Justice League #55

Breakdown, Part 5

First page, I am already lost.  Blue Jay?  Who is that?  It appears as though the Justice League renegades, Beetle, Ralph, Ice and Captain Atom, are in conflict with the Global Guardians in Bialya.  One of the GG is dead.  Beetle seems like a voice of reason, wanting to stop the fight and find out what happened to Mermaid, but Captain Atom doesn't.  

Then, a check in with Queen Bee.  She wonders why the JLA is here now, but assumes the Global Guardians will take care of them.  And in another room, Sumaan is expositing about his role in this whole mess.  He had Jack kill Mermaid, I guess to make the JLA look bad.  He is determined to rule Bialya.

The rest of this issue is just action packed.  The renegades from the Justice League are trying to get away from the Global Guardians without a fight.  The Global Guardians are being mind-controlled by Queen Bee.  The rest of the JLI is coming in, at Queen Bee's request, to remove the renegades, who have uncovered the secret chambers where Queen Bee has her mind controlling equipment.

Suddenly, there is a big explosion, and the hidden complex collapses, with everyone inside.  The Queen is distressed because this will reveal her evil machination, and she moves to get out of the country.  Ice has saved all the JLA inside the complex, and they start tending to the other wounded.  The Global Guardians realize they have been mind-controlled, and that Jack O'Lantern is NOT really Jack O'Lantern.  And, by the way, Kurt Heimlich is a robot?  

Ice seems to get some sort of mental call about her family, and she flies off.  Fire follows.  Sumaan kills Queen Bee.  Wow!  This was some issue!

And in a final note, the letter column was put in the middle of the book, to make room for double-page spreads and a ballot to vote on who should be in the Justice League.  It is quite the list.  There are 40 characters listed, and they don't say how many you should vote for.  Maybe six?  Is that what the League usually has?  And you could have a write in vote.  Hmmm.  G'nort's not on the list.  I know who I'd vote for.  Booster, Beetle, Fire, Ice, Elongated Man and Martian Manhunter.  But Sue Dibny comes with Ralph, right?

Justice League #54

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!  This is a 15-PART!!!! miniseries.  I was just reading on the DC wiki that it also signals a move from a humorous book to a more serious book.  We are changing creative teams.  Boo-hoo, sob, cry.  But this might also explain the cover of issue 54, which looks like Blue Beetle and Ice have thrown away their costumes, and are walking into the night together.  

So, the new JLI leader takes over.  The first page shows Kurt in the office of the Ambassador of Bialya.  From this, I learn that apparently Captain Atom has done something in Bialya in the second part of this story arc.  We then see Kurt calling the JLE embassy and telling Sue that she should pack up Captain Atom's bags, so he'd be kicked to the curb when he got back from Bialya.  Meanwhile, in Bialya, Sumaan Harjavti, the brother of the deposed and murdered Rumaan, is plotting with Jack'o'lantern to take out the Queen Bee.  I am not sure if they are the ones plotting against Max in order to get the Justice League to take out the Queen or not, bu it seems as they are.  And then the plane carrying Captain Atom and Camus (a reporter?) out of Bialya explodes.  Since it is Captain Atom, the only people on that plane that I would be worried about are the pilots.

Kurt is on his way to the JLA headquarters, where everyone is worried he's going to clean house, like he did in London (Ralph and Atom both fired).  In fact, he fires Beetle and Ice.  I think Fire used her wiles to stay on.  Guy might have been fired, but didn't let Kurt get a word in.  Then Kurt brings in the Tasmanian Devil and Doctor Light.  Tasmanian Devil really doesn't like Guy.

And even more story...  Crimson Fox, Ralph, Camus and Captain Atom bring Beetle and Ice into a secret group to get the Queen Bee, and return to Max to power so that they can get rid of Kurt Heimlech.  

Again, I am impressed by how much story is told in one of these issues.  The new JLA would probably have taken 5 issues to this one.  I guess maybe it's a matter of liking the new art so much that one can sacrifice the speed of storytelling?  I don't know, but I like these so much better.

Justice League #50

DOUBLE SIZED 50th issue!

Well, this issue wraps up the General Glory story line.  Predictably, the Evil Eye is destroyed by the JLA, and Schmidt (who is also the Evil Eye, a Nazi villian) confesses to having been a part of the set up to defame General Glory, all masterminded by the very man running the whole General Glory operation.  J. Newkirk Sharp did it for love; he wanted General Glory's girl. So he made it appear that General Glory was going insane, then had scientists wipe his memories.  Poor Louise died of a broken heart, so it was all for nothing.  So, that was the first story.  The second story was actually "The Last General Glory Story," which told of what Sharp did.  Then we go back to the JLA, where Lightray and Orion are quitting the League (that makes me happy, as I don't think they ever fit in), and Shilo, the new Mister Miracle, wants to join.   Max and Scott Free don't think he is ready.  

