Comic Review -- Justice League #8: Team-Up: Green Arrow / Geoff Johns, Carlos D'Anda, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, and Gary Frank

Another beautiful Jim Lee cover, and unfortunately the only presence of his during this issue.  Still, it's a winner in my book.  The depiction of an over-matched, harried-looking Green Arrow against the backdrop of an X'd out Justice League, spotlight suddenly on him, looks stunning.  It also fits with the tone, in a comical sort of way: the picture might suggest Arrow as the one who spray-painted the X over the Justice League, but in the story, he's trying--very hard--to get them to let him on the team.

This story is essentially about Green Arrow, who keeps showing up wherever the Justice League happens to be doing their super-group thing.  He consistently gets in a couple of helpful shots, and then gets shot down by the League when he asks them to give him a chance at a spot on their roster.  Aquaman in particular seems to have issues with Green Arrow, hinting at a shared past between the two of them.  When Steven Trevor shows up at Ollie's to tell him there's no place for him on the Justice League, he tells him there is another team he might work better on, to which Ollie responds enthusiastically.  Finally, as the Justice League members discuss their reasons for not allowing others to join them, we are shown a flashback of the entire team fighting against someone they had once allegedly let into their ranks, one Martian Manhunter.  From a far away location, J'onn seems to be able to hear their thoughts, and enigmatically remarks that "They are not ready."

In the Shazam story, Billy Batson is introduced to his new home, along with his adopted siblings.  He's obviously put off at the prospect of having to share house space with other teens and children, and ends up making the young girl, Darla, cry with his callousness.  Mary, the oldest of them, throws him into his room, explaining that Darla's original family just didn't want her, and that he was extremely rude.  When he expresses no remorse, she walks away, astounded at his self-absorption.  He admits he didn't mean to make Darla cry, and notices a face in the clouds as he's looking out his window.  It disappears quickly, leaving him to wonder at what he just saw.

I will say this about the New 52: it's giving me a good opportunity to get acquainted with heroes an characters I simply wouldn't have wanted to bother with in DC's normal continuity.  It isn't that I couldn't do it, but the process of figuring out the good stories to read, finding a decent entry point, and then keeping up with yet another title is just too daunting, both economically and in terms of time management.  Green Arrow and Shazam are both characters I've know of but never really read much of, so I'm liking that they're getting some exposure in this title.

I actually really enjoyed the Green Arrow story.  It's amusing, and Ollie is both charming and at least partially able to hold his own among the god-like entities on the Justice League.  I particularly like that, despite several swats away from them, including some veiled threats from Aquaman and some amusing put-downs from Green Lantern, Ollie's resolve is unchanged.  Wonder Woman being at least mildly impressed with his efforts was also enjoyable, as well as the fact that it widened the apparently simmering issue of whether or not to expand their membership.  And, of course, I'm eager to know more about J'onn's past involvement with the League and how that all went down.

Billy's story was okay.  It doesn't really do much new at this point: we see that he's still a little jerk, though maybe not as intentionally as he comes off.  We see him getting introduced to his new family, which he doesn't take well, and we see him reacting to a face in the clouds that suddenly goes away.  We're getting a setup for more action, which is fine, but I just felt like this installment could have been a little more compelling than it came off.  Hopefully they'll get past all the expositioning soon enough.

Much as I want Jim Lee back on the pencils here, I think the artwork in both stories was great.  D'Anda, Reis and Prado do a good job of creating a look that closely adheres to the visual experience that Lee set up in the first story arc.  It's all realistic yet dynamically stylized, and is great fun to behold.  The Shazam artwork is very crisp and full, with gorgeously rendered detail.  The art styles are very different, yet both work well.

Overall, while I'm a little confused as to the apparent abandonment of The Villain's Journey arc that was started last issue, this was nevertheless a good distraction for this month.  The Green Arrow story is funny, the Shazam story is passable, and the artwork in both is very good.  Highly recommended.

