Wherein Havok gains a serious foothold.
Creative Staff:
Story: Steve Orlando
Art: Felipe Watanabe, Scott Hanna
Colors: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
What They Say:
Evil begets evil when Brainiac and Lord Zedd partner to destroy their mutual Earths! Can the Justice League withstand the dark terrors of Lord Zedd? Will Angel Grove survive Brainiac’s archival aspirations? Co-published with BOOM! Studios.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
With the introduction of Havok and the Extremists the last time around, Justice League of American went full on into a pretty difficult arc as an opener. Working the whole multiverse angle from the get go and bringing in a group that’s intent on conquering and ruling for the greater good is a familiar piece but one that can work well to solidify a team. Orlando’s moving that forward in some fun and creative, if simple, ways right now and he’s joined this time around by artists Felipe Watanabe and Scott Hanna. There’s a different feel to the look of the book thanks to the change but it’s a solid and competent one that works well as everything is on model and the flow of the book is solid, making for an engaging read even if it doesn’t have anything that feels like it’s got any defining flair.
The opening encounter gives us some decent action at the start and a chance to understand the way the Extremists fight. It’s interesting in that we get Batman and Havok almost coming to an understanding here, to try and deescalate the situation for a bit, only for one of Havok’s side to see that as weakness and go all out against Havok. Not that it does much good in the end and it just solidifies Havok’s position. What we learn from this is important though as what this group faced on Angor has pushed them into a true authoritarian position where no dissent will be tolerated and that they must be trusted to do what’s needed, and that what they view as needed is what’s right. That it plays out as it does and Havok pushes back on the fight against the JLA for another day does feel a bit off but it provides the breather that we need.
That has some decent downtime for the JLA as we see the investigative side getting underway and some cleanup help in Saratoga after the battle itself. Where the bulk of the issue goes is in showing Havok and the others going to Kravia, the place Havok was born on Angor. It’s here that they intend to take over and truly begin their rule by taking control of the country – legally in a very comic book way – and ensuring that their borders are defined so as to keep the JLA out and their people in. It’s a brutal series of events that unfold and it’s one that presents Batman and the others with a problem they can’t deal with easily. With refugees that they’re trying to get settled and a power that’s now hostile but isn’t a supervillain but rather a country, the stakes and scale is different. Of course, we see how it’s going to be a simple plan of stealing back the country with just a handful of people to pull it off. Granted, that’s how Havok gained the country…
In Summary:
While I’ve enjoyed what we’ve had so far with Justice League of America with the one-shots and the kick off of the series, this issue just feels a bit off. Things are moving fast and kind of loose in a way when it feels like it needs to slow down just a bit and cement itself further. I like what Havok is up to as he’s setting himself up with something that could be a long term power in order to put things right in this world overall from their point of view but it’s hitting the notes quickly. I also generally liked Watanabe and Hanna’s artwork here as it does the job but it feels like it’s missing a certain flair to really define these places and characters. It’s solid and gets the job done but the earlier works just come across as a bit more distinctive. I’m curious to see how far both sides will go in this story with what’s to come so we’re definitely along for the ride for a while.
Grade: B
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: March 8th, 2017
MSRP: $2.99
