Justice League of America #7 Review

Writers: Geoff Johns & Jeff Lemire
Artist: Doug Mahnke

Since this series started it has been very good, as although some issues haven't been spectacular, they have all been amazing, and very interesting. The Trinity War crossover event itself has also been very exciting, and although the first JLA part wasn't amazing, the story so far has been.

Plot

With the teams now being a mixture of all three groups, going in three different directions, one heads to look for Dr. Psycho, whilst another are at The House of Mystery, and the third are looking for Pandora's Box.

Review

This was a brilliant issue, but nothing spectacular, feeling much like a filler, setting up the final part of the story. I did however feel that Geoff Johns, and Jeff Lemire did a great job of the writing on this issue, as despite the lack of much proper story development, there was plenty of suspense, and drama, as well as a little bit of action which was exciting, but at the same time nothing special. I have however found the interaction by these mixed teams to be very interesting, as although I never expected things to go this way, it has given for a very unique direction, with Johns, and Lemire doing a great job of building on that in this issue. The series has however once again not done much to help the quality of the story.

Doug Mahnke did a great job of the artwork, with his art on this issue being much better than it was last issue, feeling less crowded, or rushed, with the detail being much better. I also loved Mahnke's layouts, as it gave great tone, and depth to the story, making it feel more dynamic. Mahnke also drew the characters brilliantly, and especially Wonder Woman, as although she didn't appear much during this issue, Mahnke made her look amazing. The small bit of action during this issue was also amazing, being very explosive, with the artwork being very vibrant. The character emotions were also handled perfectly, as Mahnke did a great job of showing what the characters were feeling throughout the issue.

This issue would introduce Lex Luthor into the story, as whilst getting told that he may soon be a free man, he is more interested in the headline talking about how Superman killer Dr. Light. Now I initially questioned the sudden appearance of Luthor, but thinking forward to the upcoming Forever Evil story arc, it would make sense for him to have a role in this story seems it'll play into Forever Evil, which Luthor will be a key character in. Besides that I loved how he was used, as although it was nothing special, it was very interesting, and believable, and I look forward to seeing what role, if any that he'll have in the remainder of this story.

Whilst this was happening the Justice League team that sided with Superman were heading to Pittsburgh, where they would find Dr. Psycho, the man they believed caused Superman to kill Sr. Light. Now I don't know a lot about Dr. Psycho, bar the fact that he's usually a Wonder Woman villain, but I was interested to see him in this issue. I did however feel that his presence was just a stepping stone for the JL, as although the sequence he was in was dramatic, and interesting, it didn't really do much for the development of the story, revealing to the JL something that the reader already knew, which could have easily been told over a couple of pages.

The Justice League team that stayed with Steve Trevor where at the House of Mystery during this issue, trying to work out what the Phantom Stranger did to Batman, Katana, and Deadman in The Phantom Stranger #11. I found it nice how the issue easily moved round the events of Phantom Stranger, meaning that people who missed it wouldn't be too confused. I did however also feel that this was another unnecessary sequence, as although there needed to be clarification as to whether these characters would return, it could have also been done quicker. The sequence itself was however still very entertaining, with some interesting dialogue.

Final Verdict

This was a good issue, but probably the worst in the story so far. It had some interesting points, also having some brilliant drama, and suspense, but overall it didn't too much to develop the story, and felt like a filler issue, with the sole purpose of setting up the final two issues in the story. I would however still recommend it, but only to people considering getting the entire story, or who have been getting the story so far, as it's a good continuation, but would be too confusing on it's own.

Rating: 8/10

Justice League of America #6 Review

Writers: Geoff Johns & Jeff Lemire
Artist: Doug Mahnke

Overall this series has been very interesting, and has had one of the more stronger starts from the New 52 series, even if it has been slightly inconsistent. I has however been Trinity War that has enthralled me recently, and I loved the opening in Justice League #22, and hopefully the story will continue to amaze.

Plot

After killing Dr. Light it is questioned whether Superman is safe to be around, and whether he's in control of his powers, or not. The Question (Vic Sage) also interjects himself into the war, trying to find out who is behind the evil.

Review

This was a brilliant issue, and although it's not quite as good as the last part, it was still very enjoyable. Geoff Johns, and Jeff Lemire did a terrific job of writing this issue, as although the pace is slowed down, it still focused on some serious points, whilst moving the story forward. Both Johns, and Lemire also did a super job of showing more of the fabulous fight between the two teams, as introducing more character's to the story, making me intrigued as to where the story will go next. It was also interesting to see how Johns, and Lemire handled the interaction between the two teams in a calm environment, as although it wasn't anything special, it was interesting.

