JLA: El Clavo

Justice League of America: The Nail #1

by Alan Davis (guion y dibujo)

JLA: El clavo
Publicado originalmente en los números 1 a 3 de Justice League of America: The Nail, de agosto a octubre de 1998. Formado por los mejores héroes del mundo, la Liga de la Justicia de América es el grupo de superhéroes más poderoso de la Tierra. Desde su fundación, Superman ha prevalecido como su fuente de inspiración, como guía moral y espiritual. Ahora intenta imaginar un mundo sin el Hombre de Acero...

Superman núm. 13 USA
Publicado originalmente en noviembre de 1941. Cuando un multimillonario es asesinado tras recibir una amenaza de muerte enviada por el Arquero, los periodistas del Daily Planet, Clark Kent y Lois Lane, se lanzarán a por la noticia, seguidos en secreto por el joven y entusiasta becario de la redacción... Jimmy Olsen.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Fiction, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

176 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1998

About the author

Alan Davis is an English writer and artist of comic books, known for his work on titles such as Captain Britain, The Uncanny X-Men, ClanDestine, Excalibur, JLA: The Nail and JLA: Another Nail and others.

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Reviews

[Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best DC's stories!


I bought this in its single comic book issues, but I've chosen this TPB edition to be able of making a better overall review.


This TPB edition collects "Justice League: The Nail" #1-3.


Creative Team:

Writer & Illustrator: Alan Davis

Inker: Mark Farmer


ALL THAT... FOR A NAIL

Never such small object has done so much damage to a DC parallel universe...

...a nail.

Just imagine, a reality where a small nail in the road provokes a flat tire to the humble pick-up truck of Jonathan & Martha Kent, so they aren't in the right place, at the right time, where little Kal-El's ship crashed in the Kansas fields. Therefore, the Kents didn't take that Kryptonian baby with them, making him their adopted son, giving him the important life lessons to fight for truth, justice and freedom. A world without...

...Superman.

Twenty-four years later, without the public image of Superman, the rest of the super-hero community is seen with fear, distrust and hate...

...in special the Justice League, who in this elseworld is formed by Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Hawkwoman (Hawkman died some years ago facing Amazo), Aquaman and The Martian Manhunter...

...but without the Man of Steel, the people aren't confortable with these metahumans whom the majority wears masks.

But that's not all, since without Superman flying up there, where he could be confused with a bird or a plane, it's like...

...hope...

...isn't there either.

So, even the supervillains are more insidious, more dangerous, more mercilesss.

The Batman will be the first to be unwilling witness of the cruelty and madness of The Joker.

And after the heart-breaking events of the controntation of Batman and the Joker, the world won't trust anymore in the Justice League or any other metahuman, hero or villain...

...where Lexcorp, with Lex Luthor and Jimmy Olsen are ready to release a lab engineered army able to take against the whole super-powered community.

A world without Superman and hope, but drowned in hate and blood...

...all that...

...for a nail.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best Elseworlds stories out there. It's a simple premise. What if Ma and Pa Kent had a nail in their tire and didn't see Kal-El's ship crash? The Silver Age unfolds completely different without the presence of Superman. Lex Luthor is now the fascist mayor of Metropolis. The world is filled with hatred towards metahumans and aliens. Alan Davis comes up with some great world building. His art is fantastic. I like that he wanted to draw all the Silver Age heroes and keeps most of their costumes the same. You get to see him revisit characters like Batman and the Outsiders as well. He last drew those characters in the mid 80's. His art has such a clean, classic style that is perfect for this book.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit: my first thought about the story concept of this Elseworld, a world without Superman because Ma and Pa Kent never found the rocket with the alien kid after gettin'a nail in a tire was THIS:



Guilty as charged, your honor!

I was really wrong for good this time.

But for a very few funny moments this is a great and inspired tale showing all the love of the author for DC universe and characters, a dystopic "What if" with echoes of Frank Miller's "Dark Knight Returns, a masterwork from an Alan Davis at his best as full storyteller and artist.

And just one of the best caped crusader stories ever.

Don't believe me? Just click on the spoiler.

















And Selina's character evolution from Catwoman to Batwoman seems just out an old Bob Kane's classic Batman comic. Loved it.













Last but not least, the villain revelation was a real surprise and the ending one of the best ever.

