Title: Justice League Part 5

Writer: Geoff Johns

Art by: Jim Lee

Cover by: Jim Lee, Alex Sinclair, & Scott Williams

Release Date: January 25, 2012

Official DC Comics Synopsis: Now, with the teenaged powerhouse Cyborg at their side, this group of individual heroes must somehow put their differences aside to face the terror of Darkseid!

Review by: Brendan S.

So a week late but I have to say it was very worth the 7 day wait.  We pick up where we left with Darkseid being incredibly menacing not saying anything but just blowing stuff up left and right and being absolutely ruthless.  I think when you have a villain of the magnitude of Darkseid, does he really need to say anything, I think it works perfectly in dramatic fashion to have heroes who do not know how to stop a threat that is taking them all out without taking 5 steps or thinking twice about it.  Plus, there is nothing scarier than a giant menace that says nothing at all, I think Darkseid worked perfectly in this issue being a villain that none of them can deal with alone and they all have to team up together, almost forcing them to come together due to the situation.

Green Lantern came across really well in this issue because, after Superman is zapped by an Omega Beam and is taken hostage by a Parademon, he jumps at Darkseid still thinking he is “All that and more,” but realizes that this isn’t working and as a major thematic change, goes from speaking in the third person to the first person (finally) which I think shows great growth in the character and just shows how much more of a team player he is willing to become.

Continuing with this theme of the necessity of teamwork, Batman gives Green Lantern his entire life story while he takes his cape and cowl and bat-emblem off his chest realizing that the Batman is figure that he uses for himself for his own pain but this is no longer about him justifying his life this is bigger than all of them and they need to put there differences aside in order to defeat Darkseid.  One problem I did have with this is that Hal did not know who multi-billionaire and CEO of one of the most successful companies in the world Bruce Wayne was, just a little nit-pick on my part.  From there Bruce is intentionally taken by a Parademon and is going to find Superman.

We then see Hal taking Bruce’s little motivational-speech/slap-in-the-face to heart and rallies up Aquaman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Cyborg (who is adapting quite well to his knew abilities) and tries to say what Batman did but makes a complete fool of himself like Batman said not to do, but still comes out as a leader ready to take on Darkseid with the other 4 remaining members.  Batman realizes he is in over his head trying to find Superman when he winds up on Apocalypse.

Awesome story, stunning art, my favorite issue of the entire run so far and so worth the wait and spear heading towards the end of the story coming out, as of right now, February 29th.  I will be counting the days, can’t wait.