tilly_stratford (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
tilly_stratford) wrote2011-03-01 10:43 pm
tilly_stratford) wrote2011-03-01 10:43 pm
Entry tags:
Undercover with the JLI
You realize I'm still reading Justice League International, it's still the greatest thing since bread and butter and I've come to the conclusion that if I don't let out some fangirl joy I'm going to explode in an unstable burst of primary-coloured confetti.
But instead of erratically listing all the little things that makes me curl my toes with glee as I'm reading, I think the most levelheaded way I can go about this is to tell you exactly why issue 16 and 17 are made of pure joy and angels' laughter.
Well okay so maybe "levelheaded" isn't the word to use.
FIVE REASONS WHY ISSUES 16-17 ARE AWESOME:
1. The plot is set by Maxwell Lord (fuck yeah!)
I just fucking adore Maxwell Lord, okay. I've spent roughly two weeks being conflicted about this because even though I wasn't reading superhero comics back in 2005 even I noticed the fallout on Scans_Daily following that thing he did in Countdown to Infinite Crisis, and if there was one spoiler I wish I could rid myself of, it's that one. But tish, I'm moving past all that. As per 1988 he's powerful and mysterious and morally ambiguous (can't wait until they reveal his superpower, that's a thing I don't mind having been spoilered about).
And he gets to tell Batman what to do! I don't know how you define "sexy", but in my vocabulary it's "the trait of one telling Batman what to do".
2. Movie references, movie references everywhere
Like you didn't expect as much from the cover. Granted, there are usually a billion popculture jokes in this book already, but you'll be hard pressed to find a single page in this thing that doesn't allude to a movie, whether it's blatant (I love the guy who goes "How Cronenberg!" at the gory death of one character) to more subtle (like how Blue Beetle's undercover name is George Bailey. Hey, I've seen that movie once, it's subtle to me!). Manga Khan obviously makes a Star Trek joke, like we've been waiting for him to do for several issues.
^^^Other things that brings me JLI-related joy: A) Batman yelling at Booster and Beetle like they're his deadbeat kids. B) Booster and Beetle acting like they're Batman's deadbeat kids. C) Ohmigosh Beetle's blue bowtie!
3. Is it me or is it getting all bara in here
Not only is this one of the first stories featuring Booster and Beetle getting their own mission to team up for, they screw it up almost immediately and get captured and scruffy and half-naked. Yezzz.
So hairy.
Soon Fire drops from the sky in only her stripy red underwear too, making this the nakedest JLI story to date. If the image of Batman flanked by three near-naked superheroes saving the day doesn't put a smile on your face I jes' don't know how to please you mister.
Notice how four of these joy-inducing elements (Maxwell Lord - currently Batman's disguise; Movie reference; Batman being all grumpy-dad; Nigh-naked goofy superhero) gather in one glorious panel as Booster inexplicably goes all My Fair Lady on us:
4. Manga KHAAAAAAN
Because no, it's not just half of JLI running around being all incompetent undercover agents, because this arch's big villain is an alien robot dude (seriously, I haven't finished this arch yet so I can't say anything for certain) and his name is Manga Khan and he's a big old capitalist and he takes night-courses on spaceship log writing and enjoys SHOUTING TO HIMSELF - and seriously, he would be so incredibly annoying rather than funny had he been written by anyone but Giffen and DeMatteis.
But Manga Khan is great, especially in conjunction with his assistant L-Ron (YES HE'S CALLED L-RON):
Had I wanted anything different in these two issues it would be that Mister Miracle didn't spend them both unconcious (also get rid of Gnort. Seriously, fuck Gnort), but that's more than made up for by the inclusion of Big Barda (!!).
5. Batman is undercover as... Bruce Wayne!
Because apparently Wayne owed him a favour from before and therefore let him (Batman) pose as him (Bruce Wayne) and after all Batman is brilliant at disguises AND OH GOD I LOVE THIS BIT I SERIOUSLY ADORE THIS WRITING.
I never thought I'd ever truly learn to love non-camp Batman, but this is it (and no, I wouldn't say this is camp Batman, but it's certainly funny Batman). This series seriously made me love Batman. And I've never written another paragraph with so many instances of the word "Batman" before. Batman batman batman.