Higly recommended to all graphic novel lovers, I always been more a Marvel zombie than a DC fanboy ( but for the Batman), but after reading this masterwork my number of DC comics readings is going to raise soon.

[Jesse A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, well drawn Elseworld story. Could have used some fleshing out but all in all decent.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually pretty good.

It stats with Superman not being raised by the Kents and the JLA forming but then we see the fall of GA and the public hysteria being created because of Luthor's rise in Metropolis and in the world and there is opposition against the JL and anti-alien hysteria and paranoia and then we see the members fall one by one and what happens with Batman is intense and whatever is going on with the GLC but when we see the mastermind behind it Jimmy Olsen and where Superman has been, the truth is revealed and the nail behind the JLA's place in the world too.

Its an epic story with twists and turns and it takes silver age heroes and turns the whole concept around them and shows that they are fallible if not without Superman and he is the glue that holds them together and I love Hal's role in here and the story ending with the fact of hope but the real compliment is the art which is so good and like some of the best ever and I LOVE Davis writing and the way he gets these characters and shows them at their worst and best simultaneously!

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's funny how one, seemingly insignificant event can change everything. In order to fully portray the ramifications of Superman's absence, the pages are constantly busy due to the inclusion of every DC character you can think of. At times, this can feel a little overwhelming, especially as it jumps between narratives at a rather fast pace. There isn't enough time to fully explore the impact on each Justice League member, but what is given manages to explore some interesting themes. Just a tad too overstretched to make a truly believable story, it nevertheless dabbles with fun ideas and interesting dynamics.

[Rituraj Kashyap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Aveek for the recommendation.

Why does the JLA need Superman? More importantly, why does the world need Superman?

These are the questions that this Elseworlds story answers, where Jonathan and Martha Kent do not discover the rocket ship carrying Kal-El and the world grows without a Superman.

The story has some parallels to the X-Men comics, with the media spreading paranoia about the metahumans and the subsequent persecution of the latter by the Sentinel-like Liberators.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great "elsewhere" story. Here we see what could happen if for the want of a single thing by one person the world is changed. Very recommended

[Donovan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh.

[Roshan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
an elseworld story.
a world without superman

[Todd Glaeser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alan Davis's artwork is amazing. His visual grasp of the characters of the DC universe is amazing. I enjoy everything he draws. Someone should give him the reigns to a "Brave and Bold"-type book outside of current continuity, and just let him go!

[Vigneswara Prabhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review

Rating 4 out of 5 |Grade: A. It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's......[error: character not found]

Premise/ Synopsis

For want of a nail.... the battle was lost. This seems to be the theme which inspired and guides the JLA story 'The Nail', by Alan Davis. Which is not so subtly highlighted by the writer in the very first page of the story.



The nail in question here, is an actual rusty nail, one which found itself lodged in the tire of Pa Kent, while he and Ma Kent were out about going round in their humble pick-up truck. This seemingly insignificant event made it so that the couple were not where fate decreed, they should've been, to find a baby Kal El in a crashed kryptonian ship.

Which of course, led to a butterfly effect of causations leading to Kal El never growing up as Clark Kent, and inheriting his mantle as Earth's strongest guardian. Nor the Symbol of Truth, Justice and hope.

That last part, Hope, that's the fly in the ointment. There are a lot of people, in canon & in the fandom who get high on making fun of Superman's safe for work, Bly boy scout behavior. Where he, despite having enough power to single handedly crack the planet open like a freaking egg, instead chooses to restrain and reign in a lion's share of his power, to come across as the likable, loveable Kansas farm boy.

Most people would prefer the dark, brooding and badass Batman, the shadowy crusader of the night. I have no shame in admitting that I'm such a biased Bat-fanboy. But even someone like me has to admit that Superman has a great role to fulfill in the Justice League and the world in general, by virtue of merely existing.

It's a value that people most often are blind too, because people don't appreciate the things right in front of their eyes. Only when it's taken away do they start to despair upon its loss. Which is a sentiment that 1992's The Death of Superman was able to harness it in creating a comic book phenomenon.

Back to the point, despite his restrained nature, almost pathological naivety and belief in the good in people, and coming across as a gentle giant, Superman, merely by existing, is able to raise the standards of everyone around him.

