A new era begins for the World's Greatest Heroes as superstars James Robinson (STARMAN, SUPERMAN) and Mark Bagley (TRINITY, Ultimate Spider-Man) take over! It all begins as a one-time member of the JLA falls before he can warn the team of looming peril while what's left of the JLA journeys to the heart of their past to decide if the team has any future at all.Of course, that means this is the best time for a savage villain from the team's past to attack the demoralized heroes! The team will have to muster enough will to win not only today, but in the harrowing months to come. It's the start of a spanking new odyssey for the JLA that will leadmore
Here's hoping the future brings brighter things. Read Full Review
Justice League of America #38 was an unimpressive beginning to this new direction for this franchise. Hopefully, once Robinson gets past the obligatory Black Night tie-in story that he will be able to quickly resuscitate this moribund title. It is imperative that Robinson give this title a clear direction and waste no time establishing the new roster for the JLA. At this point, I would recommend waiting to purchase Justice League of America until the Blackest Night tie-in has concluded and the new roster for this team actually is assembled. Read Full Review
And as for Dr. Light, she quite reasonably questions Mari's point of view, she mentions her children and her work, she nurses her injured shoulder without whining about it, and she tries to make a constructive contribution to the discussion. She offers professional help to Plaz (who is sort of melting), and jumps into the fray when Despero attacks. Robinson achieves in one issue what no one else has managed in years. And I know he's done great work in the past with teams, though mostly informed by the perspective of nostalgia for DC's oldest characters. He's got to be new and flashy for the JLA, and interestingly he's interviewed about enjoying Joe Kelly's run from years back (which was somewhat controversial and strange). He must have some ideas for real stories, so here's hoping they get started soon. Read Full Review
With Robinson's Cry For Justice series getting ready to meld into this one, the Justice League should be establishing it's new lineup directly. James Robinson has been hit and miss with a lot of the stuff he's been writing but still seems more than capable of turning this back into the adventurous and entertaining book the readers would love it to be again. There's probably a lot riding on it though. With fans having already reached their breaking point with giving the title the benefit of the doubt and hoping for a return to glory with every new story arc, this may just be the last chance a lot of readers are going to give the book. One more chance is warranted though. He might not want the responsibility, but now this book is James Robinson's to either turn it around or put it 6 feet under once and for all. I'm going to grade this at a C+. The "+" being given because of the way Mark Bagley drew Despero and the rage that accompanied his attack. Bagley absolutely nailed it to Read Full Review
I think I speak for a lot of JLA fans when I say it's not too soon to start looking forward to the next creative team to come along and revamp this floundering book. Read Full Review
Or maybe this story just lacks punch altogether. Robinson and Bagley are thrown into the deep end, having to set up a "Blackest Night" tie-in while trying to determine and set their own direction. Maybe my expectations were too high, but this is the "Justice Leaggue of America" not "Justice League Task Force." This comic needs to be DC's shining gemstone "- the one book that everyone who loves DC Comics should look forward to each and every month. Instead this issue is just hollow and lackluster. Maybe it will pick up steam on the other side of "Blackest Night.. Robinson and Bagley are capable of doing much better work than this, I just hope DC lets them. Read Full Review
This is a bad comic that still has hope for its run, given that none of it is Bagley or Robinson's fault. Read Full Review
There's not a lot of rhyme or reason to this issue's story. Despero suddenly pops in, and just as suddenly pops out, as if to remind us that he did this before, in the historic Breakdowns crossover. After swearing to Superman last issue that she won't give up on the Justice League, Vixen suddenly changes her mind in this issue. Having the pivotal events to this decision appear off-panel (indeed, off-panel and in the FUTURE) doesn't help the situation much. Robinson sets up an intriguing first couple of pages, delivers on the promise of a Leaguer's death, but we then get several pages of characters standing around talking. Yes, I'm sure it's difficult to take over a title in mid-stream like this, but I'm not entirely sold on the writing end of the results here. Of course, on the art side, I'm highly impressed, with Bagley delivering the most attractive Vixen since the JLU cartoon, an impressive Zatanna, and delivers on the premise of a disrupted, melting Plastic Man most disgustingly. E Read Full Review
Mark Bagley's energetic style is a good choice for a series such as JLA; the point of this series should be larger-than-life action and adventure. That being said, I've seen better visuals in the past on other comics to which Bagley has contributed. It looks like inker Rob Hunter's style doesn't mesh all that well with his. I was also disappointed to find that the female characters' faces are rendered inconsistently. Vixen's and Dr. Light's morph over the course of a double-page spread early in the comic, for example. Read Full Review
I really liked James Robinson's work in the 90s, but since making his big comeback recently, I just can't seem to get into his work. That being said, all of his recent work that I haven't really liked read like Shakespeare in comparison to this issue. Things aren't much better for Mark Bagley's art. I really hate being this harsh, especially with a creative team that I know is talented, but this is probably the worst comic I've read in 2009. Read Full Review
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