Comic Review – “JLA: Welcome to the Workweek”

Is this one-shot worth your time and money?

General Information

Title: JLA: Welcome to the Workweek

Author: Patton Oswalt

Illustrator(s): Patrick Gleason, Christian Alamy

Original Publication Date: June 18, 2003

Cover Price: $6.95 US, $11.50 Can

Premise

This 64-page one-shot follows the JLA from the perspective of
someone
who is hiding in the Watchtower.

High Point

Batman’s fetish.

Low Point

The guy’s presence for a week. They try to explain it, but the
explanation doesn’t quite wash, given what he had access to.

The Scores

The concept seems original to me; how many people
undetected
in a super hero’s headquarters wouldn’t be there to kill the hero?
The execution could use a bit of work, though. I give it 4 out of 6.

The artwork is fairly nice. There’s a surprisingly high
proportion of well endowed women even in the general population,
though. I realize that that’s been common in comics for a while, but
it still seems odd, especially after re-reading most of the Ultimate
line this week. Other than that, it looks great. I give it 5 out of
6.

The story is pretty slim. It’s mostly random observations
that aren’t quite as funny as the solicitation made them seem. (It
reads like a story about the life of a hero with jokes thrown in more
than a comedy itself.) I give it 3 out of 6.



The characterization is extremely well done. If you want a
crash course in the JLA, this book will do the job very well. The
reader sees the team through the eyes of a person who is familiar with
the characters only by reputation, and we get to see their
personalities through his eyes. I give it 6 out of 6.

The emotional response wasn’t what I hoped. There were
a few
amusing spots, but nothing made me laugh out loud. I give it 4 out of
6.

The flow is pretty haphazard, but that’s intentional. The
reader is meant to be as overwhelmed as the lead character, and the
rapid cuts from threat to threat accomplish that easily. I give it 4
out of 6.

Overall, it’s a decent read. If it’s in a library, go for
it. If you’re paying cover price, it may not be worth it, unless you
want to jump in and find out what the JLA characters are all about.
It works very well as an introductory piece. I give it 4 out of 6.

In total, JLA: Welcome to the Workweek receives 30 out of
42.