Comic Review: JUSTICE LEAGUE #6
Tyrants!
Been a while. This month brings us Justice League #6 and the conclusion of the Darkseid invasion storyline that formed the Justice League in the New 52 Universe. Does it sink, or does it swim? Let’s see, shall we?
Review:
We see Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash and Cyborg fighting for all they got against Darkseid while Batman (sans cowl) goes to rescue Superman on Apokolips. Without saying too much, the outcome of this battle helps change the general public’s opinion toward superheroes as a whole. Not only that, Cyborg gets to play a big role in the climax of the skirmish with Darkseid.
What I will say is that the League still at this point is trying to figure out their dynamic as most feel the team up against Darkseid is a one-time thing. But of course, Batman being the brains of the group, looks at the bigger picture and reminds the team that an attack as massive a scale as Darkseid’s could happen again. Now, if only the group could decide on an official name…
Plus, we got two teasers. One featured Pandora, the mysterious hooded woman who we’d seen in the backgrounds of all the New 52 #1 issues. It looks like she was the cause of the New Universe even forming, and The Stranger is taking her to task over that. The other teaser featured two mysterious characters who are clearly future villains for the League, a clear reaction to the rise of Superheroes.
What worked:
It was nice to see Cyborg get such a huge part in this issue, which shows that he can play with the A-Listers of the DC Universe. Speaking of the A-Listers, they finally worked together against Darkseid and actually injured him quite a bit. Teamwork!
Not only that, Wonder Woman more than made up for her poor showing last issue. Green Lantern didn’t bug me so much this time around.
Again, Superman got to come off Super, but in a small dose. And on a side note, capturing the reaction of the civilians caught in the crosshairs of this battle was a nice touch story wise.
What didn’t work:
Eh. The ending to this initial Justice League arc felt very abbreviated and not nearly as epic as a battle between the League and Darkseid should have been. I almost wish they would have chosen a lesser villain or even one of Darkseid’s lackeys to be the League’s first major villain. Darkseid definitely was a match for the League power-wise, but one of the things that makes Darkseid so damn impressive is his cunning. I would have liked to have seen more of that.
With all the rich history backing the New Gods (even though it has not been introduced in the New 52-verse) overall I felt like that Darkseid was wasted overall here in his re-introduction.
What was just ugly:
You might cringe a bit when you see how Wonder Woman and Aquaman gain the upperhand in the League’s fight with Darkseid. Ouch!
Conclusion:
I felt, despite some of the good points, that Justice League #6 was a weak ending to the Darkseid/League formation story arc. But I still have faith in this title and can’t wait to see what happens next!