Justice League of America No. 38

Published by DC Comics. Written by James Robinson. Pencils by Mark Bagley. Inks by Rob Hunter.

The Deal: Writer James Robinson and artist Mark Bagley begin their stint on the Justice League, which stars a rather sparse-looking team that's fronted by the injured heroine Vixen.

The Good: This issue is exciting enough -- featuring a big (and slightly out-of-nowhere) fight with an old-school JLA villain. The dialogue is little better than Robinson's work in Cry For Justice, and Bagley's art is kinetic as ever (Rob Hunter's inks add a touch of flash to Bagley's sometimes middle-of-the-road illustrations).

The Bad: With a story that makes reference to two DC limited series, this issue feels sort of like the bastard child of two comic book crossovers.

The Verdict: Honestly, I'm just waiting to see the team's new lineup, which they'll unveil in a few issues.

Event Alert: Be sure to visit the Elizabeth-area comic book shop Heroes Aren't Hard to Find this Saturday (Oct. 31), to check out its Halloween costume contest. The folks at Heroes will be photographing all participants (with said pics to be shown off later at the shop's Web site) and the winning costume will garner some comic-centric prizes. For more information, visit the store (located at 1957 E. 7th St.) or its Web site (www.heroesonline.com) or give them a call at 704-375-7462.

Reviewed materials provided by Heroes Aren't Hard to Find: www.heroesonline.com.