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Justice League International (2011)
Justice League International, Volume 2: Breakdown
Trying to collect themselves after an extra-terrestrial attack and death of a teammate, members of Justice League International expected to bask in glory and appreciation. However, Booster Gold, Guy Gardner, Batman and company are learning that's not the case as a new threat, one far more dangerous than anyone dared suspect. Called Breakdown, he emerges and attacks with dire results, forever altering the team and sending it in a bold, new and unexpected direction!
Collecting: Justice League International #7-12, The Fury Of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #9 and Justice League International Annual #1.
Collecting: Justice League International #7-12, The Fury Of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #9 and Justice League International Annual #1.
200 pages, Paperback
First published December 8, 2012
3 people are currently reading
242 people want to read
About the author
Dan Jurgens
2,239 books288 followersDan Jurgens is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for his work on the DC comic book storyline "The Death of Superman" and for creating characters such as Doomsday, Hank Henshaw, and Booster Gold. Jurgens had a lengthy run on the Superman comic books including The Adventures of Superman, Superman vol. 2 and Action Comics. At Marvel, Jurgens worked on series such as Captain America, The Sensational Spider-Man and was the writer on Thor for six years. He also had a brief run as writer and artist on Solar for Valiant Comics in 1995.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
April 27, 2021
(C+) 67% | Almost Satisfactory
Notes: Its protagonists are pathetic posers: piss-and-moan protectors puling about powerlessness and piteous predicaments.
Notes: Its protagonists are pathetic posers: piss-and-moan protectors puling about powerlessness and piteous predicaments.
June 1, 2014
In my continuing quest to throw myself on the New 52 landmines before they can take down more of my Goodreads Gang of homeboys and girls, I read yet another master of garbage: Dan Jurgens! I think his last name is Jurgens because you need to wash yourself after reading this stuff (Jergens Soap).
So at the end of the last volume, some baddies blew up the UN with all of the JLI inside. Sadly, they should have left the series dead right there, and sporadically have some of the characters show up elsewhere when they wanted to...or kill them all and not worry about it. So the bomb does some major damage, taking out 4 of the team members from Vol. 1, and one of those is straight up dead. Yup. They kill off a team member in issue 7. 2 more have serious injuries, and the third is in a coma; I wish I were her, because then I would have been in a coma and unable to suffer through this shit.
Funny part is, they didn't even take out the most useless member.
Batman is a part of this team, but not really, but he kinda is the most important too. It all feels like this is an audition for Booster Gold to make an impression on Bats.
Because of all the shit that goes down, the team needs new people, and actually gets 2 new ones, one randomly, and the other a conveniently placed Bat-Family member who is connected to one of the fallen.
Then there's the bad guys: OH MY SWEET LORD. One can control um electronic signals or something? Sorta like X-Man Cypher, but way less defined, and not so X-Man-y. The leader touches people and makes them rot down to their atoms/elements (that actually sounds pretty badass, but they make him long-winded and give absolutely no motivation other than 'the world is corrupt, we should start from scratch so everyone is equal' (what an original concept!...said no one ever.) This was also done much better in Fight Club by Edward Norton. Then there's a dude who makes things out of light, the way Green Lanterns make things from their willpower and green ring stuff. Oh and there's a guy who wears terrible sunglasses and plays video games...shockingly, he's not much of a factor, and I think he only exists because a bad group of three would just be too embarrassing for the JLI to have been taken out by.
So Dan Jurgens has NO imagination, and also seems to think it's 1992.
Here's some sample dialogue, that I kept my eye on for your pleasure:
Booster has just been talking to Skeets (his robot buddy/admin assistant - they're from the future don't you know?)
Iron Genral: Who were you talking to?
Booster: My assistant Skeets. Handles all my info, logistics, scheduling and social media needs.
Godiva: Social Media?
Booster:Ya, 100,000 plus followers on My FaceSpace Page and counting. Not that it matters on a day like this. (all while holding the body (maybe alive, maybe dead) of some poor civilian in the wreckage.
So um...if it doesn't matter, why does he even have to mention it in the first place Danny boy? Ugh. So completely stupid. I know Booster is supposed to be light, and somewhat comedic, but even he should know better, which he can't when written by Jurgens.
While standing in the hospital room of a fallen teammate, he and Godiva get a little close...not kissy, but there, after a somewhat touching moment.
UNTIL!!!!
Godiva: AWKWARRRD!
Booster:For Sure.
Ugh...really? Great joke Dan! That's so of the moment...if it were 10 yrs ago.
Then again...10yrs out of date is progress for Mr. Dan Jurgens...so...maybe I shouldn't harp.
There are more, but I cannot bear to let them be printed and read by more humans that necessary...some sort of Geneva Convention rules...
