Review code format (ranked 1-5, blah to faboo): [writing / art / new reader? / non-comics reader?]
Crisis on Multiple Earths: Volume 3 (DC) [2/2/3/1] (collects JLA #91-92, 100-102, 107-108, 113)
w. Friedrich, Wein; a. Dick Dillin
These early 70s tales of JLA cross-overs with alternative Earths are an acquired taste. There’s a fascination in looking at the pre-Crisis DCU with its Earth alphabet, it’s imagining of an adult Robin on Earth 2, the reintroduction of the Seven Soldiers of Victory, Wonder Woman in her white jumpsuit days, the Earth X fighters against triumphant Nazis, and all that nonsense. The art is starting to show the transition from the Silver Age to Neil Adams-inspired “realistic” stuff. The plots
are getting marginally more sophisticated — not all the bad guys are really bad guys — but the dialog is still overblown and the “youth rebellion” stuff is akin to what you’d see on “Leave it to Beaver.”
Still, they’re fun stories to read, bits of comic book popcorn from the past.
Crisis on Multiple Earths: Volume 4 (DC) [2/3/3/1] (collects JLA #123-124, 135-137, 147-148)
w. Bates, Bridwell, Levitz, Maggin, Pasko; a. Dillin
As with the above, though the art has improved a bit, and the writing has gotten a bit sillier in places. The first arc has … um … Elliot S! Maggin (one of the writers) on Earth 1 helping the JLA fight … uh … Cary Bates (another of the writers). Goofy. The next arc gives us the heroes of Earth S (Bulletman, Ibis, Mr. Scarlet, and other notables) with the JLA and JSA dealing with various villains — and fighting … Captain Marvel? Well, that’s a Superman fight, though it turns
out to be a non-event. The last set does a cross-over with the Legion of Super-Heroes, in all their mid/late-70s glory.
Again, it’s an acquired taste, and any objective review of these stories in light of the much more sophisticated (writing and art) tales of today has to rank them lowly. Yet there is a high nostalgia factor for those us who grew up with these stories, who remember the sheer wonder of such cross-overs.
Those who like (or liked) these sorts of things, will find them the sort of thing they like — or that they remember liking.
(listening to: “Trumpet Voluntary” (Stanley) from Music for Festive Occasions)
(listening to: Backstreet Boys, “I Want It That Way” from Grammy Nominees 2000)
(listening to: White, Nancy, “Pierced Matron” from Gaelic Envy)
(listening to: Riepl, Kevin, “Native Jungle Combat” from Pitfall – The Lost Expedition)
(listening to: Carroll, Edward (Trumpet), William Neil (Organ), “Voluntary in C – Adagio” (Dupuis) from For Their Majesties’ Pleasure & Delight)
(listening to: Symphonic Cast, “Look Down” from Les Misérables (Symphonic))
(listening to: Capercaillie, “Ailein Duinn” from Brave Hearts)