JLA: Classified # 31
DC Comics
WRITER: Howard Chaykin
ARTISTS/COVER: Killian Plunkett, Tom Nguyen

Its the final chapter of a six-part story that has the JLA go undercover in two banana republics that have mysteriously developed superhuman soldiers of their own. This issue should be a rousing climax but it falls short, much like the rest of the story-arc. The League battles a crop of newly-created metahumans and some weird creature but there is very little thought put into the conflicts. The JLA basically just beats their opponents up without any of the clever tricks or shrewd tactics that the team is known for. The only truly moving part of this issue is the one scene where the bad guys realize that the anonymous grunts they are attacking are in fact the world's greatest heroes. But it isn't enough. The one thing that is truly emphasized in this story is how various dictators, bureaucrats and billionaires get publicly humiliated. Those scenes probably filled Chaykin with deep satisfaction but it left the rest of us are left feeling disappointed. The bright side is the improved art by Plunkett and Nguyen. These guys could handle a more gritty story with a more exciting plot.

JLA: Classified # 29