This review is a little bittersweet for me. My first review for Batman News was issue two of Justice League vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes. I’ve also been enjoying this book more and more with each passing month so I’m definitely sad to see it go. Of course, it was already the most decompressed comic I’ve ever read so I should probably be thankful it’s only six issues! Anyway, without further ado…
This is a weird one. In some ways, it stays away from Bendis tropes but in others it leans into them. Gone is the opening full page exposition dump. The annoying and generally unreadable Legion font is also nowhere to be seen. Instead, we get right into the story without recapping the plot. Gotta say, I appreciate that.
It’s also quite an anticlimax. The great darkness is taken care of off panel and Vandal Savage is defeated very easily. It is definitely a bit rushed because of how slowly previous issues were paced. As has been the case so far, there are too many characters to give time to and many never get a conclusion. Triplicate girl, for instance, doesn’t have any dialogue in this issue. She only appears hidden in the background after being so important last month.
Unfortunately, the comic is still titled Justice League vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes: The Gold Lantern Saga. Apparently, I called it early on. “Vs.” does mean “compared to” in this context! (Wow. I’m so smart) The two teams never fight but the reader does get to see their differences in operation, maturity, etc. Bendis also tries to make this story about the Gold Lantern in the end but he just can’t quite pull it off because this story isn’t about much of anything. Let me sum it up: “A bad guy tries to erase all the good guys.” Done. You just read the entire plot in all of its intricacies. I don’t have a problem with that. As a throwback to a simpler time in comics, it’s fun. I enjoyed this story and somewhere along the line that became all that mattered to me. I could pick at it and go on about the lack of character arcs (among other things) but I don’t think that matters. To be honest, this series is a breath of fresh air compared to how trite, self-serious, or aggravating so many modern comics are. Justice League vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes fills a space that I didn’t realize I wanted filled.
The art continues to be great. Scott Godlewski was the perfect choice for this comic. People say the ability to draw a horse is a mark of a good artist. Well, there ya go.
Scott Godlewski draws a good horse.
Recommended if…
- It’s the last issue, you can’t give up now!
- You want more great art
- This mini event is still more fun than Dark Crisis
Overall
This is a fun comic that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Sometimes that’s what we all need. It has no depth but the art and the quick pace make up for it. I’m happy I got to review this book and it is worth a read for anyone who knows what they’re getting into.
Score: 7/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purposes of this review.
