New York Times bestselling novelist Brad Meltzer's whole run on Justice League of America is collected for the first time!
After the darkest hour in the history of DC Universe, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman meet to once again choose who among Earth's greatest heroes will make up the new Justice League of America. But while they meet in secret to decide the fate of the team, dark forces move against their friends and allies.
Then, the Justice League of America, featuring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and more--and the Justice Society of America, including Hawkman, Wildcat and others, join forces in this stunning graphic novel! The JLA has discovered that several members of the Legion of Super-Heroes from the 31st century are in the present. With the help of the JSA, Superman and his team must track down all seven Legionnaires to discover why these heroes of the future have traveled back in time!
Collects Justice League of America (2006) #0-12 and Justice Society of America (2006) #6-7.
Brad Meltzer is the Emmy-nominated, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lightning Rod, The Escape Artist, and eleven other bestselling thrillers. He also writes non-fiction books like The JFK Conspiracy, about a secret plot to kill JFK before he was sworn in – and the Ordinary People Change the World kids book series, which he does with Chris Eliopoulos and inspired the PBS KIDS TV show, Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum. His newest kids books are We are the Beatles, We are the Beatles, and I am Simone Biles. His newest inspirational book is Make Magic, based on his viral commencement address.
In addition to his fiction, Brad is one of the only authors to ever have books on the bestseller list for Non-Fiction (The Nazi Conspiracy), Advice (Heroes for My Son and Heroes for My Daughter), Children’s Books (I Am Amelia Earhart and I Am Abraham Lincoln) and even comic books (Justice League of America), for which he won the prestigious Eisner Award.
He is also the host of Brad Meltzer’s Lost History and Brad Meltzer’s Decoded on the History Channel, and is responsible for helping find the missing 9/11 flag that the firefighters raised at Ground Zero, making national news on the 15th anniversary of 9/11. Meltzer unveiled the flag at the 9/11 Museum in New York, where it is now on display. See the video here. The Hollywood Reporter recently put him on their list of Hollywood’s 25 Most Powerful Authors.
He also recently delivered the commencement address at the University of Michigan, in front of 70,000 people, including his graduating son. Entitled Make Magic and called “one of the best commencement addresses of all time,” it’s been shared millions of times across social media. Do yourself a favor, watch it here and buy the book here.
For sure, it’s tough to find anyone being so successful in so many different mediums of the popular culture. But why does Brad thrive in all these different professions? His belief that ordinary people change the world. It is that core belief that runs through every one of his projects.
His newest thriller, The Lightning Rod, brings back characters Nola and Zig in a setting that will blow your mind (you won't believe where the government let Brad go). For now, we'll say this: What's the one secret no one knows about you? It's about to come out. Nearly 2,000 five-star reviews. Raves by everyone from the Wall Street Journal, to James Patterson, to Brad's mother-in-law. Plus that twist at the end! And yes, the new Zig & Nola thriller is coming soon!
His newest non-fiction book, The JFK Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Kennedy -- and Why It Failed, which he wrote with Josh Mensch, is a true story about a secret assassination plot to kill JFK at the start of his Presidency and, if successful, would’ve changed history.
His illustrated children’s books I Am Amelia Earhart and I Am Abraham Lincoln, which he does with artist Chris Eliopoulos, were written for his own children, to give them better heroes to look up to. Try them. You won’t believe how inspired you and your family will be. Some of our favorites in the series are I am Mister Rogers and I am Dolly Parton.
His other non-fiction books, Heroes for My Son and Heroes for My Daughter, are collections of heroes – from Jim Henson to Sally Ride — that he’s been working on since the day his kids were born and is on sale now, as well as History Decoded: The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time.
He’s also one of the co-creators of the TV show, Jack & Bobby.
Raised in Brooklyn and Miami, Brad is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Columbia Law School. The Tenth Justice was his first published work and became an instant New York Times bestseller. Dead Even followed a year later and also hit the New York Times bestseller list, as have all thirteen of his novels. The First Counsel came next, which was about a White House lawyer dating the President’s daughter, then The Millionaires, which was about two brothers who
Brad Meltzer's ode to classic Justice League. You can tell Meltzer has been reading JLA since he was a kid with his membership drive stories and JLA / JSA crossovers. They are two classic elements I loved as a kid as well. This book works really well in its one off stories as well. Walls won a well-deserved Eisner for Best Single Issue with it's story of Red Arrow and Vixen trapped in a collapsing building. You can feel yourself getting short of breath as the art collapses in on you. Gene Ha really brings his 'A' game to the issue. Ed Benes illustrates most of the book. His art is pretty good, something of a clone of Jim Lee's but with more butt shots of female characters that I could do without.
