Book of the Month
What did the
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Size: pages
Price: 24.99
So that was fun, wasn’t it? Now let’s get to the real Book of the Month.
We all know that there have been a lot of comics printed. Since the onset of The Silver Age alone, there must be millions of pages of comics books printed. Obviously not all of them can be kept in print at all times, there just isn’t always the demand. No one is really yearning for a reprint of the Dan Ketch years on Ghost Rider (although I’m sure there are fans out wanting it, just not many.) But there are always a couple of titles that are real head scratchers as to why they are not readily available and reprinted. The Keith Giffen/J.M. DeMatteis/Kevin Maguire run on Justice League from the 1980’s has always been on of those titles.
Personally, I looked for a collection of this book for years before finally finding an old, ratty condition trade paperback, that was originally released in 1991, in a store in Boston (of all places). If you ever cornered me at a convention and asked “What collection would you want to see reprinted?” I would without hesitation say “Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire on Justice League.” It has been 17 years since these comics were in print and it seems as if someone at DC finally heard (or noticed) the demand for this run, and so we finally get a beautiful hard cover edition of the first seven issues, dubbed Justice League International, Vol. 1. And that my friends, is the Book of the Month at iFanboy for April.
This run on Justice League is revered by many, and unknown by even more. Sitting down and re-reading this collection made me realize exactly how crazy genius this creative team and the issues they worked on were. To set the stage, it’s 1987 and DC Comics have not only just gone through rebooting their universe in Crisis on Infinite Earths, but they released The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen, two books that have been noted to usher in the “grim and gritty” age of comics. Comics were getting darker and more cross hatched — we all know what happened as comics moved into the 1990s. And yet, right in the middle of this time period was a book like Justice League (“International” was added to the title at issue #7, the last issue collected in this hardcover). In the forward for this book, Giffen talks about how unlikely this creative team was, and boy was he right. Giffen had a joke-y reputation, DeMatteis had done heady and heavy work and Kevin Maguire was a virtual unknown. Immediately as pen went to paper, the magic started.
At this point in time, the Justice League was a bit of a joke. The reboot of the DC Universe during Crisis lead to the development of their key characters in their solo books, so the team book suffered with second tier characters. What Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire did was take these lesser characters (although DC did throw them a bone and let them have Batman), and put a spin on them that was unlike anything attempted before.
If you’ve heard anything from anyone about this run, you’ve probably heard about two things:
1) Humor. Giffen and DeMatteis injected a certain bit of humor into this title that had never been present in the pages of the hallowed Justice League and it seems to be the thing that people remember the most
2) The Punch. the conflict between Guy Gardner and everyone else in the Justice League led to one of the greatest moments in comics dubbed as “the Punch” — when Batman knocked Guy cold with one punch.
Those are two very important aspects of this book, but after reading the recent hardcover release, I realized that this title was so much more than just some super hero comedy.
The main driving plot of these collected issues are the reformation of the Justice League, and the involvement of Maxwell Lord in establishing the Justice League International, a peacekeeping force recognized and adopted by the United Nations. I found this important for two reasons: First this added a bit of real world politics and is an approach that has been used by many since first done in the pages of Justice League. From StormWatch and The Authority in the WildStorm universe, to The Avengers and X-Men in the Marvel Universe (who have been under UN support at various points), even back to the DC Universe with the now near-epic Checkmate. This idea of how superheroes interact with the world and the world political stage was quite a risk to take in 1987, especially in a book steeped in comedy. Not only that, but the importance of this book in the current state of the DC Universe is staggering, with Maxwell Lord being a main villain in Infinite Crisis who set events in motion that are still having an impact in the pages of the DC comics you read today.
The other theme I picked up on, was not one trail blazed by Justice League — rather one established in The Dark Knight Returns and the momentum of that lead to Justice League and onward into other comics. It was the role of the media and its criticism of the heroes (which was practically a character in Dark Knight), Justice League picked up on this idea and continued the theme throughout the Justice League’s reformation, with a boisterous media talking head gunning for the Justice League, criticizing every move they made. Now don’t get me wrong, the humor is very important in this comic book, but it’s these other themes that I never really noticed when I read the book before is what made me sit back and think, “wow.” Giffen and DeMatteis were able to play off each others skills to the fullest and provide an amazingly complex yet accessible run on a team book, which is no easy feat.
Of course, the other huge aspect of this run was Kevin Maguire’s pencils. I don’t know if the subtle humor of Giffen/DeMatteis’ scripts could have been executed by anyone other than Maguire. He’s best known for his facial expressions and how he was able to give each character their own uniqueness in their look and reactions to the other characters and events within the book. But it doesn’t stop at the facial expressions. There is something in Maguire’s approach to drawing these characters that is best summed up by one panel. After “The Punch” occurs, the Justice League are reacting and there’s one panel where Blue Beetle is laughing at Guy being punched, and is rubbing the tears from his eye. But he’s sticking his finger UNDER his mask and rubbing his eye. It’s this minor attention to detail that sums up and separates Maguire from the rest of the artists in my eyes. It seems so simple, but its a move that makes these ridiculous characters in costumes natural and normal.
