Justice League America #31
Guest Starring -- Justice League Europe!
Which is why this title is no longer JLI -- because there is a separate title for the "International" part. I am not sure I like that. Plus, the story crosses over into the JLE, and I am not reading that concurrently. But maybe I should be.
Dr. Fate is featured on this cover, and the writers/artists seem to love playing with the fact that Dr. Fate is, apparently, a woman. It looks like she is winking on the cover. Or the mask is winking. I guess I don't understand the Dr. Fate character. Maybe we need a Dr. Fate 101. Well, if Dr. Fate shows up in the New 52 continuity, maybe I will ask Mark. Or did Dr. Fate show up already?
Anyway, this issue starts off with the Spectre and the Grey Man wandering around a village that seems to be deserted and destroyed. Spectre doesn't know why he was drawn there, and the Grey Man won't tell him.
Meanwhile, Beetle and Mr. Miracle are working on getting the JLA shuttle fixed while Booster complains about the JLA comic strip, and Fire has designed new, slutty, costumes for herself and Ice. Well, Ice, compared to Starfire now, these costumes are not slutty. I'm not sure about the fur leg warmers though. Somehow the two get locked in their room (Really, the security system doesn't recognize them in their new costumes? Who designed that? Don't they ever wear "civvies"?), and when Fate accidently lands on the roof and falls through, Fire starts the room on fire, and burns up everything except the new costumes. HOW CONVENIENT!
So Fate is there to join up, and so we have the Huntress and Fate as new members.
Guy is on monitor duty playing video games, when Batman comes in and yells at him. It turns out that someone is trying to get through to the Justice League! A real call for help! Oh, it was Sue Dibny (maybe she is alive again in the New 52. Probably not, until DD changes his mind again). Everyone piles into the newly repaired and tuned up shuttle, and takes off for Europe. Except it doesn't look like it is everyone. I see Fire, Ice, Dr. Fate, Guy Batman, John, Booster and Mr. Miracle. But no Huntress. Maybe she is there but hiding in the shadows.
They eventually get where they are going, which appears to be a small European hamlet, bombarded by shells. What is going on? Classic cliff-hangar ending.
Once again, I am struck by how much story is in an issue of the older comics. Comparing this to the JLI #2 I just read (New 52, nDCU), it is a novel!
Here's what happened in JLI #2: The new team goes out to fight a giant robot and gets beat and retreats.
Justice League America #32
(The Teasdale Imperative, Part Three)
Okay, I missed part two, since it was in JLE. I can still, mostly, figure out what is going on. There is a mad
scientist in the Balkans somewhere, using a secret chemical compound to turn regular people into vampire zombies. The JLA and the JLE have teamed up to try to stop it, but are exposed to the gas and have to abandon the UN troops, who are now turning into the vampire zombies. Beetle, true to form, wants to call in the Titans instead of dealing with it. I know he is just joking, right, Ted? After all, if you didn't want to be fighting bad guys, why would you be dressed up as Blue Beetle? Nobody is forcing you! You don't have an alien scarab integrated into YOUR body!
So, mad scientist is being encouraged by the Grey Man, who wants everyone dead so that he can get their "Soulstuff." Remember the Grey Man from a bunch of issues ago? This is a different Grey Man.
We have a bit of a serious moment as Scott Free reflects on how Earth is becoming like Apokolips. He just wants to be at home with Barda. Power Girl accidently insults him at this point, by implying that he should be used to the chaos and death. Scott's a little touchy about that!
So we find out that Stagg Industries is behind the mad scientist. Mr. Stagg funded the research, then tried to kill the our mad scientist. I am not sure why he tried to kill him? Stagg would own any developments anyway. If you were a power hungry industrialist, why kill someone who is amoral enough to make you a secret vampire virus and test it on humans? Keep him around!
So, anyway, the mad scientist is going to try to attack the Stagg Industries plant to take over the world. The combined Justice League is going to try to stop them. The Lords of Order want nothing to do with it. What will happen? What!!!!!