The art from Doug Mahnke was amazing, as although it's not got anything on Ivan Reis' art from part one, or Justice League Dark artist Mikel Janin, it was still very good. I did however find his art to be a little too rough at times, and it looked as if he had trouble drawing all these big character's in one panel, as his art is usually much smoother. The art was however much better in the pages/panels that had less going on, with brilliant detail that really stood out. The character's facial expressions, and character emotion were also handled perfectly, as you could really tell what the character's were feeling, which gave more depth to the issue.

Although The Question was shown in the Trinity War prequel issue, Trinity of Sin: Pandora #1, this issue had his first proper appearance in the storyline. Now the Question is a character that has interested me for years, and he is the member of the Trinity of Sin that interests me the most. What I loved about his appearance in this issue was that it was gradually made, with him apparently going about his normal life, trying to find out who he is, and what's behind the evil. I do however look forward to seeing more from him, and with the Question featuring in this issue, and Pandora featuring in the last part, I would expect the Phantom Stranger to appear in the next part, Justice League Dark #22.

The most interesting part of Justice League #22 was the fact that Superman killed Dr. Light, and that continued into this issue, with the question of whether he was in control of his powers at the time, and whether he's safe to be around being the main focus points of this issue. I personally found this to be a brilliant development point for the story, as although everyone knows that Superman doesn't kill, it shows what magic can do. I also loved seeing the reaction from certain character's, and how they responded, but it was Superman's response that interested me the most, and I look forward to seeing it developed.

This issue would also see the first appearance from the Justice League Dark in this storyline, and although they don't really do much, it still made me happy, as I have really been enjoying their series. Anyway I won't go into too much detail about their appearance in this issue, as to avoid spoilers, but it would appear that they're investigating Madame Xanadu's disappearance, which I expected they would. Besides this they had an interesting conversation with an other character in this issue, and I really look forward to seeing how they fit into this story.

Final Verdict

Although slower than last issue, this was a great continuation of the Trinity War storyline, setting up future developments, as well as exploring ones that have already been started. It had a little action, which was awesome, as well as some emotion sequences, and yet more mystery. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this issue, and am really looking forward to Justice League Dark #22.

Rating: 4/5

Batman: Under the Red Hood Review

Writer: Judd Winick
Artists: Doug Mahnke, Shane Davis, Paul Lee & Eric Battle

After spending time reviewing other series I finally come back to doing my Batman reviews, as I plan on reviewing all the remaining key Batman from this till just before the start of the New 52. This is also my seventh review on the series with my last review being on Batman: War Games Act Three: EndGame.

Plot

When the mysterious Red Hood starts taking over Black Mask's turf it draws the attention of Batman, and Batman can't help but notice something familiar about the Red Hood.

Review

WARNING: THIS REVIEW WILL SPOIL THE IDENTITY OF THE RED HOOD!

This was a fantastic story, and in my opinion one of the best Batman story in the last decade. Judd Winick did a tremendous job of producing a story that wasn't just suspenseful, but interesting, and exciting. I also loved how Winick opened it with Batman discovering the identity of the Red Hood, then flashing back before the reader knows, making the built up to the reveal much more suspenseful. The drama, and action was also handled very well, and Winick handled the interaction between Batman, and other character's perfectly, showing a fun jumpy Nightwing (Dick Grayson), and a brooding Batman. I also loved how Winick showed that Batman had a clear idea of who the Red Hood was, but that he didn't want to believe it. Winick also did a brilliant job with the crime element, which is needed for a good Batman story, and overall his work on this story was amazing.

The art on this story was mainly done by Doug Mahnke, with Shane Davis, Paul Lee, and Eric Battle doing stand in issues. Mahnke's art was amazing, and wonderfully detailed. The way he drew all the character's was brilliant, but the Red Hood had to be the one that I liked the most, which was good considering he's the central character. Mahnke also did a great job of showing emotion, as you could easily tell what the character's were thinking, and I found this especially interesting for Black Mask who's face doesn't make that easy. The action was also handled perfectly, adding drama, as well as more suspense, which really helped the tone of the story. The layout was also brilliant, adding more depth. The other artists all did a great job, and although I would have preferred Mahnke doing all the art, there contributions were nice, with Davis' being the most impressive of the three.

Before getting to talking about Red Hood himself, I thought I'd talk about the trouble he was causing, and more importantly how Black Mask reacted to this. The way Black Mask's been hit just after War Games was very interesting, and I loved seeing the mighty falling so fast. I also liked how he had a gangster mentality about the entire scenario, by initially wanting him dead, to wanting him to work for him, to eventually just wanting rid of him one way or another, and it made for some intense, and amusing sequences, which were extremely entertaining.

