Three years into Justice League International, the popularity of the Giffen/DeMatteis project became hugely apparent. While Justice League America and Justice League Europe continued as successful and best-selling monthly titles, both with lengthy annuals, DC expanded JLI in the nineties with more and more specials. Perhaps as some kind of precursor to the title that would eventually be titled Justice League Quarterly, Justice League International Special was a strange beast. While only two issues were published, they were both double-length and this first tale focused on Mister Miracle. Whatever one may think of the escapist hero and the special which acts as a kind of crossover between Justice League International and his own Mister Miracle title, the materialisation of new JLI material sparked some of the most memorable tales in JLA history. And who could ever forget Justice League Antarctica?
Justice League Europe 11-14 was published from February to May 1990, with the title’s first annual released in June. Meanwhile, Justice League America 37 and Annual 4 was published in April, with Justice League International Special 1 released in February. All stories were written by Keith Giffen, along with several writers on the different titles such as J.M. DeMatteis, William Messner-Loebs, and many more. I’ve read these stories in their original issues.
The Show Must Go On… And on… And on… And on… --- Written by Keith Giffen and Len Wein with art by Joe Phillips and Bruce D. Patterson
Justice League International Special 1 is, at least at first sight, a nice little addition to
the JLI saga. While this book can’t be considered essential reading in the grand scheme of the run, it is crucial when considering one hero. That hero is, of course, Mister Miracle. Fans of Manga Khan will be pleased as he and his trusted lackey L-Ron return, once again plotting to make money from questionable affairs on Earth. Right from the first few pages, it really does feel like this International Special is two issues of Justice League America stabled together. The same-old cast of characters from the JLA title appear here, and while Giffen is already masterful at capturing the persona of all the heroes here, Len Wein does a great job on the scripting. As for the story, before Manga Khan comes along and takes the credit, the main focus is on Funky Flashman, a terrifically embarrassing character who Jack Kirby created for his Fourth World titles as a caricature of Stan Lee. In other words, a charming con artist. Anyway, he has basically convinced a hugely reluctant Mister Miracle that he can be a money-making product. Therefore, a line of Mister Miracle figures and cereal is launched. In turn, this leads to Mister Miracle appearing in public to sell his own products or appear on TV. Were it not for the appearance of the Justice League, this story really would be a Mister Miracle tale. Since I’ve always considered him to be one of the less interesting characters in the JLI run, it’s the Giffen humour and Wein dialogue which makes this one highly readable. That said, the quality improves when Manga Khan arrives, putting the JLI on red alert needlessly, and reveals that he has been behind Funky Flashman’s deal with Mister Miracle. Therefore, Manga Khan is in line to receive most of Scott Free’s profits. However, since Khan isn’t doing anything illegal or explicitly evil with the money, the JLI can’t do anything. In the end, Earth is left with an android Mister Miracle which only speaks three sentences as the real hero is out in space selling himself on behalf of Manga Khan, and the JLI is left with 250,000 units worth of Mister Miracle merchandise. In essence, Justice League International Special 1 provides an explanation for why the real Mister Miracle is absent in the following issues, but there really isn’t much else to it. There really isn’t enough plot to make it feel as quick and exciting as other stories. After all, over 50 pages for a satirical story is probably too much. This would probably work just as well as an annual, so I’m not quite sure why they made it into a stand-alone special. However, despite a fairly substandard and overstretched plot, Justice League International Special 1 is at least entertaining and provides some great laughs. But what did you expect?
The art of Joe Phillips and Bruce D. Patterson may be decent and nice to look at, but there isn’t really much to discuss when it comes to its memorability. It looks charmingly standard, but not at all unique.
Story: 7.5/10
Art: 7/10
Family Ties/Bringing Up Baby --- Written by Keith Giffen and William Messner-Loebs with art by Bart Sears
Following a satirical break, Justice League Europe 11-12 provide a highly personal and tragic story full of action. Readers may remember Justice League Europe 5, a one-off story that featured Metamorpho reuniting with lover Sapphire Stagg. While the usual tale of lovers and a dominating father may be overdone in much media, Giffen and Messner-Lobes take it a step further: Metamorpho has a son.
