The Watchtower 6.28.04

Archive

Welcome back to The Watchtower’s continuing look at the world of Trade Paperbacks. This week, something a bit different, as I’ve sectioned off an entire column to discuss the largest section of my TPB collection, the one devoted to the various incarnations of the Justice League.

Of course, as a comic book reader, I always knew of the Justice League, both through a few Silver Age (and god-awful pre-Zero Hour) issues I’d picked up, as well as that venerable benchmark of comic book lore: The Superfriends. So my conception of what the Justice League meant was some weird amalgamation of Aquaman riding around on a sea horse and Bloodwynd…yeah, it was rough.

Then, one day, on the shelves of my local Barnes & Nobles, I was scanning the TPBs and the cover of JLA: Rock of Ages jumped out at me (it had Lex Luthor, Darkseid and the electric blue Superman, so it was pretty striking); through that I was introduced to the Grant Morrison JLA, which I went about feverishly snatching up until I had the entire run (and I don’t believe there is any series DC has done such a fine job building a solid TPB index as JLA; if only they gave the same attention to some of their other properties). From there I also picked up some Mark Waid collections and eventually some other miscellaneous trades of other Justice League eras.

This column will take a look at some of the highs and lows of the collected Justice League and then I’ve thrown in some extras at the end about one of my favorite teams, enjoy!


JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: THE NAIL
Reprints: Justice League of America: The Nail #1-3
Writer(s): Alan Davis
Pencillers(s): Alan Davis
The Solicit: “Formed by the world’s greatest heroes, the Justice League of America stands tall as the mightiest group of protectors this Earth has to offer. Since their founding, one hero above all others has stood as their inspiration, guiding light and moral center—Superman.

Now imagine a world without the Man of Steel.

Welcome to the alternate history of JLA: The Nail.

In a fascinating story of tiny accidents that cascade into cataclysmic disasters, writer/artist Alan Davis creates a world that never knew a Superman with a Justice League that is about to face their greatest test of might and morality.”
Extras: Afterword by Alan Davis
The Story: 4.5
I consider Alan Davis to be perhaps the without peer master of the Elseworlds storytelling format. With both this and Superboy’s Legion, he takes a small tweak (Superboy lands in the 30th century, Kal El is not found by the Kents) and builds a strong story around it, rather than taking a larger and ridiculous change (Batman is Green Lantern, Superman was a knight of King Arthur) and relying on the shock value to be the story. With The Nail, Davis delights in creating a universe (not just a world) in which he is free to play with all of DC’s toys (and that’s one of the big appeals: he uses so many characters, some just in fun cameo roles) without any continuity restraints. The hitch is that he still says very faithful to the classic portrayals of the characters (as he notes in the afterword), he just creates moments and repercussions that would be impossible within the confines of the DCU proper and explores how the characters would respond (without changing the core of the characters). The Nail has some nice character moments (especially with Batman and J’onn J’onzz), but it’s not going to redefine the way you look at Aquaman or The Flash; it’s a very Silver Age story, not high concept, wide screen or psychological, just fun and a little bit ridiculous without seeming silly (the characters talk to themselves, some uses of their powers borders on goofy). The art is, in my opinion, Davis’ finest hour, and that’s quite a thing to say given the career the man has had. A highly enjoyable story that allows the reader to cut loose along with Davis and enjoy the Justice League as you love them in a world you could never imagine.
The TPB: 2.5
As reading the (still-excellent) sequel, Another Nail, in monthly installments is demonstrating to me, this story is much better when collected all at once. Davis also includes a neat (if not particularly insightful into the story) afterword about his artistic influences and the evolution of his style.
Overall Grade: 7


JLA: YEAR ONE
Reprints: JLA: Year One #1-12
Writer(s): Mark Waid & Brian Augustyn
Pencillers(s): Barry Kitson
The Solicit: “Five of the Earth’s greatest heroes, all brought together by a common cause to form the Justice League of America. Today, they—and the group they helped forge—are a legend. But first, these five individuals had to become a team.

From acclaimed storytellers Mark Waid, Brian Augustyn and Barry Kitson comes a powerful tale of the early days of the one of the most enduring super-hero groups in comics history.

‘An absolutely contemporary take on a grand tradition, an epic that resonates with the atmosphere of the tales that made Mark, Brian and Barry fans of this material in the first place, while bringing a fresh viewpoint and a vivid sense of character to the proceedings.’
-Kurt Busiek, from his introduction”
Extras: Introduction by Kurt Busiek, Daily Planet article by “Clark Kent”
The Story: 5
JLA: Year One was the story that actually made me care about Aquaman, Black Canary, The Flash (Barry Allen), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and The Martian Manhunter. Like many other readers, I never quite took the post-Crisis incarnation of the original JLA, sans Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, seriously and saw it as kind of a sad joke; this series changed all that. These five are shown to be characters that can stand on their own, without the “big three,” both in terms of saving the world and in terms of carrying a series. Whereas The Nail was a Silver Age story all the way, Year One is a story with Silver Age set up with very current and deep-probing characterization. The Silver Age incarnations of these characters never got to enjoy the kind of development a writer like Waid brings to the table today; after Waid & Augustyn finish fleshing them out, you will come to love and respect these characters in their modern incarnations as well as their classic ones (Barry Allen in particular, who was shuffled off the mortal coil before character development really got rolling in the 80s, earns his place among comics’ most loved characters even more so). Beyond that, there’s a great story going on, a very cool multi-layered conspiracy that breaks down nicely into smaller arcs while keeping you intrigued by the big picture (and involving dozens of DC’s classic villains). The guest appearances are also well-selected and fun (the Doom Patrol story is one of the biggest reasons John Byrne’s reboot upsets me); you get to see the entire Silver Age DCU through the eyes of a very modern day creative team and it doesn’t feel hokey or forced. Silver Age conventions, like the old “impersonate your teammate to confuse the bad guys” routine are given well thought-out and rational explanations. Kitson shines on art duties, giving every character their own identity and bringing a grandiose feel to the actions scenes. Just one of those stories I never get sick of and could read again and again; as close to perfect as you can get.
The TPB: 3
An easy enough series to collect, but you’d miss out on Busiek’s nice introduction and, better, the fun article by “Clark Kent.”
Overall Grade: 8


