Justice League Europe #1 (1989)

Justice League Europe #1 (April, 1989)
"How ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm After They've Seen Paree?"
Plot & Breakdowns - Keith Giffen
Script - J.M. DeMatteis
Pencils - Bart Sears
Inks - Pablo Marcos
Letters - Bob Lappan
Colors - Gene D'Angelo
Assistant Editor - Kevin Dooley
Editor - Andy Helfer
Cover Price: $0.75

Had so much fun checking out the first book with a "crowded elevator" shot for a cover... figure why not try another?

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We open with Captain Atom settling in at his new Parisian digs.  He is expressing his lack of confidence, in both himself and his new team.  He makes the mistake of "thinking out loud" within earshot of the JLE's new Embassy Chief, Catherine Cobert... who gets in a few jabs about his "famous American neurosis".  The pair watch as the League's tech support team sets up the works, and Atom is seemingly relieved to learn that he's gonna get his own office.

Shortly, the fellow teammates (and tenants) start filing in... starting with the Dibneys... The Elongated Man and his wife Sue.  They share some cute banter... every line of which makes me hate Identity Crisis even more... and the meet Ms. Cobert.  Ralph is quite taken with their Chief, and assures Sue that he will clean up the puddle of drool he's left.

Next up, Power Girl and the Flash... well, they arrive at the same time... but they're not together... much to Wally's chagrin.  Power Girl seems happy to finally be meeting the Flash... but then, after some fresh talk, realizes this ain't Barry Allen.

We shift scenes to the airport where Rocket Red and Animal Man have arrived.  Buddy is ticked off that the League nearly destroyed his house putting in a teleportation tube, and then made him fly in anyway... asamattafact, Buddy just overall doesn't appear too pleased to be here.  Dmitri is in full-on Yakov Smirnoff mode here, and is really coming across as an affable and fun character.  The two share a cab to the Embassy.

Speaking of the Embassy... we next rejoin Captain Atom in his brand-spankin' new office.  Catherine enters and informs him that it's time for him to "address the troops", as it were.  It would appear that public speaking is akin to Kryptonite to ol' Nate.  In the conference room... the League confers.  Metamorpho has arrived, though (much to Wally's disappointment) Wonder Woman has not.

Captain Atom blathers on for a bit... repeating himself, and for the most part, really making himself appear to be the right choice for chairman.  That, as Dmitri would say, is my attempt at "famous American sarcasm".  He really is a mess.  Thankfully, Max Lord appears on the video screen to give the gang a proper "rah rah".

That night, Atom gets the bad news that Buddy Baker's luggage was fried in a teleportation tube mishap.  While figuring out how to break the news, he is interrupted by Ms. Cobert... they have a situation.  In League parlance, it's a Code: Dead Guy.

It is at this point that Wonder Woman arrives... just as the gang is gathered around a bled out dead guy in their front room.  A dead guy whose last word was "braces".  The team feels as though this is something they should... ya know, investigate.  Captain Atom, however, feels this is a matter best left to Paris's finest.  While the League squabbles, a shadowy man watches from the sidewalk outside... he thinks to himself that it's time to escalate to "Phase Two"... and then vows that this new League will not even make it off the ground.

With the dead guy situation sorted... well, at least for the interim, Captain Atom shares some really bad news... Animal Man's luggage done got fried.  Animal Man, who doesn't even really wanna be here in the first place, is ya know... displeased.  Before the two can get properly in each others' faces... a brick flies through the window.  Outside, dozens of Parisians are assembled in a mob... fists are in the air, and they're using the "Nazi" world... to describe the League!  Well, that's not cool.

Before long, the Paris folk have broken down the door of the Embassy, and before ya know it... a riot is on!  The League is able to hold their own, but they are completely outnumbered... and they don't wanna actually kill anybody.  Of note, Metamorpho goes all "shape of a sheet" and covers part of the mob... it's really kinda gross.  Diana is able to lasso up a bunch with what looks like tubing or pipes... she mentions that she cannot find her actual lasso... which, I dunno... might be something from her own series.

