If successfully reuniting all of DC's flagship heroes under the Justice League of America banner wasn't enough, JLA: Earth 2 finds Grant Morrison producing perhaps his best JLA tale, continued proof of his mission to ensure that the current League's adventures have top-notch super-heroics infused with his customary mind-bending narratives. Here, the oft-used chestnut of alternate realities is given a fresh airing, showcasing his sparkling character interplay. The story comes together nicely: The League rescues a stricken passenger jet, only to find all the passengers are already dead, let alone have their hearts on the wrong side. Then, a Kansas farming couple discover a crashed spacecraft in a cornfield. Sounds familiar. Not so, when Lex Luthor emerges. The pre-eminent superhero of an alternative Earth, he's come to seek the JLA's help against the CSA--The crime Syndicate of Amerika--a superhero team devoted to evil. In a world of exact opposites, how can the JLA tackle a foe who is destined to win? Morrison is at his best here, never once stooping to cheap get-out clauses in his story. On Earth 2, the JLA represent a tyranny of law and righteousness and their doppelgangers are a bunch of intriguingly drawn characters with splendidly twisted locales (Johnny Quick is a drug addict, Gotham is a police state with Gordon as a crime boss). It's been a while since the JLA has been rendered with such a compelling mix of thought-provoking stories and heady excitement- this is just the book to witness it best. Danny Graydon

Intelligent, exciting and lovingly drawn., 13 Sep 2008
After thoroughly enjoying the wonderful All Star Superman, I decided to do a search on Amazon for anything by the same writer/artist team and was most lucky to find this little gem.

Now, I do like a well written superhero story, but I'm not normally one for the superhero team up. I prefer a story that focuses on just the one individual as this gives the writer the chance to play more with characterisation and give us a more well-rounded figure in the central roll, allowing us a more intimate connection with that individual. I worry that, having a team of superheroes - and the Justice League of America has some big players in its ranks, not least the likes of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman - will mean a much diluted storyline in favour of servicing big, brash fight sequences.

No fear of that here as Grant Morrison has given us a thoughtful, balanced, exciting, intriguing and admirable little drama that plays more upon the nuances of each superhero's character than how hard they can pummel the opposition. The main reason for that here is that the villains - if such they can be called - are the Crime Syndicate of Amerika; mirror opposites of the JLA from an alternative Earth in a dimension where crime always wins through and the world's societies are pretty much balanced and mediated by evil. So when the alternative Lex Luthor - a wonderful play on our own version who is always striving for good but always fails in his endeavours (which in itself is played out with such a sharp little comic irony in the story) - comes to our reality to ask for help, and, naturally, the JLA say yes, the problems they encounter are mainly a creation of their own impulsive do-gooding.

Grant Morrison has constructed a many layered little tale here, and it reminds me of the greatly enjoyable mirror universe stories from Star Trek, though it stands solidly on its own as a nicely unique take on the mirror universe concept and the meeting of the evil version of our heroes (and when they make it through to our side of things, naturally, all hell breaks loose).

Frank Quitely's art is as excellent as always. Stances are believable. Settings are richly detailed. His characters are subtle and true and only spring into extreme-comic mode action when necessary.

I read this in one sitting and it was 96 pages of joyous reading; a real homage to the concept of superheroes in general and intelligent, admirable fun.


Get this book!, 16 Jun 2004
When the Justice League flies out to rescue a crashing airplane, they are shocked to find all of the passengers already dead. Even more strange, when they begin to examine the passengers, they find that they are carrying dollar bills bearing the picture of the first president of America: Benedict Arnold! When they confront Lex Luthor, the Justice League is in for another surprise. He is not the Alexander Luthor they know, but one from a parallel Earth; an Earth where good is evil and evil good. He wants them to come to his reality and help to straighten everything out. Will they do it? Of course...but, there may be unintended consequences and unforeseen players.

This is quite an exciting story. The authors bring the Justice League into a fascinating story, where things are not merely opposite, but forming a consistent reality based on a different outlook. My son and I both loved this book, and think that you will too. Get this book!

Lois Lane as Superwoman?, 25 Mar 2001
Difficult to fault this little gem apart from it simply is not long enough!A brillaint idea: What if the JLA had counterparts that were evil? is given the customary thoughful approach by surely, Neil Gaiman excluded, the finest writer in this genre today. Comments such as those made by Owlman (yes Batman's alter ego)'Well on this world evil always triumphs' are both humourous and call into question the whole notion of reader expectations as Moore always seems to do. Heart on my sleeve I'm afraid I loved this

Intelligent, exciting and lovingly drawn., 13 Sep 2008
After thoroughly enjoying the wonderful All Star Superman, I decided to do a search on Amazon for anything by the same writer/artist team and was most lucky to find this little gem.

Now, I do like a well written superhero story, but I'm not normally one for the superhero team up. I prefer a story that focuses on just the one individual as this gives the writer the chance to play more with characterisation and give us a more well-rounded figure in the central roll, allowing us a more intimate connection with that individual. I worry that, having a team of superheroes - and the Justice League of America has some big players in its ranks, not least the likes of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman - will mean a much diluted storyline in favour of servicing big, brash fight sequences.

No fear of that here as Grant Morrison has given us a thoughtful, balanced, exciting, intriguing and admirable little drama that plays more upon the nuances of each superhero's character than how hard they can pummel the opposition. The main reason for that here is that the villains - if such they can be called - are the Crime Syndicate of Amerika; mirror opposites of the JLA from an alternative Earth in a dimension where crime always wins through and the world's societies are pretty much balanced and mediated by evil. So when the alternative Lex Luthor - a wonderful play on our own version who is always striving for good but always fails in his endeavours (which in itself is played out with such a sharp little comic irony in the story) - comes to our reality to ask for help, and, naturally, the JLA say yes, the problems they encounter are mainly a creation of their own impulsive do-gooding.

Grant Morrison has constructed a many layered little tale here, and it reminds me of the greatly enjoyable mirror universe stories from Star Trek, though it stands solidly on its own as a nicely unique take on the mirror universe concept and the meeting of the evil version of our heroes (and when they make it through to our side of things, naturally, all hell breaks loose).

Frank Quitely's art is as excellent as always. Stances are believable. Settings are richly detailed. His characters are subtle and true and only spring into extreme-comic mode action when necessary.

I read this in one sitting and it was 96 pages of joyous reading; a real homage to the concept of superheroes in general and intelligent, admirable fun.


Get this book!, 16 Jun 2004
When the Justice League flies out to rescue a crashing airplane, they are shocked to find all of the passengers already dead. Even more strange, when they begin to examine the passengers, they find that they are carrying dollar bills bearing the picture of the first president of America: Benedict Arnold! When they confront Lex Luthor, the Justice League is in for another surprise. He is not the Alexander Luthor they know, but one from a parallel Earth; an Earth where good is evil and evil good. He wants them to come to his reality and help to straighten everything out. Will they do it? Of course...but, there may be unintended consequences and unforeseen players.

This is quite an exciting story. The authors bring the Justice League into a fascinating story, where things are not merely opposite, but forming a consistent reality based on a different outlook. My son and I both loved this book, and think that you will too. Get this book!

Lois Lane as Superwoman?, 25 Mar 2001
Difficult to fault this little gem apart from it simply is not long enough!A brillaint idea: What if the JLA had counterparts that were evil? is given the customary thoughful approach by surely, Neil Gaiman excluded, the finest writer in this genre today. Comments such as those made by Owlman (yes Batman's alter ego)'Well on this world evil always triumphs' are both humourous and call into question the whole notion of reader expectations as Moore always seems to do. Heart on my sleeve I'm afraid I loved this

The best one yet!, 29 Dec 2006
These were originally published as JLA #34 - #41.

The World War III story is the best one of the JLA series so far. Not only does it bring together many of the previous stories, it also yet again brings forth the basic characters of several of the key JLAers.