The Tornado's Path. The start of Meltzer's short run is a hot mess. Bruce, Clark, and Diana spend 3 or 4 issues looking over pictures of people they're not going to invite to the League. It's decompression at its most grotesque. Which is too bad, because the main story of Reddie being manipulated by various evil beings, including a number of classic JLA foes, is strong, particularly for Reddie's characterization, and it's good to see another team come together, somewhat different from its predecessors [3+/5].
The Lightning Saga. Having a team-up between Meltzer's JLA and Johns' JSA is great, and moreso because it's used to bring back the Silver Age Legion. The problem is, this story largely doesn't make sense. The Legion is scattered without their memories, leaving them unable to do their jobs (and allowing a big MacGuffin plot story). Then they do the lightning-rod thing and bring back Wally instead of Barry? And Karate Kid is definitely back from the dead, but without explanation? And the whole Silver Age Legion is back without explanation? And Karate Kid is supposed to die again from the lightning strike, but ducks!? Some of this builds into The Flash: Rebirth, I think, but some of this is never explained. Was it muddy writing? Editorial mandate? I dunno, but it feels like this story went wrong at some point. [3+/5].
Walls. In a little one-off of Mari and Roy are trapped in a collapsed building, Meltzer is able to do a much better job, maintaining some mystery and complexity, but still telling a comprehensible story [5/5].
Monitor Duty. A little slice of life story that reminds us who these characters individually are, and that their team is part of a long history [4/5].
Brad Meltzer's run begins a new numbering after the JLA series that started with Grant Morrison ended its numbering. Right from the start, you can tell Meltzer has a deep knowledge and appreciation for the JLA. His stories don't do much for me though. I find it odd that the JLA members work separately, or at least in small groups, for the vast majority of this run. A lot of the book is spent on selecting new members. The two main stories deal with Red Tornado and the Legion of Superheroes, respectively. The tone for these stories is good for a JLA series, but Meltzer's writing is too convoluted, with too much alternating character narration. And again, the JLA is separate for a lot of the time and don't always feel like a team.
This book is virtually impenetrable for someone who isn't at least somewhat versed in DC continuity. So many characters and events are included or referenced. Meltzer even sets up Barry Allen's return, which would occur not long after this. I love DC continuity, so I wasn't lost (except with some of the Legion members), but I think Meltzer's severe continuity attention and attempt to include lots of characters prevent him from writing great stories. Also, am I wrong that he didn’t reference the post-Crisis JLA origin, but the Silver Age origin instead? Since this takes place in post-Crisis continuity, that seems incorrect. On the other hand, this whole run is essentially a tribute to Silver/Bronze Age JLA. There’s even a JLA/JSA crossover.
Anyway, the best part of the book is issue 11, "Walls," a standalone featuring Red Arrow (Roy Harper's new moniker) and Vixen. This won an Eisner for best single issue, and I can see why. It's a powerful and intense story that gets to the heart of heroism in a unique way.
This series was one of my very first comic reading experiences, and it has been so much fun to revisit in this hardcover. I resisted the urge to give it an extra star due to the nostalgia, so my score has been adjusted to pretend this was my first time reading.
This run is great at highlighting some of the lesser known characters, especially Vixen, Arsenal, and of course Red Tornado. The crossover with the Geoff Johns Justice Society run means fans of that series may also benefit from checking this one out.
The Ed Benes artwork and some of the most iconic cover work from Michael Turner make the oversized format of this deluxe edition a must-buy for any fan of the league.
Gods, I really enjoyed reading that again! I have not read this since it first came out in single floppies. And it was much, much better than I remembered. Loved Meltzer's JLA! I know this is a period in DC Comics I'm inordinately fond of... but just wow. I really need to read more from back then. The Johns stuff mostly, JSA, Titans, Green Lantern, Flash, etc. I wish DC would collect the rest of this JLA series in big, fat, deluxe HCs. It does go downhill post-Meltzer but I'd still love to read the rest in print.
This book collects the complete Brad Meltzer run on thr Justice League of America series. Despite only having written a handfull of comic books, Meltzer is mostly well known in the medium for Identity Crisis, a best-seller that depicts the super-hero world in a more grim and mature light than usual, with a heavy emphasis on character development and shocking events that shook the Justice League to its core. Identity crisis is a fairly divisive book, a love it or hate it kind of thing. I can understand why some people would decriy certain storytelling options, but I liked it. I though it was unnecessarily unpleasent at times, but overall I felt it was a well-written riveting read. A solid 4 out of 5 for me. As for this book - Justice League of America by Brad Meltzer: The Deluxe Edition, its a bit of a mixed bag. It essentially collects two major arcs - "The Tornado's Path" and "The Lightning Saga", and a couple of one shot stories, and is has alot of strengths, but also quite a few problems.
