Review: JUSTICE LEAGUE #41
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Robert Venditti
Artists: Aaron Lopresti, Matt Ryan
Colours: David Baron
Letters: Tom Napolitano
Reviewed By: Derek McNeil
Summary
Justice League #41: Invasion of the Supermen! Eradicator and his strike team sweep across Earth with devastating consequences. The Justice League finds itself battered and overwhelmed by an enemy more powerful than even Superman. Batman and Green Lantern plan a counter assault, but it can’t work without the Flash, whose connection to the Speed Force has become unpredictable-and possibly fatal. With the team at half-strength, will it be enough to hold their enemies at bay?
Positives
In Justice League #41, the Eradicator’s invasion of Earth continues. Superman tackles the Eradicator itself, while the rest of the team deals with its army of Daxamites. The team appears to be rather outmatched, despite the threat being on a much smaller scale than Snyder’s Justice/Doom War. An army whose soldiers are at the same power level as Superman is a credible threat for the Justice League.
I like that Venditti isn’t trying to up the ante from Snyder’s run. Snyder put the threat on such an extreme cosmic level, that trying to do one better would be a wasted effort. Instead, Venditti brings things back down to the normal scale the League operates on, yet still provides a threat that the League will have to struggle to vanquish.
And it was interesting to see the team in full retreat. Sometimes the villains might run from a conflict, or other events might interrupt the battle. However, we rarely see the the League having to flee to lick their wounds. And it certainly is unusual for them to leave a fallen comrade behind. And you know you’re dealing with a major threat, if they’re able to capture Wonder Woman to use as a hostage against the Justice League.
Positives Cont.
I quite liked Batman’s encounter with Madame Xanadu. It was nice to see the ever-resourceful hero use a bit of technology to temporarily get the upper hand over an opponent whose power level dwarfs his own. It’s a nice reminder of what a badass the Batman is.
I also like the allusions to Arthurian legend. Madame Xanadu was Nimue associated with Merlin, and she makes reference to having sat at the Camelot’s Round Table. Batman demonstrates that it’s no accident that he is known as the Dark Knight, and appeals to her respect for chivalry by surrendering his utility belt, and vowing on bended knee to be truthful to her.
Negatives
I’m a bit worried that the characterization of the Flash isn’t entirely consistent with how he’s being portrayed in his own title. I suspect that something is bothering Barry, making him seem less confident than usual, rather than Venditti having trouble getting a handle on the character. Hopefully, as the story develops, we will get to the root of the matter.
Verdict
Venditti’s Justice League may be different from Snyder’s but is no less exciting. He is exploring the interaction between the team members a bit more deeply than Snyder, but is not skimping on the action at all. Even with a new creative team, Justice League remains one of the best books in the DC lineup.