It begins grimly anyway as Animal Man is confronted with the murder of his family in his own title, but things get even more personal when Captain Atom notices that Metamorpho has left the JLE embassy on the same day that Simon Stagg has been in the news for another of his capitalist schemes. Meanwhile, as the JLI is put on red alert over what Metamorpho might do, Guy Gardner listens in and decides to go against orders by defending his conservative hero Stagg. This may sound good as a story. After all, Guy Gardner is an anti-hero of sorts. However, I feel this to be a step too far. He is defending Stagg against his JLI partners, and there never seems to be any punishment for it. Either way, the plot gets going when Metamorpho finds Sapphire and she takes him to a Stagg Enterprises research lab, where their baby is being held and tested. Essentially, Metamorpho’s child is being treated like a freak because it looks like him, and his all sorts of strange powers. Therefore, there is a great personal and dramatic element to this story. You root for Metamorpho, who fights against Guy Gardner to the death. However, this makes way for a surprising cliff-hanger when Metamorpho is stopped from seeing his child by none other than the Metal Men… Really?
You know, I’ve always considered the Metal Men to be a joke set of characters. Created six decades ago this year for DC’s Showcase title, they were a gimmicky set of colourful robots all made of different metals. They were a sign of the science fiction age of DC and really not considered a great invention. Here however, the writers put them to good use. Justice League Europe 12 is essentially a big brawl, with Metamorpho trying to rescue his son while the Metal Men try and stop him. This plot doesn’t really go anywhere, but it’s a nice visual spectacle and doesn’t fail to be at least entertaining. It all comes to a shocking but strangely sweet end. Metamorpho’s baby has obviously inherited his morphing powers, but he is also considered very dangerous because he is not in control of those powers. There’s a great moment in this story when Metamorpho’s son melts the arms of Stagg’s brute Java. And it’s followed up by a moment of real evil when Metamorpho gives his baby to Stagg, expecting his hated enemy to morph and melt into nothing as well. However, since Stagg’s DNA is in the baby (through Sapphire), it does nothing and the story ends with Stagg and his daughter holding the child, finally realising that he isn’t a danger to them. It does suck for Metamorpho, who is still left unable to see his son, but it makes for a sad end to this tragic but enjoyable story. Also, on an important sidenote, Giffen and Messner-Loebs begin a really interesting side story featuring Blue Jay and Scarlet Sorceress. You might remember these two from Justice League (vol 1) 2-3 at the very start of the run when they aided the JLI and Russia against nuclear annihilation. Well, they have both since ended up in a Russian prison with their powers taken away. However, a Russian scientist secretly gave their powers back and while Scarlet Sorceress headed back to her war-torn world, Blue Jay stays home with the aim of helping the JLI. These scenes add something grim to this two-parter, but they work well as extra content and set up an intriguing tale. Overall, this two-parter focusing on Metamorpho, and his personal world isn’t as tired as it was in Justice League Europe 5. It feels far more dramatic, creative, but also emotional.
If you thought Bart Sears was bad enough pencilling, just wait until you see him inking his own work. Seriously, the layouts may be fine, but the finishes are awful. It looks far too busy, over-the-top, and too detailed in a scratchy sort of way. I suppose there are panels which look less offensive, but overall, it looks expectedly abysmal.
Story: 9.5/10
Art: 3/10
What’s Black and White and Black and White and Black… --- Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis with art by Mike McKone and Bob Smith
Those who read my reviews will often note how I can quite verbose, especially when
a story is either absolutely great or diabolically awful. Fortunately, Justice League America Annual 4 is the former, but for a change, I won’t be speaking about it much. If people have to read anything that sums up the humour, entertainment, and hilarity of Justice League International, make it this annual. People must experience it for themselves. But to give a basic outline, the Injustice League (featuring the usual comedy villains and their failing antics) decide they want to join the JLI. Obviously, Maxwell Lord doesn’t trust them so, therefore, he decides to send them to Antarctica. Move over Justice League America and Justice League Europe, Justice League Antarctica is where it is at! Along with everybody’s favourite pup G’nort, the Injustice Leaguers are left to defend a snowy wasteland and much hilarity then ensues (and an army of penguins). There isn’t a huge amount of story with this annual, but this cast of characters and the usual humour of Giffen and DeMatteis make Justice League America Annual 4 a classic that everybody MUST read.
