Review: Justice League Vs. The Legion Of Super-Heroes #6

Justice League Vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes #6 came out this week, the ending of the mini-series, the ending of Brian Michael Bendis' time at DC, and probably the end of this version of the Legion. This mini-series has sort of tread water and limped along the first five issues. So I shouldn't be surprised that it sort of limps over the finish line as well.

Yes, I am not surprised. But I am disappointed.

I have been a Legion fan for most of my life. I have been waiting for what feels like decades for a solid Legion product to be on the shelf. And when this one was announced, with a name writer like Bendis and a solid artist like Ryan Sook being on the book at the beginning I had high hopes. When Bendis spoke about the Legion as a dream project, I had even more hope.

But the main book never seemed to gel. There were plenty of Legionnaires who never saw action or said dialogue. The book seemed to peter out a bit after Sook left the book. And then Future State pushed the book even further into the future.

Suddenly I lost hope.

Still, there was this mini-series happening. It was a Justice League book. It had a solid artist, Scotty Godlewski attached to it. And it riffed on The Great Darkness. How could it go wrong?

Well, for one, not much happened plot wise in the book. There were some nice character moments. But the plot seemed to drag. There never was much of a VS in this book as the team played acted as allies the whole time. And now we have the finale which just sort of happens. 

I should be used to Bendis setting up something immense as a threat only to sweep it under the rug quickly. But I still feel cheated.

Godlewski's art is wonderful here which makes the lack of story that much more vexing. His Jonah Hex (I know ... how did Hex get in this) is really a scarred revelation. And he draws these new Legionnaires so well. 

Perhaps the latest Crisis will bring about yet another Legion. I feel this one never got a fair shake.

On to the book.

Review: Justice League Vs Legion Of Super-Heroes #5

Justice League Vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes #6 came out last week, the penultimate issue of this mini-series. That means we have one more issue to wrap up this story which for the first 4 issues seems to have been treading water. Entering this issue, there is still a lot unknown. We haven't seen the two teams fight. We don't know why the Gold Lantern is so key to the plot. We don't know who or what is behind the Great Darkness. 

Penultimate issues are always tricky for me as a reader. Because I am always judging them to see if the story is set up in a way where a reasonable conclusion is probable. This book has had so much sort of non-movement and this issue still has so many unanswered questions, I just get the sense I am going to be disappointed.

Brian Michael Bendis knows his strengths for sure. There is fun dialogue here with some interesting character moments. But there isn't a lot more for me to go on. The villain is finally presented but in a way that makes me think we won't learn the how's or the why's of his machinations. 

Scotty Godlewski's art continues to shine here. Part of the fun is the aged up and aged down heroes, some dramatically so. This is definitely aided by colorist Ryan Cody bringing in the grays and bright colors. 

But in the end, I wonder if this is going to be a quickly forgotten mini, saddled by being overshadowed by Dark Crisis and the 'real' Great Darkness. It would be a shame if this incarnation of the Legion is dropped and forgotten.

On to the issue.

Review: Justice League Vs. The Legion Of Super-Heroes #4

Justice League Vs. The Legion Of Super-Heroes #4 came out last week. 

But did it?

I have so desperately wanted to love this book. I am craving a Legion book to love. 

Not much happened this issue. Yes, this is a Brian Michael Bendis book. There are good character moments and snappy dialogue. But the big ending of last issue was to split the teams up and scatter them through time. This issue brings them back together with a sort of deus ex machina. 

We still don't know what The Great Darkness is. We still don't know any of the back story of Gold Lantern. I still don't really know what's going on. There are two issues left!!

Nothing wrong with the art. Scotty Godlewski brings great flair to the proceedings. Nice panels and page progression. He draws aliens well. 

This felt like an hors d'oeuvre when I am ready for a three course feast!!!

Maybe it'll end up fine. But I really felt this was a place holder. A month when nothing really happened.

On to the book.

Review: Justice League Vs Legion Of Super-Heroes #3

At long last, Justice League Vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #3 came out. It has been 2 solid months since the second issue. Nothing, and I mean nothing, will kill momentum like delays. And for someone starving for Legion material, 2 months felt like 6.

