Product Description: The Justice League of America is reborn in this hardcover graphic novel collecting classic stories from the late 1980s, as no-nonsense heroes including Batman, Black Canary and Dr. Fate attempt to work with disruptive newcomers Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, and the rowdy Guy Gardner Green Lantern. Brought together by master manipulator Maxwell Lord (later the villain of INFINITE CRISIS), this new Justice League must battle evil while facing internal dissension.At the same time, they also must uncover Lords own secret agenda.
Very Disappointed I was really disappointed in DC's choice to print this $25 hardcover using their matte paper (what they used on the Kirby omnibus series) rather than the standard glossy paper used on the vast majority of hardcovers and trades released today. This paper choice, in my opinion, drains the material of life and I could just pull my back issues to experience this duller appearing format.
The actual stories contained in this book though are classics and hold up well.
A classic run, but you may already have it. If you own the Justice League: A New Beginning TPB, you already have all the stories in this volume - minus a new introduction, a 1987 poster reproduced as a two-page spread, and an encyclopedia entry.
BUYER BEWARE!!! I bought this book with great anticipation, only to discover that the book is printed on DC's infamous "phone book" paper stock instead of the glossy stock that this book deserves and the $25 cover price demands. This is inexcusable! The original TPB collection had better paper stock quality than this hardcover does. Marvel's hardcover collections have far superior paper stock for the price. The Iron Man Demon In A Bottle hardcover, for instance, has as many pages as the JLI HC and the same retail price, but features thick, glossy pages with great ink saturation, as opposed to the poorly printed, cheap, thin garbage that DC is trying to pass off to us fans! Demand more for your money!
Great story, great team, great book This is a great book. The plot and characters are engaging, the levity is not over-done, and the art has a real 80s feel (as in it looks realistic like the old G.I. Joe. cartoon as opposed to the blocky look of Justice League Unlimited).
The book isn't without faults though. Regarding the story, there are a few plot holes. For instance, is Dr. Light in the league at the end of the book? Or is she just slapped on the cover for kicks and giggles?
All in all, it's a good book. I wish it included more Justice League issues, but paying $16 for a hardback 190p. comic isn't bad.
"Just once, I'd like to rush off to save the world - and have it be a gay, madcap escapade!" So, this lighthearted take on the Justice League ranks as a personal favorite. And, despite the few grumpies who denounced it, this particular incarnation of DC's flagship title, from 1987 and on to the '90s, was an overwhelming success. Cherry picking from the roster of the Legends: The Collection mini-series, plotter Keith Giffen, scripter J.M. DeMatteis, and artists Kevin Maguire, Al Gordon, and Terry Austin (for one issue) were able to inject big new life into this flagging title. Flagging? JLA had actually been cancelled after issue #261 (after the dismal Detroit arc), only to be re-started with this version. Comic book editor Andy Helfer explains the genesis of this retooled Justice League in his 5-paged intro. Giffen and DeMatteis weren't able to use Superman, Wonder Woman, or the Flash as these characters were undergoing their own revamping. So, with Batman, the Martian Manhunter, and the Black Canary representing the old guard, the cast is mostly made up of capes new to the League.
JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL Vol. 1 collects the first seven issues of Giffen and DeMatteis's run. Their first few stories were actually about as conventional as they'd get as, in these pages, the new, untested team faces off against terrorists holding the United Nations hostage, three otherworldly beings bent on destroying the world's entire nuclear weaponry, the mystical and frightening Gray Man, and the Royal Flush Gang. Also weaving in and out of the picture is the mysterious Maxwell Lord, who seems to be pulling some serious strings in the shadows. A drastic upgrading to the team's status on the world stage would be reflected with a title change as JUSTICE LEAGUE would become JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL with issue #7. But, even with these somber story arcs, Giffen and DeMatteis were already peppering in tidbits of what would become their trademark humor.
The characters draw you in right away. Of them all, my favorite is Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle (I liked his comic book series, too). His partner in farce isn't bad, either - Booster Gold, who'd show up by the 3rd issue. Then there's the gee-whizzy, aw-shucksy Captain Marvel and that fun-to-root-against nutjob Guy Gardner. In fact, one early highlight is the much anticipated showdown between the brash ugly Gardner and the domineering Batman. In their subversive portrayal of the Justice League, Giffen and DeMatteis have gone on record (in a Silver Bullet Comics interview) that they weren't doing a superhero spoof as much as basing their characters' playful interactions on how camaraderie in real life would play out. Whatever the case, the squabbling character dynamics would be ripe for comedy plunder for years to come.
It all wouldn't have worked as well, of course, without Kevin Maguire's wonderful artwork. Maguire, back in 1987, was an unknown artist, so DC's decision makers really took a chance by giving him the pencilling gig. But it pays off huge. Kevin is a great all-around artist but he really excels in drawing the most expressive facial expressions. He's also very good at rendering the most natural or the most heroic of poses.
So, yeah, so many things to like about this run. There's an energy here, and a freshness. And, while, soon enough, the madcap comedy would become tone-setting, there were still enough character driven stories and solid, straightforward action that I never got the feeling that the series became reduced to a parody book. At least, not until the much later issues (I wince at L-Ron and the doggy Green Lantern). JUSTICE LEAGUE (INTERNATIONAL) proved to be so popular it spawned several spinoffs: JUSTICE LEAGUE EUROPE, JUSTICE LEAGUE QUARTERLY, and JUSTICE LEAGUE TASK FORCE. But it all starts with JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL Volume 1. Give it a shot, (and also Justice League International VOL 2) and see if this brand of Justice League can't tickle you in the "Bwah-ha-ha!"
(In the Must-Be-Said Department: I don't know about anyone else who's read these issues before, but, for me, it feels a bit weird and even bittersweet, nowadays, to re-read the Giffen/DeMatteis Justice League, given the events in Identity Crisis (DC Comics) and in one particular story leading in to Infinite Crisis. I'll just go on record as a non-fan of Maxwell Lord.)
And if you're wondering what else Giffen and DeMatteis have collaborated in, then also check out their DEFENDERS (with Maguire), Hero Squared Vol. 1 and Giffen and Dematteis' Giffen and Dematteis' Planetary Brigade mini-series. These too have some good schtick.
Lastly, this review is 99% pasted from the review I wrote for Justice League: A New Beginning (Justice League (DC Comics)), which is essentially the same graphic novel, except that it came out years ago.
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