The Highlight Reel: I Shall Shed My Light Over Dark Evil

Last week's Reel focused on the funny, while this week's is All About the Awesome. 

Occasionally, comic book storytelling is done so well it feels exactly like you're watching a movie, in this case the pyrotechnic climax of a blockbuster adventure movie (i.e. the Holy Judgement climax of Raiders of the Lost Ark).

JSA #9 (2000) is one of those rare cinematic experiences.  From the writing team of David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns, along with amazing illustrator Stephen Sadowski, this sequence is taken from the dramatic resolution of the "Darkness Falls" story arc.

Set-Up: Obsidian, son of the original Green Lantern, succumbs to his personal demons and uses his immense power to plunge the world into darkness...and it's up to a recently re-constituted Justice Society of America to stop him and his cadre of villains. However, a number of JSA members fall under Obsidian's shadow and become his dark puppets.  As one of the few remaining JSA'ers, Alan Scott has a face-to-face confrontation with Todd within a giant version of Obsidian's body, where things go from bad to worse (be sure to click on the panels for larger images)....

GL is then expelled from the giant Obsidian construct, as his son (in full god-complex mode) asserts his superior will.  Big mistake....because when it comes to a Green Lantern and willpower....well, I'll let Alan take it from here.

Note:  Be sure to click on the double-page spread below....your melted frontal lobe will thank you.  Oh, and I dare you not to get goosebumps when you read the purple narration boxes...

See what I mean?  Very cinematic in its look and feel...and just a dynamite example of how great superhero comics can still be with a creative team that obviously loves the characters and knows exactly what it's doing. 

Do yourself a favor and pick up the JSA: Darkness Falls trade to enjoy the whole story!

Comments

[Tom the Bomb]

A perfect highlight entry. Anytime you can get a couple of giant guys to do battle while striding over a city, you up the coolness in my book by quite a bit. Not to mention fixing your shredded costume at the same time you LIGHT UP THE PLANET with your will.

This was an amazing run. Every issue was packed with action and big, colorful spectacle. While some comics of this era lapsed into decompressed talky-talk, JSA was packing in the adventure every issue. The trade you mention also has the Wildcat/Die Hard in a Superhero Headquarters issue, pure Kobra-brand evil, and a time travel adventure. So much fun!

[Mark Engblom]

"Anytime you can get a couple of giant guys to do battle while striding over a city, you up the coolness in my book by quite a bit."

Absolutely. I'm a sucker for giant guys knocking the heck out of each other. It was also cool to see Alan Scott go for the largest ring-construct I've ever seen him create, going far beyond the low-wattage boxing glove, pincers, or jail bars. The giant "Alan Scott" construct also speaks to his intense emotion and just how personally he takes his mission to shut down his son. It's not only his power taking him out, but a visual representation of himself to boot.

Something else I wanted to note was how, up until this point, DC had been playing coy with Alan Scott's superhero codename. For years, they'd saddled him with the incredibly non-descript (and lame) "Sentinel"...even though everyone knew he was (and always will be) Green Lantern. "They didn't want to confuse readers with the other Green Lantern" was the common excuse....but keep in mind DC had two Flash characters at this time, and that didn't seem to be a mass of confusion for most readers.

With this issue, and Alan's recitation of his famous oath, DC finally seemed to throw in the towel and acknowledge Alan's Green Lantern status.....and what a stylish way to do it!

[Bearfoot]

that literally gave me goosebumps.