What makes matters even wonkier is that DC continuity right now is pretty soft. Remember when I thought having Doomsday Clock, Snyder's Metal, and Event Leviathan all overlapping was weird? That was a walk in the park. Right now Superman is dead, on Warworld, and in the 31st century ... all at once. It is this sort of overlapping event phenomenon that kind of cheapens or lessens each of them. We have this Great Darkness and THE GREAT DARKNESS in Dark Crisis. Confusing.

All right, enough griping. What about this issue.

Well we are halfway through this mini-series and I don't know what's going on. The 'Vs' confuses me in the title although in the end I think the Gold Lantern is going to be a dupe for whoever the bad guys are. That will probably lead to some conflict.

Writer Brian Michael Bendis brings his usual snappy patter to the book. It reads very well with some humor and some solid character moments. In a riff on classic JLA team-ups he has split the teams into small groups. But I just don't know if the plot has advanced enough here for the halfway point. Will this come to a solid conclusion or just sort of peter out?

Scotty Godlewski really is singing here. I love his take on these Legionnaires. And his expressive work and body language is nuanced. You can read the feelings here without them being exaggerated. 

On to the book.

Review: Justice League Vs. The Legion Of Super-Heroes #2

Justice League Vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes #2 came out this week and felt like a sort of set-up issue for the bigger events to happen in future issues. There is some plot advancement, some wonderful character moments, and a decent cliffhanger.

The biggest thrust of the issue is to give us some backstory of Gold Lantern. I get the sense that somehow the 'Elders' who are behind his powers aren't exactly good beings. Could they be behind the Great Darkness threat? Or welcoming it? I don't know. Maybe I am a jaded comic reader always looking for the hidden villains.

What I like is we finally do get to learn a little bit about Kala Lour, the secret identity of Gold Lantern. We learn he is blind, explaining his solid appearing mask. And we learn he is a teacher, more of a pacifist, and a definitely a hero even before he was granted a ring. 

We get some wonderful moments of the Legion meeting the League. I loved seeing the Legion meet their heroes. And I love the League gets a peek into the future, showing them that their efforts in the present are worth it.

We don't learn anything else about the Great Darkness outside of one tiny hint at the end. So truly the plot movement is more of a nudge.

As for the art, Scott Godlewski shines here. There is one of the best Chameleon Boy panels I have ever seen in this issue. There are nice shots of many characters in battle mode. And the quieter moments with Gold Lantern show great 'camera' movement and emotion.

I really liked this issue. I don't mind giving stories room to breathe if what I am given to read is meaty enough to bolster the plot or deepen the characterization. That's what we get here. No surprise from writer Brian Michael Bendis. 

On to the details.

Review: Justice League 2022 Annual

The Justice League 2022 Annual came out last week and was a sort of fun, done-in-one, maybe has implications for the bigger universe, Silver Age pastiche story that I enjoyed. Sometimes I just want to have an action-packed, roller coaster ride of a story to provide me some smiles and this one did that. I don't know if I totally understood it all. But it held together well.

Writer Brian Michael Bendis gives us a story that Gardner Fox would be proud of. The League hears about a threat and then splits off into mini-teams to confront the villains. In this case, it is to confront the villain who is appearing from different points in their own timeline for a mission of some import. Throw in a big guest star and some good character beats and you have a story worthy of an annual.

The art by Sanford Greene is really a revelation. Wildly energetic throughout, over-stylized when it needs to be, and big when deserving. I would love to see him on an OMAC mini-series or monthly given what I saw here. But I also think this would work for almost anything Kirby 4th world or DC Sword and Sorcery. Dazzling stuff throughout.

On to the particulars.

Review: Justice League #71

Justice League #71 came out last week, concluding the Royal Flush story.

The issue comes out at an odd time. The Death of the JLA has been announced for Justice League #75. We know that in many ways this book is in some decaying orbit. We have barely got to know this team and I feel like we never will. It's a shame. The addition of Black Adam and Hippolyta added some edge to the team. Bringing in Naomi added some youth and another way to spur the plot along. 

