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Justice League International Omnibus Vol. 1

(Justice League International Omnibus #1)

Keith Giffen,

J.M. DeMatteis,

Kevin Maguire (Illustrations)

4.30 · Rating details · 82 ratings · 13 reviews

Batman leads a team of unlikely heroes in these satirical 1980s adventures co-starring Black Canary, Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Martian Manhunter, Mister Miracle and more. Can an unlikely new Justice League lineup work as a unit to stop terrorists at the U.N., the Royal Flush Gang, and other threats--or will they succumb to squabbling and bad jokes?
Pairing humor with hard ...more

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Hardcover, 1080 pages

Published October 17th 2017 by DC Comics

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· 82 ratings · 13 reviews

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May 29, 2020 Baba rated it liked it

Shelves: dc-reads-kapow

The ground breaking rebirth of the JLA with a new name and concept… tongue-in-cheek humour! Works really well, and at the time an outrageous gamble enacted on DC's premiere team franchise! 6 out of 12. I read the comic books Justice League #1-6, Justice League International #7-25, Justice League Europe #1-6, JLI Annuals #1-3 etc.

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Dec 03, 2019 Shannon Appelcline rated it really liked it

Shelves: comics, comics-dc

One of the most well-loved Justice League comics ever, Keith Giffen's JLI was probably informed in part by Justice League: The Detroit Era Omnibus, a comic which was mocked and dismissed in its time (but which has gotten the last laugh, both in modern-day appreciation and in the influence on the CW Flash show). Like Detroit, Giffen's JLI brings together many of DC's lesser heroes, to create a comic that could be more about the evolution and changes in those characters, and less about the latest One of the most well-loved Justice League comics ever, Keith Giffen's JLI was probably informed in part by Justice League: The Detroit Era Omnibus, a comic which was mocked and dismissed in its time (but which has gotten the last laugh, both in modern-day appreciation and in the influence on the CW Flash show). Like Detroit, Giffen's JLI brings together many of DC's lesser heroes, to create a comic that could be more about the evolution and changes in those characters, and less about the latest Big Bad to fight.

But what a difference an author makes. Giffen stumbled upon a formula for JLI that took those opportunities for deep characterization and really expanded that to create real seeming people. And somewhere along the line Giffen couldn't help but make it funny too. Sometimes hilariously funny, and that's what made JLI (and later JLE) a hit.

As for the plots: most people probably remember the Max Lord mystery that ran the first year, and which had a somewhat moving finish. And the skirmishes with Bialya and maybe even the hilarious interactions with Manga Khan and L-Ron. All of whom fill out the first two years or so of JLI. Giffen really did a marvelous job of creating his own mythology for the Justice League, one which he'd return to and expand over time.

And Giffen's use of these particular heroes has powered their popularity and defined their characters for decades. Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Fire, and Ice were truly the core of this League and become very real people in this volume. But it's also great to remember Oreo-loving J'onn, manipulative Max, one-punch Guy Gardener, and so many others. It's actually surprising how fast Giffen goes through characters other than his core four, but in doing so, he manages to offer up a really nice cross-section of the DC Universe of the late '80s.

These were foundational issues that continue to be quite strong, so it's great that DC finally got them into an Omnibus (with V2, containing one hopes all of the uncollected Giffen issues, due in 2020). ...more

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Sep 11, 2020 Dan rated it liked it

I was loving this, at first, but it quickly became tiresome...a little of the Giffen/DeMatteis Justice League goes a LOOOONG way. By the end, I was crying out for it to stop. This book is a steal at the $99.00 cover price, the restored colors are a big improvement on the originals, and there's a lot of fun to be had here, but the relentlessly jokey attitude, and the massive blocks of text, and the unexplained tie-ins to MILLENNIUM, INVASION, and SUICIDE SQUAD, as well as the close continuity to ...more

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Dec 03, 2018 ダンカン rated it really liked it

Shelves: comics

Superman. Batman. Wonder Woman. Aquaman. The Flash. Green Lantern. Martian Manhunter. These are the original Justice League of America.

