Review by Ian Keogh
The Justice League Elseworlds series has hardly been a beacon of quality, with Volume 2 especially poor, so do we have any improvement?
Well, once again, prospective readers are likely to be disappointed by the absence of the Justice League as an entity, because they’re only purposefully included as a team over one story, and then very briefly.
The feeling of the barrel being scraped is instituted by the opening ‘Conjurors’, not because it’s intrinsically poor, but because there may be a teaming of heroes, but it’s not the Justice League as we know them. Chuck Dixon introduces a world running on magic stolen by the Phantom Stranger when humanity was in its infancy. Science is shunned and ridiculed, and instead of the super powered Dixon gathers DC’s magical heroes and the Challengers of the Unknown with a late appearance from the Blue Beetle. It’s serviceable action adventure with a tinge of horror, nicely drawn by Eduardo Barreto, but Blue Beetle’s role is negligible and this isn’t the Justice League.
Neither is ‘Flashpoint’ the more famous multiverse shattering Flashpoint, but a three chapter story of a man named Barry Allen crippled in a wheelchair. He was once the Flash, the only superhero in his world, and used by the USA to end global crises until he wasn’t fast enough to evade a bullet from behind. Under Pat McGreal and Norm Breyfogle we do see another member of the Justice League, but it’s a slim tale of opportunity snatched away and betrayal. The ending’s clever, though.
That’s followed by the collection’s highlight as featured on Brian Bolland’s cover. Evan Dorkin has mystical demons Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk going from Earth to alternate Earth slaughtering superheroes. It’s drawn very nicely by an assortment of artists, with the nature of the story ensuring the diverse styles of Stuart Immonen, Sheldon Modoff and Alex Ross can be accommodated alongside Jaime Hernandez, Jay Stephens and Jim Woodring. Dave Gibbons draws more than anyone else, aping an assortment of 1950s and early 1960s superhero art.
The only actual story with a Justice League billing is ‘Created Equal’, and even that’s an anomaly after a virus wipes out every man on Earth other than Superman. However, it has the benefit of Kevin Maguire’s art and Fabian Nicieza’s plot moves into investigations of how might life might continue on Earth in a very literal sense. There’s a leap forward ten years midway through, and what until that point had been very readable begins to fall apart via a reliance on disturbing dreams.
Kyle Rayner, Green Lantern, is recast as an Arabian prince for a reworked version of 1001 Nights. It’s cleverly structured by Terry LaBan to have Prince Ibn Rayner learn about the legend of Al Jhor Dan, who controls a genie. Rebecca Guay’s art evokes a fairy tale look and inserting the heroes into a magical world works very well.
If only seeing individual members isn’t of any great concern, then this is the best of the Justice League Elseworlds collections.