Comic Review -- Justice League #7: The Villain's Journey, prologue / Geoff Johns, Gene Ha, and Gary Frank

Okay, my first issue is with the banner across the top of the cover.  I've never liked ads like this, and this one's no exception.  I say this being completely supportive of DC's We Can Be Heroes initiative, but they could have put the ad prominently inside the comic.  This move was just needlessly disruptive, and I don't appreciate it.

Otherwise, I rather like the cover.  It's a Jim Lee, and I'll admit, it's a bit crowded, but it's still dynamic, action-packed, and iconic.  It even supports the story inside somewhat, which is always a plus in my book.  It's clearly an illustration designed for a cover or poster--clearly it makes little sense to engage in combat in this kind of close quarters--but overall, I like the look presented for what it is: a dynamic, en media res representation of the team in action together.

With the new origin story finished and done, we come to what is denoted as the present day.  The League's membership has apparently remained the same for five years, and we have a couple of interesting dynamics going on that are a sharp contrast from the all-out action of the first story arc.  First, we see that the writer from last issue, David Graves, has apparently changed his initially sterling opinion of the Justice League, and is embarking on some kind of clandestine quest to destroy them.  Second, the Justice League is still working on their teamwork even as they take down an emerging threat with little effort.  Colonel Steven Trevor is then shown dealing with the media on behalf of A.R.G.U.S. and Congress on behalf of the League, as their liaison.  Finally, we get a treatise from David Graves, who reveals himself as the person who stole an artifact called the Orb of Ra, and who has discovered the key to destroying the Justice League: Steven Trevor.

I've already seen quite a few negative reviews for this issue, and I'm actually forced to wonder why people seem to dislike it so.  I understand that there's not as much high-octane action as before, but frankly, I could use a break from it by this point.  I'm much more interested in the interpersonal dynamics between the members of the League, and as shown, those who interact with the JL on various levels.  Watching Steven Trevor, with whom I'll admit not being very familiar, deal with his role as human liaison to the modern-day gods and frustrated man whose love for Wonder Woman remains unrequited, lends a sense of anchoring to the narrative that could otherwise easily remove its scope from more human concerns.

I'm also fascinated by the premise promised by the title, "The Villain's Journey," a reversal of the mythological narrative pattern Joseph Campbell described as the hero's journey.  There's a lot of potential for some imaginative storytelling here, especially if Geoff Johns takes this seriously and explores and maybe subverts some of the stages of the hero's journey Campbell sets up in The Hero with a Thousand Faces.  Time will of course tell, but I for one am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt to see how this unfolds.

After all, this issue is more or less bookended by David Graves' observations and foreshadowing. I think he's the one who's intended to be the star of this arc, and I would urge readers and reviewers to keep that in mind for this one before sinking Johns on other areas of the story.  Despite how little he appears in this issue, he's made some key moves in it, and I think we've got a potential setup for a good nemesis for the Justice League.

That's not to say that I have no issues with this segment of the story, but they're fairly minor compared to what I think may be on the horizon.  My biggest issue is that the JL's membership seems not to have changed in the five years since it was formed.  Really?  No one died, left, switched sides, went on to a higher plane of existence, or retired?  They've accepted no other new members since then?  I suppose all of this could have happened, and that they just happen to have their original configuration at this point in time for the story, but that seems awfully convenient as well.

I'm not familiar with Shazam except in the vaguest sense, but I thought the opening of that story was pretty interesting.  I'll be interested to see where it goes, and will continue to read it, though I was a little miffed that it just had to be introduced (and apparently continued) in the pages of Justice League.  Still, I'm willing to give it a shot.  Hopefully Billy Batson's not as huge a jerk as he was portrayed in this first story, but maybe his own hero's journey involves him changing his attitude.  We'll see.

Artistically, I was a little jolted by Jim Lee's absence from this issue (with the exception of the cover), but I do think Gene Ha does a good job in his guest role this month.  It seemed slightly gritty for a story about a high-powered superhero team, but it did a fine job of supporting the narrative.  Batman's angry face in response to Green Lantern's patronizing remarks was pretty amusing, as were the renderings of Spore and his minions at the beginning of the story.  I did enjoy Gary Frank's artwork in the Shazam story quite a bit.  It was very clean, and the linework made for some very realistic illustrations.

