Justice League of America #7.4
Written By: Geoff Johns, Sterling Gates Art By: Edgar SalazarJohns, Gates and Salazar capture the sheer strength of Black Adam in Justice League of America #7.4, but leave out the cleverness and moral ambiguity that makes him so appealing.
The installment is serviceable to say the least, for introducing the villain’s disposition on ruling Khandaq. However, there’s no real emotional arc for the character to get to where he is by the end of the story.
The story follows the “Sons of Adam,” who are a cult subsect of Khandaq citizens that believe resurrecting Black Adam will free them from the tyranny of their ruler, Ibac.
Amon is our eyes of the Sons of Adam, who acts as the heart of the group as he tries to convince his wife of the cult’s goal to revive Black Adam. Tragedy ensues when he dies in the process, but there’s a lack of emotional resonance when this happens.
Amon’s wife comes around to his side by the time he sacrifices himself resurrecting Black Adam and declares, “We’re the weapons.” Perhaps because of the tame art in this scene, the moment isn’t really felt. Amon’s wife comes across as unsympathetic, and the toll of the military strife isn’t evident enough in multiple aspects of their relationship.
Black Adam comes into the picture in the latter half of the issue, to wreak havoc on Ibac. Salazar’s strong visuals of Adam basking in clouds of dust and beating the military sell the character’s might.
Black Adam’s all brawn, not brains in this issue. This isn’t necessarily the wrong approach, but the lack of emotional response from the Amon storyline doesn’t help to round the story. Justice League of America #7.4 offers a fine set up for Black Adam’s rule in Khandaq, but needs future installments to hold itself high.
