Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Art: Miguel Mendonca
Colors: Enrica Eren Angiolini
Letter: Andsworld Design
With the entire universe against them, the League will have to protect one of the most vile killers that the universe has ever known. In order to accomplish their job, they’ll have to return to the very place that caused their disbandment as a team. Can the league manage this mission without tearing each other apart? Can Superman do what needs to be done for their mission to succeed?
I must confess that when I started to read this entry of this particular series, I came in expecting loads of action, and while there was some action, much of it was focused less on action, and more on character. Zdarsky spends much of the issue focusing on the character interactions between the League as they embark on their mission to transport their prisoner to the skeletal remains of Apokolips. While readers get the chance to witness some of the events that lead to the league's current status as a disbanded team, it is only a quarter of the story.
Majority of this book focuses on the individual tensions, doubts and fears that the League have about each other as a capable team. Despite the lack of grand action, this was a very introspective issue. Readers get to see how most of the league feel about each other, especially towards Batman and Superman, who aren’t as tight knit as they once were. Zdarsky does his job at building tension and uncertainty as the League tries to put on a brave face against all the odds that are stacked against them. For anyone that’s read comics for a long time, it’s clear that this issue is pretty much exposition and build up. And that isn’t bad especially in the case of what Zdarsky is developing with this series. This is its own book, which promises surprises that no one will expect, especially in a world where a central character’s demise leads to the current state of events that divided the league within this series.
The art by Miguel Mendonca is consistently great. He does a fantastic job at choreographing certain scenes that feel grand in power and scale. Especially in the flashbacks where the League are battling great distances to fend off the hordes of Darkseid. Angiolini delivers beautiful color work to complement the cinematic scope that Medonca’s line work delivers. In addition to the art and color duo, Andsworld Design’s lettering does a great job at maintaining a balance between the art and dialogue, making the reading experience a smooth read. This was a great issue that focuses on character rather than just the scope of spectacle. I look forward to the next issue, and I recommend picking this issue up for new comic book day.
