Justice League

Geoff Johns and Jim Lee are the dream team of every comic book fan. Now we are getting what I've been longing for a long time. Do things go the way everyone wanted?
 
THE GOOD:
The artist is Jim Lee so you know it's good. But I really just could look at his work for hours and I'd feel that I spent every-single second doing something fun. Anyways, in this issue we get to met Wonder Woman who has just left Paradise Island. We also  get to know a bit about Steve Trevor's relation to Diana. Geoff Johns gives a couple of scene where we get to see Diana discovering the new world and meeting new people. I really like how things are jumping around and we get to see what is happening to all of these characters. I can already tell that this series is going to have something for everyone.
 
THE BAD:
I really can't complain because I though everything was wonderful.
 
THE VERDICT: 5/5 (Perfect)
Geoff Johns and Jim Lee have delivered what everyone expected, and that is an amazing story with stunning art. We have been introduced to these characters that have been around for 70 years and it feels like the first time you have ever seem them. The story is interesting and the art is amazing. This is the perfect Justice League story so far and I don't see it stopping any time soon. I would recommend this to anyone who liked comics, because this stuff is really good.

After reading this issue I sort of felt like the little neighbourhood kid at the end of the Incredibles (if you don't know what I am referring to you probably need to re-watch that movie.)  It was not so much that the plot was well handled here, it is just a relatively mundane Darkseid alien invasion type of development.  While the mind here is mostly left craving a little more, you will definitely not be owing your eyes an apology.  I can't recall a comic book issue that had this same level of well paced and gripping action, from the new team working together to the witty dialogue to give it a little direction.  Mostly though the one thing which held this issue together was the appearance of Wonder Woman.  This less experienced version of Diana w2as held almost perfectly in character (meanwhile Steve Trevor was not as much as a patsy as usual.)  This all leads up to the end of the issue which really just leaves the action ramped up a little higher.  This is maybe not the best issue for someone looking for something deeper in a comic, but for a battle based issue this hit every note perfectly.

The issue starts in the pentagon as some soldiers talk of how wonder woman (who for some reason it seemed she was living there or at least staying there for a while) was watching the Tv as she furiously talk back at the box which was talking bad about her (for causing too much damage in her fights) till hearing about flying monsters and she leaves by punching the wall and kicking everyone's butt who tried to stop her. The battle between Darkseid's forces and our heroes united continues as we are overjoyed seeing this guys fighting together like any team book should be (hear that bendis? I believe the main Avengers tittle needs a lot more of that) also flash finds out that batman doesn't have powers......wonder who else will ask that next xD. Also we get to see Cyborg almost becoming the hero we all been waiting for (probably will be ready for action next issue). We then get to see my favorite part of this issue as wonder woman walking through the streets as she is looking for the flying monsters she believe to be harpies and ends up surprisingly innocent and adorable as she talks to a little girl who doesn't seemed scared of her as she learns of humanity's greatest accomplishment known as........Ice Cream!!!! oh then we get to see the flying monsters being darkseid's monsters who she faces with her sword all the way to where our other heroes are and they all meet up till the enemy retreats, a giant tower comes out from the water, and aquaman comes out namor style asking what the hell is that and he is taking charge.....which is awesome!

The Good:

This book is just enjoyable to booth, the artwork is beautiful as always and I hope Jim Lee will stay on this tittle for a long time. We might not have the team yet but now we can see 5 heroes fighting alongside together and it feels great seeing this as the tittle now feels like a team book....again unlike Avengers which is just meh and doesn't feel like I'm reading about earth's mightiest heroes. I haven't read Wonder Woman in a while but I love how she is shown young and new to the world and very innocent for her roots as a warrior princess (and it did help reading her original origin a few days before). Aquaman finally comes out at the end of the issue and I can't wait for what happens next

The Bad:

Damn I want them all together! just so close.....we have aquaman appearing and cyborg being born! I wanna see the justice league together already! but it is a nice story still and a good origin even if it's going kinda slow

Overall: 4/5

This tittle is one of the best around. Sure, people might say the story it's not going fast enough but I'm cool with that since I prefer to see the origin take this long so we can go to the present as fast a possible. Also since unlike Marvel's flagship tittle, each issue is amazing high quality and comparing both tittle's first story arc.....this is without doubt the superior series and I can't recommend it enough

Art - The art of the book is great. It's nice and clean, detailed where needs to be and simplistic where it needs to be. The character's art always matches what the character is feeling/doing in the scene. There is however one minor problem that I have with the art and that is on the page with Victor and the Tower. It looks like the tower and Victor are somehow connected and don't think this is the case so it's badly done to have that there like that.