We still get a few more issues with Brian Michael Bendis as writer. Last issue we had the Royal Flush Gang steal the Fortress of Solitude. The issue also felt like a side-sequel to the Checkmate mini-series. This issue finishes that story, the whole plot of how the Fortress was stolen left to our imagination. But there are the usual great moments in the book. As always the character beats are what make a Bendis book sizzle.

Phil Hester is on art and really gets to stretch his legs here. We get three back to back to back double page spreads of interdimensional super-battles. But there is a quiet Superman moment in the middle of this book which is presented so perfectly, so memorably. The art somehow fits the story.

I don't know if I am up for another dead JLA story. So I will enjoy this mini-run while I can.

On to the specifics.

Review: Justice League Vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes #1

Justice League Vs, The Legion of Super-Heroes #1 came out this week, a book I have been waiting for since I first heard it was being released.

I know Brian Michael Bendis' Legion run wasn't universally loved but I found it to be a perfect amalgam of classic and new. I was sad to see it's run come to an end when Future State raised its fearsome head. The book was just coming around, the team victorious over Mordru, Rimbor, and UP oversight, they were just about to investigate the Great Darkness.

That universal threat finally arrives in this book, a very Crisis-like problem, attacking the universe in all places and all times simultaneously. 

Bendis does his usually great job with dialogue here and gives us a book which is very Legion but also reminiscent of the classic JLA/JSA annual crossovers. It is clear the Gold Lantern is somehow going to play a major part in this mini-series. For the first time I see how similar his uniform is to Naomi's and it makes me wonder if they aren't somehow connected.

The art here is by Scotty Godlewski with colors by Ryan Cody. Godlewski either loved or hated this job based on the number of characters and two page spreads he needed to do. But my guess is, based by the joy coming of the page, he loved it. For me, the favorite page is a 2 page of the Legion and the JLA just talking. 

In particular, there are three back-to-back double page spreads. One is nearly wordless and almost completely black, showing the threat of the Great Darkness. The next one is the ultra-bright future of the Legion, all pale blues and packed with people. The last one, the JLA fighting a Legion of Doom, but more normally colored. Because the current day isn't that bright but isn't that bad. This was a nice turn.

I really enjoyed this book. So let's get to the specifics.

Review: Justice League #70

Justice League #70 came out last week, a continuation of a story where the Royal Flush Gang actually give an extremely powerful version of the League. The Royal Flush Gang ... you know ... those bank robbers that fly around on giant playing cards?

Writer Brian Michael Bendis seems to be wrapping up some of his Event Leviathan storylines here in his version of the League. Indeed, Mark Shaw Leviathan plays a big role in this arc despite us knowing he is already dead in the Checkmate mini-series. I have been a big fan of the Shaw character and I think this story shows how he can be charismatic and cunning while also irritating and polarizing. 

Here, I think the Royal Flush Gang are using one of Shaw's ideas to do a snatch and grab against Superman. They seem to be punching out of their weight class here, stealing the Fortress of Solitude and taking on our heroes. I wonder if this was some ploy within a ploy from the mind of Shaw.

I'll add that Bendis flair for dialogue and comic history are also on display here. As is his nonlinear story-telling as we flip back and forth from the Gang prepping to steal the Fortress to the aftermath.

Phil Hester remains on art here and brings his angular, singular style to the story. He is put to his paces here as the script flips between scenes of people arguing to a brutal knock-down brawl in the streets of an abandoned town. 

I freely admit my fondness for Leviathan probably will pump my grade up a letter. On to the book.

Review: Checkmate #6

Checkmate #6 came out this week and once again I was wrong in my guess about the big mystery. I also was a bit blindsided by the overall ending here. It came out of nowhere as all beautiful surprises do. I don't think I have processed the ending here. 

This mini-series was troubled from the beginning, the original plot altered when the direction of the DC universe changed. Was this the ending writer Brian Michael Bendis was aiming for? Was this what he wanted to happen to Leviathan? Was this his original choice for 'Mr. King'? 

For me, the most difficult thing about this ending is that a lot of stuff sort of happens that I don't know if I necessarily follow. Things happen. I don't know if I know why. And there are still unanswered questions, questions that I fear will remain forever unanswered. What I'd do for the original manuscripts!

