Justice League Adventures: Year One. How did we do?

[Dan Slott]

Justice League Adventures #12 has now been out for almost 2 weeks... And you know what that means? We made it through a whole YEAR! Huzzah! And what a year that's been! You've read tales scribed by industry legends like Ty Templeton (Bigg Time, Gotham Adventures, and Justice League), Fabian Nicieza (X-Men, New Warriors, and Thunderbolts), and Mike W. Barr (Camelot 3000, Detective Comics, and Batman: Full Circle)! You've seen covers by animated giants like Bruce Timm, Darwyn Cooke, and Butch Lukic! And you've witnessed gorgeous interiors by "Adventures" styled specialists like Min S. Ku, John Delaney, and Joe Staton!

All of which begs the question: How did we do?

To jog your memory, here's a run-down of what you've seen so far...

#1
"Disarmed"
Written by Ty Templeton; art by Min S. Ku and Dan Davis; cover by Bruce Timm and Alex Ross
When a meteor lands in an American suburb, the League is called on to investigate. Soon they are drawn into an intergalactic conflict, but it seems as if the real threat may be one of their own…Green Lantern!

#2
"More Human Than Human"
Written by Paul Storrie; art by Craig Rousseau and Wayne Faucher; cover by John Delaney
The Justice League must find a way to defeat a strange magical cult that is targeting the treasures of museums around the world. To succeed, the League needs the Martian Manhunter, but is he too torn by his feelings of alienation from his new teammates to help?

#3
"The Star Lost"
Written by Fabian Nicieza; art and cover by John Delaney and Randy Elliot
The Justice League saves four space travelers from an unknown planet named…Daxam! Are these weary refugees exiled freedom fighters or escaped convicts? And what happens when they discover the gift of...a yellow sun? Has the League found brand new friends, or brand new foes?

#4
"World War of the Sexes"
Written by Dan Slott; art by Min S. Ku and Dan Davis; cover by Ku
The Justice League must find out why Wonder Woman's Amazon sisters have turned against the world… starting with all the men! Can the League stop the female warriors before they conquer the planet?

#5
"The Star-Conqueror"
Written by Todd Seavey; art by Chris Jones and Al Nickerson; cover by John Delaney and Rob Leigh
It's "Starro Wars" when a giant starfish-shaped conqueror from space uses mind-control to defeat the newly formed League. The World's Greatest Super-Heroes are left helpless and must turn to a mysterious old member of the Green Lantern Corps for help. But what help is there against a single enemy that can break off into thousands?

#6
"Wolf's Clothing"
Written by Dan Slott; art by Min S. Ku and Dan Davis; cover by Ku
If you have ever wanted to own the World's Greatest Super-Heroes, now's your chance! Chronos, the Time Thief, has captured the members of the Justice League and is auctioning them off to the highest villainous bidder! Can the Justice League find a way out before they're going, going, gone?

#7
"Flash Fax"
Written by Len Kaminsky; art by Joe Staton and Rick Burchett; cover by Darwyn Cooke
Meet the Fastest Fax Alive as the League's speediest member tries to save time by traveling through the telephone lines — and accidentally dials a fax machine by mistake! But being flat as a pancake isn't all it's cracked up to be, and when the fun of slipping under doorways wears off, the Flash thinks his career is over...until the Earth is invaded by amazingly thin creatures from the Second Dimension!

#8
"New Moon!"
Written by Mike W. Barr; art and cover by Min S. Ku and Rob Leigh
When the League learns that there’s a giant creature using the moon as a giant monster incubator, they do everything in their power to keep things stable. But as the gargantuan beast starts to hatch, the very Earth itself is threatened with certain doom! And when a stormy old foe uses the opportunity to create chaos, the Justice League finds themselves buffeted by the howling winds of fate!

#9
"Stepping Out"
Written by Matt Howarth; art by David Lopez; cover by Butch Lukic
A troubling tale of a super-hero’s dilemma: balancing a love life with his duties to the JLA. When evil strikes, it’s never convenient — and the Flash somehow must help the Justice League save the world without raising the ire of his beautiful date.

#10
"Must There Be A Martian Manhunter?"
Written by Josh Siegal; art by Chris Jones and Christian Alamy; cover by Butch Lukic
Superman is taken down in battle and the Martian Manhunter must replace him as a hero to millions. But does the shy, reserved alien have what it takes to inspire all of humanity?

