Comic Info
Comic Name: Justice League International (Volume 3)/The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Dan Jurgens/Geoff Johns/Dan Didio/Ethan Van Sciver/Joe Harris
Artist: Aaron Lopresti/Jason Fabok/Yildiray Cinar
# of Issues: 8
Release Date: 2012
Justice League International (3) #7
Reprints Justice League International #7-12 and Annual #1 and The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #9 (May 2012-October 2012). The Justice League International team has been shattered before it has even begins. With Rocket Red dead and half the team in the hospital, Booster Gold must rebuild the team to take out the terrorists responsible before it is too late…but a new recruit could be the biggest danger to the JLI.
Written by Dan Jurgens with additional writing from Geoff Johns, Dan Didio, Ethan Van Sciver, and Joe Harris, Justice League International Volume 2: Breakdown is part of the New 52 relaunch after Flashpoint. Following Justice League International 1: The Signal Master, the volume also contains the crossover issue The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #9 (July 2012) which was also included in The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men Volume 2: The Firestorm Protocols.
The New 52 relaunch retool, reorganized, and reconfigured much of the DC Universe…especially the teams. The first volume of JLI presented an interesting team that took from all over the DC Universe, but immediately faced problems. I liked where the series was going at the end of Volume 1, but due to an early cancellation, Justice League International 2: Breakdown fails to succeed.
Justice League International (3) #12
The volume starts on a high point. The team is assembled and immediately blown up. It was shocking and the death of a new team member is always a good starting point (like the relaunch of the X-Men and Thunderbird). The volume falls apart however as it becomes obvious that the series feels really rushed. In addition, the series decides to work to tie up other cancelled series like O.M.A.C. and Blue Beetle. Cancellation looms heavy over this title and the story suffers as a result.
The final issue of the actual series is pretty rosey considering what came next. I don’t know if Jurgens wasn’t aware of Johns and Didio’s plans for the Annual, but the long lived future of the JLI is short lived as Guy abruptly quits, Blue Beetle gets shunted to another galaxy, and Booster sets out on a quest to find out what is wrong with the timeline. It is obvious that this was used to split up the necessary characters for future storylines involving Guy, Booster, Blue Beetle, and Brother Eye while the rest of the JLI are unceremoniously dismissed.
Justice League International 2: Breakdown shows what happens when writers must tie up storylines quickly when there might have been a bigger story to tell. I was a bit surprised that DC didn’t keep the JLI around as a supporting team for a bit longer and utilize the idea of two Justice Leagues more, but the JLI can rest in peace following this volume…I just wish it was better.
Related Links:
Justice League International 1: The Signal Masters
The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men 2: The Firestorm Protocols
