Review by Frank Plowright

When the Justice League’s animated show switched title to Justice League Unlimited, so did the comic. The animated show broadly incorporated every DC hero into the Justice League, while following its predecessor in drawing the threats primarily from DC’s simpler 1960s material, and including a character arc alongside the action. It’s a formula that Adam Beechen transfers exceptionally well to comics.

Beechen begins with an interesting problem, such as the Justice League’s most powerful members having to isolate themselves due to no longer always controlling their actions or the possibility of Superman cheating at poker, and builds from there. Even more so than the TV series, Beechen varies the characters under the spotlight. There’s always a supporting cast, but the featured characters in his final three stories are the Atom, Adam Strange and Blue Beetle, all solid servers rather than headliners, but Beechen ensures readers appreciate why they’re heroes.

Carlo Barberi draws four of the five stories, also taking his cue from the animation in presenting bulky, barrel-chested, square-shouldered men and slim women while keeping the settings simple. Given he’s aiming at a younger audience he also prioritises clarity, yet these are attractive pages. It’s easy to see why he’s the regular artist and Ethen Beavers occasionally fills in. Beavers is a talented cartoonist, but the clarity is sometimes absent and his panels can be crowded, whereas Barberi is a master of space.

This is a series aimed at young readers, but simplicity and clarity are hardly negative virtues, and any fan of the Justice League’s 1960s incarnation ought to love what Beechen and Barberi supply.

There are five Justice League Unlimited collections in this original run, but apart from an occasional reference to a previous encounter with a villain there’s no continuity. World’s Greatest Heroes is the next collection, but any volume can be picked up and enjoyed individually.