Review:
The very title of this collection telegraphs its light and humorous tone, and it delivers! This sequel to the Super Buddies introduced in Formerly Known as the Justice League shows why this creative team's original run on Justice League International in the late 1980s was so well received. Keith Giffen and J. M. Dematteis reinvented the Justice League, filling their pages with toned-down power levels and amped-up dialog, relationships and team dynamics, all overlaid with witty and sarcastic dialog. It was a breath of fresh air and captured the imagination of the fandom of the day.
But when they brought the gang back together as the Super Buddies, it initially fell flat. Formerly Known as the Justice League was overly goofy, its character portrayals too one-dimensional. This time, though, they got it right. This 6-chapter book is a true delight to read, a hit for fans of these characters and a fun ride for new readers.
The Super Buddies are horrified to discover that a new sports bar opening next to their headquarters in a local strip mall is co-owned by supervillain Blackguard and... Guy Gardner?!
Life gets even more challenging when Booster Gold accidentally condemns the entire team to Hell. Can they survive the tortures devised by the demon Etrigan, escape Hell and get back home? And if, say, they wind up not home, but in a mirror-universe where the Super Buddies are strippers and bouncers at a seedy gentlemen's club, then what might they do?
It's a delightfully oddball premise, and Giffen and Dematteis carry off the dialog banter with deft wit. I especially love Blue Beetle's critiques of Etrigan's famous rhyming couplets - always a great idea to antagonize your captors!
But it is the depth of the relationships, the character development and emotion that score highest in these pages. Booster Gold emerges from his previous one-dimensional, moronic frat-boy portrayal, as he becomes the one who first figures out certain key details of their dilemma. His relationship with Fire, so poisoned over the years by his willingness to exploit her, takes some fascinating new turns. For her part, Fire and Mary Marvel become on-again, off-again Besties.
And most significant of all is Ice. She was killed, you may recall, by Overmaster in the Judgement Day crossover event in the Justice League books. But when they meet her in Hell, Fire and Guy Gardner must deal with powerful emotional swings. Can they overcome Etrigan's strict rules and rescue Ice? Guy Gardner is determined to rescue Ice - "Not. Without. Her." - but does he have the willpower to do what must be done?
Kudos to artists Kevin Maguire and Joe Rubinstein for their phenomenal ability to push the story forward with their images. Highest grades go to their stunningly simple, clean and powerful portrayals of the emotions, especially those of Gardner and Fire. And they get several pages, over the course of the book, to stack up panels of facial expressions reacting to off-panel events. New colorist David Baron gets a shout-out in the corny credit-roll, and definitely deserves attention - the colors and shading he brings to these tales add such visual texture and appeal, immediately noticeable compared to Formerly Known.
One final Booster Gold note - when the team tells him about former super-villain Blackguard opening the sports bar next door, his reaction is basically "who?" Yet he fought Blackguard multiple times in his very first story-arc, in Booster Gold in the mid 1980s. Ancient history to this time traveler?
Super Buddies were such a joke in their first appearances, but this book hits the mark with an entertainingly complex tale.
Description:
I can't believe it's not the Justice League! But you will when the Super Buddies finally open for business - complete with their own theme song. But things hit a sour note when a former foe - Blackguard - opens a sports bar next door to their new "headquarters" in the strip mall downtown! Worse, Blackguard has a partner, the Buddies' old pal Guy Gardner!
Things go from worse to worser when Booster Gold accidentally consigns half the team to Hell for all eternity. The rest mount a rescue mission, but just being a Super Buddy may not be enough to deal with demons, monsters and zombies ... and a dead teammate resurrected!
Collects: JLA Classified #4-9
Authors: Keith Giffen, J. M. Dematteis
Artists: Kevin Maguire, Joe Rubinstein
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: Dec 30, 2005
Parental Rating: PG-13
ISBN: 978-1401204785
Pages: 144 pages
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