comixology:

A comiXologist Recommends A Comic That Brings Them Joy:
Jen Keith recommends Justice League International

Plenty of people have a comfort food, but there can also be comfort comics – a book to give you joy when you need it most. I offer up my recommendation to this comic potluck, and that dish is Justice League International.

In 1987, Keith Giffen and JM DeMatteis along with artist Kevin Maguire set out to make a Justice League book, but there was a condition: due to conflicting story lines, they couldn’t use most of the regulars like Superman, Wonder Woman, or Aquaman. Thus the controlled chaos of a bunch of second-string heroes came together to form a cast that operated more like an episode of Friends than a straight-laced superhero team.

JLI presents a lighter side of the increasingly grittier superhero genre. With an abundant supply of pop culture jokes and political jabs, it offers charmingly dated humor and references. Batman cracks Star Trek jokes. The Martian Manhunter stocks his beloved Oreos by the crate. Mr. Miracle with Barda and Elongated Man with Sue are some of the sweetest DC married couples to date.
Sure, they fight monsters, dictators, and even each other, but they also take French classes, go on dates, and attempt doomed get-rich-quick schemes. Things do veer towards the dark, perhaps all the darker in the face of the comedic overtones, but however inept, the team proves time and time again that they were the stuff of heroes.

With a wide cast of rotating characters, there’s a favorite for everyone. It has no shortage of strong ladies; characters like Black Canary, Fire, Ice, Big Barda, Power Girl, and Dr. Light take charge and often leave their male Leaguers cowed in the face of their fierceness.

Now’s a great time to go back to the roots as Giffen and DeMatteis are still at it with the ongoing Justice League 3000. They recently brought the infamous Blue Beetle and Booster Gold team-up back, and Fire and Ice are soon to follow. The JLI portrayal of these characters is still loved, and that reflects the joy JLI gave its fans, not to mention the joy it seems to give Giffen and DeMatteis themselves. When a creator loves what they’re working on, it’s pretty easy to tell.

Reading JLI is hanging out with your ridiculous friends without having to chip in the cost of property damage. It’s bwa-ha-ha-ing over inside jokes and taking the good with the bad. Justice League International is a great series, and I wish you all the joy these Superbuddies can provide.

[Read Justice League International on comiXology]

Jen Keith is a Digital Editor at comiXology, comic artist, music addict, and has not stopped bwa-ha-ha-ing over JLI since she read it.

CX Recommends Classics