Alex Maleev's art is crisp and bright. But some of the action isn't necessarily clear by the pictures on the page. 

I am still mulling this finale and all of the questions I still have. But my hope is that the wide open ending means more will be someday on the way.

As for who Mr. King is ... well spoilers ahead. As well as a brief breakdown.

On to the book.

Review: Justice League #69

 

What might have been?

The question I often ask myself about runs on comics that never happened or were somehow derailed. Take for example, Sterling Gates proposed Supergirl arc after BizarroGirl where a Supergirl Revenge Squad mobilized. Sigh.

For someone like me, highly invested in Event Leviathan and champing at the bit for the Checkmate sequel, the derailing of this story has been tough. In interviews, Brian Michael Bendis has said the  'thing' Checkmate was heading for disappeared out of DC's long term plans meaning everything needed to be rewritten. As a result, Checkmate has seemed to be weirdly paced and told at times. 

Justice League has been a sort of adjunct book to the Checkmate book. But it is hard to keep the timelines straight between the two. And the covers have rarely matched the inside.

Justice League #69 came out and feels like a side issue of Checkmate. We have been seeing an army of Deathstrokes attacking the league. We have have been feeling some of the fallout from what is presumed to be the dissolution of Leviathan. Now the forces behind the recent coordinated attacks seems to be revealed. I'm not buying it. The problem is this issue felt a bit like treading water. There are some fun moments. And the reveal is bananas. But I was left wanting more.

The art is by Phil Hester and he brings a certain grittiness to the proceedings which are mostly street level. There is even some horror elements which work well with the style. 

On to the book.

Review: Checkmate #5

Checkmate #5 came out last week, the penultimate issue in this mini-series. Now I am invested in this story and I very much liked this issue. But I have to be honest, this felt like #5 in an 8 issue mini-series, not a 6 issue. There are a lot of remaining plot points - who is Mr. King, how is Shaw controlling people, who/how is Leo Lane to name a few - as well as the end (I assume defeat of Shaw). This issue doesn't end in a place where I feel we are near the end. 

But I can't  worry about Checkmate #6 when I am reviewing Checkmate #5. 

This issue had the usual flair for dialogue that writer Brian Michael Bendis is noted for. A side discussion on baseball stadium hot dogs is amusing in the context of a possible battle. I chuckled. But that nagging voice that said 'is this wasted space that could have been used on actual plot' kicked into my mind. It also nudged plot points forward. A possible clue about Mr. King's identity is dropped. The final answer about the Snowman's Ticket is given. And there are a couple of great cliffhangers.

Alex Maleev remains on art and continues to give us great work in both pencils with Dave Stewart on colors. This issue has some very solid street level fights. It also has some dialogue heavy 'standing around' scenes. But it all pops.

I know the back history of this book. The book was delayed. The ending it was heading for was scrapped and so Bendis needed to rewrite things. It seems a little off, not as tight as Event Leviathan. How much of that is due to the editorial issues is hard to measure.

But remember, I liked this issue. I just hope the book sticks the landing. On to the book.

Review: Justice League #68

Justice League #68 came out last week and was something of an enigma for me. 

As usual, writer Brian Michael Bendis has a way with dialogue. His heroes are quippy and the banter is crisp. He definitely has a grasp for characters and each has their own voice. Artist Scott Godlewski continues to impress me. His work remains his own but reminds me a little of Jim Cheung in places, a solid compliment. You'd think with very good dialogue and art that I'd be happy.

But this really is two issues.

The front end is a Justice League book. But outside the witty banter, it completely wraps up, almost erases, all the consequences of the Synmar Utopica storyline. In the end, it is as if that story didn't happen. Now maybe some seeds for future stories are tucked in there. But it just ends.

The back half is a Checkmate book, almost a back door pilot. And while I like the team and the concept, you think I'd be thrilled that they are being given a spotlight. But this book takes place after the Checkmate mini-series ended. We are told Leviathan isn't a threat anymore. While I figured Leviathan would 'lose' in the mini, I thought he still might remain a threat. But here we learn it has been dismantled. Also, the team continues to do little more than bicker with each other. Wouldn't it be good to see the Checkmate team actually working like a team, especially if they have actually taken out their biggest enemy.

