Released in 2001, this 7-issue mini-series was a series of snapshots of the Justice League at different points in its history. Not being any sort of expert on the Justice League, I assume it's trying to accommodate the team's history into what passed for DC's timeline at this, post-Zero Hour, pre-Infinite Crisis, moment. So they share an Earth with the JSA, who came first, and the first issue is the two teams butting heads, as the old guard thinks the newbies aren't up to snuff.
The second issue revolves around Superman and Batman's respective entries onto the team. I'm assuming those two not being founding members was from Mark Waid, Brian Augustyn and barry Kitson's JLA: Year One. John Ostrander and Val Semeiks spend the next two issues on first the rise, then the fall, of the Satellite Era. In the early issues, the passage of time is mostly demonstrated through Green Arrow, who starts in his clean-shaven, bright green outfit, but is on to the darker green and goatee look by issue 3, as he gets more political and frustrated with the things the League can't or won't do.
Issue 5 is the Detroit League + Crisis on the Infinite Earths. Issue 6 is JLI and the last issue looks at the Morrison League. Some of the later issues have back-up stories as well. Issue 5 focuses on Barry Allen's sacrifice in COIE (drawn by Norm Breyfogle). Issue 6's looks at the end of the "Extreme Justice" thing. It's interesting to me mostly that it ends with Batman contacting Superman to discuss how they're going to build the next Justice League. Odd that in a series where those two join last of the Big Seven, it has them decide they ought to be the arbiters this go-round.
Semeiks and Rollins's art falls mostly in line with a Sal Buscema style. Superman's jaw is impressively square and the linework and postures are a bit stiff, but the action is clear and carries a sense of impact. When Semeiks loosens up a bit, such as Martian Manhunter starting to melt as Grodd attack his mind with thoughts of fire, it works.
They don't really change the style across the series. Semeiks doesn't try to ape George Perez in issue 5, or go with higher panel-counts on the pages in the issues that would have been in Golden or Silver Age. Which makes sense given the compressed timeline (the internet apparently already exists in issue 2). These stories aren't taking place a decade apart like the eras they're meant to represent did for us. It maintains a sense of continuity, helping carry that it's the same mission across years and years, even if some of the faces (and sometimes a lot of the faces) change.
There's also a reporter character, Tully Reed, whose career we watch in
parallel with the League. He starts as a guy with a cable access show,
eventually starts covering superheroes for a Luthor-owned news channel,
and eventually starts his own magazine about them. As things shift darker, he loses faith for a while. Falls under Glorious Godfrey's sway during, Legends, I think. Swings back around at the end, where he indirectly helps save the world.
2 comments:
I really liked this series - so much so, I bought the original art of issue #5, page 6 from Semeiks's web site a few years ago; it's hanging on my wall behind me as I type this. I figure it's probably the closest I'll get to owning any original Crisis art. :D
And yeah, you're right with the timeline - post-Zero Hour, pre-Infinite Crisis.
I really enjoyed this, too, though I'm an Ostrander honk, so I'm biased on that score. But it seemed like he highlighted the differences in the roster without making one look worse than the other. Like, the JLI are kind of goofy and antagonistic to each other, but they come together and get the job done.
Also, glad to hear I guessed right. I was worried I might have forgotten a timeline reshuffle in there. Fortunately, DC kept them spaced further apart back then.
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