Another big element of Maguire’s art is that cover image. Recolored for the cover of this hardcover edition, the original cover of Justice League #1 has become an iconic image. The Justice League team standing together, looking up at you the reader, and Guy Gardner smugly saying “Wanna Make Something Of It?” has been replicated numerous times, both in other Justice League covers as well as across all of comics, which makes this cover true classic in the annals of the medium.
I really can’t say enough about this series. If you’re a fan of the entire line of DC Comics, then you just have to have this in your collection. If you’re a fan of the history of comics, then this is a collection you’ll need to own, as it represents a key time period in the history of comics. If you just want a good Justice League story that’s unlike anything you’ve read before, then pick this up. You’ll just have to ignore the Black Canary’s horrific 1980’s costume, but that’s a victim of the time and bears no affect on the quality of this collection. Really.
Ron Richards
BWAH-HA-HA
ron@ifanboy.com
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I own these in singles and I get them out every once in awhile and they are just as enjoyable as the first time I read them. They are a bit faded now, maybe I should pick up the trade.
I’ve read my originals of the first 30 or so issues of this run into absolute tatters. Definitely worth picking up for ANYONE.
Ron you’re only allowed one April’s fool day joke! Just Kidding. I remember reading this team when Manhunter was replaced by Bloodwynd in the 90s and enjoying it then. I really need to pick this up sometime.
@jstump – By the time Bloodwynd came around the book was being written by Dan Jurgens and was in no way like the book written by Giffen/DeMatteis.
@Conor – In your opinion was the stuff written by Jurgens better, worse, or just different then what Giffen/Dematteis wrote? I also barely remember any of it, in fact most of what I do remember is in relation to the Death of Superman, which still has a special place in my heart.
I can’t wait for this team to show up in Booster Gold by the way.
i’ve got the same worn paperback version, and it’s kept me entertained through so many re-reads throughout the years. great reveiw by ron – the humor’s great, but there’s more to the book than humor – the action and story elements really push it over the edge as a fantastic volume.
i think this months wizard did a piece on this series, wasn’t even considering it until right now. gotta love random recomendations
The Brit in a Hat
I’d heard generally good things about this run and planned to check it out eventually, but this review makes me want it RIGHT NOW. B/C list characters + humor + politics + media satire sounds like a formula for awesome.
(But, then, I’d also be a fan of the Cable book, so I have zero credibility).
I started collecting this about 2 or so years ago as issues becasue I never thought I’d see trades beyond the first seven issues, let alone a hardcover. If DC keeps putting these out, I can abandon my single issue hunt and start with nice, shiny hardcovers. Yay!
And while the punch is good, Canary’s reaction to it is still what sells it for me.
This book was one of my first and I’m absolutely amazed at how well it holds up.
@jstump – Way, way, way different. And way better.
i read this about a year ago and it wasn’t as funny as everyone says. i bought it because i absolutely loved I can’t believe it’s the Justice League and Formely Known as the Justice League, which were outright comedy books, this is not. This first volume at least, was much more your typical superhero comic, but a good one. I was expecting to be laughing out loud like i did with ICBJL and FKAJL. Does it get funnier with volume 2?
I also have that same tattered trade. I also JUST completed an entire run of this book, Justice League Europe, and all the other tie ins. Crap. I’d much rather have a nice series of HC’s, since I know they are releasing a Volume 2.
I have a question for Ron though, how is the quality of the book itself? I just got the HC of the Sinestro Corps War and I was very disappointed in the book quality. Sub-par paper quality, shoddy binding and over all very thin book for my $24.99. Marvel on the other hand has their Classic Premiere Hardcovers (a la Demon in a Bottle) and their regular Premiere HC’s for only $19.99 and they are top notch, not even mentioning their oversized 12+ issue HC’s (like Young Avengers, The Ultimates, or Daredevil) for $29.99.
@mikegraham6 – Personally I think the two sequel minis are nowhere near as funny as the original book.
An A-list Justice League never appealed to me, but I enjoyed seeing these second stringers fumble their way to victory.
Even as a dumb-ass teen, I noticed how much text/dialogue there was in this book compared to other books I was reading at the time. I loved it, even though I’d probably never even heard the term "character development" back then.
Great choice. I had been looking for collections of this as well, since I’d heard so many good things about it, and had the same reaction – I came for the fun, but ended up appreciating all the aspects more. In addition to the media and politics, I enjoyed the supernatural stuff with the Gray Man. More good news: Volume 2 has already been solicited, scheduled for August release.
God I love this comic and all those that followed from it. I have all the issues so I’m not sure if I’ll pick up the trades (maybe when I have some more money). But I highly recommend checking it out if you have never read it.
@Jstump: I loved Bloodwynd! I thought the issue right after superman’s death were great. I actually went on comicdb recently and checked out all the issues he was in besides justice league (its not many) and I thought I would pick them up for a fun collection thing. I had always hoped he’d appear in Shadowpact…but alas that dream seems dead.
Just ordered it from Amazon….thanks for the recommendation. Over spring break a made a big dent in my stack of trades, so I need to build it up again.
