After Trinity War and Forever Evil, surely it was expected that Geoff Johns’s Justice League run would calm down and there would be a few issues of respite. As if! Between Justice League (vol 2) 30-39, Johns spends these last issues before the start of his final Justice League epic tying up loose ends from Forever Evil. From the aftereffects of the Crime Syndicate’s invasion, the oncoming threat about to tarnish the Earth, the soon-to-be uncovered mystery of Superwoman’s baby, to the whereabouts of Volthoom as it searches for a new host to strike its fear into, Geoff Johns has created one of the most comprehensive Justice League runs in terms of plotting in history. But for these last issues before the arrival, the focus revolves around one character. All welcome the Justice League’s newest member – Lex Luthor!
Justice League (vol 2) 30-34 was written by Geoff Johns, with art by Ivan Reis, Doug Mahnke, Scott Hanna, Keith Champagne, Christian Alamy, and Scott Kollins. They were published from July to December 2014. As one five-part story, it has been collected in the Justice League: Injustice League trade paperback, which collects the remaining issues of Geoff Johns’s run until the start of The Darkseid War.
Lex Luthor was the main star of Forever Evil, and Geoff Johns writes him at his most interesting and fascinating. Luthor became a hero because – despite his cruelty – he is not of the world destruction-ilk of supervillain. He wants to dominate the world. The Crime Syndicate want it destroyed. The difference between the godly unhinged villains and the controlled less lethal foes was a flawless idea that Johns played around with in Forever Evil, and with Luthor emerging as a hero from all the destruction, we are led to believe that he is a changed man. You’d have to be totally gullible to believe it, but here, Johns presents Luthor as a mixture of pure heroic good, and a crafty manipulator.
Justice League (vol 2) 30 begins by looking at one overlooked factor from Forever Evil – the Secret Society. While DC has always had a Secret Society of Super Villains, this grouping of foes is effectively a trade union grouping of every DC villain you could think of (excluding the Joker, who Johns mentions in the first issue of Forever Evil as no longer being a team player, in-keeping with the maverick and fully deranged New 52 clown prince of crime). Created by the Crime Syndicate to unleash chaos on Earth, this group are now pretty pathetic. The issue begins with the Justice League – aided by Lex Luthor – taking out one of their bases. While the inclusion of Luthor is a good surprise, at first the story appears poised to focus on the Secret Society as the main threat. This would certainly be a downgrade compared to the titanic forces unleashed in both Trinity War and Forever Evil, and while the story doesn’t linger for very long on the Secret Society, including the minor league villains for a few pages does provide a welcome change of pace. Regardless, the theme of the first part is Luthor’s popularity after leading the fight back against Ultraman and his pals. In turn, the Justice League are enraged, and it concludes with a confrontation between Luthor and the league. To work out Luthor’s true plan, Wonder Woman uses her Lasso of Truth to force the former villain to reveal all. While Luthor may still be an egomaniac strongly in love with himself, he has truly become a hero because of the oncoming threat facing Earth. This same threat destroyed the Crime Syndicate’s world, and soon it will arrive. This change in Luthor’s personality may seem large, and in some ways, it is dramatic, but I do love how Johns has kept the same basic foundations of Luthor the same. For instance, there may be some more intentions of good, but he still looks out for himself first-and-foremost, and his main goal is to rescue the Earth for himself. Luthor the hero and Luthor the villain aren't very different, and that’s how it should be. The Justice League end up refusing to let him join the team, but his continued efforts to join become one of the two main storylines in The Injustice League five-parter. As for the other storyline, we return to Volthoom and Power Ring.
After the death of the Crime Syndicate’s Hal Jordan in Forever Evil, the sentient ring Volthoom flew into the sky to search for its next victim. Turning around the whole idea of Green Lantern created fantastic results – striking intense fear rather than calm confidence, courage, and willpower made Power Ring into a far more interesting version of the 1960s emerald knight. The other Hal Jordan wasn’t interesting because he was overcome with fear over pretty much everything, but because Volthoom fed off that emotion through the ring. It made Power Ring into an unpredictable and fascinating foe. With Justice League (vol 2) 31, a new holder of the ring is revealed in Jessica Cruz. A young woman who has hidden herself away in her home for years after witnessing the death of her friends, Jessica is afraid that those who took her friends away are after her. Like Hal Jordan, she cannot control her fear and she is captured by Volthoom, whose plan is to use her to destroy the world. Johns creates a very different kind of character with Jessica Cruz. Unlike other heroes in the Justice League, she is far more emotional, but not in a mocking sense. Her tragedy – similar to one endured by Bruce Wayne – has moulded her personality, but the interesting factor is Volthoom. Her choice throughout the story and indeed much of the run is whether the ring is her moral enemy, or can it be used as an ally for good. The Justice League are on the search for Volthoom because they believe that, through harnessing its inside technology, they can catch a glimpse of the oncoming threat which destroyed the Crime Syndicate’s world. A lot of this is set up in the second part, but before this, Johns unleashes a huge wave of plot which cannot go unnoticed.
