Justice League #6
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Jim Lee, Scott Williams, Sandra Hope, Batt, Mark Irwin, Alex Sinclair, Tony Avina, and Hi-Fi
The short of it:
With Superman captured and maskless Batman gone after him, it’s up to the rest of the League to fight the pissed off evil God known as Darkseid. They proceed to…piss him off even more with EYE STABBING! Cyborg turns into the secret weapon, as he can ping the Mother Boxes and force them to Boom Tube, which makes things a hell of a lot easier. Maskless Batman saves Superman, which leads to an epic double page splash of Superman versus Darkseid. In the end, the heroes manage to send everyone away and save the world, which now loves them. The beginning of the Super Seven!
Oh, and don’t miss a mystery filled backup story featuring Pandora!
What I liked:
- Diana versus Darkseid. Hell, Diana in general, I love the way Johns is handling Wonder Woman. She isn’t the most primary of characters in this issue, but she gets her moment to shine and uses it to the fullest.
- The League fighting Darkseid was just really good stuff all around, Aquaman got a moment, Cyborg got a few, Superman got a few epic looking scenes. It’s what it should have been, Darkseid is defeated without losing. Everybody looks strong coming out of the fight.
- For as much as I understand people being wary of super-humans, I love the way they all come around in this issue. Seven people in bright costumes save the world, you’re damn right you cheer.
- Hal being a dick during the President’s speech about them is just awesome. Everything from he and Aquaman having an exchange about how they aren’t wearing costumes, to him bitching that they aren’t a team and aren’t friends. It’s perfect Hal.
- More so, it’s exactly how the League should be at this point. They aren’t a team, they aren’t friends, they’re seven people who just saved the world together while, for the most part, meeting for the first time.
- I really did enjoy the Pandora backup story, and I can’t shake that she looks like Zealot, but the Phantom Stranger is there and I can’t not be interested. Pandora isn’t just a name and she actually has a box? Give me more.
What I didn’t like:
- ARMY OF INKERS!
- So Cyborg is a founding member of the League, but aside from his origin, he feels like a plot device. The fact that it all comes down to him being able to talk to machines is just too…well, plot devicey.
- Still don’t understand why Batman needed to run around without a mask on.
- Superman could have said more.
- Batman makes crazy transitions, from “OMG! He’s real!” urban legend in issue one to standing at a press conference with the President. For some reason I could see Bruce completely skipping this and being more in character for it.
Final thoughts:
In JLA Year One it was clear that the name ‘Justice League of America’ was Flash paying homage to the Justice Society, much in the same way he became the Flash to honor Jay Garrick. There is no JSA here, there are apparently no other known super hero teams, names should not be easy to come up with. And that’s why I loved the horrible nature of “The Super Seven”.
Are we going to see more of this writer known as David Graves or was he just for this issue?
Wait a second, are those two mysterious men at the end of the issue talking about being super villains Daemonites?!
Still don’t get why Batman took his mask off.
The talk with the President was just great for me. Guy gives a long winded speech and the important thing is the team bickering. Aquaman knocking the fact that people think he chose to wear orange, Hal knocking the necklace…really, this part was all Hal. He just hates on everything as he tries to put over how he’s awesome on his own, and it completely gels with where the character is positioned as having come from.
Can we get chapters of “Justice League: Gods Among Men” in the back of comics? I imagine it would be worlds better than “The Oral History of the Avengers”.
The Pandora story left me wanting more, but I think that’s for the best. I got just enough to remember that she’s important, but not enough that I feel like I’ve got a handle on her and that I know what they’re going to do with her.
Overall: 8.5/10
