Mild Mannered Reviews - Justice League Comics
Justice League #46
Scheduled to arrive in stores: December 16, 2015Cover date: February 2016
"After Death" - Chapter Two
Writer: Geoff Johns
Penciller: Francis Manapul
Inker: Francis Manapul
Cover: Francis Manapul
Variant Cover: Scott Williams
Reviewed by: T.A. Ewart (aka liheibao)
Darkseid is still dead. The remaining factions of the "war" continue to engage each other, leading to a confrontation between Mister Miracle and Kanto. Kanto is about to settle a long-time grudge, when Big Barda, Mister Miracle's wife, arrives and "pings" Kanto. Barda is vexed over the War interrupting her honeymoon with Miracle, and plants one on him, unconcerned of the consequences. The battle comes to a standstill, as Barda wisely states that without Darkseid there is no need for further combat, and Kalibak knows that his aggression is for the Anti-Monitor. The League surmises that that talking to the remnants of the Crime Syndicate may prove fruitful, as they have more knowledge about the Anti-Monitor than they do. However, this will mean breaking into Belle Reeve; a feat that Mister Miracle is apt for. Elsewhere, Grail and her mother, Myrina Black, locate the Anti-Life Equation, upon which Black declares that "death is too good for Darkseid".
Story - 3: The best parts of the story have nothing to do with the War that readers have been offered. What little that occurs in terms of plot movement, is inconsequential, at least for now. The acquisition of the Anti-Life Equation, a donnybrook here and there, they have little heft coming after Darkseid's death, particularly as this event is named after him. Darkseid's dead, the war should effectively end, story done. Thankfully we're given Big Barda and Steve Trevor to apply some genuine interest to an otherwise generic chapter. Big Barda's arrival is both humorous and heartfelt. In five pages she makes her presence known and rounds out her character as well. She's a warrior and she's on a mission, and that mission is save both her husband and her honeymoon. The kiss that she gives Scott Free speaks volumes as to what true love is: it won't be quieted or denied, and it's something to run to, rather than stifle or evade. The reaction to the scene is set squarely on Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor, and rightfully so, as they've shared one of the longest love affairs in comics, only to have it extirpated time and again.
Steve Trevor, the constant esquire-in-distress, always impressed me with his blatant honesty about his feelings for Wonder Woman from the onset. Here was a man who was struck on first glance. He was in love, in every nuance of the word. It was genuine feeling attracted Wonder Woman to him, and though time and influence would stretch that concept from sublime to silly, it was always returned to and in 1986, finally consummated. The resulting years proved anything but stable for Trevor, as he was dismissed and placed with Etta Candy, making him an uncle at best to Wonder Woman. The action was confounding, especially since no man filled the void that he left, not in 30 years time. Even when Trevor was reunited with Wonder Woman for the New 52 debacle, it was merely to allow her to springboard to Superman. This issue shows how well that action worked, as there has been no scene as poignant or romantic as Steve moving for what may be a final kiss from Diana. The obvious reason for the intensity, and the lack of it when Diana is with Superman is obvious: Steve loves her. His feelings are apodeictic as they were meant to be from his he was literally made for her, like Eve for Adam, and he has no compunctions about his feelings for her. Hopefully, as Wonder Woman alerts us that she and that poseur wearing an "S" aren't in love, this means a return to something real for the two of them. It will be grave, but as Trevor says "When isn't it for us?"
Art - 4: I prefer Fabok's work, but I don't know if he could have rendered the scenes with Miracle and Barda or Wonder Woman and Steve as well. They were very romantic and spot-on.
Cover Art - 5: Kirby lives forever!
