JLI Podcast #7 – Justice League International #7 (Nov 1987)

It’s time for the seventh episode of JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL: BWAH-HA-HA PODCAST! The Irredeemable Shag welcomes guest host Doug Zawisza to discuss Justice League International #7 (Nov 1987)! This month Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire bring the team to the international stage! That's right! The Justice League becomes International with this issue!! Doug and Shag cover what was on the shelves that same month, recap and discuss the JLI issue, and finally YOUR listener feedback!

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34 responses to “JLI Podcast #7 – Justice League International #7 (Nov 1987)

  1. This was one of the few JLI issues I was missing back in the day so for the longest time, I assumed that Batman’s “one-punch” was so damaging, it completely twisted Guy’s personality. Kinda made Batman seem like more of a badass, but I wasn’t disappointed to discover it was a little mouse instead.

    I agree with Doug on Dr. Fate: Maguire drew him the best. And this is coming from a huge Simonson fan. Now my money, though, Byrne mixing the Reeve likeness with his own style makes HIS Superman top dog. Every other time Maguire drew Superman, he looked different. Always awesomely, don’t get me wrong! But yeah, his cameo in this issue is great.

    P.S. Wasteland is excellent. Highest possible recommendation. Get ’em in the bins (whenever they do pop up).

    1. Hi Michel – Thanks for the feedback! That’s funny about your assumptions with Guy Gardner. Totally makes sense. And I think a lot of people forget out the mouse, but remember the One Punch, so they make the same assumption.

      This episode was recorded a while back, so I was lucky enough to find several issues of WASTELAND in a discount box in Virginia while visiting with Tom Panarese and Stella! I haven’t read the issues yet, but they are in my “to read” pile! Looking forward to them!

          1. Ha! Glad you uncovered that piece, Shag! It was a real honor asking Ostrander about that series. To this day it stands as a remarkable collection of stories & cartoonists.

      1. Re: Keith. My thoughts exactly on Wasteland #1. But man, those house ads. I definitely remember having nightmares from those. Brrrr.

  2. Loved this issue. Loved the end of the Gray man. Loved the logical reasons for J’hon to be leader.
    Hated losing Marvel to Atom in The “Cap” arena.

    Loved the podcast!

    Four lines from Bradley Man

  3. Fun episode, this was probably my fav issue of JLI/JLA.

    A few notes:

    Del Close wasn’t so much a comedian as an improv teacher. He pretty much worked with every major comedian you saw from the 70s-2000s, training them in their early days. He can be seen as the guy who threatens Elliott Ness in THE UNTOUCHABLES, who says “Everyone got can be gotten to.” He also donated his skull to the improv school he taught at, so when they do Hamlet, that’s actually his skull!

    Appreciate the mention of Lady Cop. Yes, she belonged in UNDERWORLD!

    I love Batman trying to look mysterious on the final page, on stage at the UN. It’s not working, Bruce!

  4. A year? I never realized the personality switch stuck around quite that long. I do know that it pops back up in Justice League America Annual #5, but that’s a whole Armageddon 2001 muckitty-muck that may or may not be better off forgotten. The laughs are there, but not as strong.

    Great episode all around. My only regret is that this podcast is monthly, but I suppose even JLI members need to sleep (just hopefully not while on monitor duty).

  5. I keep waiting for a Red Tornado Companion from Doug, but nothing in the TwoMorrows solicits. Love my Hawkman Companion!!!

    This was a great issue. The sight of the heroes in spacesuits still jumps out at me. I remember wishing they had individual, branded suits, like Ramona Fradon would have drawn them in Super Friends, but this was a different era. Nowadays Batman’s earphones would have built in Bat-ears.

    As much as I love Walt Simonson, I have to say I like Maguire’s Dr. Fate best too. And actually Jerry Ordway would be next, even if he was saddled with drawing that goofy half-helmet for most of his All-Star Squadron run.

    I would say I can totally relate to the Scott/Barda phone conversation, but since my wife is also a part of this network…my lawyers are telling me not to.

    Great episode!

    Chris

  6. I’ve been thinking about the two words Shag said are overused in DC titles, and I think Mandy it’s time for “Rebirth Crisis”

  7. Hey besides the Mudhens another of Toledo’s other claims to fam is that the milk jug was invented there and Jeeps are made there. Bet you’re like ohh i know something about Toledo I watched M.a.s.h.

  8. Fun episode, it’s always great to hear Doug. I bought this issue when it came out and loved it for the entertainment it offered and potential to be realised. I remain disturbed, though, that the League would just accept Guy’s personality change without having him checked out.

    The Sydney Harbour Bridge is hugely famous to anyone not so thick that they need to qualify ‘Paris’ by adding ‘France’. It’s so iconic that it inspired the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle.