Overall, I like the setup and direction for this issue.  I think the story has a lot of potential, and that its focus may not be where a lot of readers think it is.  The Shazam story also promises an epic tale, and starts off well enough.  The artwork in both stories is nice.  Definitely a worthy start for anyone interested in superhero stories, and possibly those interested in studies modern mythologies.  Highly recommended.

Comic Review -- Justice League #4-6 / Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, & Scott Williams

Justice League #4

I like this cover, even if it suffers from "didn't happen in the comic" syndrome.  While Hal and Aquaman do some verbal sparring, there's never any real physical conflict between them.  Still, Jim Lee does his customarily awesome job of making his heroes look epic and badass, as he does with Aquaman, who actually totally wins me over in one scene of this issue.

The impromptu team-up progresses as Aquaman joins the fray, proving to his new teammates that being king of the oceans holds some distinct advantages in the combat arena.  A newly-formed Cyborg assimilates some of the mysterious cubes in the alien invaders, and inadvertently transports himself into the fray of assembling heroes.  But before they can get their bearings, the invaders' titan of a leader shows up, calling himself Darkseid.

The progression of the plot is good, as we get to see everyone's personalities and the interpersonal dynamics involved begin to really take shape.  It's good to finally see everyone getting together and forming an alliance, albeit one out of desperate necessity.  Clearly these are some powerful heroes, with powerful personalities and biases, but they are slowly coming together.  They may bicker about who's in charge and why, but they already know to fight together against a bigger enemy.

I personally loved Aquaman showing up Green Lantern when asked what he could possibly bring to the table of assembled heroes.  He's never been my favorite hero, but I've also always suspected that to be due to poor utilization by writers of his power set and personality.  After seeing him throw down on Darkseid's minions so thoroughly, I'm eager to see what else Geoff Johns and the other New 52 writers do to make him more favorably viewed.

Favorite scene from this issue: Hal telling the truth about himself after coming in contact with Wonder Woman's lasso, and his reaction to Batman laughing at him.

Artistically, I loved the final page shot of Darkseid as he announces himself.  It's all shadow and blazing eyes and brimstone badass-ness, very much befitting such an apocalyptic foe.  I also like the extra uses of splash pages as the action gets more and more epic and intense.  Aquaman's sharks devouring aliens, Darkseid's emergence and intro... things are definitely getting hairier, and the art really plays that up.

Overall, I'm in it for the long haul.  Between the grand scale of the storytelling and the dynamically beautiful art by Jim Lee, there's little reason not to want to see where this story goes.  Highly recommended.


Justice League #5

Decent cover, even if it's missing Batman and Flash from the assembled team pose.  Still, it symbolizes the team's coming together in the story, and looks appropriately grand.

Darkseid's emergence has temporarily knocked out the heroes.  He captures Superman and contemptuously casts a pugnacious Green Lantern aside.  Batman reveals his identity to Green Lantern, and tells him to put his issues aside and work with the other heroes, then allows himself to get captured by Darkseid's aliens so he can go after Superman.  Green Lantern rallies the remaining heroes with a plan, and they head after Darkseid.  Batman, escaping his captors, finds part of the city converted into some hellish processing plant.

This issue sees the Justice League essentially getting their bearings, realizing that Darkseid is going to be anything but a pushover, and understanding that they'll need to work together to bring him down.  There's only a little bit of action, but the pacing keeps things developing at a good clip, and some of the dialog choices really keep the reader entertained.  Green Lantern acting all feisty and going vainly at Darkseid was quite amusing, for example.

We get an interesting sort of "candid" moment between Batman and Green Lantern in this issue, as Bruce reveals himself to Hal in the name of getting Hal to get over himself and focus on being a team player.  It works in the story, but I'm left feeling a little puzzled by the whole thing.  Batman is notoriously cagey about many things, especially his own secrets, so giving up the big one just to make a point feels pretty out of character, at least to me.

