Justice League Task Force

ARTISTS

Writer: Christopher Priest
Penciller: Ramon Bernado
Inkers: Dan Davis, Nick J. Napolitano
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Letterer: Kevin Cunningham
Editor: Ruben Diaz

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CHARACTERS & SETTINGS

heroes: Blue Beetle II, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Glenn Gammeron, Gypsy, Martian Manhunter, Maxima, Ray II, Triumph, Wonder Woman
villaines: Bronze Tiger, Vandal Savage
supportinges: L-Ron, Skeets I

Setting: 20th-century Middleton, CO, USA

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ISSUE SUMMARY

Cover Description: Martian Manhunter hangs motionless while several Justice League Task Force uniform jackets hang in the air. (No Booster Gold.)

Brief Synopsis: Internal conflicts within the Justice League Task Force come to a head around the Christmas holiday.

Costume Worn: MARK X armored power-suit

Issue Notes: This is the final issue of this series, canceled to allow for a relaunch of the Justice League franchise by writer Grant Morrison in the series JLA.

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ISSUE ANNOTATIONS

Page 2, panel 5
Members of the three Justice Leagues (led by Captain Atom, Martian Manhunter, and Wonder Woman) gather in the Martian Manhunter's remote cabin for a Christmas party. Leaguers shown attending the gathering are Blue Beetle II, Booster Gold (with built-in Skeets), Bronze Tiger, Captain Atom, Glenn Gammeron, Gypsy, Martian Manhunter, Maxima, Ray II, and Wonder Woman.

Page 4, panel 7
Triumph arrives at the party playing the role of Santa Claus. Booster Gold and Blue Beetle go through his bag inspecting all the wrapped gifts. Booster is particularly interested in the largest package.

Page 9, panel 2
After Triumph's bad blood with Martian Manhunter results in a fight with Captain Atom, Booster joins the ensuing melee by attacking Bronze Tiger. Why all of the assembled Leaguers decided to brawl one another following Triumph's assault is a mystery. It is exactly this sort of violent behavior that gives costumed super-groups such a bad reputation.

Page 12, panel 3
Vandal Savage arrives at the party following Triumph's exit. Savage explains that Triumph's future actions will "change the course of our destiny forever." This is the second time that Savage, an immortal who has long been at odds with the Justice League, has arrived before Booster Gold in the role of a messenger.

Page 20, panel 1
SPOILER WARNING!: This panel is identical to Page 2, panel 5. Savage's now forgotten warning has proven true and time has been changed. As shown in previous stories (notably "Tomorrow Belongs to Geralyn" in Justice League Quarterly #9), when historical events change (in this case, Triumph's "decade's worth of mistakes"), persons living in that time are unaware of the change in their own historical record. Therefore, though we are aware of Booster's past interactions with Triumph, it is unclear what Booster's memories of Triumph are. Reveal

Page 21, panel 1
L-Ron (still in the body of Despero) arrives at the party playing the role of Santa Claus exactly as Triumph did before Triumph changed the timeline. Though it is not shown, it can be assumed that Booster Gold and Blue Beetle go through his bag inspecting all the wrapped gifts. No doubt, Booster is still particularly interested in the largest package.

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ISSUE REVIEW

Boosterrific Review: Part Christmas special, part delayed Underworld Unleashed tie-in, part series finale. Congratulations are due to writer Christopher Priest who leaves readers feeling anguished, confused, and outcast, just like Triumph, effectively entangling the reader viscerally in the events within.

Boosterrific Rating:

• Currently 4.0/5 Stars.

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