Justice League: Dream Girls #4 – Jadzia Axelrod, Nicole Maines, Klaus Janson, Writers; Rosi Kampe, Brandt&Stein, Klaus Janson, Artists; Triona Farrell, Dearbhla Kelly, Colorists
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: It’s the conclusion to the biggest DC Pride event ever, as Galaxy and Dreamer’s adventure through the dreamscape continues. It’s pretty interesting to see how the characters got here – Dreamer made her debut in a TV series and was brought into the main continuity, while Galaxy started her life as an original graphic novel character and became popular enough that she was folded into the main universe. And now, they’re in very different places – Galaxy has a girlfriend and is tentatively on the Justice League, while Dreamer is so consumed by guilt and fear that she’s fallen prey to the trap set by the Key, the predatory Justice League villain who has hijacked her dreamscape and turned her into his mid-controlled bride.
The scenes where Nia turns the tables are extremely satisfying. I was worried about the character being put through so much trauma over the course of the series, but it pays off in a very strong series of scenes where she reclaims her future. From there, the series ends in a way that’s beautiful but not exactly neat. Galaxy gets the recognition and apologies she deserves, but not from everyone – Guy Gardner’s still a dick. Dreamer starts anew with people in her corner, even if not everything has been resolved. And these two characters, who deserve every bit of their success, head off to their next adventures. I’m hoping to see them back for another go-around soon.
Klaus Janson brings the whole month to a close with a black-and-white tale of his past and future. Similar to the Kevin Conroy story a few years back, Janson gives us an unflinching look at how hard it was to be a young gay man in the past. He was getting abused for being gay as a child, long before he even knew what that word meant, and that toxicity was funnelled back even at home. He found a retreat in comics, eventually becoming an artist himself, and his journey to comics paralleled his own journey to self-acceptance. Fantastic stuff.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
