A Justice League #47 Review – Green Potato Chips and Chemicals

01/02/201601/02/2016Rob Siebert 2 Comments

TITLE: Justice League #47
AUTHOR: Geoff Johns
PENCILLER: Jason Fabok
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASED: December 30, 2015

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

A lot has happened since we last checked in with Justice League. The Anti-Monitor and Darkseid fought, Darkseid died, we met the New 52 versions of Mister Miracle and Big Barda, and various members of the League were made “Justice Gods.” Batman is the God of Knowledge (and has the Mobius Chair), Superman is the God of Strength, and Shazam is the friggin’ God of Gods!

So yeah, they’re not quite themselves. Cases in point: Batman and Green Lantern are hanging out at Ace Chemicals, and Superman is trying to kill Wonder Woman. Meanwhile, Cyborg, Power Ring, Mister Miracle, and Big Barda look for answers about The Anti-Monitor from the remaining members of the Crime Syndicate of America. But a very unwelcome surprise awaits them.

Jason Fabok is back on the pencil this issue after being absent for issues #45 and #46, tagging out to the awesome Francis Manapul. I’m a big Manapul fan, but this is Fabok’s story. Fabok cites Jim Lee as an influence, and that influence is evident in his work. Like Lee (who coincidentally started this series), Fabok’s art has a certain epic feel to it, which obviously makes him a great fit for this story in particular. But Fabok’s art also adds weight to quieter moments, such as the Batman/Green Lantern moment we open this issue with. Granted, the subject matter helps: Batman in the Mobius Chair, inside the chemical plant where the Joker originated. But Fabok is having a great run on Justice League, really making the most of this opportunity.

I do have one question, though. Can Green Lantern actually eat the chips in that construct (shown above)?

The early solicitations for Darkseid War indicated this event has been in the works since the first issue. Considering what we get in this issue, combined with Johns’ track record on books like Green Lantern, I believe it. This story has touched on much of the continuity the book has established, i.e. Darkseid, Lex Luthor as a member of the Justice League, and now the Crime Syndicate. I wasn’t a huge fan of Forever Evil, but it’s interesting to see these altered versions of the characters. Ultraman’s brief scene with Mister Miracle is interesting, as his body is withered away, and he’s become more of a cowardly weakling. Certainly a stark contrast to how he was when we last saw him. It’s evident the Syndicate will be playing a major role going forward. That’s a risky move, considering how crowded this story already is. But the Syndicate’s presence does have the potential up the epic factor Darkseid War is going for. And with some help from Power Ring, we do see the return of a Syndicate character I’m very happy to have back. So it’s worth a shot.

Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth gets put over nicely in this book, as does her relationship with Superman. It’s refreshing to see how central Diana and her mythology are to this story. Darkseid’s daughter Grail is an Amazon by birth, and she apparently has plans for Steve Trevor…

I’m very grateful this book hasn’t been effected by events outside it’s own pages. For instance, we don’t have the Jim Gordon Batman, Wonder Woman doesn’t have the gaudy David Finch costume, Superman has his costume and all his powers, etc. This is a Justice League worth of something like Darkseid War.

This story seems to get bigger and bigger with each passing month. In addition to all the Justice League issues, we had the various character one-shots (most of which I skipped). A double-sized Justice League Darkseid War Special is also solicited for February. At this rate, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if some sort of Crime Syndicate special also gets released. Clearly Johns needs a lot of canvas to paint his latest masterpiece. Which is fine, as long as its worth it in the end. If this issue is any indication, that is indeed the case.

Image 1 from inside pulse.com. Image 2 from comicvinecom.

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A Justice League #40 Review – His Mama Named Him Mobius

05/06/201505/05/2015Rob Siebert Leave a comment

TITLE: Justice League #40
AUTHOR: Geoff Johns
PENCILLERS: Kevin Maguire, Phil Jimenez, Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Scot Kolins, Jason Fabok, Jim Lee. Cover by Fabok.
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASED: April 29, 2015

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

This issue is HILARIOUS.