So the new teammates show up in the usual 90s style, they start as adversaries, fighting the team, but are joining before the end of the issue.
No questions asked, just sure, Batman vouches for both these guys...OK.
Then they go off to PARIS!!! Because? The Eifel Tower is about to collapse! (Think maybe Jurgens realized this was JL-INTERNATIONAL???Oops. must go somewhere not American.
Oh and, there's a bunch of Firestorms (as in the character) going all crazy like...way to throw in some shit we have no understanding of...plus I thought they were dead? Firestorm(s) that is.
Anyhoo...The team actually gets captured by the Z-List baddies described above...except the very next issue, even though he was captured, Batman is not there...at all...for the whole issue...like somehow we don't notice DC's biggest character (and justification for JLI to exist) not there...I bet that was the worst selling single issue. Except they break free, and end up actually killing 2 of the baddies...well, one directly, and the other a few minutes later, but not before he gives his power to his twin brother with his last breath...OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Broseph don't like this, so attacks the team when they're at the graveyard for their dead teammate. Surprisingly he's all good with this power, and of course, Batman is there again now, no explanation...and he stops him. Then the explanation is that he's ex-military so he's got the skills...ok but he was USING SUPERPOWERS HE GOT DAYS EARLIER BETTER THAN HIS BROTHER WHO HAD THEM FOREVER DID.
Anyhoo...this was the last ish of the series, and Batman and one other member walk away from the team, but he gives Booster yet another pep talk (I dunno why he likes him so much, but OK). This leaves a team of 5, who vow to continue on.
That would be it, other than the JLI Annual, by Geoff Johns...OF COURSE GEOFF JOHNS.
Here, they get their 2 new members (one of whom is the abysmally bad rebooted Blue Beetle (the same one who Booster vowed NEVER to be friends with - in BB Vol. 2 - ALSO CANCELLED!!!)). They're really scraping barrel now.
The peeps all get taken down by one of the team members who's possessed. Of course he is.
The only interesting thing here is that we get some info revealed about the forthcoming Future's End Event...and I only know this because I got that Issue #0 on Free Comic Book Day. That alone gave this collection the 2nd star...otherwise it was a mess.
When Geoff Johns improves your book, you know it wasn't good.
Don't waste the time kiddies. I curse my library for this one.
Booster I like, Guy I don't. Godiva...whatevs yo. Iron General is probably the only new-ish character from the whole series who I thought had decent potential. Will like to see if he re-surfaces sometime - according to the Annual he will.
Dear God that better be it for shitty New 52...
So at the end of the last volume, some baddies blew up the UN with all of the JLI inside. Sadly, they should have left the series dead right there, and sporadically have some of the characters show up elsewhere when they wanted to...or kill them all and not worry about it. So the bomb does some major damage, taking out 4 of the team members from Vol. 1, and one of those is straight up dead. Yup. They kill off a team member in issue 7. 2 more have serious injuries, and the third is in a coma; I wish I were her, because then I would have been in a coma and unable to suffer through this shit.
Funny part is, they didn't even take out the most useless member.
Batman is a part of this team, but not really, but he kinda is the most important too. It all feels like this is an audition for Booster Gold to make an impression on Bats.
Because of all the shit that goes down, the team needs new people, and actually gets 2 new ones, one randomly, and the other a conveniently placed Bat-Family member who is connected to one of the fallen.
Then there's the bad guys: OH MY SWEET LORD. One can control um electronic signals or something? Sorta like X-Man Cypher, but way less defined, and not so X-Man-y. The leader touches people and makes them rot down to their atoms/elements (that actually sounds pretty badass, but they make him long-winded and give absolutely no motivation other than 'the world is corrupt, we should start from scratch so everyone is equal' (what an original concept!...said no one ever.) This was also done much better in Fight Club by Edward Norton. Then there's a dude who makes things out of light, the way Green Lanterns make things from their willpower and green ring stuff. Oh and there's a guy who wears terrible sunglasses and plays video games...shockingly, he's not much of a factor, and I think he only exists because a bad group of three would just be too embarrassing for the JLI to have been taken out by.
So Dan Jurgens has NO imagination, and also seems to think it's 1992.
Here's some sample dialogue, that I kept my eye on for your pleasure:
Booster has just been talking to Skeets (his robot buddy/admin assistant - they're from the future don't you know?)
Iron Genral: Who were you talking to?
Booster: My assistant Skeets. Handles all my info, logistics, scheduling and social media needs.
Godiva: Social Media?
Booster:Ya, 100,000 plus followers on My FaceSpace Page and counting. Not that it matters on a day like this. (all while holding the body (maybe alive, maybe dead) of some poor civilian in the wreckage.