Much like the life-giving sun which fuels him, Clark Kent as Superman is a never-ending source of hope and inspiration for much of humanity. One who, despite being an alien, embodies the best in humanity, and gives us something better to aspire to. The moral guidepost by which all other heroes are measured to. The natural leader to which the League and people of Earth look up to.

Even his begrudging BFF Batman, as well as his lifelong rival Luthor, would under duress admit to the strong moral character of Superman, one which makes him someone worth emulating. In many ways, these are the same sentiments emulated by All Might, in the brilliant and explosive runaway hit manga series My Hero Academia. That series is an important case study as to why in stories such as these, Inspirational symbols such as All Might & Superman are necessary. And how their absence can throw the society in chaos.

As one would expect a world devoid of Superman, is a much bleaker place to be. Without the big Red & Blue symbol of hope to rally behind, the world views its iteration of the Justice league with paranoia and suspicion. Why won't they? After all, the League is largely made up of individuals of alien origin, who either have shown no particular allegiance to humanity, or seemingly have their own agenda in helping us. For all the people know, they're just a vanguard of a systematic alien invasion to take over the planet. Now, if only there was some guy, who flew around with his face uncovered, with a million-dollar smile and treated everyone with love and compassion.



But there isn't, and the League in its current form is not united under an optimistic idealistic leader who would've taken steps to make the various teams of superpowered beings to be more approachable to the general public.

Instead, the perception of metahumans in general is being pushed towards the negative, thanks to general paranoia, as well as targeted media campaigns orchestrated by some shadowy figures. The members of the league, instead of facing this threat united, go off on their own, trying to deal with the issue in their own ways. Which doesn't end with the best of results.

What would become of the League and the heroes, who're fast losing the trust of the people?
Who is the shadowy hand that is guiding global events making them worse?
To what end are these forces committed to eradicating the league and changing the world?
Will our heroes overcome this challenge? Or falter and shatter under its weight?
Find out that and more in....

Thoughts

JLA the Nail, embodies the best of the edgy absurdity of the 90s era DC titles. Now, I may be a bit biased towards works which came out during that era, being a 90s kid, but I always felt there was a heightened sense of emotions and action put forth in them.

This story, which by design, takes place in a tonally darker timeline, bereft of Superman benefits from that treatment. The characters and the storyline is just the right shade of brooding, as more and more depressing events escalate in the background.

I’m sorry to say, the character who suffers the most in such a Grimdark style of storytelling is the Dark knight himself. Over the course of the story, he is subjected to the Brutal death of both Robin & Batgirl, being literally crushed to pulp by a maniacal Joker armed with superpowered kryptonian tech. All the while Batman is made to watch this horror. All of which culminating in him murdering the joker in a fit of rage induced trauma

Starting off the story on that ‘light’ note, things are not well for either of the other members of the League. As they are systematically taken down and neutralized by a highly efficient and well-planned assault, one which is reminiscent of Batman’s failsafe from ‘The Tower of Babel’ storyline.

Only these attacks against the heroes, are not only meant to defeat them, but also disparage their reputation, as gruesome events such as Batman’s killing of Joker, as well as terrorist attacks on the White house and the general public are strategically pinned on members of the league, making them public enemies

The most likely suspect of the attacks is believed to be Lex Luthor who, in absence of the Man of Steel, had become Vice President and turned Metropolis into a highly regulated police state.

Meanwhile, criminal organizations around the world, like the Legion of Doom & the League of shadows were taken out in covert assassination missions, while Earth itself is sequestered from the galactic eye, by means of a large force field enveloping the planet.

For a short 3 chapter run, the story of the Nail is well paced to be a mystery thriller with several dire rising events. Akin to a detective novel, we’re given clues here and there, pertaining to the canon of the world, which lead us to speculate as to who is the mastermind behind this global conspiracy.

Not going to lie, up until the climax, I was banking on a Utilitarian, slightly fascist big brother version of Superman, who was brainwashed either by the CIA or Luthor to do questionable acts, for ‘the greater good’. A version with a more cold, indifferent form of the messiah complex, who deigned that for the betterment of the world, people and the metahumans among them must be brought under his control.

I mean, it was not an unreasonable hypothesis. There were clues put out saying how, there was some phenomenon causing decrease in solar radiation, as well as affecting the earth’s magnetic field. And at one point, the team of ‘Outsiders’ lead by Black canary, came upon a sinister fortress like a lair in the middle of the arctic, which was not even superpowered being able to enter without effort. This, plus the army of masked superpowered government agents lead me to believe this was all the fascist version of Superman, one who had subjugated Luthor and the government, and was running things from the shadows.

