Customer Reviews

JLA: Liberty and Justice

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The classic silver age Justice League of America save the world one more time. All of the old familiar members are here: Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Atom, Martian Manhunter, as well as the "associate members" from Black Canary to Zatanna. Yet they all fit together perfectly- for this is primarily a tale of teamwork for the greater good. There is no squabbling and conflict of egos here. That is because these are all men and women whose only reason to BE is to help those who need their help. Each individual member has been gifted with powers and abilities that would enable them to easily overwhelm ordinary men and rule as kings or queens- yet none of them would consider such a thing for an instant. Individually and collectively the League stands for liberty and justice. They are altruism, and incorruptibility, incarnate. Their code is simple: Wherever lives are threatened, a champion will fight to save them. On land or sea the rules are simple, those who use force will find it returned in kind- and killing is never tolerated.

If the League has flaw, it lies in the fact that they are too powerful, too perfect. Lesser men hold them in suspicion. When a super-plague breaks out in Africa they are hard pressed to maintain their sacred trust in the face of global fury and desperation. And yet they do, for they know that their greatest power comes from the belief that the people have in them as allies and friends.

I have read all of the Paul Dini and Alex Ross collaborations. I won't say that this one is my favorite- what I will say is that they are all good.

It's clear where Dini and Ross's sympathies lie regarding the DC Comics universe: the Justice League members presented here are the Silver Age versions, right down to the Flash being Barry Allen and sporting a crew cut. The story even follows the Gardner Fox basic formula of breaking the team (and it's mission) into smaller parts.
However this isn't a retro piece. The Martian Manhunter engages in deep thematic introspection Gardner Fox would never have dreamed of and all the characters, Flash in particular, have moments of subtle humanity. Humanity, ultimately, is what the whole book is about.
Ross's paintings are exquisite, improving (IMO) on some of his earlier model choices for these characters. In some instances, it is more like looking at a film still than a painting.
If you like beautiful art, if you like your Justice League old school, and if you didn't get this for the holidays, get it for yourself now.

I am a dyed-in-the-wool, comic book loving fool and the Justice League has long been my favorite team/book so this purchase was a no-brainer. Enough has been written about the talent of Alex Ross that I don't need to prattle on about the art (okay, it's exactly what you'd expect from Ross--amazing). The story by Paul Dini is nothing revolutionary but it's solid and shows great respect for the history of the characters, individually and as a team. Appearances by many "second-tier" Leaguers--Atom, Black Canary, Red Freakin' Tornado (!) to name just a few--are a bonus for any big time DC fan (like me). Of the five "tabloid" books on which Ross & Dini collaborated, this one is my favorite.

When I ordered mine from Amazon, I was a little concerned about the condition the book would be in when it arrived. I was quite pleased that it arrived shrink-wrapped to a good stiff piece of cardboard inside the box. The book is in absolutely pristine condition.

Great stuff all the way around.

All of the Dini/Ross DC collaborations are worth getting just for Alex Ross's beautiful artwork, but at times the stories have tended to be a bit on the dull side with no supervillains (usually just social ills the hero or heroine is facing) and a little too much moralizing. But here Dini gets it just about right with a fine story centering upon a deadly virus attacking the central Congo, and the Leaguers' attempts not just to contain and eliminate the virus but to deal with the chaos the virus creates over the world and the resulting fear and mistrust generated when the Leaguers in effect have to establish a kind of martial law very briefly to prevent panic and looting. The complex and grand ethical issues Dini is interested in considering are still, but you don;t feel this time you're being preached to.

The art is spectacular. Not only does the story concern the "Magnificent Seven" that have present from the League's beginning (Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Batman, Aquaman, Superman, and the Martian Manhunter) but many of the other Leaguers whom people have come to adore over hte years: Zatanna, Hawkman and Hawkwoman, the Atom, the Red Tornado, etc. And it's lovely to see Ross have the chance to draw some of the characters from the heroes' supporting casts: Mera, Pieface, Iris Allen West. This is confident work superbly executed and superbly judged, and its to the core of what people have loved about the idea of a Justice League over the past fifty years.

Very entertaining story. Spectacular Artwork. If you like the work of Paul Dini and Alex Ross then you cant go wrong with this one.

The design and work of Ross show us he is over the top, even if the work is based in simple but effective visual elements. The story is good but it could be deeper, like more psychological issues between the characters.
In summary "a must have" for the Ross' fans.

If you're a DC fan of a certain age, you will certainly appreciate this breathtaking graphic novel which features the superheroes (and a few super villains) from the classic DC Comics Universe!

The story is eerily timely and the characters seductively drawn (there are definite moments when "Atom" and "Wonder Woman" merit a Parent Guidance advisory), but no one does it better than Alex Ross. If only Hollywood would learn to appreciate his gift to comics the way that James Cameron utilized Ken Marschall's artistic talents when it came to the TITANIC.

A joy to read for the story...and a feast for the eyes. Love, love, love it!

This is a great book to get. Not only is the artwork of Alex Ross excellent, they have a great story as well. At times it gets a little cheesy but that's something you get with all super hero tales. This book is really like watching a well-done movie on the Justice League. The artwork is simply great and it should redefine the way comics are created today. There's no reason super heroes can't be portrayed realistically, rather than the Saturday-cartoon style that we are used to. This book was very enjoyable and well worth the money.

What sets Liberty and Justice apart from the other over-sized Dini and Ross collaborations is that the story is no longer focussing on a single character (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc). We are treated to seeing the major players from the Justice League of America, all of whom have their own distinct personalities. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are the same beloved characters that we've seen Ross render before, but the inclusions of Flash, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Atom are welcome additions. We even see some of the lesser known League members (Zatana and Plastic Man to name but two), each of whom add a new element of "superheroism" to the story. The artwork is fabulous, as one would expect from Ross... probably his best work since Kingdom Come. Dini provides us with a strong story as well, serving up a compliment of character driven conversations and larger than life action. The plot provides a threat large enough to require a full compliment of Earth's mightiest heroes, but is focussed enough to give us a little peak into each character's mind. Excellent stuff. I highly recommend Liberty and Justice for fans of Ross and Dini's other works or for comic book fans in general.

This is a great story, Alex Ross is a master of painted comic art and Paul Dini is an exceptional writer. The combination of the two on this book is nothing less than AWESOME!! I Highly recommend this book.