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Jul 03, 2015 DC Comics By Zach Hollwedel

Justice League 3001 is a blast from the past, set in the future. Veteran DC Comics readers old enough to remember the Justice League International series of the late 1980s—or those who bought the reprinted, collected trades much more recently—surely recall the light-hearted, humorous take on the universe’s greatest heroes employed by writing duo Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis. Most of the usual suspects were there (Batman, Martian Manhunter, Captain Marvel, Dr. Fate), plus some lesser-featured favorites such as Blue Beetle and Booster Gold, and of course Guy Gardner. Giffen and DeMatteis treated fans to a more bubbly, funnier, sunnier Justice League than other contemporary titles. No matter the obstacle they faced, the heroes—even Batman, at times—cracked jokes, quipped, and generally goofed around.

Giffen and DeMatteis (who have extensive history writing Justice League titles beyond International) bring the same fun approach to their newest story arc, Justice League 3001, a saga that features the same group, only a thousand years from now. Whether due to DNA manipulation, cryogenic freezing, or a number of other techniques, the heroes have been recreated or transported to the future, where they’re free to save the world and partake in their classic hijinks once again. Beetle, Booster, and Gardner, along with Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Fire, Ice, and a few other variants of current JLA members, must face a world-enslaving Starro the Conqueror variant. As in Justice League International, they banter and bicker as much as-if not more than-they actually engage in vigilantism. This is where Giffen and DeMatteis always shine. Their unique, slightly more slapstick approach to the heroes is a refreshing break from the perpetual high-stakes doom and gloom of so many other cape and tights tales. It’s classic heroes on a Vaudevillian stage, and though a fine line to walk, Giffen and DeMatteis navigate it wonderfully. The first issue of the series is a bit more sexualized with jokes a bit more forced than they came across in International, but Justice League 3001 is a perfect reminder that different can sometimes be wonderful in the world of comics, and there’s a damn good reason DC continues to reprint the writing team’s original series 30 years after it debuted. (www.dccomics.com)

Author rating: 7/10