Written by John Ostrander
Art by Val Semeiks; Prentis Rollins; John Kalisz; Heroic Age; & Ken Lopez
Cover Art by Val Semeiks; Prentis Rollins; & John Kalisz
Role Call: Green Lantern (Hal Jordan); Black Canary (Dinah Laurel Lance); Green Arrow (Oliver Queen); Atom (Ray Palmer); Aquaman; Flash (Barry Allen); Martian Manhunter (J’onn J’onzz); Hawkman (Carter Hall); Batman (Bruce Wayne); & Superman (Clark Kent).
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for August 2001, the 40-page second issue of this seven-part mini-series is entitled “Belonging.” Narrated in part by Batman, this series’ continuity extends from 1998’s Justice League: Year One twelve-part maxi-series. Batman & Superman aid the League against ‘Fire-Eye:’ a dragon/dinosaur invading from another dimension. The League ponders if either of them, particularly Batman, fit well on a team.
Alfred Pennyworth is optimistic that a lonely Bruce Wayne has found some ideal playmates. Then, Gorilla Grodd and his monkey minions forcibly enslave Washington, D.C. With Batman coordinating their game plan, the same League contingent strikes back. Taking surprising sides, Batman and the Man of Steel dispute the values of trust and teamwork.
REVIEW:
This creative team impressively provides the Silver Age Justice League a much-needed makeover re: contemporary storytelling. Courtesy of writer John Ostrander, the character personalities, especially Batman, come off well-defined, making this League caper a treat to read.
Batman unsurprisingly dominates (leaving minimal screen time for the rest of the JLA), but the contrasting senses in team spirit between Superman and Batman makes for a compelling read. Consistent with the first issue, the art squad is in excellent form, making the League come vividly to life (i.e. the cover image). As of this writing, this mini-series inexplicably hasn’t been collected by DC Comics as a trade paperback. Yet, JLA: Incarnations # 2 is evidence that giving fans a chance to re-discover this series should be a priority on DC Comics’ to-do list.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Promoting this series, the last page is a message to Justice League fans from DC Comics Assistant Editor Steve Wacker.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8½ Stars
