Now all I need is the time to make Spandex Justice look nice.

Comic books rarely make me cry. This one did bring a few bittersweet tears to my jaded eyes. And it did it by being smart, by sticking with strong characterizations, and by using genuine emotion. It’s one of those comics that does in a few pages what other comics never do.

The critics of the old Giffen Justice League always bring up that the team was played for laughs, when it really wasn’t (usually such critics have never read the series completely). Sure, some of the characterizations were funny, and some of the plots outlandish (but, I mean, you’ve got characters inspired by insects and ones that can burst into green flames, so what’s really outlandish?) but Giffen mixed in a lot of excellent drama along the way. This issue is a lot like those heavier moments. But it starts light and funny, like most of this story arc.

The Superbuddies are still trapped in Hell, with only Power Girl and Guy Gardner standing between them the internal damnation of careers in fast food delivery. As PG and Guy finally find their lost teammates, new wrinkles appear: Ice, the formerly alive JL member, has shown up and Guy and Fire are not willing to let her stay in Hell. There’s also some dialogue that implies Fire was supposed to be the one in Hell, not Ice. Because of the error, a deal is made: Ice can return with them to the land of the living, as long as no one looks to see if she is still walking behind them on their ascent (yep, it’s the Orpheus deal). There’s also a subplot about the Demon getting to keep Mary Marvel, but it appears to just be a red herring and is resolved quickly.

I don’t want to spoil the ending, because it really is sorta perfect, though it takes a while to realize it. You expect certain characters to act certain ways, but they don’t, and you realize that the way they did act IS really how they would act. I’m being a little vague here, but trust me, it’s very very good stuff. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: this comic renews my faith in the medium.

From Elliot S! Maggin’s novel, Miracle Monday:
Shortly before four in the afternoon on the third Monday in the month of May, the people of the city of Metropolis learned the meaning of joy. They had no explanation for this feeling, and there were gaps in their knowledge of what had gone on in their lives so far that day. It was as though they were all waking up, or at least opening their eyes, for the first time in an awfully long time. The first thing many of them saw was the red-and-blue figure of Superman drawing a line across their sky, and he became the symbol of their joy. It felt like a miracle, though none could say why.

It makes perfect sense to me that in the comic book world, there would be different holidays mixed in with the usual suspects. Miracle Monday is one of those “pretend” holidays: the people of the world celebrate Superman’s defeat of, well, the personification of Satan on Earth. The encounter took place, oddly, not in Superman’s own comic, but in a novel written by Elliot S! Maggin, a former writer for DC Comics. However, one of the future celebrations was written and drawn for a comic: read about Miracle Monday celebrations in the year 5902.

I actually celebrate Miracle Monday, because I am a nerd. :) This year, I plan on watching some Tivo‘ed episodes of Krypto, the Superdog, then watching the original Superman: The Movie, followed by a marathon of my favorite Superman incarnation: Superman, the Animated Series.

I don’t know of any other “pretend” holidays from comic books, unfortunately. Here’s a list of some other “amusing” holidays, though. There’s also Katemas coming up July 30th, for all you Kate Bush fans. And, of course, Talk Like A Pirate Day on September 19th.

Superman Links

• Wikipedia: Superman
• Superman Homepage
• Miracle Monday: Read the novel online.
• Superman Through the Ages

Supergirl

• Wikipedia: Supergirl
• Supergirl: Maid of Might
• Supergirl’s Home Page

Krypto

• Wikipedia: Krypto
• Doghouse of Solitude
• Starwind Howls: Elliot S! Maggin’s Krypto novel.
• Cartoon Network’s Krypto the Superdog

Ah, another fun issue of JLA: Classified. At the end of the last issue, Booster Gold had wished the team into Hell. This issue, the team gets acquainted with their new surroundings and their new jobs (Hell has a burger joint!), while Guy Gardner and Power Girl mount a rescue.