#11
"The Moment"
Written by Dan Slott; art by Min S. Ku and Dan Davis; cover by John Delaney and Rick Burchett
Returning from an adventure in the far future, the Flash and special guest-star, the Atom, discover that the villainous Chronos is tampering with history. But when the two heroes notice that Chronos is trying to undo a terrible tragedy, will they stop him or help him? It’s a special issue about living with the past and living for the future.

#12
"Cold War"
Written by Chris Sequeira; art by Min S. Ku and Mark Propst; cover by John Delaney and Paul Neary
You’ll want to grab a sweater and light a fire as Mr. Freeze, Captain Cold, Killer Frost and a chilling cabal of icy super-villains attempt a hostile takeover of a small African nation. Can the League stop them in time or will they be the first victims of the “Cold War?”

[Bird Boy]

This is the first series of any comic that I've started at #1 and read every issue since (I was going to do that w/ the new Catwoman series, but I couldn't find #4, so I quickly gave up [yup, I'm a REAL trooper :p]), and I gotta say, I've enjoyed just about every issue that's out so far.

My only gripes are #5 and #7, with #2, #6, #10, and #11 really stepping out and saying "read us, we rock"--and I've just about read those above mentioned issues (not 5 & 7, the others) more than the rest of the series.

It's well worth the $2.25 I have to put down each month to get some of these cool stories. I'm lookin' forward to another year of this comic series and the next season of JL.

-BB

[Condiment King]

#6 "Wolf's Clothing" Written by Dan Slott; art by Min S. Ku and Dan Davis; cover by Ku. If you have ever wanted to own the World's Greatest Super-Heroes, now's your chance! Chronos, the Time Thief, has captured the members of the Justice League and is auctioning them off to the highest villainous bidder! Can the Justice League find a way out before they're going, going, gone?

I'm sorry, but this is the best one. It will be hard to be topped, good luck to you, and I'm not just sucking up either. :D

JL Adventures proved to be a pretty cool comic book throughout its first year. It provided fun stories as well as stand-alone ones and the BEST part about the series is: we get to see heroes/villians that we probably WON'T see on the show! Awesome!

[Brainiac]

Well, I've read every issue (except #11--which is the one I've been looking forward to most, Mr. Freeze being one of my favorite villains...!) Overall, the series has been great! I especially enjoyed the "Must there be a Martian Manhunter?" issue, and most of the others. This book was here for the long summer of no JL. While I waited anxiously for "Injustice for All" and the rest of Season 1 to air, this easily quenched my JL thirst (a little melodramatic, I know...). There were only a couple (IMHO) weak issues, being # 7 and #9. Ironically, they both dealt with the Flash, who's a great character....The "Flash Fax" issue was just a bit too corny for me, and the one with him on the date also seemed a bit boring as I read it...I like the fact that there are so many characters being used that otherwise might not make it to the show! I eagerly await the coming issues (especially the Aquaman storyline). Keep up the good work!

-Brainiac

[Trent Lane]

A good run for the first year, and a great format. Standout issues would be #2, #10, and #11- what can I say, these all almost end the same, I'm a sucker for the emotionally charged endings. Issues 7 and 9 are the only ones that bug me a bit. The art has been awesome. Craig, John, Min, and Chris Jones gave this book a spectacular look. Keep it up!!!

[goatboy57]

The last series I started with #1 and read for any length of time was John Byrne's revamp of Superman, so it's been awhile. I've really enjoyed many of the issues of Justice League Adventures. While the art has been consistent, the writing has not. There are many standout issues (previously mentioned) and a few clunkers (the "Flash Fax" deal). I hope the title evolves into a companion piece to the series instead of just another comic series based on another cartoon. It's great the comic has shown us Wally out of uniform and has given us a peek into some things the animated series won't (and can't sometimes) show us. Keep giving us great issues like the time travel issue (sorry I don't have it in front of me) and we'll keep reading. And thanks for actually taking the time to ask your readers opinions!

[BlackTerror]

While I haven't got around to reading the last couple books, my opinion of the series is kind of mixed. Each issue seems to be pretty much hit n'miss--you never really know what you're going to get. Some of the stories have been fun like I'd expect from the title (Star-Conqueror, Wolf's Clothing, Stepping Out, Star Lost) and others shockingly bad (Flash Fax, New Moon!, Disarmed. No offense intended to the writers personally of course. I'm something of a fan of Barr's old Outsiders in fact, even if his JLAdv didn't do it for me).

Although I do like the overall 'light' tone to the book, I'm hoping future writers will steer away from the overly corny and nonsensical plots that have brought down a few of the past issues IMO. I'd also like to see some multiple issue arcs down the road as well as more character driven stories that can flesh out the individual members in ways the toon hasn't been able to so far.

