We've hit the other two of the three in this series, so we may as well check out 1999's JLA 80-Page Giant #2, with stories by Christopher Priest, Len Wein, Tom Peyer, and more; and art by Cary Nord, Sal Velluto, David Boller, and more.
Priest had a great closing story in JLA 80-Page Giant #1, and has a great opener here with a Green Arrow/Batman story set early in their careers, as Ollie realizes there may be something more to Bruce Wayne than the vapid playboy facade. When Batman makes an appearance in Star City, Green Arrow comes off as the Bat-fanboy he is: "I'd heard Batman had a car. And a plane. And a CAVE. So guess what? Green Arrow had a car, and a plane, and a cave. And he had about as much use for them as Greenpeace had for Big Oil." Butting into Batman's case, Arrow gets him hurt, but starts to put together Bruce Wayne ditching his date with Batman in town. This story features probably the most dramatic racquetball game ever shown in comics...
Green Arrow also features in the next story, a satellite-era tale from Len Wein and Sal Velluto; and we see the traditional GA/Hawkman rivalry. Actually, 'rivalry' isn't the right term; they just do not like each other. The Atom pairs them up to face I.Q. and Captain Boomerang.
There's a couple of the oddball team-ups that sometimes occur in the League, with Plastic Man and Orion; and Steel, Huntress, PM and Zauriel. Big Barda and Huntress learn some lessons on a spa day with Wonder Woman on Paradise Island; and the Atom gets closer than he'd prefer with Superman when he's forced to hide out inside the Man of Steel. The issue closes revisiting the 853rd Century and Justice Legion A, as the future's Superman gives an invader a warning tour of the solar system.
Another rock-solid DC 80-pager, and both Priest and Peyer should've gotten to do more with the JLA. I like the 80-Page Thursdays, not just for revisiting books like this, but since I prepare a bunch of them at a time. The Cowboys just beat the Seahawks, if you're wondering when this was written...
I've got this one too, and yes it is a really good read, you know for an 80-pager!
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