JLA: New World Order

By Alex De-Gruchy
August 23, 2006

With the recent re-launch of The Justice League of America, under writer Brad Meltzer and artist Ed Benes, there might be many people out there unaware of the fact that the Justice League re-launch that rocketed the greatest heroes of the DC Universe back into the spotlight, was actually back in 1997. Grant Morrison and Howard Porter made the Justice League great again - after years of false starts and C-list characters, the scope, grandeur and sheer excitement that befits DC's premier super-team has finally been captured once again.

Plot

They have come to save the world - a team of brightly-clad, superhuman figures who want to make the Earth a better place for mankind. And they are…the Hyperclan? Coming from outer space, Earth's latest visitors take the world by storm, gaining extreme popularity by performing amazing feats such as making the Sahara desert fertile. Even when they begin coldly executing criminals, public support all over the world only grows, and Superman and the rest of the Justice League are soon shunned by the people they protect. It doesn't take the world's greatest detective to figure out that something's not quite right…

It soon becomes apparent that the JLA are the only ones who stand in the way of the Hyperclan achieving their real plans for Earth and mankind. But when the heroes are gradually taken down one by one, their fate rests on the shoulders of the last standing League member - Batman. In the end, a united Justice League face their enemies with the lives of everyone on Earth at stake.

New World Order is not revolutionary storytelling full of radical departures from traditional superheroics - and it is never meant to be - it is quite the opposite, in fact. But this is no bad thing by any means, as anyone who enjoys superhero books, then this collection is everything you could ask for from that type of book. Although the plot essentially boils down to the heroes defending the planet from the bad guys, the same could be said for many other similar titles, and it is simply the way in which the story is told - with such charm and style - that will keep you hooked.

Characterisation

Flash. Green Lantern. Aquaman. Martian Manhunter. And of course, DC's holy trinity - Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. The most powerful assemblage of heroes on Earth are obviously a fantastic cast of characters to populate a story, and Morrison really does a great job of giving each character their time to shine. The individual moments and smaller scenes are just as gripping as the bigger-action group scenes. Morrison shows a real affection for these characters and their heritage, as well as making each one a formidable hero in their own right, even when working with an ensemble cast.

Small conflicts within the team help to establish believability and realism in their relationships to one another, such as Wonder Woman accusing Aquaman of arrogance, and the sarcasm and bickering between Flash and Green Lantern. Speaking of the latter, Green Lantern - Kyle Rayner here, not Hal Jordan - plays an important role, as he is often the character with whom the reader is intended to empathise and relate to in comparison to the other heroes. As a relatively new hero and member of the Justice League, Kyle is the everyman who is often surprised and amazed to be standing among these legends. As he says, "I can't handle this. It's like playing with The Beatles…"

Also, Morrison's portrayal of Batman played an integral part in the way the character is generally portrayed today - as a man with no superpowers, but who, as Superman describes him, is "The most dangerous man on Earth."

Art

Howard Porter's art is perfectly suited to large-scale superhero comics, and his work never once slips in quality, even with everything that Morrison packs into his script in terms of the number of characters, locations and action scenes. One aspect of Porter's art that stands out is his panel composition, and his frequent use of panels in which characters break the borders. This helps to add depth and keeps the pages moving at a good pace, while also adding to the dynamic and attention-grabbing renditions of both the heroes and villains.

John Dell's inks emphasise Porter's slick style and help to flesh out the detail of the artwork, whether it is a close-up shot of one of the heroes or a crowd scene. Also worthy of note are the colours by Pat Garrahy. Bright and attention-grabbing, the colouring really helps to bring the artwork to life while not being overly primary or garish. Like the artwork, the colouring is something that is perfectly suited to a big-action superhero book.

Overall

JLA: New World Order is simply perfect superhero storytelling, containing all of the ingredients that you want to find in a title in the genre - brave and determined heroes, ruthless villains, epic action combined with character-based moments, and naturally, the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Morrison and Porter show that you don't need multi-part crossovers, dark secrets in the heroes' pasts or life-altering changes in the status quo to tell a great superhero story. Even if you're not usually a fan of these kinds of stories, then you really do owe it to yourself to see what the genre is capable of when the right characters and creators come together. New World Order reminds us why these heroes have endured for so long over the years, and shows us just how impressive they can still be today.

Publisher: DC Comics
Writing: Grant Morrison
Pencils: Howard Porter
Inks: John Dell
Colours: Pat Garrahy