New Cadmus

Power Girl (Volume 2) #20
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Sami Basri

 

Power Girl attacks the base of new Cadmus – which is apparently crazy powerful and they have a clone of Krypto! I wonder if this all ties into what is going on in Supergirl too. I like how Ivo talks about the difference between Power Girl and the the other kryptonian heroes. It shows that Winick understands the character. She is much more of an unabashed warrior (similar to Wonder Woman) than Superman and Supergirl.

Memory Wipe

Power Girl (Volume 2) #19
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Sami Basri

 

I liked that the JSA All-Stars actually believed Power Girl about Maxwell Lord. I mean she is their proven leader and they would have no reason to doubt her – I feel like a lot of writers would have went there though so I am glad Winick did not. It’s too bad even PeeGee forgets about Lord soon after. One thing that kind of bothered me is that Power Girl was a member of Justice League Europe and probably didn’t have many adventures with Fire, Ice, and the rest of Justice League America but I can buy that they had a few. Anyways, this was a really good issue as Winick has really made the whole Generation Lost plotline pretty epic and the surprise success of the brightest day line. We need to see Terra soon though.

JLA 13 – 26

Justice League of America #13
Written by Dwayne McDuffie
Art by Joe Benitez

When I first read this issue, I was a little turned off. I guess I expected more from the first issue of McDuffie’s run and I certainly expected better art. But now I think this was a pretty good read and did remind me a lot of the TV show. Good start, and at least much better then anything Meltzer did on this title. I think the Injustice League is very cool and I like how they are opposite numbers of the League. Of the villains we have seen so far this is what the breakdown is.

Superman:

Lex Luthor
Parasite

Batman:
The Joker

Poison Ivy

Wonder Woman:
Cheetah

Firestorm:
Killer Frost

Hawkgirl:
Shadow Thief

Green Lantern:
Fatality

The Flash:
Gorilla Grodd

Black Canary, Vixen, Black Lightning, Red Arrow, Geo-Force, and Red Tornado are sadly without any villains yet.

Justice League of America #14
Written by Dwayne McDuffie
Art by Ed Benes

This is another good issue. The Injustice League is shown to have Cheshire and Shaggy Man in it’s ranks as well. Cheshire is a Red Arrow villain arguably (even if he has a kid with her) but Shaggy Man and Dr. Light are just general villains not specific to anyone.

Justice League of America #15
Written by Dwayne McDuffie Art by Ed Benes

The way Batman basically tells Firestorm that he has no choice, he has to join the Justice League was awesome! This concluded the Injustice League arc and it was good, but this arc as a whole would have been a whole lot better if someone else was doing the art.

Justice League of America #16
Written by Dwayne McDuffie and Allan Burnett
Art by Joe Benitez and Allan Jefferson

Eh….this issue was okay. It just served as a preview to two other mini-series’s which is kind of annoying. I would have rather had a story in this series that starts and ends in it.

Justice League of America #17
Written by Dwayne McDuffie and Allan Burnett
Art by Ed Benes and Joe Benitez

Haha the main story I could care less about. It was lame and had awful art. But the back up written by McDuffie was good because McDuffie comments on the fact that Meltzer’s whole Vixen is using the powers of the Justice League thing makes no sense. I love it! Take that Meltzer!

Justice League of America #18
Written by Dwayne McDuffie and Allan Burnett
Art by Ed Benes and John Boy Meyers

Meh….this was very decompressed and was basically filler. They could have cut this entire issue of the arc. But the back up was good.

Justice League of America #19
Written by Allan Burnett
Art by Ed Benes

Thank god this arc is over because it was not very good. It just served as a sidestory to another mini-series! Whatever happened to this series having its own stories. Hawkgirl being so jealous over Cheshire is just stupid and seems completely forced. Also, I know Geo-Force was transferred to the Outsiders but you would think someone would have mentioned it for people who aren’t reading
the Outsiders. Instead, he just dissappears. That’s bad editing.

Justice League of America #20
Written by Dwayne McDuffie Art by Ethan Van Sciver

This was by far the best issue of McDuffie’s run so far. And you wanna know why, Ethan Van Sciver. Look at how much of a difference Ed Benes’s art makes with McDuffie’s writing. McDuffie is a good writer, but Benes’s art is soo bad that it is killing a good story. Anyways, this was a beautiful issue with a nice story with the Flash and Wonder Woman. I liked it a lot.

Justice League of America #21
Written by Dwayne McDuffie Art by Carlos Pacheo

This is a final crisis tie-in issue that is rather enjoyable. In fact, it was just as good as last issue. This book is sooo much better without Ed Benes. Please DC, get rid of him! Anyways, it made me happy to see that Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman were going to add Martian Manhunter back in the league before he died but the trinity is acting kind’ve elitist. Libra is a visually stunning character and I can’t wait to learn more about him in Final Crisis.

Justice League of America #22
Written by Dwayne McDuffie Art by Ed Bene

Unfortunately Bene is back this issue….with some ultra terrible art. He draws just one body type…it’s so annoying. Plot-wise, it was only okay. Red Tornado taken over by Amazo does NOT interest me, especially when the League already fought Amazo under Meltzer’s pen. The vixen subplot interests me more but not by much. I really can’t reccomend this issue.

Justice League of America #23
Written by Dwayne McDuffie Art by Ed Benes

While this may have not been a horrible issue if Ed Benes was not doing the art, it was horrible when comined with the art and the rather dull fight with Amazo that lasted the entire issue. Damn. And this series was finally getting good again.

Justice League of America #24
Written by Dwayne McDuffie
Art byAllan Goldman

Yay! Benes is gone again this issue. This made the fight with Amazo so much better but still rather dull. The best moments of this issue were at the end where they go to meet Animal Man. I did not even think of the vegatarian thing. I am intrugued as to where this is going.