So um...if it doesn't matter, why does he even have to mention it in the first place Danny boy? Ugh. So completely stupid. I know Booster is supposed to be light, and somewhat comedic, but even he should know better, which he can't when written by Jurgens.
While standing in the hospital room of a fallen teammate, he and Godiva get a little close...not kissy, but there, after a somewhat touching moment.
UNTIL!!!!
Godiva: AWKWARRRD!
Booster:For Sure.
Ugh...really? Great joke Dan! That's so of the moment...if it were 10 yrs ago.
Then again...10yrs out of date is progress for Mr. Dan Jurgens...so...maybe I shouldn't harp.
There are more, but I cannot bear to let them be printed and read by more humans that necessary...some sort of Geneva Convention rules...
So the new teammates show up in the usual 90s style, they start as adversaries, fighting the team, but are joining before the end of the issue.
No questions asked, just sure, Batman vouches for both these guys...OK.
Then they go off to PARIS!!! Because? The Eifel Tower is about to collapse! (Think maybe Jurgens realized this was JL-INTERNATIONAL???Oops. must go somewhere not American.
Oh and, there's a bunch of Firestorms (as in the character) going all crazy like...way to throw in some shit we have no understanding of...plus I thought they were dead? Firestorm(s) that is.
Anyhoo...The team actually gets captured by the Z-List baddies described above...except the very next issue, even though he was captured, Batman is not there...at all...for the whole issue...like somehow we don't notice DC's biggest character (and justification for JLI to exist) not there...I bet that was the worst selling single issue. Except they break free, and end up actually killing 2 of the baddies...well, one directly, and the other a few minutes later, but not before he gives his power to his twin brother with his last breath...OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Broseph don't like this, so attacks the team when they're at the graveyard for their dead teammate. Surprisingly he's all good with this power, and of course, Batman is there again now, no explanation...and he stops him. Then the explanation is that he's ex-military so he's got the skills...ok but he was USING SUPERPOWERS HE GOT DAYS EARLIER BETTER THAN HIS BROTHER WHO HAD THEM FOREVER DID.
Anyhoo...this was the last ish of the series, and Batman and one other member walk away from the team, but he gives Booster yet another pep talk (I dunno why he likes him so much, but OK). This leaves a team of 5, who vow to continue on.
That would be it, other than the JLI Annual, by Geoff Johns...OF COURSE GEOFF JOHNS.
Here, they get their 2 new members (one of whom is the abysmally bad rebooted Blue Beetle (the same one who Booster vowed NEVER to be friends with - in BB Vol. 2 - ALSO CANCELLED!!!)). They're really scraping barrel now.
The peeps all get taken down by one of the team members who's possessed. Of course he is.
The only interesting thing here is that we get some info revealed about the forthcoming Future's End Event...and I only know this because I got that Issue #0 on Free Comic Book Day. That alone gave this collection the 2nd star...otherwise it was a mess.
When Geoff Johns improves your book, you know it wasn't good.
Don't waste the time kiddies. I curse my library for this one.
Booster I like, Guy I don't. Godiva...whatevs yo. Iron General is probably the only new-ish character from the whole series who I thought had decent potential. Will like to see if he re-surfaces sometime - according to the Annual he will.
Dear God that better be it for shitty New 52...
March 5, 2017
This was a hard rating to give. I cannot truly claim that this set of adventures for the JLI was all bad, but there were enough flaws that set my teeth on edge, that it is hard to claim that I actually 'liked' it.
So, what's right: The color and art are consistently rich, vibrant and draw the eye. The core heroes are neither overblown in physical characteristic nor skills nor attitude (except Batman. He is, after all, an archetype). The plot is somewhat reasonable in a broad-brush sort of way.
But There Are Way Too Many Flaws In The Writing, and In The Translation Into Art. I was quite often lost as to why the heroes had split up. Or how brand new villains were able to compete tactically against Batman or powerfully against a Green Lantern. Or why a crossover was happening. Or who the villain actually was, or the guest hero. Or the rather overwhelming feel of Hero Of The Month Club Guest Appearance.
And the conclusion, or lack thereof.
I'll never have time to fully understand and review why this book stopped working, but it did. Except for one shining moment in issue nine, when everything bad stopped, and the dialog and plot and scenery and viewpoint and characters and situations made a good, tight, classic story.
So, what's right: The color and art are consistently rich, vibrant and draw the eye. The core heroes are neither overblown in physical characteristic nor skills nor attitude (except Batman. He is, after all, an archetype). The plot is somewhat reasonable in a broad-brush sort of way.
But There Are Way Too Many Flaws In The Writing, and In The Translation Into Art. I was quite often lost as to why the heroes had split up. Or how brand new villains were able to compete tactically against Batman or powerfully against a Green Lantern. Or why a crossover was happening. Or who the villain actually was, or the guest hero. Or the rather overwhelming feel of Hero Of The Month Club Guest Appearance.
