Justice League of America - Issue 25
Featuring the twin menaces of Kraad and four-colour body horror
The Justice League (aka the Justice League of America, aka the JLA, aka Justice League International, aka Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)) is a collection of the DC Universe’s greatest heroes (and also Green Arrow).
I talked about why I love the JLA in this piece here. Now I’m breaking down each and every issue of the comic book, from their very first appearance, with Atom-sized summaries. Enjoy!
PREVIOUSLY
The Flash is teleported away from a JLA meeting to the Sahara Desert, where he beats up three dudes before they can even finish introducing themselves. Which, to be fair, is an occupational hazard of being a super speedster. Once Barry gets that out of his system, though, these dudes - who are, in fact, aliens from the planet Sfarl - explain that they are somehow generating enormous amounts of energy just by existing in proximity to other planets, with the charming side effect that those planets then explode. They’re rightly embarrassed by this, and ask the Justice League to help stop the Earth from exploding. Also, if they have time, could they confront Kraad, a villain who has been harvesting this catastrophic energy for his own weapons program, turning a cosmic tragedy into a personal power source. A fairly relatable Silicon Valley-style business model. The JLA charge Kraad’s fortress and are immediately disintegrated. Ha ha ha! That’ll teach you to get cocky. Luckily, the Atom, who was too small to bother with, reintegrates his teammates successfully, in the sense that all the original parts are accounted for, although he does mix up several sets of upper and lower bodies in a way that the story breezes past with remarkable composure. The reconstituted half-and-half JLA triumph regardless, and Kraad goes down in history as a villain who couldn’t even defeat heroes with the wrong legs.
Fun With Comics!
MVP
Wait. Green Lantern can will kryptonite into existence? And doesn’t do it all the time to force Superman to perform random chores around JLA HQ (fetching him a beer, taking his uniform to the dry cleaners, sitting there while Hal explains, at length, what a test pilot actually does, and so forth)? That’s the mark of a true hero.
Top Panel
So much good stuff in this one panel. Clark, stunned that he’s turned into crystal, as if this isn’t like the equivalent of an F tier red kryptonite side effect in a random issue of Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen. The Atom giving Hal credit for the nitwitted plan to turn Superman into crystal. And then Flash, out of nowhere, hitting on Wonder Woman, albeit with the faintest of praise. ‘The prettiest crystal girl I’ve ever seen’? Oh? Out of how many, Barry? Raise the bar, mate.
Villain Cryptic Crossword Clue
This villain takes a dark turn (5)
Next Issue: OLD SNAPPER!