4 out of 5

I previously lumped all of Morrison’s JLA run into one review as the trades were on their way to the giveaway pile, and to give myself credit (yaaaayyy), I’m still in agreement with the review.  But: it’s fun to revisit these books with even more comic reading experience under my belt – as well as having seen how DC and Marvel have changed drastically even in the last ten years – so seeing Rock on the sale rack was a deal worth my interest to spend on.  And what did I find upon returning to Grant’s high-concept run?  I already told you, guy – I still agree with my previous review.  Geez.  Read closer.  But you’re here, sigh, bane of my existence yon thirst-slakeless fans, and so I’ll grant you some further text.

‘Rock,’ being sort of in the middle of Grant’s run, is where he bridges from new beginnings into the World War capper of his conclusion.  So the team is ‘settled’ – although pieces are still being arranged and rearranged and I’m still confused why Aztek ever had to exist – and he starts roping in New Gods concepts during Lex Luthor’s League of Assassins plot to kill the JLA, which makes much use of the world-bending Philosopher’s Stone.  Ideas that would continue to pop up through Grant’s history with DC comics – up through his recent Multiversity, even – make appearances here, which can either make you roll your eyes at Grant’s obsessive consistency with layered worlds or gasp and guffaw at the dude who’s been striving to unite eras of pop history into something that exists in a canon universe.  Of course it’s impossible that the Grant of 52 and beyond knew what he was doing here, but that nothing is off limits to the writer’s sandbox imagination is what’s helped make his involvement with this stuff continually exciting.  …Though still silly, of course.  Big And Bold was the name of the game for Grant’s JLA, and that’s all over Rock of Ages.  And in retrospect, one of the key things that made this work so well – and hold up – is artist Howard Porter.  I didn’t see it at the time, but Porter’s panels are so stuffed with details and his paneling so jam-packed that, combined with Grant’s million-ideas-a-minute routine, you don’t get a chance to breathe.  Which is why the ending feels like a bit of a whimper all of a sudden: the artists who assist on the last issue ain’t no slouches (Gary Frank, Greg Land), but suddenly we’re looking at typical layouts and perspectives, and things feel a bit humdrum.  …Which allows you to focus on how ridiculous some of this is, like why Flash doesn’t just run and grab the philosopher’s stone at any point.  When the pace is non-stop, disbelief is more easily suspended.

The second key – and something Rock, since it’s a fairly self-contained arc – is how in-house Grant keeps most of the happenings.  He warps us to different realities, but it’s always firmly in the House of Heroes, whether it’s his Wonderworld creation, or chilling with Darkseid, we’re shunted far and away from day-to-day, which, again, helps distract us from thinking about things too much.  That doesn’t make the writing dumb, it’s just a particular brew that I think allows more readers – like me – into the party, and is why I haven’t found much of interest dealing with the Justice League outside of Grant’s run.

Nothing extra in this edition of the trade, save a covers gallery and a nice recap of all the characters at the start, but it’s also mad cheap at 12.95, so, y’know, poo.