With a smooth and cartoony sense of art, the visuals of McKone and Smith work well here to make this bizarre tale even funnier and more surreal. I’m not usually a fan of Bob Smith, but with the tone of this story so amusing, his inking style is at home.
Story: 10/10
Art: 7.5/10
Furballs --- Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis with art by Adam Hughes, Art Nichols, Chris Sprouse, and Keith Wilson
Furballs is home to two different stories in two different titles connected only by one similarity: a skanky flee-ridden cat. Compared to The Teasdale Imperative, it might seem like a silly crossover idea for DC’s two biggest titles, but it ultimately makes for one of the most amusing JLI stories.
Justice League America 37 begins and ends with its own story, one which begins a new plotline. After the Kooey Kooey Kooey affair, Booster Gold is no longer happy with his life in the JLI and as his friendship with Blue Beetle begins to collapse, he is met by a mysterious businesswoman with a proposition. Meanwhile, true crisis hits for the JLA as the embassy is invaded by a cat. Well, I say invaded, but this stray cat literally walked into the building unnoticed. From there, it manages to scare Fire to (continued)
the point of literal combustion, and Guy Gardner gets his face clawed quite badly. It’s your usual JLI romp that never fails to be silly or funny. However, the reason Furballs part one works well is because it’s entertaining and humorous while there is a serious story going on in the background. Justice League America 37 ends spectacularly when Booster Gold arrives back at the embassy, still laughing over the cat incident, only to tell his allies that he is quitting the team. Because he has been such a foundational character since the run’s early issues, it is a hugely powerful moment, and it does well to break up the humour of the first insert in the Furballs story. There isn’t really much said about the cat, but it would probably ruin the whole premise if it were found out to be a spy or something overly silly. Either way, the Justice League America part feels (bizarrely) far more serious than the follow-up.
Justice League Europe 14 somehow manages to be far more hectic than the previous issue. As opposed to the threatening plot in Justice League America 37 where the whole foundation of the league is at risk by the end, JLE is characteristically far more innocent. On the same day the European league is hosting a tour of the embassy for a group of schoolchildren, a masked thief searching for precious French paintings breaks in undetected. At first, this feels like a hugely Scooby-Doo story with little unique creativity. However, all is forgiven when the cat turns up after using a teleporter tube from America to France. This critter turns out to be the hero as it annoys most of the European league and frightens them before attacking the thief and revealing him to the heroes. Justice League America turns up at the end to realise that the European branch’s main trouble is simply a cat, and the school students are entertained by the drama. Unlike the JLA story, there isn’t any underlying sense of deep drama or serious storytelling, but JLE rarely tries to go for anything like that (often to its disadvantage). However, the European heroes work especially well here, and Furballs works because it loosely connects the two leagues and displays the best of their individual characters. For instance, Fire and Guy Gardner shine in the first part, while Elongated Man and Captain Atom shine in the second. The idea of the cat beginning as a foe and ending up as Power Girl’s new pet may be too jokey for some when it comes to a title as prestigious as JLI, and while the story may be highly formulaic and predictable, it’s definitely memorable.
With two artistic teams present for this story, it is worth noting that both teams have different perspectives of the cat. Adam Hughes and Art Nichols manage to make the flee-ridden creature almost darkly sinister, while Chris Sprouse and Keith Wilson draw it in a far cuddlier fashion. This, however, is the only real difference between the visuals. Once again, it’s pretty standard stuff and looks attractive for a goofy JLI story.
Story: 9/10
Art: 7.5/10
You Oughtta Be in Pictures --- Written by Keith Giffen and Gerard Jones with art by Linda Medley and Jose Marzan. Jr
I cannot think of a more fill-in issue than Justice League Europe 14. Trapped between a story about a stray-cat and the mighty Extremist Vector five-parter, this issue is effectively empty of anything worthwhile. It begins years ago in Brooklyn, where an unattractive film nerd gets caught in a TV electrical explosion and ends up getting the power to look like any actor from a film. Already, the plot angers me. It not only feels like a fill-in idea, but it’s clearly a dreadful one. From there, we’re thrown in the present as JLI heroes Power Girl, Ice, Fire, the Flash, and Elongated Man go on holiday where the nerd cons his way into money-making success by pretending to be Clint Eastwood. Meanwhile, filmic dinosaurs come to life and the JLI have to fight them. Christ, it really is like a bad fan story. All you need to know is that the JLI win, but the nerd escapes and they two forces never meet. In short, the story begins and ends with a bemused set of heroes and a hugely undeveloped and awfully cliché villain. This story is perhaps one of the worst in the whole JLI run, and even the humour becomes highly grating and irritating. This isn’t a good start at all for Gerard Jones’s time on Justice League Europe (and that is the most un-libellous comment I can make presently).
