Artist Ed Benes did some really good work here. His pencil art, especially under Sandra Hope's inks, was clearly inspired by some of the artists of the late 1980s and early 1990s who founded Image Comics. However, Benes' graphical storytelling was powerfully dramatic. He drew costumed characters with broad, muscular, meaty, and thick bodies that filled up the panels with power and the potential for power. Benes made every threat of or potential for violence feel real. The contents of each panel were designed and staged for maximum effect. He gave this story epic power, although “The Tornado's Path” did not feel so much like an epic as it did feel like a consequential moment in the history of Justice League of America comic books.
I don't have much to say about the coloring by Alex Sinclair; his work here is among his lesser achievements. On the other hand, Rob Leigh's lettering helps to sell the elements of drama, violence, and danger in this story. I had been putting off reading Brad Meltzer's Justice League of America comics for years, and fortune brought this trade collection into my hands. I'm glad it did.
I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Brad Meltzer and of the Justice League of America will want to treat themselves to Justice League of America: The Tornado's Path.
A
9 out of 10
[This volume includes additional commentary by Brad Meltzer, Ed Benes, Alex Sinclair, and Sandra Hope.]
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
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