I did like the way Ernie told the General to stop with the exposition.  These guys really do talk to themselves a lot. Maybe General Glory took some classes at the Manga Khan correspondence school, too.  And I wonder how Ernie feels about being so old now, when General Glory appears to be the same age.  Would General Glory have aged if Sharp hadn't made him revert to human form?  Or is General Glory sort of like Captain Marvel?  For right now, all these questions remain unanswered. 

And finally, we get a really weird story about Guy visiting the offices of the comics company that puts out the JLA title in their universe, in order to get a job for the General Glory comic book artist.  I am sure this story must have had some inside meaning at the time, but I am not sure what!  It was written, pencilled, inked and all by Kyle Baker, who has won lots of awards for various comics, and this seems to have been pretty early in his career.  It did have an interesting "villian," Ktrrogarrx, who looks sort of like a giant purple dinosaur with little wings and heat vision.  Ktrrogarrx has his own reasons for wanting to destroy the Earth, which is is not sharing with us. 

I am glad the General Glory story is over, and I think the writers may be, too.  Or maybe had heard complaints, as the tagline on the first page is "At last, the concluding chapter to the seemingly endless General Glory saga!" 

Justice League #47

So, the General Glory saga continues.  All five parts are in the JLI title, so I didn't have to pull any extra titles.  That is good.

As we start off, we learn what the rest of the gang was up to while Guy was at the comic book convention.  They were all off to observe Mr. Miracle perform in Washington Square park.  They are all observing from the Beetle craft, when it appears that the escape goes wrong.  Beetle picks up the safe, in which Mr. Miracle is supposedly trapped, with a big grappling hook, and they start to carry it back to the JLA headquarters.  But what do we see?  Scott Free and Oberon in the crowd, almost cursing Beetle's interference.

There are lots of Bwah-ha-has in this issue!  Beetle is having a roaring good time.  

While on the way back to headquarters, the safe, still dangling underneath the Beetle-mobile, opens, and Mr. Miracle falls out.  But it is not Scott Free!  It is someone else.  What could be going on?

Meanwhile, back at Headquarters, Guy is trying to convince J'onn that Captain General Glory should join the JLA.  No one knows him except as a comic book hero, but Guy insists he is the real thing.  And we also learn that Scott is training a replacement Mr. Miracle.  Hmmm, how does that work, I wonder?

While all this is going on, General Glory's arch-nemesis is plotting to get him, and blows up his hideout.  While trying to put out the fire and rescue any squatters in the building, the JLA and General Glory run into a giant Nazi robot.  Do robots sell as many comic books as gorillas?  Do Nazis sell as many comic books as gorillas?  

Of course, the JLA prevails, but the nemesis escapes to fight another day (this is a five part series).  And the JLA ends up with a dog, and with a hero that can actually keep Guy Gardner in line (Yes, Sir!).

JLA #45

The issue I have been waiting for..."A Fool in Love."  Guy kissing Ice right on the cover.  Although Ice seems a little surprised by it.  

We open with Fire returning from a shopping trip where she has again indulged her questionable taste in clothing.  But mainly, we open with Oberon talking to Max about quitting the League.  Since I thought he was principally Mr. Miracle's sidekick, I am surprised he is still there.

But the main story is Guy and Ice.  Apparently, they have been trying to date all along.  Ice really wants to see the good in Guy, but Guy just keeps picking things like cock-fighting as appropriate date venues.  Gah.  How can Ice take it?  But she'll try again, by picking the Ice Capists as a destination.  What, we can say Ice Capades?  Why not?  They still use Oreos for J'onn's favorite cookie (lately, they have been referred to as "Chocos").

No one can imagine Guy at the Ice Capades.  Yes, I will say it!  But does okay with skating bears and Andy the Aardvark.  No problems until, imagined by Beetle and orchestrated by Kilowog, Guy Gardner ON ICE is introduced.  A large, grinning,  ice skating Guy Gardner.  Who finishes his routine by losing his pants and displaying heart covered boxers.  Guy manages to hold it in, besides one frustrated growl, but he didn't say another word.  Until he gets home and his date is over (since he promised Ice that nothing would make him upset), and he finds the Guy costume in his bed.  THEN he starts ranting at at Guy and Kilowog.  And during this tirade, Oberon silently leaves the JLA headquarters, and the JLA behind...

Now, I have to go grab the next bunch for the long box...   Maybe I'll get some JLE, too.

JLA #44

Another good cover!  I really like Wally Tortolini!   Although he really didn't intend to be a villain.  Let's see if I can remember all the weapons he has...

Tuning Fork Gun from Sonar

Star Helmet Helmet from Brainstorm

Crowbar (of Crowbar?)

Sword of Cavalier

Power Stone of Black Rock

So Wally has won all these items, but doesn't know how to use them.  He starts playing around, and knocks a whole in his apartment wall.  He wants to get away before the cops come to arrest him, but walks right into the arms of ...  who?  Not the cops, not the FBI.  Someone wants the dirt Wally dug up on the JLA, and wants it bad.  Wally meets a cadre of "men in black" who will stop at nothing to get Wally's notebook. 