Oddly, the cartoony style of Medley and Marzan. Jr gives this highly annoying story a visually pleasing appearance. It’s exaggerated, but the inks are once again smoothly appealing. The problem is that the art, despite its niceties, doesn’t match the tone of the story. It’s a bit too cartoony and polished for a story that’s meant to feature real life (apparently) versions of celebrities and film characters. Perhaps that’s a bit of a nit-pick.
Story: 1.5/10
Art: 7/10
Bialya Blues --- Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis with art by Linda Medley and Jose Marzan. Jr
Unlike Justice League America Annual 4, Justice League Europe’s first annual is a far
more serious and hard-hitting tale that manages to be entertaining enough. Justice League Europe Annual 1 reintroduces an old set of characters mentioned quite a bit in the second year of JLI: The Global Guardians. Since the JLI received United Nations-support, the Global Guardians lost their position as the UN's official superhero team and were forced to disband. While some like Fire and Ice joined the JLI, and others like Jack-O-Lantern transformed into a villain, this annual reunites the team. However, it’s in name only as they consist of new heroes and any old ones are simply actors pretending to be characters like Jack-O-Lantern. Already from the start, there is an interesting premise, but the new Global Guardians really aren’t anything to get excited about. Sure, the original team may not have been the most exciting set of characters (barring a few), but this lot are pretty plain and boring. I can’t even remember any of their names. Either way, it’s soon revealed that Queen Bee is behind this reunion (who would have guessed that?) and her plan is to scare Justice League Europe. Basically, the Europeans much preferred the native Global Guardians rather than these imported Americans. Therefore, it’s just a way of getting her own back. However, it isn’t bad a read as Giffen and DeMatteis pen some interesting interactions between the two teams and there is much humour and tension between the two of them. The drama comes when a powerful robot emerges to destroy JLE and the Global Guardians. There’s much action here and after the dialogue-heavy first thirty pages, there is room for readers to breath. However, when it’s revealed at the end that the robot is simply a creation of Queen Bee, who used it so the Global Guardians could regain popularity, the plot looks pretty flat and a bit pointless. Sure, the idea of a reunion between two titanic teams is worthy of an annual, but when Queen Bee is revealed to be behind it all at the very start, it becomes clear that every villainous event in the story has got her fingerprints on it. In other words, there isn’t any surprise; it is just obvious from the start that Queen Bee’s goal is to put the Global Guardians back on the map. Overall, Justice League Europe Annual 1 succeeds in being a serious story that may lack the humour of the Antarctica annual, but it’s a good read. The plot may be too simple, and frankly the Global Guardians are far too boring to really be interested in, but there are some humorous moments and Giffen and DeMatteis capture the mood well here.
Medley and Marzan. Jr return here for this annual and while their storytelling may be dramatic, I think the mood and tone is wrong. Their visuals worked much better in Justice League Europe 14 because the story was silly. Here, Giffen and DeMatteis write something that is, on the whole, serious and their cartoony style, while often attractive, is unsuitable.
Story: 7/10
Art: 4/10
VERDICT
Overall, this is another strong and famous set of JLI stories. The Mister Miracle special is funny and entertaining, while the Metamorpho two-parter is emotionally strong, dramatic, and hugely tense. Justice League Antarctica is a real treat, and Pet Troubles remains one of the most hectic and bizarre JLI stories ever told. However, Justice League Europe 14 is a terrible damp squib of an issue, while the Annual is decent enough but not hugely riveting. On the whole though, there is much better than bad, and we’re left with some of the most enjoyable and famous stories told by Giffen, DeMatteis, and friends.
Stories: 8/10
Art: 7/10
Next Week: Justice League International: The Extremist Vector (Justice League America 38-40, Justice League Europe 15-19). Written by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, and Gerard Jones, with art by Adam Hughes, Joe Rubinstein, Joe Marzan. Jr, Bart Sears, Pablo Marcos, and Randy Elliot.
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