Written by Scott Snyder
and James Tynion IV
Art by Jorge Jimenez
Published by DC Comics
“Legion, kill them all!”
“League, for Justice!”
Booyah.
It’s all come together, finally, all just in time for the fight of a lifetime.
Luthor has been amped to the max with the Seven Dark Forces of the Totality. His Legion of Villainy replaced unceremoniously (and without remorse) with an army – an actual legion – of chalky, malleable, and disturbingly vicious Apex Predators.
Lady Perpetua, malevolent Mother of All Creation (or, OK, maybe not all Creation, we’re getting there), is busy enjoying herself, off culling worlds (and billions upon billions of lives) that seem to her to be far too aligned with Justice to be of any use to her. (Alas, we once counted ourselves amongst that number.)
The assembled forces of the Justice League (kinda, sorta – this week’s artist Jorge Jimenez does a decent job portraying what rightly, should be a multitude), stand against the tide. Batman is at the helm of the Hall of Justice, now taken to the air in order to battle a weaponized Hall of Doom, all the while a great sigil of Doom shines a sickly glowing green against the sky.
The core members of the League have gathered, with the remaining fragments of the Totality, and two of our favorite remaining Starmen, in a last-ditch effort to empower themselves, with the awakened positive forces contained within an oppositional Justice formation. One fighting chance left, to beat back Doom – and win back the hearts and minds of the people, to Justice.
All these elements have been scattered throughout this series, some of the ideas and characters from the very first issue. But now, finally, the whole tapestry makes sense – mostly – and the players, right on cue, have taken their position on the board, to play out what has always been an inevitable confrontation between the fully empowered forces of Doom, and the eternal fighting spirit of Justice.
Whew. Finally.
If only it hadn’t taken so damn long.
I’ve said it before – the idea is just fine. Heck, it’s good. Legion of Doom? Hall of Justice? Hey, even the Wonder Twins! (Hey, where are the Wonder Twins?) Hell yeah, to all of that.
Cosmic level crisis, with a roll-out of the greatest hits of previous DC Crises and storytelling eras? Sure. Yes please. Bring it on.
The conceptual framework is solid. (Though I still wish Scott Snyder could even list all fourteen – or even seven – of his foundational Cosmic Forces in one place, himself.)
And the ideas are great. Some, granted, are a little wild. I myself don’t really need to see the Hall of Justice as a spaceship. But OK, different audiences. Somebody loves that Starfish I’m sure. The point is, there is no shortage of excellent ideas. With so many opportunities for telling – even more – stories.
I’m sure the publishers love it.
But all of this could have been told in probably half the time it took to get here. And it would have been a better story for it.
Instead we are now barreling to the conclusion of what feels like just yet another head fake, when it should feel anything but. Despite the fact that – yeah, no, probably it’s a head fake.
*Sigh*
Still the moments are there. Not the least of which comes bursting through, like a light from the heavens, just when we need it. Just as it should do.
Because we can never really be allowed to forget, not yet, not now surely, (it really does go against the code of comics), that Justice is always there. Always shining, always a spring eternal. And always a force equal to the legions of chaos and self-interest that run amok across our world.
At least we’d better hope so.
Get ready for this year’s Battle Royale between Justice and Doom – with Everything in the balance.
Go big, or go home, for sure.
(Just be ready for the counter-punch.)
Next Issue: Forces of Dark and Forces of Light.