And the conclusion, or lack thereof.
I'll never have time to fully understand and review why this book stopped working, but it did. Except for one shining moment in issue nine, when everything bad stopped, and the dialog and plot and scenery and viewpoint and characters and situations made a good, tight, classic story.
June 26, 2014
Booster Gold is one of my favourite DCU characters, but to see what Dan Jurgens has done to him in this title makes my heart sob. Thank goodness they cancelled this series. It is an embarrassment.
But it had potential. It had all of these peripheral characters, each with their own personality, adding their own dynamic to a totally dysfunctional team... It's a great set-up! Think, "Secret Six" or "The Outsiders"... So much potential can be found in this formula! But JLI ended up being the comic where extraneous, Pre-New-52 characters went to die. Literally for some characters.
And then Jurgens goes all sexist in the second volume. He actually takes out all but one of the female characters from a wonderfully diverse team (he removes three women) and replaces them with men. So the team is now ALL men and one woman, the ditsy one that only flips her hair around. And to make it worse, the ditsy one that flips her hair around becomes completely defined by her sexual relationship with Booster Gold!!! It. Is. TERRIBLE!!!!!
No amount of team re-shuffling or villain-invention or bat-cameos could have saved this steaming pile of Jergensplop. It is like he hung out in a sandbox with a bunch of five year olds and their action figures and recorded their playtime, verbatim.
These characters were wasted and thrown away.
1/5
But it had potential. It had all of these peripheral characters, each with their own personality, adding their own dynamic to a totally dysfunctional team... It's a great set-up! Think, "Secret Six" or "The Outsiders"... So much potential can be found in this formula! But JLI ended up being the comic where extraneous, Pre-New-52 characters went to die. Literally for some characters.
And then Jurgens goes all sexist in the second volume. He actually takes out all but one of the female characters from a wonderfully diverse team (he removes three women) and replaces them with men. So the team is now ALL men and one woman, the ditsy one that only flips her hair around. And to make it worse, the ditsy one that flips her hair around becomes completely defined by her sexual relationship with Booster Gold!!! It. Is. TERRIBLE!!!!!
No amount of team re-shuffling or villain-invention or bat-cameos could have saved this steaming pile of Jergensplop. It is like he hung out in a sandbox with a bunch of five year olds and their action figures and recorded their playtime, verbatim.
These characters were wasted and thrown away.
1/5
February 9, 2017
In Justice League, the main character is the team itself the J.L.I. The team is responsible and respectful. The main conflict occurs when the some of the team members die or get injured. Will the J.L.I. be able to do save the city without the members that are not on the team anymore? Overall, I enjoyed the book because it's exciting but sometimes I was put off about the time change into the past. I was concerned/disappointed when the some of the team members died. Just a warning the book does have some violence if you don't like your kids looking at violence. I appreciated the justice league because it's short and easy to read and it has pictured to make it easier for kids to understand what their reading, I really enjoyed this book because it's interesting and it has excitement in it.
April 18, 2021
Would love to see DC continue this series. Great fun. Old-fashioned comic booking.
September 24, 2025
Unfortunately this series ends prematurely. It has potential for so many storylines. They made an ending as a prologue to Geoff Johns Forever Evil and to pave the way for a new JL team.
March 11, 2014
Really happy with this one but am glad I knew it had been cancelled before I started or I would have been upset. While I'd heard of Booster Gold he was a new character for me and I really like him. Four new superheroes are added to the team whom I also had never heard of except one, though I know nothing about any of them and this one volume certainly wasn't enough to form an opinion on them yet. Blue Beetle, Olympian, Batwing and O.M.A.C. are the new guys. For most of the book they are fighting a team of bad guys who are really cool, especially the leader, Breakdown. I really enjoyed this story, though I did get pretty confused with the "Fury of Firestorm" crossover issue as I was once again in totally new waters with the character. There was a final ending of sorts that laid this chapter of JLI to rest but these guys are not down for the count. At the very end Booster Gold is visited by his future self and told to visit the JLA and talk to Steve Trevor. Now JLI may be at an end but the stoy has been tied into the whole Justice League universe and I'm hoping to see some of these guys again.
May 14, 2013
You might as well call it 'Justice League - Revolving Door' - Of the 8 issues collected here, at least half either introduce or remove members from the cast - with more crossovers per capita than most series have in their entire lifetime. How can you get invested when you don't know who's going to be there from issue to issue? The first issue sidelines almost the entire female side of the team, then tries to replace them with a variety of random characters. There are some new villains introduced, a couple of whom actually seem to have interesting powers (and one whose powers aren't ever even explained or really mentioned), and then they're all tossed aside. There's no stability here, and it makes the entire book a pain to read. They even introduced one of my favorite characters from the Pre-New 52 era (Blue Beetle), and did absolutely nothing with him. I don't even know which character it is under the costume - is It Reyes? Is it Kord? It doesn't matter, because after a cameo appearance, he's gone. What a waste of time.