Now Black Mask wasn't the only person that Red Hood was messing with, as Batman was also all over the place when it came to this character, especially when it came to his biggest fear about who he might be. In fact he was that worried that he went to both Green Arrow, and Superman asking how they managed to come back from the dead. It was however his conversation with Green Arrow that interested me the most, as you get to see a more humble side to Batman, which is very rare. Besides all this I loved how Winick showed the conflict in Batman's thoughts, without making them obvious.

Now I come to Red Hood himself, and here is where the spoilers lie till the end of the review. Most people will however know who the Red Hood is whether you've read this story or not, with only new comic book fans probably not knowing, so it won't be a surprise. Anyway the Red Hood was revealed to be none other than Jason Todd, the second Robin who was killed by the Joker. Now I loved this, and I've loved the character since (especially when Winick's wrote him), as I never liked Jason as Robin, whereas I do like this new Jason, who's much cooler, and less whiny, and rebellious. I also loved how there was emotion in this character, who couldn't take in the fact that Batman never avenged him, which added more depth, and showed that he did care.

This story would also have a story showing the Red Hood's origin following his death, till this story, which featured in Batman Annual #25. Now this was handled very differently than the rest of the story, but in a good way, as it showed how Jason managed to rise from the dead, and how he became the Red Hood, showing emotion, and passion, in a very subtle way. It was however not quite as good as the main story, but none the less a great addition, which makes the story feel more whole.

Final Verdict

This was a brilliant story, and one of the best Batman stories in the last decade, being in my opinion slightly underrated. The story itself was very interesting, with some amazing action, whilst being very suspenseful. The mystery of the Red Hood itself was also amazing on my first read through, not knowing who he was. Due to all this it's easy to recommend this story, as it's one that any comic book fan should read, and especially if you've been enjoying Red Hood and the Outlaws, but have never read this.

Rating: 5/5

The next book I'll be reviewing from this series will be Batman: War Crimes.

Green Lantern #15 Review

Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Doug Mahnke

Since Geoff Johns started writing Green Lantern back in Green Lantern: Rebirth I have became a huge fan of the power wielders from around the galaxy, but mainly the Lanterns featured in the main Green Lantern series' (Hal Jordan, Sinestro, and Simon Baz). This storyline has also been very interesting, and I am looking forward to what Rise of the Third Army leads in to.

Plot

This issue sees Simon Baz attempting to clear his name by visiting the owner of the van he stole. Agent Fed is also on Baz' trail, and Hal, and Sinestro learn what's happened to them.

Review

This was a brilliant issue, but not quite as good as the last couple of issues. I've enjoyed how Johns has developed Baz into a character that I like, and the fact that these issues focus more on Baz' story than the actual Rise of the Third Army crossover doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. In saying that this issue was a bit slower than the previous few, and it affected the overall story. Besides that Johns did a decent job of explaining exactly what happened during issue 0. I've also loved that Johns has managed to keep Hal, and Sinestro in the series, but I'll talk more about that later.

The art from Doug Mahnke was once again fantastic, and I've really been enjoying his art over this series. There is a lot of detail in his artwork, and although he uses more plainer backgrounds, than other artist's, from time time, they are also brilliantly detailed, and I'd rather a plainer background than one that's too ambitious, and doesn't look right. Mahnke is also very good at showing what the characters are feeling, which is nice as I always love emotion in art. Alex Sinclair's colours have also been magical, and probably the thing I've liked most about the art. I love that Baz' Green Lantern suit is brighter than most others, and that it stands out. I also like that Sinclair knows when to use plainer colours, or shiner colours, and think it always suits the sequence it's in.

Ring or No Ring?

What I liked most about this issue was that it put the question straight, about who was responsible for the explosives in the van Baz stole. Although this sequence was a bit slow I could put up with it, as it answered that question, and was also dramatic. It was also nice that although Baz was trying to clear his name he still felt sorry for what happened to the owners van. The person behind the explosives in the van was also a bit of a shock. It wasn't a total shock, and not long into the comic I could tell who it was, but I still thought it was a bit of a surprise. I also liked that Agent Fed turned up during this sequence, and that things didn't take long to get out of hand.

