Review by Frank Plowright

This third bulky collection completes the reprints of Keith Giffen’s inspired late 1980s Justice League relaunch, except by 1991 the inspiration had greatly diminished, and this is a patchy selection of comedy superheroics. The content continues more or less directly from Volume 2.

The highs are best represented by Giffen and chief co-writer J.M. DeMatteis reuniting with original series artist Kevin Maguire in 2004 (sample art) for two volumes originally published as Formerly Known as the Justice League and I Can’t Believe it’s Not the Justice League. Rather than proving the adage of not being able to return home again, the creators are refreshed, and these stories positively sparkle. The core of the series was transforming secondary characters into superheroes to care about as loveable screw-ups, and that’s a restored mood. Assorted chapters investigating the cast as they might be in the then future of 2001 also hit the target, with artists including Dan Jurgens, Chris Sprouse and Ty Templeton drawing short spotlights, and also good is an attempt to change a world. That’s drawn by then new discovery Mike McKone, who’d improve, but this is a strong début.

However, the team’s original departure in ‘Breakdowns’ is a sorry affair, sixteen rambling chapters crossing between Justice League America and Justice League Europe that start well enough, but rapidly lose focus by returning every major series villain one after the other. Dialogue by DeMatteis is still fresh and funny, but Gerard Jones can’t manage the same lightness, and the art ranges from competent to poor, with single chapters drawn by Adam Hughes and Maguire the exceptions. The quality of Hughes is never adequately replaced on one series, and the unappealing art of Bart Sears features on the other. At half the length there might have been something redeemable, but there’s little emotional resonance even in tragedy.

The remainder of the content gathers associated material issued as popularity grew, most written by other creators. We have rehashed origin stories for the major characters, which are passable without being memorable, too many visits for the incompetent former crooks of Justice League Antarctic and an uninspired Guy Gardner solo among others.

The dilemma about JLI Omnibus 3 is that it collects a few good stories unlikely to be reprinted again anywhere else, so glib advice about just picking up the two paperbacks from 2004 and 2005 doesn’t exactly apply. However, it’s one hell of a price to pay for much that’s ordinary or worse.