Larfleeze is a tool to use very carefully!
Creative Staff:
Story: JM DeMatteis, Keith Giffen
Art: Scott Kolins
Colors: Hi-Fi
What They Say:
Now that the Justice League is aware of Lady Styx’s ultimate plan, the team is forced to stand its ground to save the human race from extinction. Little do they know that Eclipso is hot on their tails! Plus, the Justice League may have a traitor in its midst.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
As we hit the penultimate installment of this series, as there are a couple of cute nods within the book about its cancellation as the next issue is the end of things ahead of Rebirth, Justice League 3001 throws a lot of stuff at the fan. But that’s been its modus operandi since the beginning and it’s a good part of its appeal as we really have no idea what to expect. DeMatteis and Giffen continue to pack a lot of stuff into each issue and this one is no exception as it continues to be one of the densest reads of the Big Two for the superhero side right now. At the same time, a lot of it is the kind of humor and nods to the past that I enjoy amid the character interaction connects. Hell, just the mention of the Justice League Antarctica has me ready to hit up my long boxes to find the old stuff again and savor the fun that’s hard to find these days.
There are a few tracks running through this issue, which Scott Kolins manages to do some fantastic work with considering what the writers are throwing at him, and it’s got the usual crazy energy because of that combination. A lot of it is spent in trying to find a way to get Larfleeze to do what they want, namely going after Lady Styx since he may be the only one that can do some real damage. Larfleeze has always been fairly cracked – and spending several hundred years with G’Nort at your side won’t help that. It’s really fun to see how the team tries to deal with him as most are frustrated easily and can’t figure it out. That Ice is the one to do so makes the most sense since she shares some of the same traits with him while also knowing how to manipulate and nudge people to where you want them to go. Larfleeze isn’t hard to deal with in that sense because he is so utterly basic. It’s a lot of fun to watch, especially since Kolins’ take on him is fantastic with its detail.
While we also get some time with Diana and the others as they end up reconnecting back on Paradise Island at the right/wrong time, the other track to this issue is seeing Lady Styx pushing things in motion before the finale. With Eclipso kind of taking his time getting to what needs to be done, she finally sets a fire under him and he gets his Legion of Doom on the move, resulting in an absolutely chaotic fight that again just lets Kolins go wild with it. The costuming, the dynamics of the motion, the powers, and then the banter, it’s all stuff that’s just overwhelming in a good way. It really requires several reads in order to take it in while still being a kind of crazy blast at first. It’s all setup for the finale but it’s got the right kind of energy to carry you into that finale.
In Summary:
Justice League 3001 is the kind of book where I know there’s a grand plan (of sorts) and everything is moving in particular ways. At the same time I have no real idea of what the goal is or what I’m supposed to take away from it, hence I just have fun enjoying the moments and the driving forces of it. I’ve long enjoyed the work that DeMatteis and Giffen can do, though it’s been many years since I last got a really good taste of it and perhaps my own tastes have veered away more than I expected. But Justice League 3001 really hits a certain sweet spot I don’t think other books are providing. I’m also hugely glad that Scott Kolins got onto the book because it really seems like he completely gets what they’re trying to present and I think it takes his work up a few notches as well in the end. Very fun, weird, and chaotic stuff that delights for the nuts like me.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: April 27th, 2016
MSRP: $2.99
