Rating: 3.5/5 – Anything goes in this atypical Justice League book.
by ComicSpectrum reviewer Shawn Hoklas.
Since Justice League 3000 launched, I’ve been surprised with the direction they’ve taken this book in. What I originally thought would be another Justice League book that just happened to take place in the future, turned out to be something quite different. This is not a typical super hero book, and for sure this is not your typical Justice League book. This Justice League team isn’t inspirational or heroic, and that’s refreshing. Writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis have given us a Justice League team that you don’t really root for, but still want to read about.
In this fourth issue, the team’s origins are finally revealed. The first few issues had us believing that this Justice League were clones, each grown independently from the DNA of the original heroes. When they find out the truth, it turns out to be something none of them could have expected. That’s what Giffen and DeMatteis have been doing so well with this series. They keep the surprises coming and keep the characters, as well as the reader guessing. For example, the mystery of the villainous five has still yet to be answered, and the future of this Justice League roster may keep changing, as a new character will be joining the team based in this issue’s last page cliffhanger.
Artist Howard Porter continues to use his new style on this book. It’s a much different look than what fans may be used to from his work on the 1990’s JLA book. It’s a rougher line that looks as though it shows the pencil layouts underneath. Although his line is not as clean as it was on JLA, he packs the page with backgrounds, and gives you a sense of the surrounding world. At times the pencils do look rushed and a bit messy, but the overall look works. I’m pleasantly surprised by this book and hope this creative team can continue to surprise. If they can, this could turn out to be an underrated hit. It’s a book with the potential for anything to happen, and that’s exciting and unexpected.
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
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