This shouldn’t exactly come as a shock, but Lex Luthor knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Throughout Justice League (vol 2) 31 he tries to convince Bruce in Wayne Manor that the Justice League and the world needs his help. Luthor worked out Batman’s true identity after the unmasking of Dick Grayson as Nightwing. This revelation to the public from Forever Evil 1 was kind of swept under the rug soon afterwards, and I’m shocked it didn’t get much mention up until this point or in other Batman stories. With Dick Grayson’s identity out there, it really isn’t hard to work out who Batman really is. Regardless, Batman cannot be convinced of Luthor’s plan, but the former villain is plotting something else. Enter Captain Cold. Something of a minor character in Forever Evil, Captain Cold was part of that small gang working with Luthor to take out the Crime Syndicate. Now a world-famous supervillain, Captain Cold has been hired by Luthor to be head of his security. With good pay and world fame, Captain Cold is transformed. Not much can be said about him in terms of The Injustice League storyline, but it is entertaining to watch a fairly minor villain rise to the top. For what reason, who can yet say?
On a side note, Luthor does forcibly introduce Captain Marvel into the Justice League. After they refuse Luthor’s offer, the former villain tells them to let Captain Marvel join. They readily allow him to do so. Captain Marvel becoming a member of the Justice League was an obvious move. It was always going to happen, and he does add a different kind of dynamic to the stories. Underneath all of his godly powers and prowess, he is still a child. That simplistic but warming personality within Captain Marvel means he stands out in the league, and there are times where he has little concept of what’s going on – just like a child would in an overwhelming or confusing scenario. But this all does raise one question – how can the league be certain that Captain Marvel isn’t a spy for Luthor? The former villain does introduce Captain Marvel into the team, and they fail to question it. Captain Marvel would be the ideal candidate to work for Luthor since he can be easily manipulated, but here, the heroes just willing to accept Captain Marvel perhaps too suddenly.
With Justice League (vol 2) 32, the heavy plotting of the first two issues relaxes a tad. But it does begin with a pleasant surprise. Does anyone remember Element Woman? She last appeared in the early issues of Trinity War – a new member of the team, she effectively had the same shape-shifting powers as Metamorpho. And then she went missing! She returns here in the captivity of none other than The Chief and the Doom Patrol.
I did wish that these guys turned up in Forever Evil instead of the Metal Men – perhaps this unique and strange team flashed in Johns’s mind when he was thinking of a classic team to return. Unlike the Metal Men, the Doom Patrol are actually good. But more to the point, the team features a diverse roster of characters, all of whom are fascinating. Doctor Niles Caulder, better known as the Chief, is the leader. We’ve also got Robotman, Negative Man, and Elasti-Girl. This is the classic team, with the three heroes all caught in dreadful accidents which have given them superpowers but driven them out of society. A rival of Lex Luthor, the Chief is in some ways not much better. Johns has kept the same flawless dynamic which was created by Grant Morrison in the early-1990s – the Chief is behind the creation of these monsters. He was the one who caused Cliff Steele to crash his car before transforming him into Robotman. He’s behind the creation of Negative Man and Elasti-Girl too, and he believes that Element Woman should join his team. While not exactly a grim team, there is something very dark about the Doom Patrol. The presence of the Chief – who is no longer in a wheelchair – adds a suitable chill to the story, especially since he comes face-to-face with the Justice League. Believing that Power Ring is a freak like the rest of his team, the Chief goes after Jessica Cruz at the same time as the Justice League does.
