Bullet Review: Justice League Of America 80-Page Giant

Over two weeks ago, the Justice League of America 80-Page Giant was released. To be honest, I don't know how this slipped under my radar. So I know it is belated but I thought I would quickly review the Supergirl parts of the book.

Unlike the Superman 80-Page Giants, this issue is one long story, the bulk of them written by Adam Glass. The chapters have members of the JLA teaming up in different parts of hell. Each chapter save the last is named after one of the seven deadly sins. It is an interesting mash-up of any number of JLA incarnations. So we see the big seven and the current JLA but also Fire, Zatanna, and even the Bulleteer.

'Lust', written by Frank Mastromaro with art by Vicente Cifuentes, has Supergirl teaming up with the 'new' Wonder Woman. I don't know much about the current Diana and this story makes some sense if it was the 'old' Wonder Woman. So I am hoping that someone reading the Wonder Woman title now can tell me if this makes any sense. I stopped reading that title after a couple of issues.

Supergirl basically finds herself suddenly in Hell, surrounded by souls in agony. Off in the distance, she sees a human form which she assumes is whoever is responsible for bringing her there.

It turns out to be Wonder Woman.

Supergirl recognizes her immediately. But as far as I know, and I may be way off, Supergirl doesn't know this Wonder Woman. Or has Diana become well-known?

And at least in the issues I had read, I thought the Amazons weren't on Paradise Island any more. Maybe they have gone back?

Before too much more conversation can happen, the two are beset upon by powerful demon hordes, armies of monsters that the two cannot seem to harm or defeat.

Luckily, Batman arrives and dispatches them easily with a few well-aimed batarangs.

Is it Bruce or Dick?

Well, he says he is both and more and can be everything the two women want him to be if they join him.

Now we know the lust aspect of 'Lust' as a torrid passionate relationship with Batman is offered to both Diana and Kara.

I know that the old Diana and Bruce had a relationship a couple of years ago but is that still happening in the current arc. Has she met Bruce?

And Kara doesn't have those feelings for 'big brother' Grayson.

Maybe that's why the two can so easily walk away from this offer?


Wonder Woman calls them 'latent hidden desires' for Bruce. But the real Batman would never act like a player (or is it playah?). So she knows it's a ruse.

And Kara knows Dick wouldn't act like that. Is 'icky' the right word? Felt right.

Regardless, Supergirl gives him the cold shoulder ... a cold shower ... freezing him.

Letting Diana smash him into pieces. Nice teamwork.

The last chapter is called 'Purgatory' written by Adam Glass with art by Scott McDaniel. It turns out that each chapter had the JLA members defeating a threat and bringing a small piece of the Hell Mask to purgatory. These adventures were orchestrated by Lord Satanus, trapped by Blaze in Reign of Hell, and trying to get the mask so he could regain his position. The mask supposedly can even kill God and thus was scattered throughout hell.

Before Satanus can put it on, Plastic Man does. While he first is overwhelmed by its power, he regains control of himself and asks the League to blast him and therefore the mask to pieces. The mask is broken and its pieces go back to where they came from. And Plas obviously survives.

Nothing exceedingly special here, although this is the first meeting of Supergirl and the new Wonder Woman. Cifuentes art on the Lust chapter is nice, detailed in a sketchy kind of way, layered with nice ghostly backgrounds. And the coloring in that chapter works well, bathed in oranges in reds.

McDaniel has a different style, thickly bordered and inked. It would be interesting to see him draw Supergirl. I don't know if he did in his parts of the weekly Trinity series. But $5.99 might be a bit much. Might be worth a peek if found cheap at a store sale of convention.

Overall grade: C