JLA Woman Of Tomorrow Review

JLA (Vol 1) Woman Of Tomorrow Review By Deffinition

JLA Woman Of Tomorrow follows on directly from the stellar introductory arc ‘New World Order‘ by Grant Morrison.
 
If you’ve read my review of the first chapter then you know I thought that it was astounding from beginning to end. It was a breathtaking arc from start to finish that is one of the main reasons that I regard the author so highly. Nobody is perfect though, and the 90’s were a very strange time for comics.
 
Can this single issue story involving the Justice League measure up to it’s first arc or does it suffer from a sophomore curse?
 
I jumped in to find out
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JLA’s Got Talent

The book opens on Professor T.O. Morrow and Ivo (creator of Amazo) toasting their latest sinister device, Tomorrow Woman. An android created with the sole intention of destroying the Justice League from within.
 
The JLA, one member down after Metamorpho’s death, are holding auditions for a new member. Tomorrow Woman arrives and aces all tests put in front of her in every respect. It was hilarious to see an X-Factor like performance process way before the shows creation and from the off you get the satirical nature of Morrisson’s writing.
 
It’s great that from the straight away we know Morrisson has one foot solidly in parody and whether you like superheroes or not there is some merit to be taken from this book. There are jokes laden throughout. Early on Superman comments that more people attended his funeral than Metamorpho’s to which the priest replies ‘people don’t expect Superheroes to stay dead.’ This sets up a payoff moment on the final page when this situation is revisited. To me it signifies that Morrisson wrote this piece similar to a joke. There is a set up and punchline and whether intentional or not there is some very intelligent aspects to the book’s overall arc.

‘Freedom is not in her vocabulary’

Throughout the short but sweet story Tomorrow Woman infiltrates the league, aiding them on missions as the she gains their trust. Professor Morrow and Ivo watch on, grinning throughout as their devious plot slowly comes to fruition. It reeks of the camp villainy of the 60’s in a great way and makes the villains likeable even though we should despise them. It took me back to the pulp era villains who spent more time laughing maniacly than they did plotting any plans and Morrison has created a great call back without hamming it up too much.
 
As they set up Tomorrow to destroy the league they boast of how she is the perfect being. This is confirmed when the android breaks programming, writing her own rules and making her own decisions, much to the stunned delight of the evil Professor Morrow. The robot sacrifices herself in order to save our heroes and it cements that there is perhaps good within all of us.
 
Superman once again attends a hero’s funeral, rebutting with ‘you didn’t bury one today’ when the priest asks why he is putting a machine in the ground.
 
It’s a touching moment that adds a little heart to what could have been a by-the-by story and is the perfect send off for the short lived character.
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The Verdict

JLA Woman Of Tomorrow is condensed storytelling at its finest. A huge part of the way that tales were told in the 90’s, this book showcases it at it’s finest. Morrisson is able to get across a wholly complex arc that questions the human condition in a light hearted and enjoyable manner. Whilst the story is too short to stand up to today’s expectations it still is an enjoyable look at how the league operates internally and that whilst they seem like Gods, the members are human after all.
 
I had fun with Woman Of Tomorrow and that’s why it gets a….

7/10