Crossover time!
Oct. 31st, 2010 01:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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scans_dailyHopefully, this won't have been posted between the time I started and the time this uploads. Cover and four pages from this week's JLA/99 #1.
For those of you who haven't been around for previous discussions, "The Ninety-Nine" is a concept created by Naif al-Mutawa, in an effort to let kids from Muslim-majority countries have superhero comics they could read with at least some cultural approval. Each of the teenagers in the 99 gets their powers from bonding with a "Noor stone" which contains a fragment of the knowledge and wisdom of the ancient Middle East. Their code names come from the 99 names of Allah, minus the bit that makes them a god's name. As part of the themes of the series, while individual members are fairly powerful on their own, they are much more powerful if they link up in threes or more to combine their abilities.
Wonder Woman's costume seems to be the "alternate universe" one solely to allow this comic to be reprinted in countries where her swimsuit outfit would be too controversial; the JLA depicted seems to be one we've never seen together before.
We open in the "Empty Quarter" of the Arabian peninsula, where a "City of the Future" has been built to showcase green technology and international cooperation and peace.
Wonder Woman ("ambassador of peace") and Superman ("champion of justice") are present at the opening ceremony to represent the Justice League, while Dr. Ramzi has brought three of the 99 to represent their team. (Dr. Ramzi has no powers himself, but is a wise mentor to the team.) There's a couple of double page spreads to introduce the characters. Superman is approached by Doctor Albert Chou of Mamluk International, who shakes his hand. And as Superman leaves, lets a sinister smile cross his lips.
Noora has the handy ability to see the darkness in people's souls, making it very hard to fool her as to your motives.
It's mentioned that Dr. Ramzi is an acquaintance of Bruce Wayne, who speaks highly of the philosopher's efforts to combat poverty. Just as everything seems to be going well, a riot breaks out.
That can't be good.
Darr has been kind of down because his ability to inflict pain is one of the least useful in the context of the 99, and because he's a basically good person with a traditionally bad guy power. It's been interfering with his link to his Noor stone.
One of the Madmen scratches Darr, reactivating his powers at "cannot be controlled" levels. Uh-oh. GL John Stewart, Barry Allen Flash, the femal Dr. Light and Ray Palmer Atom corral him. They call in some 99 members to assist in getting Darr back to normal.
In the Amazon Basin, Carter Hall, aka Hawkman, is leading an archaeological dig when earthquakes start happening. Eventually some 99 members pop in to help.
Back at the riot, the City of the Future also has an earthquake. Wonder Woman needs some assistance, but Superman has suddenly decided that the Earth people are unable to work together for peace, so there's no need to help them out. Uh-oh.
Issue one of six, so things are likely to get worse before they get better!
Your thoughts and comments?
Suggested tags
char: Superman/Clark Kent
char: Wonder Woman/Diana of Themiscrya
creator: Drew Geraci
creator: Fabian Nicieza
creator: Stuart Moore
creator: Tom Derenick
group: Justice League of America
group: The Ninety Nine
publisher: DC Comics
publisher: Teshkeel
theme: crossovers
For those of you who haven't been around for previous discussions, "The Ninety-Nine" is a concept created by Naif al-Mutawa, in an effort to let kids from Muslim-majority countries have superhero comics they could read with at least some cultural approval. Each of the teenagers in the 99 gets their powers from bonding with a "Noor stone" which contains a fragment of the knowledge and wisdom of the ancient Middle East. Their code names come from the 99 names of Allah, minus the bit that makes them a god's name. As part of the themes of the series, while individual members are fairly powerful on their own, they are much more powerful if they link up in threes or more to combine their abilities.
Wonder Woman's costume seems to be the "alternate universe" one solely to allow this comic to be reprinted in countries where her swimsuit outfit would be too controversial; the JLA depicted seems to be one we've never seen together before.
We open in the "Empty Quarter" of the Arabian peninsula, where a "City of the Future" has been built to showcase green technology and international cooperation and peace.
Wonder Woman ("ambassador of peace") and Superman ("champion of justice") are present at the opening ceremony to represent the Justice League, while Dr. Ramzi has brought three of the 99 to represent their team. (Dr. Ramzi has no powers himself, but is a wise mentor to the team.) There's a couple of double page spreads to introduce the characters. Superman is approached by Doctor Albert Chou of Mamluk International, who shakes his hand. And as Superman leaves, lets a sinister smile cross his lips.
Noora has the handy ability to see the darkness in people's souls, making it very hard to fool her as to your motives.
It's mentioned that Dr. Ramzi is an acquaintance of Bruce Wayne, who speaks highly of the philosopher's efforts to combat poverty. Just as everything seems to be going well, a riot breaks out.
That can't be good.
Darr has been kind of down because his ability to inflict pain is one of the least useful in the context of the 99, and because he's a basically good person with a traditionally bad guy power. It's been interfering with his link to his Noor stone.
One of the Madmen scratches Darr, reactivating his powers at "cannot be controlled" levels. Uh-oh. GL John Stewart, Barry Allen Flash, the femal Dr. Light and Ray Palmer Atom corral him. They call in some 99 members to assist in getting Darr back to normal.
In the Amazon Basin, Carter Hall, aka Hawkman, is leading an archaeological dig when earthquakes start happening. Eventually some 99 members pop in to help.
Back at the riot, the City of the Future also has an earthquake. Wonder Woman needs some assistance, but Superman has suddenly decided that the Earth people are unable to work together for peace, so there's no need to help them out. Uh-oh.
Issue one of six, so things are likely to get worse before they get better!
Your thoughts and comments?
Suggested tags
char: Superman/Clark Kent
char: Wonder Woman/Diana of Themiscrya
creator: Drew Geraci
creator: Fabian Nicieza
creator: Stuart Moore
creator: Tom Derenick
group: Justice League of America
group: The Ninety Nine
publisher: DC Comics
publisher: Teshkeel
theme: crossovers
Tags:
no subject
Date: 2010-10-31 07:29 pm (UTC)Maybe it's just a question of writers and publishers testing the waters as they decide how to introduce a new story element. Perhaps we'll just see some totally run-of-the-mill storylines featuring Muslim characters before writers feel safe to spend showing what might be interestingly different about characters from Muslim cultures.
I'm pretty hazy on the actual history of The 99 as a group. They haven't actually been created just for this event, have they? Do they have their own book?
no subject
Date: 2010-10-31 07:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-31 07:48 pm (UTC)Nice to see a comics publisher making their stuff so available.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-31 08:14 pm (UTC)And, yes, it might just be that some testing of the waters is required. Not trying to offend anyone, but observing the US of A's diverse opinions on Islam puts one in mind of stepping onto a grassy knoll only to see a sign saying 'abandoned minefield'.