JUSTICE LEAGUE: A NEW BEGINNING
Reprints: Justice League #1-6, Justice League International #7
Writer(s): Keith Giffen & J.M. DeMatteis
Pencillers(s): Kevin Maguire
The Solicit: “In the wake of Legends, a new generation of the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes take center stage. But it’s the most unlikely grouping of heroes you’ll ever see! Batman, Blue Beetle, Martian Manhunter, Guy Gardner, Black Canary, Mister Miracle, Dr. Fate, Booster Gold, Doctor Light, and the power of Shazam!

Can this ragtag group work as a functioning unit to stop terrorists at the United Nations, a brigade of Rocket Reds, the Royal Flush Gang, the mysterious Gray Man, and other threats—or will they succumb to in-fighting and bad jokes?

Join Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Kevin Maguire, Al Gordon, and Terry Austin for seven hilarious and action-packed issues of the book that redefined the term ‘super-hero team!’”
Extras: Introduction by Andy Helfer
The Story: 4
You can tell these are the very first stories by the classic JLI team, because there are definitely a few growing pains as they get the feel for the characters and the melding of comedy and action, but it doesn’t take long for the greatness to come to become apparent. While not as many laugh out loud moments as the later years of the run or the recent Recently Known As The Justice League will be found in this collection, it’s still a very consistent and humorous read that will keep you chuckling. Giffen & DeMatteis’ handling of their “babies,” Blue Beetle, Guy Gardner and Booster Gold, shows how they transformed the characters from nobodies to fan favorites, while their Batman is still one of my favorite portrayals of the Dark Knight ever. There is also a nice character arc with Captain Marvel, choice guest appearances by The Creeper, Superman and Hal Jordan, the intriguing introduction of Maxwell Lord, and of course classic moments like the “one punch” fight between Gardner and Batman. Maguire’s detailed artwork is incredible; he does the best facial expressions in comics history and I wish somebody would sign up him up for a regular gig. A great primer for one of the most entertaining eras in Justice League history.
The TPB: 3
The always funny Andy Helfer comes through with a humorous and insightful explanation for why the creative team, cast of characters and bold new direction for the Justice League was chosen.
Overall Grade: 7


JUSTICE LEAGUE: A MIDSUMMER’S NIGHTMARE
Reprints: Justice League: A Midsummer’s Nightmare #1-3
Writer(s): Mark Waid & Fabian Nicieza
Pencillers(s): Jeff Johnson & Darick Robertson
The Solicit: “ ‘…you now hold in your hands what will, I’m sure, come to be seen as one of the seminal texts of the current super-hero renaissance.

This year has seen the publication of a number of projects that share a common desire to restore some sense of nobility and grandeur to the super-hero concept and I, for one, am relieved and gratified to see the circle finally turn away from the darkness and into the light.’
-Grant Morrison from his introduction”
Extras: Introduction by Grant Morrison
The Story: 2.5
A pretty mediocre introduction to the reinvigorated “big seven redux” era of the JLA by writers who are capable of far better; a weak and obvious plot with a sub-standard “big bad” partially redeemed by some neat character interaction and a decent enough big finish (that somewhat tapers off before it ends). The weakest point of the series may bee the incredibly uneven art, as going from the beautiful stuff by Robertson to Johnson’s sloppy work every few pages probably hurts the story more than if Johnson had just been the sole artist; the transitions are jarring. Overall, it’s not a terrible story, it’s just not a particularly good one, and you get the sense Grant Morrison could have written a far better one.
The TPB: 2
The aforementioned Morrison does contribute a nice and genuinely enthusiastic intro that sets up his run on the book.
Overall Grade: 4.5


JLA: NEW WORLD ORDER
Reprints: JLA #1-4
Writer(s): Grant Morrison
Pencillers(s): Howard Porter
The Solicit: “ ‘The strength of the Justice League lies in the fact that it can actually boast a membership comprising the World’s Greatest Heroes. These guys are the originals…and DC’s got ‘em!’
-Grant Morrison

