Justice League #56 – Joshua Williamson, Writer; Robson Rocha, Penciller; Daniel Henriques, Inker; Romulo Fajardo Jr, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: While Dark Nights: Death Metal takes a month or more between issues (that gorgeous Greg Capullo art takes time!) we’ve been getting an excellent side story over in Justice League thanks to Josh Williamson and Robson Rocha. When we last left off, the ragtag team of Lex Luthor, Nightwing, Starfire, Cyborg, and Detective Chimp had made their way to Perpetua’s tower where the Legion of Doom was being held captive—only to find it guarded by the massive Omega Titan. As the heroes struggle to get close enough to free Luthor’s sometimes-allies, Hawkgirl is occupied with something far more personal—J’onn J’onnz, who is being held captive by the deranged Mindhunter. The idea of a shapeshifting Batman with telepathy is a pretty terrifying concept, and this is one of the best designs for an evil Batman I’ve seen in a while. The issue is rarely scarier than when this villain is just manipulating Kendra with mind games in his headscape.
Of course, once she gets out of there thanks to the tricks J’onn taught her, things get much more physical. Kendra has had a hard time over the course of this series, so watching her fight back and deal out some serious punishment to the sadistic Batman is satisfying—as is her reunion with J’onn. I did not expect that relationship to win me over, but Snyder, Tynion, and Williamson have all done great work with the couple. There’s just the little matter of the Omega Titan to get through before the couple can be happy. Detective Chimp’s crisis of faith last issue pays off nicely, as the pint-sized hero finds his inner fight again after all the losses he’s suffered, but the issue ends with the heroes in a near-hopeless situation, leading to a dramatic sacrifice that I’m not sure will stick—especially with the possible continuity shuffles coming up. And just as things are looking up, another threat emerges. The tension never really stops, and that’s the sign of a great event tie-in.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
