JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE NEW FRONTIER SPECIALWritten by Darwyn Cooke
Art by Dave Stewart, J. Bone and David Bullock
I'm sorry I even hazard the thought that this might be a cheap movie tie-in rushed out to coincide with the New Frontier direct to DVD movie. Simply reading the opening pages with Rip Hunter explaining the setting for everyone (and debunking the entire 52 Earths nonsense at the same time) told me this issue was going to be just as special as the original DC: The New Frontier.
If you haven't read The New Frontier prior to this, there's nothing to fear, as this one-shot stands on its own and is merely set in the same universe as the previous series. It's more of a prequel in that it is set in the time just after the super heroes were being outlawed but before the events involving the Center and the other heroes in the first New Frontier. As such, these are just incredibly well done 'alternate Earth' stories involving Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and several other characters.
The book is broken up into three separate and unrelated stories. Each is written by Darwyn Cooke and, contrary to solicits, Cooke doesn't actually pencil any of the stories, as he did in the original series. However, it seems all three artists have either tried to mirror or, at least, draw in a similar style to the original material.
It's hard to call any one of the stories my favourite, as they are all excellent, but the first, which detailed the alluded to battle between Batman and Superman during the outlawing of super heroes, would be my pick as best of the bunch. It was also the story who's art was almost indistinguishable from Cooke's to the point I thought he actually drew that section.
The actual story for the opening story features, as I said, an epic battle between Superman and Batman. I'd rank it up there with Dark Knight Returns' battle. It's not as one sided as that battle, but it's just as satisfying and I'm sure it'll be an instant message board fodder for fans of both characters. The story wasn't all one big fight though. It made sure to show us the motivations for each of the characters and how the government manipulated Superman and tried to bring Wonder Woman under their sway as well. It also featured cameos from Lex Luthor and Catwoman, who was the one responsible for acquiring the kryptonite from Lex for Batman.
The second story was very close to the first in terms of art and the likeness to Cooke's original work. It's not as good, but it's definitely still great artwork and fit the story perfectly. This story focused on Robin and Kid Flash and laying the seeds for the future Teen Titans in this universe. With Batman not around and Robin wanting to make himself busy, Dick heads out to stop some local gang and ends up in a chicken race with Wally West while trying to earn the trust of the gang members. It turned out Wally's car was rigged and it skidded over the cliff after a busted tire. As Robin tried to save the man, he found the car empty. This leads Robin on a chase to find the criminals, who Kid Flash, fresh from his escape from the car, has already round up in a nearby warehouse. In the end, the duo stop a Communist attempt to sabotage the secret fuelling station for Air Force One. This earns the two a photo op with JFK and a scribbled remark about being saved by two teen titans.
The final story features some rather odd art. Not bad, though. It still captures a Silver Age art style, but I found the characters, specifically Wonder Woman, over stylized with far too much emphasis on rounded body parts, and no, not breasts. It's like the entire body is made up of cartoonishly rounded sections that are pieced together like Lego. Again, it's not bad looking, but it's definitely doesn't capture the same essence or tone that the previous two did.
However, this final story is a cute tongue in cheek affair featuring Wonder Woman and Black Canary on a girls night out that ends with them at a strip club to put a stop to the male tyranny and sexual exploitation of women in this era. It features Wonder Woman confronting Bruce Wayne, who is taking in the sights at the club, looking for "criminals" of course, and ends with Wonder Woman waving her flaming golden bra around over her head in a bra burning-like display. It definitely capped off an otherwise serious book in a memorable fashion while not degrading or at the expense of any characters. If the art were better, I would have possibly put this as my favourite story.
Verdict - Must Read. It's a one shot. You have no excuses about not understanding what's going on or missing the first 20 issues or other garbage. Best book you will buy this week, month or probably year. I can't be held responsible if you have to go out and buy DC: The New Frontier after reading this, though.
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