This is the end of the world saga foretold in several earlier JLA issues. The Injustice League is back as well, recruiting previous nemesis Prometheis (although Batman, whom Prometheis handily whooped last time, has a few tricks in store for him). The injustice league also rescues General Eiling from an asteroid where he was marooned several issues ago. But the return of the Injustice League isn't the main event; the end of the world as foretold by many (Meteron, Hourman, Zauriel to some extent) is coming, in the form of the aptly named Mageddon. This is the threat that Orion and Barda were sent to Earth to fight, although it seems even greater than their powers.

Batman, Superman, Green Lantern and Plastic Man all get to show their character, flaws and all. Again, this is what makes JLA among the best graphic novels: the heroes have character flaws, even Superman, and the JLAers sometimes dig into each other.

The best bit is Batman, the king of despair, helping Superman, the eternal optimist, overcome mental anguish caused by Maggedon.

The worst part of the JLA is all of the changes that happen in the characters own comics. Diana is back as Wonder Woman, replacing her mother with no explanation. Other characters wander in and out (though there is some great interaction with Huntress, Superman and Batman).

Fav panel: pg 176: Zauriel, getting volunteers from the Pax Dei!


The Biggest Baddest coolest Super hero comic of all time., 18 Jun 2001
I know the Watchmen is more intelligent, the Authority more original, and X-men more complicated, but this is the most exciting comic ever written.

Building up to this for 25 odd issues, Morrison just goes mad, for his final story line and makes every story you've ever read, seen or heard seem small and subtle. This redefines epic.

More fun than most summer blockbusters, just buy this and enjoy. It ain't rocket science, but it's fun.

An epic tale and a cast of thousands grasp your attention., 16 Apr 2001
The tale is one of then biggest in DC's history so far. All the right ingredients are here: destruction, amazing odds, action, personal battles and the death of a well loved hearo ( I won't say who). All this adds up to an amazing story that is secured by the art work and pace. The bad guys are good as well: promethius who took down the league single handed, the indestructable general and an all new baddie: Queen bee. Go now and buy this masterpiece

Intelligent, exciting and lovingly drawn., 13 Sep 2008
After thoroughly enjoying the wonderful All Star Superman, I decided to do a search on Amazon for anything by the same writer/artist team and was most lucky to find this little gem.

Now, I do like a well written superhero story, but I'm not normally one for the superhero team up. I prefer a story that focuses on just the one individual as this gives the writer the chance to play more with characterisation and give us a more well-rounded figure in the central roll, allowing us a more intimate connection with that individual. I worry that, having a team of superheroes - and the Justice League of America has some big players in its ranks, not least the likes of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman - will mean a much diluted storyline in favour of servicing big, brash fight sequences.

No fear of that here as Grant Morrison has given us a thoughtful, balanced, exciting, intriguing and admirable little drama that plays more upon the nuances of each superhero's character than how hard they can pummel the opposition. The main reason for that here is that the villains - if such they can be called - are the Crime Syndicate of Amerika; mirror opposites of the JLA from an alternative Earth in a dimension where crime always wins through and the world's societies are pretty much balanced and mediated by evil. So when the alternative Lex Luthor - a wonderful play on our own version who is always striving for good but always fails in his endeavours (which in itself is played out with such a sharp little comic irony in the story) - comes to our reality to ask for help, and, naturally, the JLA say yes, the problems they encounter are mainly a creation of their own impulsive do-gooding.

Grant Morrison has constructed a many layered little tale here, and it reminds me of the greatly enjoyable mirror universe stories from Star Trek, though it stands solidly on its own as a nicely unique take on the mirror universe concept and the meeting of the evil version of our heroes (and when they make it through to our side of things, naturally, all hell breaks loose).

Frank Quitely's art is as excellent as always. Stances are believable. Settings are richly detailed. His characters are subtle and true and only spring into extreme-comic mode action when necessary.

I read this in one sitting and it was 96 pages of joyous reading; a real homage to the concept of superheroes in general and intelligent, admirable fun.


Get this book!, 16 Jun 2004
When the Justice League flies out to rescue a crashing airplane, they are shocked to find all of the passengers already dead. Even more strange, when they begin to examine the passengers, they find that they are carrying dollar bills bearing the picture of the first president of America: Benedict Arnold! When they confront Lex Luthor, the Justice League is in for another surprise. He is not the Alexander Luthor they know, but one from a parallel Earth; an Earth where good is evil and evil good. He wants them to come to his reality and help to straighten everything out. Will they do it? Of course...but, there may be unintended consequences and unforeseen players.

This is quite an exciting story. The authors bring the Justice League into a fascinating story, where things are not merely opposite, but forming a consistent reality based on a different outlook. My son and I both loved this book, and think that you will too. Get this book!

Lois Lane as Superwoman?, 25 Mar 2001
Difficult to fault this little gem apart from it simply is not long enough!A brillaint idea: What if the JLA had counterparts that were evil? is given the customary thoughful approach by surely, Neil Gaiman excluded, the finest writer in this genre today. Comments such as those made by Owlman (yes Batman's alter ego)'Well on this world evil always triumphs' are both humourous and call into question the whole notion of reader expectations as Moore always seems to do. Heart on my sleeve I'm afraid I loved this

The best one yet!, 29 Dec 2006
These were originally published as JLA #34 - #41.

The World War III story is the best one of the JLA series so far. Not only does it bring together many of the previous stories, it also yet again brings forth the basic characters of several of the key JLAers.

This is the end of the world saga foretold in several earlier JLA issues. The Injustice League is back as well, recruiting previous nemesis Prometheis (although Batman, whom Prometheis handily whooped last time, has a few tricks in store for him). The injustice league also rescues General Eiling from an asteroid where he was marooned several issues ago. But the return of the Injustice League isn't the main event; the end of the world as foretold by many (Meteron, Hourman, Zauriel to some extent) is coming, in the form of the aptly named Mageddon. This is the threat that Orion and Barda were sent to Earth to fight, although it seems even greater than their powers.

Batman, Superman, Green Lantern and Plastic Man all get to show their character, flaws and all. Again, this is what makes JLA among the best graphic novels: the heroes have character flaws, even Superman, and the JLAers sometimes dig into each other.

The best bit is Batman, the king of despair, helping Superman, the eternal optimist, overcome mental anguish caused by Maggedon.

The worst part of the JLA is all of the changes that happen in the characters own comics. Diana is back as Wonder Woman, replacing her mother with no explanation. Other characters wander in and out (though there is some great interaction with Huntress, Superman and Batman).

Fav panel: pg 176: Zauriel, getting volunteers from the Pax Dei!


The Biggest Baddest coolest Super hero comic of all time., 18 Jun 2001
I know the Watchmen is more intelligent, the Authority more original, and X-men more complicated, but this is the most exciting comic ever written.

Building up to this for 25 odd issues, Morrison just goes mad, for his final story line and makes every story you've ever read, seen or heard seem small and subtle. This redefines epic.

More fun than most summer blockbusters, just buy this and enjoy. It ain't rocket science, but it's fun.

An epic tale and a cast of thousands grasp your attention., 16 Apr 2001
The tale is one of then biggest in DC's history so far. All the right ingredients are here: destruction, amazing odds, action, personal battles and the death of a well loved hearo ( I won't say who). All this adds up to an amazing story that is secured by the art work and pace. The bad guys are good as well: promethius who took down the league single handed, the indestructable general and an all new baddie: Queen bee. Go now and buy this masterpiece

Please, call me Dick., 31 Mar 2008
Something that people have often forgotten since the Watchmen-induced darkness of the 1980s is that comics are, at a core level, meant to be fun, and the Super Buddies are a huge amount of fun.

