04-12-2004, 09:41 PM
I have just finished reading the JLA Rules of Engagement trade (issues 77-82, "Stardust Memories","Rules of Engagement","The White Rage"). I must say I wasn't impressed overall. After the kick ass ride that was Obsidian Age and the subsequent loooooong wait for this, the next trade I was hoping for more of the same. I guess the fact that this is Trade #13 should have told me I was out of luck.
Once I got over my initial disappointment at Kyle not being there, I tried to give the book a chance, but the stories just didn't gel for me. The new characters (Major Disaster, Faith and Manitou Raven) I found interesting and enjoyed their characterisations. I was glad to see Atom getting a shot at being the 'Hero' in the "Stardust Memories" but other than that the story was just too derivative for me of many scifi stories and star trek episodes I had seen.
Onto the title story, and finally 38 pages into the trade we get some sort of explanation for the change of Green Lantern, even if it is only a one line speech bubble from John Stewart. The story itself left me cold. I couldn't get involved with a species I had never seen before having troubles with another species I had never seen before. It just seemed like a big set up for a later story featuring Kanjar Ro.
The final story, well if it isn't another secret cabal operating within the government thinking it knows how to run things better than the elected government. A secret society with complex plans for world domination. How many times have we seen this? While it was nice to see a bit of background to Faith's story, i personally would have liked to see something a little more original.
Maybe I have been a bit rash with my judgements here, but these are my first impressions. Perhaps when i reread it I will change my mind. What does anyone else think of these issues/collection?
Once I got over my initial disappointment at Kyle not being there, I tried to give the book a chance, but the stories just didn't gel for me. The new characters (Major Disaster, Faith and Manitou Raven) I found interesting and enjoyed their characterisations. I was glad to see Atom getting a shot at being the 'Hero' in the "Stardust Memories" but other than that the story was just too derivative for me of many scifi stories and star trek episodes I had seen.
Onto the title story, and finally 38 pages into the trade we get some sort of explanation for the change of Green Lantern, even if it is only a one line speech bubble from John Stewart. The story itself left me cold. I couldn't get involved with a species I had never seen before having troubles with another species I had never seen before. It just seemed like a big set up for a later story featuring Kanjar Ro.
The final story, well if it isn't another secret cabal operating within the government thinking it knows how to run things better than the elected government. A secret society with complex plans for world domination. How many times have we seen this? While it was nice to see a bit of background to Faith's story, i personally would have liked to see something a little more original.
Maybe I have been a bit rash with my judgements here, but these are my first impressions. Perhaps when i reread it I will change my mind. What does anyone else think of these issues/collection?
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