A lot of JLA and JSA today....

After prematurely waking up at around 1:00 pm earlier today, I first took a shower because I failed to do so the previous night. Then, my brother and I decided to grab a little bite to eat at our usual favorite substandard Chinese restaurant. The food was better than usual, putting the meal on par with your typical Big Mac. Thus, I was relatively elated. After coming back home around 3:00 am and downing a coke, I decided to start reading some comics... and I kept on reading until around 1:00 am. I don't believe I've ever read so much in one day.

About two weeks ago, I finally purchased the second volume of Geoff Johns' and Dale Eaglesham's critically acclaimed run on JSA, Thy Kingdom Come. Thus, I felt it was time for me to get reacquainted with the goings-on of the DC universe. The last major comic I read that dealt with continuity was 52 and that was a while ago. To catch up, I decided to read both trades of Meltzer's JLA, The Tornado's Path and The Lightning Saga (which was interspliced with two issues of Johns' JSA) and both of Johns' JSA volumes, The Next Age and the afore-mentioned Thy Kingdom Come. I have to say, unfortunately, that my overall opinion was one of relative disappointment, which saddens me a little. I loved Meltzer's Identity Crisis and Johns' Green Lantern: Rebirth, but for some reason, these mainstream, ongoing titles just aren't doing it for me anymore. They just seem to lack the originality and inventiveness that keeps the titles fresh. Perhaps my obsession with superheroes has weakened, but I don't think that's necessarily it. Maybe my standards of good writing have just raised. For example, I still find All Star Superman breathtakingly beautiful. Why is that? Even though Dale Eaglesham and Ed Benes are both extremely proficient artists, I don't feel that they're anything special. On the other hand, the old art of Frank Miller spoke to my feelings and thoughts in a way that were special and unique, maybe a sign of his genius. Just something to think about.