Favorite line of the issue goes to Wonder Woman: "It's settled then!  WE BLIND HIM!"  She reminded me of a Klingon in that moment.  A very hot Klingon, but still.

Art-wise, there's visual candy all over the place.  The visuals of Flash and Superman trying to avoid Darkseid's guided missiles were intriguing, and slightly amusing in their Tron-ness.  I also enjoyed the pose of the assembled heroes when Green Lantern tries out his war cry.  The reveal at the end of the issue is breathtaking in a horrific kind of way, as we see the sheer scale of Darkseid's destructive intentions.

Overall, I'm not overly impressed with this issue, but it does bridge the narrative to what I'm expecting to be an exciting finale.  It looks good, but the action is slowed somewhat.  Still, the overall story is very well told, and I can't wait to see what happens next.  Highly recommended.


Justice League #6

This is a breathtaking cover, in that way that makes your stomach lurch.  The JL, bowing before Darkseid?  Fortunately, it's another of those "not in the issue" covers.  It's very well rendered, and indicative of how formidable an opponent Darkseid is.

The Justice League finally take the fight to Darkseid, working together and hitting him as hard as they can with everything they've got, while Batman tries to find and rescue Superman.  Cyborg manages to use the mother boxes to transport the team and Darkseid to Superman's location, and Batman talks him into getting his bearings so he can assist in sending Darkseid back from where he came.  Cyborg is finally able to shut the tubes created by the mother boxes down, ending the threat and destroying all of Darkseid's props as he is expelled from Earth.  They are hailed as heroes, and commit to publicly forming an alliance.

I really did enjoy the narrative bookends employed for this story, where a writer frames the conflict in catastrophic, end of the world terms.  He's in the middle of the fray, his family about to die with him, but for the emergence of these metahumans on the scene, heroically risking all to ensure that there will be a tomorrow for Earth and its people.  It's a little cheesy, but the impact is really felt at the end of the story where he calls them the greatest superheroes in the world.

I'm also impressed with how little Darkseid actually says about his intentions.  It frustrates the heroes, leaving them to wonder what motivates this titanic force of evil to lay waste to the earth.  This adds considerable weight to his presence as an intergalactic hardcase.

It's always fun to watch the personalities at play between the heroes, and in this issue it's especially obvious. Green Lantern's petulance, Flash's diplomacy, and Batman's forward-thinking all make for amusing moments.  That Wonder Woman and Aquaman are hands-on warriors also makes for an interesting bond between them as they engage Darkseid in melee combat in succession.  I think this issue does a good job of playing up their individual presences, as well as their collective awesomeness.

Artistically, Jim Lee continues to illustrate die-hard action and epic heroes with aplomb.  One excellent example of this is the Justice League's fight against Darkseid, as they take turns engaging him and work together to do so.  Everything looks crisp, dynamic and high-stakes.  The two-page splash of Superman flying into Darkseid to knock him into the mother box tubes was a delight to behold.  Finally, the pose near the end of the story of the team is satisfying, as is the cover of them on the final page, where the writer's book comes to print.

Overall, a satisfying end to a fun origin story.  I'll be curious to see if they come back to the present day--remember, this story takes place 5 years before the "present day"--or if they build directly from this endpoint.  This story is a must-have for Justice League fans, readers of the New 52, or anyone who enjoys Geoff Johns's storytelling and/or Jim Lee's epic artwork.  Highly recommended.

Comic Review -- Justice League #1-3 / Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, & Scott Williams

Okay, so I admit I'm a little late to the whole New 52 thing in terms of actually reading the material.  Part of it is that it's taken me a while to give more than a passing glance to any DC properties other than Batman and related works.  Also, finances are a concern--not that I can't afford to start collecting single issue comics again, I just see better uses for my meager income--which kept me from buying them as they came out.  A final reason is that I was one of those people who, upon hearing about the upcoming reboot, thought that DC was shooting themselves in the foot, and was hoping it would fail.

