Justice League of America Vol. 2: Survivors of Evil (The New 52)

Justice League of America (2013)

by Matt Kindt, Eddy Barrows (Illustrations), Doug Mahnke (Illustrations)

As the smoke clears from the Trinity War, one thing looks disturbingly clear, the members of the Justice League of America are dead, betrayed by one of their own.

But as with the Trinity War, all is not what it seems. Martian Manhunter and Star Girl have lived to fight another day and find themselves trapped on an alien world that is under the control of a group of super-villains. The key to their survival may lie in the hands of the super-villain Despero, but will these heros be able to find it within themselves to trust soemone who is supposed to be their mortal enemy?

Collecting: Justice League of America #8-14.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Science Fiction, Comic Book

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 16, 2014

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 2 out of 5]

(B-) 69% | Satisfactory
Notes: Shambolically symbolic, it’s a never clever endeavor, all scribble scrabble of teenage babble: so totally, like, whatever.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Also reviewed for Addicted2Heroines.

Stargirl saves the Justice League!
So, raise your hand if you are interested in the inner workings of Stargirl's mind?
Let me take a look...
Hmm. Oddly enough, I'm not seeing any hands in the air.

Alrighty, considering the main character of this thing was freakin' Stargirl, it wasn't as painful to read as you might imagine. No, I'm not saying that this was worthwhile, captivating, remotely plausible, or even interesting. It just didn't hurt me to get through it.
The saving grace was that the other main character in the story was Martian Manhunter. And when he's in a title, it never truly sucks.
He's like the anti-Hawkaman.
J'onn's true power lies his ability to breath life into otherwise dead stories, whereas Hawkman kills titles with his furry shoulders and beaky gold mask.
No one, not even the Martian could totally save this one, but at least the suckage wasn't complete.

The purpose of this story is to tell what happened to the Justice League (who we care about) and the JLA (who we don't care about) during the time that the Forever Evil stuff was going on.
At the end of The Trinity War, the JLA and Justice League all got sucked into oblivion supposedly.
In reality, they were all stuck inside Firestorm, who had been turned into a bomb...or something like that.
Stargirl and Manhunter have somehow formed a psychic link that allows them to communicate to each other while they are inside of this strange Mind Prison. And they have to battle their way through their own pain and guilt in order to save the world. But at least they have each other.
Blah, blah, blah.

I've got to give Kindt credit, he really tried to make the reader give a shit about Stargirl.
Unfortunately, I hate her more now than I did before I read this.
She's a blonde haired blue-eyed teenager from the 'burbs. And she's super-perky.
She got mad when her mom's boyfriend (apparently a pretty nice guy) moved in with her and her little brother.
You're not my DADDY!
So she stole some super-powered stuff out of his locked trunk.
Now she's got a Flight Belt. And something that looks like some kind of a jacked-up cross between a trident and a spear...that squirts lightning.
Boo! Hiss! Get off the stage!
Her tragic past was laughably easy to figure out, so I'm not even going to bother tagging this as a spoiler. She went off to fight a bad guy, and while she was gone, a villain attacked her home, and killed one of the three people left in her house. I'm pretty sure I was supposed to be biting my nails until the Big Reveal, but...
Let see, could it be mom's boyfriend?
Nope. She needs him to help 'train' her.
Hmmm. Could it be her mother?
Nope. 'Cause otherwise, the boyfriend wouldn't be able to train her, due to the fact that he's not her legal guardian.
So. That leaves us with a dead little brother.
Poor kid should have known something was up when they told him to put on a red shirt, and gave him a name tag that said, "Hello, My Name is Crewman #8".

In the end, I still don't know how the hell they actually managed to escape, but I haven't had a chance to read volume 5 of the Justice League title, so maybe that will clear things up.
Best guess as of right now?
Stargirl's innocence, youth, and her can-do attitude somehow gave everyone the strength to fight their way out.
Or not?

Wait! It's not over just yet!
Before they could call this title quits permanently, Green Arrow had to run around begging everyone to pwease Stay Together. 'Cause begging seems to have worked so well for him in the past. This wasn't a surprising move on his part, but it was another pathetic side note to add to his overall lackluster history with New 52.
Why does DC hate him so much?
Anyone? Anyone?

