DC Implosion: JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA #52 (JLI 79)

[tcampbell1000]

Content warning for fat-shaming and, oh, just a boatload of failure to move past childhood trauma.

With the upcoming “Breakdowns” storyline and their upcoming exit, Giffen and DeMatteis (and Jones) got interested in destructive themes. But “Breakdowns” will be about throwing external issues at the Leaguers. JLA #52, “The Battle of the Century Decade Year Month?,” shows what an internal collapse of the JLI would look like. The only things menacing them here are their own weaknesses of character. That might be enough. Art by pioneering Black artist Trevor Von Eeden.

This will be a short installment by this retrospective’s standards, sampling just one 22-page issue, but it stands apart from everything else. And it’s a hard one for me to get through, actually. It feels like Giffen or DeMatteis or both are going to some very dark, very personal places with key scenes in this story.

The first of those scenes comes right at the beginning, as Beetle admits to a change in his life, for which he can blame no one but himself.



Ted hits the gym, where General Glory and Guy are already working out. Guy briefly looks sympathetic as he struggles to keep up with the General’s insane workouts (“Let’s keep those push-ups coming! Two hundred and sixty-two! Two hundred and sixty-three!...”). But when Ted shows up, his presence stirs Guy’s predatory instincts.



Glory suggests they settle this like the famously well-adjusted men of the 1940s did: in the ring.



Now…Batman has established a tradition of Guy Gardner’s teammates beating him up, a tradition that would continue even a little after this (Batman in JL #5, Metamorpho in JLE #10, Orion in JLA #45, Tasmanian Devil in JLA #54). Even Ice froze him up a few times.



And more broadly speaking, superheroes tend to fight out all their conflicts:



Giffen and DeMatteis, ever the subversives, might’ve been trying to subvert their own trope: "What if punching Guy went WRONG, somehow?" DeMatteis was always questioning violence as a conflict-resolution method in general. So on that level, this idea makes sense.

But dear God, it seems like someone in the JLA should’ve seen the disaster coming and at least tried to stop it. Instead, J’Onn and a visiting Batman are like, “Maybe they’ll learn something from this. Learn what, exactly? I dunno.”

L-Ron is just happy to be referee. Sleep-deprived from a night on the town, Fire and Ice join the audience. Fire can’t stop cheering against Guy; Ice hates everything about this. At first, the fight very much goes Ted’s way, but that droll Justice League humor starts to recede as Randy Elliott’s inks darken:





General Glory objects, but J’Onn isn’t having it. Guy mumbles that the only one who can really revoke his membership is Max.



Ice goes after Guy, trying to save his job. “I know you didn’t really mean to do that. If you just come back…apologize to…”

Guy yells he don’t apologize to nobody.




Losing to a cheater isn’t something Ted should feel guilty about, no. But, uh, J’Onn…did you ever find out about “Guy Gardner on Ice” (from #45)?




Or…remember just last issue, J’Onn, where you got arrested and he made fun of you at your most vulnerable?



Guy is MORE “the villain” than Ted is today, for sure. Ted's pain is real, and I don't mean to imply otherwise. Don't want to...kick him while he's down (sorry, sorry! I told you this one made me uncomfortable).

But these seem to be TWO guys who were picked on as kids, never quite got over it, and can each bring out the bully in the other. If Ted hadn’t held back and had knocked Guy out sooner, and Ted and Bea had just kept mocking Guy’s unconscious body, would that really have been the feel-good story of the year? Yeah, everybody did laugh at “One punch! One punch!”…



But we’re a long way out from that, right now.

And the hits just keep on coming…




Meanwhile, Max has picked just the BEST POSSIBLE TIME to introduce Wanda to his Justice League “family.” She even bought a Bettie Page wig for the occasion. Sure hope something happens to interrupt this visit, or things are gonna get awkward.




Again? Ms. Wootenhoffer, was that you?



Thursday: Impatient to get Guy fired, Beetle does some Weekend at Bernie’s-style puppeteering and ventriloquism on the comatose Max in his office. Then Wanda walks in, and hijinks ensue!

Comments

[iamrman]

I hope you were kidding at the end, but you can never tell with this series.

[metadronos]

I know right?

----

Oh, Guy. You were doing so well... most of the time... now look at you. You're even dissing your mentor. And yeah, I'm with Fire here: taking your many issues out on the one person who's shown you love is not cool. Don't Do let Power Girl's cat fart in your face on the way out.