... and then, there is Justice League International. Guy Gardner. Blue Beetle. Booster Gold. Mister Miracle. Captain Atom. Ice. Fire... and whoever joins. Here's the difference - these are not your usual superhero team. With dialogues written by J.M. DeMatteis and plot lines by Keith Giffen with art by Kevin Maguire, what you have is a winning formula of a succes

...more

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Jul 08, 2020 William Thomas rated it it was amazing

This book is a gigantic, wonderful, sloppy mess. It makes zero sense to me now, made zero sense to me back then, and that fact doesn't spoil my joy a bit. Wouldn't exactly recommend it for people who are not invested in the characters or the series as a nostalgia trip because, damn, the editors did not give a single shit that it didn't make sense, couldn't tie any of the runs together and is like a movie missing reels every now and then so it feels choppy.

Grade: A ...more

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Mar 14, 2018 Onur Kaya rated it liked it

Shelves: current-collection

Başta çok iyi başlayan bir run, komedi ağırlıklı. Şu günün Marvel filmlerinden yaklaşık beş kat falan daha cıvık, sesli güldüğüm çok an da oldu ama ilerledikçe espri mantalitesi biraz eskiyor ve kendini tekrarlamaya başlıyor. Hikaye konu gidişatını esprileri yapmak için araç olarak kullandığından da, komedi bir kere kendini tekrara başladı mı, diğer taraflardan kompanse edemiyor kitap. Sonlara geldiğimde "artık bitse de gitsek" modundaydım. Devamı alınacaklar listemde öncelikli olmayacak. ...more

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Feb 27, 2018 Jason Luna rated it it was amazing

The Justice League Of America (JLA) that everyone knows had some editorial problems in the 80s and got cancelled. So this book isn't really different from that Justice League other than the fact that it was a fresh start and a new team.

In pragmatic terms, JLI is a little more self-referential/humorous than its JLA predecessor, and also no Superman whatever that's worth.

Considering it was two plus years in the making since the cancellation of JLA, it makes sense that "Justice League #1", the debu ...more

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May 10, 2018 Michael Emond rated it really liked it

First off - great value in this omnibus with over 1000 pages. This rebirth of the team took place after Crisis on Infinite Earths and spun off from the mini-series Legends. The last rebirth of the team was called the Detroit era and I remember it being boring and bad. Aquaman the team leader? Not a great choice. Having the team made up of mostly new heroes that are were so bad out of all of them only Vixen is still mentioned in the DC universe on a regular basis (yeah, I know Vibe and Gypsy show First off - great value in this omnibus with over 1000 pages. This rebirth of the team took place after Crisis on Infinite Earths and spun off from the mini-series Legends. The last rebirth of the team was called the Detroit era and I remember it being boring and bad. Aquaman the team leader? Not a great choice. Having the team made up of mostly new heroes that are were so bad out of all of them only Vixen is still mentioned in the DC universe on a regular basis (yeah, I know Vibe and Gypsy showed up in TV Flash but only their names are the same). The only good thing about the Detroit era is the Martian Manhunter came back - I am not sure why he had disappeared in the 70's.

This version of the JL was story boarded by Keith Giffen, dialogued by J.M. Dematteis (weird that Giffen couldn't dialogue his own stories) and drawn by new comer Kevin Maguire. When I first read these comics it was instant love. This was the height of the comic era when new exciting series flew off the shelf. It was called the "Dark Era" by some because of Watchmen (Moore), The Dark Knight (Miller) and the Killing Joke (Moore) but this comic was fun and silly (a but too silly as I read them today). And the art by Kevin was a revelation. He wasn't great at action scenes but he could not be matched for facial expressions.
Rereading this collection all at once, it doesn't hold together as well as it seemed to when I read it on a monthly basis. The Maxwell Lord storyline makes little sense and the story arcs weren't that well constructed. The mix of story and humour was MUCH better at the start of the series and went too far into silliness near the end.
We also - for some reason - get the first 5 issues of JL Europe in this omnibus. An odd choice but it is interesting to see this spin off. I didn't like it at the time (the depiction of Wally West is particularly distasteful today with his sexual harassment of Power Girl) but it is a fun read.
Overall - this brought back memories of a series that I loved so much at the time. I think it hasn't aged as well as some of the other series I loved but it is still fun. ...more

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Feb 24, 2019 B rated it liked it

Shelves: borrowed

Enough already. Everyone is a kidder. Everyone is joking. There are no stakes. There aren't even any straight men. Booster Gold and Blue Beetle get along so well because they're THE SAME CHARACTER.

