Justice League #6
Robert Struble
Recap
With the League struggling (J’onn and Supes under control by Joker and Luthor, respectively, Cyborg and Stewart under assault by the Ultraviolet Lantern Corp, and Wonder Woman, Flash, and Aquaman all taken out by Grodd and the Still Force), things have rarely seemed so hopeless. But somehow, Batman manages, attacking Luthor even as the mastermind attempts to reach out to the Totality. Kendra (thought to be dead) surprises the Joker. The League is pushing back.
But Luthor uses the doorknob to push Batman, Superman, and J’onn back to the League headquarters (at the same time, breaking all four of Batman’s limbs). Outside, Sinestro and the Ultraviolet corps has them on the ropes when John Steward comes to a revelation.
And with his knowledge, the League fights back, Stewart racing around the planet in the Flash-mobile, J’onn reaching out to every living mind on earth, opening them up to his own fears and insecurities, realizing that the way to win is not to fight your fears, not to suppress them, but to acknowledge them.
And it works… the Ultraviolet planet is driven back…until finally the earth has become…
No…I’m not going to tell you. For those who are familiar with what shows on the last page, this is too awesome a cliffhanger.
Review
This has been, perhaps, one of the hardest Justice League stories to follow. Snyder definitely crams more into his stories than we’re used to from the typical League book. After a few years of Rebirth, we’ve come to expect a certain level and Snyder goes way beyond that. But also, as someone who has only started reading DC over the past couple years, I struggle with some of the references. Snyder, clearly, is a long-time fan and is able to draw on so much of the DC mythos that I see the only downside to this story: it’s almost inaccessible to the casual fan.
But the book IS amazing, and the stories have not been this exciting since the Geoff Johns run of the League. The art is incredible, the colors are striking, the pacing is fast, the dialogue is witty, and the lessons to be learned are deep. And maybe I’m just not used to that because after my 5th read of this book, I finally see what’s going on.
It’s a message about facing your fears, but not burying them, not avoiding your own insecurities, but about facing them, facing your own faults, realizing that everybody is flawed, even the famed Justice League. I’ve long felt in my personal life that you cannot become better unless you are self-aware and know what the problem is and that’s what Snyder is saying about the League.
And amazingly, he’s pulling it off, giving us a story that will most likely go down as one of the greatest modern-day League runs.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a casual reader, you may find this book difficult, filled with dialogue and narration boxes, but if you can stick with it, this may be one of the best League stories yet. And that ending… wow.
Justice League #6: Stewart Fans Rejoice
- Writing - 10/1010/10
- Storyline - 8/108/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 10/1010/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10