Survivors of Evil wasn't the worst thing I've ever read, but I wouldn't recommend it, either.
However, if you feel the need to understand all of what happened before, during, and after Trinity War, then you could possibly consider this one a must-read.

Digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

[Bookwraiths · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible. Words cannot describe how painful this was to read. A whole book about Stargirl and her angsy self saving the Justice League. Cliche and stupid rolled up with preachy is how I'd describe the whole story.

Did I mention this sucked? I did. Well, let me say it again: this totally sucked. Stay far away from it.

[Mike · Rating 1 out of 5]

Matt Kindt - master of cliche plot #20:
Oooh, scary - "trapped in a prison of their MIND". Like we haven't seen that a thousand times before. This the best you can do Kindt?

Oh wait, no Kindt can take his ideas much further down the well of miserable - check out this page and tell me if this makes *any* sense:



I don't begrudge the point he's trying to make (though dragging it melodramatically over six panels is just lazy or arrogant or both, like we're indulging Marlon Brando in his final "once was an actor, now notable for his behemoth size" phase), but I would like to argue one point of semantics: when did youth get classified as an emotion? Was it during the great MySpace turmoil of 2003? Did I miss the ground offensive between Hash Taggers and Oxford Comma Warriors?

These are the thoughts that float to the surface when a creative team isn't keeping my attention - isn't giving me a well-rewritten story. Writing a story is one thing, but rewriting is the key to taking raw ideas and tightening them up into the essential story - no fluff, no dead-end plot threads, and NO LAZY, KLANGY PHRASES like, "It's Deathstroke and his superior tactics we'll need to watch out for."

Bor-ing! This storyline is mostly Martian Manhunter and Starfire (two b-listers on the excitement scale) treading water while Firestorm is set to explode out the JL. They keep talking and thinking to themselves about L.A., Starfire's parents (who must be dead, they keep building them up and not showing them to us) and trying as little as they can to actually free the JL. Wow. Oh, and they're both being held back artificially - J'ohnn, "something" has sapped his powers; Starfire, she keeps slipping into her memories and taking her eye off the ball. Terrible. Neither is struggling against their weaknesses, so much as just lumbering around, staring blankly at the horizon and trying to summon a shit to give.

Christ, when I saw the "I'm about to die so let me tell you an irrelevant tale of my people" moment from the Martian, I actually said, "motherfucker" under my breath. Here we go. Another indulgent "character moment" of who gives a shit and let's get on with the story resolution already. Jesus.

What a tedious book - both overwrought and underwritten at the same time. Congrats Mr. Kindt, that's an Olympic-level feat.

The gymnastics of every artist humping through these hoops is pretty...noticeable too. Rotating Door of Scribblers, sorry but no one stuck around long enough for me to muster a care.

TL;DR Pretty fucking terrible. They earned every drop of my one-star rating.

[Lost Planet Airman · Rating 3 out of 5]

OF COURSE I liked it -- it's Justice League!
But, then, it's not. The JLA in the New 52 was organized by a government running scared of unrestricted metahumans, powers without checks and balances; this JLA was a parallel to the 'true' Justice League (whose members -- Supes, Bats, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman and others -- were the JLA I grew up with.
Here, this collection closes out the brief run of the New 52 JLA. It follows Stargirl and the Martian Manhunter as they spend six 28-page issues attempting to free two Leagues from their super-prisons.

[Kyle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have been thoroughly underwhelmed by how Martian Manhunter has been used throughout the New52. It's as if he's a hot potato that no writer wants to hold on to for too long in fear that they may have to sit the next round out.

In this, the final volume of the short-lived Justice League of America (thank goodness), Manhunter is trapped in one of the stalest comic book tropes: he is trying to escape from an imaginary mental prison and to do so he must bear witness to his and his teammates' greatest fears. By the very first frame of this collection, it is crystal clear where this storyline is going.... So why oh why are the heroes so utterly clueless as to what is going on, and why do the writers stretch this out over five issues???

Somehow in all of this, Stargirl (Stargirl!!??) rises to the top and we are forced to accept that a teenaged you-tube "hero" has everything that it takes make decisions for a government-run team of superheroes as they head off into the sunset with Canada on the horizon.

