Barda booms into action in Justice League #46 written by Geoff Johns, art by Francis Manapul and lettering by Rob Leigh.
The fallout from Darkseid’s death and the deification of Justice League members has everyone reeling. The remaining Justice League along with Mister Miracle and Steve Trevor goes up against the remaining Darkseid faithful (Kalibak, Kanto, Volthoom etc). Jessica Cruz fights against her ring and makes it work for her, but things don’t look too great, with Scott being stabbed by Kanto. However, Big Barda finally boom tubes and protects her husband, promptly dispatching Kanto and thrashing Kalibak.
Meanwhile the chairless Metron wanders the Rock of Eternity, a girl in a mirror claiming to be a friend of Billy Batson (though “not of yours”) taunt him and he shatters it, asking for quiet. Meanwhile Myrina Black and Grail still wait by the Anti-Monitor as they battle shadow soldiers. The Justice League decides they need to speak to the remaining members of the Crime Syndicate on how to deal with the Anti-Monitor.
Diana and Steve Trevor discuss their relationship and are about to kiss when god-Superman appears and…interrupts. The issue closes with Grail getting quite the bump in status. Which is not pretty.
POSITIVES
Art. The artwork here is outstanding bar none. Francis Manapul always delivers on art but for this arc he’s definitely put a twist to his usual style: For the cosmic and New God shenanigans, he’s channeling Kirby. But he manages it 
without copying. It’s unmistakably Manapul with his flat illustrative approach and sense of color, very much modern, but there is clean retro feel going on that you see naturally in works from Darwyn Cooke and Mike Cho, among others. Not to say Manapul doesn’t have a classic feel, but his work always errs on the side of “animated” so the incorporation of Kirbyesque and 1960s and 70s sensibilities really heighten his work.
Big Barda, having been elusive if not absent until now, barging in and saving her husband is a treat like no other. Manapul draws her beautifully and the height difference is massive (as it should be).
Grail under Manapul also looks a lot better. I still don’t like her design but she looks much more unified with everyone else.
NEGATIVES
None. It’s all really great stuff.
VERDICT
Not a ton happens this issue, but what does happen, like Big Barda herself, the moments are big and pack a punch. Definitely great . The art switch has definitely helped keep this storyline fresh and interesting.