I finished it last week and freaking loved it. However it wasn’t as funny as I expected. But I get the impression that the humor gets thicker as the series progresses. Am I right?
I love this series more than pre-teens love Hannah Montana. I didn’t know they were coming out with a second HC of this series! (Starts tenting his fingers) Sweet.
@Conor – I’ve only read this first volume and those two minis (i read the minis first). i just wish they were quicker on collecting it, because if you’re right, then i’d really enjoy this series. I’m guess the original series wasn’t as overthetop as the two minis right? Did anyone every read the Defenders series these guys did for Marvel? now i thought that was a big disappointment
@mikegraham6 – Yeah, the series and its humor was grounded in the characters and the plots whereas I thought the follow-up minis were not as good because it was just a string of gags.
The Defenders series was just a pale immitation of this book. Looked great, though.
You’ve got to love the attention to detail in regards to the colours in these issues. Ron talks about the Blue Beetles finger going underneath his mask. When he does this his glove looks green because of his yellow visor and blue glove. Brilliant and simple.
"The Punch" is indeed one of the greatest moments in comics history.
Love the series but haven’t read it in awhile. Very much of its time. Not sure how it would read now. The two recent minis didn’t quite capture the magic of the original. I’ll have to pick it up.
This HC and the hardcover collecting the first part of Morrison’s JLA have me very excited. These are some of my favorite comics of all time. I’d recommend that everyone pick both of these up.
I just saw this recomended on the mini-podcast, and went to instocktrades.com and picked up a copy for like $13. I can’t wait to get it in the mail. I have always wanted to read this run and you guys reminded me it was out there, as well as where I could pick it up for well below cover price!
Man, this week’s BOOSTER GOLD sure was timely.
@conor I couldnt help but crack a smile at that coincidence when i got to the last page
Yeah, between this reunion and the one in the last Blue Beetle (along with Ice’s resurrection), can a normal timeline reunion of some type be far away?
My copy of this hardcover arrived yesterday and I immediatly dived into it. I had read the massive love for this run for years, but never actually read any of the issues until now. I have read this creative teams two "Super Buddies" mini-series, as well as their Defenders mini, all thee of which I loved, so i was really looking forward to it. I’m glad to say that I loved it even more than I thought it would. It’s amazing how well this series has held up over the years. On Friday, I read the Kree/Skrull War TPB, and that is a story that has not aged as well as many people think. I liked it, but it wasn’t really all that great considering how far comics storytelling has come. It was obviously a book written with kids in mind. (Yes, in the historical context it should be taken in it was really good, but it has not aged all that well.) Now JLI vol 1 n the other hand…..This is a book that could have come out this week and been just as great. The dialogue is great, the artwork is expressive and lively, and the stories are, for the most part, just as socially relevant in 2008 as they were 20 some odd years ago when they first saw print. A great choice for Book of the Month…..if not Book of the year! Can’t wait for vol 2!
After reading this pick, I thought I would poke around my LCS for the hardcover, and it turns out they had a not-at-all worn copy of the old trade paperback. I snatched it up, and it’s now sitting on the top of my to-read stack, once I wrap up Tezuka’s Buddha #1.
Captain Marvel and Guy Gardner in the same comic? I may need to read this. Those are two of my favorite DC characters right there.
Good ole Captain Whitebread!
I was kinda aprhensive about the humour aspect of this book because i wasnt’ sure how well the humour would hold up 15 or 20 years later. Turns out, it was still funny, and it even had some of those subtle "after-shock" jokes I tend to love. Excellent choice!
Wow, I just finished this book, it’s amazing. The humor walks a really thin line and walks it really well — it’s not often really laugh-out-loud funny, because the jokes are more about how these particular characters make jokes than they are the writer going for a laugh line.
The larger themes work really well too — politics, cosmic threats, all that good stuff. I can really see a lot of the foundation of today’s DCU in this, and it’s very cool.
i have been looking FOREVER for this cuz i LOVE booster and beetle.
im so glad this is out!!
I basically got this book ’cause I trust Ron’s recommendation and for the punch. The whole book was great, though. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely get volume 2 when it comes out. Thanks Ron!!
Is there a May book of the month?
after listening to the podcast where you first premiered it. i decided to go out and buy the hardcover book. i love it personally. its very funny and clever. i liked the characters they used. i am a HUGE blue beetle and booster gold fan so that made things MUCH better.
in the next issue of Booster Gold they want to get the Justice League International back together will be intresteing to say the least.
I just got back from one of my LCS’s, which is great for cheap back issues. I picked up 4 issues (3, 7, 8 and 9) for a buck each. Holy crap is this great stuff. Laugh out loud funny and the art by Kevin Maguire is incredible. In a way it reminders me of Buffy. Great action and story but also just flat out funny. Gonna have to order the hardcover now….
J.M. Dematteis has posted a blog entry reminiscing about his time on this book that you might find interesting:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/post/PLNK2QGRA4994GB7O
Gotta admit, I was kinda disappointed. I mean, it was ok, but not exactly living up to the hype.