Justice League America #42 – “Solicitations” – Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis/Mike McKone/Jose Marzan Jr.
This one starts with J’onn J’onzz and Gypsy contemplating what’s left of Despero after last issue. J’onn used his mental powers to make Despero think he’d destroyed the Justice League (and the Earth), after which Despero regressed himself to an embryonic state and went into some kind of coma. J’onn refuses to kill Despero and Gypsy eventually agrees. She turns down J’onn’s invitation to join the League, but says she does consider him family. J’onn talks to Max Lord about recruiting some new members, preferably
some heavy-hitters who can handle threats like Despero. We see the recruiting efforts in action, though none of them seems to be working out. Blue Beetle and Fire go to see El Diablo, but he and Fire just end up having a loooooong conversation in Spanish before he declines. Guy Gardner tries to recruit Starman and when he says no, Guy decides to bring him back forcefully. Huntress and Ice approach Hawk and Dove, who aren’t interested. Meanwhile on Manga Khan’s starship, we find out Mr. Miracle isn’t really dead, he just got conned into working for Manga Khan by Funky Flashman. (Apparently, the Miracle who’s been hanging out with the League and got blown up was a robotic duplicate.) Now that their contract has expired, Khan is ready to 
send Miracle home. Naturally, when he shows up at the Embassy, everyone is a bit shocked. Manga Khan apologizes and leaves, but not before trading his assistant L-Ron for Despero. L-Ron’s not too happy, but figures maybe the chaotic nature of the team might be fun. Miracle decides to take a leave of absence to reunite with his wife Barda and J’onn wants to take some time away too. Max isn’t happy since nobody wanted to join the team and they still need new members, but they all get a surprise when Orion and Lightray show up and offer to join.
Justice League Europe #18 – “The Happy Place” – Keith Giffen, Gerard Jones/Bart Sears/Randy Elliott
Last issue, the JLE confronted the Extremists, who had hijacked Earth’s nuclear arsenals to blackmail the world into giving them control. After nearly causing a nuclear holocaust, the Leaguers were teleported to a devastated world. They assume it’s the Extremists’ home world, since they know it was ravaged by the Extremists using nukes, but they start to wonder when they’re summoned by a flare to an amusement park called Wacky World. The place seems empty, but a parade of weirdos shows up
(they look like something out of Lewis Carroll) and the head goofball (calling himself Carny) is holding Silver Sorceress hostage. When the JLE tries to help, they’re gassed unconscious and wake up in a tram where they’re subjected to a strange history lesson about how the Extremists destroyed the world (thus making it Wacky, apparently). They quickly realize the sickeningly-sweet employees are all robots and ask to see whoever’s in charge. They’re taken to see the supposed leader, who tells them the world was rebuilt as a funhouse after the holocaust. Naturally, the Leaguers find that idiotic, but that pisses off the robots, who try to kill them for not having fun. (Maybe there’s some meta-
commentary here on how real-life amusement parks shove “fun” down your throat relentlessly?) Silver Sorceress manages to make contact with Flash’s mind (since she’s so weak, she chose the weakest mind among the League) and lead him to Carny’s hideout. Before the JLE can stop him, Carny sets a self-destruct and blows the whole place to hell. The JLE (and Silver Sorceress) shelter under Metamorpho’s metallic shell, but we see someone emerge from what looks like a cryo-chamber, wondering what’s happened to his world. Maybe this is the weirdo who built Wacky World to begin with … but we’ll have to wait until next issue to find out.