While if you have been keeping up to speed with the events of the Identity and Infinite Crises respectively, as well as 52, this book may well be quite depressing in hindsight, standing alone by itself it's absolutely hilarious. The team's bickering has never been funnier, and as things steadily spiral further and further out of control, as hell, amnesia and parallel universe bondage Marvel families come into play, the absurdity level is through the roof in the best possible way. What's more, the welcome re-appearance of one Guy Gardner - the MVP of virtually anything he appears in - just sweetens the deal.

An excellent follow-up to the hilarious first volume.

Fantastic!, 08 Aug 2006
This is such an enjoyable and fun read! The plot (which deals with the team being transported to Hell and then to a sleazy but fun parallel dimension!) doen't matter as much as the interplay and good natured bickering between Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Fire, Elongated Man (and his wife Sue!), Power Girl and Guy Gardner. The art by Maguire is just brilliant, catching all the embarrassment, surprises and emotions of the individual characters. Before reading this book I never really felt any empathy for Guy Gardner - but Giffen and DeMatteis (with the help of the afore-mentioned Maguire) opened my eyes to the depth of pain this former Green Lantern has been hiding and how this has led to his macho, bravado facade. It's a fun read with a welcomed dash of pathos and some fantastic character interplay! A great superhero tale!

Ha!, 12 Feb 2006
Funny as hell. The bickering between the buddies makes this a totally enjoyable read. Doesn't take itself too seriously but doesn't patronise either. Loved it.

Intelligent, exciting and lovingly drawn., 13 Sep 2008
After thoroughly enjoying the wonderful All Star Superman, I decided to do a search on Amazon for anything by the same writer/artist team and was most lucky to find this little gem.

Now, I do like a well written superhero story, but I'm not normally one for the superhero team up. I prefer a story that focuses on just the one individual as this gives the writer the chance to play more with characterisation and give us a more well-rounded figure in the central roll, allowing us a more intimate connection with that individual. I worry that, having a team of superheroes - and the Justice League of America has some big players in its ranks, not least the likes of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman - will mean a much diluted storyline in favour of servicing big, brash fight sequences.

No fear of that here as Grant Morrison has given us a thoughtful, balanced, exciting, intriguing and admirable little drama that plays more upon the nuances of each superhero's character than how hard they can pummel the opposition. The main reason for that here is that the villains - if such they can be called - are the Crime Syndicate of Amerika; mirror opposites of the JLA from an alternative Earth in a dimension where crime always wins through and the world's societies are pretty much balanced and mediated by evil. So when the alternative Lex Luthor - a wonderful play on our own version who is always striving for good but always fails in his endeavours (which in itself is played out with such a sharp little comic irony in the story) - comes to our reality to ask for help, and, naturally, the JLA say yes, the problems they encounter are mainly a creation of their own impulsive do-gooding.

Grant Morrison has constructed a many layered little tale here, and it reminds me of the greatly enjoyable mirror universe stories from Star Trek, though it stands solidly on its own as a nicely unique take on the mirror universe concept and the meeting of the evil version of our heroes (and when they make it through to our side of things, naturally, all hell breaks loose).

Frank Quitely's art is as excellent as always. Stances are believable. Settings are richly detailed. His characters are subtle and true and only spring into extreme-comic mode action when necessary.

I read this in one sitting and it was 96 pages of joyous reading; a real homage to the concept of superheroes in general and intelligent, admirable fun.


Get this book!, 16 Jun 2004
When the Justice League flies out to rescue a crashing airplane, they are shocked to find all of the passengers already dead. Even more strange, when they begin to examine the passengers, they find that they are carrying dollar bills bearing the picture of the first president of America: Benedict Arnold! When they confront Lex Luthor, the Justice League is in for another surprise. He is not the Alexander Luthor they know, but one from a parallel Earth; an Earth where good is evil and evil good. He wants them to come to his reality and help to straighten everything out. Will they do it? Of course...but, there may be unintended consequences and unforeseen players.

This is quite an exciting story. The authors bring the Justice League into a fascinating story, where things are not merely opposite, but forming a consistent reality based on a different outlook. My son and I both loved this book, and think that you will too. Get this book!

Lois Lane as Superwoman?, 25 Mar 2001
Difficult to fault this little gem apart from it simply is not long enough!A brillaint idea: What if the JLA had counterparts that were evil? is given the customary thoughful approach by surely, Neil Gaiman excluded, the finest writer in this genre today. Comments such as those made by Owlman (yes Batman's alter ego)'Well on this world evil always triumphs' are both humourous and call into question the whole notion of reader expectations as Moore always seems to do. Heart on my sleeve I'm afraid I loved this

The best one yet!, 29 Dec 2006
These were originally published as JLA #34 - #41.

The World War III story is the best one of the JLA series so far. Not only does it bring together many of the previous stories, it also yet again brings forth the basic characters of several of the key JLAers.

This is the end of the world saga foretold in several earlier JLA issues. The Injustice League is back as well, recruiting previous nemesis Prometheis (although Batman, whom Prometheis handily whooped last time, has a few tricks in store for him). The injustice league also rescues General Eiling from an asteroid where he was marooned several issues ago. But the return of the Injustice League isn't the main event; the end of the world as foretold by many (Meteron, Hourman, Zauriel to some extent) is coming, in the form of the aptly named Mageddon. This is the threat that Orion and Barda were sent to Earth to fight, although it seems even greater than their powers.

Batman, Superman, Green Lantern and Plastic Man all get to show their character, flaws and all. Again, this is what makes JLA among the best graphic novels: the heroes have character flaws, even Superman, and the JLAers sometimes dig into each other.

The best bit is Batman, the king of despair, helping Superman, the eternal optimist, overcome mental anguish caused by Maggedon.

The worst part of the JLA is all of the changes that happen in the characters own comics. Diana is back as Wonder Woman, replacing her mother with no explanation. Other characters wander in and out (though there is some great interaction with Huntress, Superman and Batman).

Fav panel: pg 176: Zauriel, getting volunteers from the Pax Dei!


The Biggest Baddest coolest Super hero comic of all time., 18 Jun 2001
I know the Watchmen is more intelligent, the Authority more original, and X-men more complicated, but this is the most exciting comic ever written.

Building up to this for 25 odd issues, Morrison just goes mad, for his final story line and makes every story you've ever read, seen or heard seem small and subtle. This redefines epic.

More fun than most summer blockbusters, just buy this and enjoy. It ain't rocket science, but it's fun.

An epic tale and a cast of thousands grasp your attention., 16 Apr 2001
The tale is one of then biggest in DC's history so far. All the right ingredients are here: destruction, amazing odds, action, personal battles and the death of a well loved hearo ( I won't say who). All this adds up to an amazing story that is secured by the art work and pace. The bad guys are good as well: promethius who took down the league single handed, the indestructable general and an all new baddie: Queen bee. Go now and buy this masterpiece

Please, call me Dick., 31 Mar 2008
Something that people have often forgotten since the Watchmen-induced darkness of the 1980s is that comics are, at a core level, meant to be fun, and the Super Buddies are a huge amount of fun.

While if you have been keeping up to speed with the events of the Identity and Infinite Crises respectively, as well as 52, this book may well be quite depressing in hindsight, standing alone by itself it's absolutely hilarious. The team's bickering has never been funnier, and as things steadily spiral further and further out of control, as hell, amnesia and parallel universe bondage Marvel families come into play, the absurdity level is through the roof in the best possible way. What's more, the welcome re-appearance of one Guy Gardner - the MVP of virtually anything he appears in - just sweetens the deal.

An excellent follow-up to the hilarious first volume.

