JL8 - Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman in Grade School

[ThePhantasm]

This is an incredibly well-written, funny, cute, and clever webcomic. The art is wonderful. I didn't see a discussion thread about it, so I thought I'd make one...

JL8: A Webcomic

Get Started Here

[Scowling Dragon]

Just what I needed. Something cute, funny and is drawn halfway decently.

Edit:

BY GOD is this cute. And in a good way. Not the shmultzy kind of cute.

[ThePhantasm]

Yeah, the little Batman is my favorite.

What's amazing is how well the author has nailed the characterizations, even though the characters are only 8 years old!

[Cen]

sooo I started reading it just out of couriosity, and it was 'yeah pretty ok' to me. And then

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Neil Gaiman shows up. And just a few strips after? Dream of the Endless.

This is best thing ever.
I couldn't thank you enough for posting this!

[Starbuck_II]

Yeah, the little Batman is my favorite.

What's amazing is how well the author has nailed the characterizations, even though the characters are only 8 years old!

Does Power Girl like Superman in the real comics?
Because now I'm shipping them because of the webcomic.

[The Glyphstone]

Well, I'm hooked. I particularly like the old-timey newspaper comic shading.

[Reverent-One]

Oh, when I make a JL8 thread, it dies off immediately, when ThePhantasm does it, we actually get more than 2 people responding to it. I see how it is.

Seriously though, I'm glad you made it, I hadn't read this for a few weeks. This bit with the present, Clark and Bruce talking in secret, and Bruce covering for him was great.

Does Power Girl like Superman in the real comics?
Because now I'm shipping them because of the webcomic.

...Uh, no. They're cousins in the main continuity.

[ThePhantasm]

Yeah, Power Girl is Supes' cousin in the comics continuity, but not in the JL8 continuity.

Clark and Bruce working together has been really neat - somehow the author has simply nailed the dynamic between those two characters. Its really been well done.

[Coidzor]

^: Agreed.

Curses! I always end up going through the archive too quickly and then getting too disappointed because it's so awesome and there's no more. x.x

[Grif]

Curses! Where did my last hour fly to?

*clicks next*

[Dienekes]

So I read all of it (I needed to do something other than work), it's pretty fun. It does that Calvin and Hobbes thing where the characters act like 8 year olds but have random bursts of talking much older. I like that.

A pity it gets sort of swept up in a romance subplot though. I enjoy the random shenanigans a lot more.

Also wasn't Power Girl Superman's cousin from another universe? So they're not technically cousins in this universe or something. I don't know.

[Ravens_cry]

I know it's to be in contrast to Diana, but I am not sure I like Power Girl's characterization much. Otherwise, it's been a real fun read so far. The Bruce/Clarke characterization I agree is about pitch perfect.

[ThePhantasm]

The latest strip has a nice visual nod to the cover of Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia.

[Starbuck_II]

Man, I just wish there was more episodes/pages. Just caught up. I love Batman's characterization.

[TheEmerged]

O_o

Did... did this used to go by another name or something? I have a mind like a steel trap (everything that goes in, gets mangled) but I remember this by the name of Little League or something like that, and then it disappeared/stopped updating or something.

[Reverent-One]

O_o

Did... did this used to go by another name or something? I have a mind like a steel trap (everything that goes in, gets mangled) but I remember this by the name of Little League or something like that, and then it disappeared/stopped updating or something.

Yep, Little League was the name. The author was requested to change the name, so it became JL8.

[slayerx]

Oh my gosh is this comic adorable and funny.
Though Ya, supes and power girl being technically related via an alternate universe, does kind of make their pairing a bit weird, even if they are not actually related in this comic. But then again they're just kids; it's not like things are getting serious...


i can't help but want Catwoman and Talia to both get in on this. Bruce needs to get in on all this shipping.


And i had such an "oh duh" moment...
Namely... "What is up with the joker's design; didn't know it was him till they called him a clown. Why not design him as clown; or heck he could have atleast given him a purple suit. Why did he decide to give him a red hood-ie... red hood... oh duh!"

[Acanous]

Wow, Strip 50. Just wow.

[The Glyphstone]

It goes on and on and on...

Who are the other characters in Lex's squad? I only recognize Poison Ivy.

[tyckspoon]

Fur-coat girl is probably Cheetah. Big Gray Guy would be Solomon Grundy. Fur coat, silly glasses, and water gun is one of Flash's gallery, and I'm pretty sure so is the dorkily-dressed guy with the joy buzzer, although I don't recall their names.

[ThePhantasm]

Fur coat, silly glasses, and water gun is one of Flash's gallery, and I'm pretty sure so is the dorkily-dressed guy with the joy buzzer, although I don't recall their names.

Captain Cold is the water gun guy. He's a Flash villain.

I think the second one you mentioned is Toymaker. He's a Superman villain.

[Reverent-One]

Fur coat guy is Captain Cold. Not sure about joy buzzer kid either.

EDIT: Ninja'd.

[Acanous]

The guy in the Red Hood is Joker (Catch THAT ref?)
Anyhow, got to 108, No moar!? Nooooes

I am somewhat worried that this comic will see action from DC's lawyers. It would suck to see it go that way D:

[Pie Guy]

It goes on and on and on...

Who are the other characters in Lex's squad? I only recognize Poison Ivy.

I think Mr. Freeze, and the hoodie kid is the Joker...

[Coidzor]

Victor Fries wouldn't be called Len.

I thought the kid in the hoody was supposed to look like the Scarecrow.

[Anteros]

The guy in the Red Hood is Joker (Catch THAT ref?)
Anyhow, got to 108, No moar!? Nooooes

I am somewhat worried that this comic will see action from DC's lawyers. It would suck to see it go that way D:

Should be protected by parody laws, as long as he doesn't try to commercialize it.

[The Glyphstone]

So Lex and Toymaker are Superman villains.
Poison Ivy is a Batman villain.
Cheetah is a Wonder Woman villain.
I'm counting Solomon Grundy as a Green Lantern villain, since that's his first appearance.
Captain Cold is a Flash villain.

That leaves the guy in the red sweatshirt. Red Hood, for another Batman villain?

[slayerx]

So Lex and Toymaker are Superman villains.
Poison Ivy is a Batman villain.
Cheetah is a Wonder Woman villain.
I'm counting Solomon Grundy as a Green Lantern villain, since that's his first appearance.
Captain Cold is a Flash villain.

That leaves the guy in the red sweatshirt. Red Hood, for another Batman villain?

That would be Joker... The red hoodie is a reference to "red hood" which was joker's villain persona before he became the joker.

[Acanous]

Spoilers ahoy, so don't open if you've not gotten past comic 50.

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bottom right panel remind you of someone?

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Definately the Joker, in the continuity where Joker was the Red Hood.

[Dienekes]

As previously stated, Red Hood is the Joker. In one of Mister J's backstories he was a small time crook (or failed comedian, or mob assassin, or childhood sociopath, or... you get the idea) the Red Hood before falling in a vat of acid (curtsey of Batman) and turning him into the green haired white faced clown prince of crime we all know and love.

Also it helps to pin him as the Joker when he is literally egging Bruce on to attack him, as the Joker does a lot most popularly in The Dark Knight, and he is referred to as a "Clown" in the one-panel headshots.

Huh, double ninja'd. I need to learn to type faster.

Anyway of all the design choices, I'm more curious about why Lex is sporting what I can only assume is a mullet.