JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #13Written by Dwayne McDuffie
Art by Joe Benitez & Victor Llamas
Cover by Ian Churchill
McDuffie continues his Injustice League story, which started in the JLA Wedding Special, and he doesn't hold back with his debut on the official book. I have some complaints with the book, but nothing that stopped me from enjoying it.
First thing that strikes me is the cover. About 6 of those villains show up in this book and many of them are not even a part of the Injustice League. People like Black Adam or Granny Goodness and many of the Rogues are just not in here. They make a striking image for a cover, but I hate the false advertising and fake out such a cover gives the book.
Another problem lies in the motivations of the people involved. I haven't kept fully up to date with Superman, mostly just the Donner/Johns run, but not too long ago Lex Luthor was nothing like the one in this and the Wedding Special. He's now reverted to a Silver Age style character that wants to create an entire country built around crime and injustice. Say what? This isn't the same guy that was President not too long ago and acts nothing like the 52 version of Lex or the one at the end of Infinite Crisis.
And why would many of these villains care about such a society? Surely they can't be motivated simply by revenge or helping to kill the heroes. Fatality only cares about killing Green Lanterns. Gorilla Grodd has tried to wipe out mankind and rule an ape civilization numerous times. Why would he care about building Lex a crime-based society in America? Poison Ivy was just in Countdown and wanted nothing but to be left alone in her garden and helping Deathstroke, yet is here in the Injustice League. She's mostly been about her plants and wanting to be left alone to her garden. I guess my complaint here is that this is a Silver Age depiction of these characters in the modern times. They're villains for the sake of being villains and teamed up for the sake of being bad guys. I'm enjoying the story, but if I think about the reasons for this Injustice League and things quickly start falling apart under any kind of microscope.
John Stewert was great in this issue and it definitely shows that McDuffie loves him as Green Lantern. Some memorable dialogue with Black Lightning discussing hairstyles. Look for that Friday in the Moments of the Week. However, I found it odd he used Poison Ivy to take him down. These GL's live and breath in space. Nothing gets in, especially random poisonous pollens, and it just seemed out of place. McDuffie jobbed Fatality, who is apparently a Sinestro Corps member which is news to me, but then lets John lose to Ivy? Should have reversed those roles for this fight and let him take out Ivy while Fatality took him out. Would have flowed better and made more sense.
Despite these complaints, I really did enjoy the issue. It was fun and entertained me from start to finish and that's all that matters to me in a comic book. Dinah actually acted like a team leader for a change, assigning teams and roles, and it made me kind of wonder when this takes place in relation to her wedding since Ollie was here as well. Definitely check this book out. I'm sure you'll enjoy it and it is definitely a step above the jumble of multi-coloured thought boxes of Meltzer's run.
Verdict - Must Read
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