JLA: Act of God #1

JLA: Act of God #1

by Doug Moench

An Elseworlds classic! Their powers gone, their lives irrevocably changed, the once-super-powered heroes of Earth struggle to retain their grasps on life, love and, in some cases, even sanity.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Dc Comics

48 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2001

About the author

Doug Moench, is an American comic book writer notable for his Batman work and as the creator of Black Mask, Moon Knight and Deathlok. Moench has worked for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics and many other smaller companies; he has written hundreds of issues of many different comics, and created dozens of characters, such as Moon Knight. In 1973, Moench became the de facto lead writer for the Marvel black-and-white magazine imprint Curtis Magazines. He contributed to the entire runs of Planet of the Apes, Rampaging Hulk (continuing on the title when it changed its name to The Hulk!) and Doc Savage, while also serving as a regular scribe for virtually every other Curtis title during the course of the imprint's existence. Moench is perhaps best known for his work on Batman, whose title he wrote from 1983–1986 and then again from 1992–1998. (He also wrote the companion title Detective Comics from 1983–1986.)

Moench is a frequent and longtime collaborator with comics artist Paul Gulacy. The pair are probably best known for their work on Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu, which they worked on together from 1974–1977. They also co-created Six from Sirius, Slash Maraud, and S.C.I. Spy, and have worked together on comics projects featuring Batman, Conan the Barbarian and James Bond.

Moench has frequently been paired with the artist and inker team of Kelley Jones and John Beatty on several Elseworlds Graphic Novels and a long run of the monthly Batman comic.

Reviews

[Andre · Rating 1 out of 5]

The premise of superheroes suddenly losing their powers is interesting but the comic fails completely at it.
The rules established in this issue make no sense:
- mystic/magic based superheroes are supposed to have disappeared but Wonder Woman is still there, including Red Tornado (who is part elemental) and that incarnation of Super Girl (who is an earthborn angel at this point in canon)
- technology based superheroes allegedly still all function but Green Lantern's ring (alien technology) doesn't work
- allegedly it affects only those who are "not normal" for their species and that is weird since while you could make the case that Superman isn't a normal Kryptonian since his powers are based on the combination of the Earth's sun and his Kryptonian physiology, the powers of the Martian Manhunter are totally normal for his species, he has absolutely no special powers for a Martian
I could go on about it, but I refuse, because that is seriously not the biggest problem:
These are not the same characters, they act like idiots and treat the event like the end of their world even after only a day having passed, the US government thinks it's great that Superhumans are gone (they won't when the next Alien attack comes), characters act like whiney douches (Green Lantern and Superman have lost battles and powers before and didn't act this emo and crazy) or like they should never act (e.g. the Martian Manhunter saying his Martian form is ugly although it apparently being sufficient to have had a wife and child in the past).
To not make it longer than it needs to be:
This first issue already is an idiot plot. It only works because the characters act like idiots. In addition the premise is totally wasted and makes no sense in the slightest. Apart for some art, this comic fails.

[Olivia Plasencia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting idea but I am sure many fans will hate seeing some of their favorite heroes behaving so differently after losing their powers and what made them great. As a person that recently was told she suffers from a Chronic Illness I found that the writers wrote very true to the way a person can respond to the loss of their health, i.e. powers. You see it in support groups, people turn to the church, drugs, get angry. Some become better people and others go down the drain. I should point out that this is an Elseworld story, if you have never read an Elseworld comic then you need to be prepared to see your favorite characters plugged into time periods, place and even classic stories to see how the characters may respond. I enjoyed the read even though a few heroes didn't act like I would have liked.

[Darren Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review is for the full three part series.

The concept is fantastic, all superpowers are wiped out in an instant, heroes and villains leaving only the ones with tech based powers like Steel or Blue Beetle, or those who are at peak physical performance like Batman to continue.

How do the now normal heroes cope? Some wallow in self pity, some give up, some accept their fates and try to live normal lives, some become spiteful and angry and some will make a deal with the devil to try to get their powers back.

