Justice League International #19
"No More Mr. Nice-Guy!"
plot/breakdowns: Keith Giffen
script: J.M. DeMatteis
pencils: Kevin Maguire
inks: Joe Rubinstein
letters: Bob Lappan
colors: Gene D'Angelo
editor: Andy Helfer
grade: A-
I positively love when Maguire does these bookend covers:
And, of course, there were the bookend covers from the Suicide Squad crossover:
As great as these concepts were, though, I'm frankly surprised Helfer allowed them. How many people passed up this issue on the racks, thinking it was the same one they'd just bought last month?
As for the story itself, it certainly begins with a bang:
(or at least a boom)
and it goes on to serve a very important function. This was the age of the Anti-hero in comics. Guy Gardner and Lobo were arguably equally popular at this point, but they were also, to an extent, interchangeable in their characterizations. It would seem that the primary purpose of this battle (beyond drawing huge sales from fans who loved these guys) was to draw a contrast between them and show how they are different:
And while the battle proves to be quite enjoyable,
once this important contrast has been drawn, the battle is ended abruptly. Giffen could have easily given an entire drawn out issue to this showdown, but he has other things he'd like to get to instead.
The focus of the remainder of this issue is in further developing the lineup and personalities of the team. Two and a half years into this run, I still feel like Giffen hasn't gotten it where he wants it yet, and thus much of this issue is spent working towards that.
Ice-Maiden is getting a personality for the first time. Up until now, she's been little more than an appendage to Green Flame, but the return of Guy's old personality gives Giffen room to draw out Ice-Maiden's personality in contrast -- naive, innocent, seeing the best in people:
Green Flame, in contrast, remains aggressively sexual but also proves she has a mind and a soul here while hitting on Lobo:
I can't help but notice, though, how she's lost any sense of being Brazillian. The Kerouac reference is a very American one.
It's also worth noting that both members get new names in this issue (the ones I've always known them by): Fire and Ice
Meanwhile, Rocket Red's uniform has been destroyed by Lobo, leaving me to wonder if he'll get to stay on the team, Booster and Beetle are still the comic pair endlessly cracking the one-liners at each other, and DeMatteis FINALLY clarifies that they were both wealthy and lost all their money
for folks reading this book that weren't reading their solo titles. And Guy...
...well it's nice to have Guy back.
We're also finally finally told within the comic that Black Canary is gone and not coming back.
She's been gone without explanation for half a year now. I love how fluidly continuity worked across DC editorial offices during this time. You can see Giffen and Maguire trying to make up for that here with a big send-off, but perhaps the send-off is a bit TOO big:
What did Canary ever mean to Oberon? She had no meaningful relationship with any of the team members, really, holding them all at arms' length, accusing them of being sexist, and folding her arms and scowling a whole lot.
Giffen and DeMatteis never did seem to know what to do with her.
So we're moving closer to a final team (or teams) only two and a half years in, with inter-character relationships growing and some roster change-ups that I'll be covering in the next section of this review. My basic understanding of this era of the League has always been of Beetle, Booster, Guy, Fire, and Ice being morons together. We're just about at that point.
Important Details:- Black Canary officially quits
- Hawkman and Hawkwoman join the team. Additionally, Hawkman was an original member of the first League (though Secret Origins is about to establish that he was not a
founding member). No indication as to whether Hawkwoman was an original member as well.
Carter's personality will prove an interesting contrast to the all-hijinks style of the team:
Note: I'm not even going to try to understand what version of Carter Hall this is. Post-Crisis Hawkman continuity is not my thing.
- Superman is invited to join the League for the second time and (for the second time) declines:
- Maxwell Lord knows that Captain Atom is spying on them for the US government:
Minor Details:- Why in the world is Batman at Maxwell Lord's beck and call?
He not only drops everything to leave Gotham and come to New York at Max's request, but he then goes on to spend the day recruiting on behalf of Lord as well.
- No further sign that Maxwell Lord has undergone any kind of profound change after the events of
JLI #12. He seems like his smarmy old self here.
- It was a wild enough suspension of disbelief for Barda's cosmic rod to inadvertently knock Lobo to Earth last issue, let alone right into the JLI embassy, let alone right into Guy Gardner, but how in the world is Maxwell Lord guessing that's what happened in this issue?
In what way was that even close to a logical assumption?
- I cannot, for the life of me, understand whose hands are where in this panel:
Plot synopsis: Guy and Lobo fight it out, the team goes out recruiting, Superman and The Flash's girlfriend decline but Hawkman and Hawkwoman accept, the team believes Lobo was sent by Barda and is on their side, so they intend to make him part of the team while he patiently awaits his victims' return to the embassy from space, Black Canary officially quits, Maxwell Lord lets Captain Atom know he's aware of his secret mission to spy on them, and the B team in space arrives at Apokolips in search of Lord Manga and Mister Miracle.
!!!