It’s not meant to be a funny issue, but it’s still hilarious. In putting together this issue about Metron and the Anti-Monitor, Geoff Johns has spotlighted a problem with not just DC Comics, but entertainment in general: Reboots, retcons, and remakes. This is particularly the case in the world of superheroes. We’re now on our third modern cinematic versions of Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man. And as this issue points out (in so many words), the DC Universe has had five (maybe sixth, depending on what happens in Convergence) continuity adjustments in the last 30 years. Even Marvel is about to do a massive reboot.

Keep all in mind as you read these lines from Metron…

“Although it is unknown to all but a very few, the birth and destruction of the universe has been an ongoing cycle. And overtime, that cycle has accelerated. Because of that acceleration, the fabric of this universe is losing its cohesion. Reality has been taken apart and been put back together too many times.”

That last line is hysterical, especially considering the man writing this is the chief creative officer of DC Entertainment! It’s funny, but also somewhat gratifying as a fan, just to see this sort of thing acknowledged in a story. All things considered, I don’t think I’ve ever read an issue this “meta.”

As we learn in Justice League #40, the Anti-Monitor, in his latest conquest to consume universes and realities, has somehow “cracked open” the Multiverse (again, see Convergence) for others to exploit. Metron, the designated observer of the space-time continuum in the DCU, tries to reason with the Anti-Monitor, citing that reality cannot survive another crisis. What follows is a revelation that The Anti-Monitor is on a collision course with one of DC’s most powerful entities. And indeed, the very fabric of reality may unravel.

Evidently the coming conflict (Hint: The story is called Darkseid War.) is a very personal one for The Anti-Monitor. We even find out he has a birth name: Mobius. His involvement suggests cosmic, potentially time-altering consequences in the coming issues of Justice League. Of course, the stakes seem to be just as high in Convergence. How they’re connected, if at all, remains to be seen. But it would seemingly behoove them to connect the two stories in some way.

With an artistic team like this one, it’s no surprise this issue is gorgeous. I’m a huge Kevin Maguire fan, so opening the book with his work was big thrill for yours truly. He has such a gift for the little nuances in human expression, and that’s on great display with Johns goes over some of the Jack Kirby Fourth World stuff, specifically the switch involving Scot Free (later Mister Miracle) and Orion). After nine pages from Maguire, we get a two-page tribute to Crisis on Infinite Earths from Phil Jimenez. This is followed by nods to Zero Hour, Infinite Crisis, and Flashpoint by Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, and Scot Kolins respectively. After that, it’s a two-page callback to Justice League: Origin from Jason Fabok. Jim Lee, one of the true masters of the explosive superhero comic book, finishes it out from there. Most of this stuff is really gorgeous. It’s a tribute not only to the artists, but Johns’ ability to take what is essentially a giant info-dump, and turn it into a gorgeous issue.

Supposedly, this storyline has been planned since the New 52 began. I believe that. Justice League hasn’t been perfect. But it has had a certain flow to it, not unlike Johns’ Green Lantern run. We’ll be seeing a lot of heavy hitters on the pages of this book in the months to come. Let’s hope we see a home run.

Image 1 from dc.wikia.com. Image 2 from waitwhatpodcast.com.

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A Divergence #1 Review – The New Batman, a New Era for Superman, and More Mobius

05/05/2015Rob Siebert 3 Comments

TITLE: Divergence #1
AUTHORS: Scott Snyder, Gene Luen Yang, Geoff Johns.
PENCILLERS: Greg Capullo, John Romita Jr., Jason Fabok.
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: Free Comic Book Day Release
RELEASED: May 2, 2015

By Levi Sweeney
Staff Writer, Grand X

This year, we actually got something nice from DC for Free Comic Book Day. Not only do we have three talented writers matched with three equally talented artists, but the three mini-stories we’re given are actually pretty amazing! Snyder, Yang, and Johns are all in top form today, and if these stories are any indication of what’s to come post-Convergence, then I think I might just take a look.

