This, right here, is the one I’ve been waiting for. While the earlier decades of Retroactives have certainly been fun, this is the one that finally hits my nostalgia button. It was utter perfection, hitting me with memories of the exact time period I started getting into comics, back when DC Comics last went for a complete reboot.

The first thing that struck me was the art. A Kevin Maguire comic always looks like no other because he is one of the truly unique talents in comics. I really know of no other artist who draws like Maguire, and he is amazing. If you’re a fan of the earlier JLI iterations, you don’t need me to tell you, you’ve heard it all before. The man’s work is all about character and expression. JLI had many great artists through the years but Maguire was the most perfect match to the scripts, and he’s not lost a step.

Meanwhile, the story itself is like coming home. It’s set in the thick of the original run, nothing is compromised by what follows in the intervening years. It really is like a missing single issue from the late 80s, apparently setting up that great Justice League Antarctica annual from back in the day. The characters are exactly as they always were, it’s hilarious yet action filled (something people often forget about that original run) and it’s the definition of a fun ride. It’s a testament of it’s quality that it all seems to end so soon, culminating with a final page that seems to sum up the sheer joy of this series along with the sadness that comes with knowing that this truly is it for the team.

I found the back up reprint a really interesting choice, in that they’ve plumbed for the final JLA issue of that original run, rather than the usual reprints from the first couple of years. It’s as funny as ever, but more than that it’s quite a moving, melancholic farewell filled with beautiful character moments. I’ve not read it for years but it reminded me just how great this book was at depicting actual human beings. As a kid I wasn’t always that enamoured of Max Lord, but now as an adult I can see just how much he developed over the six years from self centred millionaire to dedicated, exasperated, loyal superhero organiser. He’s often overlooked but this comic reminds you what a truly original creation he was.

In the end this truly is 5 bucks well spent. Between both original material and reprint there is not a page wasted, it truly is an absolute joy to behold. Cherish it folks, I’m not sure we’ll ever see it’s like again.