Wally is ready to surrender, when he figures out these aren't the cops.  He is going to go down fighting.  The news media starts reporting on the incident, saying that it is, in fact, a group of supervillains attacking, based on the weapons being used.  The villains, watching from "The Dark Side" bar, get angry.  They go to confront Wally.  The "men in black," seeing that there is more attention on them than they want, leave.  Wally "gives" the stuff back to the villains, just in time for the JLA to show up and capture them.  Poor villains.  Not really their fault this time.   Wally gets away again, but realizes that the notebook could cause problems, so he gives it to J'onn.  J'onn and Max decide it needs to be burned!  Burned and the ashes obliterated.  

A few things I really liked in this issue:

 -- Star Trek references (Wally seems to think he is Captain Kirk.)

-- Wally thinking he should give up journalism to write comics.

-- All the "Bwahhahaha"

-- Spit takes in comics!

-- L-Ron!  Even a bit part.  Is L-Ron going to take the place of Oberon?

-- Never give your kid a weird name (Mortimer, Bito...)

-- "I can hurl starbolts!  I can move objects!  I...I forgot to turn it on."

-- The Cavalier looks a lot like Inigo Montoya.   

And, really, Fire has the WORST taste in clothing.  Good thing for her she doesn't really need a superhero costume anymore.

Justice League #43

I love the cover of this book.  I wish I had JLI playing cards!  It would be pretty cool.  I wonder that Blue Beetle gets to be a Jack, though.  One would think he and Booster would be Jokers.  And speaking of Booster, he isn't even in the League anymore, but he is still appearing in the little DC logo box.  I have noticed it rotates between Beetle and Booster, or Ice and Fire (and sometimes no one at all).  

So, the issue starts with Sonar robbing a bank.  He's finally figured out that having a bunch of money is better than not being a world conqueror.  But he can't catch a break.  The JLA shows up (because Max and J'onn want to see how well the new recruits fit in, and how Bea's powers are doing), and instead of catching Sonar, they create a minor disaster area and manage to burn up all the cash Sonar took.  Sonar gets away with the help of...  Wally Tortolini!  Yes, the intrepid free-lance reporter is back, and figures that helping Sonar might lead to a better story than the JLA one nobody wants. 

So while Beetle is dying of laughter at the idea of the whole JLA being beaten by Sonar, Sonar himself is taking Wally to "The Dark Side," a supervillian hangout where the villians can let down their hair and relax.  

I love the "Big Board" that tells where people are.  Dead, imprisoned, Insane, crisis of conscience...  and, we see later, in jail.  I guess you might want to know where everyone is.  The JLA should have one of these boards!

Also enjoyable, some of the conversations going on:  "I did too beat Superman! 

Wally and Sonar get into a poker game with some of the other villains, who apparently aren't very good at cards.  Wally wins everyone's super-gadgets.  Oh, nothing bad could result from that...

Justice League #41

This issue opens with Max explaining his power to bend minds to J'onn.  But, he tells J'onn, he's become more ethical and thoughtful since getting this power, and he'll use it wisely.  Except when he makes his chauffeur believe his name is really Rodolpho.  Max is a LIAR!

(And, no, A.H., I don't remember Invasion.  No one does.  And it never really happened, at least according to D.D.  If Invasion didn't happen, then Max could never have killed Beetle, because he wouldn't have had the powers.  Hmmmm.)

Then Max uses his powers to make a girl talk to him.  Yeah, morals.  Of course, he passes out on his way into his apartment with the girl (Wanda) and then has the most vivid dreams about fighting Lord Evil and various other villians, and then learning a lesson about misuse of power.  But I really expected Wanda to be dead in the bedroom when Max walked in.  I guess she still could be.  Or I thought she might have drugged Max.  

This was a really nice one-part story, tying in to the overall idea of Max gaining powers without having to have a lot of other stuff thrown in.  I wonder if they ever used any of Max's dream villians as real ones?  Lord Evil, Masked Robber, or Massivtron?  How come I always think of this stuff when I don't have access to the Internet?  (Okay, as I was posting, I looked up these villians.  Unfortunately, you can't really look up "Masked Robber" since he figures in too many real news stories.  Even "Masked Robber, DC" ends up with countless hits.  Washington DC must have a lot of masked robberies.)

There are TWO different comic strip ads in this book.  I was ready for Part IV of Capri Sun, but not Bonk's Adventures.  I think that must be an ad for a video game.  I don't remember it.

Justice League #40

I am sure the cover is supposed to have us believing that Mr. Miracle is dead.  I even imagine that maybe the JLA thinks he is dead.  However, I don't see Barda in the crowd that is walking away on the front cover!

---->  NO BARDA  ---------------------------------------------------------------------->

We pick up right where the last issue left off.  Despero (love the UN flag cape, by the way) is still on the verge of killing Beetle.  J'onn once again arrives in the knick of time, maybe.  He is telling Despero not to kill beetle, and we see Despero squeeze (out of panel) and blood dripping.  Is the end for Beetle, as well?  Wait!  I suspect that the Martian Manhunter has planted these thoughts in Despero's mind.  Despero thinks he is killing the League, but is not really!  

