World's Finest #31 came out last week, beginning a new arc with our heroes fighting Eclipso. I have sung the praises of this title since it's inception. But I have to admit, this was the most muddled issue of the book for me. It was difficult for me to follow exactly what was happening here.
If you told me that Waid was going to give me a satellite era story involving a classic JLA (goateed GA! Red Tornado!) fighting Eclipso, I'd say that this was going to be gold. But the plot traveled fast, with key points being a bit quick or quirky so that the whole thing unfolds almost too quickly.
This was one of those issues I read a couple of times to make sure that I wasn't missing something!
Dan Mora gives us his usual tremendous art on the cover. Adrian Gutierrez brings tremendous energy to the story. Gutierrez has big shoes to fill on this book. Mora is a marvel. I really liked the work here, crisp and kinetic.
But this book fell a little short.
On to details.
We start out with 8 classic Leaguers on the satellite watching a lunar eclipse. But then ... gasp ... GA, Black Canary, and Green Lantern are turned into Eclipso slaves. The fight on the old HQ is on.
It was great to see these characters in classic garb. Elongated Man in his red and blue. Ollie in the Neal Adams costume. Even Red Tornado was a sight for sore eyes.
Great silhouette of the League, sort of reminiscent of the Timmverse opening.
We flash back a day where we see Dr. Bruce Gordon preparing a Solar City, a city that will be entirely powered by solar energy cells built into the buildings themselves. Given the tech, our heroes are there to stop any villains from stealing anything.
Waid has some fun here. Batman and Robin stop a bunch of C-listers: Mr. Element, The Thinker, and Dr. Spectro.
Meanwhile, Black Canary teases Ollie that he should have a 'construction arrow' to help with building the place.
Waid always has solid small moments.
Then the first quick wrinkle. Gordon is upset that he isn't getting the energy he wants out of the place. But then he finds a 'Promethium Cell' which could up the output. Except it turns out not to be promethium.
Whatever it is, it drives Gordon mad AND frees Eclipso from the black gem he was trapped in. In fact, Gordon acts downright Eclipso-ian, except he drinks in the sun's rays instead of the eclipse's light.
Waid shunts us back to the 'present'.
We don't know why GL, BC, and GA have been turned while the others haven't but it is a closer fight that you might imagine.
For one, Green Arrow seems to have a Kryptonite arrow that he shoots into Superman's back. (Maybe it is a magic arrow, imbued by Eclipso? I doubt Ollie would keep a K-Arrow in his quiver all the time.)
Eclipso himself arrives to join the fight. In one panel, we get the explanation of what happened.
The Black Diamond has a Golden Twin, a linked golden gem. Once energized by Gordon's touch, it corruped the scientist and released the evil spirit of Eclipso. But to get Gordon to touch it, it had to be charmed to look like something enticing.
That is a lot of exposition for one panel to explain what is going on. And I still don't know if I follow it.
At least Eclipso did something both expected but appreciated and ripped Red Tornado's cybernetic heart out.
Gutierrez shines in this battle scene, bringing a sense of movement and action even in these moments of dialogue.
As for Gordon, he is quite mad, using the tech to construct a cannon quickly and shoot the JLA satellite, destroying it.
Now that is some quick engineering!
It seems the only hero to get out is the nearly non-functioning Red Tornado who uses the teleporter to head to .... Earth-2??
As someone who grew up waiting for the annual JLA/JSA team-up I loved this ending. Because this now feels like it is going to be that sort of story.
But much of what unfolded here felt like a rush to get to this great ending. A 'golden twin'? Charmed to look like a Promethium cell, no less? A mad Gordon? A space cannon? A Kryptonite arrow?
Daffy Bronze Age fun. But I am used to more here.
Overall grade: C+
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