The actual reveal was somewhat different. It turned out the villain was a Superpowered Jilly Olsen who got Kryptonian powers after being experimented on by Luthor. Then there was the other, other reveal that Kal El of this reality was living incognito in a secluded Amish community. Who then proceeds to beat the shit out of Evil Jimmy



But I’m not too miffed. After all, twists which are earned, and which make the story enjoyable are always a welcome addition to storytelling.

The story ends with Superman accepting his mantle, joining the Justice League and this elseworld somewhat being corrected to its original course.



But Batman still was traumatized with the death of his sidekicks, and the killing of the Joker. Poor man spent much of the story broken and trying to overcome the PTSD of that ordeal. It seems to me that lately more and more stories which I read, just outright kill Bats, or remove him in the picture. That’s OK, this is just DC’s version of Killing their darlings to give the story more stakes.



The story is largely focused on the void left by Superman, and the traumatic shit that happens to the leaguers, mostly Batman. Which doesn’t mean the others don’t get any screen time. Wonder woman, Green lantern, Aquaman, Flash, The Atom, Martian Manhunter are all either dealing with their own demons, or trying to uncover the overarching mystery in their own ways.

Their individual investigations shed light bit by bit to the larger conspiracy, and as to why other factions or players, such as New Genesis, Apokalips or the Green Lantern Corps don’t intervene in Earth’s time of need. But for the most part the action is focused on the leaguers and other groups of heroes.


The Art

One thing I really appreciated in this series, other than the thrilling story, is the 90s era blend of gritty, just the right amount of dark, dynamic action panels, many of which cover the whole page. There is this recurring theme where, each member of the league as they go about their respective story threads, are given a full spread action page, revealing their skill in full glory. Peppered throughout the story, these pages are a real treat to view, and are like the pages of some theme calendars with all of your favorite characters.











A key detail which I loved is how many of the panels feature some form of explosion, and how the coloring and shading of the characters bathed in the light and flame add another layer of realistic sheen to their appearance. Batman and Shayera are the two characters that benefit the most from this treatment.

Other than that, most of the panels are bathed in darkness and shadows as befitting the bleak tone of the narrative. While it’s not excessive, the art does its work in giving us a sense of urgency, exhilaration and despair wherever the plot demands.

In Conclusion, JLA the Nail, by Alan Davis is a great addition to the Justice League storyline as an elsewhere title. Do make sure to read it for some good dose of nostalgia and entertainment.

[Nerdish Mum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!!! Review to follow.

[Daniel Sepúlveda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Puntaje: 4.3 Estrellas.

Un cómic más que leo de la colección de novelas gráficas de DC Cómics. En esta ocasión, he leído “El Clavo” una de los Elseworlds más populares de la Liga de la Justicia.

Antes que nada, creo que es importante explicar qué es un elseworld. En DC Cómics las historias generalmente hacen parte de una continuidad, un universo en donde viven todos estos personajes y se desarrollan todos estos hechos históricos. Sin embargo, tal y como sucede con Marvel, en DC Cómics no hay un solo universo, hay todo un multiverso que se complementa entre sí.

Hace muchos años, varios guionistas presentaban ideas muy audaces sobre historias de personajes de DC que les encantaría contar, sin embargo, estas historias no eran congruentes con la continuidad que se había creado en la compañía, por lo cual no era posible integrarlas en el universo de DC. Es así como decidieron crear los Elseworlds: Historias de DC que ocurren en otros universos y que no afectan ni están directamente relacionadas con la continuidad en general.

Como pudieron leer en la sinópsis de este libro: El clavo se basa en la idea de ¿Qué hubiera pasado si Martha y Jhonathan Kent no ho encontraran a Superman? (Todo esto debido a que su camioneta estaba pinchada por un clavo).

Primero que todo me encantó esa analogía. El hecho de que algo tan sencillo e insignificante como un clavo puede cambiar la historia de todo el mundo me ha dejado perplejo. ¡De hecho, me ha hecho pensar sobre cuantas veces mi vida ha tomado rumbos diferentes porque se han presentado este tipo de clavos en el camino!

