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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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Enter the Clowns: Justice League 3000 Volume 2 - The Camelot War (The New 52)

 

Cover of Justice League 3000 Volume 2 - The Camelot War

Review:

Superstar comics writing team Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis caught lightning in a bottle in the 1980s and 1990s with their work on various Justice League titles. They concocted a brilliant blend of wit, slapstick humor, compelling new characters (perhaps most notably Maxwell Lord, who became a major force of disruption in the DCU), clever plots and new twists on familiar characters. It all led to the widespread recognition of a nomination for Best New Series (which they ultimately lost to the beautifully poetic Concrete series by Paul Chadwick).

Their 31st-century Justice League title, which started in 2014, tries to recapture that success, but ultimately misses. Not for lack of trying, though - perhaps the bar was just too high?

Set 1000 years in the future, the series features Justice League stalwarts Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash and Green Lantern. They've been resurrected by the Wonder Twins and Cadmus. But the process is flawed and they wind up, well, different. Green Lantern is being slowly poisoned by the Green energy that powers his ring, and is stuck at a height of about 6 inches. Wonder Woman is laser-focused on the ferocious warrior side of her personality, almost to the exclusion of other personality traits or even interests. Superman is a goofy, arrogant frat-boy who is unable to fly.

Even as Wonder Twin Terry kills his sister Teri, then Barry Allen AKA Flash, the tone stays light, the banter humorous, the characters goofy. The league escapes to Camelot 9 and joins the battle against the hordes of hell led by the rhyming demon Etrigan. The story is off-the-wall and careens from one absurdity to another.

Seemingly sensing that something is not working this time around, Giffen and DeMatteis bring in some of the stars of their earlier run. Tora, no longer the Ice Maiden, has lived for the entire 1,000 years as an Ice Goddess. Her bestie Fire has also somehow survived, living in Hell as Etrigan's lover. But they don't stop there; they bring back the chief clowns of their earlier work, Booster Gold and Blue Beetle. The two of them are, if possible, even more ridiculous than before.

Howard Porter's art is brutal and harsh, with severe expressions that get lots of play given his love of closeups. It makes for a stark contrast to the light tone of the dialog. And 31st century fashion has its own contrasts, with some absurd haircuts and an apparent love of over-the-chin jawline straps.

It is an interesting exercise in watching a renowned writing team trying to make adjustments mid-stream to bend a title more into their wheelhouse. But ultimately it cannot recapture the magic of their earlier run. 2 Capes out of 5.

Description:

In the far flung future in the year 3000, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Green Lantern are still defending the Earth as the Justice League. From the classic Justice League writing team of Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis with legendary artist Howard Porter (JLA), comes volume 2 of this series starring the heroes of today--tomorrow!

Collects: JUSTICE LEAGUE 3000 #8-13

Authors: Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis
Artists: Howard Porter
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: April 28, 2015
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 978-1401254148
Pages: 144 pages


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