Justice League Of America #4
The Team
Writer: Geoff Johns Artist: Brett Booth
From the very first issue Justice League Of America has been thrilling. The writing from Johns has been consistently great, readers are likely on pins and needles wondering exactly what the Trinity War event will be. This issue was the build up to the fabled event coming soon to all of the Justice League titles. Readers of all three titles can start to see some light crossover from the other books, if they keep their eyes peeled. This title is very important to the DC Universe as it is the crux of A.R.G.U.S. and Amanda Waller. Watching the events here slowly snap into place should make this title a must read for fans of this publisher.
Writer Geoff Johns is no slouch as he starts immediately introducing some high concept ideas and an important old villain. Realizations to how these two pieces of the puzzle fit into this issue is only half of the fun. While the material presented here is good, a few of the problems arise with the cast members that are not being utilized. Simon Baz has barely gotten any screen time in this title. The other character who is in desperate need of some further characterization is the new Vibe, who has done barely anything so far. This is a nuisance that persists in most of the books that Johns rights, and something that he should work on in the future. The big revelation that occurs toward the end of the book just seems silly.
The biggest problem with this issue is by far the art. While penciller David Finch had many flaws in his artwork, his style suited the book in odd way. The silly proportions and menacing background gave the book a lot of atmosphere. The man behind the pencils on this issue is Brett Booth. The artist is by no means bad, but dramatic stakes are removed. Scenes where Catwoman is tied up to the chair and interrogated look frightening when drawn by Finch, they look like a plot point from Booth. Faces look very similar to each other, and overall anatomy is simply poor. The former penciller was making many of the same mistakes, yet they were easier to forgive. Inkers and colorists from Teen Titans are in charge of the colors and inks here, which is another reason this transition is jarring. There is an important scene in this issue that just seems silly due to the way it is depicted. Luckily this just seems to be a fill in issue as David is coming back with a higher page count for the next issue.
Even with several complaints, all of the character work presented here is very strong. There is still quite a bit of great humour littered throughout the writing. It is a welcomed surprise that Hawkman is the funniest character in the title. The Society Of Supervillains is a frightening force of nature in this title. The organization seems hyper aware of any threat that could possibly pose a threat to them. Seeing how ruthless the villains are should paint them as a threat to the heroes everywhere. With the normal art this series should have no problem hitting its usual high quality standards.
Writer: Geoff Johns Artist: Brett Booth
From the very first issue Justice League Of America has been thrilling. The writing from Johns has been consistently great, readers are likely on pins and needles wondering exactly what the Trinity War event will be. This issue was the build up to the fabled event coming soon to all of the Justice League titles. Readers of all three titles can start to see some light crossover from the other books, if they keep their eyes peeled. This title is very important to the DC Universe as it is the crux of A.R.G.U.S. and Amanda Waller. Watching the events here slowly snap into place should make this title a must read for fans of this publisher.
Writer Geoff Johns is no slouch as he starts immediately introducing some high concept ideas and an important old villain. Realizations to how these two pieces of the puzzle fit into this issue is only half of the fun. While the material presented here is good, a few of the problems arise with the cast members that are not being utilized. Simon Baz has barely gotten any screen time in this title. The other character who is in desperate need of some further characterization is the new Vibe, who has done barely anything so far. This is a nuisance that persists in most of the books that Johns rights, and something that he should work on in the future. The big revelation that occurs toward the end of the book just seems silly.
The biggest problem with this issue is by far the art. While penciller David Finch had many flaws in his artwork, his style suited the book in odd way. The silly proportions and menacing background gave the book a lot of atmosphere. The man behind the pencils on this issue is Brett Booth. The artist is by no means bad, but dramatic stakes are removed. Scenes where Catwoman is tied up to the chair and interrogated look frightening when drawn by Finch, they look like a plot point from Booth. Faces look very similar to each other, and overall anatomy is simply poor. The former penciller was making many of the same mistakes, yet they were easier to forgive. Inkers and colorists from Teen Titans are in charge of the colors and inks here, which is another reason this transition is jarring. There is an important scene in this issue that just seems silly due to the way it is depicted. Luckily this just seems to be a fill in issue as David is coming back with a higher page count for the next issue.
Even with several complaints, all of the character work presented here is very strong. There is still quite a bit of great humour littered throughout the writing. It is a welcomed surprise that Hawkman is the funniest character in the title. The Society Of Supervillains is a frightening force of nature in this title. The organization seems hyper aware of any threat that could possibly pose a threat to them. Seeing how ruthless the villains are should paint them as a threat to the heroes everywhere. With the normal art this series should have no problem hitting its usual high quality standards.
A Look Inside
