Review code format (ranked 1-5, blah to faboo): [writing / art / new reader? / non-comics reader?]
Formerly Known as the Justice League (DC) [3/5/2/3] (collects #1-6)
w. Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis; a. Kevin Maguire
In 2004, DC tried to capture fire again, bringing this creative team, who had reinvented the Justice League in the early 90s as heroic but humorous types, to bring back some of the figures of that era — Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, Fire, etc> — as “down on their luck” heroes trying to make a come-back.
It was … a mixed success. Sales were okay. I picked up a copy, and promptly hated it.
The 90s effort had been fresh. But I’d come to care about these characters in subsequent years. Playing them for yocks seemed — disrespectful. You can take a light, even humorous approach, without making the individuals concerned buffoons. Indeed, back in that 90s incarnation of the JL, that was the case. Maxwell Lord was funny and pompous — but he turned out to also be heroic, in his own way, and a tragic figure.
(The irony of the fate of several of the characters in this book — Beetle, Lord, Sue Dibney — is in itself almost too much to bear consideration.)
I actually ended up picking up some of the later issues in this abortive series, and changed my mind enough to come back and here and buy this one. And, to be sure, after you get beyond some of the more annoying repartee, you find both wit and heroism — and, heck, seeing Mary Marvel and Captain Atom stomping the stuffing out of each other in Roulette’s arena is plenty exciting. And Maguire’s art (inked by Joe Rubinstein) is worth the price of admission almost regardless.
I Can’t Believe It’s Not the Justice League (Publisher) [4/5/4/4]
w. Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis; a. Kevin Maguire
This follows up the previous tales, and includes the return (of course) of Guy Gardner, a visit to an alternate “evil” universe, and a journey to Hell (maybe) that half laughs, half tragedy. Really. I mean, snuffly-nosed-after-reading-it tragedy. It’s this mix that made this series, again, worth the read (along with the Maguire/Rubinstein art).
Again, again, here we are, mere months before the whole Identity Crisis / Infinite Crisis thang — and, there they are, in the last panel, Blue Beetle and Maxwell Lord, laughing together over a joke. I don’t have the irk over how the DCU has changed, but, damn, that’s a glaring dissonance right there.
(listening to: Gold, Murray & the BBC Natl Orch of Wales, “Closing Theme (The Christmas Invasion)” from Doctor Who)
(listening to: Fried, Gerald, “Amok Time: Vulcan” from Star Trek Orig TV Sdtrk – II)
(listening to: Simon & Garfunkel, “Go Tell It on the Mountain” from Wednesday Morning, 3 AM)
(listening to: Riepl, Kevin, “City Zone 12” from City of Villains)