In blogging about Gardner Fox’s departure from DC Comics, I meant to talk about Justice League of America #61 as an example of one of Fox’s more convoluted plots, and because I wanted to post this scene of the final battle, by Mike Sekowsky and Sid Greene.
The book opens with Green Arrow declaring he’s leaving the League and quitting superheroing, adding that if the other heroes are smart, they’ll do the same. The JLA members assure each other they’ll have to respect Green Arrow’s decision. Secretly, however, each of them decides to smoke out whoever’s coerced the archer to quit. Wouldn’t you know, each of them hits on the same method, disguising themselves as GA (Wonder Woman gives up as the costume can’t hide her curves). Disguised as the Emerald Archer, they run into their various archfoes, get their butts kicked, then wind up transformed into the villains and jailed.
It’s all an elaborate scheme by Dr. Destiny which Green Arrow manages to unravel. Captured, Destiny reveals he’s set a fail-safe for his defeat, one that summons the real villains and compels them to fight for him. As you can see, it doesn’t work out as he’d hoped.
I realize the perspective of the photo’s a little distorted but I still like this scene.
#SFWApro.
What on EARTH II is going on with that Green Lantern power effect?
It looks like Aquaman is beaming it out and capturing the crook in the white coat while simultaneously thumping Capt Boomerang and extruding a boomerang at the same time, while Hal gazes longingly at the action.
Plus, I may never have seen such a square jawed, well fed looking Batman, but maybe I don’t get out much.
I see your point about the power beam though I never had trouble figuring it out.
Nice Gil Kane style punch by Aquaman on Capt Boomerang but Sid Greene can’t save the Sekowsky stiffness on Hawkman’s biff.
The characterisation aspect (“heroes with feet of clay”) has been overplayed but I think there was something in the fact Marvel’s art was more dynamic. Overall DC couldn’t compete with Kirby, Buscema, Kane (already loosening up on GL before he jumped to Hulk & co.), Romita, etc.
…obviously once Adams hit his stride, and Wrightson, Kaluta and co. arrived in his wake, then Kirby flipped, it was a slightly different story!
And even some of DC’s old-timers improved — Sekowsky’s way better on his Wonder Woman run than he was on JLA.