Story - The story progresses in this issue. We have Diana showing up, Aquaman showing up, Victor becoming Cyborg, Darkseid showing up. Unlike the previous weeks where we pretty much just have the team standing around doing nothing. The biggest problem with the story is that Victor's implants are magicked into being with all the stuff just happening to be lying around in a lab perfectly sized for Victor and pieces in just the right shape and body positioning for what Victor needs. This book feels a little compressed which is one of the reasons it doesn't get a 5 star rating and it is an even bigger flaw considering how stretched the previous two issues were.

Characterization -

Wonder Woman was wonderfully executed. It's a shame we don't get to see this Diana in her own title because this Diana is someone that makes me smile and laugh and care about what's going on.

The brief Aquaman appearance is also well done and perfectly in character.

Where problems come up is with the other 4. Geoff shows that he hates Batman and Superman again and makes them talk as little as possible, making GL and Flash the stars of the book This is to the detriment of the book and another reason it doesn't get a 5 star rating. For example...

pg 8 Flash says he gets the radio in his cowl, which dumb because he doesn't need it nor would it do him any good. Batman on the other hand does have that and it make sense for him to say the line that this isn't an isolated event... it would then make sense for flash to say "and I bet they think I have something to do with it" showing his semi-selfish side and his worrying.

pg 16 Wonder woman shows up and the dialog is "uh... wow" and "dibs" if you didn't read the comic already I bet you think you know who said those two lines and which one said which. They didn't. They're reversed. GL says the latter and Flash the former. This dumb because we already know that GL has always had a thing for Carol and he'd never say dibs, but he would be impressed. ON the other hand Flash would likely say it because he's just that type of person and not to mention he's single in every way at that point in time.

pg 18 We have flash pointing out that they're circling, but he's not observant so why would he be the one to point it out? We also don't see Superman being held back which he would have to be in that situation leaving Batman to do both the observation and telling Superman to hold up.

This is why Johns should not be doing this book. His inability to write the characters properly, even when the book is well done, lowers its value.

Big Spoilers, not that there's a lot to spoil; 
 

This issue actually started off OK, (especially considering the last two woeful instalments). Basically just a generic intro to Wonder Woman that fills in all the "she's badass" cliches of military men explaining what she's done. We also see that her handler, Steve Trevor, doesn't like her that much and the feeling is mutual. Nothing interesting, but nothing grossly offensive either.  
Cyborg is now made partially of Apokoliptian tech too, for some reason. Again, not that bad. 
 
Then we get to the main part of the issue. ANOTHER joke is made about Batman having no powers (that's about the seventh in three issues) as a bunch of Parademons start teleporting into Metropolis. Wonder Woman is there too, for some reason, we're never told why, and she eventually meets Batman, Superman, GL and the Flash who are also fighting the Parademons.  
Then Superman kills a few.  
 
Superman. Kills.  
 
People are arguing that they're just Parademons so it's OK, but the truth is, Superman didn't know that. All he knows is that an army is attacking. An army of possibly drafted alien men who had no choice but to attack Earth. He mercilessly kills them anyway. The only defence that Johns can give Superman is that "they look evil, so it's OK to kill them", NOTHING like how Superman should act, well you know, unless he lives in Hitler's Germany.
Then Wonder Woman inexplicably appears alongside the others who have inexplicably moved from the middle of Metropolis to the harbour. There's more fighting and Superman says to Wonder Woman "you're strong". She says "I know" and they eye-f*ck.  
 
Also, the first thing said when Wonder Woman appears in front of the "heroes"?  
"Dibs" by Green Lantern. He sees this powerful, violent woman destroying Parademons and his first response is "Dibs". The DC Reboot's philosophy of having all women either on their back or as objects is working out so well so far. (SARCASM)
 
Anyway, back to Superman. It's important to keep in mind this is the Superman who attacked GL, Batman and the Flash based on the assumption they were his enemy, but a warrior woman brandishing a sword is OK. What's the only defence to this; Superman likes to punch people unless they're hot women, then he'll try and flirt with them.  
 
