The old school, fan-favorite creative team of writer Roger Stern and artist John Byrne ( Captain America #247-255 back in 1980) have reunited for a story arc on JLA: Classified “That was Now, This is Then.”  JLA: Classified #51 (entitled “First Contact”) is a flashback tale that details the first time the Justice League of America met and fought Titus, who returned as a golden behemoth to take on the JLA in issue 50.

Some in the industry have used the term “old school” as a pejorative, or at least as a nice way of indicating that a creator’s skills and storytelling style are no longer relevant.  Roger Stern may be called “old school,” for better or for worse, but as a writer, he doesn’t trade in angsty pseudo-literature.  This JLA story arc is simple and pure – the essence of the JLA: Classified as a superhero comic.

It features League members like the Flash, Black Canary, and Martian Manhunter flying around the globe trying to solve a mystery.  Batman’s off on his own in his Batcave, but he isn’t just doing his own thing because he’s about to make the discovery that cracks the case wide open.  Then, there’s Superman; when the bad guy is extra powerful, Superman shows up to start one amazing fight.

The art by John Byrne (pencils) and Mark Farmer (inks) is just perfect for this story.  Byrne has drawn some of his best work in years, managing to actually improve on what he did in issue 50.  It’s simply in the storytelling where Byrne shows his ability to visualize a superhero story that captures the sense of wonder, mystery, and all-out action that this genre does so well.  Farmer’s inks accentuate Byrne’s quicksilver line work and fluid compositions.  Hopefully, the remaining chapters of this story arc will be just as good as this one.

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