Formerly Known As The Justice League

March 22, 2004 | Trades

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Formerly Known As The Justice League
Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Kevin Maguire, Joe Rubenstein
DC Comics
$19.95/$12.95 US (Paperback)
***** (out of five)

In 1987, DC Comics let a bunch of nuts play with the company’s greatest band of super-heroes, The Justice League, and the results were hilarious.
They took the concept of comic book team titles and turned them on their ear with a look at the JL as a club, made up of individuals who all had their own quirks and foibles. Batman was too serious. Green Lantern was an obnoxious lout. The Martian Manhunter was addicted to Oreo cookies. It was a riot.
The writing team of Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis had a great five-year run making light of the adventures of the world’s greatest heroes.
But then they left. That was 1992. And no mainstream title has dared to go down the silly path since.
But thankfully DC has gotten the writers, along with original JL artistic team of Kevin Maguire and Joe Rubenstein, and many members of the 1987 cast of characters, back together for Formerly Known As The Justice League.
The story, which sees the group reunite to form a strip-mall super-hero business, is another goofy romp through the DC universe with wisecracking heroes, sardonic robots and some surprise guests.
This title is the answer to the prayers of those looking to get away from the grim, gritty — and (let’s face it) depressing —place that many comic titles have gone over the past few years.
And the good news is the sequel, I Can’t Believe It’s Not The Justice League, is arriving at your local comic book shop this summer.

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