Jla: Liberty and Justice

Rating:
Summary: JLA is Just AWSOME!
Review: Alex Ross artwork is wonderful!

It takes me back to when I used to watch the Superfriends cartoon when I was a kid... You remember, the Legion of Doom, right?

Anyway, the story is just enough info to keep a stong pace while you share some time with the world's greatest Super heroes...

It is well worth the money... Also check out Ross and Dini's other books.
Superman Batman and Wonder Woman, too. You'll LOVE em!

Rating:
Summary: The best of the Paul Dini/ Alex Ross collaborations
Review: All of the Dini/Ross DC collaborations are worth getting just for Alex Ross's beautiful artwork, but at times the stories have tended to be a bit on the dull side with no supervillains (usually just social ills the hero or heroine is facing) and a little too much moralizing. But here Dini gets it just about right with a fine story centering upon a deadly virus attacking the central Congo, and the Leaguers' attempts not just to contain and eliminate the virus but to deal with the chaos the virus creates over the world and the resulting fear and mistrust generated when the Leaguers in effect have to establish a kind of martial law very briefly to prevent panic and looting. The complex and grand ethical issues Dini is interested in considering are still, but you don;t feel this time you're being preached to.

The art is spectacular. Not only does the story concern the "Magnificent Seven" that have present from the League's beginning (Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Batman, Aquaman, Superman, and the Martian Manhunter) but many of the other Leaguers whom people have come to adore over hte years: Zatanna, Hawkman and Hawkwoman, the Atom, the Red Tornado, etc. And it's lovely to see Ross have the chance to draw some of the characters from the heroes' supporting casts: Mera, Pieface, Iris Allen West. This is confident work superbly executed and superbly judged, and its to the core of what people have loved about the idea of a Justice League over the past fifty years.

Rating:
Summary: Five stars each for Dini, Ross, and Amazon.com
Review: I am a dyed-in-the-wool, comic book loving fool and the Justice League has long been my favorite team/book so this purchase was a no-brainer. Enough has been written about the talent of Alex Ross that I don't need to prattle on about the art (okay, it's exactly what you'd expect from Ross--amazing). The story by Paul Dini is nothing revolutionary but it's solid and shows great respect for the history of the characters, individually and as a team. Appearances by many "second-tier" Leaguers--Atom, Black Canary, Red Freakin' Tornado (!) to name just a few--are a bonus for any big time DC fan (like me). Of the five "tabloid" books on which Ross & Dini collaborated, this one is my favorite.

When I ordered mine from Amazon, I was a little concerned about the condition the book would be in when it arrived. I was quite pleased that it arrived shrink-wrapped to a good stiff piece of cardboard inside the box. The book is in absolutely pristine condition.

Great stuff all the way around.

Rating:
Summary: Everything old is new again
Review: It's clear where Dini and Ross's sympathies lie regarding the DC Comics universe: the Justice League members presented here are the Silver Age versions, right down to the Flash being Barry Allen and sporting a crew cut. The story even follows the Gardner Fox basic formula of breaking the team (and it's mission) into smaller parts.
However this isn't a retro piece. The Martian Manhunter engages in deep thematic introspection Gardner Fox would never have dreamed of and all the characters, Flash in particular, have moments of subtle humanity. Humanity, ultimately, is what the whole book is about.
Ross's paintings are exquisite, improving (IMO) on some of his earlier model choices for these characters. In some instances, it is more like looking at a film still than a painting.
If you like beautiful art, if you like your Justice League old school, and if you didn't get this for the holidays, get it for yourself now.

Rating:
Summary: ORIGINAL JUSTICE LEAGUE AND ALEX ROSS
Review: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Flash, and Martian Manhunter. The Big Seven. The Justice League of America. This not the current, intense, dark JLA, but a return to the Silver Age Justice League. That's right, Barry Allen's Flash, pre-Spectre Hal Jordan, Aquaman with his original meat hooks, and even Wonder Woman, who in current DC continuity, shouldn't even be here!

This is the sixth tabloid format book from the team of writer Paul Dini and uber-artist Alex Ross, and it is their best. Not only is the eye-candy from Ross gorgeous, but the story is a fantastic look at how the Justice League would operate in a real world, with a real world situation. It works wonderfully. Each member has their individual time to shine. Even reserve members show up to help out. Dini and Ross could not have stuffed much more into 96 pages than they do here. Whoever came up with the idea to showcase Ross' art with the tabloid format was really on the money, the large pages let you sink in every amazing brush stroke.

It's also great to see Barry Allen and Hal Jordan again. Their Flash and Green Lantern are what ushered me into comics, and to have them back is like a return of old friends. JLA: Liberty and Justice has a nostalgic vibe that resonates through the book that is simply wonderful. It's a celebration of a simpler time. They also make a smart choice in having the Martian Manhunter the centerpoint of the book. MM brings a new and fresh viewpoint to the reader, from the champion who has really been the true heart of the League over the years.

Final Word:
Wow. You can't really go wrong here. If you are a fan of Ross' work, the DC Silver Age, or heck, comics themselves, this is not to be missed. The $9.95 cost may be a little stiff for some, but believe me its worth every penny. From Atom to Zatanna, it has everything you would expect from a celebration of what is the Justice League of America.

Rating:
Summary: The Old Guard saves the world
Review: The classic silver age Justice League of America save the world one more time. All of the old familiar members are here: Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Atom, Martian Manhunter, as well as the "associate members" from Black Canary to Zatanna. Yet they all fit together perfectly- for this is primarily a tale of teamwork for the greater good. There is no squabbling and conflict of egos here. That is because these are all men and women whose only reason to BE is to help those who need their help. Each individual member has been gifted with powers and abilities that would enable them to easily overwhelm ordinary men and rule as kings or queens- yet none of them would consider such a thing for an instant. Individually and collectively the League stands for liberty and justice. They are altruism, and incorruptibility, incarnate. Their code is simple: Wherever lives are threatened, a champion will fight to save them. On land or sea the rules are simple, those who use force will find it returned in kind- and killing is never tolerated.

If the League has flaw, it lies in the fact that they are too powerful, too perfect. Lesser men hold them in suspicion. When a super-plague breaks out in Africa they are hard pressed to maintain their sacred trust in the face of global fury and desperation. And yet they do, for they know that their greatest power comes from the belief that the people have in them as allies and friends.

I have read all of the Paul Dini and Alex Ross collaborations. I won't say that this one is my favorite- what I will say is that they are all good.