Me gusta además que, al ser un Elseworld, los guionistas no le tienen miedo a tomar decisiones que puedan ser radicales. En una historia normal de DC Cómics no sería tan sencillo dejar que un personaje importante muera. En esta historia vemos más de una muerte, que además son trágicas, y cómo esta afecta a los demás personajes.

Los giros que iba tomando la trama me han encantado, realmente no me esperaba nada de lo que iba sucediendo, de verdad que me he dejado sorprender por cada página de este cómic.

El único “pero” que le daría a esta historia es que no me gusta que DC ponga en entredicho que sin Superman el mundo no existiría. Evidentemente es un personaje de gran ayuda para todos, pero los demás miembros de la Liga de la Justicia tambien son extremadamente poderosos.

Eso sí, me gustó la escena final y como nos presentan una nueva liga de la Justicia, que realmente no es nueva para los lectores, pero si para este universo.

Me ha gustado este tomo, disfruté mucho de su lectura. Lo recomiendo para quienes quieran leer algo de DC Cómics que no requiera de mucho conocimiento previo o de infinitas lecturas para comprender lo que sucede. Eso sí, aparecen muchos personajes de DC, así que lo ideal sería conocer un poco de cada uno, pues de no hacerlo simplemente no te emocionarás con sus apariciones.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I initially only picked this up because a friend had mentioned that there was a deeper exploration of the Batman/Catwoman relationship (even though it's not in canon), but this Elseworlds tale is surprisingly fantastic. The premise begins with a what-if situation where one seemingly inconsequential nail is wedged into the Kents' truck tyre and they never discover the alien ship that holds the future Superman, thus earth and its superheroes are not led by an all-encompassing guardian of goodwill and justice.

All the JLA characters as we know and love are somewhat warped (Green Arrow, for instance, turns into a ramped bitter old man following a tragedy), but retain their unique personalities, and it's curious to see how changeable their lives become depending on the choices made. Humans now fear and loathe meta-humans with increasing intensity, and one by one the JLA members become entangled in an anti-meta-human resistance, whose source remains unknown until it is almost too late, and help seems so far away.

One haunting scene I must say is one involving Batman and the Joker. I don't want to elaborate any further because it's a defining moment, but witnessing the sheer horror of Joker's antics is far from funny.

Alan Davis' art is extremely easy on the eye and proportionate, and the action sequences flow quite seamlessly.

This great narrative is followed up by Another Nail

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good what if? plot if somewhat too bright and colorful for its theme.

The grim settings- and atrocious deaths of 2 secondary characters- are in contrast- and in the end subdued- by Alan Davis lavish art and John Kalisz warm colors. Which creates a discrepancy between the plot-very early XXI century dark- and the art-very late XX pop- diminishing its overall impact.

A very enjoyable read nonetheless.

[Punit · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 to be precise.
The concept is beautiful - a DC world without Superman. The heroes have a good characterisation but it falters midway. Olsen isn't good enough. The possibilities of a nail storyline are endless and the master plan is great. Yet these didn't add up for me.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this. The mystery, the twists, the what-ifs. I feel like everything that makes superhero comics great was in play here.

I also have yet to find an Elseworlds story I haven't liked (I'm sure there are plenty). I wish DC would reboot it with new ideas.

[Paweł · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bardzo dobry komiks, który świetnie przekazuje ideę elseworlds. Mały szczegół w warunkach początkowych może być tragiczny w skutkach długofalowych.

[Rozachcz · Rating 5 out of 5]

nailed it.

[Gustavo · Rating 4 out of 5]

En general me pareció una buena historia que logra ser entretenida a pesar de la cantidad de diálogo que nno dice nada al final y arruina un poco la experiencia (no soy muy fan de las historias que tienen personajes gritando "¡Esto es lo que está pasando en esta viñeta!", no lo digas, mostralo). Obviamente que gran parte del "misterio" de la trama se va en cuanto lees la sinopsis, pero es un buen intento y aún así tiene un par de giros interesantes.

Mi mayor queja con respecto a esto es la cantidad de personajes que aparecen sin que haya necesidad de ellos en la historia, al principio parecen tener importancia pero al final terminan no haciendo nada, sus historias quedan sin definición.

El arte y el color están muy bien, con buenas caracterizaciones y buenas escenas de acción, lo cual hace que me moleste aún más el enfoque "¡Oh, no! Mira lo que está pasando en esta viñeta."

