This issue officially begins the new crossover "Trinity War" which pits the three existing Justice League teams against each other (namely the Justice League, Steve Trevor's Justice League of America and John Constantine's Justice League Dark).
I want to say that I loved this first issue but I'm caught between uh-uh to yeah. There's a ton of nice things about this issue but there are some major let downs as well. I loved the art for this book, Ivan Reis is just kicking ass in this book. He definitely shows us why he's the main man for a book/crossover this big. Rod Reis is also showing us that he's a great wingman for his brother's pencils. Loved how everything about JL # 22 ran on thing lines; really fine tuned for this big war.
Johns' writing here is so-so. Nothing really outstanding although I do admit that like Madame Xanadu, I did not see that particular attack coming which gives merits to the DC big boss. Still it rather feels contrived the way things are coming together. This issue also stands as another example of Batman being weird and badly written. Imagine Superman just gets zapped by some magical doohickey and he brings him to a League mission in Kahndaq not knowing what might happen to the Man of Steel when pressed hard; which by the way really happens.
Speaking of Superman. I'm sick and tired of DC turning Superman into a shadow of his former self. The guy was a rock and an absolute. He was a cornerstone, so turning him into a killer (whether premeditated or not) is just awful. In the years to come, when Superman smiles and talks kids into dropping the gun, said kid would probably laugh and shoot hostages. Yes, because Superman is a killer and they do not have to listen to stone cold killers like the Man of Steel. Obviously somebody at DC did not think things through on this end.
SPOILERS HERE
Mr. Johns also loves to tease us with things that might be more confusing rather than helpful. Things like the future fate of the mysterious Pandora just left me scratching my head. And while on the subject of Pandora, I feel like the character isn't exactly reader friendly. She's been running around the DCU even after Flashpoint but she's never pulled her weight. I suddenly get this feeling that she'll be fodder again much like the maligned casualty of this war.
In terms of action, I am completely satisfied with this issue. If I were all for mindless hero versus hero fights this would have been a winner. The number of splash pages featuring fights between the two leagues were numerous and again thanks to the art by Reis, it makes for some great eye candy.
At the moment, it's too early to predict whether "Trinity War" will be a dud or if it will soar. I'm going to consider all the pitfalls and negativity from this issue as 'birthing pains' and hopefully when Justice League of America # 6 swings into the local comic shops, everything becomes more clear.
Verdict: 8/10
Justice League # 22 is still available at all Castle Geek branches (The Collective and Glorietta). You can still order JUSTICE LEAGUE # 22 online thru Comicx Hub by clicking HERE
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