JUSTICE LEAGUE #2

JUSTICE LEAGUE #2 by Craig

October 23, 2011, 4:38 pm
Filed under: Comic Reviews, DC Comics | Tags: aquaman, Batman, DCNew52, Geoff Johns, Green Lantern, Jim Lee, Justice League, Superman, The Flash, wonderwoman

Ok, so we probably got carried away with ourselves last month when we got the first glimpse of the first DCNew52, Justice League. DC’s hype-machine had been running for month’s ahead of the launch, we’d just come out of a Flashpoint high and we were ready to explode at the anticipation of a new world and new costumes. 51 issues later and we are in a much better position to see what JL#1 was really like – i.e. note quite the best of the bunch. But what does #2 do to try and improve on this?

Well for a start I’ve realised what Justice League really is – it’s the Michael Bay of the 52. Its the kind of book that pulls out all the stops, has all the big characters and action, ignoring the need for a sophisticated plot. And that’s ok – I’ve come to accept it, there are times where I want to watch a Transformers or a Bad Boys or an Armageddon, and this book fills the same hole in my comic book life. There’s nothing really wrong with the writing or art, but it’s not going to win Eisner awards any time soon. Which is probably what this book is aiming for anyway – this is the entry level book to the DCNew52, the one they want non-comic readers to pick up – and on this level, it works.

I can and do pick up the books for each of the characters, but there’s something pretty exciting about seeing Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and the Flash teaming up for the very first time. The world that Johns has created where Superheros are feared instead of loved means that each member comes to the table suspicious of one and other. This isn’t all high fives and chest bumps, instead these guys are on the run while they try and save our human asses, which makes for a much more interesting dynamic. Again, like last month, there’s no rush to get all of the characters into the book at the same time, slowly introducing each as the issues progress, which is definitely the way it should be done. If you’re in some major rush to see Wonder Woman or Aquaman, go pick up their own titles (both of which are petty good!).

There was some criticism last month about the length of the book and the fact that most of it could have been condensed down quite significantly – and the same could probably be said of issue #2. However I’m a big fan of Jim Lee’s splash pages, and if that means I have to pay a little bit extra to get 3 of them in one issue, then I’m cool with that. The Superman vs Batman/Green Lantern battle was worth the extra couple of weeks wait and as epic as was to be expected. Lee, like Bay, has an excellent eye for big set pieces, and issue #2 is full of them.

Of the three Justice comics, this one probably sits in the middle – it’s not got quite the same edge as JL Dark, but is much better than the poor starting JL International, so I’ll be happy to keep this blockbuster in my monthly order for now.

6/10

Craig @hastiecraig

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