I've since changed my tune, and been surprised at the overwhelmingly favorable assessments of the New 52.  Looking at some issues, I've seen that a lot of the storytelling is very exciting and fresh.  So, with a little help from my local library, I've acquired the single issues of several titles, and figured I'd do some very late and barely relevant reviewing of the issues, starting with the flagship title, Justice League.

Individual issue reviews are a bit problematic for me.  I did one earlier, for Scarlet Spider, but it was the exception rather than the rule (though I'm strongly considering reviewing the next upcoming issue), and I didn't think it'd be a big sin to do a long review for that one.  In the interest of this not being a novella, I'm going to give each issue its own section within the post, and hopefully make them considerably shorter.  That way I can write about the average length overall, and cover multiple issues in one sitting.

Justice League #1

Okay, wow.  The cover alone was awesome, no matter which version you got.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Jim Lee does iconic heroes and poses like no one else's business.  Heroic.  Modern classic.  Iconic.  Call it whatever you want, it just looks great.

Overall, this issue did throw me a little bit.  First off was the "This is 5 years ago" premise that we're supposed to remember.  That's not so difficult in and of itself, but then there's the pacing.  We've got Batman being chased over a rooftop and getting shot at by the military while he hunts some alien monster thing and fights it and tries to make it talk about what it's doing in Gotham when Green Lantern shows up and Batman tells him what little he knows of these guys and they decide to go to Metropolis to check out another alien and Superman shows up looking for a fight.

Whew!  It just feels like a whirlwind of mostly action and just enough character interaction to keep things moving onto the next act.  I got to the end of the chapter excited for the next part, but not really feeling like I'd gotten much out of it.  I think a big part of it is that so far, it's just Batman and Green Lantern, with a Superman setup at the end.  No one else.  It's not too much, I think, to expect to find the Justice League assembled, at least by issue's end.  Not that I don't respect the story arc idea--and I realize that Geoff Johns is good at the larger arcs--I'm just uncertain it's the best way to start things off.

Art:  Jim Lee.  Scott Williams.  That is all.

Seriously, I do admire the detail that's gone into the artwork here.  I don't know what it is about Jim Lee's people, but they just look amazing.  Male, female, monstrous, it doesn't matter.  The guys look manly and heroic, the women look beautiful and strong, and the monsters look alien, threatening, and sinister.  Action flows well from their illustrations, which makes this an idea marriage of form to content.

Overall, I'd say get it.  It's the start of the reboot, it's beautifully rendered, and the writing, while a conceptually a little blurry, is nevertheless exciting.  It certainly promises a grand adventure, and I can't wait to see more.  Highly recommended.

Justice League #2

Really?  After last issue's awesome cover, you give your readers this?! I don't know what it is about the cover to Justice League #2, but it really nags at me, in a bad way.  The characters look good, but the posing seems unrealistic and contrived, like a photographer had asked them to hold a battle pose for far too long.  There's no expression on Superman's face.  I just don't like it.

Things seem to slow down a bit from the last issue, which is ironic, as I was expecting a big three-way fight between Bats, Supes, and GL at the end of the previous chapter.  That's stoppered fairly quickly, and Superman's more aggressive temper is on display, as is Hal's cockiness and Bats's keen insights.  We also get introduced to Barry Allen's Flash and Vic Stone, who will become Cyborg, bringing us a little closer to the formation of the team that we're all waiting for.

I also like how people keep bringing up the fact that Batman has no powers.  When asked, "What can you do?" he simply replies, "I can keep us on task."  With a union of these kinds of powers, abilities, and egos, that's far from nothing, and he knows it, even if the others may not.

Art-wise, I continue to be fascinated, for the most part.  From time to time, some of the facial expressions seem strangely blank or not suited to the moment at hand, but it's easy to forget that when you move to the next illustration.  Some of the new venues are interesting, like Barry's police lab and STAR labs, where Vic's dad works, though whether they'll hold up over time remains to be seen.