[Joker85]

I regretfully stopped buying this title after issue nine. There were some really good issues in there like #s 2,3, 5, and 6. But the rest were just ok, if not plain bad. #7 was bad. # 9 was just OK. I don't know, I think the biggest problem with this series is that it has no solid creative team. They've been going for a year now. I think it's time to settle down and choose 1 team. Not a different group every issue. Maybe one day I'll start picking it up again, just have to wait and see.

[Condiment King]

I'd also like to see some multiple issue arcs down the road as well as more character driven stories that can flesh out the individual members in ways the toon hasn't been able to so far.

I agree. The only reason that JL Adventures isn't as good as the show is because it seems to be more "teamwork" and let's get all 7 of us to band together to stop a threat", every time. Its good every so often like with "Metamorphisis" in the series, but when it happens practically every issue, it kind of gets boring. :yawn:

This is another reason why "Superfriends" didn't appeal to everyone. There were just plain too many people to flesh out the characters. Justice League seems that way at first....but its possible.

More issues like #2 and this series would rock.

[DisneyBoy]

...but issue #2 featured the whole team trying to stop a threat...! I don't get it... :confused:


But I do understand what you generally mean to say. #2 Featured the heroes individually handling what they thought to be seperate occurances, and then joining up to solve the problems at the root. It also provided some insight into MM's psyche, but I think #10 did that much better (no offence Paul :o ).

My advice is this - do smaller stories and flesh out the characters more. In my responce to issue #12 I think I made some good comments, so check out that thread if you'd like, Dan. Overall, I think the series could use a little more substance (character-wise) and solidarity (multi-part arcs, references to previous issues, even if done by another writer, as well as an overall plan for the series) than cameos and action. DC could, and most likely will, cancelled this series once the show has ended and people lose interest. With that in mind, JLA needs to be going somewhere and not just giving us action in superhero form. There are other plenty of places to go for an action-fix, but we love these characters because of who they are. If the writing lets the characters shine, people will hail JLA as the next TBA - the ultimate version of DC's heroes. A tall order perhaps, but I have hope.

[Dan Slott]

Joker 85,
I'm sorry you put the book down after issue #9... But I just gotta say, if you get a chance you should try to find copies of #10 and #11. Issue #10 had, I think, one of the best stories in the entire run. It was written by Josh Siegal (one of the writers from "The Upright Citizens Brigade" TV show) and had a LOT of neat ideas in it-- as well as a gorgeous cover by Justice League animator, Butch Lukic. And some really SWEET interior art by Chris Jones. I'm a bit biased about issue #11 (since it's one of mine), but I can honestly say that is has some of Min S. Ku's (and the series') BEST ART TO DATE.
Anyway-- maybe you'll give issue #13 a shot? It's got another Butch Lukic cover, some GREAT Min art (including, what I think is one of the best double page splashes ever seen in an Adventures book), and is my favorite superhero story to date. (No hyperbole spared there, huh? :) )...
TTYL
Dan

[Condiment King]

...but issue #2 featured the whole team trying to stop a threat...! I don't get it... :confused:

What I meant to say was in #2, the characters kind of got into teams and just plain didn't get along. :p It showed the different characteristics of each member to try to get to their solution. Of course, Martian Manhunter was shown for his transformation of his point of view of humans.

That is why I don't have a problem with when in the JL shows, they will say, "Batman is on another case." or "I couldn't reach Green Lantern." Because it helps to narrow the characters down. We don't need to have all the characters in every episode/issue.

[DisneyBoy]

Ah!!! I see!!!


I completely agree by the way. The League should only really get together when there is a massive problem...which is why issues like #11, with the Flash and Atom, worked really well for me. Imagine trying to fit all those characters on one little time-travelling treadmill~! :p


Heya Dan...do you know if you or any other writers are planning a more Wonder Woman focused issue for the second year?

[Supremus]

Originally posted by DisneyBoy
Ah!!! I see!!! The League should only really get together when there is a massive problem...which is why issues like #11, with the Flash and Atom, worked really well for me. Imagine trying to fit all those characters on one little time-travelling treadmill~! :p

Yes, I find it more interesting when they split into smaller teams. There's so much more room for interaction.

DisneyBoy, I have tried to reply to your Private Message a couple of times, but your MailBox is still full. Try deleting a few messages.

[DisneyBoy]

Gotcha! I got the new message and will put it to good use tonight! Back to the JLA:Year One talkback...