Suddenly the unruly mob starts to slow down.  It's as though they were being mind-controlled (duh)... and now the control has been lifted.

Later, the Policia arrive and we meet the bemulleted Inspector Camus.  He tells Captain Atom that he's gotten more headaches in the one day they've been in business than he'd had over the past ten years.  Atom pleads that none of this was their fault... and this is when we learn that the dead guy from earlier was a Nazi!  Ruh roh... Ralph goes all "I toldja so", which Atom, ya know... doesn't appreciate.

Our issue concludes with Atom calling into the New York Embassy and really ripping into poor Oberon.  He wants answers for this dead Nazi... and dammit, he doesn't wanna lose anymore luggage.  After "hanging up", he turns to the Justice League Europe and vows to find out who has been screwing with them.

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Okay... this was good.  Weaker, if we compare it to the "main" League book, but still quite good.  This is a series that I think I mis-valued when I took up the task of collecting the entire JLI run all dem years back.  This series was an absolute mainstay in the quarter bins... and let's not get it twisted, the main title is no stranger to the "cheap-o bins", but this one... dang, you can't miss these in there... including this inaugural issue!  I always saw this book as an "also ran"... which is unfair... but, ya know it just is what it is...

What we have here is another dysfunctional team in the fine JLI fashion.  Part sitcom, a bit of soap... and some superheroics as garnish.  All well told... characters were compelling, and all felt completely human.  I know for me this is where I first met some of these characters... I didn't have much/any sort of experience with Ralph or Sue, or Power Girl, or even Metamorpho.  This was a great way for me to dip my toe into some unfamiliar DC waters.

My only real complaint here... it's gotta be the art.  I'm not sure I can really find the right words to really give my feelings... it's just that all of the characters come across a little too... "meaty"?  Like the faces just look pouchy and meaty.  Not sure that makes any sense... and, as I'd mentioned the last time we discussed this title way back when... I feel like the women are drawn to look a bit too masculine... striking square jawlines and whatnot.  Action scenes and choreography are great... it's just dem faces I don't dig so much.

Overall... worth snagging for sure, though I would definitely suggest reading the issues of the main title that lead up to the European launch... some great fun in those issues as well.  Like I mentioned when I discussed Justice League #1 a few days back... ya gotta check out the Justice League International: Bwah-Ha-Ha Podcast over at the Fire and Water Network.  It'll probably be awhile before they cover this issue, but you are welcome to... and encouraged to, read along with Shagg and company 'til they do.

This bugger is available digitally, and has been collected in Justice League International, Volume 5... also available digitally, if that sort of thing doesn't make your teeth itch.  Remember, all links are non-affiliate, because I am just some dude.  Definitely worth your time.

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Justice League Europe #6 (1989)

Justice League Europe #6 (September, 1989)
"No More Teachers' Dirty Looks...?!"
Writers - Keith Giffen & J.M. DeMatteis
Penciller - Bart Sears
Inker - Pablo Marcos
Letterer - Bob Lappan
Colorist - Gene D'Angelo
Editors - Kevin Dooley & Andy Helfer
Cover Price: $1.00

When I first dove in to the Justice League books some many many years back, I always wondered why they would have a European team.  I kinda felt like it was the West Coast version of the Avengers... and in many ways, it was.  It was a way to have a second team, and perhaps focus on some contemporary stand-outs as well as second stringers in their respective universes.  This was, of course, a time before EVERYBODY is or has been an Avenger or Leaguer, so membership was still something special.

If there's one issue in particular I picture when thinking of the JLE... it's this one.  This is the type of story you can only do once, and it's done to damn near perfection here.  So, let's join the League when they decide (oh yeah, oh yeah) what they need is adult education.

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We open with Ralph Dibny and Justice League Europe liaison Catherine Cobert having a cup of coffee.  They are discussing Captain Atom's recent decision (at Ms. Cobert's suggestion) to sign the Leaguers up for French classes at a local school.  At the same time, across town longtime JLA foes the Injustice League are lamenting the fact that none of them speak French.  Wouldn'tcha know it, there just happens to be a few seats available in a certain classroom...