Fantastic!, 08 Aug 2006
This is such an enjoyable and fun read! The plot (which deals with the team being transported to Hell and then to a sleazy but fun parallel dimension!) doen't matter as much as the interplay and good natured bickering between Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Fire, Elongated Man (and his wife Sue!), Power Girl and Guy Gardner. The art by Maguire is just brilliant, catching all the embarrassment, surprises and emotions of the individual characters. Before reading this book I never really felt any empathy for Guy Gardner - but Giffen and DeMatteis (with the help of the afore-mentioned Maguire) opened my eyes to the depth of pain this former Green Lantern has been hiding and how this has led to his macho, bravado facade. It's a fun read with a welcomed dash of pathos and some fantastic character interplay! A great superhero tale!

Ha!, 12 Feb 2006
Funny as hell. The bickering between the buddies makes this a totally enjoyable read. Doesn't take itself too seriously but doesn't patronise either. Loved it.

formerly known as the justice league, 01 May 2005
One of the best and funiest books iv read in a long time highly recommended

A change of pace, 21 Mar 2004
While the current Justice League of America fight increasingly fantastical battles in the JLA series of Graphic Novel collections, here we see a light-hearted look at former members of the JLA. The plot revolves around Maxwell Lord reforming a 'budget price' superhero group called 'Superbuddies'. The group find themselves flung against Roulette's arena and Alien invasions.

It would be easy to desribe this collection as a parody of previous incarnations of the JLA. What the book does, however, is to capture the humour and personal interactions between the main characters first seen in the 'Justice League International' series. Most of this collection is banter, argument and sarcastic interchange between the Superbuddies. The cybernetic life form 'L-Ron' is a hillariously dry sidekick and constantly makes brilliant interjections.

The superheroes collected have all developed and become far more human since they were last in the mainstream JLA. Blue Beetle now has a heart condition and worries constantly about it. Booster Gold has married someone 30 years his senior and is desperate to escape (although technically, as he comes from the future, she is younger than him). Fire has set up her own soft core adult website. And Elongated man is worred that his wife rates his looks 'only 4 out of ten'.

This series comes highly recommended - I hope its is soon followed up!

Intelligent, exciting and lovingly drawn., 13 Sep 2008
After thoroughly enjoying the wonderful All Star Superman, I decided to do a search on Amazon for anything by the same writer/artist team and was most lucky to find this little gem.

Now, I do like a well written superhero story, but I'm not normally one for the superhero team up. I prefer a story that focuses on just the one individual as this gives the writer the chance to play more with characterisation and give us a more well-rounded figure in the central roll, allowing us a more intimate connection with that individual. I worry that, having a team of superheroes - and the Justice League of America has some big players in its ranks, not least the likes of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman - will mean a much diluted storyline in favour of servicing big, brash fight sequences.

No fear of that here as Grant Morrison has given us a thoughtful, balanced, exciting, intriguing and admirable little drama that plays more upon the nuances of each superhero's character than how hard they can pummel the opposition. The main reason for that here is that the villains - if such they can be called - are the Crime Syndicate of Amerika; mirror opposites of the JLA from an alternative Earth in a dimension where crime always wins through and the world's societies are pretty much balanced and mediated by evil. So when the alternative Lex Luthor - a wonderful play on our own version who is always striving for good but always fails in his endeavours (which in itself is played out with such a sharp little comic irony in the story) - comes to our reality to ask for help, and, naturally, the JLA say yes, the problems they encounter are mainly a creation of their own impulsive do-gooding.

Grant Morrison has constructed a many layered little tale here, and it reminds me of the greatly enjoyable mirror universe stories from Star Trek, though it stands solidly on its own as a nicely unique take on the mirror universe concept and the meeting of the evil version of our heroes (and when they make it through to our side of things, naturally, all hell breaks loose).

Frank Quitely's art is as excellent as always. Stances are believable. Settings are richly detailed. His characters are subtle and true and only spring into extreme-comic mode action when necessary.

I read this in one sitting and it was 96 pages of joyous reading; a real homage to the concept of superheroes in general and intelligent, admirable fun.


Get this book!, 16 Jun 2004
When the Justice League flies out to rescue a crashing airplane, they are shocked to find all of the passengers already dead. Even more strange, when they begin to examine the passengers, they find that they are carrying dollar bills bearing the picture of the first president of America: Benedict Arnold! When they confront Lex Luthor, the Justice League is in for another surprise. He is not the Alexander Luthor they know, but one from a parallel Earth; an Earth where good is evil and evil good. He wants them to come to his reality and help to straighten everything out. Will they do it? Of course...but, there may be unintended consequences and unforeseen players.

This is quite an exciting story. The authors bring the Justice League into a fascinating story, where things are not merely opposite, but forming a consistent reality based on a different outlook. My son and I both loved this book, and think that you will too. Get this book!

Lois Lane as Superwoman?, 25 Mar 2001
Difficult to fault this little gem apart from it simply is not long enough!A brillaint idea: What if the JLA had counterparts that were evil? is given the customary thoughful approach by surely, Neil Gaiman excluded, the finest writer in this genre today. Comments such as those made by Owlman (yes Batman's alter ego)'Well on this world evil always triumphs' are both humourous and call into question the whole notion of reader expectations as Moore always seems to do. Heart on my sleeve I'm afraid I loved this

The best one yet!, 29 Dec 2006
These were originally published as JLA #34 - #41.

The World War III story is the best one of the JLA series so far. Not only does it bring together many of the previous stories, it also yet again brings forth the basic characters of several of the key JLAers.

This is the end of the world saga foretold in several earlier JLA issues. The Injustice League is back as well, recruiting previous nemesis Prometheis (although Batman, whom Prometheis handily whooped last time, has a few tricks in store for him). The injustice league also rescues General Eiling from an asteroid where he was marooned several issues ago. But the return of the Injustice League isn't the main event; the end of the world as foretold by many (Meteron, Hourman, Zauriel to some extent) is coming, in the form of the aptly named Mageddon. This is the threat that Orion and Barda were sent to Earth to fight, although it seems even greater than their powers.

Batman, Superman, Green Lantern and Plastic Man all get to show their character, flaws and all. Again, this is what makes JLA among the best graphic novels: the heroes have character flaws, even Superman, and the JLAers sometimes dig into each other.

The best bit is Batman, the king of despair, helping Superman, the eternal optimist, overcome mental anguish caused by Maggedon.

The worst part of the JLA is all of the changes that happen in the characters own comics. Diana is back as Wonder Woman, replacing her mother with no explanation. Other characters wander in and out (though there is some great interaction with Huntress, Superman and Batman).

Fav panel: pg 176: Zauriel, getting volunteers from the Pax Dei!


The Biggest Baddest coolest Super hero comic of all time., 18 Jun 2001
I know the Watchmen is more intelligent, the Authority more original, and X-men more complicated, but this is the most exciting comic ever written.

Building up to this for 25 odd issues, Morrison just goes mad, for his final story line and makes every story you've ever read, seen or heard seem small and subtle. This redefines epic.

More fun than most summer blockbusters, just buy this and enjoy. It ain't rocket science, but it's fun.

An epic tale and a cast of thousands grasp your attention., 16 Apr 2001
The tale is one of then biggest in DC's history so far. All the right ingredients are here: destruction, amazing odds, action, personal battles and the death of a well loved hearo ( I won't say who). All this adds up to an amazing story that is secured by the art work and pace. The bad guys are good as well: promethius who took down the league single handed, the indestructable general and an all new baddie: Queen bee. Go now and buy this masterpiece

Please, call me Dick., 31 Mar 2008
Something that people have often forgotten since the Watchmen-induced darkness of the 1980s is that comics are, at a core level, meant to be fun, and the Super Buddies are a huge amount of fun.

While if you have been keeping up to speed with the events of the Identity and Infinite Crises respectively, as well as 52, this book may well be quite depressing in hindsight, standing alone by itself it's absolutely hilarious. The team's bickering has never been funnier, and as things steadily spiral further and further out of control, as hell, amnesia and parallel universe bondage Marvel families come into play, the absurdity level is through the roof in the best possible way. What's more, the welcome re-appearance of one Guy Gardner - the MVP of virtually anything he appears in - just sweetens the deal.

