Ultraman gets the origin treatment before showcasing the wider effects of the Crime Syndicate’s invasion, in a good, but slim, issue of “Justice League”.
Written by Geoff Johns
Illustrated by Ivan ReisA “Forever Evil” tie-in! THE JUSTICE LEAGUE IS DEAD! But who’s at the top of the food chain now? And what does BLACK ADAM have to say about it?
When comparing DC’s ridged once-per-month publishing schedule to the speed at which Marvel spits out its event series (“Age of Ultron” took like two months), it’s easy to forget that the “Forever Evil” series will be the present status quo in the DC Universe until the spring. With the titular crime fighting gang still AWOL, the “Justice League” series switches it’s focus onto the Crime Syndicate, and specifically Ultraman. After the Villains Month “Secret Society” issue focused on the backstory behind Owlman and his twisted Earth 3 version of Gotham City and its inhabitants, “Justice League” #24 starts on Krypton, but not the Krypton readers are familiar with, as Jor-Il prepares to send his infant son to Earth.
The planet is exploding as its inhabitants fight and crawl over each other to reach spaceships. The entire platform suddenly explodes at the hands of Jor-Il, determined to ensure that his baby son is the only survivor of Krypton. The House of Il praises strength, and despise all weakness, and on Earth the young Kal-Il will grow into the strongest of all, and rule the world as a god. As Kal’s ship flies to Earth the voice of Jor-Il fills his head with hatred and shame, and the knowledge that anything less than total domination of all humanity will be an embarrassment on the House of Il. Kal’s ship crashes into the home of Johnny and Martha Kent, in the midst of a violent argument, and the infant alien instantly attack the pair, and informs them they will be his new parents. Time jumps forward to the present, as Ultraman travels to the headquarters of the Daily Planet in Metropolis, and marvels at the perceived weakness of the Lois Lane and Jimmy Olson of this world. Ultraman is convinced of his superiority, until someone arrives who can challenge him on much more equal level.
“Justice League” #24 is scripted by the series regular writer, and “Forever Evil” mastermind, Geoff Johns. The fact that Johns wrote the issue instantly elevates it above the myriad of other tie-in issues to the current event. Johns is obviously talented when writing bad guys, and he knows exactly what is needed to portray the harsh universe of Earth 3 and its inhabitants. Johns is known for wide knowledge of DC history, and he seems to relish the opportunity to take familiar events, like the destruction of Krypton and Kal’s arrival on Earth, and flip them on their heads. The issue only spends a few pages on Krypton, but the severe and brutal nature of the world is clear from the first panel. Johns keeps the exposition to a minimum, and lets the incredibly cold and mean relationship between Jor-Il and Lara illustrate how different the Earth 3 universe is.
Although previewed as an Ultraman origin story, the second half of this issue of “Justice League” pulls the focus back onto most the Crime Syndicate and their currant actions on Earth. The readers get updates on Johnny Quick and Atom, while Wrath is a constant voice in Ultraman’s ear. While Johns keeps the mention of other characters to a minimum, the wider scope makes the feel more like “Forever Evil” #2.5, or just the first half of #3. The first half is an interesting look at how a character so similar to the ever-noble Superman could be so twisted and evil, the second half does feel like a lot of set-up for future issues. There are plenty of references to an unseen enemy that forced the Crime Syndicate from their world, and Ultraman’s future plans for Superwoman and Owlman, but there is never any actual payoff. Even the surprise return of a recently dead villain just creates even more questions with no immediate answers. In theory, however, a tie-in book is supposed to encourage the reader to explore the rest of the event, and John’s certainly proves that there are still plenty of mysteries in “Forever Evil” and its ancillary books.
Continued belowThe art in “Justice League” #24 is handled by Ivan Reis, who has been drawing the book since issue #15. Reis is simply one of the best artist at DC right now, and every issue he draws is gorgeous to look at. His art is very realistic, and fits the mold set by the legendary Jim Lee when the New 52 began, while still showcasing his own style. He avoids the darkness and shadows that seem to cling to everything in the main “Forever Evil” series, while still furthering the menacing tone of the event. With the Ultraman origin story, Reis becomes approximately the 815th artist to draw the destruction of Krypton, but the Earth 3 setting allows him the opportunity to feel the scenes with details like fistfights and people getting trampled, highlighting the violent final moments of the planet. And when Kal-Il arrives on Earth, Reis actually manages to make a baby look terrifying.
Reis has proven himself to be a master of the team book, and when the other members of the Crime Syndicate makes brief appearances, those panels do not appear rushed or phoned in. When Ultraman arrives at the Daily Planet, Reis is careful not to duplicate background characters, and avoids the easy temptation of copying and pasting the same terrified expression on everyone’s face. A huge double page spread ends the issue, as Ultraman is attacked by an unforeseen adversary, the rendering is so well done it almost makes the reader forget about the dozen or so questions raised by the characters sudden reappearance.
The biggest gripe that some will have with “Justice League” #24 is that while the series is priced at usual $3.99, it lacks any backup feature or extended storyline. The previous issues of “Justice League” featured a long running backup from Johns and Gary Frank the introduced Billy Batson and Shazam in the New 52, which sometimes were the best part of the issue. This issue ends feeling kind of slim, with the main driving force behind the price point being the tie-in to “Forever Evil”. Given the fact that issue ends on several large cliffhangers, a short story, say focusing on Johnny Quick and Atom’s rampage for example, could have made the book feel more complete.
Final Verdict: 7.0 – A buy for the “Forever Evil” completionist. The fact the Geoff Johns is writing it elevates the issue above other tie-ins, but the lackluster ending and the overall slimness of the issue makes it a little difficult to objectively justify the $3.99 price.