[Dan Slott]

As someone who's been accused (rightly so) of using too much hyperbole, I thought I'd share this with you...

Just last night, I read an example of hyperbole at its finest! This is GOOD stuff, and I see no way of topping it in my life time. It's from the October issue of the video game magazine, PLAY.

"Halo 2 is on the way and, as Bungie Studios head Jason Jones put it, ' (It's) a lot like HALO, only it's HALO on fire, going 130 miles per hour, through a hospital zone, being chased by helicopters and ninjas, and the ninjas are on fire too.'"

Ninjas on fire. Damn, why didn't I think of that?!
TTYL
Dan

[DisneyBoy]

Now, now, Dan - don't you go puttin' charred ninjas into JLA, LOL :p I'm not quite as good with hyperbole as you, but I try...especially when trying to convince my parents of something...I usually end up losing them.

In fact, I think they've learned to tune me out... :rolleyes:

[jeffcope]

I hadn't been picking up the series, until just recently I began tracking down back issues (in surprisingly short supply around here). I'm enjoying them.

What I really want to know is: Why is DC so bad in releasing trade paperbacks of the animated series-based material. There's what 2 trades from Batman Adventures and 1 from Superman? (I may be wrong). I'd love to see all the previous material collected into TPBs.

On a similar note, but OT, it still surprises me that after 50 issues DC has not done a Scooby Doo TPB. Thought for sure there'd be one to tie into the movie's release.

I'd love to see a Justice League collection, too!

As you may be able to tell, I'm a TPB fan. I've dropped most of my monthlies in favor of the TPB format.

Jeff

[The Electric Knight]

I've been very disappointed in this series, I'm holding out for something great though. The only issues which have impressed me and I've thoroughly enjoyed are #2 and #3. #9-11 were okay, and the rest have left much to be desired for.

The main problem I see is that this book has become a "cram all the guest stars you can in, because it's cool" type of thing. And, it isn't cool. The cover may spark some interest (#6, #12), but what eventuates inside is a hokey, jumbled story which forgets about telling a good story, and gets caught up in trying to wow us. But the fact is, I'd be much more wowed from an emotional-type story with half of the league and one villain. #12 was poor on so many levels. "Let's have these people team up because they all have a similar theme", yet over half of them may as well have not been there, they played no part to the story whatsoever.

The book has also gone against characters frequently...Batman's "To Be or Not To Be" *shudder*, and Mr Freeze laughing *double shudder* are just two examples.

This book needs to be stripped of its "have all team members in the story, have groups of villains" mentality, and needs to focus on what makes a good story instead..which usually means a controlled amount of characters. We only have 22 pages. Use them wisely.

[Dan Slott]

In his previous post, The Electric Knight said:
"The main problem I see is that this book has become a "cram all the guest stars you can in, because it's cool" type of thing. And, it isn't cool."
And...
"But the fact is, I'd be much more wowed from an emotional-type story with half of the league and one villain. "
And
"...(the book) needs to focus on what makes a good story instead..which usually means a controlled amount of characters. We only have 22 pages. Use them wisely."

Gotcha. I think the problem you're seeing is that, for the most part, this book has a different writer every month. Personally, I think this is a fun thing because you get to see legendary writers like Mike W. Barr and Fabian Nicieza ply their trade, Adventures-style regulars like Ty Templeton and Paul Storrie do what they do best, and also get a ringside seat when rising stars like Josh Siegal and Chris Sequeira step up to the plate. On one hand it's great to see fan favorites like Barr show us how it's done-- on the other it's amazing to see newcomers (to this industry at least) take their first swing-- and in Josh Siegal's case-- knock it right out of the park! (Man, I can NOT stop raving about Mr. Siegal's issue (#10). Wasn't that just one of the BEST Martian Manhunter stories EVER?).

Anyway-- back to my rambling thought-- I think any writer who gets their ONE shot at doing Justice League Adventures isn't going to pass up using ALL the JL roster! There's just too many fun pieces to play with! I know when I got to do #4 there was NO WAY I was going to leave anybody on the "bench". It wasn't till my second shot that I felt comfortable "hiding" the stars of the book and letting the villains take the spotlight. And it wasn't until my fourth time at bat (issue #11-- technically #13 was my third story, it's just running later), that I left characters out of the book entirely (no Batman, no Wonder Woman, and no Martian Manhunter). And you know what? The first comments the book started receiving were-- "Where was Batman, Wonder Woman, and Martian Manhunter?" So.. different strokes....