Explosion

The Third Army make a more bolder appearance in this issue than they have before, which I was happy to see. I also liked that even though Baz had a Green Lantern Ring he was confused like most of the Green Lantern Corps, and that he thought there was something the other Green Lanterns knew that he didn't. It was also interesting that Agent Fed witnessed this, as the Third Army have mainly focused on eradicating the Green Lantern Corps, than changing humans into them. The interaction between Baz, and Agent Fed was also interesting in this issue, as Fed kept going by the book, and treating Baz like a futagive terrorist, whilst starting to realise that Baz may be innocent. I'm looking forward to how this progresses, and if Fed's opinion changes any more than it already has.

Hal and Sinestro: Deceased

The fate of Hal, and Sinestro is also revealed in this issue, and apparently they're dead. As I said, I've been happy that Hal, and Sinestro have been involved in this series since disappearing, and that Johns has taken the time to develop their story. Although I would prefer this to have been more than one page, it makes sense, as the main story is now focused on Baz, and newer readers may be slightly confused if they see too much of Hal, and Sinestro's story too soon. I also found it interesting that the person that was guiding them in the Dead Zone knew both of them, and I will be looking forward to who that may be, as I have a few ideas as to who it may be, but wouldn't be surprised if I was totally wrong.

Final Verdict

This was a very good issue, and a brilliant continuation to the Rise of the Third Army storyline. Although it's not quite as good as the last few issues, this is still a fabulous issue, and I would highly recommend it, along with all the Rise of the Third Army issue, in this series.

Rating: 4/5

Green Lantern #14

Writer: Geoff John
Artist: Doug Mahnke

SPOILERS BLOCKED OUT IN WHITE! 
(Highlight White Areas to Reveal Spoilers)

I have really been enjoying this series since it started just over a year ago, and have enjoyed John's run prior to that. The work Johns has done in the Green Lantern Universe over the last 8 years has been phenomenal and he's made the lead character shine throughout, whether it be Hal or Baz. The series over the years has also had amazing artists and Mahnke has been one of the best.

Plot

This issue sees the Guardians continue plotting their scheme to remove all emotion from the universe. Meanwhile Baz is confronted by the Justice League and is trying everything he can to make them believe he is innocent but when the ring explodes with light and energy whilst Batman is trying to help him remove it he is forced to flee with the Justice League in pursuit.

Review

This was an amazing issue and has been the best in the Rise of the Third Army crossover so far. Johns has done an amazing job introducing this new character to the series, which isn't always easy. Sometimes new characters get a bad response especially when they are potentially replacing a character as big as Hal Jordan, but Baz has had great response and it's easy to see why. Over his run on GL Johns has been able to judge when to add new energy and excitement to the series when it needs it the most.

The art in this issue was great and once again Mahnke has produced a beautiful piece of artwork throughout this comic. Sinclair and Avina have also added brilliant colour to this issue and I really enjoy seeing how Baz's Green Lantern uniform has a bright glowing colour and how it really pops out next to the members of the Justice League. Mahnke has also proved that he has the ability to draw the Justice League and I would be more than happy if I heard he was working on that title sometime in the future.

I'm actually starting to like the Baz character more after this issue. I liked from the previous issue how he was different form the other Lanterns but this issue showed a lot more character and that he's a misunderstood character and not the bad person everyone is making him out to be.

I also was happy to see that this issue started to introduce more of the main crossover story as most of the first issue was about Baz trying to figure out how to use the ring so it was nice to see the Guardians plotting more of there scheme again.

It was also nice to see Hal and Sinestro in the issue, even if there appearance was short, as it shows that they haven't been forgotten and that they will be used further down the line. The brief appearances they have made over the last couple of issues do however keep you wondering about what will happen to them and the end of this issue gives a teaser and it looks like the mystery about Hal and Sinestro's whereabouts may be answered in the next issue.

Baz's reaction to the Justice League was just priceless and one of the funniest parts of the issue. I really enjoyed how he is speechless and then compliments Superman by saying that even if he could work the ring that Superman would still be able to kick his a$$, whilst kind of insulting Batman by saying that he's the only member of the Justice League he could stand a chance against.

I also liked how Superman actually looked flattered when Baz said that and how Batman agreed that he was defiantly a Green Lantern due to the comment he made about him. I also liked the comedy that Flash brought to this issue and how if a Green Lantern had to die so Baz could get that ring that he wished it was Guy.

It was also nice to see a different use of the ring and how Baz makes unique constructs which are both smart and very unique. I will be looking forward to seeing how he uses the ring in future issues.

Final Verdict

This was a brilliant issue and Baz is starting to become a great character. This issue is crammed with tones of fun, and brilliant action (although limited) with a bit of humour. I would highly recommend this issue and the entire series.

Rating: 4.5/5