JLA Classified #53

Someone at DC needs to take note and get Roger Stern on a regular monthly book - preferably something high profile. He may not be the hot flavor-of-the-month writer but Stern consistently puts out quality reads. Pair him up with artist John Byrne and you have a quality creative team producing a quality product. This issue continues the "That Was Now, This is Then" arc and it remains a fun throwback read. Stern's gives each of the JLA members a unique voice with Batman, Green Arrow, and Aquaman coming off strong. We finally get to see an Aquaman that comes across as powerful. Bryne continues to produce high quality art showing off some interesting costume designs and great characterizations. I still very much enjoy Byrne's clean style of art.

If you haven't been getting this last arc from "JLA Classified" you should go out and pick it up. While the 90s and 00s brought emo-type brooding to the JLA, Stern and Byrne throwback to the Silver Age where the heroes actually enjoyed working together and displayed good team work in doing it. Stern keeps it fun - as it should be.

JLA Classified #52

I know many people have issue with John Byrne. Heck, I was reading the "Savage Dragon Archives Volume 1" and chuckled at Erik Larsen's not so subtle dig with his character Johnny Readbeard. I must confess that I truly love his art. He is shining in the closing "JLA Classified" arc and I'm enjoying it. Roger Stern's story continues to impress me with its great characterization of each hero. He gives each hero their own voice, motivations, etc. He knows these guys and gals very well. While the bad guy hasn't been that compelling the team work displayed is outstanding. You can see that the team members care about each other and have a good understanding of the tactical employment of each hero's powers.

I think if "JLA Classified" had been at this creative level that it would be continuing. If you haven't checked out the Stern/Bryne story arc, jump on and get the last couple of back issues. It is a great read.

JLA Classified #51

For those of you out there that want to see Barry Allen as the Flash, Arthur Curry as Aquaman, and a classic representation of Oliver Queen, then this is your book. Writer Roger Stern goes old school with the JLA this issue going back to when the team was just forming its identity. It is a classic lineup with Black Canary, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Martian Manhunter alongside the previously mentioned heroes. Both Superman and Batman also make a showing. Stern provides a good story with a powerful protagonist and a good reason for the JLA to get involved. John Byrne's penciling is top notch providing good characterization and detailed panels. Mark Farmer handles inking Byrne's pencils quite well. While the alien bad guy looks a bit silly, he comes across as very powerful due both the Stern's direction and Byrne's depiction of him in action.

I was very satisfied with this issue. Both Stern and Byrne are a power team and really compliment each other here. I should note that my LCS owner commented that he was selling more "JLA Classified" now and he wondered why. When I pointed out the team of Stern and Byrne he nodded his head in agreement. It is good to see that the comic buying public doesn't forget the greats.

JLA Classified #50

I heard that Roger Stern and John Byrne were getting together to do an arc in "JLA Classified" and figured I had to check it out. I grew up with Byrne's "Uncanny X-Men", "Fantastic Four", and "Superman: Man of Steel". I've always liked his art and, at times, his writing. I loved seeing the JLA drawn by Byrne. I enjoyed Roger Stern's work at Marvel in the 80s including "Captain America", "The Avengers", and "West Coast Avengers" as well as his writing in "The Death of Superman" extravaganza in the 90s.

So, when these two legends get together I expected a great effort. I was not let down. Byrne's art is crisp and clean here showing an eye for anatomy and proportion that you don't see in some of the hot artist out today. Stern's script is good with excellent pacing and action. I usually don't get "JLA Classified" but will be getting the next four issues to complete this story.

Action Comics #858

Spinning out of the "Justice League of America" and "Justice Society of America" crossover event "The Lightening Saga", "Action Comics" 858 begins the reintroduction of the Legions of Superheroes into the Superman mythos. I grew up reading "Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes" in the 70s and really enjoyed those adventures. During the 80s I read everything DC put out that had the Legion in it. However, after the excellent "Crisis on Infinite Earths" John Byrne was brought on to restart Superman. One of the big mistakes that he made was the elimination of Superboy from Superman's past. This totally negated any adventures that Superboy had with the Legion. Since then there have been many attempts at jump starting the Legion with varying degrees of success. With "Action Comics" #858, Geoff Johns begins his attempt to clear up this mess. I'm very excited to see both Johns' retcon of Superman's first introduction to the Legion and Jim Shooter's run on the current "Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes" monthly.

Johns has brought a couple of other changes to book as well. John Byrne set Clark Kent up as a football playing "with it" guy and Johns takes Clark back to his origins here as a somewhat goofy "mild mannered" reporter. You can see Donner's influence as Clark comes across much like the Christopher Reeve take on Superman in "Superman: the Movie". It will be interesting to see if Johns' take on Clark migrates to its sister comic "Superman".

I wasn't really impressed with penciller Gary Frank's cover and promotional art for this comic. However, after reading the book I'm excited about his run on the book. Frank captures emotion fairly well and you can see the giddiness in the Legion trio that come back to meet a young Clark. By the end, I was loving Frank's take on the icons of DC presented within.

Superman #668 & #669

Superman #668 kicks off "The Third Kryptonian" story line and writer Kurt Busiek is going very SciFi. Superman is on a search for the third Kryptonian on Earth that he found out about when the Auctioneer came calling. He has ruled out Power Girl and, with the help of Batman, is going X-Files searching for the truth. Busiek provides a brief interlude to futher flesh out the Chris Kent character. Chris' interactions with both Batman and Robin are nicely done. Along the way we get to meet the protagonist of the story, Amalak, who has an interest in all things Kryptonian. The art by penciller Rick Leaonardi and inker Dan Green good with capturing both the youth of Chris and Robin and the maturity of Superman and Batman.

Issue # 669 introduces Kristen Wells as the third Kryptonian and she packs quite a wallop. Busiek takes the reader on a tour of post-Infinite Crisis Kryptonian history and I think he does a fine job of melding the John Bryne Utopian version with the Geoff Johns/Richard Donner military versus science of the Zod era. Busiek really cuts loose with the SciFi in this issue and weaves a very interesting tale of how Kristen Wells ended up on Earth. She does not have the morale center of Superman or the innocence of Supergirl and provides a stark contrast to Superman's ethical code. The issue ends with Amalak finding both Superman and Kristen and threatening the end of all Kryptonians. I'm looking forward to the next issue and seeing where this all goes.