Gawd, this was a stinker!
1/5

[Richard Dominguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a really good story line. The JLA are trapped in a psychic prison where they are held by there own fears and weakness'.
I liked the message in the theme that none of us (super or otherwise) are beyond fears and doubts. We all have to battle those demons and it's in those battles where we become stronger even if we lose. The main characters are Stargirl and the Martian Manhunter, who are also trapped with the rest of the JLA. Stargirl while dealing with a world of teenage "angst" refuses to see it as the defining moment of her life. With the help of J'onn (Manhunter) she pushes on, facing her fears and while not defeating those fears she learns that they are a part of who she is and not whom she will be.
A well written story with much readers can find relevant in their own lives. Quickly paced the story moves forward at a nice pace with much to think about.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice chance to see some less represented characters front and center: Stargirl and Martian Manhunter. They are members of the Justice League of America and the only ones who can help liberate the Justice League members who are entrapped in a psychic prison, and evert world destruction.

Together, they make their way through a surreal set of challenges in which they are incorporated into or witness the punishing illusions that their fellow superhero colleagues are subjected to. In the process, they must face their own fears, and tap into inner wells of courage.

I wasn't familiar with Stargirl, but she seems like a good analog for the average girl. While I think most young women and girls look up to Wonder Woman, we're not Amazonian princesses (with goddess-like powers), and there will always be a realization that Wonder Woman is in some ways an unattainable standard. However, Courtney is an average girl, albeit one who has gained access to a staff that gives her extraordinary powers. Her youth and hope is a real asset in this crisis.

This is a three star rating because I didn't get into the story that much. I felt I was just trying to finish it so I could return it to the library. Perhaps it was hard to connect to the story outside of Manhunter and Stargirl's dilemma. I much preferred the previous volume, with the ensemble cast who kept my interest. If my library keeps getting these, I'll keep reading them.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you add a villain that can manipulate what people think is real that just leads to confusion for the reader. Could have been great but felt flat.

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

This second volume of Justice League of America is rather weaksauce. Tied into the Forever Evil event, we get six issues of Stargirl and Martian Manhunter navel gazing and it's tedious as hell. Most of it doens't even really happen in real time, but inside the prison matrix where the Crime Syndicate has stashed the Justice League and other heroes. There was no real point to this book. What could have been finished in 2 issues took six. It's rather disappointing, as I usually enjoy Matt Kindt's writing, but this was a snooze fest. I only got through it because I was reading Forever Evil with a reading order list.

Art wise, it is pretty standard DC house style. Nothing terrible at all, in fact it's good, just not exciting or memorable.

I think this series would have been better served by giving Stargirl her own miniseries. Although Courtney is written quite as well as Geoff Johns did in the late, lamented Justice Society/JSA series, she's still a very likable character, and I'm glad she's back in the DCU. Having her hog the JLA book, though, was a very poor choice. I read team books to read team stories, at least most of the time, and this wasn't it.

This is the last JLA volume before it becomes JL United, so there's that. The last issue sets up the "whys" so I won't go into here. But the casual reader, if interested in this JLA would do better just to read that last issue, and save a lot of time.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Matt Kindt jumps into Forever Evil by telling the tale of Courtney and J'onn trying to save the league. Forever Evil was entertaining but the tie-ins have been all over the place and this one is so hyper-focused on Courtney that it didn't feel like it was connected much at all. I love Courtney and seeing her in the spotlight was great. I thought Kindt did a fantastic job with her. Unfortunately, the story drug because it could have been told in half the time. The antagonist seemed over-powered based on what we've seen so far. There were a ton of artists involved but they all did really good work. Overall, this is probably only a must-read for Stargirl fans but that's me. I do wish it seemed to more important to the larger scale though.

[jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with all "events," Forever Evil turns out to be a decidedly mixed bag. And while a story with a fair number of flaws -- if possible I'd give it 2.5 stars -- there is enough that works to make this book an entertaining read.

First a bit about my view on these sorts of giant cross title events. Often the best book in such enterprises are those side stories spawned by the main action (think Robinson's fabulous Starman #81 which was my favorite part of the much-hyped Blackest Night). Justice League of America: Survivors of Evil is such a side story. It doesn't have much to do with the main action of Forever Evil which deals with the Lex Luthor gathering a group of criminals to fight the Crime Syndicate. Instead, this book answers the question of where (and how!), the CS imprisoned the JLA (and if, like Dr. Evil's son Scott, you are wondering why they didn't just shoot them in the head, the explanation is actually pretty good). It may not be the best of Forever Evil, but it makes fro an interesting bit character exploration.

