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Review: Justice League - That Was Now, This Is Then TPB
Justice League: That Was Now, This Is Then TPB
Written by Roger Stern
Pencils by John Byrne
Inks by Mark Farmer
Published by DC Comics. $14.99 USD
Look, in a few weeks I'll be 40. What does that have to do with a Justice League Classified stand-alone story from a couple comics veterans, neither of whom are currently working on a regular series? Well, the older I get, the more I appreciate creative people who persevere. It could be a Neil Young, Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits. Maybe a John Malkovitch or Woody Allen. Maybe their best work is behind them. Maybe they have another masterpiece or small, glittering gem in them. Maybe they just have craft and professionalism left to offer. And, you know, viewing work through the gauzy filter of nostalgia can be really deadly for a critic. But by the same token, we're only the sum of our influences--what we grew up liking and not liking. I like John Byrne's work a lot, and always have. Not that there isn't stuff I haven't liked, just that I think he's a terrific artist and frequently good writer. And I've always hewn more toward the European type of criticism, that celebrates an artist's body of work and gives each step of the journey respect, even if it's a misstep.
That sounds like a set-up for a negative review, but this is not a bad book. The story bounces back and forth between a young Justice League, with the Barry Allen Flash and Hal Jordan Green Lantern, and Superman and Batman not yet fulltime members, and the more current crew (basically the same members as the Justice League cartoon from a few years back). After a clunky opening with the modern League (does anyone think The Flash would ever make a joke about his speed being "like a flash"?), a mysterious alien attacks them, putting Martian Manhunter into a coma, injuring John Stewart and sending Wally West hurtling back through time. The story then starts to ping-pong eras, as the first League fights a would-be alien conqueror named Titus, an ugly Goliath who looks a bit like Kalibak from Kirby's Fourth World.
Stern creates a sturdy plot, made a little more interesting with the nonlinear storytelling, as the modern League start to figure out that they're fighting a changed Titus again, and trying to figure out how to defeat him. He never gets inside the characters to surprise us, but the goal here seems to be just to get them right, and in that he's successful. Plus, he's careful to give every hero something important to do or some way to shine, including the Atom, who perhaps gets the most action here, maybe because Stern used to write the character's solo series. Sure, Green Arrow never gets to fire an arrow (unless you count firing missiles from a jet, which I don't), but you can't have everything. While the story doesn't reach too far above charming and competent, it does have some qualities to it that are positively radical compared to most of the superhero comics published these days. This one is tightly plotted, not particularly graphic or verbose, and the heroes all get along and don't have any bloodlust.
Byrne's art is a bit restrained, possibly due to the quick pacing of the story. There doesn't seem to be many opportunities for him to show off something really gorgeous, even in service of the story. His Superman looks quite different from when he used to draw him, but hey, that was 20 years ago, and artists keep growing. By and large, the characters all looked good, if a little less consistent from panel to panel as most Byrne work. Not sure how much of that has to do with Farmer's inks. I don't recalll Farmer having much experience inking Byrne, but Byrne's pencils are usually so detailed and complete that interpretation should be minimal. All I know is there were a couple times the faces looked quite ugly, but most of the art was good if not top tier Byrne work. I didn't care for the covers in this case, not because most weren't good but because the artist who did them had a style so different from Byrne's it ended up being distracting.
Overall, an enjoyable, old school superhero team comic from a pair who still know how to do them. Soundly constructed and safe for all ages.
Written by Roger Stern
Pencils by John Byrne
Inks by Mark Farmer
Published by DC Comics. $14.99 USD
Look, in a few weeks I'll be 40. What does that have to do with a Justice League Classified stand-alone story from a couple comics veterans, neither of whom are currently working on a regular series? Well, the older I get, the more I appreciate creative people who persevere. It could be a Neil Young, Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits. Maybe a John Malkovitch or Woody Allen. Maybe their best work is behind them. Maybe they have another masterpiece or small, glittering gem in them. Maybe they just have craft and professionalism left to offer. And, you know, viewing work through the gauzy filter of nostalgia can be really deadly for a critic. But by the same token, we're only the sum of our influences--what we grew up liking and not liking. I like John Byrne's work a lot, and always have. Not that there isn't stuff I haven't liked, just that I think he's a terrific artist and frequently good writer. And I've always hewn more toward the European type of criticism, that celebrates an artist's body of work and gives each step of the journey respect, even if it's a misstep.
That sounds like a set-up for a negative review, but this is not a bad book. The story bounces back and forth between a young Justice League, with the Barry Allen Flash and Hal Jordan Green Lantern, and Superman and Batman not yet fulltime members, and the more current crew (basically the same members as the Justice League cartoon from a few years back). After a clunky opening with the modern League (does anyone think The Flash would ever make a joke about his speed being "like a flash"?), a mysterious alien attacks them, putting Martian Manhunter into a coma, injuring John Stewart and sending Wally West hurtling back through time. The story then starts to ping-pong eras, as the first League fights a would-be alien conqueror named Titus, an ugly Goliath who looks a bit like Kalibak from Kirby's Fourth World.
Stern creates a sturdy plot, made a little more interesting with the nonlinear storytelling, as the modern League start to figure out that they're fighting a changed Titus again, and trying to figure out how to defeat him. He never gets inside the characters to surprise us, but the goal here seems to be just to get them right, and in that he's successful. Plus, he's careful to give every hero something important to do or some way to shine, including the Atom, who perhaps gets the most action here, maybe because Stern used to write the character's solo series. Sure, Green Arrow never gets to fire an arrow (unless you count firing missiles from a jet, which I don't), but you can't have everything. While the story doesn't reach too far above charming and competent, it does have some qualities to it that are positively radical compared to most of the superhero comics published these days. This one is tightly plotted, not particularly graphic or verbose, and the heroes all get along and don't have any bloodlust.
Byrne's art is a bit restrained, possibly due to the quick pacing of the story. There doesn't seem to be many opportunities for him to show off something really gorgeous, even in service of the story. His Superman looks quite different from when he used to draw him, but hey, that was 20 years ago, and artists keep growing. By and large, the characters all looked good, if a little less consistent from panel to panel as most Byrne work. Not sure how much of that has to do with Farmer's inks. I don't recalll Farmer having much experience inking Byrne, but Byrne's pencils are usually so detailed and complete that interpretation should be minimal. All I know is there were a couple times the faces looked quite ugly, but most of the art was good if not top tier Byrne work. I didn't care for the covers in this case, not because most weren't good but because the artist who did them had a style so different from Byrne's it ended up being distracting.
Overall, an enjoyable, old school superhero team comic from a pair who still know how to do them. Soundly constructed and safe for all ages.
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