Justice League 39 Preview: Blackest Night version

[thokstar]

The Source has a preview for Justice League 39, the first issue of the Blackest Night tie in.

As usual, the early part of the Blackest Night tie-in is a Memory Download of a featured Black Lantern.

Comments

[sailorlibra]

Well, they're clearly pulling out the A-List characters for this issue.

(More seriously, why must JLA suck? Why can't DC give it the respect it deserves and stop meddling with it all the time?)

[stig]

Ask the joker in DC Editorial/Writing Staff who thinks Dr. Light II can ever make a valuable contribution to anything other than her own ego.

[lamashtar]

Dr. Light II is a valuable JLA member. She's far more interesting and likable than most of the women featured.

[icon_uk]

Like it or not, Vibe's murder was one of the most memorable in JLA history.

[sailorlibra]

Really? Because today is the first day that I've ever heard of him or his murder.

[icon_uk]

Well, with the best will in the world, that perhaps suggests a lack of familiarity with the history of the JLA than anything else. The Detroit JLA lasted three years, and is one of the more... contentious periods of their history.

[jlroberson]

You're kind. I'll say it: "suckiest."

[icon_uk]

I still hold the reasoning behind the team was valid. Aquaman had a point, that having the Justice League be made up of part timers was hurting it. Full time, dedicated membership made for a more reliable, if nowhere near as powerful, team, and it was the lack of power that made the team weak rather than the concept.

And I liked a couple of the members, Gypsy was a fun character, with a novel twist on the standard invisibility powers. And Vibe was a reminder that just because you ARE from the street doesn't mean you can't be a prat. And give them some credit for making one of the members of the JLA a lower class Hispanic kid.

Perhaps they should have been members of the Titans instead, but they were prepared to commit in a way bigger name heroes were not.

[jlroberson]

>>And give them some credit for making one of the members of the JLA a lower class Hispanic kid.

I would except they had to stereotype him to death. And breakdancing as a superpower? Sorry, I thought it was stupid in the 80s and still do. And there's also the fact that the stories all sucked. I recall Conway's idea back then(so he said in CBG) was that these were the new heroes for a new era. I also recall being totally unimpressed with all of them. He probably shouldn't have hyped them that way.

I have no problem, I suppose, with the team itself. That it called itself the JLA is my problem.

[icon_uk]

A stereotype is a start at least, and he wasn't a reimagining of a white male character as an ethnic female, as DC had an obsession with a few years later (Wildcat II, Dr Midnight, Dr Light).

Out of curiosity, how many Hispanics have there been in the JLA since Vibe?

Plus breakdancing wasn't his power. It had nothing to do with his vibration powers, it was just something he really liked doing (Which in itself speaks volumes, but let's not speak ill of the dead shambling zombie)

[jlroberson]

>>Plus breakdancing wasn't his power. It had nothing to do with his vibration powers, it was just something he really liked doing (Which in itself speaks volumes, but let's not speak ill of the dead shambling zombie)

The fact he liked to do it is enough.

I will give you that he was an original character rather than an ethnic placeholder for a previously white trademark, ready to be removed as soon as they can figure out how to make the white version work again. (I'm really hoping that's not what they're doing with Brother/Doctor Voodoo, but of course they are)

[jlroberson]

PS--I'd also add that, at the time that was about, I was already reading LOVE & ROCKETS. So I found Vibe even less impressive as a representative of Latinos. (frankly, on the gang thing, the later DEATH OF SPEEDY is worth a billion Vibes)

Thing is, Vibe always was kind of thought of as a sort of racist character in the larger scheme of things and an example of how out-of-touch DC often is, and how clumsy they sometimes look (cf. Bob Haney & Kanigher) when trying to catch up to "today and now." That DC was "gutsy" enough to do this kind of Latin character--the idea somehow being that any was enough--well, despite his costume, Black Lightning wasn't Pimp-Man. To compare again: some characters in L&R were gang members. Quite few and it came up mostly in one specific storyline. Mostly it's hard to define otherwise; it's all sorts of characters, most of whom(till later) were Latin. But not having to self-consciously emphasize it; it just was.

DC is kind of r___rded when it comes to social anything, always have been. It's one thing Marvel's always had on them; they can give the illusion of being current and immediate more convincingly.

[jlroberson]

It was certainly one of the most pleasant and satisfying.

[icon_uk]

At least they're acknowledging that Vibe had a brother, who went on to become Reverb of the Conglomerate

[lamashtar]

Too bad the Absorbascon is on hiatus. Vibe's return--in ANY form--would've spawned a whole post series.

[julian]

I /totally/ thought of Scipio.

Sigh.

[victory_or_death]

What's the Super Skrull doing in a DC publication?

[autumn_lily]

I expect that even though he has risen from the dead to slay the living, Vibe will still catch so much flak for having one of the worst superhero names ever...

[victory_or_death]

Well if Vibe is dead, shouldn't you just put fresh batteries in?

*shrugs*

[autumn_lily]

-Badum Ching-

That would explain the face he's making there. And it confirms what I've always suspected, the Energizer bunny is in league with Black hand and Nekron.

[kenn_el]

I'm getting a bad vibe from that cover....

[ultimatecharm]

Oh, sweet, Vibe's back. Maybe he won't suck this time.

[victory_or_death]

You have to pay extra if you want your Vibe to suck too...

I tells ya, this stuff writes itself! :P

[zordboy]

As long as this comes with the little promotional Red Lantern ring, I don't care what happens in the story. *nods*