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid what if storyline.

Basically what would happen if Clark's parents that day driving hit a nail in the road and went back home before he landed and he never became the hero we all know and love? No SUPERMAN in our DC Universe.

What I did enjoy is there was still a focus on the Justice League and it would be made even without Superman but the landscape of the world and the way they view Meta Humans is really interesting. Lex is campaigning against Meta Humans in general, Joker is full blown crazy and does some FUCKED up shit to Batman's family here, and the way everyone has to get over trauma and loss to create a better world was fun. I felt the second half was a little too safe, especially the ending, but overall an enjoyable good time. A 3 out of 5.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, epic Elseworlds tale with wonderful Davis art.

[Ondra Král · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jakoby Davis nevěděl, jestli chce psát příběh ve stylu God Loves, Man Kills nebo velkou pláštěnkovou rubačku. 3,5*
Více na https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSYUN...

[Victor Orozco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the sequel to this story a while back, not thinking much of it at the time. I was more than pleasantly surprised when I read it and made an effort to find its predecessor and see if it was much better than what I read. It's that and more!

An Elseworlds story, like any other, in which something as insignificant as a nail prevents Jonathan and Martha Kent from going into town, prevents them from something great. What if Superman was never found by the Kents? This is what this story is about.

It's a world set in modern times, but with the old Silver Age of Superheroes involved. I take it Alan Davies loved Barry over Wally, Hal over Kyle, Beast Boy working alongside the Doom Patrol instead of the Teen Titans and of course Dick Grayson as Robin and Barbara Gordon as Batgirl. Nevertheless, the story doesn't feel quaint. It's strong and telling of what happens without Superman in the Justice League, Metropolis, or the whole DC Universe. The technology of Krypton is used against the world by an ordinary man who becomes a great enemy of the world, turning the people against superheroes and more. But by a strange quirk of fate, Kal-El does arrive on the scene to save the day. How? Best read it and find out because it is worth it.

There are so many great things about reading this book. Batman and Catwoman together, Alec Holland never bringing life to Swamp Thing, and more.

A great read that ends up producing a great sequel. A

[Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

C'è una frase che dice: "Capiamo l'importanza di ciò che abbiamo solo quando la perdiamo". Ecco, in soldoni questa che è la tematica di "JLA - Il Chiodo". La presenza di Superman ha sempre invitato gli eroi DC a fare le cose in una certa maniera, a tenere un certo profilo. Il mondo senza Superman continua comunque a girare imperterrito e tante delle cose che sono accadute con la sua presenza, accadono nonostante la sua assenza: ma in modo diverso. Ed è qui, che la storia vuole sensibilizzare il lettore: mettendo l'accento sull'importanza non tanto del fare le cose, quanto più di "come" farle, oltre che la rilevanza di avere una guida che ci conduca nel metterle in atto. Perché forse "un Superman" non è essenziale affinché il mondo continui a girare. Però fa indubbiamente la differenza nelle occasioni in cui serve farla.
Un grande Elseworld come non se ne vedono più, oggi. E poi, parliamo di Alan Davis e di quello che forse è stato il suo periodo d'oro.

[Kurt Marquart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over all, it's a good concept, but the story gets bloated with unnecessary characters. It's clear the DC must have some crossover stories that were published at the same time to compel comic fans to buy into surrounding story lines that never have to affect this one. It would have felt less convoluted if the who Darkseid and Green Lantern Corp. stories were left out. Dear comic publishers: try letting writers with a good pitch present their story without all the excess that serves only to promote other books.

[Abigail · Rating 1 out of 5]

The dialogue does forced, which brings me out of the story, and the over the top verbal narration from the characters that doesn't fit. The premise is interesting and good, world without Superman. Unfortunately this story fails to do what it promises, which is tell a story without Superman. Superman reappears at the end, to save the day, of course. Who would want to resolve the story in an interesting or creative way? All in all a very disappointing story.

[ashn0d · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought the premise was really good, what would be the influence of a nail at the right time and right moment in the DC Universe. But this book is so badly written, with characters just talking to themselves and explaining what's happening for no reason. Apart from that, the idea is cool, but the story just develops in a very unoriginal way. Very disappointing.

[Jordison Francisco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moral da história? O universo DC sem o Superman vira o universo Marvel.