We get a couple of interesting reveals this issue: the first is that Guy Gardner has a power ring, which apparently appears to be Sinestro’s, if the yellow is any guide. Interesting in that we haven’t seen that ring in a long time (Guy actually did use Sinestro’s ring in the past, so it’s not all that weird for him to have it). But Guy also seems a little too competent this issue than he usually is, so I suspect there’s more going on than we know.

We also get Fire’s former partner and Guy’s former girlfriend in a surprising reveal on the last page: it would appear that Ice is in Hell. It’s great to see her being drawn by Maguire again: it seems he does a lot more with fewer lines than he used to.

There’s not a lot I can say about this issue that I haven’t already said about the previous issues: it’s comics like this that keep me interested in the industry. Good plot, good characters, good humor, good art. If more comics were like this, I’d be buying them right and left. Can’t wait for the next issue.

DC Comics seems intent on destroying Keith Giffen’s version of the Justice League. First, we have Identity Crisis, which killed Sue Dibny and turned the Elongated Man into a grim and gritty guy. Or whatever. I made it through an issue or so of it before ignoring it.

And now we have Countdown to Infinite Crisis (bad title), written by Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka and Judd Winick, with art by all sorts of artists. It’s like a comic book written by committee, drawn by committee, edited by committee, with a title that cribs from better comics. And it manages to shit on Keith Giffen’s Justice League and Jack Kirby’s O.M.A.C (One Man Army Corps) all in one issue.

In this crossover that apparently leads to other crossovers, Blue Beetle is investigating the loss of his fortune, bouncing all over the DC Universe. But you can tell just how stupid the writing is when Oracle informs Blue Beetle that someone is using his ATM card: it’s Booster Gold, who’s using it to get $300 so he can catch a flight to Miami. Booster Gold needs money to fly to Miami. Booster Gold HAS A FRICKING FLIGHT RING. Ahem. Anyhow, Booster and Beetle begin an investigation that’s actually pretty interesting: I mean, interesting in that they actually investigate, rather than do what every other hero in the DC Universe does and call Oracle and have her magically come up with all the answers (Batman hasn’t used his detective skills for years, since lazy writers would rather get to the butt-kicking).

And it pains me, because there’s so much right with this comic in terms of pacing, the mystery to be solved, the characterization, etc. You really get the feeling that Beetle is in over his head. And then you get to the last page.

Sigh. I know it’s always been the hallmark of crossovers: let’s kill some hero so as to amplify the supposed danger. In this case, we have Blue Beetle shot in the head (and they even have the lack of decency to graphically show it) by Maxwell Lord. Yep, in one page, they manage to once again stick it to Giffen’s JLA. As if Identity Crisis wasn’t bad enough, they basically do the same thing in this comic. It’s comics as snuff film.

Now, they’ve left enough hooks in to bring him back, of course: there’s the whole magic scarab that the previous Blue Beetle used, the O.M.A.C. project, etc. But that’s not really the point: without the death, the comic works perfectly fine. It’s nothing but marketing gimmick, a ploy, and it’s shameful. And tiring. Can there ever be a crossover event that doesn’t include deaths, rapes, dismemberments?

At least there’s still Keith Giffen’s JLA run to read, where Sue and Ralph live happily, Blue Beetle and Booster still joke around, and Max Lord is just a rich doofus. Fire and Mary Marvel better run far, far away: they’ll surely be victims in the next crossover.

P.S. for the DC marketing department: the whole O.M.A.C. thing is supposed to be a mystery to solve: you probably shouldn’t blow part of the secret in an ad.

Addendum: Just found a completely hilarious stream of consciousness review of Countdown #1 that’s just too funny to ignore.

Addendum 2: Comic Book Resources has an interview with Keith Giffen up, concerning this series. Very interesting read: I especially like the point that without Giffen, folks probably wouldn’t even care about these characters getting killed, changed, etc. That’s probably right.

I think Keith Giffen is an overlooked comic book genius. His work on the Legion of Super-Heroes was terrific, his Invasion crossover event actually didn’t suck, and his version of the Justice League was (and is) one of the best ever. The reason for his success is that, unlike probably 90% of the comics out there, he writes the characters first and organically involves them in the plot, not vice-versa.