‘A great story with almost mythic heroes has inspired [artist Howard] Porter to create some of the best work of his career.’
Comic Shop News”
Extras: None
The Story: 3
The Grant Morrison era begins with, much like Justice League: A New Beginning, not his finest work, but a good indication of good stuff to come. The Hyperclan are a very cool group of villains: charming and terrifying simultaneously. Morrison shows an instant knack for giving each member of the JLA a distinct and entertaining personality and also for making the story seem epic and important, benchmarks of what would define his run as a hole. Howard Porter steps up to the plate as well, turning in an energetic artistic tour de force that established him as an A-list player after years of being under appreciated. The only things really hurting this collection are that, at times, the ironic humor still seems a bit forced and it makes it hard for you to take the characters seriously at time; Morrison had yet to find a nice balance between the classic all-business League and the JLI bwah-ha-ha days, but he quickly would.
The TPB: 1.5
These issues are somewhat pricey, but you can track them down without much trouble.
Overall Grade: 4.5


JLA: AMERICAN DREAMS
Reprints: JLA #5-9
Writer(s): Grant Morrison
Pencillers(s): Howard Porter & Oscar Jimenez
The Solicit: “Superman…Batman…Wonder Woman…The Flash…Green Lantern…Aquaman…The Martian Manhunter…the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes!

And they’re not alone. Learn who else joins the JLA as they face off against the legions of Heaven and Hell and deal with the return of one of the team’s oldest and deadliest foes, the Key.”
Extras: None
The Story: 3.5
…and here’s where it really starts getting good. The first story is an excellent tableau about heroism, not to mention a neat and unexpected way to make cornball mad scientists T.O. Morrow & Ivo actual functioning and entertaining 21st century characters. The second story is the highlight of the bunch, featuring the introduction of Zauriel, some incredibly cool Superman moments (including a funny conversation with The Flash) and the team really starting to gel and show why they are the best. The collection ends with Morrison making great use of the Elseworlds model (albeit briefly) and giving the new Green Arrow a real chance to shine. In a pleasant surprise, Oscar Jimenez (whom I’m familiar with through Contest of Champions II and The Flash: Race Against Time, as loyal readers know the two most reviled TPBs on my list so far) keeps solid pace with Porter, who keeps bringing the goodness. Cool new characters, challenging adversaries and a team that deserves the nickname “World’s Greatest Super Heroes”: these are the things that made Grant Morrison’s run on JLA great.
The TPB: 1
Easy to collect and a sad lack of extras.
Overall Grade: 4.5


JLA: ROCK OF AGES
Reprints: JLA #10-15
Writer(s): Grant Morrison
Pencillers(s): Howard Porter, Gary Frank & Greg Land
The Solicit: “Yesterday, the nine greatest heroes of all time formed the Justice League of America. Their goal: to defend the world against the threat of super-villains.

Today, Lex Luthor and his five sinister allies have obtained the ultimate weapon. Their goal: to destroy the JLA.

Tomorrow will belong to a malevolent force whose power dwarfs them all.

And to save the world of tomorrow, the JLA must lose the battle of today.”
Extras: None
The Story: 4
Now this is the kind of wide-screen epic Mark Millar wishes in his wildest dreams he could right! This story had scope, this story had action, this story had fun on a grand scale! A great set of villains in the boss Injustice Gang headed up by Lex Luthor, who both makes the best villainous narrator there can be and hatches the coolest multi-faceted plans. As if this weren’t enough, Aquaman, The Flash & Green Lantern get rocketed into one of the bar none coolest post-apocalyptic futures ever where they join a rag tag and unlikely JLA (including the likes of The Atom, Argent and Amazo) in battling Darkseid and his minions! Besides this, JLA newcomers Green Arrow and Aztek get a real chance to shine, Plastic Man becomes relevant, and we get our first glimpses of the new Hourman and Wonderworld. The art for this one is tops as Porter is at his very best and he gets fill in artists in Gary Frank and Greg Land who can ably keep pace. The highlight of Morrison’s run, in my opinion.
The TPB: 1
See previous entry.
Overall Grade: 5


JLA: WORLD WAR III
Reprints: JLA #34-41
Writer(s): Grant Morrison & J.M. DeMatteis
Pencillers(s): Howard Porter & Mark Pajarillo
The Solicit: “Buried in the darkest depths of space since time immemorial, the ultimate evil awakens…Mageddon! A primordial weapon capable of destroying all life in the universe!

The path of this ancient war machine leads to Earth, where the universe’s greatest heroes—the JLA—are humanity’s last line of defense. But how can the Earth’s premier super-hero team hope to stop Mageddon, when they’re struggling for their very lives against a more immediate threat—a new, deadlier Injustice Gang!

Collecting issues 34-41 of the top-selling series, JLA: World War III features some of comicdom’s most popular creators, including Howard Porter, John Dell, J.M. DeMatteis, Mark Pajarillo, Drew Geraci and Walden Wong—and draws to a close the now-legendary run by one of comics’ most acclaimed writers, Grant Morrison.”
Extras: None
The Story: 3.5
The finale of Morrison’s run doesn’t quite live up to the high benchmarks set by Rock of Ages, but it isn’t for lack of trying. Of course for readers who have collected or followed the entire run, much of the fun is in seeing clues laid down over the prior four years come to fruition in ways you never expected (much like Morrison’s run on New X-Men). A good move to bring in a newer (and even deadlier) version of the Injustice Gang to run interference for the first part of the series since Mageddon is way too abstract a threat to fill six issues; plus, anything that gets me more Luthor & Prometheus (together!) is a-okay in my book (The General is no slouch either, Queen Bee is kind of silly but she has a fantastic brawl with Big Barda). “Moments of truth” are the order of the day as Superman, Batman, Steel, Plastic Man, Aquaman, Barda, Aztek, Zauriel and especially Green Lantern all have their much-earned moments to shine. Loses some points just because Morrison doesn’t get quite as much mileage out of most of the guest stars as he could, with most simply becoming wallpaper (Morrison favorite Animal Man is a noteworthy exception), and because the ending is pretty darn hokey (in a way that would be fun if it were anything but the ending of a four year mega-run on the premier super hero team by Grant Morrison); also, the Day of Judgment crossover wedged into the book simply for purposes of reprinting it somewhat hurts the flow of the story. Still, flaws aside, a lot more good than bad and a nice close to Morrison’s run.
The TPB: 1
Same as the previous two.
Overall Grade: 4.5