Divergence #1 seeks to set up the new status quo for Batman, Superman, and the Justice League after Convergence. Batman gets top billing, as he often does these days. In “The Rookie”, Gotham City without Batman has thankfully not descended into chaos and fire following the events of Batman #40. It’s actually pretty refreshing to see Gotham at peace for once, though the narrating TV reporter speaks of unhealed wounds. Indeed, Capullo treats us to a beautiful splash page of a crowd of Gothamites shining miniature Bat Signals in the sky, looking positively sullen.

But all hope is not lost! The Hillary Clinton-esque Geri Powers appears to reassure the citizens of Gotham City that a new Batman is about to be born. Who’s behind the cowl this time? I think I’ll leave that for you readers to find out for yourselves. But I’ll tell you this: It’s equal parts astounding and amusing. It was also nice to see the seeming end of Batman through the point-of-view of the ordinary, mundane folks like the reporters and cops. The inner circle of the Bat-family is nowhere in sight, except for the new “Batman.”

In “Exposed,” we’re introduced to Gene Luen Yang’s take on Superman. We start with Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen chatting sometime after Clark’s had his secret identity outed by Lois Lane. To top it all off, he’s operating with weakened powers. In my opinion, Superman has behaved in pretty much every single New 52 appearance as an irrepressible jerkhat. This includes Geoff Johns’ run on Justice League, which features Superman and his fellow heroes engaging in petulant bickering while, you know, saving the world.

So Superman here is kind of a jerk, understandably so. But he then beats up this super-strong thug who tries to kill him and some innocent bystanders. At least he tried to avoid the fight, and he actually saved some people. Jimmy Olsen then plasters pictures of the fight all over social media, and excrement hits the fan for the Man of Steel. He then tells off Lois Lane when she tries to help him.

I like Yang’s story, but I don’t like his Superman. Yang’s a talented writer, but I wish the people at DC would get over themselves and get the message that their heroes don’t all have to be jerks. Superman is one such hero, and he’s a good place to start. At the very least, the story was still pretty fun. Yang’s writing style is free of any grim-and-gritty pretentions, a theme reinforced by the bright, easy-lined artwork of John Romita Jr.

And that brings us to the final story in this issue: “The Other Amazon.” Fittingly enough, this story by Geoff Johns focuses primarily on the lore of Wonder Woman, using it to highlight the origin of The Anti-Monitor, a.k.a. Mobius. The long and short of it is that this rogue Amazon named Myrina gives birth to Mobius, whose father is revealed to us at the end, and we get a preview of Darkseid War. She will apparently be a major player in this latest hullaballoo. I really hope that this will end up being a feather in Wonder Woman’s cap. From what we see here, it certainly looks likes it will be the case.

The mini-story itself does its job well. It gives us a window into what’s going on in Darkseid War, and makes you want to check it out. It actually looks pretty epic! On the other hand, I’m beginning to get fed up with these Geoff Johns-led super-mega-events. First there was Blackest Night, and then Flashpoint, Trinity War, Forever Evil, etc. I mean really, when will it end? At least Jason Fabok’s art was nice. It manages to be bright and flashy even when most of the background is dark brownish and grayish.

On the whole, this Free Comic Book Day issue was by no means of low quality. DC really invested a lot into this issue, bringing in some real heavy hitters, and boy, did they hit hard. Divergence #1 gave us three engaging, entertaining stories with lovely artwork and solid writing. This is a far cry from last year’s Free Comic Book Day issue, where they just reprinted the origin of Chris Kent. That was just lazy.

Fortunately, Divergence #1 is anything but.

Image 1 from dreamwidth.org. Image 2 from weirdsciencedccomicsblog.wordpress.com. Image 3 from bleedingcool.com.

Follow Levi Sweeney on Twitter @levi_sweeney, or at his blog, The Stuff of Legend.

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Tag The Anti-Monitor

A Justice League #47 Review – Green Potato Chips and Chemicals

A Justice League #40 Review – His Mama Named Him Mobius

A Divergence #1 Review – The New Batman, a New Era for Superman, and More Mobius