Justice League of America by Brad Meltzer (Review)

Brad Meltzer is a great writer, both in the Comic Book Industry and in Fiction Novels. He offers a great blend of emotions with action and plots that bring out the best and worst in his characters and captures your imagination. The only criticism from me about Meltzer's writing is he doesn't write enough.....we haven't seen his work in comics since he left the Justice League of America at issue #12. I would love to see him come back and work on some more JLA, or Flash, Superman/Batman, etc.....really, I'd buy whatever he decided he wanted to write.....the following are his three volumes of the Justice League of America.


Identity Crisis (Citizen's Grade: Awesome). Ranked #4 on my all-time list of Best Graphic Novels, artwork by Rags Morales. This event has me wishing that Meltzer and Morales did more work together! A very mature story involving the violation of one of the Justice League’s wives, a rush to judgement, the death that ensues, and the crumbling of trust and respect among the heroes involved. I actually cried when Batman & Robin are rushing to try and save Robin’s father. This volume brought me back into collecting comics! Identity Crisis took place prior to and led into the Infinite Crisis/Final Crisis Mega-Events that "reshaped" the DC Comics Universe.

Justice League of America: The Tornado's Path (Citizen's Grade: Impressive). The "reboot" of the JLA started here with this great story arc....After one of the darkest hours in the DC Universe, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman come together to reform the Justice League. But while they are discussing, voting, and deciding who they will invite to join the new League....dark forces are at work, moving against their friends and fellow heroes.

Red Tornado has longed for human touch, to be with his wife and child in the flesh, not in his robot body. A mysterious organization has helped transfer his consciousness into a human body as he's dreamed of doing, but their motivations are far more sinister than Red Tornado could imagine.

To save their dying friend and the world, the Justice League of America must rise again! But who will answer the call?....Meltzer plays on the emotions of Red Tornado....His longing to be human, being betrayed and having his dream snatched away, facing pain and death truly for the first time, and being saved by returning to what he wanted to give up. Ed Benes' artwork is stunning as always, & Michael Turner's cover art (scattered throughout the volume) showcased his great talents.

Justice League of America: The Lightning Saga (Citizen's Grade: Impressive). The JLA and the Justice Society of America face many adventures and challenges in their respective teams, but when the Legion of Super-heroes from the 31st century start showing up all over the present-day, it will take the JLA's & JSA's combined might to track down the Legionnaires and help them complete their mission. The quest for the missing Legionnaires takes them from Arkham Asylum to the Cosmic reaches of outer space, but the mission is unclear, and are the Legionnaires who they really say they are? The Lightning Saga features the writing of Meltzer & Geoff Johns, with artwork from the great Ed Benes, Dale Eaglesham, & others. Great cover art scattered throughout the book and in the "cover gallery" includes the great talents of Michael Turner, Alex Ross, & Phil Jimenez.

The Lightning Saga concluded Meltzer's run on Justice League of America at issue #12, Issue #11 winning Meltzer and artist Gene Ha an Eisner Award for Best Single Issue of 2008.

In 1994, Meltzer co-wrote the original swearing-in oath taken by all AmeriCorps members...in 2006, Meltzer participated in a work group along with the CIA, FBI, various psychologists, and Department of Homeland Security intelligence staff to brainstorm new ways that terrorists might attack the U.S.....He has written several novels (both fiction and non-fiction), including The Book of Fate, The Book of Lies (conspiracy theory around the murder of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel's father), & Heroes For My Son....He is currently hosting the History Channel's tv series, Brad Meltzer: Decoded.

Meltzer has a degree from the University of Michigan & graduated from Columbia Law School (He was selected to the prestigious Columbia Law Review).