Justice League (vol 2) 32-33 is effectively a fight for Power Ring, but that description doesn’t do it an inch of service. Since Jessica Cruz isn’t evil and Volthoom is controlling her through her fear, the goal isn’t to kill her, but to tame the ring. Lex Luthor and the Justice League go head-to-head with the Doom Patrol, specifically the Chief. A lot of dialogue focuses on the Chief’s past and how Luthor is aware of his cruel plans in the name of science, while this is technically Luthor’s first outing as a member of the Justice League. Yes, since they appear desparate, Lex Luthor is now a member of the Justice League. But while Luthor himself may have a plan up his sleeve, so do the Justice League. They don’t want Luthor on the team, but they see his usefulness for the time being. Along with the fight for Jessica Cruz, the story does explore Volthoom a bit more which is really great. Volthoom was the first person to be entrapped by the ring, and his being lives on inside the ring and is corrupting it in the name of evil. Volthoom corrupts Cyborg’s system, and it appears that nobody can rescue Jessica from her fearful fate. But that’s when Batman emerges wonderfully as the hero of the day. Aware of how fear and the darkness can drown you, he helps Jessica accept her fear and she slowly learns how to control Volthoom. This shows the Dark Knight at his best – in a rare moment he unmasks his true personality rather than his secret identity as Bruce Wayne (which he did pointlessly to Green Lantern in the Origin storyline (Justice League (vol 2) 1-6). Bruce Wayne’s humanity, something which the cold and hardened Dark Knight Detective lacks, saves the day and Jessica Cruz. In the space of four issues, the Justice League has three new members – Captain Marvel, Lex Luthor, and Power Ring. Out of those three, the most deserving is definitely Power Ring, who over the course of the rest of the run, becomes one of the most interesting Green Lanterns (if one can call her that) in DC’s history. It is sad that the Doom Patrol are written out of the story after Justice League (vol 2) 33, but as I said, it’s great to see them and it’s good that Geoff Johns gave Element Woman a more suitable home in the Doom Patrol than in the Justice League.
Justice League (vol 2) 34 is an epilogue to The Injustice League storyline. Before anything though, I do have to question the story’s title. The Injustice League seems to suggest a team of villains fighting the Justice League, but this tale contains little of that after the first part. I guess Lex Luthor could be seen as contaminating the league with his injustice but overall, the title is a misleading one. Nevertheless, the epilogue builds upon some of the plot points from the previous issues. The Flash helps out Jessica Cruz get used to Volthoom and how to get it under control. I really like the idea how Jessica can lose control of this ring at any moment- it adds some unpredictability to the story and makes the league more interesting.
Along with that, Lex Luthor takes the focus once more. All the heroes in the team are suspicious of him, especially Batman. Their suspicions are well-founded – when alone Lex Luthor consults his partner in his secret plan. He's working with bigger fish than Captain Cold – Lex Luthor is working with none other than Owlman! Demanding that Luthor hand over Superwoman’s baby after she gives birth, the most independently minded and maverick member of the Crime Syndicate is still with us, and he’s got a plan. Owlman and Power Ring always were my two favourite members of the Crime Syndicate, and the way that Johns have woven them into this story has been masterfully done. With a lot of things still in the air and Johns establishing even more plot throughout these five issues, this epilogue is a decent summary of recent events and teases a fascinating series of future stories.
So, after Trinity War and Forever Evil, The Injustice League is a step-down in terms of drama and stakes. It certainly isn’t calm, and Johns does go for it fully when it comes to adding new plot, but I like how this story focuses more on character rather than the world-ending stakes of the previous stories. The introduction of Jessica Cruz is wonderfully done, and you can imagine some of the future stories she’ll star in with the Justice League, while the inclusion of the Doom Patrol adds flair to Johns’s run to ensure it never goes stale. Lex Luthor continues to be a source of complete fascination. Whether it be about his true aims or what his plan with Owlman is all about, Johns makes him the star of the show.
Ivan Reis and Doug Mahnke are present as the main artists once again, aided by a range of inkers of solid but variable quality. If you’ve read previous Justice League stories, you know what you’re getting into. It’s similar to Jim Lee’s style, but without the same identifiable appearance. Reis and Mahnke include the drama to make the story come to life well enough, but I’d struggle to say that much of it is memorable. It looks nice, but there are relatively few pages that stand out as stunners. That all said, Scott Kollins - who provides art for Justice League (vol 2) 34 somehow manages to convey a cartoony style without any vibrancy or action. It's more like boring two-dimensional images sadly.
VERDICT
Overall, Justice League: The Injustice League is a strong five-parter which – after the long-reads of Trinity War and Forever Evil – focuses more on character than plot. Lex Luthor stands out as a really interesting anti-hero here, while the introduction of Jessica Cruz is a highlight of the run since she is so different. The plot itself to The Injustice League is good and I like how diverse Johns is making the run by including teams like the Doom Patrol. In short, there may be a few plot holes, but the story is both fun and memorable.
Next Week: Justice League: The Amazo Virus (Justice League (vol 2 35-39). Written by Geoff Johns with art by Doug Mahnke, Ivan Reis, Keith Champagne, Mark Irwin, Christian Alamy, Ray McCarthy, Joe Prado, and Jason Fabok.
Comments