An excellent follow-up to the hilarious first volume.

Fantastic!, 08 Aug 2006
This is such an enjoyable and fun read! The plot (which deals with the team being transported to Hell and then to a sleazy but fun parallel dimension!) doen't matter as much as the interplay and good natured bickering between Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Fire, Elongated Man (and his wife Sue!), Power Girl and Guy Gardner. The art by Maguire is just brilliant, catching all the embarrassment, surprises and emotions of the individual characters. Before reading this book I never really felt any empathy for Guy Gardner - but Giffen and DeMatteis (with the help of the afore-mentioned Maguire) opened my eyes to the depth of pain this former Green Lantern has been hiding and how this has led to his macho, bravado facade. It's a fun read with a welcomed dash of pathos and some fantastic character interplay! A great superhero tale!

Ha!, 12 Feb 2006
Funny as hell. The bickering between the buddies makes this a totally enjoyable read. Doesn't take itself too seriously but doesn't patronise either. Loved it.

formerly known as the justice league, 01 May 2005
One of the best and funiest books iv read in a long time highly recommended

A change of pace, 21 Mar 2004
While the current Justice League of America fight increasingly fantastical battles in the JLA series of Graphic Novel collections, here we see a light-hearted look at former members of the JLA. The plot revolves around Maxwell Lord reforming a 'budget price' superhero group called 'Superbuddies'. The group find themselves flung against Roulette's arena and Alien invasions.

It would be easy to desribe this collection as a parody of previous incarnations of the JLA. What the book does, however, is to capture the humour and personal interactions between the main characters first seen in the 'Justice League International' series. Most of this collection is banter, argument and sarcastic interchange between the Superbuddies. The cybernetic life form 'L-Ron' is a hillariously dry sidekick and constantly makes brilliant interjections.

The superheroes collected have all developed and become far more human since they were last in the mainstream JLA. Blue Beetle now has a heart condition and worries constantly about it. Booster Gold has married someone 30 years his senior and is desperate to escape (although technically, as he comes from the future, she is younger than him). Fire has set up her own soft core adult website. And Elongated man is worred that his wife rates his looks 'only 4 out of ten'.

This series comes highly recommended - I hope its is soon followed up!

Crisis on Multiple Universes, 20 Apr 2004
This is, as the title implies, a crossover between DC Comics JLA andMarvel Comics Avengers. The being Korona threathens to destroy both theJLA's world and the Avanger's world if he are not stopped, and the teamsare pitted against each other, both decieved by other mighty beings in agame where the ante is both worlds. It works suprisingly well. I myself isadmittedly more familiar with DC's universe, but the contrastes brought upis interesting. The story borrows much from earlie works such as Crisis onMultiple Worlds, and this is even spoofed later in the book. At somepoints the story is reduced to enormous brawls, but it's still exciting,and the story flows very nice. At several points you also have greatoppertunities to play "Name that superhero", with characters appearingfrom both universes, from diffrent time periods. You should however be atleast somewhat familiar with both universes, or this book would probablyleave you a little high and dry, as much of the book is about playing withconcepts and contrasts between the two. But for most comic buffs, It's amust have.

Intelligent, exciting and lovingly drawn., 13 Sep 2008
After thoroughly enjoying the wonderful All Star Superman, I decided to do a search on Amazon for anything by the same writer/artist team and was most lucky to find this little gem.

Now, I do like a well written superhero story, but I'm not normally one for the superhero team up. I prefer a story that focuses on just the one individual as this gives the writer the chance to play more with characterisation and give us a more well-rounded figure in the central roll, allowing us a more intimate connection with that individual. I worry that, having a team of superheroes - and the Justice League of America has some big players in its ranks, not least the likes of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman - will mean a much diluted storyline in favour of servicing big, brash fight sequences.

No fear of that here as Grant Morrison has given us a thoughtful, balanced, exciting, intriguing and admirable little drama that plays more upon the nuances of each superhero's character than how hard they can pummel the opposition. The main reason for that here is that the villains - if such they can be called - are the Crime Syndicate of Amerika; mirror opposites of the JLA from an alternative Earth in a dimension where crime always wins through and the world's societies are pretty much balanced and mediated by evil. So when the alternative Lex Luthor - a wonderful play on our own version who is always striving for good but always fails in his endeavours (which in itself is played out with such a sharp little comic irony in the story) - comes to our reality to ask for help, and, naturally, the JLA say yes, the problems they encounter are mainly a creation of their own impulsive do-gooding.

Grant Morrison has constructed a many layered little tale here, and it reminds me of the greatly enjoyable mirror universe stories from Star Trek, though it stands solidly on its own as a nicely unique take on the mirror universe concept and the meeting of the evil version of our heroes (and when they make it through to our side of things, naturally, all hell breaks loose).

Frank Quitely's art is as excellent as always. Stances are believable. Settings are richly detailed. His characters are subtle and true and only spring into extreme-comic mode action when necessary.

I read this in one sitting and it was 96 pages of joyous reading; a real homage to the concept of superheroes in general and intelligent, admirable fun.


Get this book!, 16 Jun 2004
When the Justice League flies out to rescue a crashing airplane, they are shocked to find all of the passengers already dead. Even more strange, when they begin to examine the passengers, they find that they are carrying dollar bills bearing the picture of the first president of America: Benedict Arnold! When they confront Lex Luthor, the Justice League is in for another surprise. He is not the Alexander Luthor they know, but one from a parallel Earth; an Earth where good is evil and evil good. He wants them to come to his reality and help to straighten everything out. Will they do it? Of course...but, there may be unintended consequences and unforeseen players.

This is quite an exciting story. The authors bring the Justice League into a fascinating story, where things are not merely opposite, but forming a consistent reality based on a different outlook. My son and I both loved this book, and think that you will too. Get this book!

Lois Lane as Superwoman?, 25 Mar 2001
Difficult to fault this little gem apart from it simply is not long enough!A brillaint idea: What if the JLA had counterparts that were evil? is given the customary thoughful approach by surely, Neil Gaiman excluded, the finest writer in this genre today. Comments such as those made by Owlman (yes Batman's alter ego)'Well on this world evil always triumphs' are both humourous and call into question the whole notion of reader expectations as Moore always seems to do. Heart on my sleeve I'm afraid I loved this

The best one yet!, 29 Dec 2006
These were originally published as JLA #34 - #41.

The World War III story is the best one of the JLA series so far. Not only does it bring together many of the previous stories, it also yet again brings forth the basic characters of several of the key JLAers.

This is the end of the world saga foretold in several earlier JLA issues. The Injustice League is back as well, recruiting previous nemesis Prometheis (although Batman, whom Prometheis handily whooped last time, has a few tricks in store for him). The injustice league also rescues General Eiling from an asteroid where he was marooned several issues ago. But the return of the Injustice League isn't the main event; the end of the world as foretold by many (Meteron, Hourman, Zauriel to some extent) is coming, in the form of the aptly named Mageddon. This is the threat that Orion and Barda were sent to Earth to fight, although it seems even greater than their powers.

Batman, Superman, Green Lantern and Plastic Man all get to show their character, flaws and all. Again, this is what makes JLA among the best graphic novels: the heroes have character flaws, even Superman, and the JLAers sometimes dig into each other.

The best bit is Batman, the king of despair, helping Superman, the eternal optimist, overcome mental anguish caused by Maggedon.

The worst part of the JLA is all of the changes that happen in the characters own comics. Diana is back as Wonder Woman, replacing her mother with no explanation. Other characters wander in and out (though there is some great interaction with Huntress, Superman and Batman).

Fav panel: pg 176: Zauriel, getting volunteers from the Pax Dei!