February 3, 2013
The first volume of JLI was surprisingly enjoyable, despite the fact that it is very hard not to compare it to the more famous Giffen/DeMatteis JLI. This second volume again builds on the ideas of the first volume to create a very enjoyable storyline that continues nicely from where we left off in the first six issues as the JLI attempts to track down the terrorists who set off a bomb at the United Nations. The artwork is top notch from Aaron Lopresti, and whilst it's a shame that Fire, Ice, and Vixen are sidelined, we do get the surprisingly interesting OMAC and Batwing to fill the void. The only part of this trade that lets it down is the pointless Firestorm crossover issue which feels forced in with a crowbar, and the fact that the annual leaves everything up in the air for however long it takes for DC to revisit the characters.
December 1, 2013
The JLI have a situation that they could not stop that injures and kills friends. They are determined to find the culprits, even though the UN has disbanded them. This is a really good storyline where you worry about the characters because they are not the most powerful. The interplay is really well done. I think it was unfair to stop this series here, as it was clearly one of the best of the new 52. A very good read.
June 24, 2014
Definitely an improvement from the first volume. The start of the Breakdown plot is shocking and meaningful, and there are also some very nice character moments toward the middle. Unfortunately, this is balanced with typical pointless fights when new members try to join, a constantly changing cast that has to have been the fault of editorial interference, and a story that ultimately doesn't go anywhere due to cancellation. So, a fair enough read, but not a very important or memorable one.
December 2, 2013
I read the single issues (including annual #1) instead of the trade edition.
I can't believe how awful this was. There were so many problems with this story and the bad writing and revolving characters didn't help. I can really see why this was canceled.
The artwork is still the best thing about this series.
I can't believe how awful this was. There were so many problems with this story and the bad writing and revolving characters didn't help. I can really see why this was canceled.
The artwork is still the best thing about this series.
May 13, 2013
Dear Lord, what happened? Hideous Firestorm cameo issue, Batman defeated by a poseur, then is mysteriously missing from containment in the next issue, all the "good" members dead or in the hospital, etc.
January 2, 2013
This book series has lost all of the magic that made it enjoyable, and so there's no wonder that it has been cancelled.
January 13, 2014
8th book read in 2014.
Number 174 out of 352 on my all time book list.
Follow the link below to see my video review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSida...
Number 174 out of 352 on my all time book list.
Follow the link below to see my video review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSida...
October 30, 2016
I picked this up because I was craving some Booster Gold, and boy was that not my best move. The final issue collected here written by Geoff Johns and Dan DiDio was better and actually got me interested in continuing with that story line, but the main bulk od this book written by Jurgens was just not for me.
The dialogue felt weird in a lot of places, and I kept losing interest and putting the book down.
There's a "teachable" moment between Batman and BatWing that I specifically remember liking, and Batman's part at the end or Jurgens' arc felt a little more stable, but other than that, I really didn't enjoy this one.
It's a shame, because the art style was cool in a lot of places. Wouldn't recommend this one, ESPECIALLY if you're looking for some solid Booster work.
The dialogue felt weird in a lot of places, and I kept losing interest and putting the book down.
There's a "teachable" moment between Batman and BatWing that I specifically remember liking, and Batman's part at the end or Jurgens' arc felt a little more stable, but other than that, I really didn't enjoy this one.
It's a shame, because the art style was cool in a lot of places. Wouldn't recommend this one, ESPECIALLY if you're looking for some solid Booster work.
August 6, 2019
JLI only ran 12 issues and an annual. In that time, they mostly just got their asses kicked. I'm not sure what DC's initial intentions were, but it seems like they weren't really going for an ongoing series. Just like volume 1, I liked this better than I thought I would. It was nice to see some second-stringers in action, espeically since they are striving to find their own place and in the case of several members, their attempt to become first-stringers.
September 4, 2022
This was pretty good, but it seemed like whenever Batman showed up he just totally dominated what was going on. Guy Gardner's (green lantern) constant bickering with Booster Gold got a little old after a while.
Either way, looks like the JLI is no more, so we'll find out what happens to these heroes in other titles.
Either way, looks like the JLI is no more, so we'll find out what happens to these heroes in other titles.
March 4, 2023
So, this series never had a chance. The plot continues to disappoint. A generic team of bad guys are doing bad guy things. Twelve issues and an annual and not one good antagonist. I do think Breakdown, had a good power set. Lopresti's art is still very good. Overall, this was as bland as bland could be.