Breaking the JLA out turns out to be something of a problem and solving that problem is left to Stargirl. Kindt takes this character, in whom you might not have otherwise had much interest, and does a great job developing her across this story. We get her inner life. We come to understand her fears. And we see the choices she must make that can break a young costumed hero. If like me you are a huge Jack Knight fan, you may (SLIGHT SPOILER) be disappointed that the new 52 seems to write Jack out of Courtney's back story. But it still makes for a good read.

For all that, the story does suffer from some serious flaws. As much fun as it is looking inside the heads of members of the JLA, seeing their forbidden dreams, the story still sags in the middle. Kindt is writing a "mystery," but at times it feels like he is just playing for time rather than moving along the story. Groundhog's Day stories, of course, are hard to write, but that doesn't mean that an editor shouldn't have here put down a heavy foot.

Again, it makes for a pretty good read, but it could have been much better.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real showcase for Martian Manhunter and Stargirl.Story flowed nicely.Plenty of Super Villains to boot.

[Will Robinson Jr. · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has taken me awhile to really like this Justice League team. This book just comes across as being about a B-list superhero team. I did enjoy reading the origins for the Martian Manhunter and Stargirl. The other problem is that this is really a tie-in to the Forever Evil crossover event. This made the book feel like it was missing a few plot details. I am looking forward to reading Justice League United. This book was just okay to me.

[Dean · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a big old mess, and one that stretches over far too many pages. There is the germ of a decent story in there, but it's lost in overblown, over scripted page upon page of mess. Having read it I still don't know what the hell happened. What was real? What was not? Who knows? The artists don't help, with equally overblown art that add to the confusion.
I wanted to like this but just couldn't. As a long time Justice League fan, this was pretty close to the bottom of the barrel.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This got weird toward the end..

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being new to Stargirl, it was rather nice to get into her head and see her as one of the main characters in this story arc. Other than that this volume had little else to offer.

[Sean Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, this was dull. Dull dull dull. And it really only focused on two of the members of the JLA… which, really, means it isn't a JLA comic at all.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why is this called Justice League of America? It's the all Stargirl show. Super-lame.

[Krzysztof Grabowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Co tu się ponawyprawiało... Liga upadła. Nie wytrzymała ataku Syndykatu Zbrodni, czyli ich złych odpowiedników i jednocześnie "uchodźców" z Earth 3. Album odpowiada na pytanie: co się do licha stało z Ligą Sprawiedliwości i ich amerykańskim odpowiednikiem...

Miejsca nie zdradzę, bo herosi dochodzą do tego w trakcie poszukiwać, ale już zamysł samego więzienia, który polega na wykorzystywaniu lęków poszczególnych herosów lub urządzaniu im swoistego rodzaju dnia świstaka, gdzie robią rzeczy bardzo odpowiednie do ich charakteru lub też zmagają się z jakimiś traumami. Aquaman znajduje się w miejscu, gdzie wyschła woda i umarły morskie zwierzęta. Wonder Woman bierze udział w ciągłej bitwie. Superman szuka sposobu jak cofnąć czas i nie doprowadzić do śmierci Doktora Lighta. Reszta nie ma wcale lepiej.

Jakimś cudem dwójka bohaterów z JLA nie pasuje do tego schematu i zdaję sobie sprawę z tego co tutaj się odwala. To Stargirl i J’onn J’onzz, Marsjański Łowca. O ile tego drugiego jestem w stanie zrozumieć, to ta pierwsza... Oczywiście nie ma lekko, bo część z tego co widzą to też projekcja ich umysłów, ale sam fakt, że zdają sobie jako jedyni sprawę, że coś nie gra. Mamy tutaj członków Tajemnego Stowarzyszenia, mamy Despero. Mamy walkę z własnymi lękami. I jestem w stanie zrozumieć, że Stargirl miała być tutaj rozwinięta jako heroska, na potrzeby następnej serii, ale... Nie pykło? No nie.

