Justice League Generation Lost 1-5, A Cautionary Tale

Two things about this comic were immediately apparent.

First, although a necessary set up for the plot, it was painful to read almost the entire DCU blow off the JLI as crazy.

And second, these artists really like to do Jaime Reyes crotch shots, Nightwing-style. This was made more blatant by the fact I was reading it on an iPod one panel at a time. Fight scene, fight scene BLUE BEETLE ATTACK CROTCH!

And again! This series is going to last 26 issues, I think I will be keeping a file. I suspect it shall be large.

Let this be a lesson to us all. Things that don't seem so, well, large, jump right out at you when read one panel at a time and magnified to bring out the lettering.

But what about the comic itself? Well, I'm glad I waited for the first five issues to come out, because if I had had to wait a month before I got to Issue 3, I probably would have dropped this series. I understand that the pacing on a 26 issue maxi-series is different than that of a mini, and that they needed to set things up, but seriously, ow. Two issues of unrelieved "Everyone thinks we're dangerously crazy! Our former friend is more evil than Lex Luthor and beat Booster with a pipe! Did I mention everyone thinks we're delusional?" no matter how well written is not so much so much painful as downright unreadable. It takes until Issue 3 before there's anything that can't basically be summed up by "Woe Is Meeeee".

Which is a bit of a kick in the pants from a series marked "Brightest Day" about the funniest lineup the Justice League ever had.

But is it worth holding out for? Tentatively, I say yes. Things pick up when they actually get back around to saving people, in this case, the family of Jaime Reyes, the current Blue Beetle. Not only do we actually finally get a straight up goddamn fight scene that isn't really "You're SO fired!" or "I loved you! You betrayed me! Or I betrayed you! Something like that", but actually invading OMACs. (Brainwashed superpowered baddie drones made out of innocent civilians if you were avoiding the DCU at that point.)

Things actually start to speed up at that point. We introduce a somewhat-outsider character to the old 80's JLI gang to spice things up a little and there's actually some interesting character interaction beyond "OUR LIVES STINK!" By the time we hit Issue 5, we've learned some of their no-longer-dead dastardly former friend Max Lord's scheme, and the fact that he's not as in control of the situation as he thinks. (Frankly, I'm willing to wager that there's a Villain #2 hiding behind the curtain, ready to be revealed in time.) There's also some interesting character exploration and a smattering of plot.

By the standards of a monthly, the pacing is deadly slow, but as a bi-weekly, it seems to be getting better. Here's hoping Giffen and Winick don't run out of plot halfway through like the writers on the 52-week Trinity series did.

It's great to see the JLI characters back together and given an actual plot that the writers are taking seriously, instead of a simple excuse to string gags together. Otherwise Known As The Justice League, I am looking at you. And the plot does seem promising - We're the only ones who remember the evil mind control telepath exists!- if they can keep it going for the extended length of this series. Max's rather abusive relationship explanation of why he didn't mindwipe them (They're his friends! The world needs them back together! So what if he had to beat Booster with a blunt instrument to get there?) is an effective bit of psychological horror.

Giffen obviously hasn't forgotten how to write the team he helped create, and Winick's work blends seamlessly with his. All the characters are written really well, and Jaime Reyes shines in a comic where he actually gets to be competent again (I miss his monthly) instead of being tethered to ye olde teen angst plots. On the other hand, the humor - even dark gallows humor - has been thin and far between, which is really a waste of potential for both the characters and writers.

For now, I'll keep reading. But probably not on my iPod.

Comments

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