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.January 2016
- Action Comics #46
- Superman #46
- Batman/Superman #26
- Superman/Wonder Woman #23
- Superman: American Alien #1
- Superman: Lois and Clark #2
- Justice League: Darkseid War - Superman #1
- Justice League of America #5
- Earth 2: Society #6
- Doomed #6
- Bizarro #6
- Action Comics #47
- Superman #47
- Batman/Superman #27
- Superman/Wonder Woman #24
- Superman/Wonder Woman Annual #2
- Superman Annual #3
- Superman: American Alien #2
- Superman: Lois and Clark #3
- Justice League: Darkseid War - Lex Luthor #1
- Justice League #46
- Justice League #47
- Justice League of America #6
- Earth 2: Society #7
- Injustice: Year Four - Annual #1
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #1
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #2
- Action Comics #48
- Superman #48
- Batman/Superman #28
- Superman/Wonder Woman #25
- Superman: American Alien #3
- Superman: Lois and Clark #4
- Justice League of America #7
- Earth 2: Society #8
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #3
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #4
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #5
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #6
- Adventures of Supergirl - Chapter #1
- Batman v Superman Prequel Comic - Chapter #1
- Batman v Superman Prequel Comic - Chapter #2
- Batman v Superman Prequel Comic - Chapter #3
- Batman v Superman Prequel Comic - Chapter #4
- Batman v Superman Prequel Comic - Chapter #5
- Action Comics #49
- Batman/Superman #29
- Superman/Wonder Woman #26
- Superman #49
- Superman: American Alien #4
- Superman: Lois and Clark #5
- Superman: Coming of the Supermen #1
- Justice League: Darkseid War - Special #1
- Justice League #48
- Earth 2: Society #9
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #7
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #8
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #9
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #10
- Adventures of Supergirl - Chapter #2
- Adventures of Supergirl - Chapter #3
- Superman #50
- Batman/Superman #30
- Action Comics #50
- Superman/Wonder Woman #27
- Superman: American Alien #5
- Superman: Lois and Clark #6
- Justice League of America #8
- Superman: Coming of the Supermen #2
- Earth 2: Society #10
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #11
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #12
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #13
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #14
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #15
- Adventures of Supergirl - Chapter #4
- Adventures of Supergirl - Chapter #5
- Superman #51
- Batman/Superman #31
- Action Comics #51
- Superman/Wonder Woman #28
- Justice League #49
- Superman: American Alien #6
- Superman: Lois and Clark #7
- Superman: Coming of the Supermen #3
- Earth 2: Society #11
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #16
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #17
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #18
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #19
- Adventures of Supergirl - Chapter #6
- Adventures of Supergirl - Chapter #7
- Batman/Superman #32
- Action Comics #52
- Superman/Wonder Woman #29
- Superman #52
- Superman: Lois and Clark #8
- Justice League #50
- DC Universe: Rebirth #1
- Superman: American Alien #7
- Superman: Coming of the Supermen #4
- Earth 2: Society #12
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #20
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #21
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #22
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #23
- Adventures of Supergirl - Chapter #8
- Adventures of Supergirl - Chapter #9
- Superman: Rebirth #1
- Action Comics #957
- Superman #1
- Action Comics #958
- Justice League #51
- Justice League #52
- Superman: Coming of the Supermen #5
- Earth 2: Society #13
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #24
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #25
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #26
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #27
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #28
- Adventures of Supergirl - Chapter #10
- Adventures of Supergirl - Chapter #11
- Adventures of Supergirl - Chapter #12
- Superman #2
- Action Comics #959
- Superman #3
- Action Comics #960
- Superman: Coming of the Supermen #6
- New Super-Man #1
- Earth 2: Society #14
- Justice League: Rebirth #1
- Justice League #1
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #29
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #30
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #31
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #32
- Adventures of Supergirl - Chapter #13
- Superman #4
- Action Comics #961
- Superman #5
- Action Comics #962
- Superwoman #1
- Supergirl: Rebirth #1
- New Super-Man #2
- Justice League #2
- Justice League #3
- Earth 2: Society #15
- Earth 2: Society Annual #1
- Justice League of America #9
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #33
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #34
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #35
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #36
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #37
- Superman #6
- Action Comics #963
- Superman #7
- Action Comics #964
- Superwoman #2
- Supergirl #1
- Justice League #4
- Justice League #5
- Trinity #1
- New Super-Man #3
- Earth 2: Society #16
- Aquaman #6
- Red Hood and the Outlaws #2
- Suicide Squad #2
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #38
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #39
- Injustice: Year Five - Chapter #40
- Superman #8
- Action Comics #965
- Superman #9
- Action Comics #966
- Superwoman #3
- Supergirl #2
- Justice League #6
- Justice League #7
- Trinity #2
- Red Hood and the Outlaws #3
- Suicide Squad #3-4
- Suicide Squad #5
- New Super-Man #4
- Earth 2: Society #17
- Wonder Woman 75thÊAnniversary Special #1
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Check out the Comic Index Lists for the complete list of Superman-related comics published in 2016.