This is pretty much a filler, come down issue, which is good considering how intense the ride was in the last few months for the JLA.
Dick appears only in wrap around scenes at the start and end of the issue. Supergirl is seen lugging a giant saxophone into the Bat-Bunker at the start of the issue, which apparently is Dick’s “memento” from a battle he and Supergirl had versus “the Murder Maestro” to which Dick said it reminded him of all those silly villains he and Bruce fought seen in the “Silver Age” books that featured giant props. The two go off for a bite to eat while wondering what is going on with their fellow Leaguers.
Dick and Kara wrap up the issue about to head back out to see if there was more to what they had come from earlier. Before heading out they have a nice discussion about dealing with loss of loved ones and Kara isn’t quite sure yet how she can move on from her losses (New Krypton, her mother).
The rest of the issue is a Donna Troy character piece as her brain, as well as Jade’s is literally messed with by an old Titans foe, The Bogeyman. It’s a nice story and Robinson uses it to show how Donna has moved on from all of her personal trepidations and hang-ups, and is ready to become a full-fledged member of the Justice League of America.
For what it’s worth, the cover is highly misleading, yes what’s new, but unless you count the demons in Donna’s mind, there are no interactions between the JLA and the classic “New Teen Titans” of the Marv Wolfman/George Perez 1980s vintage run.
In all, a decent little story, we get to see Dick in a friend and adviser role that we’d probably never see out of Bruce; which is a nice change of pace from JLA stories of old.
Justice League of America #49:
Reviewed by SteveJRogers