So I guess it is the plot I found lacking. 

On to the book.

Review: Checkmate #4

Checkmate #4 came out this week pushing forward some of the main plot and adding even more mysteries. It reads like the perfect 4th issue in a 6 issue mini-series. There were baby steps on the main plot. But a lot of information was given out for the reader to mull over.

Brian Michael Bendis is a natural writer for dialogue. There might be a touch to many 'curse words' here for my taste but it seems to be the natural pattern for the DCU right now. But I like the interaction between the heroes and the villains, Superman and Lois, and even the members of Checkmate. This all read well. Of note, I love how he writes Damian as a kid who is also truly one of the smartest people in the room. It must be tough to be an accomplished adult and see a child put you in your place.

There are also some nice nuggets to mull over here, some of which hearkens back to DCU history. The blood tests on Leviathan agents. The apparent double agents on both sides. The thought process of Mr. King. Pretty cool. 

Alex Maleev is on art and continues to flourish. There are a lot of cinematic angles and panels here. I never really thought of him as a flashy, super-hero, primary color guy but he is definitely shining here.

Lastly, just thinking back to those clues, it has made me appreciate the deep dive into Mark Shaw I did prior to this series. I am thinking it is going to pay some dividends.

On to the book!

Review: Justice League #67

Justice League #67 came out this week, wrapping up the Synmar Utopica storyline while further introducing us to the United Order. It also nudges the Checkmate story a baby step down the road. This is an issue that has a couple of very solid moments. But there are a couple of things about the story that don't sit quite right.

Writer Brian Michael Bendis continues to shine when it comes to Superman and Lois. I love the way Superman is portrayed here. He still wants to convince the villain to reform. He doesn't want to make his enemy suffer. And he can still rally the troops around him. But the defeat of Synmar happens a bit too quickly and a bit too familiarly. I still am rubbing my chin about Daemon Rose. 

The art here is done by Phil Hester and there is an appropriate sharpness to the works. Everything is angular and harsh, befitting an issue that is almost entirely a brawl. And he handles the different alien races of the United Order well.

Still, the Superman stuff is solid enough to nudge this book up a but in the grade.

Review: Checkmate #3

Checkmate #3 came out this week; we are officially halfway through the series. After a couple of issues resetting the chess board and playing with time leaps, writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev give us a solid espionage issue. This is for the most part linear storytelling, or at least less confusing storytelling, with plot advancement and solid characterization.

For one, we at least now know, through the deductive reasoning of Lois, what Leviathan is after. I mean, Mark Shaw has demolished all other spy agencies and has his own country now. But he isn't resting on his laurels. He still wants to change the entire world.

While he has this plan in mind, including a few intriguing twists and embedded agents, the Checkmate crew are still getting their feet underneath them as a team. They don't necessarily have a strategy. We hear them debating what steps to take next. And their leader, Mr. King, is basically absent. It all leads to an engaging read where I continue to try a figure out what will happen next.

Which of course brings me to my  #KingTheory. As recently posted, I think Mr. King is going to end up being the Paul Kirk Manhunter in some form. But I have a few back up theories. Expect an odds board soon. 

Maleev is solid on art as always. He seems to do better in the more shadowy scenes than the major super-power blow ups. But the stuff shines. His Superman is beefy and is a presence. His Lois is cool as a cucumber. 

On to the book and some clues.

Checkmate: Who is the King? #KingTheory

 

Settle in.

Hard to believe it was two years ago that Event Leviathan was on the stand and 'Who is Leviathan?' was a mystery that consumed me. 

I had my Leviathan Theory. I was wrong. 

Then about a year and a half ago, Leviathan Dawn, a one-shot epilogue to Event Leviathan hit the shelves, moving Leviathan's plans forward and introducing us to a new Checkmate and the announcement of a Checkmate mini-series.

 That led me into the deep dive into Manhunters and Mark Shaw as I waited for the new book to hit the shelves. In retrospect, were there clues to point me to Shaw?

Then Checkmate #1 hit the stands and I realized that there was a new mystery to solve! Who is the King in this new Checkmate? 

