I have no idea why I didn't buy these when they came out, especially since I would buy the next 18 issues. From 2005, JLA Classified #1-3, written by Grant Morrison, pencils by Ed McGuinness, inks by Dexter Vines. Got all three from the dollar bin the other day, although #1 is in pretty bad shape.
Like a number of Morrison's JLA stories, there is a lot going on: the entire JLA, minus Batman, is out, investigating a super-villain infiltration of "the infant universe of Qwewq." Gorilla Grodd attacks, and later takes over, the Ultramarines. Along with some very Morrison ideas, that team featured Club of Heroes alumni Knight and Squire, and another version of Jack O'Lantern: in fact, later we'd see some more members also from the old Global Guardians like Olympian and Tasmanian Devil. Covering for his team, Batman goes into his "sci-fi closet" and subs in robot versions of the League! Who don't do especially well; in fact I don't think they last four pages. (McGuinness's version of the Superman Robot would get a pretty nice action figure some years back; I don't know if anyone else's robot did.) Hmm, just noticed Bats didn't have a Wonder Woman-robot; but I think the bots may have all been refurbished Superman-robots, so that would make sense.
May be too much going on here: while Squire has a moment to shine, the overall message of this story seems to be a team that kills might not be equipped to deal with "jet-powered apes and time travel." So, it's implied, why not send the Ultramarines to clean up Qwewq? I know the Knight and Squire would be seen later, but I don't know if the rest was followed up on. It also feels like the JLA itself is barely in this, which might be intentional: they're kept at arm's length, godlike and remote.
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So much awesome going on in this one is probably why so many stories after this struggled to matter, aside from the Kid Amazo, Ellis's Map to Hell story, and the one with the JL going undercover in an middle East county, complete with Kyle Rayner being a willing POW and having swallowed his ring.
Issues like this help showcase why Morrison is such a damn good concept/idea guy. The bit with the Black Death and Superman intercepting that poisoned drink were clever.
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