Mark Ellis's Justice Machine Objects of Power Graphic Novel Released!

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Mark Ellis has finally released the latest incarnation of the Machine for those of us who know who the 'Justice Machine is. This is the latest incarnation of one of the more interesting supers groups that came out back when comic books took risks back in the early 80's.
Who are the Justice Machine? Well, Wiki has a nice break down: 

In the first two versions of the team, the Justice Machine is an elite law enforcement agency from the planet Georwell, aparallel world with advanced technology that the Machine members believe is a utopia. Arriving on Earth in pursuit of Maxinor, a criminal and accused terrorist from their world, the team members soon discover that Georwell is much morefascist and dystopian than they had previously believed. Meanwhile the Georwellian authorities have activated a second team, called 'the Guardians' in the Noble series, or the New Justice Machine in the Comico series.

Zarren, their superior, has the Machine indicted as traitors and they have no choice but to remain on Earth. Zarren recognizes that Georwell's government is corrupt, but he has no desire to change the system; he merely wants to advance to a position of more power. The Machine's idealism might interfere with his own personal goals. Later, Zarren falls victim to his own schemes and must flee to Earth, where he sets himself up as the president of small South American island, the Arriba Atoll.

"Georwell" is a play on George Orwell, the author of 1984, and the society of Georwell is based on the society of 1984, though much more technically advanced.

Object of Power, an original Justice Machine graphic novel by Ellis and artists David Enebral and Ivan Barriga is scheduled to be published by Bluewater Productions in 2014.

More right over
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According to Mark Ellis's Ink blog: 

The Justice Machine: Object of Power is not just a new adventure of the team. The over-arching plot explains, expands and rectifies long-standing  mysteries of the convoluted backstory.

In the third issue of The Justice Machine produced by Noble Comics, the team joined New Haven, an Earth organization operated by a mystery man named Hammet Dash. The intention was for the Machine to learn that New Haven was as totalitarian as the Georwell government had been, but those stories were never told. In 1983, after publishing five issues of The Justice Machine, Noble comics folded.

Texas Comics published the Justice Machine Annual #1, which continued the Noble continuity. Another issue was completed, but printed several years later by Innovation as a “Summer Spectacular”.

In 1985, when the Justice Machine was picked up by Comico, it underwent a reboot, partly to accommodate the inclusion of Bill Willingham’s popular super-team, The Elementals but also because of the two-year publication gap between The Justice Machine Annual and issue #1 of The Justice Machine Featuring The Elementals.

In the Comico version, the team joined New Atlantis, a utopian society located on an artificial island created by Dash Hamilton. Despite the similarities to the Noble comics backstory, the continuity established in the Comico series is the one considered official. It’s the one I followed when I wrote the Machine for Innovation and Millennium.

I always had a germ of an idea about blending the two continuities, but I never gave it too much thought.

When Dynamite Comics approached me about either licensing or purchasing the Justice Machine property but with the caveat they had the right to reboot the series, I turned down the offers–twice. Although there were other  issues affecting my refusal, I didn’t care for the proposal of rebooting The Justice Machine yet again.

As far as I was concerned, it wasn’t necessary– the original concept of Georwell had never been adequately explored…or its weird connection to George Orwell’s 1984 ever explained.

Granted, it would have been easier just to start over—and maybe do away with that whole exiles-from-a-totalitarian-world origin—but I felt those underpinnings were integral to making the Justice Machine unique among countless other super-hero teams…not to mention making them so fondly remembered after 30-plus years.

However, I did want to make some changes—first and foremost with the Justice Machine’s costumes. Always in the past, the members of the Machine wore individualized outfits but this time around I wanted more a uniform look.

To that end, I wanted them to wear a unifying insignia, a scales of justice within a gear wheel, first designed by Darryl Banks and refined by Melissa Martin-Ellis. The insignia is functional, serving a variety of purposes.

Artist Roberto Castro came up with several renditions of new uniforms for the team, but I preferred the final designs by Preston Asevedo, although he had gone in the direction of individualized costumes first as well. When the new design was finalized, Preston and color artist Deirdre DeLay-Pierpoint stayed as close to the original color schemes of the characters as possible.

While the visuals were being  worked on, I crafted the basic storyline, knowing all along the prologue would pick up a year after the last issue of the Millennium series.  From there, we would move forward to create a new continuity without violating anything that had come before—including the five issues published by Noble so long ago.

Object of Power introduces a retooled Justice Machine and basically returns the team to square one.

So, where does The Justice Machine go from there?

Anywhere, actually…but when and where is something I can’t predict.
 More information right over
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And the official Machine Website right over
HERE
New Machine interview by Ellis right over
HERE

A Deeper Slice Review Of The Justice Machine Sourcebook

 The Justice Machine Source book came out in 1985 and clocked in at 144 pages of pure role playing goodness. Within its pages are wall to wall artwork and the usual Palladium attention to detail especially of the world of the Machine.  

 Within its pages are in depth bios of the each and every member of the Machine along with a report about the then current state of the JM's various members, equipment, and tactics. 

 The artwork is pure 80's and includes most of the antagonists of the supers group along with their various tactics and what have you.  The Justice Machine is from a different dimensional Earth called Georwell a Marxist Orwellian nightmare regime. This government that has more politic and in fighting then many of the comics of the time. The Justice Machine is  only one of the super teams that Georwell uses in its fight to own citizen's resistance bands and their "super villain" leaders. 

 Much of the artwork is from the original run of the Machine and its great. The  source book is for the original 1984 edition of Heroes Unlimited (q.v.). However, by ignoring a few out-dated sections (4 or 5 pages total), it is fully compatible with all the other Palladium material.

 It was finally nice to see some of the details of life on Georwell that were only hinted about in the comics. The technology level is incredibly high compared to the Earth of 1985. It loved the idea of lesser super human teams from Georwell hunting down the Justice Machine. It was fairly obvious that there were several homages to various Marvel and DC superheroes lurking between the pages. 

 We get large details on another organization such as Sea Haven - A secret group that takes in the Justice Machine. Sea Haven is incredible and we are given in depth details about it. Its actually a pretty good book for low powered supers game using the Heroes Unlimited rules. Sea Haven reminds me of the Krell Underworld from "Forbidden Planet"movie  and the Time Tunnel television show. 

We even get a copy of a piece by "Jack King Kirby" himself and its right out of the golden age of comic books. 

 So what about the Villains? Well we get a large cross section of some very interesting and troubled characters. Their origins, tactics, and motives are all given center stage. There is also the fact that there are plenty and I do mean plenty of robots, guards, and monsters to give a beat down on in this source book. 

 Adventure Section 

 The adventure section features two "complete" adventures featuring the Lavamen and the Mechaniods. These are very open ended in the usual Palladium style. The type of thing that can get a supers team in over their heads fast. They're interesting and at the time, Palladium was trying to get the Mechanoids into the main stream rpg players hands. 

Its very low level stuff and the remainder of the book is taken up by rules and techno know how for the old Heroes Unlimited system. 

   All in all is the book useful? For me yes but your mileage may vary. The Justice Machine sourcebook has served as the foundation to any number of one shots and campaigns over the years. I've used several public domain super hero teams from Georwell.  My best advice is don't pay a lot for this one if possible. My fiance got me this for a birthday present for about four pounds and its been worth it to me.