Justice League vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes #2 Review

 

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: Scott Godlewski

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 9, 2022

Review by Rocky - Check out his Youtube Channel

Comic Boom HERE

The Great Darkness is a multiversal threat that encompasses several high-profile DC titles.  Infinite Frontier, Justice League Incarnate, the upcoming Death of the Justice League, and this summer’s Dark Crisis promise an entropic black nothingness at the hands of an antagonist.  The likes of which DC readers only think they have experienced in past Crises.  I state with a heavy bias that it is a great time to be a DC Comics fan.  Writer Brian Bendis does his part in raising the stakes in the Great Darkness Saga by connecting the impact of the blackness to both the 21st and 31st Centuries and its greatest respective superhero teams.  

Bendis has no qualms in using this second issue (of what is a 6 issue series) to reintroduce readers to the 31st Century through the eyes of the Justice League, especially Green Arrow, Naomi, and Wonder Woman.  Having been unceremoniously transported to the future at the end of last issue, they wake up to an always friendly greeting from various members of the Legion of Super-Heroes.  The hospitality of Chameleon Boy and Dawnstar is embraced by Oliver and Naomi, but Brainiac-5, Ultra Boy and the rest of the Legionnaires find less friendly reactions from Batman and especially Black Adam.  The artificial intelligence that runs Legion headquarters called Computo warns everyone about a powerful darkness in the skies of New Earth.  Meanwhile, in the past (21st Century), the Gold Lantern approaches the same anomaly near the Hall of Justice.  It is clear that the two phenomena are the same and somehow connect the two time periods.  This is unclear, but it scares the heck out of Brainiac-5  as the issue ends. 

Juxtaposed with the transitions between present and future, Bendis challenges artist Scott Godlewski who proves up to the task of boldly illustrating the origin of Kala Lour, the Gold Lantern.  The coloring of Ryan Cody helps Gold Lantern pop off the page with the vibrancy that the character deserves.  Curiously, Kala Lour was appointed a wielder of the Gold Lantern ring despite being visually blind.  He was chosen for his ethical and moral code and for his distinct rejection of the idea of a military code that is often (fairly or unfairly) associated with the original Green Lantern Corps. 

Bendis does manage to imply a few judgments about climate change and particularly air quality in comparing the present and the future and even has Wonder Woman smile as she comments to Naomi about how bright the future appears.  However, I wonder if Diana’s opinion would change with the knowledge possessed by LOSH readers that 21st Century Earth is destined to be destroyed in 1000 years and that the air she is breathing is  produced in part from a newly constructed planet given the name “New Earth” and magically imbued with oceans from Aquaman’s Trident?  But I digress.

This issue was largely set up, and Bendis does a good job putting the pieces in place, moving the characters into various settings on his chessboard.  I do not imagine being made privy to any secrets about the Great Darkness.  That is more likely to be played out by Joshua Williamson in the upcoming Death of the Justice League (in Justice League #75) and this summer’s Dark Crisis.  Regardless, I enjoy the background information on Kala Lour, and the future Guardians referred to as the Elders.  I wonder what impact if any, the Gold Lantern (and/or future GL Corps) will have on the Great Darkness threat.  I could make some comments about dialogue and how out of place some of it feels uttered from specific characters, but I forgive in that regard as I am more focused on where this plot may take us. 

Wonder Woman observes that in the 31st Century, the future is bright while Naomi wonders how she will be a Queen. Batman, Black Adam, Brainiac-5, and everyone else confront a blackness that is hard to miss.  So far, no specific enemy is identified other than a dark cloud in two different centuries, leaving readers to speculate about connections to a dark crisis or perhaps a more minor scale threat meant to highlight the powers of a blind Gold Lantern.  Either way, I am curious as to where this is going.  Color me Gold.

Bits and Pieces:

Justice League vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes #2 continues to set things up but in a good way.  At the same time, I wonder what Bendis will be allowed to reveal by the end.  While some of the dialogue throws off the characterizations in the book, it looks great and has enough going on to keep me curious.  

6.5/10