Justice League Of America #7

The Team
Writer Geoff Johns Artist Doug Mahnke

Thus far Trinity War has been a well written and paced story. A few have complaints have been portrayed about the vague nature of the series, but the overall quality of the story should render most of those complaints null. If DC can pull another great event off in Forever Evil fans should be in for a fantastic ride. It is a shame that writer Geoff Johns has spoiled the end of the series on a few press rounds, however the ending teased was brilliant. Fans still have no idea how all of these disparate pieces dangling in the air will come together. The other interesting part of this crossover is the fast and furious shipping, readers do not have time to get overly cynical because by the time they start complaining the next issue is out. Every Justice League Of America installment in the overall crossover has also read like a larger scale Justice League Of America issue. This series has been naturally building to this point ever since it’s inception. Big bad Amanda Waller has been tugging the strings from behind the scenes for over a year.

Even with three fractured teams, this issue really hits the gas and accelerates the plot forward. Lots of care has been taken so that each group of characters starts somewhere in the title, then makes a big development in the course of the issue. It is a clever pacing idea that more stories in comics and other mediums could learn from. In this issue, it is hard to deny how well Lex Luthor is written. Scott Snyder has done interesting things with the character in Superman Unchained, but Johns simply seems to understand him more. He is obsessed with being right in every scenario. To a degree in this installment of the series, the villain is also honest with himself. The bigger focus on the character going forward will no doubt be an asset to the title.

I kept a close eye on where Doug Mahnke was going to go after Green Lantern. The artist did great work month in and month out with Johns. Thankfully he shifted over to the Justice League franchise with the artist, and most readers of the series would not have it any other way. The artist is so good and maintaining the chaos while still paying attention to the small detail. He also has a soft spot for horror, which makes some things look more weird than they probably should. While some may classify that as a bad thing, it ends up raising the stakes in many stories. It looks especially great when the artist draws villains with a sinister smile or bleak sense of despair. The pages which only contain talking heads also remain interesting because of the dynamic faces, clothing, and facial expressions from the artist. Mahnke is a great artist, but also a great storyteller who knows how to collaborate with partner Geoff Johns very well.

The bombastic Trinity War has another really great issue, and only two more issues left until conclusion. These smaller scale events that DC has started with Throne Of Atlantis have been an astronomical amount of fun. Hopefully the publisher will keep a mix of small and big series to keep events more special. Enjoy the fast pacing and poignant superheroic moments that this crossover has to offer.