Justice League: No Justice #4 – Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson, Writers; Francis Manapul, Artist; Hi-Fi, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray – 8.5/10
Corrina: Hey, Cool Ending
WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW
Ray: As Snyder, Tynion, and Williamson wrap up the first act of the big Justice League relaunch in Justice League: No Justice #4, they’ve managed to deliver what essentially feels like dessert to Dark Nights: Metal – a big, explosive, fun comic book event with a much lighter touch than the prior event – a surprising amount of elder-God cannibalism in the final issue aside. When we last left off, the heroes had failed to stop the destruction of Colu, and the Omega Titans were now headed for Earth to consume it next. The heroes are shell-shocked, desperately trying to stabilize the harvested worlds they saved from one of the trees and stop them from expanding in a destructive pattern. The bigger problem, however, may be how Vril Dox takes the destruction of his world. While Colu imprisoned him over his father’s identity, that hasn’t stopped him from reacting to its destruction with rage. He rejects the idea of working to save Earth and disappears as he declares himself Brainiac 2.0. Arriving on Earth, he attacks Supergirl, then heads to claim the knowledge Amanda Waller harvested from Brainiac’s head. While the Green Lanterns protect her, there’s still the issue of the four Omega Trees sprouting on Earth and bringing the four titans there in a matter of hours.
The eventual solution the heroes come upon with – collecting Earth’s seed and shooting it into the heart of one of the Titans, thus causing its brothers to turn on it and sate their hunger for eons on one of their own – is clever, if surprisingly mercenary for the Justice League. I guess they’re classifying these ancient forces of nature as not truly sapient beings? Francis Manapul is back on art for this final issue, depicting the entire final battle in a spectacular series of double-page spreads. Although Dox escapes and seems to be set up as a major new villain for the Leagues, the heroes win the day and something new is set up for the future.
We see the various teams begin to splinter and start their own groups – Justice League Dark and Odyssey are teased here, as are the Legion of Doom, and surprisingly, an Outsiders squad led by Black Lightning (who played no real role in this series until now). There’s the first meeting of the new Justice League, and a surprising choice for the leader that I highly approve of. I’m not sure the final two issues quite lived up to the story of the first two, but if this series’ goal was to get me excited for the new era of Justice League, it definitely accomplished that mission.
Corrina: Ray calls it dessert but I think every big event should be like this: quick, more than a bit crazy, and with the fallout a little mix up in the comic universe. Metal was teased as this super-fun crazy event but the mistake may have been making it this HUGE thing with all sorts of tie-ins when a four-issue miniseries like this one would have done just as well.
This reminded me of the JSA/JLA classic team-ups. In many ways, this whole releasing the Omega Titans from the Source Wall made no sense but it was kinda awesome anyway, including having the Titans eat one of their own. I mean, I didn’t expect it but since they’re destructive forces of nature, what the heck, right?
SideNote: I’m not sure why everyone is all angry with the Earth heroes, given that they did what they had to do to save the universe. It’s not like they brought in a dragon that was doomed to be killed to become an Ice Dragon who could destroy the wall….(sorry, mixing up my monstrous, magical fictional walls here…)
I like the choice for Justice League leader: Martian Manhunter. He’s been absent for far too long since his own series. (A lost classic, people, go find that most recent series!) And I sincerely hope an Outsiders book with Black Lightning will be great. Jefferson Pierce needs to stay in the spotlight.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
