JLA #51

WARNING! ALL YOUR SPOILERS ARE BELONG TO US!

Title: Man and Superman
Release Date: April 2001
Writer: Mark Waid
Penciller: Mike S. Miller
Inker: Armando Durruthy
JLA Members: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Martian Manhunter, the Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Plastic Man.
Guest Stars: Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, John Jones, Wally West, Kyle Rayner, and Eel O'Brian.
Cameos: Linda Park and Woozy Winks.
Bad Guys: Not much beyond some omnipotent homeless guy.

So what happens?
Well, last issue, we had Batman and Bruce Wayne standing in the Batcave at the same time, and now, it turns out that nearly all the Justice League members have somehow been split into two people -- the costumed superheroes and the normal folks. The only two Leaguers immune have been Wonder Woman and Aquaman, who don't have secret identities, but otherwise, Superman, Batman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, Flash, and Plastic Man are all coexisting with Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, John Jones, Kyle Rayner, Wally West, and Eel O'Brian.

On top of that, there are some other weird things happening all over the Earth. Wishes -- both good and bad -- are being mysteriously granted. Some people win the lottery prize they've always wished for; some people wish their bosses to hell. A homeless man in Washington, DC wishes himself to near-godhood, and the JLA respond to the emergency. He bats them around a little, but the League strikes back with uncharacteristic ruthlessness; Green Lantern hits the guy with an extremely powerful blast from his ring, and Flash, Superman, and Martian Manhunter combine their powers to perform impromptu brain surgery to shut down the homeless guy's mind. The threat has been neutralized, but Aquaman and Wonder Woman mumble to themselves. The Justice League isn't supposed to take such extreme measures...

And speaking of uncharacteristic behavior... Wally West is running late for appointments, John Jones, involved in a car accident, is under the impression that he's blind, Eel O'Brian is considering returning to a life of crime, and Bruce Wayne is behaving just like the elitist playboy he always pretended to be... and showing zero interest in crimefighting.

Cool Moments!
The first meeting of the superheroes and their alter egos; John Jones' isolation, with the loss of his telepathy, is well handled, as is Eel O'Brian's gradual and reluctant return to his old criminal habits.

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