Nota: 4,5/5 (EXCELENTE)

"Por falta de um prego, perdeu-se uma ferradura. Por falta de uma ferradura, perdeu-se um cavalo. Por falta de um cavalo, perdeu-se um cavaleiro. Por falta de um cavaleiro, perdeu-se uma batalha. E assim, um reino foi perdido. Tudo por falta de um prego."
- George Herbert, 1651

Com base na interpretação de um poema de George Herbert, publicado na coletânea Jacula Prudentum (1651), esta minissérie desenvolve uma ideia interessante sobre a organização, vida, problemas e sobrevivência dos super-heróis e vilões da DC Comics se um prego tivesse furado o pneu da caminhonete dos Kent e o bebê kryptoniano que viria a ser o Superman não tivesse sido resgatado e colocado em uma trilha que o tornaria um grande exemplo a ser seguido, um exemplo de união, do combate ao mal; uma mensagem de esperança, força, coragem e justiça para a Terra. Acontecida no hypertime, Terra-898, essa é uma das histórias mais interessantes dentre as tramas do Universo Alternativo da DC, que já foi chamado de “Túnel do Tempo” nas publicações aqui no Brasil.

Na realidade de O Prego, temos a mídia manipulando opinião pública, influenciando uma “caça aos meta-humanos”, ideia que parece ter vindo de uma das fases mais sombrias dos X-Men, na editoria concorrente. A má relação dessa sociedade americana com tudo o que é diferente da maioria começa a ganhar ainda mais adeptos e reportagens especiais pelos canais de TV afora, quando Lex Luthor vence as eleições para a prefeitura de Metropolis pela segunda vez. Sua gestão anterior fora pautada por ideais de intervenção da máquina pública para geração de empregos no setor de segurança e nenhum escrúpulo na detenção de criminosos, dando imediatamente resultados econômicos e diminuindo grandiosamente a violência urbana, engrossando a voz de racistas e xenófobos que viam nos estrangeiros, aliens ou pessoas “fora daquela comunidade” (entram aí os meta-humanos) como a verdadeira causa de todos os males.

Sem o Superman, a Liga da Justiça existe. Mas está “faltando algo”, tanto para eles quanto para a comunidade heroica em geral.

Escrita e soberbamente desenhada por Alan Davis, a saga é marcada pelo lema de “separar para conquistar“. A parte da população que inicialmente via nos heróis uma salvação, passa a ver em Luthor esse nome e, diante das melhorias sociais feitas pelo prefeito, adotam, pouco a pouco, o discurso de que na verdade os humanos não precisam desses super-heróis, afinal, eles não viviam para fazer o bem. Eles criaram toda uma imagem de necessidade, com diversas invasões e ameaças planetárias para amedrontar o povo e dar a impressão de que todos precisavam deles, quando a realidade não era nada parecida com isso. Sem os heróis, não existiria medo e nem invasões fabricadas. O mundo seria um lugar melhor.

É muito triste vermos esse tipo de discurso ligado aos extremos de opinião sobre liberdades individuais e políticas em quadrinhos e notar que, em certa medida, a mesma “preocupação e sentimento” social fazem parte de determinados grupos na nossa realidade. Claro que Alan Davis tirou isso de líderes e organizações fascistas com certa relevância na História da humanidade, mas vendo esse tipo de coisa ganhar a dimensão que ganha aqui, ainda mais com notícias fabricadas para dar a impressão de que o comportamento particular de alguns heróis representam toda a comunidade heroica (não é a primeira vez, na ficção ou na realidade, que vemos coisas muito erradas brotarem da ação bestializante de julgar o todo pela parte) nos coloca para pensar com uma pontada de pesar e medo nas amostras desse pensamento que encontramos hoje em dia.

O mais interessante é que à medida que a situação social se agrava, os próprios heróis e alguns que se afastaram da comunidade começam a contestar o modus operandi dos colegas e de si próprios, dando vazão aos que queriam vê-los presos. Dividir para conquistar. Estando o Gavião Negro morto, tendo o Arqueiro Verde se transformado em um fascista após se tornar tetraplégico em uma de suas lutas ao lado da Liga… e algumas perdas bastante icônicas acontecendo ao longo das edições (como Batman ver o Coringa despedaçar Batgirl e Robin diante de seus olhos, o que resulta na morte do palhaço pelas mãos do morcego, tudo televisionado justamente no momento em que a tragédia aconteceu e exibido na TV apenas a parte cuidadosamente selecionada, sem nenhum contexto), é como se víssemos uma sociedade inteira caminhar para um recrudescimento de forças políticas e militares tendo um ideal de “a nação acima de todos” como mote.