The Biggest Baddest coolest Super hero comic of all time., 18 Jun 2001
I know the Watchmen is more intelligent, the Authority more original, and X-men more complicated, but this is the most exciting comic ever written.

Building up to this for 25 odd issues, Morrison just goes mad, for his final story line and makes every story you've ever read, seen or heard seem small and subtle. This redefines epic.

More fun than most summer blockbusters, just buy this and enjoy. It ain't rocket science, but it's fun.

An epic tale and a cast of thousands grasp your attention., 16 Apr 2001
The tale is one of then biggest in DC's history so far. All the right ingredients are here: destruction, amazing odds, action, personal battles and the death of a well loved hearo ( I won't say who). All this adds up to an amazing story that is secured by the art work and pace. The bad guys are good as well: promethius who took down the league single handed, the indestructable general and an all new baddie: Queen bee. Go now and buy this masterpiece

Please, call me Dick., 31 Mar 2008
Something that people have often forgotten since the Watchmen-induced darkness of the 1980s is that comics are, at a core level, meant to be fun, and the Super Buddies are a huge amount of fun.

While if you have been keeping up to speed with the events of the Identity and Infinite Crises respectively, as well as 52, this book may well be quite depressing in hindsight, standing alone by itself it's absolutely hilarious. The team's bickering has never been funnier, and as things steadily spiral further and further out of control, as hell, amnesia and parallel universe bondage Marvel families come into play, the absurdity level is through the roof in the best possible way. What's more, the welcome re-appearance of one Guy Gardner - the MVP of virtually anything he appears in - just sweetens the deal.

An excellent follow-up to the hilarious first volume.

Fantastic!, 08 Aug 2006
This is such an enjoyable and fun read! The plot (which deals with the team being transported to Hell and then to a sleazy but fun parallel dimension!) doen't matter as much as the interplay and good natured bickering between Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Fire, Elongated Man (and his wife Sue!), Power Girl and Guy Gardner. The art by Maguire is just brilliant, catching all the embarrassment, surprises and emotions of the individual characters. Before reading this book I never really felt any empathy for Guy Gardner - but Giffen and DeMatteis (with the help of the afore-mentioned Maguire) opened my eyes to the depth of pain this former Green Lantern has been hiding and how this has led to his macho, bravado facade. It's a fun read with a welcomed dash of pathos and some fantastic character interplay! A great superhero tale!

Ha!, 12 Feb 2006
Funny as hell. The bickering between the buddies makes this a totally enjoyable read. Doesn't take itself too seriously but doesn't patronise either. Loved it.

formerly known as the justice league, 01 May 2005
One of the best and funiest books iv read in a long time highly recommended

A change of pace, 21 Mar 2004
While the current Justice League of America fight increasingly fantastical battles in the JLA series of Graphic Novel collections, here we see a light-hearted look at former members of the JLA. The plot revolves around Maxwell Lord reforming a 'budget price' superhero group called 'Superbuddies'. The group find themselves flung against Roulette's arena and Alien invasions.

It would be easy to desribe this collection as a parody of previous incarnations of the JLA. What the book does, however, is to capture the humour and personal interactions between the main characters first seen in the 'Justice League International' series. Most of this collection is banter, argument and sarcastic interchange between the Superbuddies. The cybernetic life form 'L-Ron' is a hillariously dry sidekick and constantly makes brilliant interjections.

The superheroes collected have all developed and become far more human since they were last in the mainstream JLA. Blue Beetle now has a heart condition and worries constantly about it. Booster Gold has married someone 30 years his senior and is desperate to escape (although technically, as he comes from the future, she is younger than him). Fire has set up her own soft core adult website. And Elongated man is worred that his wife rates his looks 'only 4 out of ten'.

This series comes highly recommended - I hope its is soon followed up!

Crisis on Multiple Universes, 20 Apr 2004
This is, as the title implies, a crossover between DC Comics JLA andMarvel Comics Avengers. The being Korona threathens to destroy both theJLA's world and the Avanger's world if he are not stopped, and the teamsare pitted against each other, both decieved by other mighty beings in agame where the ante is both worlds. It works suprisingly well. I myself isadmittedly more familiar with DC's universe, but the contrastes brought upis interesting. The story borrows much from earlie works such as Crisis onMultiple Worlds, and this is even spoofed later in the book. At somepoints the story is reduced to enormous brawls, but it's still exciting,and the story flows very nice. At several points you also have greatoppertunities to play "Name that superhero", with characters appearingfrom both universes, from diffrent time periods. You should however be atleast somewhat familiar with both universes, or this book would probablyleave you a little high and dry, as much of the book is about playing withconcepts and contrasts between the two. But for most comic buffs, It's amust have.

Brilliance, 25 Dec 2007
After reading the first two volumes and now this i have to say that this is an absolutely fantastic read and something that i will never tire of re-reading.The whole package...artwork...storyline....is jaw droppingly good. This has to be the equal of the marvellous Kingdom Come and i cant see these books ever being beaten for sheer unputdownability.This has failed as a review because i just cant express how good JUSTICE V1,2 + 3 are. BUY THEM.

It Just Gets Better, 08 Jul 2007
Having bought this together with Justice v1 I have to say i am without doubt the happiest of bunnies as the storyline and of course the artwork (your man Ross is simply the best) is absolutely fantastic...after seeing v3 in the Amazon lists for pre-order all i can say is..i want it NOW!!!. All i can say to anyone reading this is...buy it and enjoy, then prepare to be hooked as I have been.

Top class, 08 Jul 2007
After reading this i have to agree totally with SSteels revue and say that this is one of the finest pieces of work i have seen in the comic book genre and i look forward to collecting the full set. Alex Ross although only one part of the team just seems to add the word QUALITY to anything he touches and i cant get enough of his work.

The best graphic Novel since Kingdom Come, 09 Jan 2007
This is a great graphic novel and the first one with a good enough plot line to give the great Alex Ross something juicy to use his full range of talents with, since the ground-breaking Kingdom Come.It keeps the high quality artwork of Kingdom Come and has a good story to back it up along with all the great DC characters we know and love such as Superman, Batman,Wonder Woman,the Flash,Aquaman,Green Lantern, Lex Luthor, the Riddler, Braniac and the Joker.The good thing is that all of these characters get a reasonable amount of story to work with and couple this with the fact that the second volume is out this February, then you know there is more to come!
I won't spoil the plot, but i would recommend this to anyone who loves the DC universe, Alex Ross ( a real legend), or loves graphic novels in general.You will not be disappointed!

Roll on volume 2........i can't wait!


SPOILER AHEAD - VOLUME 2 Review Below
I can't attach a review to volume two, so i have had to review volume two here.

This is the second part of the Justice trilogy by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger and Doug Braithwaite. It picks up where the first volume left off.
Aquaman has been experimented on by Braniac with deadly consequences, Superman has been attacked with Kryptonite, the Flash can't stop running!, Green Lantern has been sent to a part of the universe he can't get back from, and the Atom has been shot! Attempts on all the key players of the JLA are under way.
The people manipulating these worrying events are Lex Luthor, Braniac, Grodd to mention a few! Other criminals we see are the Black Manta, Bizarro, Metallo and Parasite.
The plot moves swiftly through this second volume, with as much depth and intensity as the first. We find out more of Luthor's ultimate plan, and we see the JLA trying to overcome the near-death experiences thrust upon them by the criminals.
I won't spoil the bulk of the plot but there are some fantastic set-pieces in here, and so clever twists to really suck you into the plot, and the action! My favourite parts deal with Wonder-Woman and Batman. I can't say why, or i will give up some major plot points, but these two characters really get some good story arcs within this volume.
I read this through in one sitting and was utterly gripped by all of it. This is the best series of graphic novels i have read since Kingdom Come and this is because Alex Ross and co. have really got everything right.
The premise is fantastic, and very relevant to modern life in the world (you will know what i mean when you read the series). The characters are all your favourites - everyone gets a piece of the action, from the major JLA players to some of the minor ones. The pacing is spot on too. Nothing feels padded out, or self-involved, and it doesn't feel like it is forcing the pace either. There are clear plot lines, that don't give you every piece of information you need - you are allowed to have a brain and fill in the pieces yourself; and this is a great feature of this series. You are left to figure out what the hell is going on for yourself, rather than having it force-fed to you!
You also get great introductions from the authors and at the back there are sketches and biographies of the characters in the series. These are better than most published graphic novels!
And finally, the artwork is unbelievably good. Nothing out there in the world of comics and graphic novels touches these. The artwork is up there with my favourite standalone graphic novel of all time : Kingdome Come.
Can you tell that i am totally hooked by this series? It is superb from start to finish and i can hardly wait for the closing chapter to be published.
If you haven't read volume one, you really need to get it and read it before starting on this. You won't be disappointed at all!

