Wings of War

(Justice League)
by
Michael Jan Friedman

Bantam, October 2002, 120 pp.
ISBN: 0-553-48772-8

Genre: Early Chapter
Subgenre: TV Tie-In / Super Heroes
Reviewed: 6/26/2003

Reviewed by: Conan Tigard

Book Cover

Excerpt

Batman turned back to Murtaugh--

But he did so too late to defend himself against the meaty fist flying at his face. Rolling with the punch, Batman took the edge off it, but it still hit him hard enough to send him staggering backward over a trash can.

Seeing his chance to escape, Murtaugh bolted past the Dark Knight. In a heartbeat, he had exited the mouth of the alleyway and was out of sight.

Batman recovered and took off in pursuit. But before he could get very far, he saw something green and yellow and red sweep Murtaugh off his feet and propel him high into the starry night sky.

It was Hawkgirl. And though Batman couldn't hear what she was saying, she seemed to be posing him the same questions Batman had been asking.

But at a height of a few hundred feet, Hawkgirl had a bit more leverage.

Murtaugh couldn't even struggle for fear of the winged woman letting go. All he could do was hang there and plead fro her to let him down. But she wouldn't do that, of course. She would let him dangle until he told her what she wanted to know.

Or at least that was what Batman thought.

Suddenly and without warning, Hawkgirl let go of her prey. Murtaugh filled the night with a long, blood-chilling scream as he plummeted toward the street below.

Synopsis

The World Assembly is to be the meeting place between the warring nations of Luristan and Kaznia. When the President of Luristan is kidnapped by Bane, a chemically enhanced super villain, and one of Batman's foes, the Justice League bands together to solve the disappearance.

Unfortunately, Metropolis is also under attack, so Superman, The Flash, Green Lantern, The Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman are too busy to help Batman and Hawkgirl track down the kidnapper. Both are good detectives and neither like working with a partner.

Batman, after being up for a day or two, is not operating at full capacity. He knows little about Hawkgirl but is willing to give her a chance, mostly because he is so tired that he is making mistakes. Batman and Hawkgirl soon come to realize that they will have to work together to help prevent more bloodshed as the war between the two nations rages on.

Wings of War by Michael Jan Friedman is a book based on the television show of the Warner Bros. cartoon Justice League, which is a spin off of the shows Batman:  The Animated Series, The Adventures of Batman and Robin, Superman, The New Batman Adventures, and The Batman/Superman Adventures.

This is a new story, not one based off of a television episode. It is a Young Adult Super Hero story starring the following DC Comics characters: Superman - the Last Son of Krypton, Batman - the Dark Knight, Wonder Woman - the Amazon Princess, The Flash - the World's Fastest Man, Green Lantern - an member of an intergalactic peacekeeping force, Martian Manhunter - the Last Martian, and Hawkgirl - a winged warrior from the planet Thanagar. They band together to form a group of super friends called...The Justice League.

Review

Michael Jan Friedman brings to life a new chapter in the continuing saga of the cartoon Justice League, which plays on the Cartoon Network.

This story revolves around two characters: Batman and Hawkgirl. I don't know much about Hawkgirl or The Martina Manhunter, as they are the lesser known characters of the Justice League. So, I did enjoy getting to know Hawkgirl a little more. I had no idea she was such a good detective. I would have liked to have learned more about her history in this story, but that never really developed.

It was interesting seeing Batman not at the top of his game. He makes mistakes because he is tired and he is pushing himself to solve a crime. But, Hawkgirl is there to back him up. Bane, who comic book fans know broke Batman's back, has only faced Batman once in the cartoon series. He is the character we love to hate.

Overall, Wings of War by Michael Jan Friedman is a short, fun book for all lovers of the Warner Bros animated series.

I rated this book a 7 out of 10.