Finally a big fish-thing rises from the water and we see Aquaman who says to the "heroes"; 
"Who's in charge? I vote me." 
 
Aquaman doesn't know that these guys aren't allied with the Parademons, as he's literally just risen from the water. He doesn't know that they're not just enemies of the state in general. He has no idea what any of them can do, but his primary concern is who's in charge. Not if people are safe, or if anyone needs help, but if he's in charge.  
 
Terrible. Just terrible.  
 
These characters feel like they've been written by a 15 year old who thinks that "modern" stories need the protagonists to be a**holes. No one in this comic is likeable, and it's a damn shame.  
 
And one final message to the fans of this "work"; 
 
Bring it on.  
 
Addendum; 
 
I originally gave this issue a 1/5, but after reconsidering my view on it (due in large part to Mighty Monarch's retort), I've upped it to 2/5. I still think there are a lot of errors, and that we should be expecting more, but I was too harsh in my initial observations. 

The Good: The cover is probably the best yet. It's not an amazing cover, but the elements are more balanced than the first 2, and everything just kind of 'works' visually. Doesn't do much to really stand out and be unique, but still.
Not that it needs saying, but Jim Lee's art is pretty awesome.
Diana's introduction is actually probably the best yet. We get a look at how she's functioning in her initial forays out of Paradise Island and  her wonder at all the new things. While we see a lot of media backlash, it's heartwarming to see the moment of innocence shared between her and a little girl in the street. This issue actually defines Wonder Woman incredibly well overall. She's a graceful warrior disguised as a delicate butterfly. There's so many little touches to specific visual angles chosen, and the juxtaposition of the wave of negative media to her talk with a little girl and her instant acceptance by the rest of the heroes. Everything Diana does is a perfected blend of elegant grace and brutal violence. And on the surface she's a smooth peaceful figure. She isn't ruled by her conflicting styles, they balance her out internally like yin and yang. This, more than anything, has made me understand the allure of Wonder Woman. She shows you that brutality doesn't have to be evil and grotesque, it can be subtle and graceful.
The pacing of the Cyborg development, in and of itself, is fantastic. It kind of butts into the main story somewhat awkwardly a few times, but the developments in it were great.
Seeing the League battle, not with teamwork, but still as a unit, is really awesome. And then Wonder Woman's big dynamic entry is extremely climactic, and just so amazing. Superman takes a glance at her, simply intrigued, "You're strong" Flash has to take a moment to stop, "Wow." Batman is focused solely on the mission and doesn't acknowledge her entry. But what takes the cake is classically chauvinistic Hal Jordan, who simply says "Dibs." What an ass. But it works for him I guess, and its not as if he never gets backlash for it.
Aquaman's entry is pretty cool.
 
The Bad: So.... are the Parademons alive or not? Superman decapitated at least one of them, although they look pretty clearly robotic. Maybe Superman can see that they are in fact not fully sentient or something? They could've made that clearly, probably with only a few lines even, but instead they just sparked a huge stupid controversy about "Superman kills now?" We're not sure. But that uncertainty is obnoxious.
Cameos and easter eggs can be awesome things for long time fans. This is not the case when they're blatant and overdone. Within 3 panels we've got Professor Ivo being carried away, and horrendously blatant name-badge flashes from Sarah Charles (not too surprising thought) and Thomas Morrow. "HEY LOOK GUISE! IVO AND T.O. MORROW ARE IN THIS COMIC! AREN'T I TEH CLEVER!?" NO. YOU'RE NOT. The best Easter Eggs are subtle. A T.O. Morrow nametag on the ground barely seen, or mabe only a tiny flash that lets you know who they are, maybe something only people who know the character would catch. Shoving their names in our faces and going "HEY LOOK! THIS CHARACTER IS HERE!" isn't subtle. And the 3 all right on top of each other kind of overlaoded me and felt kind of muddled.
The 'Secret History of Atlantis' exceprt is just pathetic. It's the cover, library card, 'About the Author,' and intro. Basically, it tells us, a guy wrote a book about how Atlantis might exist. REALLY? Books like this EXIST IN REAL FREAKING LIFE. Oh but this guy wrote a book about the Justice League too. BIG. GOD DAMN. WHOOP. Give us some tidbits to chew on like the conversation transcripts from last issue. That was a juicy subtle tease. This was padding out some extra pages to justify the extra dollar. Whoever's 'clever' idea this part was, go fall in a ditch. You don't have to die, but you deserve an injury for being stupid and giving us hollow useless dreg and making us pay a dollar for it.
 
