Justice League of America - Issue 33
Featuring the twin menaces of alien time travel and social ostracism
The Justice League (aka the Justice League of America, aka the JLA, aka Justice League International, aka Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)) is a collection of the DC Universe’s greatest heroes (and also Green Arrow).
I talked about why I love the JLA in this piece here. Now I’m breaking down each and every issue of the comic book, from their very first appearance, with Atom-sized summaries. Enjoy!
PREVIOUSLY
Six Justice Leaguers (well, five and Snapper Carr - it’ll be a cold, free-verse day in DC hell before I acknowledge Snapper as an actual member of the team) arrive for a meeting, only to find JLA HQ walled off by an impenetrable barrier. Inside, those members who could be bothered to show up on time (Superman, Batman, Hawkman, GL and Flash) are whisked off to fight robots in the year 25,673 AD. They scoot off without so much as a ‘back in five minutes’ note taped to the impenetrable barrier for the tardier other half of the team, which leaves Aquaman, the Atom, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman (and, sigh, yes, friggin’ Snapper) locked outside their own headquarters, presumably standing around the way people do when a lift is stuck, while their colleagues solve a civilisational crisis a couple of dozen millennia away. Turns out it’s all a lot of nonsense about time travel causing people to turn into aliens? Which can only be cured by Hal catapulting Clark into a wall?? Something like that. Anyway, the alien behind all this trouble - who goes by the improbably great sci-fi movie franchise portmanteau name of Alien-Ator, bless him - gets sent back in time to 1965. Dear reader, if you think you can see where this is going, and believe it involves a combination of words such as ‘half the team’ and ‘fighting’ and ‘against the other’, you’re absolutely spot on.
Fun With Comics!
MVP
Look, I wasn’t joking about Green Lantern having to make a catapult to hurl Superman into a wall. Easily absurd enough to earn him a MVP vote.
But just in case you think Hal’s getting cocky, consider that Batman also tricks him into doing this later in the issue. Not cool, Bruce.
Top Panel
Oh, shut up, Green Arrow, you preening, self-important creep! Do you really think your absurd trick arrows can break an impenetrable wall that’s effortlessly repelled Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter? Who the hell do you think you are? Classic mediocre white man energy.
Villain Cryptic Crossword Clue
A time-travelling foe with an absurd rationale. (9)
Next Issue: NIGHTMARE PROPHECIES!