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Finally read this after sitting years in my dusty collection. This long after publication, I feel like its impact is diluted from shock to fading curiosity. While it would've stood out as new back then, after 12 books of The Boys to *really* explore the arrogant depravity of super-powered beings, this feels like a half-hearted effort at illustrating where they could just as easily go wrong as right.

Some of the "opposite" stuff is clever, creative (how each of the Crime Syndicate came to their powers); some of it is just plain terrible (US history, bobbies with guns, Jimmie Olson, high-tar cigarettes advertising).

Quitely at this point in his career just couldn't draw a female that didn't look like a communist athlete from the 80's. Otherwise distinctive, his talent is notable but not yet necessarily praise-worthy.

There are a few good laughs, that come not at the expense of the anti-world gimmick. Then there are a few moments that feel like cheap laughs for shock value, and I realize that Morrison has certainly grown as a writer (or maybe just didn't like the gig writing for gimmicks).

The most redeeming aspects of this otherwise underwhelming book are (a) the twist and (b) the commentary on the predictable role of heroes vs. villains in our comics. I'll admit that at least after reading this I feel okay about the whole arc of this story, but it still doesn't whelm me.