JLA: TOWER OF BABEL
Reprints: JLA #42-46, JLA Secret Files #3, portions of JLA 80-Page Giant #1
Writer(s): Mark Waid, Dan Curtis Johnson, John Ostrander & Christopher Priest
Pencillers(s): Howard Porter, Steve Scott, Mark Pajarillo, Ken Lashley, Pablo Raimondi & Eric Battle
The Solicit: “Betrayal! The JLA is the single most powerful group of super-heroes ever to be assembled—and they’re dropping like flies!

Batman’s secret files on the Justice League have fallen into the hands of one of his oldest and deadliest foes—Ra’s al Ghul! Now, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, Plastic Man and the Flash are being led into traps specifically engineered to counteract their remarkable abilities.

The JLA faces it greatest challenge—possible treason within their own ranks! Will the JLA survive? And if they do, can Batman’s hand in their betrayal ever be forgotten?”
Extras: None
The Story: 3.5
Mark Waid enters the JLA regular series arena with a bang, concocting a very clever story right in line with Morrison’s characterization of Batman (as a paranoid genius who doesn’t really trust his teammates) and makes Ra’s al Ghul into a legitimate first class villain outside of the Batman universe. Waid does what he does best, really tugging on the heartstrings by putting our heroes through absolute personal hells (much like he’s done so far on Fantastic Four) and having the cause be one of their own; after Batman makes the “save,” to use an old cliché: “you can cut the tension with a knife,” and that’s no exaggeration. After a decent battle to resolve an evil plot that’s really secondary to the character drama going on, we get a great, tense ending that lives up to the rest of the story in spades.
The TPB: 2.5
DC finally does what I wish they would have done for every JLA trade an throws in stories from sources like the Secret Files and 80-Page Giant that perfectly augment the main story.
Overall Grade: 6


JLA: DIVIDED WE FALL
Reprints: JLA #47-54
Writer(s): Mark Waid
Pencillers(s): Bryan Hitch, J.H. Williams III, Javier Saltares, Phil Jimenez, Ty Templeton, Doug Mahnke, Mark Pajarillo & Mike S. Miller
The Solicit: “Batman’s betrayal of and expulsion from the Justice League of America has lef the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes in a most volatile state. As the magnitude of Batman’s disloyalty towards the JLA sinks in, a spike of distrust is driven between our heroes. Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter and Plastic Man find themselves facing the twisted fairy-tale nightmare of the Queen of Fables and a world-altering encounter with Dr. Destiny in a manner they never had to before—questioning the trustworthiness of their comrades! Then, with the League desperately trying to pick up the shattered remnants of their trust, an escaped alien “sentergy” called ID invades Earth. Created by a 6th-dimensional race known as the Cathexis, ID is an entity engineered to transform desire into reality. Can the JLA eradicate the threat of ID before it tears the Earth apart?”
Extras: None
The Story: 3.5
A nice collection of shorter stories from Waid’s underrated JLA run with overarching themes of identity and teamwork tying them together. The Queen of Fables arc is a somewhat silly idea in theory that Waid totally makes work by presenting it in a smart and darkly satiric way (fans of Fables should definitely check it out). The fiftieth issue celebration puts a nice cap on the Batman issues from Tower of Babel, features a wicked artistic jam and is topped off by a classic moment at the end of the issue (the only disappointment is that Waid only gets so much mileage out of what had potential to be a great portrayal of Dr. Destiny). The Id/Cathexis arc is the crown jewel of the collection, taking a unique and frankly kick-ass look at the “secret identities” of Bruce Wayne, John Jones and Eel O’Brien (Clark Kent, Wally West and Kyle Rayner get some nice moments, but the short sticks overall) and at the heroic identities they share time with; Plastic Man once again gets a chance to shine and totally validate his place in the post-Morrison JLA. Of course my favorite overrated artist, Bryan Hitch, turns in his usual half-ass work, needing fill-ins for almost the entire arc; nonetheless, good stuff.
The TPB: 1
Sadly, the trend from Tower of Babel of including relevant supplementary stories does not prove one that sticks.
Overall Grade: 4.5


JLA: TERROR INCOGNITA
Reprints: JLA #55-60
Writer(s): Mark Waid, Scott Beatty & Chuck Dixon
Pencillers(s): Bryan Hitch, Mike S. Miller, Darryl Banks & Cliff Rathburn
The Solicit: “They’re baaaaaaaack!!

While the Justice League of America desperately battled the sentient energy lifeform known as ID, an old enemy was breaking free—and preparing to take revenge!

