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Of Embassies and Origins - Justice League International Part 2 (Eaglemoss Collection v77)

  Review: Since we are doing a series of reviews focusing on Booster Gold over his nearly 40-year history, we include this one as a collection of some of his earliest appearances, dating to late 1987. That places the original publish date of these tales while his original solo series was still going strong.  This book is a beautiful, glossy hard-cover with smooth and heavy-stock paper inside, although the sometimes-low print reproduction quality leads to blurred and hard to read word balloons on occasion. It is also a rare book here in North America, as Eaglemoss Collections targeted UK fans with this series. At this point in the history of the 1987-rebooted Justice League, they have gained official United Nations recognition and sanction. To ensure their reach truly is global, they rebrand as Justice League International (as does the title of the series!) and they open new headquarters buildings around the world: New York, Paris and Moscow are included here. As this is a product of 19
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The End. Captain America and the Mighty Avengers volume 2 - Last Days

 

Cover of TPB Captain America and the Mighty Avengers volume 2 - Last Days

Review:

The thread running through the three stories collected here is that they are all endings written by Al Ewing.

The title tale, Captain American and the Mighty Avengers comes from issues 8 and 9, the final two of that very short regular series. It is linked to the larger 2015 Secret Wars crossover, and the reset that it produced in Marvel's lineup of titles. This story definitely deserves pride of place in the collection, as it is the strongest of the group. A poignant and touching story, it conveys how differently people would react to the knowledge of the exact date and time of the end of the world. From caped heroes to EMTs to Soraya's overtime shift on the crisis helpline phones, it is fascinating, well balanced and emotional.

Luke Ross' visuals display an almost traditionalist mindset, with simple stacks of wide panels or grids. The reader's eye has no trouble flowing from one scene to the next, giving a subdued, resigned mood to the pending cataclysm. Well done!

Ewing's second story in this collection is the complete two-part Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders tie-in with the Warzones Secret Wars crossover. Dr. Faiza Hussain wields the sword of Excalibur and the mantle of Captain Britain, and must rally the Mighty Defenders to protect against Boss Cage and the overly goofy War Machine, with its constant refrain, "Look at all my guns!" With a plot filled with surprises and twists, and Alan Davis' surprisingly muted and subdued visuals, it is a quick read. The Big Boss / Thor of Mondo City turns from enemy to friend astonishingly quickly; it must be Captain Britain's charm while wielding her sword.

The third and final story is mostly forgettable. While memorable perhaps for the transference of the Captain Britain role from Brian Braddock to Faisa Hussain, the UK based battle in the Age of Ultron feels too bleak and hopeless for a satisfying standalone story. Butch Guice has fun slipping in some old-fashioned 8-bit Atari-game era graphics as they bring the battle inside Ultron. And even as London burns and countless Avengers fall, it ends on a tiny glimmer of hope and healing.

For one solid Last Days tale and an otherwise scattershot collection, I give it 2 capes.


Description:

These are the stories of the end of the world, and of the people who faced the end together. Some of them wore costumes, and some of them didn't. Some had super-human powers, and all some had were each other. They were the Mighty Avengers. And this is what they did on the last day. Plus: The AGE OF ULTRON hits Britain, and Captain Britain hits back with a little help from his friends - including a vacationing Captain Marvel!

Collects: Captain America & the Mighty Avengers #8-9, Captain Britain & the Mighty Defenders #1-2, Avengers Assemble 15AU

Authors: Al Ewing
Artists: Luke Ross (Captain America), Alan Davis (Captain Britain), Butch Guice (Avengers Assemble)
Published By: Marvel 
Published When: Nov. 3 2015
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 9780785198031
Pages: 112 pages


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