Overall, I liked this issue.  We're gradually getting more characters involved, and it's starting to feel like a team book.  It's slower paced than last issue, but the interpersonal dynamics--which, face it, is why we read Justice League--are really starting to come through and shine.  Highly recommended.

Justice League #3

"Move over, boys--time to make way for Wonder Woman!"  That's what this cover screams, even as it suggests the very recognizable coming together of the Justice League in combat.  It's a marked improvement from last issue's cover, and breathtaking in the way only Jim Lee could make it.

Wonder Woman gets a charming introduction as a newcomer to our world, curious and gentle even as she flaunts her tough warrior's instincts.  When she finally joins the guys in battle against the alien monster things, there are the predictable yet still humorous reactions from the men at her beauty and power.  It's these kinds of moments that Johns handles well, and as they become more integral to the narrative of this assembling team, I can see the writing getting even better.

We also witness Vic Stone's injuries that necessitate his being made a cyborg by his father, brought on by the creatures' attack of STAR labs.  The sudden concern of Dr. Stone is a little jarring, given how self-involved he'd been up to this point, though it's not flat-out unbelievable.  Realizing you're about to lose someone is often the point when you realize how much you really do care about them, and I think Silas's emotional turnabout is believable, if not exactly smooth.

Favorite line: when Flash says to Batman, "I thought you were a vampire or something."  Hilarious.

Art: LOTS of monsters in this issue, and lots of opportunities for our heroes to show off with some high-powered action.  It's all very dynamic and hectic without being clogged and distracting, which could have very easily happened.  Wonder Woman, of course, was fun to look at, and the rest of the heroes were drawn in typically awesome detail.

Overall, highly recommended.  The story is getting better as the heroes assemble, and the action is intense and fun.  Character moments abound, and I'm getting more involved in seeing where this arc leads.  Bring on the next issue!

DC Entertainment Puts Its Money Where Its Mouth Is

In a move that has been lauded by comics enthusiasts the Internet over, DC Entertainment has announced its We Can Be Heroes campaign to combat hunger in the Horn of Africa.  Featuring the current lineup of the Justice League as its spokes-characters, the campaign benefits three Africa-based humanitarian organizations: Save the Children, International Rescue Committee, and Mercy Corps.

Its website offers more information on the campaign, and features two significant ways for interested Internet superheroes to contribute.  There is, of course, directly donating to the cause, of which DC has pledged to match 100%.  The other option is to purchase We Can Be Heroes branded merchandise (which, I have to say, looks pretty spiffy), the proceeds of which 50% will be matched by DC.

While I've always been a Marvel boy in terms of my overall enthusiasm for comic book publishers and their various stories and characters, I have to really give DC the thumbs-up for their philanthropic efforts here.  I'm no expert, of course, but this is the first major humanitarian effort I can recall from a comic book company on this scale (though I'm willing to learn if there have been others--just let me know about them!).  In using their brand, resources and other abilities to aid a portion of the world that seriously needs help, DC is in a sense working to live out the types of stories they tell in their comics.

It's putting its money where its mouth is, basically.

I'm sure there will be plenty of discussion about the impact this effort will ultimately have.  Will it be enough?  Should DC even be worrying about another part of the world? Just how altruistic are DC's motives behind this campaign?  Will it affect comic book prices or quality?

My thoughts on the matter are fairly simple: whether it's a publicity stunt or not doesn't matter.  This is an opportunity for comics fans of all stripes to unite in an effort to show the world that we are a generous, socially aware cross-section of the world's people.  We shouldn't worry about whether or not this will ultimately save the innocents it aims to help, or whether or not we should be involved.  As with so many things in life, the outcome matters far less than the effort.  

We should donate, or at least buy some of the cool merchandise and support the cause.  We should, in short, put our money where our mouths are.

And, perhaps, I'll give more DC titles a discerning look when I'm at the comic shops.  Teen Titans has looked promising so far...

And, of course, Justice League.