May 22, 2018
A really underrated series. Aaron Lopresti's pencils are great for superheroics that convey a good mix of emotion and action, and Dan Jurgens' story was just starting to get really interesting in this volume, before it's untimely cancellation.
October 30, 2025
Un comic que empieza muy bien, se atasca un poco, pero finaliza muy bien. Hasta que llega al último número y decide que todo lo que había construido se lo va a pasar por el culo y lo va a ignorar porque cancelaron la serie
August 14, 2019
This comic is definitaly amazing.
January 12, 2021
A breath of fresh air after the last GN I read.
Great art. A story that I could follow (until the end).
What happened to Booster?
Great art. A story that I could follow (until the end).
What happened to Booster?
March 12, 2021
Confusing, meandering and redundant.
September 14, 2016
Reprints Justice League International #7-12 and Annual #1 and The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #9 (May 2012-October 2012). The Justice League International team has been shattered before it has even begins. With Rocket Red dead and half the team in the hospital, Booster Gold must rebuild the team to take out the terrorists responsible before it is too late…but a new recruit could be the biggest danger to the JLI.
Written by Dan Jurgens with additional writing from Geoff Johns, Dan Didio, Ethan Van Sciver, and Joe Harris, Justice League International Volume 2: Breakdown is part of the New 52 relaunch after Flashpoint. Following Justice League International 1: The Signal Master, the volume also contains the crossover issue The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #9 (July 2012) which was also included in The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men Volume 2: The Firestorm Protocols.
The New 52 relaunch retool, reorganized, and reconfigured much of the DC Universe…especially the teams. The first volume of JLI presented an interesting team that took from all over the DC Universe, but immediately faced problems. I liked where the series was going at the end of Volume 1, but due to an early cancellation, Justice League International 2: Breakdown fails to succeed.
The volume starts on a high point. The team is assembled and immediately blown up. It was shocking and the death of a new team member is always a good starting point (like the relaunch of the X-Men and Thunderbird). The volume falls apart however as it becomes obvious that the series feels really rushed. In addition, the series decides to work to tie up other cancelled series like O.M.A.C. and Blue Beetle. Cancellation looms heavy over this title and the story suffers as a result.
The final issue of the actual series is pretty rosey considering what came next. I don’t know if Jurgens wasn’t aware of Johns and Didio’s plans for the Annual, but the long lived future of the JLI is short lived as Guy abruptly quits, Blue Beetle gets shunted to another galaxy, and Booster sets out on a quest to find out what is wrong with the timeline. It is obvious that this was used to split up the necessary characters for future storylines involving Guy, Booster, Blue Beetle, and Brother Eye while the rest of the JLI are unceremoniously dismissed.
Justice League International 2: Breakdown shows what happens when writers must tie up storylines quickly when there might have been a bigger story to tell. I was a bit surprised that DC didn’t keep the JLI around as a supporting team for a bit longer and utilize the idea of two Justice Leagues more, but the JLI can rest in peace following this volume…I just wish it was better.
Written by Dan Jurgens with additional writing from Geoff Johns, Dan Didio, Ethan Van Sciver, and Joe Harris, Justice League International Volume 2: Breakdown is part of the New 52 relaunch after Flashpoint. Following Justice League International 1: The Signal Master, the volume also contains the crossover issue The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #9 (July 2012) which was also included in The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men Volume 2: The Firestorm Protocols.
The New 52 relaunch retool, reorganized, and reconfigured much of the DC Universe…especially the teams. The first volume of JLI presented an interesting team that took from all over the DC Universe, but immediately faced problems. I liked where the series was going at the end of Volume 1, but due to an early cancellation, Justice League International 2: Breakdown fails to succeed.
The volume starts on a high point. The team is assembled and immediately blown up. It was shocking and the death of a new team member is always a good starting point (like the relaunch of the X-Men and Thunderbird). The volume falls apart however as it becomes obvious that the series feels really rushed. In addition, the series decides to work to tie up other cancelled series like O.M.A.C. and Blue Beetle. Cancellation looms heavy over this title and the story suffers as a result.
The final issue of the actual series is pretty rosey considering what came next. I don’t know if Jurgens wasn’t aware of Johns and Didio’s plans for the Annual, but the long lived future of the JLI is short lived as Guy abruptly quits, Blue Beetle gets shunted to another galaxy, and Booster sets out on a quest to find out what is wrong with the timeline. It is obvious that this was used to split up the necessary characters for future storylines involving Guy, Booster, Blue Beetle, and Brother Eye while the rest of the JLI are unceremoniously dismissed.