Lanterna Verde vs. Major Desastre e Conde Vertigo. Batman vs. Coringa. Mulher-Maravilha vs. Homens Metálicos mentalmente dominados. Flash vs. Amazo.

Mas além de fazer um trabalho admirável no roteiro, com uma ótima relação dos heróis da DC no período pré-Crise (apesar deste ser uma história fora da continuidade) e uma tremenda crítica social, Davis realiza um grande feito na arte da minissérie, tendo os seus desenhos também muito bem finalizados por Mark Farmer.

A diagramação aqui não é particularmente memorável, ela é apenas bastante eficiente. A noção de ritmo da história consegue ser passada nos mais diversos cenários, dentro e foda da Terra, o que dá a impressão que mesmo nas reuniões e diálogos reflexivos há algo muito importante acontecendo nos quadros. É um senso de urgência que Davis consegue principalmente pela sua predileção por planos cheios de referências para os leitores e, sempre que possível, por composições de vários heróis dentro do mesmo quadro ou cena, dando à história uma aparência épica sem precisar de muito esforço narrativo, que é justamente o que acontece aqui, embora o artista coloque os heróis em missões particulares — seguindo os passos da Liga da Justiça da Era de Prata — e utilizando desses momentos para dar a cada um dos membros da equipe uma bela página solo lutando contra um vilão ou salvando o dia de alguma forma.

As boas sequências de luta, a boa transição visual entre sequências em lugares diferentes e a elogiável interação dos Renegados e da Patrulha do Destino na história, que funciona bem tanto no roteiro quanto na arte, trazem a grandeza e relações entre grupos necessária para a minissérie e todos estão à mercê das políticas de Luthor e de um vilão que não sabem quem é. Outro ponto interessante é como cada equipe discute e interpreta as investidas de perseguição que os meta-humanos estão sofrendo, tendo a própria Liga uma grande sequência em que cada um levanta hipóteses sobre estas opiniões da população serem algo apenas do “calor do momento” e que eles não devem tomar nenhuma ação porque isso irá passar. Depois que descobrimos quem é o vilão (pelo menos para mim foi uma imensa e ótima surpresa, embora não tenha sido nada épico em termos de personagem), um tipo de “intriga plantada”, tão típica de uma determinada espécie, tudo passa a fazer total sentido.

Caçador de Marte vs. Guardas de Luthor. Mulher Gavião salvando crianças. Eléktron vs. Amebas de Segurança do Pensador. Aquaman vs. Mestre do Oceano e Saqueadora Marinha.

Há uma pequena ponta de confusão no meio da primeira edição, mas é um aspecto do roteiro que passa rápido e não possui um impacto negativo grande, exatamente como a não tão interessante inclusão da Tropa dos Lanternas Verdes na história. De resto, a saga dessa realidade sem o Supermen como exemplo para diversas gerações de heróis é construída com bastante competência e tem um final absurdamente emocionante, daqueles capazes de fazer os leitores mais sensíveis lacrimejarem um pouco.

Sem forçar a barra nas consequências pela ausência de um ícone como o Homem de Aço e mantendo a curiosidade que só é saciada nos quadros finais da série (se a cápsula com o bebê kryptoniano caiu na Terra e os Kent não adotaram o bebê, quem adotou? Onde está o Superman?), Alan Davis cria aqui uma das melhores histórias do Universo Alternativo da DC. Uma história que mostra a importância da representatividade, da convivência respeitosa com os diferentes (mesmo que não se concorde com suas ações) e dos estragos que a mídia corrompida e a histeria social costumam fazer a pessoas e sociedades. Uma história que, infelizmente, cabe como uma luva aos nossos tempos. Um alerta de perigo para qualquer mundo.

PS: Uma das minhas hqs favoritas da DC, uma pena que um dos personagens que eu mais desgosto ser o vilão principal (além dele ter uma das motivações que eu mais odeio em um vilão) mas isso não atrapalha tanto ela é ótima.