(Drat, another Capri Sun ad.  I hate comic ads in comics.  They take me out of the story, thinking I should be reading them.   But this is an ongoing one.  From issue to issue...  This was part III.)

Indeed, Fire has died, and I suspect even more that J'onn has planted these thoughts/images in Despero's mind.  Despero thinks a little about his homeworld and his mother.  I need to find an origin story for this.  It sounds interesting.  Finally, Despero destroys earth and himself.  And, no, it was a dream.  J'onn employed the Martian technique of Mayavana, which may only be used once in a Martian's life.  Thank you, deus ex machina. 

Scott's funeral.  Hey, Barda is there.  Booster shows up, but just to recruit Gypsy.  Maybe not.  Beetle hits him.  Everyone is depressed.  Guy is trying to comfort Ice, and is very nice about it.  Could this be the beginning of Ice and Guy as a couple?  And then some stranger shows up at Scott's grave...his brother?   

And there is a JLA recruitment on!  

Justice League #39

We're back to J'onn and Gypsy.  J'onn says Gypsy means more to him than almost anyone else on Earth.  She reminds him of his long-dead wife.  Despero uses those feeling to make J'onn remember the awful times on Mars, when his family died.  It almost kills him, and Despero goes back to tormenting Gypsy.  He is just ready to kill her when Guy shows up!  He kicks Despero "from here to eternity."  But somehow I don't think that is really the case.  

In fact, Despero has landed in Long Island Sound, where Guy and the rest of the League catch up to him.  Despero proceeds to take out virtually all of the League and half of mid-town Manhattan (giving Beetle a nice compliment in the process).  It seems as though Despero has even killed Mr. Miracle.  But, the reader surmises, that wasn't really Mr. Miracle.  It was a robot Mr. Miracle.  That's why he was behaving oddly.  

And then, the ominous proclamation of J'onn:  to get rid of Despero, J'onn will have to DESTROY THE JUSTICE LEAGUE! What is J'onn up to?  I know he has some plan.  I just hope Gypsy doesn't get killed.  Save

Justice League #38

or "What happened to the garbage?"  

That's my title, not Giffen's.  The first five pages of this issue are a copy of the article written for SPY by the reporter who was snatching the JLA trash in previous issues.  And, boy, did he find trash!

He outs Ted as the Blue Beetle (insulting his name at the same time).  He reveals that Oberon is, probably, stealing letters from Barda to Scott.  Poor Guy was probably in a sanatarium for seven years.  He uncovered Fire's identity as Beatriz (from peroxide and green dye bottles!) and nothing on Ice.  And Booster Gold missed out on winning Publisher's Clearinghouse prizes.  

And then we find out that it isn't even printed in the magazine.  The publisher pulls the piece!  Who is responsible?  The "European Distributor," who just happens to be Crimson Fox of Justice League Europe.  Oops.

Then we flash back to the guy I thought looked like a red Martian.  But, in fact, it is actually Despero?  He goes after Steel (not familiar to me Steel...), and when Despero finds him dead, he kills every one else in the lab.  But Despero will find the JLA and KILL THEM (and we see a gas station where gas is $0.91 a gallon.  Remember that?).  

So, Despero is going after old members of the JLA.  Steel first, then Gypsy.  JLA gets an alert when Despero starts taking out Gypsy's whole town, after killing her Mom and Dad.  J'onn makes it just in time to stop Despero from killing Gypsy.  Oh, boy.  Action packed issue!  The writers could really pack story into a single issue back then.  

Sigh....

And a couple comments...  What is wrong with Mr. Miracle?  And is Booster forming another super hero team?  

Justice League #37

“Intruder Alert”

What could possible be invading Justice League Headquarters this time?
Beetle and Booster are still on clean up duty, and Booster is feeling a little put-out.  Excuse me, Booster, but you could be in JAIL, you know?  Accomplice to embezzlement?  Stealing funds from the UN-funded Justice League accounts has to be a crime.  

This must be when Booster starts doing product endorsements.  He needs money and he so desperately doesn’t want to be a joke.  (Hey, at least he’s not Aquaman.)   Booster goes off to meet with Claire Montgomery...maybe a publicist?  Which leads to Booster coming back to headquarters and QUITTING!  Poor Beetle.  Will he lose his best friend?

As for the B and C stories -- or maybe Booster was the B story?  Remember the alley behind the building?  We find out that the mysterious figure seen previously is actually a reporter, out to dig dirt (literally, garbage) on the JL members.  When Guy goes to investigate noises, he accidentally lets a cat into the building.  The cat (maybe more than a cat?) finds its’ way into Fire’s bedroom, where she is getting dressed, and she once again starts a fire in her room.  Guy goes to investigate and gets attacked by the cat.  He wants to do some vile things to the cat, but Fire prevents it.  Meanwhile, the sprinklers are soaking the building, AGAIN.  Fire really needs to learn to control those new powers.