Historia w wielu momentach jest tak przegada. Cały ten background bohaterki w powiązaniu z jej rodziną też był przeraźliwie nudny, a rola J'onna została zmarginalizowana do głosu zza głowy i biernego obserwatora. Nie jest to też pozycja za mocno powiązana z Forever Evil, mimo że dzieje się praktycznie obok tych wydarzeń, bowiem tam za uwolnienie Ligi z "więzienia" odpowiadał Batman, używając do tego lassa prawdy Diany, tutaj... Wszystko to zasługa tylko i wyłącznie... Stargirl. Wyrwała się ona w pełni z okowów mentalnych i zmotywowała resztę do działania (tyle, że ni jak się to ma do Forever Evil).

Ostatni zeszyt to "wywiad" Stargirl z Trevorem po zajściach z wspomnianego eventu, gdzie następuje podsumowanie. Kto zaginął, kto zginął, jak się potoczyły dalej los JLA, gdzie pokazali Green Arrowa z narracji sprzed Lemire'a i zrobili z niego totalnego głupka, który pyta dawnych członków: "No weź, wróć do ekipy, będzie fajnie. Darmowa kawa i miejsce parkingowe?" Szkoda. Bo rozmemłanej fabule towarzyszy taka sobie kreska. Spełnia swoje zadanie, ale skrzywdzono tu Stargirl, ukazując ją w dość nieatrakcyjny sposób. Mogę policzyć poszczególne kadry, gdzie mi się podobała. Miałem wrażenie, że artyści mają problem z narysowaniem normalnych grymasów twarzy i te czasami wychodzą bardzo dziwnie...

Na pewno plus za to, że drugi tom JLA w New 52 można czytać oddzielnie, tyle że czy to ma dobrą fabułę. To też ostatni tom tej dobrze zapowiadającej się serii, która przebranżowi się w inny tytuł. Może tam część postaci będzie miała większe szczęście. 2/5

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Survivors of Evil has the storyline show the aftermath of Trinity War and during the early stages of the Crime Syndicate takeover. The evil versions of the Justice League have taken over the world, with the most dangerous criminals at their side. And all of the Justice League members are imprisoned in some kind of dimension. All except Martian Nanhunter & Stargirl who are able to escape their cells and attempt to seek ways to free everyone. However, that's easier said than done, as this dimension preys upon each members' weaknesses and it's going to take more than two superheroes to break free. It is more than just physical blows, it will be a mental fight of will to see if any can survive.

Although the storyline comes right off the last major crossover, something about the plot makes it feel like it's going off even beyond the previous events. For JLA, it's solely focused on Stargirl and the Martian, with the others barely in any panels until the epilogue. The pro is that the two leads gets better development, if you haven't read their own series, but it also emphasize less of the team they're on. It also doesn't show how they escape their imprisonment exactly, as like other crossovers, you need to read volumes in another series to possibly see that. So while most of the JLA takes a backseat, the story is still pretty coherent with an even pacing. It's a shame that the epilogue states the JLA is no longer active, as I thought there was potential in the cast to be an effective team. The brighter side hints that there's more to the story for Stargirl and Manhunter, leaving a small hope in the end here.

[Eric Cone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes place during the events of the Forever Evil cross-over event. Which is fine, but I thought it was right before and maybe during the first part (equivalent to vol 4 of the wave 1 books, but it's really equivalent to vol 5). So, I guess I'll do volume 5 of JL and GA as well. Then it's on to either the supernatural family or catch-up with the superman and batman families.
This book star Stargirl. She is not a character I have ever been terribly interested in. She's a teenager who doesn't want to to join Teen Titans. Okay, I'm fine with that. She has no powers but uses a magical staff and a flight belt - both the former tools of Starman. Ya, okay. I guess if I have no problem with Green Lantern, etc. then I really don't have one with Stargirl along those lines.
It all comes down to character. Past occurrences of Stargirl have portrayed her as vapid and one-dimensional, mostly eye candy and a power hit when you needed it.
But, this book uses Stargirl and Martian Manhunter to explore hope. It uses fear and its effect on hope and determination to define a true hero as someone who does what she does to provide hope to her community. We get to see Stargirl's origin in great detail throughout this book. The nature of the story deconstructs this character at virtually every level. I found myself completely engrossed, more so surprised for the reasons above.

