Justice by Alex Ross
This is a retro article. Something I wrote a few years ago when they were first planning Alex Ross’ Justice limited series. I think you’ll get a kick out of it.
I am looking forward to the upcoming “Justice” series by Alex Ross. Besides anticipating Ross’s usual pain-staking work, I am most interested in the subject matter. (I particularly enjoy looking at Ross’ version of the Superman costume.
Mr. Ross is going to pit the Justice League vs. the Legion of Doom. I know, I know; I’m dating myself here. We’re talking about nostalgia comics. But I grew up watching the J.L.A. version the Legion of Doom on television. From what I remember, I thought The Superfriends cartoons were pretty bad even back then. If I watched the L.O.D. episodes now, I would probably laugh at how silly they were. But I loved the heroes vs. villains showdown aspect of the show. You got to see the best DC villains interact with one another, which was usually more interesting than having them interact with their heroic counterparts.
Maybe my love for this kind of comic goes back further. Some of the first comics I owned, circa mid-to-late 1970’s, was the short-lived “Secret Society of Super-Villains” comic. It was an early version of the Legion of Doom, with some if not all of the same villains. Each month, the villains would hatch some new plot to take down their enemies. Those comics were interesting, because it made the supervillains the stars. For those who’ve wondered what would happen if these villains just gave up their vendettas and put their genius towards making money or gaining political power or something, it was a perfect glimpse into how dysfunctional your average super-villain is. Once again, I would probably wince if I reread those early efforts, but I am hoping for a taste of these old favorites in Justice.
Most of the original Legion of Doom is coming back. Luthor and Brainiac, Bizarro and Cheetah are all there. A few new ones have been added in, such as Poison Ivy. But it should be interesting to see how the masterminds play off of one another. Apparently, the Joker will be an uninvited member of the team, too crazy for Luthor to consider dependable, yet too crazy to cut out of the action. Sounds like a perfect set-up for lots of villain conflict.
I was a little disappointed by Ross’s “Kingdom Come” several years ago. The art was great; the premise was highly intriguing; but the payoff just wasn’t there for me. So I hope I am not disappointed when “Justice” hits the shelves. But from the little bit I’ve seen, Mr. Ross has put a lot of thought into this series. At the very least, this series should be highly entertaining, even if the endgame doesn’t quite live up to the expectations.