Justice League International #9 / by MELINDA Schmidbauer

Okay, I am lost.  This issue of JLI was part of the big crossover event called Millennium.  Apparently, a lot of the people are taken over by Mannhunters.  This did remind me of the recent series where a lot of people were taken over by OMACS.  Or by Black Lanterns.  Apparently this is a fairly common plot device in comics.  You’d think the heros would start expecting it by now. 

So our story starts off with the group returning from somewhere. I should have read Millenium #1 first, according to the editor’s note.  J’onn is a little confused by what the Zamorans and Guardians told the group.  Since I don’t know what they were told, I am doubly confused.  And I also wonder why sometimes the flight-enabled heroes ride inside the JLI shuttle, and sometimes they fly.  Depends on how they feel that day?  So anyway, Booster, Guy (still nice Guy) and J’onn are flying outside the shuttle, while inside thre rest of the crew is confronted by Rocket Red, who declares he is a Manhunter (isn’t J’onn “the Martian Manhunter”?  How does that relate to these guys?  Does it at all?).  He asks them to join him, or die.  Meanwhile, he is steering them into Bialyan airspace.

Never fear, though, after a big fight (and some jokes from Batman – I would almost believe this is really Dick Grayson rather than Bruce Wayne), the other Rocket Reds respond to save the day.  But they have flown into Bialya.  What will happen there?  Turns out, not much.  But I am SURE something will be happening here.  Our back story shows the Bialyan “president” trying to arrange for his own super-powered terrorist team. 

Oh, and Max Lord is shot by his assistant, Ms. Wootenhoffer, who is a Manhunter.

 

 

I did see an interesting ad in this issue, for 50th Birthday Superman medallions.  You could get them in bronze, gold-plated bronze, and pure silver ($18.95 for silver).  I was curious, and checked E-Bay.  Not much listed, but a huge price range for a variety of Superman-related coins.  Too bad we didn't invest in these!