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually liked this more than I thought I would. Let's get this out of the way that I read the first volume in 2014 (and now it's 2019), and I also followed the Trinity War in single issues. But obviously it's been a long time since then so here I am just working on trying to finish series I started and somehow I liked this. Obviously the whole thing is very convoluted with all the jails made for each hero and then we don't know what Stargirl's reality is. I guess what I really liked was Stargirl and Martian Manhunter's relationship, I felt like they were at completely opposite ends and with their going through this ordeal they learned a lot about each other and themselves. It was nice. I've been trying to get back into superhero comics more, like I was in 2014, and so many of them are so formulaic and I don't know there was something about this volume that seemed fresh even though it was so silly and needlessly dramatic. I honestly like the Justice League of America more than the Justice League and think it's a shame they didn't go further.

[David Foxcroft · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read both volumes it is clear that the second is the better one - however it should have been a Stargirl volume, given the limited links to the wider JLA.

It ends an incredibly disappointing concept which could have been so much more if it hadn’t lost its way by issue 3. The stories are unfinished, the promised secrets and revelations from #1 remain unfounded. The character motivation portrayed in the teams development is left hanging.

This is redeemable as an accompaniment to Forever Evil and it’s relentless character development of Stargirl - a new entrant who needed the focus to build her credentials. But as a JLA piece? It’s really really lacking and has no link back to volume 1 aside from the last issue which picks up in where everyone has gone. Given they weren’t present between #8 & #13 I’m not sure why we should care by the time we get to #14.

[Zac · Rating 3 out of 5]

5.5/10
This volume mostly focuses on Martian Manhunter and Stargirl as a tie in to Forever Evil, but ultimately feels like a waste of time, as the majority of the story is fake. There is quality character exploration for stargirl and her relationship with being a hero and her relationship with Martian Manhunter, and eventually she fights through her doubts and saves the Justice League proper. A very cool moment, with Superman and the League answering to her, but is eventually revealed to be a figment of her imagination as she is trapped in the firestorm matrix with the other missing League members. When she is released, the JLA is disbanded and a basic followup on each character is shown. I see promise with the follow up, Justice League United, but am ultimately dissapointed with this volume

[Mr. Stick · Rating 3 out of 5]

"THE MAN WHO WORE THE SUIT BEFORE YOU? WHO WIELDED THAT STAFF?
HE WAS BRAVE. TRUE. HONEST.
THE BEST MAN I'VE EVER KNOWN.
I NEVER USED THE STUFF BEFORE BECAUSE I LOOKED AT MYSELF IN THE MIRROR, AND I DIDN'T SEE ANY OF THOSE THINGS.
BUT, COURTNEY? WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS THAT WHEN I...
...WHEN WE LOOK AT YOU?
WE SEE ALL OF THAT AND MORE"
- Pat "S.T.R.I.P.E." Dugan to his step-daughter Courtney "Stargirl" Whitmore.

This could've just been titled STARGIRL (and Justice League of nobody cares). She and Martian Manhunter have to rescue the rest of the "regular" Justice League from a psychic prison, set around the events of Trinity War and Forever Evil.
Better than the first volume by far.
Three stars.

[Eric Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly the short review of this trade is do not even read. The issue is all based on Martian Manhunter and Stargirl but does not really do anything with it. The plot is not moved other than the end of the Forever Evil in that Martian communicated to Steve Rogers what to do which is summed up in one line in the Justice League trade and makes just as much sense. I was really wishing this would be an interesting contrast to the main JL run in the New 52 but honestly these two trades are probably not worth the time.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stargirl and Martian Manhunter are trapped. They are in a form of prison that uses the persons' psyche to keep them there. All the Justice League are trapped but Stargirl is immune. I really like the growth of Stargirl in this book, she may have become one of my favourite characters in the new 52. A really good read.

[Stephen Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, that’s more like it. A coherent plot, some interesting origin stories, great character development and the beginning of a beautiful if unlikely friendship. The decision to centre the storyline on just Stargirl and Martian Manhunter is an odd choice for what was ostensibly an ensemble title, but it made for a much better read than the first volume. Looking forward to the JLU now.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally put together to take on the real Justice League, this second and last volume isn't really about a group of heroes doing anything, it's a couple here and there contributing to saving the world from the events of the "Forever Evil" event.

Martian Manhunter is a total badass in this and I was pretty impressed with Stargirl, who I assumed I would hate.