JLE... worth picking up?

[daredevil1990]

How's Justice League Elite compare to other DC books? THinking about picking up the two volumes of this series, but don't really know anything about it. I've never read any Joe Kelly stuff, but I hear he's a hell of a writer right now and Doug Mahnke has became one of my favourite artists at the moment - had a blast reading The Dark Age and can't wait for his stint on GL.

I understand it's a more covert and black-opsoriented Justice League book? Is there anything to read before going into it?

[Beacon]

Heh, for a second there I thought you were talking about Justice League Europe (in which case I would have said that it started off as a fun book but everything after Breakdowns is unreadable trash*)

*Actually that’s the case for most JL stuff pre-Morrison but that’s neither here nor there.

The thing about Kelly’s Justice League Elite is that it’s a continuation of Kelly’s JLA run. If you liked one you’ll probably like the other (like I generally did … though Elite kinda fell apart at the end) but the reverse is also true. Plus I’m not sure I could have actually followed Elite if I hadn’t read Kelly’s JLA first.

[marshal99]

Justice league elite , In a word - NO.

But justice league europe - yes until breakdowns as mentioned. :biggrin:

[Wilder Midnight]

Heh, for a second there I thought you were talking about Justice League Europe (in which case I would have said that it started off as a fun book but everything after Breakdowns is unreadable trash*)

*Actually that’s the case for most JL stuff pre-Morrison but that’s neither here nor there.

The thing about Kelly’s Justice League Elite is that it’s a continuation of Kelly’s JLA run. If you liked one you’ll probably like the other (like I generally did … though Elite kinda fell apart at the end) but the reverse is also true. Plus I’m not sure I could have actually followed Elite if I hadn’t read Kelly’s JLA first.

thank you! that period between "breakdowns" and the debut of the JLA was horrible yet i see nothing but fond praise of those days.

I would totally track down earely issues of JLEurope!

[Will.S]

I really enjoyed it so I would say yes, it's worth picking up.

[ChairthrowerLad]

I thoroughly enjoyed it. High concept, interesting characters, good art.

[titanfan]

Justice League Europe: Yes until #50

Justice League Elite: No way.

[Kylun123]

Wow. So random. Just a couple weeks ago I picked up the first 6 issues at my LCS.


I had no prior experience with Kelly's run on JLA or with most of the characters that make up the team, and that wasn't a problem.

I picked it up b/c I had been liking some of Kelly's Image work lately and was interested to see how he writes the ol' super hero book.

I went into it expecting something hokey but actually enjoyed it, and found the characters to be pretty interesting. The book doesn't make a joke of itself which I thought it would.

Now I have to find a way to get the second half of the series (are they collected in trade?).

[JohnShil]

JLElite, V1. #1-4, JLA #100, JLA SF&O 2004, Action Comics #775
JLElite, V2. #5-12

[Cardinal!]

Didn't actually pick up JLElite, as the characters involved nor the concept itself really intrigued me that much... and I only thought the lead-in story from JLA #100 was so-so.

But I will say that if you like Joe Kelly's stuff and if you enjoy JLElite, do yourself a favor and check out his run on JLA (all of which is collected in trade). While he can be kind of hit-and-miss at times, I truly felt like he brought his A-game to the Justice League, and many of his stories actually surpassed much of Morrison and Waid's respective runs on the title. "The Obsidian Age" and "Trial by Fire" in particular, but the rest is pretty good as well!

[Kylun123]

JLA #100, JLA SF&O 2004, Action Comics #775

Are these issues necessary for the story?

But I will say that if you like Joe Kelly's stuff and if you enjoy JLElite, do yourself a favor and check out his run on JLA (all of which is collected in trade).

What volumes are those collected in?

[Beacon]

Are these issues necessary for the story?

I think #100 is.

The Secret Files is pretty much a throwaway book. The Flash is conflicted about being on both Justice Leagues. Nothing special there.

The Action Comics story is really good (I mean REALLY good) but I don’t think it’s really essential (to the JLElite anyway ... I think its one of the better Superman stories). It gives you a little backstory on some of the minor team members (and the brother of one of the major ones) but that’s pretty much it.

IIRC they’re all collected in the first of the two JLElite trades.

What volumes are those collected in?

Golden Perfect (61-65)
Obsidian Age 1 (66-71)
Obsidian Age 2 (72-76)
Rules of Engagement (77-82)
Trial by Fire (84-89)

Kelly also wrote #83* and 100.

Of those I’d say that the Obsidian Age stuff (and #100) is most essential to the JLElite.

*It may be in one of the above trades. I had to pull the contents list from a site online and my JLA trades aren’t very accessible right now so I can’t verify the info.

[Joe Franklin]

The only JLE worth buying is Justice League Europe.

It's artist Bart Sears best work of his entire career, and the Giffen/DeMatteis/Jones scripts are flawless through issues 1-28. It starts to suck some after issue #28 though.

http://www.comicbooknoise.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/jle1.jpg

[FanboyStranger]

I'd skip Kelly's JLA-JLE runs, and pick up Deadpool Classic, vol. 2. It's the beginning of his first and finest work in comics. Everything since has been a let down with some bright spots here and there (Action Comics 775, for example), although I've heard that he's been doing some good work on Spider-Man lately. (Bang Tango! from Vertigo hasn't been bad, but it's a bit too Chaykin-esque for my liking-- I go to Chaykin for my Chaykin.)

[Paladin573]

The only JLE worth buying is Justice League Europe.

It's artist Bart Sears best work of his entire career, and the Giffen/DeMatteis/Jones scripts are flawless through issues 1-28. It starts to suck some after issue #28 though.

http://www.comicbooknoise.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/jle1.jpg

LOL...LOVED IT

Elite lacked something...

[strathcona]

Heh, for a second there I thought you were talking about Justice League Europe (in which case I would have said that it started off as a fun book but everything after Breakdowns is unreadable trash*)

I can't speak about JL Elite, but man did I love JL Europe. Both JLE and JLA up until Breakdowns are some of the best comics I have ever read. I sit down and reread them every few years. I highly recommend reading these books to anyone that hasn't read them before.

[FemGeek]

JLElite was ok, not great but not terrible.
Now JLEurope, that was great. Though I agree with everyone else when they say it started to suck at some point. When Griffen left it went downhill, I've found.

[Joe Franklin]

man did I love JL Europe. Both JLE and JLA up until Breakdowns are some of the best comics I have ever read. I sit down and reread them every few years.

They are the best comic books DC has ever produced.

Nothing else DC has ever published even comes close.:cool:

[Kylun123]

Are Justice League Europe and Justice League International different?

[marshal99]

Let me see if i can explain it.

After legends , justice league was relaunched with Justice league International (JLI) , in issue 24 , they decided to have an europe branch , a 2nd title of the justice league franchise - the JLE. At that point , the JLI title became the JLA.

After the "breakdowns" storyline , the justice league was disbanded. After the panic in the sky storyline in superman and at some point shortly after , superman decided to reform the justice league , once again there was 2 groups - the JLA & the JLE. JLA headed by superman and the JLE headed by batman (only temporarily for one case before Hal Jordan took over as leader) , that JLE became Justice league international after issue 50.

Usually when people referred to JLI , they referred to the Giffen/DeMatteis era JLA which ended after breakdowns.

[d newton]

I'd pick up Deadpool Classic, vol. 2. It's the beginning of his first and finest work in comics
Since when? :tongue: