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JLA:The Ultimate Guide to the Justice League of America

JLA:The Ultimate Guide to the Justice League of America

List Price: $19.99
Your Price: $13.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Justice League of America Rulz!!
Review: I bought this book and I think it's pretty cool. I like Superman & Batman. I think if you like Superheroes then you should defintily by this book. It ROCKS!!!! NUff Said.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: BRIGHT, COLORFUL , AND ENTERTAINING
Review: One of the better superhero guides put out recently, this presents a highly entertaining overview of the League. Wisely, it opts to forgo a mind-numbing encyclopediac recitation of every hero who somehow stumbled into the JLA, and instead focuses on the most recent series. For purists, there is a fairly complete (if brief) history of the JLA's previous incarnations, and a detailed timeline that acknowledges both the actual comics and the multiple revisions that DC has made to the JLA's history over the years. Even longtime fans of the JLA should find new information, or at least a convenient (and attractively designed) handbook giving a helpful history of the JLA. Though there are one or two characters that get short shrift (Zatanna and Captain Atom, for example), this book remains one of the more informative and entertaining "ultimate guides". Recommended.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: DK's Justice League.
Review: The latest in DK's series in looking at DC's superheroes and by Mr. Beatty. The first two being last year's Batman and this year's Superman.

The work that goes into these books is phenomenol, and the effort really shows. It'a a fun read, and full of facts from the forty some years of Justice League history. The maps on the JLA watchtower and various sites are incredible, and the imagination of those who work those sites out are astonishing.

One thing that is a challenge to Mr. Beatty is DC's "revisionism" of its own history. So the good author has to try to keep current with the what's going on now, and sort of put the discontinued history on the back burner. Which is sort of a shame, because the pre-Crisis Universe had some good stories and characters that we haven't got the time to focus one.

The last six pages which gives the run down on ALL the Justice League history is the best part for me, because it goes despite the revisionism. For me the ORIGINAl Justice League will always be Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and the Martian Manhunter. Not the revised Black Canary filling in for Wonder Woman.

It's little things like this which makes it harder for authors such as Mr. Beatty to work on doing "histories" as opposed to the Marvel Group which hasn't done such rewritings.

I still would have like some photos from the Justice League Incarnations from the various television shows and such. This is knitpicking on my part.

It's a good read, and a good run down on the group.

Hopefully Mr. Beatty can continue on in the series, and do a few more.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: DK's Justice League.
Review: The latest in DK's series in looking at DC's superheroes and by Mr. Beatty. The first two being last year's Batman and this year's Superman.

The work that goes into these books is phenomenol, and the effort really shows. It'a a fun read, and full of facts from the forty some years of Justice League history. The maps on the JLA watchtower and various sites are incredible, and the imagination of those who work those sites out are astonishing.

One thing that is a challenge to Mr. Beatty is DC's "revisionism" of its own history. So the good author has to try to keep current with the what's going on now, and sort of put the discontinued history on the back burner. Which is sort of a shame, because the pre-Crisis Universe had some good stories and characters that we haven't got the time to focus one.

The last six pages which gives the run down on ALL the Justice League history is the best part for me, because it goes despite the revisionism. For me the ORIGINAl Justice League will always be Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and the Martian Manhunter. Not the revised Black Canary filling in for Wonder Woman.

It's little things like this which makes it harder for authors such as Mr. Beatty to work on doing "histories" as opposed to the Marvel Group which hasn't done such rewritings.

I still would have like some photos from the Justice League Incarnations from the various television shows and such. This is knitpicking on my part.

It's a good read, and a good run down on the group.

Hopefully Mr. Beatty can continue on in the series, and do a few more.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An incredible guide for the Grant Morrison JLA
Review: This guide follows the rest of the Ultimate Guide/Visual Dictionary series of books by DK, with the emphasis on the current JLA envisioned by Grant Morrison.

Full of pictures, and "popup video" style tidbits about the characters, it is a quick, easy to absorb gallery of characters used in the JLA comic book series by DC.

