OK, just picked up this issue today, and will get the rest of my comics sat, I couldn't wait.


First of all Art was good, the alt cover by Turner left much to be desired, look at Vixen's hands.

The sad news, looks like Animal Man bites it in 52:

WW: "I wish we had Buddy. No harm meant, but Mari isn't there yet"
S: "She's fought well for us every time we've called on her."
B: "So has Katana. And Rex. And Kimiyo. The League needs more than that."
WW: "With Buddy... We should pay a visit to Ellen."

Not looking good for Buddy, sniff:disappoin

Arthur is mentioned, Carter is mentioned, so is Captain Atom but they get shot down. Captain Marvel and Power Girl get a nod towards membership but obviously they wont join.

The Question's prospects don't look go either. A mysterious note is sent to Vixen to meet him in a bar in Hub City, she asks for him and the bartender says: "...but the Question ain't operated out of Hub City for over a year" Of course that's not to say he permanently moved to another city though.

Also I want to know when did Reddy get an immortal soul?

Well, if 52 runs for a year, and he's spending 52 in Gotham with Montoya...

Well, Buddy's "died" in the past - more than once - and because of the nature of his powers, he's pretty hard to keep dead (i.e. - he's tied into the Red - the animal version of Swamp Things' the Green - and eventually "grows back" again). Not sure the JLA is too familiar with this aspect of him. It could just be too that he's "Missing in Space" and presumed dead based on his lack of return but no death as of yet. Anyway, guess my point is that even if Animal Man dies in "52", his powers will get him back to us at some point.

Red Tornado's had an immortal soul for a long time now being he's just a shell for the Tornado Champion/Tyrant/Elemental. He essentially is just a big immortal spirit that uses an android body to be more like humanity.

I'm quite familiar with the Tornado Tyrant/Champion aspect of Reddy, he's one of my favorite characters. As he's been destroyed in the past the Tyrant and Champion reinhabit the android shell to animate it. In CoIE his body was utterly destroyed and the Tyrant became the Earth's Air Elemental, which is odd seeing that the Tyrant was from Rann. Reddy didn't make an appearance after Crisis until Captain Atom convienced the air elemental to assume a "human" body again in the form of Red Tornado, a non-android, just the costume. Then Zero Hour happened and Reddy became a member of the short lived Primal Force and shortly became the mentor to Young Justice, were Peter David turned him into an android again. I know this is just a plot device but Reddy has never "died" His "soul" was the Tornado Tyrant/Champion ying/yang thing going on. Red Tornado was and has alway been a android.

Until now that is. I predict that John Smith will have to give up his humanity and rejoin into the Red Tornado android body, really, can see it coming from a mile.

ya know, I like the banter and characterizations so far.
Hal and Roy's discussion.
The friendly chitchat between Superman, Wonderwoman and Batman regarding the selections.....
Supergirl? no. no., I still vote yes.

Black Lightning's subplot is interesting as well.
Red Tornado....... on the one hand I'm happy he's got a human body..... but I'm curious to know what Felix Faust(an underrated click IMHO) did..... and who was he talking to? my guess is Luthor.

And didja notice? It's Justice League of America.

I thoroughly enjoyed this issue, and thought it was a great way to tart the new league. I think the thing this issue does is set the tome for the JLoA. More light-hearted (see the banter between the Trinity), more of a family based atmosphere (Hal, Dinah, and Roy), and having a few characters get an opportunity to play with the big boys & gals (Vixen and Black Lightning).

The Red Tornado angle is very intruiging to me. I've not really ever read him in anything other than the recent Crisis- related stuff, yet have always been interested in him. Meltzers starts off on a great foot IMHO!

Yes, with the old JLoA shield too. I liked the dialogue between the characters too. I'm wondering why there are alt covers for the series all the way through #4, ouch my pocketbook. DC doesnt see the price hike that most stores give to the one and ten covers. Of course that means the retailer has to order oddles of issues, but they'll sell out as usual, the mainstream JL title always does.

While I found the issue pretty enjoyable, I'm not to fond of a number of the member choices. I don't like Vixen, she just isn't good enough to be JLA. I don't like Black Canary on the JLA, she always seems much less interesting in big teams like that. I don't much care for Arsenal either. I find the choice of Hal somewhat odd. Of course I feel like the actual roster isn't going to be finalized until after the first arc.

Does anyone else think that Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman might actually not be on the team? A bit of their conversation leads me to believe that they are planning on setting it up but not actually being on it themselves. Things like how they wanted Mr.Teriffic to be a leader (why when their is already Batman), and wanting "tanks" like Hawkman and Powergirl, and Supergirl (shouldn't be a major concern with Superman, and Wonder Woman already there). There is also that Hal was going around picking up members without them.

As for Animal Man being dead, I kind of doubt it. I think that DC is going to do a little space series with those three, but I might be wrong.

I also really liked the issue, but I was a little taken aback by WW stating flat out that she won't vote for Nightwing. What's up with that?

Maybe Dick broke her heart.

I thought this was a good natured jab because he was vetoing someone she wanted........ tit for tat if you well.....

From what I've been reading it wouldn't have been Dick......... more like Roy....

My guess is that Deadman/Faust lied about Multiplex being dead and, with Reddy's soul being in one of his dupes, they will all have use of his tornado powers. Hence the army of Tornados on the cover of JLA #3.


Though I have a couple of questions of my own.

Is this the first appearance of Dr. Impossible and his Father Box?

And was anyone else dissapointed as they read through the story only to find that the last eight pages were a preview of Meltzer's upcoming novel? I thought it was odd when the story seemed to be wrapping up to a 'To be continued...' point when it felt like there was still a good chuck of pages left to flip through. Well, confused until I reached the novel text that I didn't bother to read at all.

Brad Meltzer needs to take his ego out back and put it down now, before it starts getting even bigger. Seriously, plugging a new novel? Who bothers to read it?

Well, as good as the team looks on paper, let me warn you that they get trounced when you play their team as clix. Well, I did anyway

Eh. I'm sure the backstories of Franklin Richards and Howling Commandos are a lot worse than his novel.