Review: JUSTICE LEAGUE: LAST RIDE #1
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Miguel Mendonca
Colours: Enrica Angiolini
Letters: Andworld Design
Reviewed By: Derek McNeil
Summary
Justice League: Last Ride #1: Once, the Justice League was the most powerful collection of superheroes in the universe. But an unthinkable tragedy within its ranks has caused Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman to go their separate ways, leaving the League broken and disbanded under a veil of anger and mistrust. Now, against the backdrop of the universe’s greatest murder trial, can the League reconcile the past before they’re eradicated by the greatest villains in the cosmos?
Positives
Justice League: Last Ride #1 presents us with a bit of an enigma. Where exactly does this miniseries from Chip Zdarsky and Migueal Mendonca fit into DC Continuity? It seems to be set in a possible near future of the current DCU – or a parallel world very much like the current DCU.
There are a few things that make me unsure this is the main DCU. First, we see that Alfred Pennyworth is still alive in this near future. On the other hand, this could mean that Alfred will somehow be resurrected in the near future. Another thing is that this future looks nothing like the one we saw in Future State. However, that could just signify that both this future and Future State are diverging possible futures. And then there is the presence of Wonder Woman, which might just mean that she will return to her former life in the DCU.
There are some interesting hints dropped about what has happened between the current day and the future we see in Justice League: Last Ride #1. The first revelation is that the Justice League has disbanded. There is clearly some lingering animosity between Superman and Batman. And then Superman reveals that he holds Batman responsible for the death of Martian Manhunter.
That isn’t the only death mentioned. A contingent of Green Lanterns bring Lobo to the Watchtower for protection until he can stand trial for the murder of the New Gods. Whether he actually committed this crime, we will likely discover as the story progresses.
Positives Cont.
Speaking of the Green Lanterns, the Corps seems to have seen some major changes as well. Hal Jordan mentions that the Corps “fell apart” and “we’ve lost most of our jurisdiction through the United Planets since the Crisis”. Is this hinting at another Crisis event coming in DC’s future – an intriguing possibility.
And Hall’s new outfit caught my interest. It strikes me as being a cross between Hal’s GL uniform and the suit of armour worn by Alan Scott in Kingdom Come. And Hal seems to be the only Lantern present wearing a uniform, even though the others are wearing rings. I hope we learn more in the issues ahead – or maybe in a spin-off miniseries.
At first, Batman has no interest in getting involved with the League again. But Superman manages to talk him into helping. Hopefully, they can patch up their differences and resume their friendship.
I love the artwork of Miguel Mendonca in this issue. I especially love the sequence where Superman interrupts Batman’s encounter with Mister Freeze. On one page, Mendonca presents us with a poster-worthy half page image of Superman. And then he tops himself with an an absolutely stunning image of Batman on the following page.
Negatives
The only real negative I can think of is that it would be nice if the actual status of this story was made clearer. Is it an Elseworlds story? An alternate timeline? A possible future? Are there any hints of upcoming events in the DCU in this story or are they throwaway references to things that might have happened on a parallel Earth?
Verdict
I may not know how this story fits into the current continuity – if at all, but that doesn’t prevent it from being a fascinating story. Justice League: Last Ride #1 has got me hooked and I am dying to see where this story is headed.
