Justice League: Generation Lost

This epic 24 issue story covered the immediate effects of the Blackest Night story Arc, and its lasting impact on the DC story as a whole, largely dealing of course with a familiar enemy. Anyone who has read previous Justice League International titles, for example the ever hilarious Justice Buddies, you know just how heartfelt this team of mismatched heroes can be. Keith Giffens iconic humor is the perfect starting ground for this brief series, but doesn’t pull away from the recent tragedies that have befallen the former members of this team. This series was able to breathe life back into the former Sunday funnies feeling past JLI stories had, and show that beneath all the pranks and jokes there really was a story of how human super heroes can be.

I don’t intend to give away too much of the plot, as I hope this brief article will motivate you to go grab the first issue as soon as you can, but I can say that the basic premise of the story is the former JLI hunting down the recently resurrected Max Lord. In the opening pages Maxwell Lord is currently being hunted by every major law enforcement group on the planet. Booster Gold,however, is the one who finally finds him. However, it’s too late Max Lord manages to render Booster unconscious, and activate a machine that practically erases every trace of his existence, leaving the former members of the JLI looking like foolish heroes who do more harm than good. (A reputation that was slightly already present, for certain member. *cough*Booster*cough*)

From this point on the story dives deeper and deeper into the mindset of the main selection of heroes, and how they are recovering from past events. The series manages to really pull on the emotional heart strings of a reader as these heroes who only wish to do well are ignored and ridiculed. With the past changed, no one, not even Superman will take the group seriously, even thoughthey are the only ones who can prevent whatever dark scheme Max is planning. The series manages to tie up all loose ends, and provide character perspectives that have relatively gone ignored over the past years.Besides Booster Gold and Jaime Reyes, several of the JLI characters are very uncommon characters, whose perception of the current world is often looked over. One of the more emotional parts of the series, and some of the best writing I might add, focus on how Booster is dealing with Ted Kords death. I have to admit that for the first time in all my experience of reading comic books, this series manages to use the death of a hero in right way. Unlike other heroes who die, Ted Kord has no revival in site, and his death must be accepted by his friends. I’m not ashamed to say this comic actually made me cry at times.