However, as the second year of the comic comes around, and a number of returning writers take their next cracks at bat, I think you'll see them focusing more on individual characters.

Also-- I think it's possible for EVERYBODY to be in the book and focus to be given to one or more characters. Issue #1 focused on Hawkgirl. Issues #2 and #10 focused on Martian Manhunter. Issue #3 had some great Superman moments. Issue #4 had a Wonder Woman/Batman bent to it. And issues #7, #9, and #11 were all Flash-centric.

And-- on a finale note-- I also don't see a connection between the number of characters in a story and how "emotional" or "focused" it is. Geoff Johns juggles an ungodly ammount of characters in JSA and Avengers and still spins great yarns. Kurt Busiek's run on Thunderbolts had more characters, supporting characters, and subplots running through it than any six soap operas-- and still had me glued every single month. And don't even get me started on the Legion. I think, like in all things, it all comes down to execution.

TTYL
Dan

[DisneyBoy]

Heya Dan!

I agree with you on some points. I've been reading the first 62 issues of the Wonder Woman revamp by George Perez, and I'm constantly amazed by how much the story explores the emotions and personalities of the characters, even though the book is seemingly cramped by a pantheon of Gods, Amazons, militia, and ordinary folk. The key to the series' success, was order. The characters all stayed in...well, character, and it wasn't about catching the reader's attention. Perez and crew trusted that if they stuck with their longterm plan for the book, no matter how slow it might have seemed at times, that the readers would stick around for the rewards of well-rounded plots with consequences.

All this to say, I agree that all the Leaguers could be featured in a story, but they all need to have their place. I'm surprise no one has shown J'onn to be the Watchtower-keeper yet, since he spends all his time there, and it would make sense with his character. Though the series has just started, it doesn't feel like these characters are getting to know one another for the first time. They all just rush into battle and have small spats issue after issue, and it becomes tiring. Check out The Batman Adventures #18, which focuses on Batgirl and Robin just getting to know one another. The issue takes a few liberties, but nothing conflicts with the animated series, and we get a better look at who both the characters are. Why not write an issue like this for Wonder Woman and Superman? The animated series, and this series as well, both seem to suffer from the "all talk no action" ethic. Once the reader has been lured in by a nifty cover and the promise of seeing their favorite heroes all together, all they are usually (not always mind you, but for the most part) left with is a confusing mish-mash of scientific jargon and inter-galactic battles. The leads of this series are two-dimensional. There's very little depth, and it's frustrating that neither the series nor the comic feels seems willing to take the leap and make the first step towards correcting this. Issue #10 is a great example of what this series can be. I'm not in anyway trying to disrespect you or the other writers, Dan, cause I really admire what it is you do, both as a profession, and in visiting us at the boards, but without criticism, as you know, fans aren't liking to see what they want, and consequently, things get cancelled (B:GA).

Still, I'm really looking forward to the Justice League's second year, both on screen and on paper. It doesn't bother me who writes the stories as long as they connect me to the heroes. If I can feel their pain and joy, then count the issue as a success. Otherwise it turns into one big senseless arcade game of violence and cliches. As tempting as it may be to use seize the opportunity to write full-out war stories for the JL, writers should really put that urge aside, and instead make their mark on a character.

As for the "spotlight" mentality, I have to wonder if it's really needed. Issue #1 really wasn't a Hawkgirl story any more than it was a GL story. If all the characters are going to be there, it's alright for them to blend into the background as long as someone gets to shine...for who they are, not what they can do. I really don't need anyone to be the focus of a story to love it. This team seems to have trouble shining when working together or going solo, which is a major problem. I challenge any writer for JLA, to pen a story with as little "action" as possible, and instead focus on the characters, without conflicting with the show of course (so no trips to Thanagar!) Mix it up a little.


I'm spent. Catch you soon ;)

[Condiment King]

Have I yet expressed my utter disdain for whenever a JL member says, "Leaguers" in JL Adventures and ESPECIALLY when Batman says it!!!!!

*cringes*

"But let's not push our luck! Move it leaguers"

"---good work, Hawkgirl!"

"L-Leaguers! Physical weapons should s-still work!"

"A good point, Hawkgirl!---"

"If you can't grow up, you shouldn't be on this team!"

(Quotes of Batman taken from JL Adventures #12)

Batman seems way out of character in JL Adventures and especially in JL Adventures #12.

Batman should be grim, barely speaking. Why is he congratulating the fellow members of the JLA and calling himself part of a 'team'. He said 'Leaguers'!

*Cringes* :eek: :o