Monday, January 30, 2012

JT's Take: Justice League #5

Hey everyone, JT here, formerly of Jason Todd's Comic Spot, and currently the new co-writer here at X-Man's Comic Blog. I'm not gonna bore you guys with a long intro, I'm just gonna say how cool it is to be writing at my buddy's blog and I hope any of you who aren't familiar with my reviews or style enjoy my write-ups. I'll try to review books I know Ol' X isn't reviewing as not to clash but I may review the same books time to time and see where X and I agree or disagree. (Probably the latter.) So let's get down to business with my first review here. Oh and for those not familiar with my posts, the dialogue at the end of each review is my pick for line of the issue.

Justice League #5

Summary: For those not in the know, the last four issues of Justice League have centered around Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Faux, I mean Flash, and Green Lantern and the newly turned Cyborg...er.. Cyborg, all joining together just in time to face the invading threat known as Darkseid. In this issue we basically saw the team attack and fail miserably with Darkseid using his Omega Beams to take out Superman, but The Flash escaped them by phasing through a Parademon and letting that take the blast. After seeing Superman get taken away by the Parademons, Batman has a talk with Green Lantern where he tells Lantern to think and stop attacking so headstrong without having a plan, and says the two of them are alike. Hal doesn't agree with him so Bruce unmasks and says he's Bruce Wayne and gives his whole backstory for some odd reason before literally putting his arms up so the Parademons come grab him and take him away so he can save Superman. Green Lantern takes his advice and tries to rally Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Flash and Cyborg as they head off to take on Darkseid once again, meanwhile Bruce crosses through the Boom Tube to Apokalips as this issue comes to a close.



Thoughts: First things first, It was cool seeing Hal stand up to Darkseid over and over. It was cooler seeing him get his ass handed to him, I mean between this and Green Lantern, Hal's life has gotta suck because he's getting beat down physically, verbally or mentally all the time, and since he comes off as such an ass you can't help but to enjoy it. As for this issue, I liked some stuff like Flash dodging the Omega beam and Jim Lee's art is always great, but that's where it stops for me. I mean what the hell, there's two things Batman never does and that's kill, and reveal his identity to people he barely knows/trusts. Everyone knows that, but for some reason Geoff Johns seems to not. I mean think about it, he's banging Catwoman with his mask on. His former Boy Wonder, Red Robin, still hasn't told any of the Teen Titans who he is, yet meanwhile Bruce is not only taking off his cowl, but saying his damn name (how did Hal NOT know who Bruce Wayne is?!) as well as running around in the middle of the damn city with no cowl but still wearing the bat-suit! I know the planet is under attack by Darkseid but does that mean you just say to hell with the whole Secret Identity thing?! That irked me a lot, and rightfully so because it was SO out of character for Bruce. That aside this comic wasn't that enjoyable, the team just doesn't seem like a team, it seems like a book revolving around Flash, GL and Batman with three lines a piece for Cyborg, Wonder Woman and Aquaman. I'm trying to give this series a chance but considering Batman's recklessness in this issue I just ended up more annoyed than anything.

Score: 3.5 out of 10.
 Batman: My name is Bruce Wayne.
Hal Jordan: Who the hell is Bruce Wayne?
(That's like me not knowing who Donald Trump is... he's a basketball player right?)

23 comments:

  1. HA! So wait... The FIRST review you do here features SAINT BARRY ALLEN?!! Damn you, JT!!! :P Then again, considering the Saint Barry blog, maybe that just means it's all come full circle...

    Anyway, awesome job(as always), mi amigo. This was the first write up I read for this series, and I have to say, it sounds like I'm not missing much by not reading it. The Batman scene? Yeah, I think you said it all. Bats revealing his identity(and not just unmasking, but giving his name AND origin?!) just seems wrong. Eh. I'm quite happy not to be wasting $4 on what sounds like your basic Hal Jordan/Barry Allen/Geoff Johns lovefest... I'll leave that privilege to you! :P

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  2. If It's any consolation it also features Hal getting the crap beat outta him and his arm broken by Darkseid :D

    Thanks dude, glad you enjoyed my review. And yeah, that really pissed me off, I mean I could see the name, or maybe even a quick mask flash, or shit, just the origin would be fine and probably make the most sense character-wise, but all three?! And yeah I think I'll finish up the arc with the next issue (they're gonna beat Darkseid in one issue... :|)

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  3. Well, I DO like the idea of Hal getting beat up... But still, Saint Barry... I don't know.

    I personally could see Bats unmask to Hal(he's pretty plain looking, definitely during a battle I'd think), MAYBE give the origin, but NEVER simply give his name to a guy who, from my understanding, he'd pretty much just met! That just seems so opposite to the way Bats usually operates... And you KNOW Saint Barry is gonna beat Darkseid by himself! Probably in one page by making Darkseid get hit by his own Omega Effect... And then I'll go totally insane... :/

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  4. Exactly, and they'd been getting into it so It just seemed even weirder for Bats to just say "Oh btw, I'm Bruce now let me hold my arms up and go for a parademon ride."

    I forgot to add the line of the issue which I'll do from now on, I think I'll add it in now actually.

    Man, why would you say now, now I'm like 90% sure he's gonna do that in the next issue... sigh.

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  5. Not only is the batman ting a HUGE issue, but the dialogue in this book is some of the worst i have ever read. seriously. Ppl say I GOT THIS!! WE GOT THIS!!! repeatedly it is quite possibly the laziest book to come out of the new 52. I may rent it and read it in trade from but i highly doubt it. It is a big, dumb and loud book that takes highly stylized images and ideas over any sort of depth or development. I say this not as an opinion, but a fact! lol jk still an opinion... but a dang good one! also kidding... Anyway, if i were just getting into comics and wanted dudes in tights punching other dudes in tights/armor i probably woudldn't complain.. but this is awful!