The Tornado's Path has alot of gripping moments. Its central plot, which concerns Red Tornado, is quite interesting. Its story and mysteries are very well handled, and allow for some interesting character moments. However, this arc is significantly bogged down by a series of scenes where Superman, WOnder Woman and Batman are discussing which new heroes should be invited to join the League. Its a somehwat pointless and not particularly engaging or well written series of discussions that I could have lived without. But the way the arc maintains its mystery, and how it uses familiar characters in very unfamiliar ways keeps it a very strong, despite the aforementioned shortcomings. I'd rate it a 4.5 out of 5.
The Lightning saga, however, is significantly inferior. It strarts off well, and there is a scene in Arkham Asylum that is extrememly exciting. However, it meanders alot, and its resolution is just ok. There are still a few surprises, and good characetr moments, but overall it feels too long for its payoff that, while bringing back a much beloved character, feels a bit dumb. 3.5 out of 5 for me.
The one-shots are pretty good. Walls is amazing (5/5), and Monitor Duty is ok (3/5).
The artwork is consistently strong throughout. The artwork is mostly handled by Ed Benes, who can draw the hell out of these characters, both in full-spread pages, as well as in smaller panels. The one-issue "Walls" features absolutely amazing artwork by Gene Ha. So, artwise, the book is flawless.
So, alot of highs, and some lows, makes this book a pretty good read, despite some dissapointments. A shaky 4 out of 5 for me.
As for the physicall edition itself, it really well put together. The hardcover loooks great, its resistent, the binding is pretty good, the page size is bigger than ususal, which is great, considering how good the artwork is. There is a bit of gutter loss, but nothing too dramatic, and it includes some good bonus content. Its a very good quality deluxe edition., If you are a fan of Meltzer's JLA, you'll love this deluxe edition.
This was hard to read: there are so many characters and the pacing is kind of odd, but if you keep yourself going with it, you’re up to a great study of personalities.
Great artwork as well, very Jim Lee-like. Great coloring and well designed panels.
Don’t worry if you didn’t enjoy Identity Crisis, this is not a continuation of that story. Instead, we get some philosophical pretenses and a timey wimey tale that kind of just ends.
Still, the Walls issue who comes after that is enough for a great read; and later we get a very hopeful epilogue of Meltzer’s run.
I'm not sure if this is the collection version or not, but I read the #0-12, and I have no words. I'm still new to the deep side of the DC universe, and this comic introduced me to a lot of new characters that immediately became important to me. Each character was developed in this comic alone that showed me their loves and their tradgedies, giving me a breakdown of who they were and what they meant to the DC world.
This book really surprised me! I went in expecting absolutely nothing and left actually feeling the love and admiration for the characters I haven’t seen in a superhero comic in a long time. Meltzer shows a deep care for the DC heroes and does an amazing job at taking the themes and wholesomeness of silver age comics into the modern age. Went in expecting to throw this book on my sell pile right when I finished, left it as one of my favorite team up books to date.
This run got off to a slow start (I didn’t really care for the Red Tornado-dominated first arc), and it was around 2-star territory for me. However, it had an amazing last two-thirds, which included the JSA crossovers, the final issue, and, most memorably, “Walls” by Meltzer & Gene Ha. The latter is one of the best single-issue superhero comics that I have ever read.
That was good. That was great. Comic books written by people with a real sense of the scope of DC history, who want to BOTH use that history AND create a new chapter. Continuity! Amazing!
Ci troviamo davanti ad un volumone bello grosso edito da panini, contenente 2 storie corali.
Ho iniziato a leggere questo ciclo sia per le ottime recensioni ricevute, sia perché di Metzer avevo ancora in mente quel capolavo di "evento" che è crisi d'identità.
Per quanto il volume si mantenga su buoni livelli e si nota che lautore ha un debole per i crime mistery visto l'andazzo di entrambe le storie, con un pizzico di amarezza devo comunicare che soffre troppo della continuity e non di un evento o due, qua ci troveremo davanti a personaggi apparsi in 50 anni di storie, e si, alcuni hanno messo in crisi anche me, che proprio a digiuno non sono.
Le storie rimangono comunque godibili se non si vuole sapere tutto tutto, per i passaggi chiave e le relazioni fra certi pg, Wikipedia ci verrà incontro. I disegni davvero ottimi, con splash page goduriose e addirittura una pagina a fisarmonica all'interno del volume.
Sicuramente un buon ciclo, non eccelso ma con spunti interessanti, l'effetto nostalgia fa la sua parte se si conoscono i pg citati e le loro back story.
Consigliato solamente agli appassionati.
Menzione speciale per il capitolo 0, che è una ciliegina, sia in termini di regia sia in termini di profondità, vale il 50% del volume.