It seems clear that Giffen and DeMatteis do not want to tell a superhero story -- you know one with a big fight. Or one where a villains builds a plan step by step. Or one where the powers really matter. This is to a superhero comic as Newsradio is to a story about a radio station. (The headquarters f ...more

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Feb 03, 2020 Danny Whitaker rated it it was amazing

Shelves: comic

This omnibus really has it all. I am so happy to have it in my collection. This is the second omnibus I have gotten through and I am more than pleased. This creative team is among "the greats" in not just DC, but comics in general. Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis write all of these characters so flawlessly and capture fantastic humor that is its own kind of a rarity in this genre. Not to mention one of the best artists in the industry, Kevin Maguire, master of the facial expression. Seeing all t ...more

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Jul 29, 2018 Daniel McTaggart rated it it was amazing

If you're gonna read a gigando-mongo-rific tome of comic book goodness, THIS is the one! In the mid-1980s, the Justice League kinda fizzled out as DC's flagship title. The team had very few original members, if any at times, and felt like a third-rate book in some eyes. Then Crisis on Infinite Earths happened. Then Legends happened. The JL was restarted and revamped with some classic members and a few interesting surprises. The book started out kinda serious, but due to the diligence of an unkno ...more

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Aug 06, 2019 Greg rated it it was amazing

In 1989 or 1990, I read a comic about a superhero (Mr Miracle) struggling to pull off a summer bbq with his Justice League buddies at his suburban NJ home, and it either rewrote or help establish my taste in humor and comics. JLI was important to me during my formative years and although less special in a world with Venture Bros., various versions of The Tick, Doom Patrol, The Boys, etc. it still works to establish an offbeat, everything-will-ultimately-be-ok extended universe outside of the tra ...more

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Aug 29, 2019 Rj Veit rated it it was amazing

Incredible. The joker hit or miss annual where joker shows up to the JLI bbq and the Jle issue where both the league and their villains attend the same french class are perfection.

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About Keith Giffen

Keith Giffen

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Keith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer. He is possibly best-known for his long runs illustrating, and later writing the Legion of Super-Heroes title in the 1980s and 1990s. He also created the alien mercenary character Lobo (with Roger Slifer), and the irreverent "want-to-be" hero, Ambush Bug. Giffen is known for having an unorthodox writing style, often using characters Keith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer. He is possibly best-known for his long runs illustrating, and later writing the Legion of Super-Heroes title in the 1980s and 1990s. He also created the alien mercenary character Lobo (with Roger Slifer), and the irreverent "want-to-be" hero, Ambush Bug. Giffen is known for having an unorthodox writing style, often using characters in ways not seen before. His dialogue is usually characterized by a biting wit that is seen as much less zany than dialogue provided by longtime collaborators DeMatteis and Robert Loren Fleming. That approach has brought him both criticism and admiration, as perhaps best illustrated by the mixed (although commercially successful) response to his work in DC Comics' Justice League International (1987-1992). He also plotted and was breakdown artist for an Aquaman limited series and one-shot special in 1989 with writer Robert Loren Fleming and artist Curt Swan for DC Comics.

Giffen's first published work was "The Sword and The Star", a black-and-white series featured in Marvel Preview, with writer Bill Mantlo. He has worked on titles (owned by several different companies) including Woodgod, All Star Comics, Doctor Fate, Drax the Destroyer, Heckler, Nick Fury's Howling Commandos, Reign of the Zodiac, Suicide Squad, Trencher (to be re-released in a collected edition by Boom! Studios)., T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and Vext. He was also responsible for the English adaptation of the Battle Royale and Ikki Tousen manga, as well as creating "I Luv Halloween" for Tokyopop. He also worked for Dark Horse from 1994-95 on their Comics Greatest World/Dark Horse Heroes line, as the writer of two short lived series, Division 13 and co-author, with Lovern Kindzierski, of Agents of Law. For Valiant Comics, Giffen wrote XO-Manowar, Magnus, Robot Fighter, Punx and the final issue of Solar, Man of the Atom.

He took a break from the comic industry for several years, working on storyboards for television and film, including shows such as The Real Ghostbusters and Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy.

He is also the lead writer for Marvel Comics's Annihilation event, having written the one-shot prologue, the lead-in stories in Thanos and Drax, the Silver Surfer as well as the main six issues mini-series. He also wrote the Star-Lord mini-series for the follow-up story Annihilation: Conquest. He currently writes Doom Patrol for DC, and is also completing an abandoned Grant Morrison plot in The Authority: the Lost Year for Wildstorm. ...more