Justice League of America #25
Written by Dwayne McDuffie
Art by Ed Benes, Ian Churchill, Doug Mahnke, Darick Robertson, Shane Davis, and Ivan Reis

This anniversary issue was rather good. I am happy to find Red Tornado leaving the team as I never really grew fond of the character. Also, Anansi seems like a great villain for the league to face. I like how he speaks and how he spins the webs of stories. I look forward to the next issue.

Justice League of America #26
Written by Dwayne McDuffie
Art by Ed Benes

Now this alternate reality issue of JLA is one of the best issues of McDuffie’s run. He can write some great stuff when he isn’t editorially mandated to do things. There were so many great moments. The Brown Bomber! LMAO. It was refreshing to see Vixen calling upon Animal Powers again and I have to wonder if Meltzer only had it go away because he was too lazy to look up animals to use (:. But the anansi thing did seem to end rather quickly. I bet McDuffie wanted it to be longer but then was told he had to do the whole Milestone crossover thing. Well at least this is a new arc I can look forward to, even if it is editorially mandated.

JLA Classified 38 – 54

JLA Classified #39
Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Carlos D’Anda

Um… so is Kid Amazo’s girlfriend like the biggest bitch in the world or what. Give me a break, she just dumps him because she finds out he is a robot. Who does that?! Okay issue.

JLA Classified #40
Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Carlos D’Anda

I might have to agree with Flash here, Wonder Woman prolly did not have the right to tell Kid Amazo’s girlfriend anything but I could be wrong. I liked this issue, especially the idea that Batman has technology that responds to his individual psychological make up. But I still am not a fan of the art.

JLA Classified #41
Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Carlos D’Anda

You know, this story should have been published in graphic novel format (with better art) as was originally planned. The ending works great as a precurser to the break up of the Justice League during Infinite Crisis and the relationship between Kid Amazo and Ivo’s daughter is really interesting this issue. Too bad it was published in serial where a lot of probably didn’t wait till the end.

JLA Classified #42
Written by Justin Gray
Art by Rick Leonardi

In case you did not know, JLA: Year One is one of my all time favorite stories. Post-infinite Crisis, that story has at least been slightly retconned, which pissed me off, so this story which flashbacks to Martian Manhunters first meeting with Superman and the JLA kinda pisses me off but I am dealing with it. I do like the characterization of Martian Manhunter though.

JLA Classified #43
Written by Justin Gray
Art by Rick Leonardi

Okay this is retarted, the JLA came together to face the Appalexian invasion, not Starro. Way to pay attention to continuity, and this is even confirmed post-infinte Crisis continuity. I am not even going to bother saying anything else. Extremem laziness on the part of Justin Gray. The rest of this storyline isn’t worth reviewing cause it just pisses me off too much.

JLA Classified #44
Written by Justin Gray
Art by Rick Leonardi

Not worth it…….

JLA Classified #45
Written by Justin Gray
Art by Rick Leonardi
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JLA Classified #46
Written by Justin Gray
Art by Rick Leonardi

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JLA Classified #47
Written by Mike W. Barr
Art by Randy Green

This was a nice start for this story which seems like it would happen to the Silver Age Justice League. Unlike the last story arc, there weren’t any continuity breaches – in fact Green Arrow is shown in the right costumer here as well. I wish the cover art was what was inside the book though.

JLA Classified #48
Written by Mike W. Barr
Art by Randy Green

Eh that was a cute little story but nothing to write home about. It was fun. That’s all. I really don‘t have much to say, except, at first I was little turned off by the betrayal of Wonder Woman as being so, I dunno, stupid. But I realize this was one of her earlier appearances chronologically so she should be a bit naive.

JLA Classified #49
Written by Andrew Kreisberg
Art by Paulo Siqueira

Um….this was really good….until the ending which made no sense. By the time that roster of the Justice League was together, Lois was very aware of Superman’s identity…she was married to him! The art was good and Kreisberg seems to be a pretty good writer here but he needs to pay attention to continuity. WTF this series is full of continuity errors.


JLA Classified #50
Written by Roger Stern
Art by John Byrne

Byrne’s art is as good as ususal and the writing here makes a pretty good Justice League story. I am anxious to see when the League fought this monster before. Wally’s hair is yellow in this, that’s definitely a coloring problem.

JLA Classified #51
Written by Roger Stern
Art by John Byrne

The idea of a self-procalimed “God” coming to earth and challenging the Gods of the religions of the world is really interesting and I am suprised no one has thought of it before. This story is really good so far.

JLA Classified #52
Written by Roger Stern
Art by John Byrne

Okay now this is how the Justice League is supposed to work. Teamwork and great characterization and great fighting…awesome work Roger Stern. Maybe this guy should be the regular JLA writer. Byrne’s art was fantastic as well. In the last story arc of this series, there is a finally quality writing and art….wow.

JLA Classified #53
Written by Roger Stern
Art by John Byrne

Stern really gets each of the JL characters here, especially when he writes them as possible Gods, he shows that he understands what makes them tick as he shows that Titus understand it. I am really enjoying this a lot.

JLA Classified #54
Written by Roger Stern
Art by John Byrne

Well I am happy to say that JLA Classified ended on a high note thanks to Roger Stern and John Byrne. Stern wrote a team of good heroes who had flaws but ultimately triumphed. This is the way the Justice League should be. The ending was inspirational. I wish more of the story arcs in this series were like this. Unfortunately, they were not and I imagine that is why the book has been canceled. Anyways, if this storyline gets collected, I will definitely be picking it up!