In that classroom, we see our venerable heroes all seated and ready to learn.  Captain Atom warns Wally West to take the class seriously... Metamorpho is clad in a trenchcoat and fedora to hide his odd appearance... and Power Girl hints that perhaps Wally shouldn't be checking out their teacher Ms. Kessler's keister.

Led by Major Disaster, the Injustice League enters the classroom... Clock King is quick to offer that they are, in fact fourteen minutes late.  They take their seats, and a strange feeling fills the room.  Both Leagues feel like there's something up... something they just can't put their finger on.  Ms. Kessler catches Multi-Man chewing gum during class... which means he's gonna have to wear it.

Back at the Embassy, the Dibny's and Catherine are discussing the recent reports of a new costumed individual making the rounds.  She goes by La Renard Rouge... which opens us up for a few panels of Sanford and Son jokes... ya big dummy.  This is an early appearance of the hero we will soon know by the nom de guerre Crimson Fox.

It's the BIG one, 'Lizbeth... I'm comin' to join ya honey...

At the Police Headquarters, Inspector Camus is approached by an officer called Francois.  Franc informs him that both Leagues are currently getting their French on.  That's all Camus needs to hear... he calls all units to the school.

Inspector Camus was a Warren Ellis character before there were Warren Ellis characters...

Back at the school, the jig is up... Major Disaster realizes that their classmates are in the members of Justice League Europe.  As such, he does what any other diabolical villain would do... attempts to pass this information to his men via a folded-note.  The note makes it nearly across the room, going from Injustice Leaguer to Justice Leaguer the whole way.

Don't be such an apple-polisher, Animal Man...

This ain't Kessler's first rodeo... she catches the students in the act, and demands the Mighty Bruce hand her the note so she may read its contents out loud for all the class to hear.

Once the note is read, all members of the Injustice League raise their hands... to go to the bathroom.  Ya see, they all drank some bad Mexican water... sounds legit to me.  Before they can go answer nature's call, the sound of police sirens fills the area.

The two Leagues enter into a titanic tussle, which ends in a stalemate when Ms. Kessler bellows out a call for attention.  Camus and crew burst in guns drawn.  Kessler demands the geeks lower their guns in her classroom.

Back at the Embassy, the Dibny's get the call that their entire team was arrested for their conduct.  At the jail, the League spends several hours behind bars.  Catherine Cobert arrives and is confused as to why Captain Atom and company didn't play their diplomatic immunity card in order to get out of jail free.

A fact that the rest of the team wouldn't soon let poor Nate forget...

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How much fun is this one?

We are firmly in the bwa-ha-ha sitcom era with this one... and it's sooo good.  I miss the days where we could get a story like this every now and again.  These days, everything has to be stiflingly serious... everything has to be dark "like the movie".  A silly throwaway like this does so much more for the reader and the team than most of what fills the shelves today.

In this issue, we were offered the opportunity to observe these (relatively) new teammates in their civilian guise.  Let's not forget, we also saw how a super villain team may act when they're out of costume.  It was issues like this that make the Giffen/DeMatteis era so magical... so fondly remembered... timeless.

This team is the classic dysfunctional family.  Many other groups in comics can make the same claim, however, to my knowledge no other mainstream superhero team book has ever dived this deep into the realm of sitcom... and still not sacrificing characterization to boot!  Save your Avengers sharing trendy-speak rapid-fire "conversation" around the breakfast table... this is how you do comic-as-sitcom.  While on that subject... save the snark, just give me the funny.

My only sticking point with this issue is with the art.  Bart Sears, though incredibly talented, never really did it for me on this title.  I never liked the way he drew women's faces/heads.  They all had such large and pronounced chins that made their faces come across as rather masculine, in my opinion.  His action scenes are great, and the way he draws the male Leaguers looks fine as well... it's just the women that kinda make me furrow my brow.

Definitely recommended.  It is easily found (at least locally) in the cheap-o bins.  It has been collected, and is available digitally and in (apparently out-of-print) Trade Paperback format.  Add this one to your collection, it really is a treat.

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