Intelligent, exciting and lovingly drawn., 13 Sep 2008
After thoroughly enjoying the wonderful All Star Superman, I decided to do a search on Amazon for anything by the same writer/artist team and was most lucky to find this little gem.

Now, I do like a well written superhero story, but I'm not normally one for the superhero team up. I prefer a story that focuses on just the one individual as this gives the writer the chance to play more with characterisation and give us a more well-rounded figure in the central roll, allowing us a more intimate connection with that individual. I worry that, having a team of superheroes - and the Justice League of America has some big players in its ranks, not least the likes of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman - will mean a much diluted storyline in favour of servicing big, brash fight sequences.

No fear of that here as Grant Morrison has given us a thoughtful, balanced, exciting, intriguing and admirable little drama that plays more upon the nuances of each superhero's character than how hard they can pummel the opposition. The main reason for that here is that the villains - if such they can be called - are the Crime Syndicate of Amerika; mirror opposites of the JLA from an alternative Earth in a dimension where crime always wins through and the world's societies are pretty much balanced and mediated by evil. So when the alternative Lex Luthor - a wonderful play on our own version who is always striving for good but always fails in his endeavours (which in itself is played out with such a sharp little comic irony in the story) - comes to our reality to ask for help, and, naturally, the JLA say yes, the problems they encounter are mainly a creation of their own impulsive do-gooding.

Grant Morrison has constructed a many layered little tale here, and it reminds me of the greatly enjoyable mirror universe stories from Star Trek, though it stands solidly on its own as a nicely unique take on the mirror universe concept and the meeting of the evil version of our heroes (and when they make it through to our side of things, naturally, all hell breaks loose).

Frank Quitely's art is as excellent as always. Stances are believable. Settings are richly detailed. His characters are subtle and true and only spring into extreme-comic mode action when necessary.

I read this in one sitting and it was 96 pages of joyous reading; a real homage to the concept of superheroes in general and intelligent, admirable fun.


Get this book!, 16 Jun 2004
When the Justice League flies out to rescue a crashing airplane, they are shocked to find all of the passengers already dead. Even more strange, when they begin to examine the passengers, they find that they are carrying dollar bills bearing the picture of the first president of America: Benedict Arnold! When they confront Lex Luthor, the Justice League is in for another surprise. He is not the Alexander Luthor they know, but one from a parallel Earth; an Earth where good is evil and evil good. He wants them to come to his reality and help to straighten everything out. Will they do it? Of course...but, there may be unintended consequences and unforeseen players.

This is quite an exciting story. The authors bring the Justice League into a fascinating story, where things are not merely opposite, but forming a consistent reality based on a different outlook. My son and I both loved this book, and think that you will too. Get this book!

Lois Lane as Superwoman?, 25 Mar 2001
Difficult to fault this little gem apart from it simply is not long enough!A brillaint idea: What if the JLA had counterparts that were evil? is given the customary thoughful approach by surely, Neil Gaiman excluded, the finest writer in this genre today. Comments such as those made by Owlman (yes Batman's alter ego)'Well on this world evil always triumphs' are both humourous and call into question the whole notion of reader expectations as Moore always seems to do. Heart on my sleeve I'm afraid I loved this

The best one yet!, 29 Dec 2006
These were originally published as JLA #34 - #41.

The World War III story is the best one of the JLA series so far. Not only does it bring together many of the previous stories, it also yet again brings forth the basic characters of several of the key JLAers.

This is the end of the world saga foretold in several earlier JLA issues. The Injustice League is back as well, recruiting previous nemesis Prometheis (although Batman, whom Prometheis handily whooped last time, has a few tricks in store for him). The injustice league also rescues General Eiling from an asteroid where he was marooned several issues ago. But the return of the Injustice League isn't the main event; the end of the world as foretold by many (Meteron, Hourman, Zauriel to some extent) is coming, in the form of the aptly named Mageddon. This is the threat that Orion and Barda were sent to Earth to fight, although it seems even greater than their powers.

Batman, Superman, Green Lantern and Plastic Man all get to show their character, flaws and all. Again, this is what makes JLA among the best graphic novels: the heroes have character flaws, even Superman, and the JLAers sometimes dig into each other.

The best bit is Batman, the king of despair, helping Superman, the eternal optimist, overcome mental anguish caused by Maggedon.

The worst part of the JLA is all of the changes that happen in the characters own comics. Diana is back as Wonder Woman, replacing her mother with no explanation. Other characters wander in and out (though there is some great interaction with Huntress, Superman and Batman).

Fav panel: pg 176: Zauriel, getting volunteers from the Pax Dei!


The Biggest Baddest coolest Super hero comic of all time., 18 Jun 2001
I know the Watchmen is more intelligent, the Authority more original, and X-men more complicated, but this is the most exciting comic ever written.

Building up to this for 25 odd issues, Morrison just goes mad, for his final story line and makes every story you've ever read, seen or heard seem small and subtle. This redefines epic.

More fun than most summer blockbusters, just buy this and enjoy. It ain't rocket science, but it's fun.

An epic tale and a cast of thousands grasp your attention., 16 Apr 2001
The tale is one of then biggest in DC's history so far. All the right ingredients are here: destruction, amazing odds, action, personal battles and the death of a well loved hearo ( I won't say who). All this adds up to an amazing story that is secured by the art work and pace. The bad guys are good as well: promethius who took down the league single handed, the indestructable general and an all new baddie: Queen bee. Go now and buy this masterpiece

Please, call me Dick., 31 Mar 2008
Something that people have often forgotten since the Watchmen-induced darkness of the 1980s is that comics are, at a core level, meant to be fun, and the Super Buddies are a huge amount of fun.

While if you have been keeping up to speed with the events of the Identity and Infinite Crises respectively, as well as 52, this book may well be quite depressing in hindsight, standing alone by itself it's absolutely hilarious. The team's bickering has never been funnier, and as things steadily spiral further and further out of control, as hell, amnesia and parallel universe bondage Marvel families come into play, the absurdity level is through the roof in the best possible way. What's more, the welcome re-appearance of one Guy Gardner - the MVP of virtually anything he appears in - just sweetens the deal.

An excellent follow-up to the hilarious first volume.

Fantastic!, 08 Aug 2006
This is such an enjoyable and fun read! The plot (which deals with the team being transported to Hell and then to a sleazy but fun parallel dimension!) doen't matter as much as the interplay and good natured bickering between Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Fire, Elongated Man (and his wife Sue!), Power Girl and Guy Gardner. The art by Maguire is just brilliant, catching all the embarrassment, surprises and emotions of the individual characters. Before reading this book I never really felt any empathy for Guy Gardner - but Giffen and DeMatteis (with the help of the afore-mentioned Maguire) opened my eyes to the depth of pain this former Green Lantern has been hiding and how this has led to his macho, bravado facade. It's a fun read with a welcomed dash of pathos and some fantastic character interplay! A great superhero tale!