    ALSO, nice job man!

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  6. Oh man, I can't believe I forgot "WE GOT THIS!" as the battle cry... oh man that was horrible. And not even in a funny way, it was just... bad. It's like, why would you try to have GL rally the troops, it actually works, then he says something dumb that takes all the wind out of the proverbial sails. And you're right, the dialogue seemed so lazy, especially for a crisis like an intergalactic villain just randomly attacking the planet... I don't get how Johns can do a great job on Aquaman and GL then turn around and write this.

    And thanks Cap, I appreciate the reply and the feedback.

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  7. Hey, JT. Does this mean that you're shutting down your own website? If so, I suggest maybe making a post really quickly about how you are. Just a thought. :P

    Very glad to see you back, and I'm certainly happy with reading you on X's.

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  8. Nah I'm not gonna close it Caz, that way if for some odd reason anyone ever wants to read something I posted there they can, but I am typing up a post over there letting everyone else know I've jumped ship, and thanks dude.

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  9. So Bruce told his secret identity to a guy who accidentally reveals the secret identity of Flash by phone not so long ago in issue 2 or 3?
    Tsss, not so clever as I imagine.

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  10. Oh man, Exactly Alien! I'd forgotten he said Barry's name on the phone, now he knows Bruce is Batman even though this is apparently back in a time where people, including Green Lantern, all believed Batman to be a myth!

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  11. Well looks like you're very welcomed at X's blog JT. I'm glad to see you're back, I've missed your reviews.

    As for this issue....I think you're not the only Batman fan who was very upset/irritated/pissed or whatever angry emotion about Batman taking off the cowl. :-| I mean, seriously? Took him YEARS, I mean YEARS to reveal himself to Catwoman/Selina, yet less than 24 hours he's whipping his mask off for some freaking stranger. Woooo Johns has some 'splaining to do.

    Job well done JT. Fantastic reviewing as always.

    I seriously don't know if I'm all that excited to read the next issue. We shall see.

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  12. Thanks Lisha, glad you enjoyed me review as usual, and sad you didn't enjoy Justice League, but I'm sad I had to read that.

    That's another excellent point, he also BARELY knew Green Lantern and he's like, "Well we're similar, kindred souls even, so I'll show him my face and name and maybe we can have a playdate."

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  13. I mean I'm glad to see the team finally facing someone making them have to work together, sort of like how things happened in Teen Titans but that Batman situation is unforgivable. And since when has Bats ever been Kumbayah and kindred souls and what not? Makes him look weak lol.

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  14. "Oh btw, I'm Bruce now let me hold my arms up and go for a parademon ride." I take great pleasure at the thought of Bats saying that... But then again, who knows, maybe it's really fun taking parademon rides.

    And wow, it seems like everybody is miffed about the "I'm Bruce Wayne" thing.

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  15. I'd take a parademon ride at Apokaland, the Unhappiest place on Earth. And yeah, but rigtfully so because Bruce unmasking for some new guy yet not while he's HAVING SEX WITH SOMEONE just seemed off.

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  16. HA! That fact that you capped "HAVING SEX WITH SOMEONE" made me laugh because I could easily see you yelling that out in confusion/dismay. I guess Bats trusts a guy he doesn't really know, who apparently outed another hero's identity, more than the woman he's sleeping with... Sure, makes sense to me... :/

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  17. That's always fun when you can read something and hear that persons voice, right? And yeah that just really perplexes me, but what can ya do... besides stop buying Justice League.

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  18. I don't read DC books, but damn that Jim Lee can draw.

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  19. Count me in. Batman doesn't unmask for anybody. Secret identities are pretty un-secret in the new 52.

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  20. Completely agreed Vance, off the top of my head I know Batman, Nightwing, Arsenal, I think Batgirl and a quite a few of the Teen Titans secret identities are known already.

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  21. Good stuff, JT!

    OMG, I totally, totally agree about Bruce Wayne. I think I actually yelled, "Bruce Wayne does not take off his cowl for ANYONE!" But, above all, why in hell would Bruce do so for Hal, who, at this point, has acted like a complete and total jackass, barely able to take care of himself, let alone someone's secret identity? (X, weren't you just complaining the other day that everyone seemed to know Batman's identity in the DCnU?)

    I'm excited about the fight with Darkseid, but I'm anxious to have this "Five Years Ago" era done so Johns can stop being all, "OMG, everyone is so different!"

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  22. Thanks for the comment JW, glad you enjoyed. And I'm glad we're all on the same page here, not only was it out of character for Bruce, byut like you said, Hal has been SUCH A TOOL in Justice League that it makes no sense he'd reveal it to him of all people.

    "I'm excited about the fight with Darkseid, but I'm anxious to have this "Five Years Ago" era done so Johns can stop being all, "OMG, everyone is so different!"' Exactly! And I want to see who's on the Justice League team currently since I remember the promo pics had a blonde woman as well as The Atom, but they claimed it was Ryan Choi.

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  23. Yes... I WAS complaining about that very fact, JW... Seriously, by this point Bruce might as well just come out and scream from the rooftops, "I'm the Goddamn Batman!!!!!", because I think nearly everybody already knows... Of course being a billionaire playboy and all, people would probably simply chalk it up to him being drunk or something, but still, it almost seems like DC wants Bruce to be more Tony Stark than Bruce Wayne nowadays...

    I totally forgot about that random blond woman, JT!! I've been reading a LOAD of old WildCATS/Grifter books, and if that woman DOES turn out to be Zealot, I'd definitely be WAY more interested about this series... Not interested enough to buy it, but def more interested!

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