Justice League International 2: Breakdown shows what happens when writers must tie up storylines quickly when there might have been a bigger story to tell. I was a bit surprised that DC didn’t keep the JLI around as a supporting team for a bit longer and utilize the idea of two Justice Leagues more, but the JLI can rest in peace following this volume…I just wish it was better.
August 1, 2014
Collects Justice League International issues #7-12, and Justice League International Annual #1
This volume started out better than Volume 1, than quickly went downhill. Then, it got so bad, and I was so uninterested, that I said out loud, "I can't do this anymore."
I started flipping through the pages, reading a few words here and there and looking at the pictures to get the gist of what was happening.
Then, just when I was prepared to give this a 1-star rating and call it a day, the last few pages redeemed the book slightly.
FROM HERE ON OUT, I'M DOING ALL SPOILERS.
PLEASE DON'T READ BELOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED ABOUT THE NEW 52 UNIVERSE OR THIS BOOK:
OK, here we go. Full spoiler talk. As I type this, the "Futures End" story is in full swing, and I know that Brother Eye is a main villain in that story. Was what we saw at the end of this book the inciting incident for "Futures End?" Bruce Wayne helped create Brother Eye, not knowing it would turn bad, but who is his new programmer? Is it someone from Prime Earth or Earth 2. Earth 2 kind of makes sense because I think the upcoming "Worlds End" story is supposed to feature a war between these two Earths. Maybe Earth 2 turned Brother Eye bad. The only reason I chose to read both of these volumes of JLI is because they feature the only appearances of Booster Gold (that I know of) in the New 52. He will be back in September 2014 for "Futures End," so I wanted to see what else was going on with him prior to that event. The time travel stuff with him and his future self at the end of this book was fun, and I'm hoping this story will be continued in "Futures End." Booster disappeared (probably into the time stream), and I don't think he has appeared since. Also, Blue Beetle got sucked through a portal to the home world of his armor. The past versions of the Reach that I've seen haven't been good, so that's not good for Beetle. Is the fact that Superman and Wonder Woman are dating going to lead to something super bad, or are we (the readers) just being misled. It seems like Future Booster is trying to get current Booster to contact Steve Trevor and the JLA in order to stop this relationship. Future Booster is a member of A.R.G.U.S., and again, I'm not sure what to make of that. Future Booster tells current Booster that the remaining members of the JLI are going to disband, but eventually form a team called the Global Guardians. I won't be reading that book.
This volume started out better than Volume 1, than quickly went downhill. Then, it got so bad, and I was so uninterested, that I said out loud, "I can't do this anymore."
I started flipping through the pages, reading a few words here and there and looking at the pictures to get the gist of what was happening.
Then, just when I was prepared to give this a 1-star rating and call it a day, the last few pages redeemed the book slightly.
FROM HERE ON OUT, I'M DOING ALL SPOILERS.
PLEASE DON'T READ BELOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED ABOUT THE NEW 52 UNIVERSE OR THIS BOOK:
OK, here we go. Full spoiler talk. As I type this, the "Futures End" story is in full swing, and I know that Brother Eye is a main villain in that story. Was what we saw at the end of this book the inciting incident for "Futures End?" Bruce Wayne helped create Brother Eye, not knowing it would turn bad, but who is his new programmer? Is it someone from Prime Earth or Earth 2. Earth 2 kind of makes sense because I think the upcoming "Worlds End" story is supposed to feature a war between these two Earths. Maybe Earth 2 turned Brother Eye bad. The only reason I chose to read both of these volumes of JLI is because they feature the only appearances of Booster Gold (that I know of) in the New 52. He will be back in September 2014 for "Futures End," so I wanted to see what else was going on with him prior to that event. The time travel stuff with him and his future self at the end of this book was fun, and I'm hoping this story will be continued in "Futures End." Booster disappeared (probably into the time stream), and I don't think he has appeared since. Also, Blue Beetle got sucked through a portal to the home world of his armor. The past versions of the Reach that I've seen haven't been good, so that's not good for Beetle. Is the fact that Superman and Wonder Woman are dating going to lead to something super bad, or are we (the readers) just being misled. It seems like Future Booster is trying to get current Booster to contact Steve Trevor and the JLA in order to stop this relationship. Future Booster is a member of A.R.G.U.S., and again, I'm not sure what to make of that. Future Booster tells current Booster that the remaining members of the JLI are going to disband, but eventually form a team called the Global Guardians. I won't be reading that book.
September 2, 2014
To be honest I'm not sure this deserves 4 stars, but it also isn't deserve a 3. It has some stumbles along the way, but it came together nicely.