And what is with the space creature partway through the book?  He looks like a red Martian.  I don’t remember red Martians.  Green and white, yes, but not red.  I guess I will find out.

Before I Forget... JL #36

Justice League of America # 36
G’nort by G’nortwest

I thought G’nort should have an apostrophe!  In the previous appearance by G’nort, the dog-like Green Lantern, there was no apostrophe.  In this issue, there is.  The presence of the apostrophe, to me, changes the pronounciation!  G’nort implies the G is NOT silent.  Gah-nort.  That’s my last word on the subject...

Lots of good things in this issue.  “The Manga Khan School of Melodrama” being my favorite.  I would like to take a correspondence course from there!  I am sure the “Scarlet Skier” must be a satire of another superbeing...maybe the Silver Surfer?  No one believes in him, poor Skier.  And really, how much of a dweeb villian do you have to be to have G’nort as your arch-nemesis?  Suffice it to say, G’nort (sort of) saves the day, and rides off into the sunset with (sort of) with his new partner.

I just love saying "G'nort".  

Justice League #33 and #34

Two comics again today...making up for last week. 

Justice League America #34

"Island Life"

Major Disaster and Big Sir are living in a flea bag apartment, not doing much of anything besides complaining about being poor (and Big Sir is apparently learning to count cards) when Major D comes across an ad for CLUB JLI.  Yes, the resort on KooeyKooeyKooey is opened for business with hotel, casino, and spa.  But apparently Max doesn't know anything about it.  In fact, Max realizes that Booster and Beetle have, basically, embezzled the start-up funding from the JLA.  

Major Disaster decides that he and Big Sir can fund their plans for world domination by counting cards and winning at the casino.  (Why go to the JLI casino for that?  Wouldn't any casino do?)  Of course, Beetle doesn't recognize them when they arrive, and welcomes them in.  So, they head to the casino, and start betting with a dollar.  Now, even if Big Sir knows what the cards are, I don't see how that guarantees him so many winning hands.  Not at black jack.  Maybe poker.  But he is obviously playing Black Jack, and getting 21s.  I just don't understand how.  Big Sir ends up breaking the bank, when Aquaman appears.  

Evacuate now, he says.  The island is unstable, he says.  And sure enough, before the evacuation can get underway, the island wakes up, dislodges itself and starts to move.  Yes, the island is alive.  Big Sir and Major Disaster lose all the money they just won when it floats off into the ocean (kids, let this be a lesson.  Always get the wire transfer, not the cash.  And why didn't they have to pay taxes?).  

Justice League #35

Well, Booster and Beetle have really messed this up!  The island of KooeyKooeyKooey has drifted (or ran) away, destroying the resort and, especially damaging, the JLA transporter tubes.  No one can escape the island, but no one can get there either.  And apparently Max, Oberon, Ice and Huntress were on their way when the tubes were destroyed.  Now they are marooned in the ocean somewhere.  What to do?  Force a sick Ice to make an ice berg so they don’t have to float in the water.  Of course, Ice is the one that is injured.  She is the only one with real powers.  Stung by jelly fish, she is barely managing to hang on.  The JLA communicators apparently can’t handle being dunked in water, and then sharks show up.  Things go from bad to worse when Max tells Huntress that he “coerced” her into joining.  He is forced to then “coerce” her into forgetting that he said that!

In the meantime, the tourists are getting restless.  Not the natives.  The chief, who talks to the island, expected something like that would happen, and “goes with the flow.”  But the tourists!  They want their luggage, or to go home, or some food.  What can save the island?  Major Disaster, Aquaman and some whales!  Go Aquaman!  They manage to anchor the island on a volcano.  At this point, somewhat portentiously, Booster worries that Max may shot him through the head over this.  Beetle say "Max'd never do that."  Poor, poor Beetle.  Max will do exactly that later.  But for now, Aquaman rescues the stranded JLA members.  Guy arrives in the nick of time to rush Ice off to a hospital.  

So, to make it all up, Booster and Beetle have to provide maid service in the JLA headquarters.  Excuse me?  Maid service?  They embezzled funds, used JLA resources (Kilowog) in a private investment scheme, stranded tourists, and were probably ignoring customs laws.  And they get sentenced to MAID SERVICE?  Something’s wrong there.  

As is something wrong in the alley behind the JLA.  Maybe we’ll learn more about that later.  I hope we haven't see the last of KooeyKooeyKooey.

Comic a Day Catch-Up #3...

Justice League America #31

Guest Starring -- Justice League Europe!

 Which is why this title is no longer JLI -- because there is a separate title for the "International" part.  I am not sure I like that.  Plus, the story crosses over into the JLE, and I am not reading that concurrently.  But maybe I should be.  

Dr. Fate is featured on this cover, and the writers/artists seem to love playing with the fact that Dr. Fate is, apparently, a woman.  It looks like she is winking on the cover.  Or the mask is winking.  I guess I don't understand the Dr. Fate character.  Maybe we need a Dr. Fate 101.  Well, if Dr. Fate shows up in the New 52 continuity, maybe I will ask Mark.  Or did Dr. Fate show up already?  