We’re in the second issue of his “Super Buddies” storyline in JLA: Classified #5, and he brings back a fan favorite from his initial run from the 80s: former Green Lantern Guy Gardner. And, as usual, Guy is a swarmy, sexist, macho man (though we know he’s got a soft spot in his heart for sweet, innocent super heroines).

Much like the last issue, this one continues to get us reacquainted with the heroes that were once in the Justice League, but are now working under the name “Super Buddies” from a strip mall storefront. We’ve got Blue Beetle, the leader of the group (well, sort of), Booster Gold, Mary Marvel, Fire and the Elongated Man. We also get a visit from Billy Batson and Power Girl (also both former members of the Giffen JL). And the good old supporting cast: Max Lord, the benefactor of the group; Sue Dibny, the wife of the Elongated Man; and L-Ron, wisecracking robot. And Guy.

The great thing? Even with all those characters, each gets some face time in this issue (though Fire is somewhat shortchanged). There’s a very nice conversation between Blue Beetle and Power Girl (which, weirdly, seemed to have romantic undertones), an argument between Fire and Billy over Mary’s involvement in the group, and an apologetic Guy Gardner, being genuinely sorry (maybe) over the way he’s treated Mary Marvel. Like the last issue, this is a densely written issue: a lot of dialogue, a lot of jokes, and a lot of characterization.

And, as usual, it is great. Perhaps it is my general disenchantment with comics lately, but reading something like JLA: Classified #5 really takes me back to those days when writers didn’t depend on cheap gimmicks like killing off characters or maiming superheroes, but just wrote good stories. It also helps that Kevin Maguire’s art is perfect for the book: his strong point seems to be facial expressions and this is the right vehicle for that.

It’s too bad that DC appears to want to flush all these characters down the toilet for the sake of bad crossovers. But that, my friends, is another story.

During the late 1980s, DC Comics published a new series starring the Justice League. And it was funny. Really really funny. But it was also a great read, with a lot of characterization, action, fun. Written by Keith Giffen and drawn by Kevin Maguire, that version of the Justice League quicky became my favorite.

IN 2004, DC brought back the creative team for a mini-series Formerly Known as the Justice League, continuing the rapid-fire jokes and humor. Since success always breeds sequels, a new story arc in JLA: Classified brings back Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Fire, Enlongated Man, et al in a brand new adventure.

And, as usual, it is both side-spittingly funny and a great read. And consider that there’s not a lot of physical action going on: the whole issue is exposition, but what wonderful exposition it is. Most comics you can breeze through in a few minutes: this comic takes a little longer.

The basic plot is that the characters (once the Justice League, but now serving justice out of their office in a strip mall) are setting up shop: either finding a place to live, fun stuff to do, or catching up on paperwork. The wife of the Elongated Man, Sue Dibny (who was brutally killed in another DC Comics series last year, but that’s another story (and a bad one at that)) ,discovers that a former supervillain is opening a bar in their strip mall and is furious.

Really. That’s the plot.

But there’s so much more going on: you’ve got Fire and Mary Marvel looking for a place to live . The two characters are total opposites of each other: a world-wise, been-there-done-that supermodel (Fire) and the innocent hero just starting out (Mary Marvel). The dynamic is meant to remind us of the pairing of Fire and Ice back in the original series (Ice being yet another of the sacrifices to the crossover gods in some really bad comic series: funny how the women always get killed in those things).

We also get Blue Beetle and Booster Gold, bickering like an old couple, trading insults, getting into trouble, just like the old days. And, to make it even more like the old days, they run into an old friend at the end of the issue: a former hero we all love to hate: former Green Lantern Guy Gardner.

Reading this comic, it was like I was back in the 80s again (I mean that in a good way). Nice, crisp dialogue, an artist who can actually draw expressions, and a storyline that isn’t just the heroes punching everything. Can’t wait for the next issue.