Ha!, 12 Feb 2006
Funny as hell. The bickering between the buddies makes this a totally enjoyable read. Doesn't take itself too seriously but doesn't patronise either. Loved it.

formerly known as the justice league, 01 May 2005
One of the best and funiest books iv read in a long time highly recommended

A change of pace, 21 Mar 2004
While the current Justice League of America fight increasingly fantastical battles in the JLA series of Graphic Novel collections, here we see a light-hearted look at former members of the JLA. The plot revolves around Maxwell Lord reforming a 'budget price' superhero group called 'Superbuddies'. The group find themselves flung against Roulette's arena and Alien invasions.

It would be easy to desribe this collection as a parody of previous incarnations of the JLA. What the book does, however, is to capture the humour and personal interactions between the main characters first seen in the 'Justice League International' series. Most of this collection is banter, argument and sarcastic interchange between the Superbuddies. The cybernetic life form 'L-Ron' is a hillariously dry sidekick and constantly makes brilliant interjections.

The superheroes collected have all developed and become far more human since they were last in the mainstream JLA. Blue Beetle now has a heart condition and worries constantly about it. Booster Gold has married someone 30 years his senior and is desperate to escape (although technically, as he comes from the future, she is younger than him). Fire has set up her own soft core adult website. And Elongated man is worred that his wife rates his looks 'only 4 out of ten'.

This series comes highly recommended - I hope its is soon followed up!

Crisis on Multiple Universes, 20 Apr 2004
This is, as the title implies, a crossover between DC Comics JLA andMarvel Comics Avengers. The being Korona threathens to destroy both theJLA's world and the Avanger's world if he are not stopped, and the teamsare pitted against each other, both decieved by other mighty beings in agame where the ante is both worlds. It works suprisingly well. I myself isadmittedly more familiar with DC's universe, but the contrastes brought upis interesting. The story borrows much from earlie works such as Crisis onMultiple Worlds, and this is even spoofed later in the book. At somepoints the story is reduced to enormous brawls, but it's still exciting,and the story flows very nice. At several points you also have greatoppertunities to play "Name that superhero", with characters appearingfrom both universes, from diffrent time periods. You should however be atleast somewhat familiar with both universes, or this book would probablyleave you a little high and dry, as much of the book is about playing withconcepts and contrasts between the two. But for most comic buffs, It's amust have.

Brilliance, 25 Dec 2007
After reading the first two volumes and now this i have to say that this is an absolutely fantastic read and something that i will never tire of re-reading.The whole package...artwork...storyline....is jaw droppingly good. This has to be the equal of the marvellous Kingdom Come and i cant see these books ever being beaten for sheer unputdownability.This has failed as a review because i just cant express how good JUSTICE V1,2 + 3 are. BUY THEM.

It Just Gets Better, 08 Jul 2007
Having bought this together with Justice v1 I have to say i am without doubt the happiest of bunnies as the storyline and of course the artwork (your man Ross is simply the best) is absolutely fantastic...after seeing v3 in the Amazon lists for pre-order all i can say is..i want it NOW!!!. All i can say to anyone reading this is...buy it and enjoy, then prepare to be hooked as I have been.

Top class, 08 Jul 2007
After reading this i have to agree totally with SSteels revue and say that this is one of the finest pieces of work i have seen in the comic book genre and i look forward to collecting the full set. Alex Ross although only one part of the team just seems to add the word QUALITY to anything he touches and i cant get enough of his work.

The best graphic Novel since Kingdom Come, 09 Jan 2007
This is a great graphic novel and the first one with a good enough plot line to give the great Alex Ross something juicy to use his full range of talents with, since the ground-breaking Kingdom Come.It keeps the high quality artwork of Kingdom Come and has a good story to back it up along with all the great DC characters we know and love such as Superman, Batman,Wonder Woman,the Flash,Aquaman,Green Lantern, Lex Luthor, the Riddler, Braniac and the Joker.The good thing is that all of these characters get a reasonable amount of story to work with and couple this with the fact that the second volume is out this February, then you know there is more to come!
I won't spoil the plot, but i would recommend this to anyone who loves the DC universe, Alex Ross ( a real legend), or loves graphic novels in general.You will not be disappointed!

Roll on volume 2........i can't wait!


SPOILER AHEAD - VOLUME 2 Review Below
I can't attach a review to volume two, so i have had to review volume two here.

This is the second part of the Justice trilogy by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger and Doug Braithwaite. It picks up where the first volume left off.
Aquaman has been experimented on by Braniac with deadly consequences, Superman has been attacked with Kryptonite, the Flash can't stop running!, Green Lantern has been sent to a part of the universe he can't get back from, and the Atom has been shot! Attempts on all the key players of the JLA are under way.
The people manipulating these worrying events are Lex Luthor, Braniac, Grodd to mention a few! Other criminals we see are the Black Manta, Bizarro, Metallo and Parasite.
The plot moves swiftly through this second volume, with as much depth and intensity as the first. We find out more of Luthor's ultimate plan, and we see the JLA trying to overcome the near-death experiences thrust upon them by the criminals.
I won't spoil the bulk of the plot but there are some fantastic set-pieces in here, and so clever twists to really suck you into the plot, and the action! My favourite parts deal with Wonder-Woman and Batman. I can't say why, or i will give up some major plot points, but these two characters really get some good story arcs within this volume.
I read this through in one sitting and was utterly gripped by all of it. This is the best series of graphic novels i have read since Kingdom Come and this is because Alex Ross and co. have really got everything right.
The premise is fantastic, and very relevant to modern life in the world (you will know what i mean when you read the series). The characters are all your favourites - everyone gets a piece of the action, from the major JLA players to some of the minor ones. The pacing is spot on too. Nothing feels padded out, or self-involved, and it doesn't feel like it is forcing the pace either. There are clear plot lines, that don't give you every piece of information you need - you are allowed to have a brain and fill in the pieces yourself; and this is a great feature of this series. You are left to figure out what the hell is going on for yourself, rather than having it force-fed to you!
You also get great introductions from the authors and at the back there are sketches and biographies of the characters in the series. These are better than most published graphic novels!
And finally, the artwork is unbelievably good. Nothing out there in the world of comics and graphic novels touches these. The artwork is up there with my favourite standalone graphic novel of all time : Kingdome Come.
Can you tell that i am totally hooked by this series? It is superb from start to finish and i can hardly wait for the closing chapter to be published.
If you haven't read volume one, you really need to get it and read it before starting on this. You won't be disappointed at all!

Super Man!!!, 27 Nov 2006
This is a fantastic comic, real old stuff. The Justice League Of America with such comic book icons as Captain Big, Mr Heroic and electronic mastermind Mr Knob; the greatest of all superhero teams. I have dificulty with reading, but the pictures are good.

Justice League - the early years, 07 Jul 2006
Following on from the success of Marvel's Essential series, we now have DC's Showcase series. It was quite refreshing to read those classic Justice League of America stories from the 1960s and I can remember visiting the local newsagent on a Thursday afternoon to grab my lastest Marvels and DCs. All the stories are contained with one issues and so they don't really need to be read in any strict order, unlike in the latter years where stories spanned not just many issues but other titles. The stories are also very simple, with uncomplicated plots and no real character building. But, essentially, these 1960s comics were aimed at youngsters looking for superhero action, and the Showcase presentations fail in no way to show this. At such a very cheap price on Amazon, I strongly recommend the Justice League if only to introduce characters like Batman, Superman and Green Lantern. A real bargain!

Silver Age Justice, 19 Jan 2006
This volume collects the first 20 comics to feature the Justice League of America, comprising three 'Brave and Bold' issues, Justice League #1-16, and Mystery In Space #75. Th