Past a Stephanie Brown book, and… y’know, Titans, I can’t imagine a book that it makes less sense to put Judd on than this. Certain books are especially character based, with the fanbase expecting a certain syncing of character voices from previous appearances. The original JLI was an incredibly character driven era. Judd, more than any other comic writer I’ve ever seen, seems to come up with plots and scenes that he thinks to be strong and then shoehorns whatever characters he has available into them. It tends to work okay in a book like Exiles where he’s created most of the characters, but that, as much as anything else, is what put the fanbase up in arms in a book like Titans. The fanbase for the JLI characters are just as tuned in.

Seriously, if DC’s going to insist on letting Judd write for them, either let him do his own creation or let him work on a title which doesn’t center around such established characterizations. It’s generally a backlash waiting to happen.

Granted, in this situation, Giffen might counterbalance things. He’s a guy who’s always willing to rock the boat but usually only if it makes a lot of sense and there’s a lot to gain from it.

Good God, that cover looks AWFUL!!!!!

Let me try to counter the “Dick Fanboy” reaction and say that I am looking forward to this.

I was all YAY GIFFEN and then NOOOOOOOOOOO WINICK!

I’m like 50% for this book.

Also, is the shadowed character Blue Beetle or Martian Manhunter?

And starring Michael Keaton as Booster Gold!

HAHAHAHA!

This looks horrible, but it can’t be worse than the JLA they’ve been putting out for the last 10+ years.

If you go to the DC website and click on the pic to enlarge it, looking very closely (like all huge nerds should) you can see that it’s Ted’s Blue Beetle cowl, not a bald Martian head. I am very excited for this book. I don’t even care who draws it, and that’s huge for me.

“”Because Marc and I – along with artist Chris Batista – are taking over Booster Gold, that’s why. And yes, it’s exactly what you think it is,” he said.”

Yep, I think it is a big reason to stop buying Booster Gold. Damn shame, Booster was actually a good read each month. I am not interested in Dumb and Dumber in capes, that bus left a long time ago, Keith.

@ussescort – you’ve obviously not been following Keith’s fantastic writing for the latest iteration of “Doom Patrol”, or his work on the “Suicide Squad” series a couple years back.

Wow. You had me at Giffen…. and lost me at Winick.

Giffen has also written the best mature superhero book of the last 20 years (The Legion of Super-Heroes) and it was far from a funny book. So @ussescort, you should research more before passing judgement.
Judd Winnick, in spite of his limitations, is a great dialoguer. So I don’t fear his pairing with Giffen: it will play to both strenghts.
This is seriously the best DC news this year so far. It shows interest in moving into a more diversified field and getting books for different people to enjoy.
And this Tony Harris cover is great – it talks to us, more serious and old comic book readers, not current readers, apparently.

nice to see Keith doing a jl book again which means Dan Diedo did not manage to put his plan to kill off the jli completly as for judd. wonder how long before the fans start screaming about him. messing with or trying to change the characters

Can’t wait for this! Fingers are crossed. Giffen is superb and Winnick is hit or miss with me with a large degree of that being severe misses. Hopefully, if sales on this book are strong enough, it’ll encourage DC to finally publish that long awaited fifth volume of the collected Giffen/DeMatties J.L.I.

Giffen on JLI – awesome. JLI rehashing the old times – not so much. So basically, we can expect nothing of importance on this title, as it is set in the past. And yeah, the preview art sucks. Looks like the artist is on heroin.

Why do people think this will be a rehash of old times? Most of what is currently being published is a rehash of Silver Age comics – what is so wrong about a book with humor? in fact, at Newsarama, Giffen explicitly said he is thinking about balancing, just like in the early JLI days. And this is currently unavailable in both DC and Marvel titles.

::Passes out again:: Holy cow! Cover art is okay but as long as ted kord is back as blue beetle in this series then everything is right with the world.

Booster Gold head looks like it’s balding in that picture.

This goes without saying that, but I can only hope Guy Gardner and J’ohn makes it in the book!
‘

Wait, were we just invited to check a story over at Newsarama (CBR’s major rival) for more details? Isn’t that kind of like CNN doing a piece and ending with, “But for indepth coverage, catch the details with our friends over at Fox News.”

Why do Fire and Booster Gold look ugly as hell on this cover?

I can’t muster up anything for this. Loved the old Giffen JLA and so on but move on.

So Jurgens out of Booster? *sigh* So am I…I’ll catch up with Giffen’s run in trades…

Thanks Dan!

While I am looking forward to this, I agree that the cover is horrible.

wait, no guy gardner? this roster is too small to be final, i hope

I am looking forward to having the guy who did Barry Ween: Boy Genius work on JLI. Yes, that’s Winnick.

Whew…another book I won’t have to spend money on.
1. Agreed, cover looks HORRIBLE. Fire and Ice, as drawn by Adam Hughes or Kevin Maguire-Beautiful. Anyone else? Meh.
2. Yes, I believe that IS Michael Keaton as Booster Gold! Correct me if I’m wrong but most supermodels (ala Bea/Fire) don’t get a nose job to make themselves look like Barbra Streisand. Ice—does not look like Ice.
Captain Atom-I just don’t like him as a character.
3. I’ve tolerated the current series because of the big guns, but now most of them are gone and it’s losing what lustre it had left. Its demise can’t be far behind.
4. I thought this lineup was good over 20 years ago, when I was a teenager. Now? Not so much.
Just doesn’t look promising. One good thing about DC, at least they haven’t stopped trying.

