Your thoughts on 'Justice' by Alex Ross and Jim Krueger (2005 - 2007)

[Ilan Preskovsky]

I intend to read it again quite soon as part of the DC Graphic Novel collection that has been released in South Africa (as well as the UK, Australia and a bunch of other places) but, as I recall, I thought it had great art but the writing struck me as overly dour for these characters and especially for the age it was trying to capture. I hope I'm wrong but we'll see.

[Carabas]

Care to point out any specifics? Hard for me to see anything wildly off base for any of the characters.

Hard to do considering I don't own any of his work.

I do recall the first issue of Earth X, where this old guy shows up, and the book expects you supposed to love the guy just because he's apparently Captain Freaking America, even though he's not done anything special or anything at all really.
There is no attempt made to make you like the guy, to make the guy seem sympathetic... He's Cap. You're assumed to already like him. And this was probably one of the very first books I had ever read with him in it.

I didn't make it very far into Earth X.

Ed Brubaker on the other hand could make me like Cap in a handful of panels, and love him in under two issues.

[DrNewGod]

Is it really as good as people say or is everyone putting this on a high pedestal due to nostalgia for a specific era? Things that are cheesy turn me off.

It's hard for me to say because I'm unable to escape the nostalgia factor in it. I will say that Justice provoked a reaction similar to that I experienced when reading The Nail: I found myself thinking that "I wish DC had published a Justice League of America story as good as this one back in the satellite-era days."

[Lightning Rider]

Hard to do considering I don't own any of his work.

I do recall the first issue of Earth X, where this old guy shows up, and the book expects you supposed to love the guy just because he's apparently Captain Freaking America, even though he's not done anything special or anything at all really.
There is no attempt made to make you like the guy, to make the guy seem sympathetic... He's Cap. You're assumed to already like him. And this was probably one of the very first books I had ever read with him in it.

I didn't make it very far into Earth X.

Ed Brubaker on the other hand could make me like Cap in a handful of panels, and love him in under two issues.

I was talking about examples from Justice itself, sorry i didn't specify.

[caj]

It's hard for me to say because I'm unable to escape the nostalgia factor in it. I will say that Justice provoked a reaction similar to that I experienced when reading The Nail: I found myself thinking that "I wish DC had published a Justice League of America story as good as this one back in the satellite-era days."

If you've never read Steve Englehart's issues of JLofA, you should check them out (#139-146, 149-150). IMO, it's the closest thing to Justice that the satellite era ever had. Characters have conversations with each other, there's great storylines with character-driven plots, and the villains were fleshed out very nicely.

I struggle with the nostalgia as well. JLofA was my favorite comic growing up and I watched Super Friends every Saturday morning. I couldn't believe that a team wrote a serious book based on that concept so I loved Justice from issue #1. Nostalgia aside, I still think it's one of the greatest stories (and art) that DC comics has ever produced.

[Carabas]

I was talking about examples from Justice itself, sorry i didn't specify.

I don't remember anything from it except not liking it, and feeling it was far too long and convoluted.
I don't even remember the central premise beyond it being a Legion Of Doom story. That's how memorable it was for me.

I would say that it was coasting 100% on nostalgia for something I have 0% nostalgia for. And a good writer can make that work even for a reader who is unfamiliar with the satelite era and Superfriends.

[Stanlos]

I admit it kinda dragged towards the end. But overall, I loved this story.

But I'm a sucker for the Satellite Years JL of A and of the Super Friends cartoon. I felt the Joker was pretty useless and unnecessary in the story but I loved the Legion of Doom.

Aquaman, Flash, and Wonder Woman's stories were the best IMO. And the art was amazing of course.

I am not a fan of Superhero-puts-on-random-obstructing-armour conclusions. But I did like the proper acknowledgement of Captain Marvel's Shazam pact powers, even if Ross did not do the same for.WW (a trend with him)

[Kirby Krackle]

Why is there not a single mention of Doug Braithwaite in this thread? I love Alex Ross to death, but it's a huge disservice to leave out the guy who penciled most of the comic. Ross painted over his work, yes, but Doug deserves some credit...

[caj]

Why is there not a single mention of Doug Braithwaite in this thread? I love Alex Ross to death, but it's a huge disservice to leave out the guy who penciled most of the comic. Ross painted over his work, yes, but Doug deserves some credit...

Agree

See Sterling's post at the top of page 3 (post #31)

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Why is there not a single mention of Doug Braithwaite in this thread? I love Alex Ross to death, but it's a huge disservice to leave out the guy who penciled most of the comic. Ross painted over his work, yes, but Doug deserves some credit...

The art is great. Ross gets the lion's share of the credit, but Braithwaite is also fantastic

[caj]

Aquaman taking charge and flat out declaring he's going to kill Brainiac (after regrowing a frontal lobe no less);

This was my favorite moment in the entire story. Not that I wanted Aquaman to actually kill anyone, but it showed how much he loved his son and how determined he was to get Arthur Jr back.

[Thirteen]

The art is great. Ross gets the lion's share of the credit, but Braithwaite is also fantastic

THIS. Great work by Doug Braithwaite, the secret hero of JUSTICE.


Other than that, JUSTICE was the scale and tone of what should be the standard for a Justice League story. A threat the size of which not one hero could face alone.
The series did go on a issue or so too long with its indulgences and I didn't care for the armor twist.
But, yeah, THIS is what I think a Justice League book should be. If you could only publish quarterly mini-series featuring the League in this fashion rather than try (and fail) to sustain a monthly grind on that scale, I'd go for the League "quarterly".

[KneelBeforeGrodd]

The ultimate 'Justice League vs the Legion of Doom' story. What's not to love?

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[Güicho]

This was one of the books I read as a kid in middle school that really made fall in love with the Justice League,.

is everyone putting this on a high pedestal due to nostalgia for a specific era? .

Everyone?
While both for some, figuring the age, that post above yours alone should have answered your question, it's not just about that for everyone, if it captured obviously younger fans too.

Why is there not a single mention of Doug Braithwaite in this thread?

He was mentioned before you.
Also as indicated there was an extensive Justice thread way back, praising his work , not everyone is repeating what was said there.
That said, you are right, Braithwaite's tremendous contribution is worth praising all over again here.

Ross tends to deliver great pin-up moments, Braithwaite brought a tremendous energy and dynamic necessary for a panel-to-panel story telling, which he delivered and the speed for a monthly schedule requied here.
This wouldn't have happened without Braithwaite, or looked and read as great as it did.
The partnership was a great idea.

[Güicho]

I liked how Aquaman's powerset was expanded upon.

Aquaman taking charge and flat out declaring he's going to kill Brainiac (after regrowing a frontal lobe no less); .

This was my favorite moment in the entire story. Not that I wanted Aquaman to actually kill anyone, but it showed how much he loved his son and how determined he was to get Arthur Jr back.

Agree, loved their take on Aquaman and with Mera as a family, was tremendous.
And I loved the addition of the amphibian style regeneration.