When in Bialya - Justice League Europe #4

Bialya Burning!

Justice League Europe #4

Cover Date: July 1989

Released: 30th May 1989

⋅ Writers: J.M. DeMatteis / Keith Giffen

⋅ Pencilers: Bart Sears / Keith Giffen

⋅ Inker: Pablo Marcos

⋅ Colourists: Gene D'Angelo

⋅ Letterer: Albert DeGuzman

⋅ Editors: Kevin Dooley / Andrew Helfer

Continued from Justice League Europe #3.

Normally I don't talk much about covers, I'm never sure what counts as a "good" cover, but I do appreciate how they placed the speech bubble to cover up Power Girl so Queen Bee's statement works at first glance. Of cause I can't let it pass without pointing out how few female heroes we currently have on the team! (At the moment a 100% female support staff so they have that at least!).

We start by laying out everything hinted at in the last issue, that Jack O'Lantern is working for Queen Bee leader of Bialya, one of the many, many fictional Middle Eastern countries that seemed to spring up during the 80s. They also confirm that the JLE are onto the fact that they've been meddling through the former Global Guardians. Against the normal cliche, the place seems both rather pleasant and fairly progressive. 

Talking of the JLE three of them are sneaking into the country, Animal Man and Pee Gee flying in (by plane) in their civilian identities and Metamorpho sneaking in through the undercarriage of the plane. Sadly Flash also turns up, and is his normal creepy stuff, just by running into the countries too fast for anyone to see! This does mean we get some nice scenes of Kara, and here she uses her real name, and Buddy interacts and explains just what they know about Queen Bee and her plots, including what happened to Blue Beetle in JLA #26-27.

In even more continuity between the two comics, remember when that was a thing, Captain Atom explains to J'onn and Oberon what they've put into action. They're not particularly sold on the idea but agree that as things are so far along they're going to let the plan just happen. Captain Atom isn't happy that the more senior JLA seems to think of the JLE as a more junior member, plus at this point, they know that Captain Atom was sent to spy on the JLI originally.  

Metamorpho meanwhile has been sneaking into Queen Bee's underground base, something that all good villains need, where some called the Doctor (no not that one) are doing something to enhance Owl Woman. The Doctor is however an alien, one of the Dominators left over from the invasion. He goes back to the rest of the team and tells them about the base, leading them into the base through the sewer system.

There again they have a face-off with Jack O'Lantern, where teamwork and the solid punch of Pee Gee, the heavy hitter of the team (as of right now). The fight apparently takes far too many pages as once Jack is defeated the plot wraps up in just a few pages. Between them, her mini army is quickly taken down and apparently Queen Bee is convinced (off-panel) to stop her vendetta against the JLE.

Queen Bee takes care of dangling plots by killing the DOminator and implying that she's going to finish Jack as well, whilst our heroes fly out of the county by jet as Metamorpho complains that he has to travel by freight as the others travel first class.

Meanwhile, a mysterious woman flags a cab back to the Justice League embassy to confront one of the Leaguers that she's married to...

This is again a surprise with a really strong showing for Pee Gee, who's more or less an impromptu leader here. It helps that it finishes off a complete and solid story that was built up over at least the last two issues if a little less clear in the ones just before. This might be cursing things, and I know there is troubling stuff ahead, but hopefully, things continue in this manner!