JLA CLASSIFIED: A Review

This is a mini-review for DC's JLA Classified #1-3.

Individually and separately, I just could not get into these issues. I seemed to have no buy-in very early on when some new superhero group from Africa, yet consisting of a very multiethnic roster, appeared on the scene. I don't know if these characters ever appeared before. The comic acted as if they were old friends.

This seems to be my main concern with some comics these days: the lack of exposition text boxes. I can remember Chris Claremont in The Uncanny X-Men writing quick little blurbs on the characters and their powers. Sure, they were the same in most cases, but I always thought it a necessary evil to let new readers pick up ANY issue. And I do mean any issue. It shouldn't matter if you are in the middle of a storyline or not, characters and situations should get introduced and explained. If anything, this helps me remember what I read a month ago. I shouldn't have to read the first or second issue again to remember what's going on. I found I had to do that on this three-issue story arc.

So when I read the three issues again in one sitting, it was a much better story and seemed to flow very well. So I really don't know how to rate this one. Can you rate it after having to read it twice in order to comprehend it better? If so, do most stories get a reprieve when you don't like them the first time around?

So I am going to have to rate this one like this: Can you comic book writers please put in some text boxes to explain what the hell is going on?? I almost did not give this comic the second chance that it deserved.