Review by Frank Plowright
Justice League Elite is Joe Kelly asking what constitutes a hero. The Justice League are by necessity above board and honourable in all their dealings, fighting the good fight applying standards. In the 21st century, though, are the threats such that their standards are restricting their activities and costing innocent lives?
Kelly’s method of introducing the Elite is novel, being completely through the perceptions of others. While some are mentioned by name, the team themselves aren’t seen for some while, and puzzlingly, when they are, there are distinct parallels with the Authority. It’s a pastiche with a point to make, but the opening chapter is high on sensationalism and low on cohesion.
His second take on the Elite is more satisfying with greater purpose, introducing an organisation not willing to have today’s dangers perpetuated by talking. A recap fills in other events and what starts as a standard superhero battle, if spectacularly drawn by Doug Mahnke, becomes something more interesting due to divisions among the Justice League. However, Kelly’s writing can irritate for presenting something as happening and then having a flashback explain.
The series that develops implants Flash and Green Arrow among relatively new characters and former villain Major Disaster in what’s effectively a black ops squad doing everything necessary to keep the world safe. It’s better than the prologues for treating the Elite as individuals with personalities, some objectionable, rather than as people for the Justice League to punch. A code of operation as explained to world leaders on the sample art sums up their aims. The speaker is Naif al-Sheikh, a fascinating character by virtue of being in effect the team’s conscience and taking his faith seriously.
There would be an easy option of setting up a team of retributive killers, but that’s not Kelly’s path. While establishing targets as appalling specimens, he constantly has the team members questioning and justifying, but works this into viable plots with tense situations and clever solutions. Mahnke sells the action solidly, but also the conversations. However, Justice League Elite really pushes the boundaries for a mainstream superhero title, and Mahnke’s visual restraint can be borderline.
Some wrong notes manifest, notably Green Arrow coming across as too sleazy, but Kelly removes Major Disaster from a designated joke and introduces enough intriguing new personalities to make Volume Two desirable, false start notwithstanding.