Anyway, this issue starts off with the Spectre and the Grey Man wandering around a village that seems to be deserted and destroyed.  Spectre doesn't know why he was drawn there, and the Grey Man won't tell him.  

Meanwhile, Beetle and Mr. Miracle are working on getting the JLA shuttle fixed while Booster complains about the JLA comic strip, and Fire has designed new, slutty, costumes for herself and Ice.  Well, Ice, compared to Starfire now, these costumes are not slutty.  I'm not sure about the fur leg warmers though.   Somehow the two get locked in their room (Really, the security system doesn't recognize them in their new costumes?  Who designed that?  Don't they ever wear "civvies"?), and when Fate accidently lands on the roof and falls through, Fire starts the room on fire, and burns up everything except the new costumes.  HOW CONVENIENT!

So Fate is there to join up, and so we have the Huntress and Fate as new members.  

Guy is on monitor duty playing video games, when Batman comes in and yells at him.  It turns out that someone is trying to get through to the Justice League!  A real call for help!  Oh, it was Sue Dibny (maybe she is alive again in the New 52.  Probably not, until DD changes his mind again).  Everyone piles into the newly repaired and tuned up shuttle, and takes off for Europe.  Except it doesn't look like it is everyone.  I see Fire, Ice, Dr. Fate, Guy Batman, John, Booster and Mr. Miracle.  But no Huntress.  Maybe she is there but hiding in the shadows.  

They eventually get where they are going, which appears to be a small European hamlet, bombarded by shells.  What is going on?  Classic cliff-hangar ending.

Once again, I am struck by how much story is in an issue of the older comics.  Comparing this to the JLI #2 I just read (New 52, nDCU), it is a novel!   

Here's what happened in JLI #2:  The new team goes out to fight a giant robot and gets beat and retreats.  

Justice League America #32

(The Teasdale Imperative, Part Three)

Okay, I missed part two, since it was in JLE.  I can still, mostly, figure out what is going on.  There is a mad scientist in the Balkans somewhere, using a secret chemical compound to turn regular people into vampire zombies.  The JLA and the JLE have teamed up to try to stop it, but are exposed to the gas and have to abandon the UN troops, who are now turning into the vampire zombies.  Beetle, true to form, wants to call in the Titans instead of dealing with it.  I know he is just joking, right, Ted?  After all, if you didn't want to be fighting bad guys, why would you be dressed up as Blue Beetle?  Nobody is forcing you!  You don't have an alien scarab integrated into YOUR body!

So, mad scientist is being encouraged by the Grey Man, who wants everyone dead so that he can get their "Soulstuff."  Remember the Grey Man from a bunch of issues ago?  This is a different Grey Man.  

We have a bit of a serious moment as Scott Free reflects on how Earth is becoming like Apokolips.  He just wants to be at home with Barda.  Power Girl accidently insults him at this point, by implying that he should be used to the chaos and death.  Scott's a little touchy about that!

So we find out that Stagg Industries is behind the mad scientist.  Mr. Stagg funded the research, then tried to kill the our mad scientist.  I am not sure why he tried to kill him?  Stagg would own any developments anyway.  If you were a power hungry industrialist, why kill someone who is amoral enough to make you a secret vampire virus and test it on humans?  Keep him around!  

So, anyway, the mad scientist is going to try to attack the Stagg Industries plant to take over the world.  The combined Justice League is going to try to stop them.  The Lords of Order want nothing to do with it.  What will happen?  What!!!!!  

Justice League #30

This issue focused pretty much completely on the mega-rod, Scott, Barda, Fire and HUNTRESS!  The mega rod takes over the mind of the kid who stole it, and pretty much drives him crazy.  He is doing things in the name of Darkseid, and he doesn't even know who that is!  The Huntress makes an appearance to distract the rod-wielder with cross-bow bolts.  Alas, though, the group of Leaguers is not able to get the rod away from the wielder in time, and he dies. Although Scott is saddened by this, Huntress doesn't seem to worried.  

Fire does realize that she is all flame now, when her power is on.  No body.  Oberon thinks Mayor Koch is pulling a prank call on him. 

And Max uses his power to "persuade" Huntress to join the JLA.  Max, Max, Max.  You are on the road to the dark side!  (PUN ALERT!)

Now it is time to pull the next 15 issues or so from the big box in the comic book lounge.  

I just noticed something interesting when I was packing up issues 24 - 30.  I think I already commented on the change of name from Justice League International to Justice League America.  But, the little box where the bar code goes still says JLI (except when it doesn't).  But it does not say JLA.  I wonder why?  

Justice League #29

This cover was good.  We see Blue Beetle surrounded by a sea of women, all with bad haircuts.  Okay, probably not bad for the late '80s.  But still..  there is one woman (bottom left) who looks like she has a shag rug on her head.  Fire's hair looked like this for a while.  I can't believe that anyone's hair really looked like this.  Short hair, yes.  Long hair, no. 

