Justice League #7: Puzzle Pieces

So we finally wrap up Snyder’s first arc on the new Justice League.  It was an epic story coming on the heels of two other epic stories (Dark Nights Metal and No Justice) and I’ll admit to being worried that this would burn me out.  After all, how often can the universe be threatened with extinction before you finally get tired of it?

But…here’s the thing…isn’t that mostly what the Justice League is all about?  Marvel has always portrayed men trying to be gods, but DC has been described as gods trying to be men, and that’s really what happens.  You have larger than life characters, impossibly high stakes, stories that rival ancient mythology and through it all, you get a very human struggle as J’onn, Flash, and John Stewart all attempt to go against the grain, against what’s expected of them, and be someone better (or maybe just different) than they were.

The art is fantastic and the colors are exciting (especially Kendra’s wings).  The dialogue is often witty and shows just how close some of these teammates are (especially Batman and Superman).  The only real complaint would be that Batman almost seems too much of a jester.

As I’ve mentioned before (in other reviews), Snyder is crafting something all his own and this issue (and the entire arc) is really just the start.  It’s like taking a puzzle and crafting the edges.  We still have no idea what the finished product will look like, but we have an idea of the structure.

Whether or not you like this book (or even this entire arc) will depend greatly on how you view the League.  Some may be tired of the universe ending threats again and again.  Priest gave us a nice break, but for me, this is what the League should be and I’m loving it.