3 heroes restart history of Justice League’s glory

This recurring feature lets me review what has recently passed my bloodshot pupils. So pull up a chair, break out the sarcasm filter and welcome to:

Mr. Zad’s comic critique

Justice League of America, Nos. 0 and 1

(DC Comics, $2.99 and $3.99, respectively)

Best-selling thriller author and architect of DC Comics’ popular miniseries Identity Crisis, Brad Meltzer, begins the construction of a new era for the Justice League of America. Issue No. 0 begins the fun and takes fans down memory lane with the trio of stars that have led the team for the past 46 years.

The book quickly establishes the intense friendship developed by Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman through a series of vignettes drawn by legends in the sequential art industry.

Names such as George Perez, Dick Giordano, Dan Jurgens, Howard Porter and Jim Lee each leave their style upon a few of the 24 pages that chronicle significant incidents that have shaped the league through the years.

From an initial meeting in the Batcave by the three to the wedding of Donna Troy to the apparent death of Superman to the Seven Soldiers struggle, Mr. Meltzer covers a ton of real estate but delivers helpful context and a seamless entry point for his era of the JLA.

While Issue 0 drips in nostalgia, the official first issue of the new series establishes the current nonexistent state of the team as the three heroes decide to reassemble a superhero force in the simplest way they can — by a vote on each prospective member.

As Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman decide who to ask to join, the mighty android Red Tornado, one of my favorite heroes, is introduced as the major player to Mr. Meltzer’s story arc. Red Tornado, blown apart in the Infinite Crisis, has been put back together by Doc (Metal Men) Magnus, and in opening scenes, his true love Kathy Sutton waits by his body for his spirit to return.

Ed Benes has been tasked to illustrate the new series, and his style is just not slick enough to handle the enormity of this project. I have been too saturated with the Jim Lee school of design and hard-core Wildstorm (an offshoot of DC Comics) superhero comics to completely love what he offers to the Justice League.

Overall, I am not sure how many times readers can deal with the shenanigans of comic-book publishers who feel they need to reinvent a series to boost sales. However, fans should give this new Justice League a chance, if only based on how Mr. Meltzer handled his Identity Crisis.

Absolute Kingdom Come

(DC Comics, oversized hardcover, $75)

To honor the 10th anniversary of a fantastic sequential-art event, DC has put together a potent package that really showcases the original series’ designs and story details.

Story Continues →