Jenny Sparks #3 shows her true colors. Beneath the bold lines and beautiful gradients, it’s clear that the characters of Wildstorm are back due to none other than an old-fashioned war. The story’s anachronisms are only emphasized by Jeff Spokes’ masterful art. Spokes continues to demonstrate his sculpting mastery, giving definitive depictions of each member of the Justice League. Tom King’s screenplay, by contrast, reveals its cracks when Justice League becomes a mostly clichéd dialogue caricature.
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This issue spends most of its time asking the age-old question: “Should superheroes intervene in multinational wars?” This question ultimately distracts from the dire hostage situation and the threat posed by Captain Atom. Then, when the Justice League shows up, the impending momentum of the previous issue slows down even more. The truth is that Superman can’t intervene in real wars because he’s not real. But he can save fictional people from fictional war crimes, as seen in recent stories such as Warworld Saga. And while Superman can inspire real people to do real good, he wasn’t able to do that in this issue.
So the 9/11 allegory is not only ill-timed and a decade late, it also doesn’t make much sense. With multiple political issues at play, this issue revisits old fears. As for our title character, Jenny, she repeats the same line about lighting a cigarette, but it’s not as engaging as it was at first. The series reaches its halfway point, and the hostages become increasingly insubstantial as their captivity increases, and they seem to have resigned themselves to their fate.
There’s a big action set piece where the Justice League is spread out across diagonal panels. It looks great as a midpoint to the climax, but it lacks an emotional component. Each hero’s colors stand out from the background, and even Batman’s blacks and grays never dull them, making them stand out in a two-dimensional world. Captain Atom remains a manic but powerful adversary worthy of DC’s A-Team. But in the end, their victory or defeat is logically questionable, and there are no consequences.
Jenny Sparks #3 begins to make noise and fall apart when read in context as more than a superhero punch-up. You’re trying to say something meaningful, but you need more stimulation to get it across deeply. But no matter what you’re doing, it won’t look any different while you’re doing it.
“Jenny Sparks” #3 conveys a message
jenny sparks #3
Jenny Sparks #3 begins to make noise and fall apart when read in context as more than a superhero punch-up. You’re trying to say something meaningful, but you need more stimulation to get it across deeply. But no matter what you’re doing, it won’t look any different while you’re doing it.
Jeff Spokes stands alongside some of the great cartoonists of the last decade. His lines and colors make each superhero pop like no other
The stakes of the previous issue are wiped out in favor of thematic flashbacks
Justice League members reduced to one line
