Mild Mannered Reviews – Justice League #6
Justice League #6
Scheduled to arrive in stores: October 5, 2016
Cover date: December 2016
“State of Fear” – Part One
Writer: Bryan Hitch
Penciller: Matthew Clark & Tom Derenick
Inker: Sean Parsons & Trevor Scott
Cover: Tony Daniel & Tomeu Morey
Variant Cover: Yannick Paquette & Nathan Fairbairn
Reviewed by: T.A. Ewart (aka liheibao)
An attack afflicts the Justice League directly after their victory against the Extinction Machines. It seeks to overwhelm them with fear, but the “rookie” Green Lanterns are able to repel the advance with their combined willpower, supplemented by the wills of the other Leaguers. The League then retreats to their civilian lives, but with unstable personalities besetting Flash, Superman, Green Lantern (Jessica), and even Lois Lane. In an uncharacteristic bicker-match, Superman declares he’s going to kill Batman, ending the issue on a familiar note.
Story – 3: In Media Res in a number of different settings, but after the five issue slugfest that was “The Extinction Machines,” the opening to “State of Fear” isn’t the best use of it. It’s good that Hitch wants readers to believe that the Justice League is in continuous defense of the Earth, but since the threat is resolved in such a pedestrian manner, much of what being “in the middle of things” provides doesn’t come through. What is more, seeing the players act out of character, adds more confusion as opposed to curiosity, since readers have literally nothing to go on for the actions being shown. The worst offense? The scenario leads into yet another match-up between Batman and Superman, which, after seeing the duo play out this hackneyed premise on film, should have a moratorium of no less than an eternal era. I’m still rooting for Hitch’s run, but at this point, I believe the bi weekly schedule is no friend to him, much as the weekly schedule is foe to us all.
Art – 3: Derenick’s line work is in here somewhere, but it’s a Where’s Waldo event to locate a trace. This is a loosely rendered affair.
Cover Art – 4: A cool reaction shot, and hopefully one that will be explained with a connecting cover next month.
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Absolutely agree about Superman vs Batman. I would be totally ok with never having to see that asinine conflict play out again in my lifetime.
Here here to that sentiment. It’s the next step after Ludicrous speed at this point.
Why is someone who is wearing the most powerful weapons in the universe carrying a gun?