Justice League #41 Review

End is nigh.

After the excellent setup last issue, we finally get the titular team here – and it’s a beauty to behold as Jason Fabok and Geoff Johns bring their A-game.

This extra large book helps in some good pacing even as Johns wastes no time in engaging the audience with his blockbuster like feels.

Saying that, Johns manages to insert many character moments in between the action and it helps flesh out the League more.

SPOILERS FOLLOW……………..

First of all, a recap from the Divergence prologue….

Myrina, one of the Amazons, conceived a child in secret with help from two of her sisters. That child was the spawn of Uxas, better known to Earth as Darkseid.

Both her sisters tried to kill the child, but were fatally injured and left to die. Before dying, one of the sisters, an oracle, forsaw that the fight between the Anti-Monitor and Darkseid will bring about the end of the Multiverse itself.

Now in modern times, that child has become a follower of the Anti-Monitor and supports him in his quest to destroy the Multiverse and Darkseid.

Back to this book…..

We first meet up with Kanto and Lashina, new gods from Apocalypse who are tracking the child’s mother, Myrina ‘Black’, as they again find that they have the wrong woman. Kanto admires the wine he’s drinking while Lashina has contempt for all this lowly planet has to offer.

The Justice League is brought to the scene as the death is Apocalyptian in nature – which thanks to Cyborg’s association with the mother box they can know.

We see everyone doing their part – except for Wonder Woman, who’s more busy thinking of why she’s with the League. We see her show us that everyone is searching for something, just like her. Arthur searched for the truth of his heritage, Hal for the mystery in the stars, Superman his past and Bruce for the reason why his parents had to die.

But while all of them have found meaning, Diana is still searching for her own personal place in this world order.

And Fabok’s pencils really bring out some wonderful spreads.  Barry is kinetic and ever moving, doing a full sweep of the crime scene and analyzing the DNA on the wine cup. Hal and Jessica find the husband dead as well.

Meanwhile, Superman and Lex Luthor meet up with a dying Neutron – with Clark disgusted by Lex’s ruthless attitude where he ‘decided’ to shift him for interrogation.

But Clark is able to use Lex’s superiority complex to make him physically attempt to cure Neutron.

Back at the deceased Black’s home, Flash is used as a gateway to bring Darkseid’s Daughter to the League – with her disabling almost everyone except Diana, her fellow Amazon sister. Using Jessica’s Earth 2 ring, the Anti-Monitor himself makes an appearance, even as the Crime Syndicate members realize their destroyer has arrived.

Superman and Lex start arguing about the latter’s place in the League but shock sets in when his sister, Lena, shots him in the stomach and arm – revealing herself an agent of either the Anti-Monitor or Darkseid.

On the other side, we see Scott Free, son of the Highfather of New Genesis yet traded for peace to Darkseid, relate his life story. How he was tortured and managed to escape, taking with him the leader of Darkseid’s female army (the Furies), Big Barda.

Returning to Apocalypse to find a way to kill Darkseid, he is confronted and mocked by the later before managing to escape. But all is not well, as he arrives at the spot of another ‘Myrina’s’ death – only to be confronted by Kanto and Lashina, who was under Barda’s command.

Barely managing to escape using Kanto’s mother box co-ordinates, he comes face to face with the real Myrina (and her pet griffin) – who encourages him to help her kill Darkseid.

A note about Darkseid’s daughter using Flash as a ‘gateway’ – I think this relates to both Barry’s contributions during the first Crisis in stopping the Antimonitor and his prominence in establishing this new universe after the Flashpoint event.

Shazam’s note that this was the first time he saw a dead body was profound – it’s so easy to forget it’s actually a 10-year old saying that.

Darkseid is also written excellently here – using both words and physical brutality to decimate his opponents. Johns redeemed his awful work on the New God in the first Justice League arc with this sequence.

And Johns brings in some intriguing questions? What is going on with Cyborg (who's human body seems to be healing) and why and when did Lena Luthor join the opposing sides?? Also, poor Bruce.....he never saw it coming.

SPOILERS END………….

An extra heavy package helped Johns get in some good story progression and yet not sacrifice some very well done character moments.

This event is not wasting anytime and seems to be promising a lot – I hope it can give us the payoff.

The artwork as usual is astounding by Jason Fabok. His knack for detail combined with some excellent help from Brad Anderson’s coloring and Rob Leigh’s lettering.

So, I give this 9.5 out of 10.

+Some high octane action done well

+Johns gets in character moments even amid the frantic pacing

+Great visuals

+Very good pacing

+Excellently done exposition to bring new readers up to speed

+Darkseid is menacing again

+Some great reveals

-Wonder Woman’s narration felt a little off