Reunited—for the first time! As the Justice League continues to contemplate the Justice Seed, the kids begin to set their plan in motion. But the future isn’t done with them yet, and with the horizon rushing backward to meet them, heroes and heirs alike must face the consequences of the League’s particular brand of justice. Things get escalated, in Justice League #29. Spoilers follow
More immediate tension
To Hitch’s credit, this latest installment of “Legacy” does a better job of holding my attention than those that came before. Even after finishing this a few times and disliking it overall, it reads easier than a large chunk of the rest of the series. There’s a higher sense of immediate tension, and a growing unease as an old frenemy methodically works his way through the Justice Leaguers and takes them out.
Pasarin benefits greatly from the increase in visible conflict this time around, too. I still think his characters look very bizarre, particularly their faces, but with action center-stage, it’s easy to lose the quirks in all of the energy.
Still no interest in the big picture
Unfortunately, the other major points of conflict continue to bore me. We know Diana isn’t a dead-beat mom. We know they stand no chance of killing her (even before their fight is interrupted by a techno-aquatic traveler from the future). And then we have the lurking villain, Sovereign, “Queen of the World”. We’ve seen so little of her at this point, and so long ago, that her reentry (in name) into the proceedings makes no impact. It probably doesn’t help that she looked and acted completely ridiculous when she first appeared back in Justice League #26. And as we sit at the edge of the big cloud of “fear entity” that Baz and Trevor hold at bay in Midway City; as Diana recalls the Kindred’s song and discovers its persistence; as Hitch tries to make sense of his entire run here at its eventide, I find myself struggling to care. These prior stories were filled with problems, and while their redemption is certainly possible, I have little hope that it will come. “Legacy” has introduced its own fresh problems, and if it can’t handle its own baggage, I don’t see how it could possibly carry the weight of Hitch’s larger narrative and bring everything to a satisfying conclusion. If there be any solace, it is that—satisfying or otherwise—the conclusion looms near on the horizon.
Recommended if…
- You’ve enjoyed this run. I know there are some of you out there, and I’m sorry you have to slog through my reviews every two weeks. Let me hear from you in the comments—happy to have my perception challenged and understand what works for you.
- You want to see Fernando Pasarin at his best, rendering big action scenes.
- You’re curious about how Hitch intends to tie his whole run together.
Overall
A modest improvement over earlier installments, Justice League #29 nevertheless suffers from being part of an inferior whole. The tension of battle makes it more readable, but the overarching tensions feels uninflated and, consequently, flat. Pick this up if you’re among the faithful; otherwise, you’re better off waiting for the changing of the guard.
SCORE: 6/10