If Winnick channels his old Barry Ween skills, this could be awesome. We already know what Giffen can do.

Just one thing though…

Fire, Booster Gold and to a certain extent Ice have done some pretty amazing things since their JLI days.
I hope they don’t portray them as incompetent (other than Booster’s “cover act”— see his book)

Humor is fine but in the early (and BEST days of JLI, they were able to do this without the heroes losing their skill and ability. Giffen mentioning Gray Man and Despero as pegs are a good sign. These were stories where they really stepped up.

Captain Atom– haven’t been following the backup feature but this guy is one of the most powerful beings in DC and needs a break plus redemption. Hope they fix him.

Of course, we all know Guy Gardner (also being more than just a “jerk” now in GLC) needs to be here at some point.

This group WOULD need J’onn and Blue Beetle. I hope this series brings them back. And while we’re at it…
someone needs to ask… Isn’t this group’s ROCKET RED dead (as per OMAC.)

..

Winicki?

Bwah-hahaha-ahhahah-HA!!!

..

..

“…I am looking forward to having the guy who did Barry Ween: Boy Genius work on JLI. Yes, that’s Winnick.”

Yeah, but it’s the “other” Other Winick I fear. Not the boy genius but the boy TEDIOUS. Look how low JMS and Robinson have fallen, dialogue-wise, as a comparison.

What WAS snappy, in-character and vital to advancing the PLOT, turned into preachy, unreal monologues.

..

Wow I didn’t mean to sound so dismissive of Keith Giffin’s abilities before. I apologize..It just that Dan Jurgens has done such a great job on this run that it gonna take a couple of issues before I get used to a new team on Booster….

I agree with several of the commenters above, you can bring back the old humor but please do not sacrifice the recent character growth for it.

Now tat I think about it, how WOULD a Red Lantern Guy fit into this?!?!?!?!?!

Part of the fun of the “original” run, and why they were so funny, is that you had Batman and J’ohn to play the straight roles, ok J’ohn had his love for Oreos. Captain Atom is a character not many writers have ever got a grasp on, and I don’t think he has the personality for Booster Gold or (any) Blue Beetle to bounce jokes off of.

And while I have LOVED the Green Lantern series the last few years I agree wtih the majority that you need Guy. It’s just not the same without the old hot head!

Also, what about the others like L-Ron, Oberion, and of course G’nort!

First off, Keith Giffin is a great writer. I personally love Ambush Bug and enjoyed his Legion book. However, he has gone on record many times saying that he would love to have done or do a ‘Blue and Gold’ book. Now, he says that he is taking over Booster Gold and it means exactly what we think it does. Therefore, my expectation is that he is getting his desired Blue and Gold book. Which given his also apparent love to have Michael and Ted act as foolish as possible, leads to my Dumb and Dumber with capes vision, which is a disappointment to those that have been enjoying the current Booster run.

That cover is brutal. Booster looks like he inhaled some joker gas. I was out of comic books for a LOOONG time so I don’t really know all the writers and whatnot. I just gravitate to characters and stories I like and ignore the ones I don’t. Booster is a great character, I hope they don’t mess him up. Booster has been my only consistent monthly DC pull since it started.

Forget the cover!!!
Giffen on JLI and Giffen / DeMatteis on Booster Gold, that is the best DC news for me in five years.

As long as Giffen plots and Winick just writes the dialogue it will be fun.

Love the idea. My concern about this is the biweekly shipping. Budgets are tight. I could see folks adding this to their pull list as a monthly, but twice a month might be enough of an expense to drive off potential customers.

I’m guessing they brought in Giffen to satisfy the fans and Winnick to do the dirty work of killing off the two or three JLIers they haven’t offed yet…

How many terminal diseases will Judd lecture us about this time?

Wow…I am genuinely speechless on this one. I mean, the two things I talk about MOST on comic booky sites are my adamant praise for the Giffen/DeMatteis League and the Byrne Superman, so this should have me thrilled, but…people sometimes forget that DeMatteis was one of the main reasons the JLI run was good. But Winick? I agree with Matt D- he has shown time and time again that he has NO grasp of the characters and histories he’s often given. I’m glad that DC Editorial is finally showing some sense (and repentance) with regards to their decade-long trashing of the JLI,. but…well, I’ll have to wait and see.

If I were a cynic or fond of conspiracy theories, I would say Winick was put on this book specifically so that old fans of the JLI don’t like it- and then DiDio can turn around and say, “See? I was right- nobody cares about the JLI.”

Excellent! Everything comes full circle. I am going to buy multiple copies and give them away to get people hooked on this!

TED KORD RETURNS!!!!

It’s about time DC!

Hi evrybody,

Great news!! As a comic fan, of the 80′s, and early 90′s, I got really depressed, reading Justice League: Breakdowns, and seeing the end, of Giffen’s, Andy Helfer’s, and DeM’s JL.

Other JL fans are right, when saying, that the JL /JLI had some of the greatest stories, due to the great blend, of humor, and deeply emotional characterization, along with superhero action – the JL Annuals, in 1991, were, in particular, very good – anyone who hasn’t read the 1991 Armageddon tie-in ( with Maxwell Lord hospitalized, and Waverider looks into Bettle, Booster, Guy, Fire, Ice, Mister Miracle, and General Glory’s possible futures) – and also the annual, with the shrunken JLI members, on the cover, standing under a magnifying glass – pick them up.

And also: we need the return, of MANGA KHAN, and the BEEFEATER!!! Bwa-ha-ha!!! Feel free to e-mail me, about the JL /JLI, at

thunderbigBry@live.com.