Justice League: Dream Girls #3 – Jadzia Axelrod, Nicole Maines, G. Willow Wilson, Writers; Brandt&Stein, Jan Bazaldua, Rosi Kampe, Maria Llovet, Artists; Dearbhla Kelly, Adriano Lucas, Triona Farrell, Colorists
Ray – 9/10
Ray: After two issues plunging Galaxy and Dreamer into one dream world after another, the two best friends are split – maybe for good. It’s been revealed that while the Key was the one pulling the strings in the dream world, the entire thing is powered by Dreamer’s abilities, and she’s grappling with a level of pain that may make her want to stay in there forever. Galaxy’s escaped, but Dreamer is still locked within her own mind. And now, without Galaxy’s grounding to keep her from losing herself, she’s becoming more susceptible to the Key’s manipulation. He takes the form of Jon Kent to prey on her deepest insecurities and maybe get her to drop the last bit of resistance she has.
Galaxy, meanwhile, is dealing with a much less existential but much more personal threat – being kicked off the Justice League. The Green Lantern Corps, worried about her power and her erratic behavior, are leading the charge. To be honest, this scene wasn’t my favorite because it relied heavily on villainizing Guy Gardner. While the character is having some fantastic stories in the main book, here he’s really leaning hard into his jerkiest behavior. That being said, the scene where Galaxy stands up for herself was incredibly well done, and the guest appearance by Coagula – DC’s first trans character, now alive and firmly in continuity – was an amazing moment that paid great tribute to Rachel Pollack.
The backup, “Strawberry Shortcake” by Wilson and Llovet, was a low-key story offering us a bit of domestic bliss for Harley and Ivy. The two of them have big plans for the delicious strawberries they got from the farmer’s market, but Bud & Lou have other plans. Fortunately, Ivy knows just how to cheer Harley up. This story was sweet, but made me wish these two were getting a bit more of this happiness in the main line instead of whatever they have going on.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
