Broken Frontier

What is it readers love about superheroes?  Is it the example they set for us – strong, noble, kind, considerate, selfless, caring and more?  Or is that, in the darkest hours, when things look their worst, they never stop fighting?  Or perhaps, it is because of their opposite numbers – their villains.  For every good hero, you have to have an equally vile villain, right?

Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Doug Braithwaite’s Justice is being honored by Broken Frontier as the best mini-series of 2006.  This is especially notable because the miniseries is still a work in progress.  The appeal of the series goes beyond the wonderful, artistic collaboration of Braithwaite’s pencils and Ross’s painting.  Justice is giving fans a dream team Justice League formed of some of the best and most beloved heroes of the Silver and Bronze Ages.  Here Superman and Captain Marvel team up to save the Flash (Barry Allen), The Phantom Stranger makes a guest appearance to rescue Green Lantern from the depth of space, Zatanna and the Martian Manhunter turn to the Chief and the Doom Patrol for help bringing Aquaman back from the brink of death.  And the reason for all of this mayhem?  The worlds greatest supervillans seem to have done the impossible – they have banded together to work for a common cause and they have convinced the rest of the world that they are working for the betterment of mankind.  Under this cover they have launched devastating attacks on all of the heroes, nearly incapacitating them.  But “nearly” does not count when you’re dealing with the Justice League.

Co-plotters Alex Ross and Jim Krueger have been keeping the readers on their toes throughout the series to date.  We are constantly left guessing at what is real and what is not, who may ultimately be behind all of this, and the chilling possibility that the villains truly may be in the right this time.  Moreover, the writing duo has been giving the heroes some of their hardest battles.  Seldom have these villains seemed so dark, so cunning, so clever, or so remorseless and the heroes must struggle all the harder in order to overcome them.

It is in those struggles, though, that we see the heroes’ mettle.  They have been beaten, they have been hurt, they may be down but they are not out yet.  Like true heroes they are ready to regroup, plan, and come back to save the world.  That is where true heroism lies – in never giving up and never letting evil to stand, even when it wears the face of apparent good.  The villains have a few more aces up their sleeves, though.  The heroes’ secret identities have been compromised and their associates and the people they love are now threatened.  How will this affect our heroes?  Stay tuned to find out.

Of course, another part of Justice’s success is in the art of Doug Braithwaite and Alex Ross.  Braithwaite’s pencils capture the iconic, heroic, nature of these superheroes but at the same time reveal their humanness.  Wonder Woman’s face is scarred and Aquaman shows up at the Fortress of Solitude with beard stubble.  We see concern and trepidation crossing our heroes’ faces along with anger and determination and the occasional bit of humor to lighten the mood.  The opposite number are treated equally well; with Poison Ivy given a vampy revamp and Brainiac being more creepy than ever, despite his Silver Age appearance.  Then, over the top of all of this, readers are treated to the lush painting of Ross.  This adds weight and substance to everything and everyone and lends each page a look of natural light and darkness.

In the battle between good and evil the stakes have never been higher and the action has never been this breathless.  That is why Justice has been named the best mini-series of 2006.