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Mild Mannered Reviews - JLA Comics

Justice League: The New Frontier Special #1

Justice League: The New Frontier Special #1

Scheduled to arrive in stores: March 5, 2008

Cover date: May 2008

Cover by Darwyn Cooke
Introduction by Darwyn Cooke

"The Greater Good"

Writter: Darwyn Cooke
Penciller: Darwyn Cooke
Inker: Dave Stewart

"Dragstrip Riot"

Writer: Darwyn Cooke
Penciller: David Bullock
Inker: Michael Cho

"The Mother of the Movement"

Writer: Darwyn Cooke
Penciller: J. Bone
Inker: Dave Stewart

Reviewed by: Barry Freiman

Click to enlarge


Introduction

Rip Hunter explains where this comic book fits in continuity.

4Introduction Story - 4: This preface, combined with the mock ads, helps set the nostalgic mood. After all, they're all imaginary stories, aren't they?

"The Greater Good"

Writter: Darwyn Cooke
Penciller: Darwyn Cooke
Inker: Dave Stewart

It's 1955 off the shore of Paradise Island. A clandestine meeting takes place on a yacht. Faraday wants Superman and Wonder Woman to arrest the Batman. Wonder Woman refuses. Superman considers the greater good. Wonder Woman leaves but not before thanking the yacht's owner, Bruce Wayne, for permitting the summit to be held on his boat.

Superman meets with President Eisenhower at Mount Rushmore. Eisenhower reiterates Faraday's orders - bring in the Batman.

In Metropolis, Lex Luthor has been robbed - he's missing a piece of green Kryptonite. Catwoman stole it and hands it over to Batman.

The night that Superman is supposed to sneak-attack the Dark Knight, Batman shines a bat-signal over Gotham. Superman's sneak-attack has been found out. Batman has Superman meet him in an auto graveyard. Batman attacks Superman. Batman (with Alfred's help) leads Superman to the Batcave where he shoots the Man of Steel with a Kryptonite bullet. The fight continues.

Wonder Woman breaks up the fight. She tells Superman he has to trust Batman. Superman says he can't trust someone who wears lead in his cowl to prevent Superman from determining his secret identity. Batman removes his cowl and exposes himself as Bruce Wayne for the first time to Diana and Clark.

In an epilogue, Superman and Batman fake a knock-down-drag-out fight that Superman pretends to lose so that the Batman can continue his mission without government interference.

5"The Greater Good" Story - 5: The story plays like a deleted scene from "New Frontier". It falls somewhere between the time we see a dark Dark Knight whose costume frightens children and the time we see the lighter Dark Knight playing father to a Boy Wonder. The story doesn't say anything particularly new about Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman. The story does say what's not new about the Big Three very well.

5"The Greater Good" Art - 5: The artwork also plays like a deleted scene from "New Frontier". Given it's laid out as a missing chapter, that's the way it's supposed to be.

"Dragstrip Riot"

Writer: Darwyn Cooke
Penciller: David Bullock
Inker: Michael Cho

Robin and Kid Flash team up to rescue Air Force One (and President Kennedy) from Communist saboteurs.

4"Dragstrip Riot" Story - 4: The story loses one point off a perfect score for being derivative of the recently released "Teen Titans" lost annual which has the Titans rescuing President Kennedy.

5"Dragstrip Riot" Art - 5: The story is evocative of the old Robin solo stories from Star Spangled Comics - but with Kid Flash thrown in for lagniappe. It's not easy to work brightly colored sidekicks into the shadows realistically but Bullock and Cho pull it off.

"The Mother of the Movement"

Writer: Darwyn Cooke
Penciller: J. Bone
Inker: Dave Stewart

Wonder Woman and Black Canary investigate the Playboy Club.

5"The Mother of the Movement" Story - 5: Brilliant. Wonder Woman and Black Canary are present at the birth of modern feminism.

5"The Mother of the Movement" Art - 5: The art is perfect for the message. It's presented with a style reminiscent of "Mad Magazine".

5Cover Art - 5: Super-hands across America.

Mild Mannered Reviews

2008

Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

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