Justice League of America

The second Brightest Day tie-in is upon us as JLA 44 hits the shelves. Besides that, it also could be considered a tie-in to Justice Society of America. But are these newest Brightest Day tie-ins worthwhile? Or like many tie-ins to big stories, are they completely worthless?
 

The Good

JLA can be a hit or a miss for me depending on who is on the team. The new team may not be so exciting for me, but the cameos really drew me in. I'm a huge JSA fan, and the JSA guest starring roles, and the villain they fight really drew me in. I feel like I could easily read anything James Robinson writes and have fun doing so in the process. He does a great job describing the newer characters and how their powers work without the conversations distracting the reader from the main storyline. I was surprised that I really liked the Congo Bill character. Same goes for Starman (The non-legion one). The JSA crossed over into this book and it felt natural, and the tie-in to Brightest Day did not feel forced, like what happens with many other cross-over books. Mark Bagley had quite a few splash pages in this issue, and I loved them all. This issue officially made me a fan of his work.
 

The Bad

I hate to say it, but I didn't see too much bad within this book.   I didn’t like how Jay Garrick looked on the regular cover of the book, but that’s about it.
 

The Verdict

I haven't read JLA since about issue 20, but this story made me want more. Almost everything worked for me in this book. No, it didn’t get a perfect score, mainly because I didn’t like the cover. But if you’re a DC fan, this is a must buy especially if you’re excited about Brightest Day. This is a tie-in that you’ll want to read because it doesn’t really feel like a tie-in. Hopefully, the rest of this story feels that way also.

4.5/5

Brightest Day invades Justice League of America
 
What You Need To Know.
This Justice League is basically the next generation of Heroes.  It has Dick Grayson/Batman, Donna Troy, Starman, and Congorilla so far. 
 
The Good
James Robinson does good with what he's got.  Regardless of your thoughts of him, he usually has a strong script.  
It shows the struggles of working together in a team.
It also shows what can happen when they succeed.  
Mark Bagley is as consistent with his characters as ever.  
 
The Bad
If anyone has seen Mark Bagley's art from his time in Ultimate Spider-Man, one character that is shown looks remarkably like Norman Osborn.  
The Team.  This is supposed to be DC's best, and while I'm all for the new heroes, there needs to be a veteran present.  I'd take Zatana, Black Canary, or even Guy Gardner.
 
The Kitchen
I'm all for the team training, but reading this made me immediately thought of the X-Men's Danger Room.
 
Overall
It's a good issue, but it's nothing to rave about.  It's going to crossover with JSA if you're just getting into this series then you need to follow some parts of it in the other book.  It's new reader friendly because it's a new team and you learn about the team as they learn about each other.  
 
3.5/5

Yet again, another Brightest Day tie-in. So in this issue of JLA, newly added members Starman and Bill. They are training with Dick and Donna. They get to know eachother a little better, which is always a good thing. As their training session is interrupted by a giant green light, the 4 members go to check it out. It turns out that it was a stone that hit earth. Etrigan the demon wants it for some reason. He ends up fighting the league over it and loses. Etrigan then goes away and apologizes. The JSA are struggling to keep Alan alive. Felix Faust shows up and delivers terrifying news of the end of the world. As the league talks this over they decide to investigate the rock. Low and behold inside of it was Jade! The story I thought was very good. I like how they progress as a team and the ending was great. Now on to the details. The cover was poor. I didn't like how they drew the characters. They look distorted. The penciling in this issue was excellent. I loved how detailed it was. The coloring was good. I thought that it was a little too dark, but it wasn't that big of a problem. The art overall was very good. I was impressed with Mark Bagley and Ulises Arreola. The cross over between the JLA and the JSA was very good. My favorite pages were 20,21,30. The combat was very good with Etrigan and the simulation room. The only big problem was the cover and minor art details, but other than that this issue redeemed itself for me. I am glad to give this issue a 3.5 out of 5.

This version of the Justice League with this cast on the team has not been really that great so far.  But than again we haven't really seen much out of them, so there is potential here.  Robinson doesn't do too bad here as a writer and I tend to like Bagley's art.  So, the best way for me to sum this up is that this is a series to watch out for.  WIth the addition of a certain green character that has been gone for awhile, this series might actually be really fun to read.

   
  Post Blackest Night issues, I had found first couple of issue of this New JLA interesting.  I liked the team that had been put together.  However, last issue saw that team pared down to 4.  Batman (Dick Grayson), Donna Troy, Congorilla, and Starman (Mik).  I kind of lost my good feeling for this new team and Robinson's direction.  Tack onto that my general meh feeling for the art.  This book was making to my on the bubble list.  I have committed to getting the book thru the crossover with the JSA so here I am with issue #44. 
 