    I can’t see any problem with Hal wearing a yellow watch , unless he was planning use his ring on it – proximity to yellow doesn’t nullify the ring

    Please don’t play the Wild Dog podcast promo ever cos I nearly shat myself when the non-Elvis Hound Dog came in at the end.

  9. As usual, this podcast shows me what I was missing back then when I passed this by on the rack. Should have been buying.

    Shame the Creeper just sort of faded out of the book. He would have added a little more insanity that could have provided more laughs. Think of it like layers of craziness. Imagine if Beetle and Booster were acting Batman-like to the even more goofy Creeper.

    Instead, people like our host probably wrote letters saying to remove this bright spot from the book. For shame.

    Love that last splash page!

    And I picked up Wasteland now and then. Some hits. Some misses. The first issue has a great thought provoking horror story with art by David Lloyd. Let me know what you think.

  10. I always felt like this was the final part of the prelude to the real Giffen/DeMatteis Justice League title. Enjoyed Doug’s contributions as always.

  11. As always, Shaggg, your guests have made this another wonderful episode. I was getting these issues when they first came out, so I clearly remember my feelings about these issues.

    I am concerned about the missing “O-Face” segment. Any reason y’all skipped it this ep?

    Lastly, you need to get over your Hal hangups. He is, and will always be, the greatest. Also, Arisia was 240 Earth years old as Graxos IV has an unusually long orbit around 2 suns. You’re just angry that your GL is an unworthy gutter rat who just happened to be in the right place at the right time (except for that time he wasn’t home to save Alex, that is). Chin up, though, he’s clearly in the top 5 of Earth GL’s….sitting at #4. Oh, wait…there are 2 more now, aren’t there? Maybe your guy lost his Top 5 status. Who knows? (You know I only kid because I love).

    Keep up the good work with the show.

  12. Irish Embassy calling once more, with a memo that any androids, mechanical people and robots affected by this podcast should contact L-Ron or Dmitri for counseling! 🙂

    Another great episode with Shag and Doug – Giffen, DeMatteis and Maguire did an excellent job of wrapping up the Grey Man and then diving headlong into the birth of the JLI. Thinking back on it now, for an “international” team, it was basically an American team plus Rocket Red. Yes, J’onn and Miracle were not American for they were based in the US. Only the introduction of Fire and Ice upped the “International” element of the team. Who else could they have put in there? Well, they had a ready made member in Dr Light but they did not chose to bring her back after her brief appearance. Other than that, it is hard to think of heroes they could have brought in that would have increase the international element, without raiding other teams, like Tasmanian Devil or Geo-Force.

    Bwa-ha-ha moment? I actually thought of another Mr. Miracle one, where they were trying initially to blow up the doomsday device from the shutlle. Am paraphrasing here, but Miracle was confidently predicting his modified weapons would take down the device, or he would eat his mask! One SFX explosion later and with the device still standing, Batman turns to Miracle and said “How would you like your mask?” to which Miracle replied “Raw, with a mild cheese sauce”! I guess Scott really wanted to win the BWA-HA-HA award this issue 🙂

    Looking forward to Moving Day next episode – Irish Embassy signing off!

  13. I think an honorable mention for the Bwah-Ha-Ha award should go to Andy Helfer, for saying the sound effects in space were artistic license. I totally agree with what you picked, however, as I am a married man!

  14. Shag’s comment about the cover grabbed my attention. I never noticed that before and after looking at it for a while, I still don’t. They look like they are doing the “serious” group picture, not dead. Anyone else? Is Shagg nuts or am I just the Anti-Haley Joel?

  15. Another great episode, Shag! Big thanks for Doug helping out this time. If his idea got Shag to do this podcast, then I owe Doug a package of Oreos. Or a quart of WD-40. Next time you’re in Virginia, stop by and I’ll hook you up.

    (What? You don’t know where I live? Huh, weird.)

    Mr Miracle really shone this whole issue. He had the best jokes, or he was the butt of the best jokes, however you like it, and he saved the day! After all of that, I almost expected Batman to nominate Scott to lead the JLI! Nothing against J’onn, but he just didn’t get a lot of attention in #7. But, we all know that changes in Moving Day. BWAH-HAH-HAHAHAHAH!

    Now back to Scott. I’ve been thinking more about how Maguire draws his mask. After some “intensive” research on Google Images (*cough*), it looks to me like Kirby originally made the mask have a static slit for his mouth. But later images from Kirby change to have the mask move with his mouth, and there are nostril holes.

    So with Kirby’s style, that still looks like a simple mask. But with Maguire’s realistic approach, it’s a valid interpretation to make the mask an overlay on Scott’s face. Complete with molding to his ears and ear holes. Yikes! Mother box technology must be hypoallergenic.

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