JLA: Classified # 26
DC COMICS
WRITER: Howard Chaykin
ARTISTS: Killian Plunkett, Tom Nguyen
COVER: Killian Plunkett

This issue marks the start of a very strange story arc, one which obviously has been lying on an editor's desk for a couple of years. It features Aquaman, but the Aquaman of the "magic water-hand" phase. Then there is Faith, the character no one remembers or cares about, popping up out of blue after months in limbo. The story also features a US president who is not George W. Bush, Lex Luthor or Pete Ross so how this story fits into continuity will probably remain a mystery of wall-punching proportions. The plot will be disturbingly familiar-- a pair of tin-pot dictatorships develop superhumans of their own and now, America and the Justice League are worried that they will be used for terrorism. Yes, this sounds a lot like the recent Gail Simone storyline that appeared in this same comic not so long ago. There are some stark differences but just the same, the editors should have made sure a title like this does not repeat similar plotlines within a year at least. That said, the story does try to stand out on its own with a pace and plotting more in line with a geopolitical thriller. There may not be enough action in this issue but there is a great deal of mystery as we see only snatches of the foreign metahumans and even the League seems to be playing a covert-ops game. The US president is portrayed with surprising sympathy-- not the evil plotter or mindless boob that comics usually trot out as stand-ins for Bush. The art is crisp and detailed, making good use of the very limited space. This issue was a good build-up. Hopefully, the rest of the storyline won't see a collapse.