 |
| [ FINAL SALE ] |
So what’s the STORY
morning glory?
Without a shadow of a doubt, this last issue of Justice League
International -- entitled 'Final Honours' -- reminds me never to get buried in
an unprotected military Russian cemetery. Well, you just never know whose going
to damage your headstone, do you?
- You see, all the JLI wanted to do, was to pay their last respects to one of their fallen comrades, Rocket Red.
- But could they do that without incident? Like Stalin they could!
- For a start, Malik, the twin-brother of the dead Lightweaver, attacks them unawares.
- Plus to add insult to injury, Batman is lurking in the shadows, ready to pass final judgment on all in sundry.
Could be worse though; it could be the last in the series?
D'Oh! To be continued in the annual.
By in large I really did enjoy reading the section where the JLI talked down Malik.
But the clincher for me was when they said to him...
GENERAL: Where here to honour one of our fallen. Do you care
to know how he died?
GUY: I'll be glad to clue him in. Your brother was the one
responsible. Happened in the bombing at the United Nations Building. If not for
them -- for your brother -- Gavril Ivanovich would still be alive today.
Ohh! Powerful stuff, huh? Much better than a punch in a
face.
What was the BEST
thing about this issue?
I was happy that this 'last issue' didn't feel like the last
instalment of this group. Personally speaking, I have enjoyed witnessing the
team's dynamics grow by the page, and am glad that it hasn't been cast aside
for the sake of closure.
What was the WORST
thing about this issue?
It was slightly irritating to hear Booster say that 'This
was the end of this team', without adding any substance to his statement. It
felt formulaic somehow -- disposable even.
What was the most
CREATIVE thing about this issue?
STORY: I know that this isn't the most innovative thing I've
seen in a story, but I've always enjoyed watching a fight in a cemetery. Maybe
this has something to do with the solemn-ness of this location, compared to the
brashness of the action. Perhaps?
Also, as I stated previously, the Malik 'talk-down' was
something I thought was both positive and clear in the execution. Good one,
Dan.
ART: This is the best Aaron Lopresti artwork I have seen on
this book yet. Less saturated. More intimate. And only dynamic when it needed to
be.
Good on you Aaron. Shame you saved the best till last.
If you had to CAST
TWO CHARACTERS in this comic book, who would they be and why?
OMAC: Now if this this robotic man mountain was a 'Disney' character, I would have to say that he does share a similar
temperament to the dog with the hat, Goofy...
BATWING: ... where as everyone's favourite fourth Dark Knight,
Batwing, has to be... errr... well... hmmm. Oh! I'm not too sure really. Not
Mickey Mouse. And Pluto is a positively out of the running. What about Darkwing
Duck? As they both have wings!!!
If this issue had a
MOVIE TAG LINE, what would it be?
Is This The 'Last Hurrah' For The JLI? Or is it the 'First Bar
Mitzvah' For Booster Gold? Hint-Hint!
If this issue were a MOVIE,
an OBJECT, or a piece of MUSIC, what would that be and why?
The tone to this parable was earnest, poignant, and slightly
dynamic in nature. Just like the Sting song 'Every
Breath You Take
'.
'.
Relevant in more ways than one, right?
FINAL thoughts...
What a shame. I had such high hopes for this series when it first came out. The
characters had history. The pretext had merit. Plus it had the fans backing as
well.
However, the creative team did have a hard time finding their own
footing, and the tone of the book was too 'child-like' compared to some of the other
incarnations of this team.
Still, you know the old saying, don't you? "Its not
goodbye, it's until we meet again" -- because I'm sure we will see the
gang back in the funny pages in the not so far distant future.
Now it I may, I would like to leave you with a quote made by
Albert Einstein "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
The important thing is not to stop questioning".
Very apt, huh?
MARKS out of 10? 9