DC’s Elseworlds stories are often about big changes. Like setting Batman in the Victorian era or transplanting Superman to Apokolips. Or a world where the Flash saves his mother and all hell breaks loose. Although they do deal with the idea of ”what if…?” Similar to their Marvel counterparts, they often focus less on continuity-changing, pivotal moments where things go differently, and instead focus on more esoteric impossible steps.
But not always.
Many of them used a defining moment in history to flap their butterfly wings. Like that Nora Allen moment. Crime Alley Murders. Or one fateful day, a rocket from a distant planet, possibly carrying a baby, crashes to Earth, a day the Kent family misses because they decide to stay home. A flat tire had previously been discovered on the truck. Just a nail.
“It is not enough that we defeat evil. We must become pure symbols of goodness to inspire humanity.
JLA – Nail go through Alan Davis, Mark Farmer, Patricia Mulvihilland Pat Prentice Give us a world without Superman. It’s not as directly dystopian as you might think, much of the Golden Age is the same, but it does bring conflict to the story. The colorfully costumed heroes of the Silver Age do look normal, but there are also subtle differences, such as Metropolis’s defense and the devastating confrontation with Amazo.
There’s a paranoid feel to the entire story, with those in power, such as Metropolis Mayor Lex Luthor, working to turn the populace against superhumans. Promote the idea that they are aliens coming to conquer Earth. It’s interesting to see what would happen without the stabilizing factor of Superman to inspire everyone, how inherently good people like Wonder Woman and Green Lantern would be destroyed. And who is behind the whole incident. Davis is great at deflecting attention to our expectations of how everything fits together. Among them is a familiar star-shaped entity.
I firmly believe that Alan Davis is one of the greatest superhero artists of all time. He sat next to Neal Adams and Jose Luis GacexistαLfromPez’s style is so ingrained in the action and fluidity of superhero comics. It’s a gorgeous piece of work that captures the spirit of the Silver Age, spanning characters from the Justice League to Doom Patrol and Metal Man. While there are some interesting choices, such as Catwoman, I think Davis chose to use more period costumes. Using Mark Farmer’s inks, the lines are smoothed, further enhancing the sense of movement in the image.
Patricia Mulvihill’s colors blend old-school palettes with modern techniques. Various characters feature classic color schemes, including the blue-gray Batman, which captures the essence of their old designs but also has a glossy finish. Especially during the final battle, the colors of energy just flickered off the page. Simple writing by Pat Prentice, with some fun, unique balloons that allow the characters to slowly fade away.
“All we can do now is stand our ground and fight to the end.
There is a sequel called another nail More consequences of this world are dealt with. Alan Davis will create another Superman story that takes him into the future instead of the 20th centuryth century and super boy army. I’d still love to see a part 3 if he wants to nail and the final nail He talks about this in the introduction to his latest series. It’s almost nostalgic at this point, but fun.
JLA: Nail The works of Davis, Farmer, Mulvihill and Prentiss illustrate Silver Age nostalgia turned into cautionary tales about insidious forms of control. That in itself makes it timeless. Not to turn back time and return to the innocence of the past, but to declare the true nature of heroism. And humanity.
Classic Comics Compendium: JLA – Nails
JLA – Nail
Writer and Pencil: Alan Davis
Inker: Mark Farmer
Colorist: Patricia Mulvihill
Writer: Pat Prentice
Publisher: DC Comics – Elseworlds
release date: June 17 to August 26, 1998 (original question)
available for collection Justice League of America: Nails – The Complete Collection
Read past entries in the Classic Comics Compendium!
