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Mild Mannered Reviews - Justice League Comics

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)

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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.

Mild Mannered Reviews

2016

Note: Except for digital first releases, the month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

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Check out the Comic Index Lists for the complete list of Superman-related comics published in 2016.