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By Koppy McFad
September 11, 2011 - 02:37
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In this new rebooted version, the UN brings together the Justice League International, apparently for the first time. There are a few remarks about how similar UN-sponsored superhero schemes never pushed through and the characters make no mention of having been in a team together so apparently, all the earlier JLI stories and the recent SUPER-BUDDIES and GENERATION LOST tales have all been wiped away. Characters like Batman, Guy Gardner, Booster Gold and Fire talk like they know each other but there is no sign that they were once team-mates. Even the Guy-Ice romance seems to be gone. And Ted Kord, Power Girl, Max Lord and the rest aren't even mentioned at all.
Despite some strains in a team which includes Americans, a Brit, a Russian, a Chinese, a Brazilian and so on, the team heads off to South America to investigate the disappearance of a group of UN scientists-- which sounds very much like an old Silver-Age plot. They run into lava monsters, which also comes right out of the Silver-Age but apparently, there is an even bigger menace waiting to reveal itself.
For all its international trappings, this is very much a typical superhero team story with friction between the members, a bureucracy telling the superheroes what to do and ordinary people who resent the them all. Even the baddies seem right out of one of Gardner Fox's lesser works. The biggest modern touch is the anti-UN sentiment of the Americans who don't like seeing their "Hall of Justice" handed over to a foreign organisation. It will be interesting to see if this is used effectively or if it will just be an excuse to show superheroes beating up on some rednecks.
The crisp, clear art is one of the standout qualities of this book. Despite the huge cast, they get everyone into the action without crowding the panels. Booster's new costume is his worst one yet but this is comics so it should change in a few months anyway.
However if you were one of the readers who loved the mood and suspense of the GENERATIONS LOST series or the comedy and unique interaction of the BWA-HA-HA JLI, you are going to be very disappointed to see it replaced by what seems to be just another superhero team.
Rating: 7 /10
