"They Also Serve Who Only Stand And Wait"

I first encountered the John Milton quotation above (from "On His Blindness") in an old issue of Avengers, as spoken by Edwin Jarvis, the team's butler. This standalone issue of JLA Classified reminded me of it once again.

Set in the period before Superman and Lois Lane began dating (and long before they ever got married), the premise of this simple tale is that an alien armada is approaching Earth, with conquest on its mind and broadcast to the four corners of the planet. The JLA has headed off to Mars in order to cut the attackers off before they can reach the third rock from the sun, and now the world waits and worries about the outcome of that battle. We're shown brief glimpses of the fighting on the red planet, but most of the issue focuses on Lois, Alfred, Wonder Woman's mother Hippolyte, and other random bystanders back on Earth.

The highlight of the story is an extended visit by reporter Lane to Wayne Manor, where she expects to interview billionaire celebrity Bruce Wayne but instead enjoys the hospitality of the family butler. While DC plays fast and loose with their own history these days, this at least appears to be the latest version of "When Lois Met Alfred." Miss Lane hears about the 'Wayne family dynamic' for the first time, and opens up a bit about her own dysfunctional unit. Both individuals take to each other almost immediately, in a way that comes across as both natural and surprising!

Of course the heroes prevail in the end, and those standing and waiting back on Earth are jubilant, at least for the moment (tomorrow, they'll turn on their heroes for some paper-thin reason, we're sure). The comic ends with Superman returning to Lois in order to provide some details on the battle, only to find a very flustered woman who, despite barely knowing him, just wants to give him a hug that's equal measures gratitude and relief.

JLA Classified # 49 shows that you really can still tell a great story in a single issue, without crossovers, variant covers or shocking deaths. If this had been the very first comic I'd ever read, you can bet I would've wanted to come back for more!