It really made me want to read COPRA now too, come to think of it.

This is a bit of a classic, although picking it up again the other day I think I had forgotten Giffen drew this one! From 1988, Justice League International #13, "Collision Course" Plot and pencils by Keith Giffen, script by J.M. DeMatteis, inks by Al Gordon.

Nemesis has been lanquishing (I believe that is the technical term...) in a Russian prison since Suicide Squad #7, and it's about as much fun as it sounds. Colonel Flag wants to go back in to get him, but Amanda Waller absolutely refuses: it's obviously a trap, and would be a political disaster. They may not realize someone else is taking an interest in Nemesis's plight (another cliche, er, technical term...) as Batman wants to help as well: he knew him from Brave and the Bold appearances, and knew he was cool. Batman even goes so far as to lean a little on his new teammate, Rocket Red 8, Dmitri. Dmitri calmly explains, despite the "connections" Batman expects him to have, he doesn't know everything that goes on his country, but wasn't Nemesis caught breaking in somewhere? Then a Rocky & Bullwinkle joke, because this was the style at the time. (Dmitri was often played as a simpleton, largely because he was foreign, but he was a pleasant family man who the Soviet government apparently thought was a good candidate for stuffing into a rocket suit given to them by freakin' Kilowog!)

Flag calls the Squad together for an emergency mission, no time for briefings, go go go! With only Nightshade in on his plan, they make their way to Russia, but not unnoticed by Waller, who visits Reagan to get the okay to sic the J.L.I. on the rogue Squad. Both Black Canary and Blue Beetle suspect Bats of paying the "villains" off to go rescue Nemesis, and may only be half-joking. An increasingly sullen Batman is furious at going where he wanted to go "for the wrong reasons" and J'onn firmly suggests he not try to use this to help Nemesis. Meanwhile, the rest of the Rocket Red Brigade and "Red Star of the People's Heroes" are made aware of the situation as well, in two really jokey pages! Seriously, go check them out, then imagine the same spread in Suicide Squad with Ostrander providing dialog. It'd be a completely different tone.

At the prison, Batman tries to intimidate the warden into getting access to Nemesis, but is refused until Dmitri calls in a favor. Dmitri and J'onn both have to tell Batman to be on his best behavior, with Bats seemingly regretting putting J'onn in charge of the team at least a little: he was pretty used to getting his way, and this might be the first time J'onn gave him any pushback. When they find Nemesis in his cell, beaten and unconscious, Batman is back in their faces, though. It's undermined a bit by Beetle and Miracle in the background, but J'onn lets Bats know in no uncertain terms he will throw him off the team. (Just looking at that page now, I know we see him roughed up at the beginning of the issue, but I wonder if Nemesis isn't playing possum a bit.)

Batman does back down...for now; but the Suicide Squad has now entered the chat! As back in the states, Amanda Waller and Max Lord debate how it's going to play out; the Rocket Red Brigade, Red Star, and most of the Soviet army are closing on the prison...to be continued, in Suicide Squad #10! Wait, the next issue banner says #10, but it was actually #13: Batman did appear in Suicide Squad #10, though. I haven't re-read SS #13 in some time, but now I want to compare and contrast the jokes in it: in JLI, is everyone jokey just because that's what they did there? I seem to recall the jokes from the comedians of both groups not landing as well in Ostrander's book; not because they weren't funny, but because nobody was in a mood for that nonsense.