Unlike Leviathan, where clues were sprinkled in the Superman books for months before the actual Event Leviathan mini, King was introduced in the Dawn special and has only been seen on a couple of pages of the Checkmate series. I needed at least a few clues and a few ideas before I could come up with my King Theory.

Alas, he didn't appear in Checkmate #2. But after rereading the above issues and doing the last dive into the Manhunter pool I have decided on who King is.

Read on.

Review: Justice League #66

Justice League #66 came out last week continuing the United Order story arc pitting the UP version of the League against the freed Synmar Utopica. It also is a sort of side crossover with the ongoing Checkmate book as well. 

It is always hard to judge an arc by a middle chapter. The plot has to be nudged along. There has to be action. Writer Brian Michael Bendis gives us a decent chapter. We learn the motivations of the bad guy. We see how powerful he is, adding some uncertainty to the proceedings. And we end with a very solid cliffhanger.

And I think there would be a major moment in this issue, the first time we see Naomi unleashing her power. But I think a page snafu muted it to the point that I don't know if I saw what I saw. And the Checkmate side plot sort of has an odd moment within it that makes me wonder about those characters.

The art is by Phil Hester and he brings a sturdy realism to the proceedings. The flow and movement of this issue felt better than the recent Superman story Hester did. There is a tangible feel to the fights and the damage. 

Still, I am a bit reeling from the ending and that Naomi page. Help me out.

On to the book!

Review: Checkmate #2

Checkmate #2 came out last week, the second part of the 7 part mini-series putting Leviathan on the map as a DCU threat and re-forming the counter-terrorism Checkmate group. 

I am ready to love this book. I want to love this book! But this issue was just okay. And I crave so much more.

The cover is a brilliant red showing ... someone. Is that Mark Shaw Leviathan? Is it Ollie? Is it Merlyn? Is it Daemon Rose? I don't know. Someone tell me. The cover also says "Who is Daemon Rose" but we learned that in the last issue of Justice League and Rose isn't in this issue at all. So this isn't an auspicious beginning.

The story inside is told in a nonlinear timeline labeled 'weeks ago', '2 weeks ago', and 'now'. But I am having a bit of a hard time following all of these timelines as what is happening in each isn't distinct enough to be obvious. (I am thankful for the bylines so I can try to orient myself.) It also makes me think I need to reread last issue to place that issues timeline into place with this one ... and the Justice League events. Maybe I will scan all the issues at some point and put them in chronological order. There is one turn of events where I thought I was missing a page, never good.

Outside of the way the story is told, not much happens here. We get a reveal about a potential weakness in Mark Shaw. Damian gets put in his place a bit. But otherwise, we sort of tread water a bit. Mysteries from last issue aren't progressed at all. And a lingering Event Leviathan mystery is only tangentially touched on.

One thing not to quibble about is the art. I like Alex Maleev's art and he brings the action here with a number of in close fighting sequences. The colors are brilliant, showing us nighttime scenes, dark scenes of fighting in dimly lit rooms, and brilliant daytime sequences.

Still, I enjoyed the book because I enjoy the overall story. I just want to be floored. On to the details.

Review: Justice League #65

Justice League #65 was released last week and as it has a strong crossover feel with Checkmate. That makes me happy.

The book basically has two plots running concurrently. One is Black Canary and Ollie hashing out his involvement in the new Checkmate and the reveal of Daemon Rose's identity. There is some great dialogue here. And the Daemon reveal is quite the eye-opener. There is even a super-villain sighting and a small mystery.

The second plot is the attack by Synmar Utopica on the JL. This also has some great dialogue and some fun moments. It once again shows how Synmar is a worthy foe of Superman as he brings down the house around the team.

I very much enjoyed the issue. So I won't bury that fact. I read comics to be entertained and I was very much entertained. But it felt to me like this was an extension of the Checkmate book and that the Synmar plot was sort of a filler to keep the rest of the League present in the pages. I don't mind that at all. But I wonder about others.

Steve Pugh is again on art and brings a lot of energy to the action here. We get both street level scuffling and super-powered throwdowns and both flow nicely. 

On to the book!