Review: Justice League #70

It seems ages since I bought a Justice League comic. It’s on my pull list, I just don’t seem to have seen in it a while. I know that there have been printing problems; could that be another nail in the coffin for floppy books? Guess time will tell. It has also been released that Brian Michael Bendis is leaving this book. News like this always impacts how books are perceived, turning a must read to a potential lame duck.

The Royal Flush Gang, the perennial losers of villain-dom in the DC universe have actually achieved something massive; they have stolen the Fortress of Solitude. Now to say that Superman is upset is, well, upsetting to say the least. Now the rest of the Justice League are on high alert, even as a super trap is set, with possibly may favourite Superman quirk.

Brian Michael Bendis moving over to DC caused a stir at the time, I am not sure he has had the impact that he, and possibly fans, would have expected. What I have enjoyed is his Justice League run which has had some fun moments interspersed with the usual super-heroics. This issue is no different, with an excellent little rapport filled conversation between Superman and Black Adam. The idea os Superman being upset and the super-hearing jokes also play well. I am unsure as to how Wonder Woman interacts here as it seems that no-one really listens to her. Bendis splits the book between the recent past and present, which clues the reader into some of the goings on.

Phil Jester’s art takes some time to get used to. For a top tier book like Justice League, you want the cast to be heroic, to stand out. Instead, Jester delivers a cartoon style of art that doesn’t initially scream top tier. Could it be that the Justice League is classed as top tier book? Truth be told, with all the various alternative universes currently in play, does a standard Justice League book carry any weight? Jester’s art works well in the fight scene, so you get to take the rough with the less rough. Eric Gapstur’s inks give the characters an angular look, it would interesting to see how much the inks impact the overall pencils. Romulo Fajardo JR.’s colors are a bright affair which fits the light-hearted aspects of the story. Josh Reed’s letters work well; there are a number of conversational pieces and Reed does well not to have the easy going font impact the art. I also liked the sotto voce stylings which make no difference to Superman but does add texture to the dialogue.

Along with the regular League team, this book feature the Justice League Dark under the stewardship of the leaving Ram V, penciller Sumit Kumar, inker Jose Marzan Jr, colorist Romolu Fajardo Jr and letterer Rob Leigh in a story the features the Upside Down man. I am not sure , as I have missed. few issues here and there, but isn’t this the same bad guy from all the way back in relaunched JLD book? Have we not moved on from this?

This books, with all humour aside, feels like it is treading water until something major happens, in both the main and back-up stories. With so many other books featuring the League, I am not sure that I have the cash or the patience to wait and see.

Writing (Bendis) – 3.5 Stars

Writing (V) – 3.5 Stars
Art (Jester) – 3 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars

Overall – 3.5 Stars

Written by Brian Michael Bendis & Ram V
Art by; Phil Jester & Sumit Kumar
Inks by; Eric Gapstur, Sumit Kumar & Jose Marzan Jr.
Colors by; Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letters by; Josh Reed & Rob Leigh
Published by; DC Comics

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network