The book opens with a training exercise with our team of four interacting and fighting randomly selected villains.  I really enjoyed the conversation used to explain the powers of the Bill and Mik.  Very new reader friendly.  Good move because of the Brightest Day banner on the top might just bring in some new readers.  This training is interrupted by a green meteor that cracks a hole in the Watchtower.  Donna is rescued by Mik and we see an untapped power of his.  The ability to fly/survive in space.  The team gets it together and follows the green meteor to earth.  Germany to be specific.  It was good to see the German Elite Guard.  And then they run into The Demon Etrigan.  Yeah my favorite Demon...if you can have a favorite demon.  In short the team comes together well and takes down Etrigan.  At this point we see Donna's lasso, blue in color, used as tool of persuasion.  Prepping us for the JSA crossover we cut to a rather sick and dyeing Green Lantern.  Sebastian Faust shows up with portents of the end of the world.  As it comes out Jade was on the inside of that green meteor.  Not a shocker after reading Robinson's slip up but still a welcome thing.  I like Jade and look forward to her being the "Green Lantern" analogue on the team.  The team of four is a good base.  With many reveals on the Internet and in previews, we know that not only is Jade joining the team but we have Supergirl and Jenny Quick joining in the near future.   
 
The writing was good and I like the turn this issues story took.  I am please to say that I really enjoyed this issue.  Its not a complete team yet.  It's not the big 7 but does it really need to be.  The premier DC team should be made up of the most powerful of its heroes.  Are Batman (yes), Donna Troy (Wonder Woman), Jade (Green Lantern), Jesse Quick (Flash), Supergirl (Superman), Congorilla, and Starman good enough?  I think they have the power needed but not the cache of the "big 7".  I'm back on board with Robinson's version of the League.    
 
The art side has really improved and is now a strong part of the story telling.  Norm Rapmund's strength as an inker shines through without over shadowing Bagley's pencils.   I feel that Hunter has also stepped up his ink work.  The only complaint with the art is the cover.  I don't think that it would bring people in.  Let's get a strong cover artist on this book. 

Issue #44 of Justice League of America is my pick of the week for favorite comic book from my short stack of April 21st! Why? It's really simple, James Robinson understands Dick Grayson and Donna Troy. Robinson has both heroes acting like a team with new JLA members Starman and Congorilla and nails their personalities as they continue to evolve into a working unit. I'm a little disappointed that we don't see other members like Red Tornado, Cyborg, or Dr. Light operating with this foursome, but I expect that we'll see the full League in an upcoming adventure based on what was revealed here. One exciting point of interest that's shown is that Donna's silver lasso has a power all of its own, different than her older sister, Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth. Donna's lasso glows blue and posses the power of persuasion. 
 

-- anyone whose will is less than mine has to do what I tell them. And my will is iron! Donna Troy, Justice League of America #44
 

I love this and I'm glad to see some focus and additional attention based on my favorite Titan and current Leaguer. It was great to see the confidence of the League when they realized that they conquered a malevolent foe like Etrigan, the Demon. I only expect greater things from this lineup of the Justice League!
 
~ Hype 
 

The Demon makes a guest appearance and makes the statement that I felt in my heart as I read through the book. In reference to the new line-up of JLAers, Etrigan, (The Demon) says, "The 'League' you say? I see but zeroes. Rabble more like substitute heroes." The new line-up includes the following:
CONGORILLA
DONNA TROY
BATMAN (Dick Grayson)
STARMAN (This was my first run in with this character)
MON-EL
 DR. LIGHT II
GREEN ARROW OLIVER QUEEN
THE ATOM RAY PALMER
CYBORG
THE GUARDIAN
GREEN LANTERN HAL JORDAN
The line-up is a far cry from the glory days of Martian Manhunter, Bruce Wayne, and Superman, but the line-up alone is enough to intrigue me. I don't have much familiarity with a majority of the characters, but this book was a good intro to them. Starman was broken down, so that a new reader could get familiar with his powers and connections with some of the other cast members was weeded out. However, I don't think the current line-up would keep me interested past the Blackest Night/Brightest Day crossover issues.
I did not like the paneling on the pages as it jumped between vertical and horizontal storytelling, which at times made it difficult to connect with. I am starting to enjoy Bagley's art a bit more as it cleans itself up and becomes less sketchy, but we will see if it continues to clean itself up. The colours, art and cover were fantastic pieces and make it worth a glance. The one thing I have enjoyed with the Brightest Day crossovers is the use of bright, vivid colours that I can only assume has been done on purpose to show that the DC Universe is moving to a time of hope after Blackest Night.
The scenes with Etrigan make the issue for me. I love the rhythmic verse he speaks through as it gives a very dramatic contrast to the speech patterns of the other characters. As well with the return of Jade on the last page gives the book the direct link to the Brightest Day event that I was waiting for. If the storytelling stayed in a widescreen, horizontal format than this would have been my favorite release this week, but the deterring to single panels wasn't appealing.

Story:Etrigan the Demon is after some green meteor and the JLA are going to stop him.
The Good:The new JLA team is finally working together and are going against a powerfull guy but they can stop him.Stopping Etrigan and that is a big one.The team is working as most times.Batman is giving orders,the heavyhitters fight the guy and the guy that can shoot something shoots.
Jade is back and that means one thing that she will get in the Justice League or in the Justice Society.I would like to see her in one of the two biggest teams in the DCU.
Mark Bagley proved that he is the guy that can illustrate everything.
The Bad:I don't have big problems but maybe the only one is that with the appearence of Jade this will be "the end of the world".
Overall:James Robinson finally did something cool with the JLA and we will see next issue.
4.5/5