And then Fire decides she wants to get into Batman's pants and it's all really cute and clever rather than stupid and groanworthy.
Gosh, now I remember what it's like reading comics that are entertaining rather than insanely frustrating!
But instead of erratically listing all the little things that makes me curl my toes with glee as I'm reading, I think the most levelheaded way I can go about this is to tell you exactly why issue 16 and 17 are made of pure joy and angels' laughter.
Well okay so maybe "levelheaded" isn't the word to use.
FIVE REASONS WHY ISSUES 16-17 ARE AWESOME:
1. The plot is set by Maxwell Lord (fuck yeah!)
I just fucking adore Maxwell Lord, okay. I've spent roughly two weeks being conflicted about this because even though I wasn't reading superhero comics back in 2005 even I noticed the fallout on Scans_Daily following that thing he did in Countdown to Infinite Crisis, and if there was one spoiler I wish I could rid myself of, it's that one. But tish, I'm moving past all that. As per 1988 he's powerful and mysterious and morally ambiguous (can't wait until they reveal his superpower, that's a thing I don't mind having been spoilered about).
And he gets to tell Batman what to do! I don't know how you define "sexy", but in my vocabulary it's "the trait of one telling Batman what to do".
2. Movie references, movie references everywhere
Like you didn't expect as much from the cover. Granted, there are usually a billion popculture jokes in this book already, but you'll be hard pressed to find a single page in this thing that doesn't allude to a movie, whether it's blatant (I love the guy who goes "How Cronenberg!" at the gory death of one character) to more subtle (like how Blue Beetle's undercover name is George Bailey. Hey, I've seen that movie once, it's subtle to me!). Manga Khan obviously makes a Star Trek joke, like we've been waiting for him to do for several issues.
^^^Other things that brings me JLI-related joy: A) Batman yelling at Booster and Beetle like they're his deadbeat kids. B) Booster and Beetle acting like they're Batman's deadbeat kids. C) Ohmigosh Beetle's blue bowtie!
3. Is it me or is it getting all bara in here
Not only is this one of the first stories featuring Booster and Beetle getting their own mission to team up for, they screw it up almost immediately and get captured and scruffy and half-naked. Yezzz.
So hairy.
Soon Fire drops from the sky in only her stripy red underwear too, making this the nakedest JLI story to date. If the image of Batman flanked by three near-naked superheroes saving the day doesn't put a smile on your face I jes' don't know how to please you mister.
Notice how four of these joy-inducing elements (Maxwell Lord - currently Batman's disguise; Movie reference; Batman being all grumpy-dad; Nigh-naked goofy superhero) gather in one glorious panel as Booster inexplicably goes all My Fair Lady on us:
4. Manga KHAAAAAAN
Because no, it's not just half of JLI running around being all incompetent undercover agents, because this arch's big villain is an alien robot dude (seriously, I haven't finished this arch yet so I can't say anything for certain) and his name is Manga Khan and he's a big old capitalist and he takes night-courses on spaceship log writing and enjoys SHOUTING TO HIMSELF - and seriously, he would be so incredibly annoying rather than funny had he been written by anyone but Giffen and DeMatteis.
But Manga Khan is great, especially in conjunction with his assistant L-Ron (YES HE'S CALLED L-RON):
Had I wanted anything different in these two issues it would be that Mister Miracle didn't spend them both unconcious (also get rid of Gnort. Seriously, fuck Gnort), but that's more than made up for by the inclusion of Big Barda (!!).
5. Batman is undercover as... Bruce Wayne!
Because apparently Wayne owed him a favour from before and therefore let him (Batman) pose as him (Bruce Wayne) and after all Batman is brilliant at disguises AND OH GOD I LOVE THIS BIT I SERIOUSLY ADORE THIS WRITING.
I never thought I'd ever truly learn to love non-camp Batman, but this is it (and no, I wouldn't say this is camp Batman, but it's certainly funny Batman). This series seriously made me love Batman. And I've never written another paragraph with so many instances of the word "Batman" before. Batman batman batman.
And then Fire decides she wants to get into Batman's pants and it's all really cute and clever rather than stupid and groanworthy.
Gosh, now I remember what it's like reading comics that are entertaining rather than insanely frustrating!