Reviewed by Brent A. Keane

I'll get this out the way right at the top: this is one of my all-time favourite comicbooks. Ever. It's just so much fun.

The plot's fairly straightforward: after chasing Epoch - the self-proclaimed 'Lord of Time' - up and down the timestream, the League end up in the Wildstorm Universe. After the obligatory fight between the League and the Wildcats, they decide to band together to halt the threat of Epoch. Fairly simple, yes? Agreed. Ah, but the execution…that's where the beauty lies. Compared to regular JLA - which was a heady enough trip already - this is 100 % uncut, Grade A insert-narcotic-of-choice-here. Yeah, that good.

The all-too-prevalent cliches of superhero comics (and crossovers in particular) are lovingly (?) deconstructed by Morrison. There's the villain's 'inescapable' deathtrap - which proves to be anything but; the aforementioned obligatory fight - Grifter opts to sit out the battle after realizing he's outclassed; and the 'twist ending' - proving that turnabout is, indeed, fair play.

A fairly common criticism of inter-company crossovers is that the characters involved…don't act in character. (Witness DEATHMATE or MARVEL VS DC .) This is definitely not the case here. The League displays the same dynamics as per the monthly book: Superman (in his electric-blue containment suit) is the noble leader; Batman, the master manipulator; Flash and Green Lantern, the bickering kids; Wonder Woman, walking the line between mediator and warrior. The Wildcats, too, are portrayed accurately: Majestic is smug and self-confident; Zealot, all brute force and no delicacy; Maul and Void, the quiet achievers; and Grifter, the cynical merc who gets the majority of the good lines.

Lest you think that it's entirely Morrison's book, the art by Semeiks and Conrad is excellent, as it combines straightforward storytelling and flashy spectacle into a satisfying gestalt. It's kinetic and frenetic, sweeping the reader along with its inventiveness and forward motion. The colors are vivid and atmospheric, without being overpowering, and even the lettering is justifiably attention-seeking (without being obtrusive).

It's difficult to say anymore without sounding repetitive, so I'll simply ask you, the PopImage reader, if you haven't do so already: Go. Buy. Read. Enjoy. You'll thank me.

Highly Recommended

In case you couldn't tell, Brent A. Keane really likes this book a lot. Humour him, and just agree with what he says…