But back to the comic.  We are back to Blue Beetle's story.  Well, after a little dig at "The Human ..." DON'T SAY IT.  It is Fire, who is actually green fire now.  She seems better able to control the power after a little supervision from Barda.  But there is still some worry about how long she can keep the flame on.  And speaking of hair styles, both Flame and Barda are pretty bouffant in this issue.  So Barda is still training Fire, and needs the mega-rod to do some work.  She left it in the car, though, and then the car is stolen.  Egads!  So Scott, Barda and Flame go looking for it.   Meanwhile...

By Beetle's hospital bed, where he lies in a coma, Batman brings in Kent Nelson/Nabu/Dr. Fate.  Nabu abandons Kent's body, and goes into Beetle's mind.  He finds Beetle trapped behind a wall (the Azreal Wall built by Queen Bee) and Nabu figures out a way to get him past the wall and back into ...  Kent's body!  Then it is a simple matter to trade back. Easy-peasy.  The cover alludes to the fact that Beetle's mind is filled with women.  Hmmmmm.  Oh, and he fixes Booster's mind, too.  

Back to the main story, Barda and Scott use the mother box to locate the stolen car, which has been crushed, with the teens who stole it inside!  But not all of them.  One of the delinquents has stolen the mega-rod, and used it to crush the car.  What will happen next?  Tune in to the next exciting issue of JLA!

Justice League #28

Interesting...  this issue is almost completely unrelated to the story in the previous two issues.  Ice and Guy go on a date (first date, maybe last?).  Ice thinks Guy really has a nice personality under his gruff (slimy) exterior.  Fire tries to talk her out of it, but she is determined.  She thinks they are going to a Tom Sellek movie.  Instead, Guy takes her to a girlie show.  She is disgusted and walks out.  

In the meantime, the guy who owns the theater, and is also a criminal, is worried that Green Lantern means to take out his business.  When Guy shows up, he is convinced that GL is there to take him out.  So he gets up in his old supervillian costume (Black Hand?  Really?  Wasn't he a real bad guy recently?).  Here, Black Hand is sort of a wimpy character who surrenders pretty quickly to Guy.  Guy, of course, doesn't accept the surrender, and beats up Black Hand a little bit more.  Apparently, he even brings Black Hand down to Ice to offer her a few "licks."

We also learn that Fire's new abilities are the result of the gene virus (the whole idea of this seems to have since been forgotten).  She is now starting to resemble the Fire that I know from more recent comics.  And Barda is going to train her.  Apparently because Barda has all that experience of teaching on Apokolips.  Just what I'd want in a teacher....

I am anxious to see what causes Ice to give Guy another chance at dating, since I know they were an item for a while.  

Catch Up Day!

Okay, I have cheated, and it failed.  I tried doing several comics in one day, then they didn't post as they were supposed to.  It was totally my fault.  Therefore, here are my Monday through Thursday (today) comics.

Monday:  JLI #24

Second Anniversary!  Extra big issue!  16 page backup story!  

The regular book is divided into two stories.  First, we have Max Lord discovering that he has a meta-power (sort of discovering...).  He goes looking for the evil computer of year one, and gets trapped in a landslide.  He wishes really hard that "... to see Blue Beetle's face." And then he yells really loud.  Beetle gets the message, but Oberon doesn’t believe him.  Blue Beetle and Ice go looking anyway, and end up finding Max.  BLUE BEETLE SAVES MAX!  Poor Ted...Max will kill you later!

The second story sees the league membership drive, and nothing is better than a good super-hero party.  Especially when shrunken aliens stored in boxes suddenly grow large again.  Thanks, Oberon.  Didn't think to tell anyone you were storing miniature invaders, hmmmm?

Bonus Story:  Art is really weird.  These extra stories are to try out new talent.  I don't like it at all.  But the artist has gone far in independent comics, so I guess he must have found his niche.  I loved the story, though.  Max is kidnapped, and talks the kidnappers into turning on their boss.  Then Booster and Beetle connive the kidnappers for money for a big-screen television.  Very cute.  

Tuesday:  JLI #25

It seems like the JLI is always cleaning up a mess!  This issue starts with the mess created during the recruitment party, when the mini-Khunds grew.  But Booster and Beetle manage to swing a repo job that gets them out of the clean-up.  Well, Beetle gets the job, and talks Booster into going along with it.  What are they repossessing?  A vampire!  (insert lots of blood sucking and garlic jokes.)

Of course, they end up in a sewer filled with skeletal remains (of what?  we don't know).  The "vampire" attacks them, and starts yelling that he just wants to be left alone, in peace, not killed like the rest of his people.  Booster and Beetle are fighting back, but also listening to what Caitiff (the "vampire") is saying.  Indeed, they figure out that the guy that hired them has experimented on others of Caitiff's race, and are maybe just deciding to not take him back, when Caitiff impales himself on a stalagmite.  Here's a serious moment for a humorous comic...

But I think that is one thing that makes the JLI (now the JLA again) a great comic.  They can take these moments when things would get serious (similar to when Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter were lamenting the necessities of war in Invasion) and show realistic feelings for the characters, then go right back to the comedy, in this case, Guy waiting to ambush them for not helping with the cleanup back at HQ.  

