DC's NEW 52-JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL

JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL was a comic and a team created by J. M. DeMatteis and Keith Giffen, with art by Kevin Maguire, in 1987 following the LEGENDS mini-series. The initial membership included Blue Beetle, Mister Miracle, Booster Gold, Guy Gardner and a host of others including Doctor Fate, Captain Marvel, Black Canary and Batman. A bizarre offshoot of the Justice League, they were formed by the ever devious Maxwell Lord. The book always managed to have some great action and just a bit of the flair for comedic dialogue, especially when adding Fire and Ice to the team, which always resulted in some sort of cheeky series of sexist lines from Guy Gardner. There were many series and mini-series, the last of which was GENERATION LOST.
 
At the conclusion of that year long, 24 issue series, Booster Gold declares it's time for a new Justice League International.
 
The book begins with Andre Briggs, the Head of U.N. Intelligence, having a teleconference with the representatives of various nations. he explains his plan, much like Max Lord before him, to create a superhero team not unlike the Justice league, but actually answers to the government. Several heroes get suggested: Booster Gold, Plastic Man, Fire, Ice, Vixen and Green Arrow, among them.
 
The new team makes their appearance in front of...long time cartoon fans will love this...THE HALL OF JUSTICE(from the old SUPER FRIENDS cartoon) amid protests who claim the hall belongs to the people.The assembled lineup is Guy Gardner, Fire, Ice, Vixen, Booster Gold, Rocket Red and two new heroes: England's Godiva and Chinese hero August General in Iron. Guy immediately walks out as he won't take orders from a "pitchman for adult diapers"(Booster Gold).
 
Batman arrives and has a heart to heart with Gardner but fails to convince him to let "Jokester Gold"(Guy's words) have a chance. The team gets a nice new jet, courtesy of Queen Industries and heads off to find out what happened to a U.N. research team in Peru. And batman decides to join the team, at least for this mission, to assist. Not longer after landing, the team is attacked by some "constructs" that make their way up from the ground only to be followed by some huge iron giant. Things look bad for the team until next issue.
 
Great book! Man, I thought nothing could equal the original series but this is so on point it's scary. Humor, mixed with action mixed with absolutely some of the best lines. This book is so Giffen inspired it's really scary. The action rocks, the nod to the Hall of Justice, sexy comments from new girl Godiva...yeah: this so rocks!
 

So who's behind this? Dan Jurgens-okay...that explains a lot. Aaron Lopresti-also explains a lot. I have followed Aaron's work since the days of SLUDGE, have always liked his stuff and was proud to have gotten to interview him back i the days of the old PODIUM. And Matt Ryan rounds out the basic creative team and we all know what he can do. It reads great, it looks fantastic. This is one of my HIGHEST recommendations.
 
BTW: the hooded woman is in the first panel on page 8, just under Booster Gold's left elbow.