The shape-shifting White Martians were one of the deadliest threats ever faced by the Earth. Now they’ve returned to destroy each and every member of the JLA!

Can even the World’s Mightiest Heroes triumph over an army of invisible, super-strong telepaths bent on galactic conquest?”
Extras: None
The Story: 2.5
Waid closes out his run in unspectacular fashion with a poor man’s follow up to Morrison’s first ever JLA arc, New World Order. The White Martians remain a suitably creepy threat, but their plan is far too nebulous and the manner in which the heroes end up defeating them is hard to follow. The pacing is off from Waid’s usually meaty stories as well, as I can plow through this volume very quickly. Unsurprisingly, Hitch calls it quits after about an issue, but that’s fine as I far prefer Mike S. Miller’s work anyways. The Joker’s Last Laugh crossover story by Beatty & Dixon featuring Dr. Polaris is as wretched as that entire event, with totally out-of-character behavior from Green Lantern serving as the impetus. The Christmas story is fairly amusing, but not enough to redeem the collection.
The TPB: 1
Nothing worth giving points to here.
Overall Grade: 3.5


JLA: GOLDEN PERFECT
Reprints: JLA #61-65
Writer(s): Joe Kelly
Pencillers(s): Doug Mahnke
The Solicit: “A missing child.

A prophecy to be fulfilled or denied.

The Golden Lasso…destroyed.

A small Asian country that just wants to be left alone, Jarhanpur seems like paradise—that is, until a woman speaking a long dead language turns up asking Wonder Woman for help. Her son has been taken by the leader of Jarhanpur, Rama Khan, and the Amazone Princess leads the JLA into a mission complicated by politics and compounded by destiny.

When the Lasso of Truth is broken, reality begins to unravel and the JLA must try to preserve the world while Wonder Woman goes missing. Has the woman who represents the heart of the League let them down in their darkest hour?”
Extras: None
The Story: 3.5
Joe Kelly picks up the ball and kicks off a solid run on JLA I never feel got the credit it deserved. The main story is good, with Wonder Woman getting the spotlight for one of the first times in the series and Kelly setting up one of the moral/political quagmires that would become his trademark with Rama Khan. But the bookends of the collection are the real highlights: a fantastic jump-on story introducing Kelly’s take on the team and how they get the job done and an even better team up between Batman and Plastic Man that further fleshes out Plas’ character and expands upon a neat dynamic that had been previously teased between the two characters. Doug Mahnke impresses with consistently quality art in his unique style. Don’t overlook this one when building your JLA trade collection.
The TPB: 1
Very easy to track down and no extras.
Overall Grade: 4.5


And now, as an extra added bonus, I present…

Ben’s Top Ten Justice League Friends & Foes

First off, the deadliest and coolest threats the Justice League, in their various incarnations, have ever faced…

Top Ten Justice League Villains

10. The Appelaxians
The alien baddies that brought the original Justice League of America together, the bad boys from Appelax were fleshed out considerably by Mark Waid & Brian Augustyn in the pages of JLA: Year One. The fact that they could adapt to numerous “battle forms” (including golden birds that emitted sonic screams, diamond giants and creatures of pure fire) was a definite cool factor, as was the fact that their interest in Earth started out as a bunch of them competing to see who could conquer us first and thus become the new “Kalar” (ruler) of Appelax…just like a high-stakes reality show! Extra points for when they showed up in JLA: Incarnations and used both the Statue of Liberty and the planet Earth itself as battle forms.

9. Dreamslayer
Introduced during the Giffen/DeMatteis run, Dreamslayer was part of the Extremists, a group of knockoffs of Marvel villains that came from the world of the Justifiers, knockoffs themselves of Marvel’s Avengers; Dreamslayer, a Dormmamu wannabe, was the only Extremist who would stick around in any sort of lasting role. My favorite part about Dreamslayer wasn’t his near limitless power or his extremely cool costume, it was the fact that he talked like a cocky jerk from the beach who liked to kick sand in the face of hapless nerds; definitely a break from the usual pretentious mystic and mighty types. Dreamy’s shining moment was when he killed former Justifier and third-string Justice League Europe bimbo the Silver Sorceress…might not sound like much, but the rub was that SS sacrificed herself to kill Dreamy, and then he came back anyhow!

8. Professor Ivo
Ivo originally appeared in the early days of Justice League of America as your run of the mill mad scientist who built Amazo and then came back after years in obscurity during the early issues of JLA as a deformed over-the-hill wackjob who teamed with T.O. Morrow to build Tomorrow Woman, but the Prof.’s finest moments came during, of all times, the short run of Justice League Detroit. Ivo played a major role in the JLD’s final downfall, building robots that killed rookie Leaguers Vibe and Steel and nearly Gypsy as well. But what made Ivo cool during these appearances was that he had such mental issues that he made the Joker look like the model of sanity! He was horribly afraid of death and terrified that the Justice League would kill him, so he both took a serum that made him immortal (while at the same time grotesquely mutating him) and sent his robot army after the League, not to conquer the world or anything, just to make sure they didn’t get him first! Ivo shows his nuttiness by killing his psychiatrist after a therapy appointment…of course the shrink was just a robot he built, but still. Ivo actually reformed after he was shown compassion by Ice during the JLI days, but after she died, he returned to evil, which makes sense, as Ivo is the sickest of puppies.

