After spinning its wheels for the better part of a year during “Forever Evil,” “Justice League” #31 marks a return to form for the series and its creative team.
Written by Geoff Johns
Illustrated by Doug MahnkeIntroducing the new Power Ring! But who is she? What does she want? And how will her presence affect the team?
I’m just going to put this out there: Geoff Johns is totally over the New 52. The writer has officially reached the point where he’s no longer hindered by the constraints of the reboot and is once again able to tell the character driven, history rich stories he’s known for. Who knew it would only take putting Lex Luthor in the spotlight?
This issue sees Johns juggling multiple plot threads with great skill, giving each sequence the room it requires. Jumping between the new Power Ring, Captain Cold, Bruce and Lex, and Cyborg and Shazam, Johns packs a ton of story into a brisk 22 pages without ever feeling rushed or overcrowded.
Of these, the Bruce/Lex confrontation is the standout. As we saw last issue, Lex has finally deduced Batman’s identity, thanks to Nightwing’s outing in “Forever Evil” (something everybody should be wise to at this point, but oh well). How does Bruce deal with this bold faced accusation? He straight up denies it. Seeing a clearly flustered Bruce hang on to the last vestige of his secret identity while faced with Luthor’s indomitable will is both extremely compelling and hilarious. Let’s face it, Luthor isn’t like Commissioner Gordon, someone who mostly spends time with Batman on dark rooftops; this is someone who has chilled with Batman on a satellite. The idea that Bruce’s identity could stand for more than a few moments against Luthor is preposterous, and Johns takes the scenario to its logical conclusion.
What a conclusion that is. When the simple duel of words and wills leads to a Mexican standoff between Bruce, Lex and Alfred, artist Doug Mahnke sets things into overdrive. Mahnke’s normally dynamic panels take on a slow motion quality, set between the seconds of a ticking clock. Mahnke’s use of the swinging pendulum gives a sense for the speed and flow of the fight, so that the reader can feel the combatant’s quick reflexes and explosive (literally) actions.
Speaking of Alfred, Johns slips in a choice bit of dialogue that could easily be considered throwaway. Given its due, however, it hints towards some very dark tidings in the character’s future.
The other big highlight of the issue is the debut of the new Power Ring. Teased all the way back in “Green Lantern” #20, the new bearer of the cursed ring is Jessica Cruz, an agoraphobic shut-in from Portland, Oregon. Johns does a great job of establishing Cruz’s background, personality and sick state-of-mind before turning her into a rampaging puppet for a demonic ring.
While the character herself is interesting, one has to wonder: “what’s up with that costume?” Between the bandana and the face-painted Power Ring logo (which absolutely looks like a butterfly), Cruz looks more like a 70’s flower child than a menacing villain fueled by anger and chaos. Bizarre design choices aside, between Lex’s newfound heroism and the continued presence of Volthoom’s ring, it’s arguable that the “Forever Evil” aftermath is shaping up to be far more interesting than the event itself.
This goes one step further in the case of Captain Cold. Thanks to his status on Luthor’s substitute league, Cold is now a national hero. This, coupled with a vested interested by Luthor, sets Cold on a true out of water experience. For once he’s loved, not hated, feared, or scorned; this shot at redemption and a new life is undercut by what seem to be some less that altruistic motives from Luthor. Cold is a character that has never been better than when he’s written by Johns. It’s extremely fun to see him taken on the character once more, and refreshing to see him go in a completely different direction than what’s come before.
“Justice League” #31 is nearly all you could ask for from Johns’ “League.” The characters are spot on, the status quo is fresh and unique, and Doug Mahnke’s pencils are as terrific as ever. We even finally see the beginnings of the Cyborg/Shazam bromance that the writer has hinted at literally since he took over the book. If the magical ping pong table doesn’t elicit even a small grin, then you should seriously consider getting your heart size checked, grinch. Although, if you don’t enjoy that, you may find the last page return of a beloved (by me at least) and underused DC team a bit more pleasing.
That is where “Justice League” #31 excels; by doing many different things and juggling them well, it’s hard not to find something to enjoy.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy. “Justice League” #31 is good (looking), fun, super soap operatics heroics.
