JLA/Spectre: Soul War

(DC, 2003)
™ and ©2003 DC Comics, Inc.

One would hope Spectre fans disappointed by the cancellation of the character’s monthly title could take some measure of solace in this release. After all, it gives the Spiritual Spartan the prestige format treatment, it teams him up with the vaunted Justice League of America, and it lets Hal Jordan take a stab at redeeming himself (at least partially) in the eyes of his former colleagues. Regrettably, little solace is to be found within these pages.

The art is nice in spots, but many of the pages have a jumbled, hurried look, as though the project were not worthy of the artists’ full attention. Spectre’s laborious verbiage tells readers (and the Justice League) what nebulous threat the heroes are facing, but the psychic warfare routine remains hopelessly muddled and requires too much explanation (remember, writers, to show and not tell). In addition, while some may think a Spectre exhibiting Amazo-like powers is the greatest idea since DC turned the formerly noble Hal Jordan into a psychotic killer — well, come to think of it, both ideas are pretty lame.

— Brett Weiss

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Notes

Writer

Artist

#1

March, 2003
Cover Price: $5.95
11 copies available from $4.10

J.M. DeMatteis

Darryl Banks

#2

April, 2003
Cover Price: $5.95
11 copies available from $4.25

J.M. DeMatteis

Darryl Banks