[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Jorge Jimenez
Colours: Alejandro Sanchez
Letters: Tom Napolitano
Reviewed By: Derek McNeil
Summary
THE ROAD TO “DROWNED EARTH”! Superman and Batman can’t agree on how to put back the moon—you know, the one that went missing in issue #1. On the other hand, Wonder Woman and Aquaman have faith in each other, working together on a new addition to the Hall of Justice. Martian Manhunter takes Hawkgirl under his wing to test out the limits of her recently broken wing, and Flash and Green Lantern get up to some hijinks in the Hall’s cafeteria. Can you say super food fight?!
Positives
In Justice League #1, the Justice League broke the moon. Now, eight issues later, they finally get around to fixing it. The repair of Earth’s satellite provides the occasion for a philosophical discussion between the World’s Finest heroes. Batman, always practical, urges the easier course of pulling an identical moon from another universe, but Superman insists on rebuilding it piece by piece. Even when Batman suggests making improvements to the moon, suggesting that a “Bat-Moon”, Superman insists on building it just as it was.
Also, it allows for a unique demonstration of the sheer scale of Superman’s power. Usually Superman demonstrates this while battling supervillains, or taking care of natural disasters. He’s rebuilding the moon peacefully and methodically, but just consider the immense magnitude of such a project.
Also, we get to see the League settling into the Hall of Justice. Aquaman and Wonder Woman discuss the private quarters of the members of the League. The choices each makes about their personal space serves to illuminate their personality. For example, Superman’s is warm and welcoming, while Batman’s is dark and secretive.
It seems that with the launch of Justice League Odyssey, Cyborg is now off the main team, as he does not appear in this issue, nor is his private section of the Hall of Justice. This may not be good news, especially if you’re a fan of Cyborg, but I quite like the fact that the teams lineup is now officially the same as the 90s Justice League cartoon.
And like that cartoon’s follow-up, Justice League Unlimited, there is an extended roster of heroes beyond the main team. This is demonstrated in a scene of the Hall’s cafeteria, with members of the other League teams and the Titans, as well as other heroes. It’s also a nice touch that Mister Terrific’s teammates from the Terrifics are shown to be present. With Michael Holt assisting Batman, the rest of the team does have to be close by their leader due to the Dark Energy that binds them.
I am also glad that Snyder has giving the League as well as the us readers a chance to catch our breath. After the “Doom” storyline and its complex interplay of DC’s cosmological forces, it’s good to put the action on the back burner and have a character-driven story before jumping into the “Drowned Earth” story arc.
Negatives
I have to admit that I had to give the ending an extra readthrough to completely understand what was going on. It seemed to me just a little unclear of what Batman’s motivation was for his actions, but I was able to work it out from the context of the entire issue. However, it might have been a spelled out a little more overtly to make it a bit easier to follow.
Verdict
Snyder’s take on the League has been a high-octane action-packed ride so far, and a true return to form for the League. But it’s with this issue that the optimism at the core of the League has truly started to shine through again. This is a welcome respite after the bitter events in Heroes In Crisis.
