60 WEEKS WITH THE JUSTICE LEAGUE: Week 12

Justice League International #12
April ‘88
“Who is Maxwell Lord?”
Keith Giffen: plot and breakdowns
J.M. DeMatteis: script
Kevin Maguire: pencils
Al Gordon: inks
Bob Lappan: letters
Gene D’Angelo: colors
Andy Helfer: nervous breakdowns


Despite the cover’s rather heavy-handed suggestion, Maxwell Lord is indeed a man. To be exact, a wealthy businessman, who just so happens to have partnered with a machine that became self-aware. Naturally, zaniness ensued.

A flashback wades through the duo’s machinations over the past year’s worth of books, and ultimately Max destroys the machine and earns the League’s … forgiveness? Respect? Decoder ring? Something like that. Anyway, the issue is most important for revealing that Green Flame (a.k.a. Fire) and Ice Maiden (a.k.a. Ice)--who will soon become major players in this series--want into the League. Enjoy these two pages in all their glory:

Who the hell is that angry, cigar-dropping man in the last panel? I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter. These two pages are fantastic.

Finally, this issue’s nostalgia alert is brought to you by your public TV station:


The complete 60 Weeks with the Justice League on The Danger Digest:
#1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25/1, #26/2, #27/3, #28/4, #29/5, #30/6, #31/7, #32/8, #33/9, #34/10, #35/11, #36/12, #37/13, #38/14, #39/15, #40/16, #41/17, #42/18, #43/19, #44/20, #45/21, #46/22, #47/23, #48/24, #49/25, #50/26, #51/27, #52/28, #53/29, #54/30, #55/31, #56/32, #57/33, #58/34, #59/35, #60/36


JLI pages copyright DC Comics. 3-2-1 Contact ad copyright … ? Original text copyright Jon D. Witmer/The Danger Digest.

60 WEEKS WITH THE JUSTICE LEAGUE: Week 9

Justice League International #9
Jan. ‘88
“Seeing Red”
Keith Giffen: plot & breakdowns
J.M. DeMatteis: script
Kevin Maguire: pencils
Al Gordon: inks
Bob Lappan: letters
Gene D’Angelo: colors
Andy Helfer: editor

Backup story:
“Brief Encounter”
Giffen: plot & pencils
DeMatteis: script
Gordon: inks
Mas: letters
D’Angelo: colors
Helfer: long lunches


Despite being a tie-in to a crossover event that I ignored at the time and continue to ignore now--and despite the way-lame cover--this was probably the most exciting issue yet of this incarnation of the Justice League. Consider what happens:

Rocket Red reveals he is a Manhunter:

Oberon does his best Harvey Pekar impersonation:

Pelé organizes the official Tang soccer team, which went on to not make it to the 1990 World Cup :

Mr. Miracle quotes every character from Star Wars at the same time:

Ms. Wootenhoffer guns down Maxwell Lord:

On the other hand, the backup story--which reveals that Bialya’s Colonel Rumaan Harjavti is trying to organize his own super team, starting with the Global Guardians’ Jack O’ Lantern (and which, despite the title, has nothing to do with the David Lean film)--plays kinda like this panel stretched out over six pages:


The complete 60 Weeks with the Justice League on The Danger Digest:
#1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25/1, #26/2, #27/3, #28/4, #29/5, #30/6, #31/7, #32/8, #33/9, #34/10, #35/11, #36/12, #37/13, #38/14, #39/15, #40/16, #41/17, #42/18, #43/19, #44/20, #45/21, #46/22, #47/23, #48/24, #49/25, #50/26, #51/27, #52/28, #53/29, #54/30, #55/31, #56/32, #57/33, #58/34, #59/35, #60/36


All images this post copyright DC Comics. Original text copyright Jon D. Witmer/The Danger Digest.

60 WEEKS WITH THE JUSTICE LEAGUE: Week 8

Justice League International #8
Dec. '87
“Moving Day”
Keith Giffen: plot & breakdowns
J.M. DeMatteis: script
Kevin Maguire: pencils
Al Gordon: inker
Bob Lappan: letterer
Gene D’Angelo: colorist
Andy Helfer: editor

Backup story:
“Old News”
Keith Giffen: plot & pencils
J.M. DeMatteis: script
Al Gordon: inks
Bob Lappan: letters
Gene D’Angelo: colors
Andrew Helfer: editor


The main story in this issue is kinda like an episode of Our House, in which J’onn plays the Wilford Brimley role. As such, it’s pretty terrific. Especially when Blue Beetle and Booster Gold--sans costumes--share Chad Allen’s part, shirking their duties at the new Paris embassy in favor of trying of pick up some French ladies.


Eventually, the whole band comes together for what looks like happy hour, which Oberon cuts short in order to alert the League to its first internationally sanctioned mission. Apparently, said mission will unfold in the Millennium crossover series, which I won’t be reading. Here’s hoping issue 9 makes sense anyway.


Following the issue’s front story is a six pager focusing on the Global Guardians, who have been stripped of any real power following the U.N.’s sanctioning of the JLI. Really, though, I’m sure they’d all get along just fine, since the Guardians, like the League, seem mostly interested in interpersonal sniping. Good fun, and I dig Giffen’s pencils.



The complete 60 Weeks with the Justice League on The Danger Digest:
#1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25/1, #26/2, #27/3, #28/4, #29/5, #30/6, #31/7, #32/8, #33/9, #34/10, #35/11, #36/12, #37/13, #38/14, #39/15, #40/16, #41/17, #42/18, #43/19, #44/20, #45/21, #46/22, #47/23, #48/24, #49/25, #50/26, #51/27, #52/28, #53/29, #54/30, #55/31, #56/32, #57/33, #58/34, #59/35, #60/36


All images this post copyright DC Comics. Original text copyright Jon D. Witmer/The Danger Digest.