JLA: Classified #12 - New Maps of Hell, Part 3

[dc2houseofmystery]

The Justice League has assembled on the Watchtower, and they're putting their heads together to solve the mystery of the strange suicides, massive explosions, and other disparate weirdness surrounding the black and green glowing tablets that have been found at ground zero of each crazy event.





One thing I enjoy about this story is that there's no hierarchical nonsense about who should be giving orders. No chairperson. They're all equals. No second guessing, no doubt. They just do what needs to be done, without the interpersonal drama that bogs down some interpretations of the characters.





I've skipped a chunk of flashbacks to Mars' past, but I think the art conveys what's been said. This has happened before. It happened on Mars. Millions died. And now it's happening again on Earth. But why?





Ugh, just hold me. I've skipped some panels to get where we needed to be, but there's such grandeur with this team. I wish Aquaman were here, because he completes this era for me, and while it would have made sense for the time, I'm glad Plastic Man doesn't make an appearance. His addition to the team in Joe Kelly's run was fantastic ("Trial By Fire" is my second favourite JLA story, and I might get round to posting that at some point) but Eel in the hands of Warren Ellis? That might have brought out his worst tendencies for comedy-during-drama.




"I'm the President."

...I just got horrible present day shivers.

President Lex wasn't really followed through on in a satisfying way, was it? I think it's because the main architect behind the change, Jeph Loeb, was taken off the Superman books. He was the "head writer" of the Super-books around the time, and was given Superman / Batman to wrap up the President Lex strands (because Infinite Crisis was coming...). I think the creation of that book was meant as a "promotion", because Superman / Batman was an Event Book for nearly two years, but being given that little corner without it meaning anything else makes it seem less important. 

Remember when Superman / Batman was the next big thing?

I think there was a pre-Bendis Superman story where they married Obama-mocking-Trump with Clark-mocking-Luthor as the impetus behind Luthor becoming President again? I think it might have been a Max Landis story, but I can't remember if it was considered canon or not. Is Lex the President again in DC continuity? 

ANYWAY. Something terrible happens in Las Vegas. The Flash is sent on ahead. There's a cool transition with the Flash moving faster than a thought, so he gets there between a line of dialogue. So good. Buy! This! Book!



The team arrive, they have to figure something out, and similar to my early comment with the lack of chairperson, decisions are made and orders given-- and everything is accepted because these people are equals. And I love it.



The team are united and face down the threat humanity faces. It's awesome.

To Be Continued.

Comments

[tcampbell1000]

We'll have to disagree on which president was worse. My read on Dubya is that he was a woefully naive man who was for the most part in far over his head but trusting his daddy's buddies to see him through. That doesn't absolve him completely, but the sins of the era were more the responsibility of those who knew what they were doing. President Luthor reads more like a smoother Cheney, one confident enough to run himself instead of hitching his wagon to someone else's dynasty.

Our current president is more like... I don't know, maybe Doctor Arthur Light? Not only in over his head, but also wildly delusional about his leadership abilities and general competence. I'd say the Penguin, except that (1) the Penguin's a better businessman and (2) he's clinging to notions of class that Trump's mostly abandoned to serve as an anger translator. (Though I suppose it's a toss-up whether it's worse to want to date your daughter or to date an actual penguin.)

Luthor would never have fumbled the COVID-19 response this badly, that's for sure. He'd probably use it to consolidate his power, and that would be a problem, but on the surface his policies would look a lot more like Mongolia's.

[repto]

Any competent politician loves to have a crisis--I mean, they probably don't love whatever is causing the crisis, but they love being able to look "presidential" and give speeches and show "leadership through trying times." Americans want a leader to step up and take action. George Bush's popularity went up 30 points--30 points!--after 9/11. Trump is actually losing support during a national crisis, which is not only amazing, it's pretty much unheard of. He literally could have just given normal, empathetic, supportive speeches during the Coronavirus briefings and he probably would have gained 10 or 20 points. It's completely unbelievable how much he has bungled what could have been the gift that sealed up re-election for him.

[liliaeth]

And the worst part is that most of his followers still won't drop their support of him, and are instead holding protests against their (smarter) governors for actually trying to deal with the crisis.

[shadur]

Any competent politician can make good use of a crisis.

It's just that even pretendingnormal human empathy is beyond Trump's capabilities.