7. The Crime Syndicate
Evil twins are always cool villains; sure, we may complain about ‘em, but deep down we all wish we had one. The Crime Syndicate were an especially neat concept because they came from a world where everything was backwards; the JLA could never beat them on Earth-3, because, unlike the rest of the Silver Age, that was a place the bad guys were supposed to win! Grant Morrison recently updated the Syndicate in his JLA: Earth 2 graphic novel and took the concept a step further, showing the Syndicate’s home as a place where morality was skewed and at the end of the day, people couldn’t face an existence in which they weren’t ruled by supervillains. Besides that, both in their classic and current incarnations, Ultraman, Owlman, Superwoman, Johnny Quick and Power Ring have some of the coolest costumes around.

6. Dr. Destiny
As shown in his recent appearance on the Justice League cartoon, this Skeletor lookalike is one of the creepiest villains the League has ever faced and always brings the terror when he comes to play. Perhaps cooler than Dr. D himself is the fact that whenever he shows up you know you’re going to get one of those cool surreal and unbelievable “trapped in a dream” stories that good comic book writers always rise to the occasion for. My personal favorite was “Destiny’s Hand,” during Dan Jurgens’ brief run on Justice League America, in which Destiny trapped the then-current JLA lineup in a world in which the Silver Age lineup, led by a fascist Hawkman who enjoyed cutting off criminals’ limbs (plus Barry Allen in a wicked cool black costume, among others) ruled the world with an iron fist, born out of the dreams of the Atom, who was frustrated by he and his colleagues’ inability to put criminals away for good and longing for his days in the League. What sets Dr. Destiny apart from other dream makers like The Key is that he scores the extra horror factors by standing over the bodies of his victims with his skull face and butcher’s knife ranting like a lunatic while they’re dreaming.

5. Prometheus
A relatively recent creation, Prometheus was far and away the coolest villainous creation to come out of Grant Morrison’s JLA run. His premise was so simple yet genius: he was an anti-Batman whose loving parents were both criminals gunned down by cops in a shootout…thus Prometheus set about mastering technology and training himself in all sorts of bad ass fighting methods and fields of psychology to become the ultimate criminal. Besides his cool origin and his neat techo gizmos (he had a football helmet he could use to take CDs of fighting skills he copied from taping people and download them straight into his brain), Prometheus had an attitude that made you salivate for him to get his; he was such a cocky prick that knew how amazing he was and honestly didn’t believe anybody could beat him…and very nearly nobody could! He didn’t just rush in without doing his homework like most villains, Prometheus did meticulous research and found a weakness for everybody on the Justice League roster (Superman included, and it was a smart one…track down JLA #16-17, I don’t want to spoil it) and would have won were it not for a fluke twist in plans. I’d almost rather see Prometheus retired unless Morrison wants to use him again, because (as shown by A.J. Lieberman in recent issues of Gotham Knights) he was so brilliantly written the first time around I think it’s near impossible for anybody else to do him so well again.

4. White Martians
As far as seeming pretty much nigh unstoppable, few threats to the JLA have come as close as the White Martians (aka the Hyperclan), who nearly conquered the world in both Morrison’s first arc and Waid’s last. They have all of Superman’s powers plus they’re telepathic, can change shape and can turn invisible (so more accurately, they have all of the Martian Manhunter’s powers, but for some reason it just sounds more impressive when you say Superman). But perhaps the scariest thing about the White Martians is that they’re very crafty; whether it’s setting themselves up as heroes using telepathic control or operating in secret for months and getting rid of any and all oxygen that can create fire (their one weakness), the White Martians make sure the JLA is going to have to work if they want to beat them. And even when the JLA does come out on top, they usually get their asses handed to them first (memorable images include wiring Superman up to a Kryptonite chair after beating him within an inch of his life, sticking a dozen telepathic needles in J’onn’s spine, or turning invisible and clotheslining Flash as he’s going Mach 10). Plus, to get strong they strip away the human scalp and eat brains…eww.

3. Amazo
Get past the somewhat goofy evil genie costume and Amazo is just about the coolest “can’t believe I didn’t think of that” idea in comics (definitely the undisputed most creative evil robot…Ultron may be nastier, but Amazo has way cooler powers). Whatever the powers of the Justice League membership, Amazo’s got them, except all at once. He’s got Flash’s speed, Superman’s strength, Green Lantern’s ring…you name it. One of the cooler aspects of Amazo is that he only duplicates the abilities of whatever the current roster of whatever League he’s facing is (a key plot point during his most recent battle with the JLA during a Mark Millar fill-in for Morrison, which even I must grudgingly admit was well written), meaning every time Amazo shows up, you’re essentially getting a new villain. He’s not exactly a ball of charisma when it comes to the taunting (pretty standard evil robot “DESTROY!” fare), but the Justice League needs to use their heads in order to beat him and no plan is going to work twice, and that always makes for a cool story. Plus, the animated version of Amazo had cool daddy issues with Lex Luthor.