This Elseworlds D.C. series could have been something really special but unfortunately the writing just doesn’t back up the concept. Perhaps it’s because this was only a three issue series and there was no time to explore it in detail, but in a story that clearly has to explore character and motivation this was never going to work.
But what really doesn’t work is how many of the heroes are used, especially the big three. Batman remains in the shadows doing nothing, sure he trains some of the former super powered heroes, helping them find a new heroic path but little else. He doesn’t appear to step up at all, he doesn’t go to confront any of his friends he’s known and fought alongside for years. If there were more issues then maybe we’d have seen more of him and others like Green Arrow, Black Canary, Huntress, Wildcat and so forth. Instead writer Doug Moench chooses to focus on the heroes who choose to retrain.
Where the story really suffers is in the handling of Superman and Wonder Woman. Superman loses his powers during a major catastrophe and he is unable to save the lives of hundreds, he’s also traumatised by the pain he suffers during this event. He’s clearly suffering from PTSD but this is ignored as a concept. Instead Lois can’t deal with his suffering, she realises she was in love with the super not the man and leaves him. He moves in with Wonder Woman but he ends up leaving her to become a drunk. A fireman (no powers) saving a child eventually inspires him to turn his life around.
Wonder Woman is also lost without her powers and turns to religion to understand why it happened. The lowest point of the story is when she is alone in her bathroom, surrounded by pills, considering ending her own life because “total loss leaves nothing to lose.” She doesn’t, hoping there still has to be some cause for hope, just as Superman, hopeful after his fireman encounter, returns. She hugs him, this powerful Amazon Warrior, trained to battle with or without powers, suddenly has reason to live because Superman comes back to her. Horrifically she also reveals that she’s happy because their son will now have a father!! It’s a horrible throwaway line that comes immediately after she’s about to kill herself because of having nothing left to lose.
It’s moments like this that absolutely ruined what could have been a thoughtful tale about loss and redemption.

Now I know it’s an Elseworlds story which means it doesn’t have to keep to the portrayals of the characters we know. But without establishing that there are differences, we have to look at them as their regular portrayals and everything just doesn’t work as a result. Superman isn’t self pitying, he’s a symbol of hope with or without powers, the PTSD thread could have been great to follow but we don’t adequately do this. Wonder Woman is a warrior princess in her own right, of all of the heroes she is most likely to keep fighting. To reduce her to a neurotic, manic depressive who would consider killing herself and her unborn child is unforgivable.

It gets a star for the concept which is now filling my head with what if thoughts. Aside from that and the solid artwork by Dave Ross and George Freeman this is is worth avoiding.

[Paul Allard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elseworlds story about lost superpowers - an interesting take.

In this comic collection (this is a review of the whole series), the super-powered members of the JLA lose their powers. How do they cope? How do the rest deal with the villains? It's an original plot, well-told, a little melodramatic at times. The artwork is clear and detailed and the whole experience is worthwhile. I've always been a fan of alternative stories in the DC and Marvel worlds.

[Redwan Orittro · Rating 3 out of 5]

One timeread. Nothing I would come back to re-read

[Victor Orozco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad story, but not a great one either. I have seen this story mentioned here and there, but I always discounted it from my usual reading. But the premise is so fascinating that I could not help but finally pick it up and read it.

Starting is a typical day in the DC Universe, heroes go to work and save the day, only for most of the greatest heroes to stop in mid-rescue suddenly and are rendered powerless. Why? Some unexplained "Act of God" or black light, as it's known for the rest of the story, has affected many of the great superheroes, rendering them powerless, from aliens to those with supernatural or meta-human abilities. Despite a brief time dedicated to how and why they lost their powers, all accept that their powers are gone and that the only thing they can do is retire. But some don't retire, whether it is by will or lack of purpose, some continue to be heroes. Some never had powers but became reliant on their technology to save the day.

All this as supervillains continue to wage their war on society, becoming even more powerful against a world without superheroes.

The first part ends here, and while a heartfelt story, it is depressing as heck with very little payoff. There is a realism to it that strikes hard, but I wish it were longer and did a thorough job of explaining why this happened. Some things I also felt a bit off, like Aquaman is more evolutionary and his powers shouldn't have simply gone, or worse, that it would imply that his entire people in Atlantis drowned in the deep. But maybe because he's half human, and he was rendered by his human side. Same with J'onn, given all the times he's shapeshifted as a human, that ends with his more Martian side.

All things considered, this was a good read. I can only wonder what the second part is like.

[Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, at least the beginning is quite alright.