Written by Brian Michael Bendis.
Art by David Marquez; Tamra Bonvillain; Ivan Plascenia; & Josh Reed.
Cover Art by David Marquez & Tamra Bonvillain.
SUMMARY:
In 2022, DC Comics released this 128-page hardcover assembling Justice League # 59-63 (from 2021). Presently, the League roster consists of: Black Canary; Green Arrow; Flash; Aquaman; Hawkgirl; Superman; and Batman. The team first encounters the enigmatic, alternate-reality teen powerhouse, Naomi McDuffie, as both Black Adam and Queen Hippolyta subsequently become involved.
The monstrous Brutus, a nearly unstoppable invader from Naomi’s Earth, wreaks near-catastrophic havoc on Earth. Accompanied by Naomi, most of the League pursues Brutus back to his own turf for a decisive rematch where their vast super-powers are strangely affected.
Even when the Flash and Queen Hippolyta bolster the League’s firepower, will it be still enough to thwart a juggernaut like Brutus? Lurking in the shadows is the threat of his even more dangerous boss. Ultimately, the courage of a defiant young woman may make all the difference.
Note: This title is also available digitally and will be later released as a trade paperback.
REVIEW:
Visually, the art squad delivers consistently top-caliber work — that asset alone is worth the price of admission. As to Brian Michael Bendis’ storytelling, it is readable, in terms of kid-friendly entertainment value. Yet, what is sorely missing is a sense of excitement that Bendis often imbued his Avengers/New Avengers run at Marvel years ago. His generally lukewarm plotting for the five-part Prisms storyline, in that sense, struggles to match its superb artwork, let alone justify the ridiculous plethora of variant covers heralding Bendis joining the franchise.
For Naomi’s fanbase, this volume is likely a must-have proposition. For Justice League die-hards, however, it is far more about celebrating the artwork than the mundane storyline. What Bendis supplies in this volume is merely a library read.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The original covers each appear in a full-page format. The same further applies to the variant covers (# 59: Marquez & Bonvillain; # 60-61: Karl Ngu; # 62: Howard Porter & Hi-Fi; # 63: Dan Panosian) and Issue # 59’s three Zach Snyder’s Justice League variants: (Jim Lee & Alex Sinclair; Liam Sharp; and Lee Bermejo). Marquez also includes a four-page sketchbook of character designs and some pencil-and-ink panels.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