I thought the first volume was alright, despite all the crap reviews. I've been reading the 52 weekly series recently and have a new found love of Booster Gold and August General in Iron. I thought the team line up was alright, but nothing fantastic. We get a few new faces on the roster this one round. After Rocket Red is killed in the UN bombing, along with Ice, Vixen and Fire being taken out of action. They have a few shoes to fill. We get appearances from Batwing, OMAC, The Olympian and Blue Beetle to name a few. While it was cool to see some new faces, I thought cutting so many members out on one swoop was a bit too drastic. For me it took away the team dynamic, the same way Suicide Squad kill off members ALL. THE. TIME.
There are some good stories in this, although a few places where the writing takes a few weird points. The issue with the Firestorms is quite confusing, as I have no prior knowledge to this guy and his pals. The story with the Burners was quite enjoyable. It was nice to see the team fight people that they actually stood a chance against. The fact they weren't just fighting one guy also made it something fresh. For me the best part of the story was the last one. It was a very open ended cliffhanger, one of which I hope they play out in another series.
The art wraps it up nicely into a slightly above average read. If you read the first book you should give it a go, cause it's definitely a step up.
I thought the first volume was alright, despite all the crap reviews. I've been reading the 52 weekly series recently and have a new found love of Booster Gold and August General in Iron. I thought the team line up was alright, but nothing fantastic. We get a few new faces on the roster this one round. After Rocket Red is killed in the UN bombing, along with Ice, Vixen and Fire being taken out of action. They have a few shoes to fill. We get appearances from Batwing, OMAC, The Olympian and Blue Beetle to name a few. While it was cool to see some new faces, I thought cutting so many members out on one swoop was a bit too drastic. For me it took away the team dynamic, the same way Suicide Squad kill off members ALL. THE. TIME.
There are some good stories in this, although a few places where the writing takes a few weird points. The issue with the Firestorms is quite confusing, as I have no prior knowledge to this guy and his pals. The story with the Burners was quite enjoyable. It was nice to see the team fight people that they actually stood a chance against. The fact they weren't just fighting one guy also made it something fresh. For me the best part of the story was the last one. It was a very open ended cliffhanger, one of which I hope they play out in another series.
The art wraps it up nicely into a slightly above average read. If you read the first book you should give it a go, cause it's definitely a step up.
February 16, 2013
The second consecutive TPB from DC's relaunch where I wished the series had not been cancelled. First Dan Jurgens may not be a "star" writer, but he turns in good solid story telling. He is probably the only DC writer who has managed to understand that writing Michael Carter includes a little bit of a money grabbing buffoon who wants to be a hero to make up for his transgressions in the 25th century (yes Booster Gold is a time traveler). While acknowledging this is a reboot Jurgens brings in old JLI and Global Guardian members and treats them well.
The plot is the JLI trying to find a way to function as they UN pulls their funding. At the same time the UN, heroes and well known landmarks are being attacked by anarchists. Well paced, solid story telling and art.
The irritation comes ta the hints dropped in the final chapter. The JLI gone, and the Global Guardians formed in the new DCNU? Max Lord has taken over Brother Eye? I think I wold have enjoyed seeing these teaser stories told.
The plot is the JLI trying to find a way to function as they UN pulls their funding. At the same time the UN, heroes and well known landmarks are being attacked by anarchists. Well paced, solid story telling and art.
The irritation comes ta the hints dropped in the final chapter. The JLI gone, and the Global Guardians formed in the new DCNU? Max Lord has taken over Brother Eye? I think I wold have enjoyed seeing these teaser stories told.
November 9, 2012
After the explosion at the end of the last volume, a new lineup settles in, including Booster Gold, Godiva, Guy Gardner, August General in Iron, Batwing, and OMAC. Batman is also back to keep an eye out as the JLI face the Burners.
Most of the problems that plagued the first volume are back with a vengeance. The story is incredibly uneven and seems to be designed to cram in cameos to boost sales (Which failed since this is the final volume). The UN people appear briefly and then disappear at least. They scooted out most of the female characters, which is silly since we'd just gotten to know the team. As for the new members: I don't care much for OMAC and Batwing is better in his own series. The rest get some characterization, but it seemed they got less as the end got nearer. The Annual at the end is just a long preview for an upcoming Justice League storyline. This volume is all kinds of disappointing and was a poor way to end this series.
Most of the problems that plagued the first volume are back with a vengeance. The story is incredibly uneven and seems to be designed to cram in cameos to boost sales (Which failed since this is the final volume). The UN people appear briefly and then disappear at least. They scooted out most of the female characters, which is silly since we'd just gotten to know the team. As for the new members: I don't care much for OMAC and Batwing is better in his own series. The rest get some characterization, but it seemed they got less as the end got nearer. The Annual at the end is just a long preview for an upcoming Justice League storyline. This volume is all kinds of disappointing and was a poor way to end this series.
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