Of all the Geoff Johns comics in the world, this may be the Geoff Johnsiest.
Old hero gets a scrub-up? Check.
Big storyline treads water? Check.
A secret room has a secret room? Check.
Old-time supervillain is the voice of reason. Check.
Props from previous comics continuity show up in the background? Check.
Characters created by someone else are revived only to be slaughtered so the bad guys seem a real threat? Check, check and check.
And utterly predictable. Just once I'd like to see Geoff Johns kill off a hero created by him. But as that's not going to happen, someone else is going to have to slay Stargirl.
Which would be a shame, as I've always liked her. I liked Scott Fischer, too, and was sad
when creator Paul Kupperberg killed him off as part of a deck-clearing mission at incoming Doom Patrol writer Grant Morrison's request. But that was a creator offing his own character, with at least a semblance of a purpose. Here, it's just Johns killing off Negative Woman, Karma and Scott Fischer (his superhero name changed from Blaze to Scorch, which seems pointless given Scott Fischer never went by anything other than Scott Fischer) to show, yet again, how 'badass' Crime Syndicate members Atomica and Johnny Quick are.
And it's all just padding, before this issue's main event, the delivery of a new body to Vic Stone, whose cyborg bits have gained sentience and become the bad 'bot Grid. Scientist dad Silas doesn't want to make Vic over once more, feeling guilty that he did it previously without his asking. But Vic's pleading, and the arguments of colleague TO Morrow - in the old days, one of the JLA's greatest foes - persuade him and soon the three are in the Red Room's Red Room. There, every sci-fi weapon Vic desires is ready for clipping on - seriously, he gets a brand new, slimmer body in less time than it takes to grab a bargain at World of Quid. Its a shame he doesn't snag Royal Flush gang member Ace's suit, it's just sitting there, and rather natty.
After a hug with Dad, it's a cross country trip to find robotics expert Dr Will Magnus in order to get some cyber-help against the Grid, who's coordinating the Syndicate's world-conquering plans. Along the way, the new Cyborg stops off to help regular folk, which is actually nice to see - reading this crossover so far it's seemed that the world is populated by no one but superheroes and villains.
Things we learn this issue: Argus scientists must swear an oath before being allowed to work in the Red Room. Karma and Scott Fischer seem to have died previously. And Karma - aka Wayne Hawkins - really is Basil Exposition, with Scott Fischer his apprentice.
Phew, he could talk the Syndicate to death.
The layouts by Ivan Reis are eye-catching and do the job, and the joins between inkers Jesus Merino, Joe Prado and Vicente Sifuentes are hard to spot. The pages look lovely, even the ones featuring the ridiculously clad - even for a comics character - Johnny Quick.
I'm a bit bored, though - Forever Evil has been going on for a few months, has a couple more to run and there's not a great deal of forward movement. DC are teasing us about amazing things to come afterwards, but so far this simply seems to amount to more villains being elevated to 'heroic' roles. As Chief Creative Officer, Geoff Johns is guiding the DC universe into ever darker waters. Sadly, this darkness is nothing but dull
One of the reasons I'm enjoying Valiant's HARBINGER so much is that Josh Dysart is the anti-Johns -- important things keep happening to the characters, and characters do die, but when they do, there's some point to it. And I say that as someone who never read a single issue of anything from the original Valiant Comics.
ReplyDeleteAha, thanks Jonathan, I'm behind with Harbinger, I shall do a catch-up.
DeleteJust pointing out that this book isn't Justice League OF AMERICA its just Justice League. Sorry to be a stickler for that kind of thing, but I am.
ReplyDeleteThe apology is mine Caz, old habits ... thanks very much, I shall tweak!
DeleteHaha no problem. I figure at some point somebody would have pointed it out eventually anyhow.
DeleteFrom what I understand of comments made by artists around the time they were Nu52-ing all DC's characters, Johns was adamant that Stargirl remain more or less unchanged after the reboot, so I think if editorial couldn't even swing giving her costume enough materiel to cover her belly, there's little danger of anyone killing the character off.
ReplyDeleteI am also pretty sure that in order to be a truly Geoff Johns-ian comic it has to have graphic murder (usually decapitations or stabbings) or some kind of overly-literal thematic hook, like "I am not just rebuilding machines I AM REBUILDING OUR RELATIONSHIP", otherwise it just qualifies as baseline Nu52. For all the stick he gets, I do like that when Johns applies himself to a project rebooting a character (as I assume he is doing with Cyborg), he really recreates that vibe that all those newly-minted Marvel/Image characters in the 1990s had where no matter how lame they were as a concept, the story always presents them as the lynchpin of a larger universe. I do miss that, as if your favorite characters aren't Superman, Batman or the Avengers, these days the chances are your favorite character is only ever going to fill out the numbers of a leftfield team book if they appear in print at all.
Hello Brigonos. I'd not heard that about Stargirl - it has the ring of truth. A heroine trapped in amber.
DeleteI think the 'rebuilding relationship' is there in the big dad and son hug awwwww.
You're right, though, that Johns still has some chops.
I have to agree with you. I was really looking forward to Forever Evil, because I find the concept of the Crime Cyndicate so interesting, but this is so slow, so boring, and we really aren't getting anything of any real interest happening. The Crime Syndicate's utter victory seems to fast, the whole things seems like it is designed to just be without ever actually seeing how it happens, and that really annoys me. I used to like Johns' work, but those days are long gone.
ReplyDeleteForever Evil hasn't grabbed me as much as I would liked. And agree that Crime Syndicate's utter victory seemed too quick and easy.
DeleteHector, I wish Johns were still a comic writer only - his film and TV work, and DC executive status, has rather harmed his overall output, I'd say.
DeleteHello Sigmate, sorry to hear you're as unimpressed as the rest of us!
I am so with you on all this Mart.
ReplyDeleteThe death of Karma and Scott seemed needless. We already know how evil the CSA is.
But the biggest thing is the sense of ennui about this whole crossover event. I feel like nothing is different from Forever Evil #1 to now. The CSA rules. Heroes are hiding. Rinse. Repeat. Rinse. Repeat.
Is there even a story here?
I don't think there is - just one long excuse to Geoff Johns to show us how much better the bad guys are than the good guys.
DeleteThe more I hear the more I'm glad I never decided to read Forever Evil, I stuck with things through Trinity War only to get despite it's hype it was at best a prologue for Forever. So decided I'd leave of the Forever Evil books for a while and see from reviews and synopses if it was worth coming back into it.
ReplyDeleteAnd as said it seems like it really hasn't been that worth following, though on the bright side I have been saving quite a bit of money over all these months for the select few non-Forever Evil titles I still get, so it's got it's positive side as well ;) . Thank you for your reviews, it's thanks to things like these I've been able to decide if this kinda story if for me or not.
Grant
You're a wiser man than me, Grant, I've bought far too many of these books. I have cut back a bit, though, and bought the odd treat, such as a cheap (Golden Age) Starman Archives - fun stories and sumptuous Jack Burnley art - and a few Superman Chronicles - ditto,
DeleteAnd thanks for your kindness.