All-in-all, this was a nice "one and done" story.  

Wednesday:  JLI #26

Batman is on the cover, standing over an unconscious Blue Beetle.  Poor Ted!  I didn't realize how much he got beaten up.  I think he needs some hand-to-hand training.  And who i holding a crossbow on Batman?!?!

The issue starts with the phone ringing in JLI headquarters.  Apparently, monitor duty includes answering the phone.  I don't get that.  Why even have a phone in the "sitting room" if it is supposed to be answered by the guy on monitor duty.  Now, of course, all of the JL would have cell phones, so it wouldn't matter.  Except where do they keep their cell phones?

But Beetle has fallen asleep on monitor duty.  It is so boring!  I notice a cup from what appears to be McDonald's sitting on the console behind Beetle.  Is that product placement.  I doubt it.  

Beetle finally does answer the phone, and then Oberon finds him wandering into the kitchen, where he finds a nice, big, sharp knife.  Al, the refrigerator delivery man, is seen running away, and then Oberon is seen stabbed...by Beetle?  What?  Fire and Guy find Oberon, and Guy leaves Oberon with Fire to go find Beetle.  Except Fire (Flame? that's what Guy calls her) is apparently attacking Oberon, too.

Meanwhile, Beetle is chasing Max through the streets of Manhattan, after having stabbed him, too.  Beetle corners Max in an alley, and is about to stab him when a hand grabs him.  Who is it?  HUNTRESS!  She fights Beetle, and knocks him out, when Batman appears.  My first question is, why aren't Batman and Huntress in Gotham?  I thought this was New York?  The UN and all?  

Batman thinks that the Huntress stabbed Max and knocked out Blue Beetle.  They tussle a little until Beetle wakes up and tries to stab again.  Batman quickly realizes that Beetle is responsible.  But he doesn't know Huntress!  This must be the first appearance of Helena Bertenelli as Huntress!  

In the end, Max, J'onn and Batman all ponder what could have caused Beetle to go berserk.  

I really like Huntress.  I wonder if she shows up again soon.  All I can do is keep reading...

Today, Thursday! JLA # 27

This Black and White cover is interesting, but doesn't seem to tell me much about the comic.  I am thinking that the lone figure looks a little like Amanda Waller, but I can't imagine how she would figure in to this story.  Well, let's take a look.

Ah, yes, first page, we see Belle-Reve prison, and someone talking to Amanda Waller.  Oberon has come to see her to get her to look at Blue Beetle.  Beetle is locked in Max's room at the JL embassy, and wonders what has happened to him.  He doesn't remember what happened.   Why can't J'onn read his mind and find out?  Because Beetle might have been programmed with mental barriers that would block J'onn enough that Beetle's mind would be destroyed in the process.  So, instead, Amanda is going to deprogram him. 

It turns out the Queen Bee of Bialya is behind it.  The JLA determined that from the phone call that was recorded.  "Bialya, My Bialya."  Good one, Amanda. She says the code phrase and sets Beetle off again.  In the course of the deprogramming, Amanda manages to trigger a coma in Beetle.  Batman is not happy, and goes off to find Nabu, or Kent Nelson, to help. 

There were nice interludes with other JLA members in this issue, interspersed with the Amanda Waller scenes.  A nice page of Booster and Ice, drinking at a soda shop, wondering how to help their best friends.  Guy blowing off some steam by harassing a litterer.  Barda and Scott at home, wondering about normal life.  Fire and Oberon talking books and being scared.  

Justice League #23

Another Invasion tie-in, with Invasion Aftermath.  And the Injustice League.

The League is on clean-up duty in the South Pacific, checking crashed alien vessels.  Poor John is not getting any respect as leader of the JLI.  Guy, as usual, does what he thinks is best, and ends up having the ship fall apart on him.  (This time, the writer deletes Guy's expletives.)  

Meanwhile, on the next island over, a group is also trying to get an alien ship up and running, but for less noble purposes than disposal.   Mjor Disaster wants to take over the world.  He's got Clock King, Multi-Man, Big Sir, Clue Master and Bruce.  Bruce is the henchman, maybe...he's there as the mechanic.  These guys bicker just as much as the League.  

So while Clue Master is thinking he sees something on another island, Fire is thinking the same thing.  But both decide they are imagining something.  

I love the page of panels with Guy and Mr. Miracle talking about the ship.  Each panel has a change of expression that really does say something about the character.  Even with a mask on, Mr. Miracle can be pretty expressive!

Major Disaster is monologuing a lot like Manga Khan.  Hmmmmm.   

After a chase scene, lots of bickering, some hand to hand and a last minute save by J'onn, the Injustice League is caught and turned over to the military.  Then Guy kicks something from the alien ship, and -- everything goes dark?  Not sure what happens.  I don't know if I ever will know, because that is not continued in the next issue. 

Note: gotta ask Mark if he has the Invasion miniseries.