Justice League

Justice League #8

/ / Comics

justice-league-new-52-8-coverThe latest issue of Justice League is basically one long joke as Green Arrow keeps showing up to help the Justice League and keeps getting turned down when he asks to join. It gets old pretty quick. However, what’s more infuriating is the real reason so many of the leaguers are against adding another member to the team is relegated to a single splash page that isn’t even explained.

In the back-up story, “The Curse of Shazam Part 2,” Billy Batson meets his new foster family which includes a bossy Mary and (for some odd reason) a blond Freddy Freeman. As we got last issue the main point of the story is for Billy to act like a little prick and be put in his place by those who know better. Yeah, he’s got hero written all over him.

The main story has some nice one-liners from Batman and Green Lantern, and an intriguing offer by Steve Trevor for Ollie, but it’s pretty forgettable. The only saving grace in the Shazam story is the introduction of Mary’s pet rabbit and slightest glimmer of hope that someday we just might see Hoppy the Marvel Bunny. Hit-and-Miss.

[DC, $3.99]

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Justice League: Doom

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Justice League: Doom
  • IMDB: link

justice-league-doom-blu-rayDC Comics latest animated feature adapts Mark Waid‘s “Tower of Babel” and pieces of Alex Ross and Jim Krueger‘s Justice as a new straight-to-DVD feature. The plot of the film features Vandal Savage (Phil Morris) putting together a Legion of Doom to take apart the Justice League using contingency plans stolen from Batman (Kevin Conroy).

As Batman finds himself blindsided by Bane (Carlos Alazraqui), Wonder Woman (Susan Eisenberg), Superman (Tim Daly), the Martian Manhunter (Carl Lumbly), the Flash (Michael Rosenbaum), and Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) all find themselves taken completely out of action by Cheetah (Claudia Black), Metallo (Paul Blackthorne), Ma’alefa’ak (Lumbly), Mirror Master (Alexis Denisof), and Star Sapphire (Olivia d’Abo). It’s the unplanned for appearance of Cyborg (Bumper Robinson) who helps throw a wrench into the plan and save the day.

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Justice League International #8

/ / Comics

justice-league-international-new-52-8-coverWith several of the team members still out of action, and the United Nations Security Chief still doing her best to dismantle the team before more trouble lands on her doorstep, Batman reaches out for some help by bringing Batwing in on the case.

Although Batwing certainly makes sense with the makeup of the team being from countries all over the world, it is a little too coincidental that the African hero just happened to be in town right when Batman needed him. (And why wouldn’t Bats go to someone close by, like say his former partner Nightwing, for help?)

After taking an almost immediate dislike to Booster Gold the three heroes fight off Lightweaver as Breakdown escapes custody. Things are no easier for the heroes still at the hospital as Guy Gardner, Godiva, and August General in Iron try to stop a rampaging O.M.A.C.

There’s plenty of action, and the inclusion of two more New 52 characters, but the execution is only so-so. Still, it’s worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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Justice League #7

/ / Comics

justice-league-new-52-7-coverThere’s so much wrong with the latest issue of Justice League it’s hard to know where to begin. First, following the success of the team’s first mission we skip 5 years ahead to present day, but the team still acts like they’ve only been working together for all of five minutes.

The conversion of Hal Jordan into early Booster Gold seems now complete as not only is Green Lantern used mainly for comic relief but he goes so far as to hit on the ex-wife of the biological warfare specialist during the fight with the spores he’s been exposed to.

The art by Gene Ha at least saves us the characters posing and looking in different directions (mainly) but it’s also dirtier and somewhat sloppier than the title’s first six issues. And Geoff Johns dialogue continues to be so mindnumbingly bad it’s getting harder and harder for me to defend him and blame it on DC Editorial. The fact that the story is also told from the perspective of Steve Trevor, a character who no relation to the team so far, seems oddly out of place as well.

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Justice League International #7

/ / Comics

jli-new-52-7-coverJust moments after being announced as the United Nations official super-hero task force everything goes to hell when the ceremony is shocked by an explosion that leaves several of the JLI injured, and one member dead.

The Joss Whedon-esque move to pull the rug right out from under the team in its first moment of glory, not to mention killing off a main character, isn’t a bad one although pieces of the story don’t work as well as I’d like. Neither the dialogue of a mournful father not the reaction of the U.N. Security Chief feel natural.

The team’s response to the attack, the severe injuries to Ice and Vixen, and the death of Gavril Ivanovich (a character I had grown to like during Justice League: Generation Lost and who deserved a far better fate than he receives here) aren’t nearly as hamfisted.

We also get a surprise appearance by Batwing. Although I think he fits well with the make-up of the team, I am a little saddened by the prospect of him as a replacement for Batman. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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