What it lacks is the comprehensive info for the Justice League of America and its other incarnations, but then again, it was listed as JLA: the Ultimate Guide. Because of that it's great for what it's worth. The timeline does make a nice attempt to mention all of its past incarnations.

One thing... it keeps mentioning Triumph, but it didn't really show who this traitorous character is or looks like.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An incredible guide for the Grant Morrison JLA
Review: This guide follows the rest of the Ultimate Guide/Visual Dictionary series of books by DK, with the emphasis on the current JLA envisioned by Grant Morrison.

Full of pictures, and "popup video" style tidbits about the characters, it is a quick, easy to absorb gallery of characters used in the JLA comic book series by DC.

What it lacks is the comprehensive info for the Justice League of America and its other incarnations, but then again, it was listed as JLA: the Ultimate Guide. Because of that it's great for what it's worth. The timeline does make a nice attempt to mention all of its past incarnations.

One thing... it keeps mentioning Triumph, but it didn't really show who this traitorous character is or looks like.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: The Justice League Revised
Review: This is not a good book. If you are a fan of the current "Dark Age of Comics" and revisionist history it may be your cup of tea, but not mine. Yes, it has some decent drawings, but has a cookie cuter style standard with the publisher DK. It favors heavily the current group over past superior line-ups touching only lightly on the Bronze Age Maxwell Lord and Martian Manhunter led inner city groups. It fails to value the fondly regarded Super Friends. The whole thing appears like an ad for the present Justice League. If you are looking for a more fair and balanced overview I suggest petitioning Les Daniels of "The Complete (Superman, Batman Wonder Woman) series to do a Complete Justice League of America. This volume and others in the DC Ultimate series try, but do not hit the mark. They are worth buying, but not at this price. And with a little effort could be improved upon.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: The Justice League Revised
Review: This is not a good book. If you are a fan of the current "Dark Age of Comics" and revisionist history it may be your cup of tea, but not mine. Yes, it has some decent drawings, but has a cookie cuter style standard with the publisher DK. It favors heavily the current group over past superior line-ups touching only lightly on the Bronze Age Maxwell Lord and Martian Manhunter led inner city groups. It fails to value the fondly regarded Super Friends. The whole thing appears like an ad for the present Justice League. If you are looking for a more fair and balanced overview I suggest petitioning Les Daniels of "The Complete (Superman, Batman Wonder Woman) series to do a Complete Justice League of America. This volume and others in the DC Ultimate series try, but do not hit the mark. They are worth buying, but not at this price. And with a little effort could be improved upon.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Justice at a price...
Review: Well this book is certainly the most compresentive ever done on the JLA. It also shows them as charecters who have fought for justice even though they have become isolated from the very humanity that they protect. They do not feel at home except on their sattilite home in orbit around Earth, of at their own headquarters like the Batcave. It is highly unlikely any of them will ever get married and have families, their superhero personas have taken over, But then again Superman has Lois Lane, so never say never.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Lacking
Review: When I first received the book, I was stunned to see how thin it was compared to the X-Men version (almost twice the size). That was already a bad sign. This book is devoted to the current incarnation of the Justice League. There is a two page spread that mention the several past incarnations, but nothing more. It is a shame that the Justice League history was treated with such unimportance. No in-depth coverage of the beginnings of the league, the tragic era (with Steel, Vibe, Vixen, and Gypsy), and Justice International (with my faves Blue Beetle and Booster Gold). They could have easily taken the time and effort to present a more comprehensive history. At least feature a few more characters prominently like the Red Tornado and Black Canary instead of giving them corner blurbs. In scanning the book, there is even text missing from one of the pages.

Despite the huge disappointment on my part, I still give the book 3 stars. It still has the brilliant presentation and younger readers will be less affected by the lack of history and acknowledgement of the previous leagues. I just don't understand why this book got only half the attention in comparison to the X-Men when it could have easily been filled out more. I would be interested in seeing a revision some day that gives the Justice League the attention they deserve.


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