2. Despero
Despero does the standard evil alien hellbent on conquering Earth thang, but he does it the way it was meant to be done. Back in the old days, Despero was just a kooky looking three-eyed finhead with a magic chessboard, but (again, of all people) the creative team on Justice League Detroit raised the bar bigtime when they had a frustrated Despero, annoyed at always getting pounded by the League, go through some ancient ritual involving fire on his homeworld to become a 600 pound bruiser who could stand toe to toe with J’onn J’onzz and still have room leftover for Superman. If brute strength wasn’t enough, Despero also had that nasty telepathy thing to give his foes headaches. But the thing gets Despero this high on the list is simply his sheer brutality; nobody tears innocents to shreds and loves every minute of it like Despero. During the darkest part of Giffen/DeMatteis’ run, he comes to Earth, callously and violently murders the parents of teenage former Leaguer Gypsy, then beats the ever-loving crap out of Guy Gardner and the rest of the JLI, even seemingly killing Mr. Miracle (it was a robot); the League only barely escapes with their skin because J’onn pulls out some weird Martian brain trick that traps Despero in a fantasy world in which he kills the entire League and then enslaves the Earth. Despero made his most recent appearance in JLA/JSA: Virtue & Vice, showing up in the White House, telepathically stopping Black Canary, Green Arrow and Dr. Mid-Nite dead in their tracks, tearing out a chunk of Canary’s hair just to be a dick, then ripping down an American flag to use as a cape…b-a-d a-s-s.

1. The Injustice Gang
You gotta figure that no one foe could ever really give the Justice League a good run for their money, so you know whenever a bunch of the bad guys realize this and decide to team up, we’re actually in for a decent scrap. The original Injustice Gang (to my knowledge) consisted of Earth-1’s Felix Faust, Chronos & Dr. Alchemy teaming up with The Wizard, The Icicle and The Fiddler of Earth-2; the six rogues gave both the Justice League and Justice Society a serious run for their money before arrogance and the inability to get along brought them down (that always does it for these villain groups). By far my favorite incarnations of the Gang were the last two, run by Lex Luthor and written by Grant Morrison. The first, which also included the Joker, Circe, Mirror Master, Dr. Light & Ocean Master, was run like a multi-million dollar business enacting hostile takeover with cold efficiency (and awesome arrogance by Luthor). The second, for which Luthor recruited Prometheus, Queen Bee & The General, was all about playing to each villain’s individual strengths: the tactical and strategic combined genius of Luthor & Prometheus, the sheer numbers of Queen Bee’s army, and the raw power of the General; if not for Mageddon’s rude interruption, this Gang might have stood a decent shot. But, as is the case with super-hero teams, the real fun is in watching the interactions; whether it’s Felix Faust and The Wizard arguing over whose magic is more real, Luthor critiquing Joker’s comedy routine, or Prometheus hitting on Queen Bee, a bunch of villains is always better than one.

That was easy enough, but now for the guys and girls who have to keep those baddies at bay…

Top Ten Justice League Members

10. Wonder Woman
My least favorite “big three” member of the JLA, but still good enough to make the top ten; the best part about Wonder Woman in the JLA is that she’s more powerful than just about any dude on the team, but she also looks way better in a swimsuit than J’onn or Superman (though J’onn seems to get by just fine in his near lack of any clothing). Whether it’s Flash & Green Lantern drooling over her, the sexual tension/frustration of her interactions with Batman & Aquaman, or the “what a bitch” attitude of Fire, Diana elicits a powerful response from any and all of her teammates. Besides that, she can kick bad guy ass like no other woman and she always knows she’s right; that’s why she’s been the dream girl of fan boys everywhere for sixty years.

9. The Flash (Wally West)
One of my all-time favorite characters, Wally would be a lot higher on the list, but at the end of the day he’s only been on the team for a few years real time (and a lot of them were during the pre-Zero Hour days, so that’s not good). But the way Grant Morrison and Mark Waid wrote him, as the “professional” super hero who got along with everybody and tried to soothe any inner squabbles, he’s probably the most likeable member of the JLA (Superman included). Then again, I also love the irresponsible and obnoxious Wally, who, nonetheless, always comes up with a plan, on the animated show. Regardless of what universe you’re in, you know that Batman or somebody will inevitably come up with a complex plan to stop the villain/save the world/reverse the time-space continuum that will necessitate the Flash running and/or doing something else really fast, so he’s a good guy to have around.

8. Fire
The actual longest-tenured member of any incarnation of the League (in terms of consecutive issues served), Beatriz DaCosta is a bitch and she loves it. Fire pisses off every character around her, and, as a reader, that’s gold to read about. Her power is about as generic as it gets, but her attitude and the one liners she gets off make her a valuable member of the team (if you’re not actually, y’know, relying on her to save your life…which is tough because she would probably light you on fire). She was at her bitchy best during Formerly Known As The Justice League, verbally cutting down an oblivious Mary Marvel, pointing out Beetle & Booster for the morons they are, being realistic about Elongated Man’s physical attributes and scaring the crap out of Wally West. Fire is the character that says everything you’re thinking about the other characters but are too polite to say.

7. Blue Beetle
Another staple of the Giffen/DeMatteis run, Beetle was a great Leaguer because he looks so ridiculously out of place yet always manages to come through in the clutch. Before Batman was the deus ex machina of the modern JLA, Beetle was the guy who would always come to the rescue with a plan or gadget after Guy headbutted some invulnerable alien or Booster tripped or whatever. But the best part of Beetle was that no matter how many times he saved the day, you always felt like he had just gotten lucky…and so did he. He was lovably insecure, masking it with humor (and sometimes a pot belly) among people way more powerful (if not as sensible) as he. He was the everyman of the League that made you believe not only could you be a member, you could save everybody else’s bacon time and time again with your robotic bug spaceship.