In Conclusion: 4/5
I had some very heated feelings about the flaws I found, but in the grand scope they are still pretty minor flaws. This issue didn't suffer from the more glaring flaws of the first 2. As a whole this issue was much more well put together with some great pacing, and a simply sublime representation that made me extremely interested in her for the first time. I finally respect Wonder Woman completely, lack of pants and all. (I still wish she had pants, but not as strongly.)

Wonder Woman joins the fray. There's a hilarious opening scene with her exploring the modern human world. After that it's just a great action issue. I really enjoyed each part of the book even though there isn't really much time for the team to gel. If I remember correctly, after this arc the book goes back to the present day. That seems like it would be a big mistake because I'm not really sure how this team ends up coming together as a team. Right now they're just all fighting Darkseid's minions. How do they go from working together on one fight to forming a League? I'm just not seeing enough of that in these last few issues. Everyone seems to hate and/or resent everyone else. The sections w/ the cyber kid and how he's not even close to joining the fight (I hope issue 4 doesn't prove me wrong) seems to point to him still being a part of the Teen Titans for 5 years before joining the Justice League in the present. That'd make a lot of Teen Titans fans happy - I couldn't care less.

I continued to enjoy the extra material at the end of Justice League more than what's at the end of action comics, although it has been nice to get that stuff in issue form rather than have to buy the trades to get it.

The Story: 

Parademons are attacking all around the country. Wonder Woman joins the fight against this threat and everyone eventually meets Aquaman. 

My Thoughts:

Justice League has received mixed reviews since it's inception a couple of months back. Lots of people dislike Geoff Johns writing. I'm not one of them. I'm not a critic and I'm not saying I like everything, but this series really isn't that bad. It has been plagued with slow pacing as the team has yet to come together completely and this is the third issue already. Timing is everything and you obviously don't want to rush things, but by now they probably should have had the team come together. We just now finally received our first look at Darkseid. Slow pacing is really the only negative this series presents. I think Johns just wants to be thorough by filling in readers about these characters and how they were and they were perceived by humanity.

A lot of focus was put into Wonder Woman this issue. She's a little different then we've known her to be. Then again she's younger right now. This story is set in the past. Perhaps after this story arc we'll see her more like we know her to be. I look forward to next months issue to see what they do with Aquaman. 

The art is by Jim Lee so you pretty much know what to expect. As always he does great work. Seeing his art anytime is a treat. I'm looking forward to next issue to see him draw Aquaman more.

Justice League is a series that is suppose to be fun and exciting. It's not suppose have a complex plot that slowly unfolds over time. It's suppose to be superheroes defending the world. That's why they formed the team. You have to take it for what it is to enjoy it. If you want a detective mystery, read Batman. You don't like superheroes, don't read this. You should already know what to expect honestly. If you're not into this kind of stuff then why pick it up? I'm enjoying this series but I will be honest when I say it's not exactly a series I look forward to each week. Perhaps in the future it will be. 

Rating: 4/5

Here is my video review for Justice League issue 3. This issue is about Superman,The Flash, Green Lantern, Batman, and Wonder Woman all working together to fight a common enemiy.

View Summary and scans here

The Good

Cover- The two covers by Jim Lee are gorgeous.

Art- Jim Lee still turns in some of the best art in the business, simply gorgeous!

Story- The first threat and formation of the Justice League is complete with all the members making an appearance.

Action- This issue ramps up the action big time with the fight carrying the whole comic from start to finish. I like the dialogue and the new spin on these classic characters.

The Bad

Cover- The Alternate cover is hideous!

The Ugly

3.5/5

Originally posted on my blog, The Comics Cove, not too long ago...

"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!

A fine issue, showing off the characters once more, giving Wonder Woman some depth as to why people would dislike her....the god comments and all. The team up continued, and we again get some humor at Bat's expense.

Apparently, Flash thinks Batman's a vampire. And the story continues with two themes of the e New 52, heroes are distrusted and Aquaman is cool.

Scary, isn't it.

Also, did anyone else notice little Raquel, who Diana met while getting Ice Cream. That's the name of Rocket, wonder if that was intentional?