There's no avoiding it: the DCnU Justice League International suffers from a bit of decompression, making reading each new issue an exercise in patience. Fortunately for those of us with a need for immediate gratification (e.g., Americans), today DC releases the first six issues of the series in a single, collected trade paperback, Justice League International, Vol 1: The Signal Masters.

The volume is advertised at $14.99, a savings of 50¢ off cover price -- per issue! Better, DC advertises this trade at 144 pages. Each of the first 6 issues is 21-pages long (including covers) for a total of 126 published pages. What's making up the 18-page difference, hmm?

Skeets is beginning to think that with deals like this, only suckers should buy individual issues anymore. Buy this collection and prove Skeets right.

(UPDATE 05/09/12 7:49PM: these bonus pages are mostly unfinished pencils and uncolored inks from the covers and a few character sketches. There are a few character design sketches for Fire, Ice, and Vixen. Nothing previously unseen featuring Booster Gold.)

Comments (2) | Add a Comment | Tags: collection justice league justice league international new releases

A rotating roster, shifting mandates, even headquarter relocations. Sometimes, it seems the only thing that's constant in the Justice League is the once-a-decade need for reinvention.

Not even two years earlier, the Justice League International concept had given way to the three-headed Justice League America / Justice League Task Force / Justice League West (aka Extreme Justice) teams, yet by 1996 the winds of change were already swirling again. In order to clear the board for the imminent Magnificent Seven of Grant Morrison's JLA, the bulk of the Justice League America team was shot into deep space in Justice League America #112, the next-to-last issue of the series.

As Wonder Woman and the Flash grasped at straws to save their team, the other two Justice Leagues did little more than idly stand by. Maybe because he's a time-traveler with knowledge of what's to come, or maybe because he's a student of history with perspective of what's been before, Booster Gold doesn't bother to open his mouth in the current emergency. Our hero leaned against a wall, coffee in hand, as Blue Beetle represents the Extreme Justice team in the Justice League America's final story. (Booster's not the only character to be seen but not heard: the rest of Extreme Justice poses in an awkwardly mid-1990s fashion. Firestorm in particular appears to hover around the ceiling like a human candelabra.)

Justice League America #112 is no better than an average comic and is probably representative of why the series was being rebooted for a more iconic line-up. The book is ugly, confusing, and chock full of characters today's audience wouldn't even recognize. It is, however, a great reminder that every once in awhile, reboots are necessary to reinvigorate even the most high-profile comic books. Take comfort in knowing that it has happened before, and it will happen again.

Comments (3) | Add a Comment | Tags: firestorm history justice league justice league international reboot

The latest of Russ Burlingame's "International Exchange" interviews with Dan Jurgens is up at ComicBook.com. I may have my problems with the decompression in Jurgens' recent JLI stories, but I have to say that I really admire his willingness to discuss each issue afterwards. That's above and beyond the call of duty for a professional with his portfolio.

IX: It's interesting—the dialog between Batman and Batwing suggests that even the superhero community isn't really clear on Booster's "deal." Did you want to roll back the number of people in the hero community who knew his "secret?"

Dan Jurgens: No. It's just that we tend to be a skeptical society now.

If an individual suddenly shows up and claims to be from the future, some people are bound to be skeptical. On top of that, I think Batman, more than any other hero, would be the type to check into it on his own and make sure.

Now, if you wrap that into the idea of a hero who advertises projects and tends to hype himself, well, you can see why Batwing would have assumed it was an act.

I'm skeptical about the implication that we were not a skeptical society "then." I don't think there has been a point in history where the general population would believe a man's own claims about being from the future. Even in 1955, we'd want a doctor to take a look for head trauma in that "future boy."

What I'm still more skeptical about is the possibility that Batwing isn't a jerk.

Comments (3) | Add a Comment | Tags: batwing comicbook.com dan jurgens international exchange justice league international russ burlingame time travel

DC promises that today's issue of Justice League International #9 will crossover with The Fury of Firestorm: the Nuclear Men #9, planned for a May 23rd release. Lately the growing international league of Nuclear Men and Women -- Firestorm Fan records at least 10 unique Firestorms in the DCnU so far -- have been dealing with terrorist bombings in France while the JLI have had their hands full with bombing terrorists in New York. Could these similar plots be more than a coincidence?

With crossover environments already established between the Bat-titles (via Batman and Batwing), the Green Lantern titles (via Guy Gardner), and OMAC, is the JLI becoming the keystone in the continuity of DC's New 52 Universe? The only way to find out is to buy this issue and make Skeets happy.

Comments (2) | Add a Comment | Tags: batman firestorm firestormfan.com guy gardner justice league international new releases omac reboot

First Batwing, then OMAC, and soon Firehawk... Justice League International is starting to look like Canceled Comics Cavalcade. Once upon a time, characters that couldn't even beat Firestorm in a fight were relegated to be pulped in the Suicide Squad. Now, they are sent off to join the Justice League? Surely these leftover characters aren't the reason that Justice League International sales aren't topping the charts?

Note that Booster Gold, Volume 2, #5 had sold well with a guest appearance by a founding Justice Leaguer. Maybe JLI could use a little more help than Firestorm's cast-offs?

Comments (6) | Add a Comment | Tags: firestorm graph justice league justice league international sales