6. Guy Gardner
Rounding out the JLI characters portion of the list, nobody shook things up and pissed people off, fellow Leaguers and fans alike, like Guy Gardner…and for that reason alone, that there was nobody else quite like him, he’s one of the greatest Leaguer ever. He provided great moments of comedy and also just torqued you off; you’d want to see him beat the bad guy, but then get beaten up by Batman or Canary the minute he said a word about it. He was Hawkeye or Wolverine taken to the next level in a way losers like U.S.Agent never pulled off. The term “love to hate him” may as well have been coined for Guy Gardner. Plus, how many more JLI adventures came about from what could have been routine diplomatic missions because Guy hit a Russian Red with a giant green boxing glove? Who else would create the most elaborate looking tracking device ever with his ring to find The Ray and then knock him out of the sky with a giant yellow pacifier? Guy Gardner ruled.

5. Firestorm
Much like Guy Gardner leading the Justice League into traps and fights because he was a dick, Firestorm would do the same using blind rookie stupidity. You had to feel for Firestorm, who was doing the Kyle Rayner “I can’t believe that’s Superman! I can’t believe that’s Wonder Woman! I can’t believe that’s Elongated Man!” years before Kyle hit JLA status. Stormy was so incredibly powerful, and he knew it, so he’d always make some boastful claim before mixing the wrong chemicals and causing an explosion then getting respectfully chewed out by Superman, The Flash and the giant floating head of his chemistry professor. Even today, after years in the hero business, Firestorm still gets no respect from the likes of Batman when he makes a dumb joke, and that’s why you’ve got to love the guy. Besides, anybody with puffy shirt sleeves and the top of his head on fire who still hits on anything female that flies is cool in my book.

4. Green Arrow (Oliver Queen)
While Guy Gardner may have been the best in terms of pissing teammates off, GA was the first, and he was even more infuriating because half the time he was actually right. Ollie became a fan favorite back in the 70s because he shared the liberal beliefs of many of the readers; he stayed that way by always challenging authority, standing up for the little guy and making sure the often oblivious demi-gods he worked with always had their moral compasses screwed on straight. Beyond that, there was something appealing about a guy with a bow and arrow going into battle alongside Green Lantern and company against threats that could realistically end existence with a smirk on his face. Green Arrow was not only living the dream, he was somehow miraculously secure enough in his own abilities that he could use a friggin’ boxing glove arrow with a straight face and still tell Superman he was being a totalitarian.

3. Superman
First off, you need the World’s Great Super Hero to have the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes, so there you go. Supes’ icon status brings so much to the table: he legitimizes the team both in the story and in print and makes it so it’s not inconceivable for them to face some of the universe beater level threats that Morrison concocted for them. Watching guys from Kyle to Plastic Man stand in awe of the Man of Steel or seeing him put Aquaman or Guy in their place without even having to raise his voice is tres cool. Plus, Superman provides those “damn I love comics!” moments that only somebody on his level can provide. The guy wrestles with angels or pulls the anti-sun heart out of an ancient war machine and hoists it up as a trophy for the whole world to see; you will believe a man can fly, and it will be good.

2. Batman
The years during which Batman was not with the League, nobody could ever fill his vital role: the smart ass who stands in the corners and says “I told you so. Now here’s a real plan…” Seriously, what fun is the Justice League when Batman’s not being an asshole? And the true testament to the strength of the character is that despite the fact that he’s essentially a normal guy in tights with a lot of toys, when he comes up with a way to stop a race of Martian invaders that already took out Superman and The Flash, a few guys on message boards may bitch, but most fans will just be all “man, Batman is the coolest!” That’s not ridiculous, that’s tremendous! Without Batman, the team dynamic gets stale, as everybody is too nice to one another and all sappy; with Batman around, you know that even if Amazing Man slept with Maxima behind Captain Atom’s back and he’s pissed, they’re gonna shut the hell up and beat Starro before they go at it or Batman will glare them to the Negative Zone and back. I would say the team always needs a “guy like Batman,” but there are no other guys like Batman.

1. The Martian Manhunter
The heart and soul of the League; pretty much ‘nuff said. For all the respect Superman commands, J’onn commands more, and not because he’s an icon to the readers (for many, he’s not), but because in the fictional world of the DCU, he has earned it more than just about any character who wasn’t around in the Golden Age. He’s multi-faceted, as cool when he’s playing the sympathetic ear as he is when he’s playing the morose loner who misses his dead family. And there are very few things as cool as when The Martian Manhunter gets legitimately pissed (one of the few saving graces of Justice League: A Midsummer’s Nightmare). J’onn has been a member of every incarnation of the Justice League, and with his cool powers, worldy experience, natural leadership, and his strong pathos, it’s not hard to see why. Other characters I’ve listed are neat to have on the team because they bring something unique with them, but J’onn is the one character you simply can’t have a Justice League without because he is the glue that holds them together; it feels weird when he’s not there.


Hope you enjoyed this special Justice League installment of TPB madness. Keep the e-mails coming and I’ll be back with more next week.