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Justice League (2011)
Justice League: Die gefährlichsten Helden der Welt
The event that the New 52 has been building towards since the beginning!
#1 New York Times best-selling writer Geoff Johns (Green Lantern, Batman: Earth One) brings together almost two years of plot threads for an epic tale that will forever change the shape of the DC Universe. When the three Justice Leagues go to war with one another, who's side will everyone be on? Allies will be born, friends will become enemies and the DC Universe will never be the same.
Collecting: Justice League 18-20, 22-23
#1 New York Times best-selling writer Geoff Johns (Green Lantern, Batman: Earth One) brings together almost two years of plot threads for an epic tale that will forever change the shape of the DC Universe. When the three Justice Leagues go to war with one another, who's side will everyone be on? Allies will be born, friends will become enemies and the DC Universe will never be the same.
Collecting: Justice League 18-20, 22-23
244 pages, Paperback
First published April 8, 2014
53 people are currently reading
1284 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Johns
2,718 books2,410 followersGeoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career writing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and JSA (co-written with David S. Goyer) for DC Comics. He worked with Richard Donner for four years, leaving the company to pursue writing full-time.
His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.
Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.
His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.
Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
December 22, 2020
(B) 74% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: Decently done, it’s doomed by design flaws: an editorial own-goal, punting practicality and faceplanting at its finish.
Notes: Decently done, it’s doomed by design flaws: an editorial own-goal, punting practicality and faceplanting at its finish.
November 18, 2017
The title finally shows that has teeth and knows how to bite.
I got this on single comic book issues but I prefer to make my review on the TPB option to be able to do a better overall review of the whole storyline.
Creative Team:
Writer: Geoff Johns
Illustrators: Ivan Reis, Gene Ha, Jesús Saiz, Joe Prado & Andres Guinaldo.
While the TPB is titled The Grid, hardly is what covers the most of the publication. This TPB is made of several stories, starting with:
THE GRID
Which is the Justice League plan to be able to contact several super-heroes if their particular powers or experience are needed for a specific mission, along with the recruitment of three new "full-time" members into the team. These new members are Firestorm (Ronnie Raymond & Jason Rusch), Element Woman and The Atom (Rhonda Pineda).
WAR GAMES
Here, it presents a very effective intrusion in the Bat-Cave where a mysterious character takes out Red Hood (Jason Todd) and Alfred Pennyworth, going directly to a top-secret section of the Bat-Cave and taking an item that it can defeat the most powerful member of the Justice League.
Meanwhile, Superman and Wonder Woman saved some hostages in Kahndaq which prohibited any presence of American representatives (which honestly I found quite odd, since Superman is an alien from the planet Krypton and Wonder Woman besides her quite Pro-American costume, she is an Amazon from Themyscira.
None of them can be called "American" per se). While it wasn't a truly mission of the Justice League, since it wasn't Superman or Wonder Woman alone any of them, but...
...together, therefore it looked like an operation by the Justice League creating even more political tension to the team.
Finally, the three new members, Firestorm, Element Woman and the Atom will have a baptism of fire due the surprising arrival of Despero to the Watchtower, the orbital headquarters of the Justice League.
SECRETS
This is easily the strongest issue included on the TPB where you have the three new members of the Justice League struggling to face Despero which was barely defeated when he confronted the entire core team of the Justice League and now it's only those three rookies against this destructive powerhouse.
The unexpected intervention of a new player (I won't spoil it! Don't worry!) in the battle will save the day against Despero but not before...
...the irremediable falling to Earth of the orbital Watchtower!!!
Forcing to the Justice League to create a provisional base on Happy Harbor, a place where the massive satelite crashed.
Finally, Batman explains to Superman what are his contingency plans against Wonder Woman or himself (that's good to know that he considered the scenario where even he (Batman) can turn into a threat) if the situation would come to that.
TRINITY WAR
It's a multitle event involving also Justice League of America along with other DC titles, but that would be presented in a different TPB containing all those issues.
Here, I will only to comment about the two issues properly from Justice League.
Shazam is on Kahndaq territory due personal reasons but since this can be seen as an illegal invasion of American forces, the Justice League goes after him to pull him out of there.
ARGUS sends his own controlled team, the Justice League of America to face the Justice League and avoid an international conflict.
Some misunderstandings ended in a fatality (No, I won't spoil that, neither!) during the discussion between both super-teams, which it will evolve in more battling between heroes and a joint search for the not-so-mythical Pandora's Box.
At the end, the Justice League will find out that while they were confronting Darkseid, five years ago, a secret threat made by an outsider and an infiltrator, an even more dangerous menace which silently started to create the right scenario leading to a hostile invasion to Earth that will sink it in a...
...Forever Evil!!!
I got this on single comic book issues but I prefer to make my review on the TPB option to be able to do a better overall review of the whole storyline.
Creative Team:
Writer: Geoff Johns
Illustrators: Ivan Reis, Gene Ha, Jesús Saiz, Joe Prado & Andres Guinaldo.
While the TPB is titled The Grid, hardly is what covers the most of the publication. This TPB is made of several stories, starting with:
THE GRID
Which is the Justice League plan to be able to contact several super-heroes if their particular powers or experience are needed for a specific mission, along with the recruitment of three new "full-time" members into the team. These new members are Firestorm (Ronnie Raymond & Jason Rusch), Element Woman and The Atom (Rhonda Pineda).
WAR GAMES
Here, it presents a very effective intrusion in the Bat-Cave where a mysterious character takes out Red Hood (Jason Todd) and Alfred Pennyworth, going directly to a top-secret section of the Bat-Cave and taking an item that it can defeat the most powerful member of the Justice League.
Meanwhile, Superman and Wonder Woman saved some hostages in Kahndaq which prohibited any presence of American representatives (which honestly I found quite odd, since Superman is an alien from the planet Krypton and Wonder Woman besides her quite Pro-American costume, she is an Amazon from Themyscira.
None of them can be called "American" per se). While it wasn't a truly mission of the Justice League, since it wasn't Superman or Wonder Woman alone any of them, but...
...together, therefore it looked like an operation by the Justice League creating even more political tension to the team.
Finally, the three new members, Firestorm, Element Woman and the Atom will have a baptism of fire due the surprising arrival of Despero to the Watchtower, the orbital headquarters of the Justice League.
SECRETS
This is easily the strongest issue included on the TPB where you have the three new members of the Justice League struggling to face Despero which was barely defeated when he confronted the entire core team of the Justice League and now it's only those three rookies against this destructive powerhouse.
The unexpected intervention of a new player (I won't spoil it! Don't worry!) in the battle will save the day against Despero but not before...
...the irremediable falling to Earth of the orbital Watchtower!!!
Forcing to the Justice League to create a provisional base on Happy Harbor, a place where the massive satelite crashed.
Finally, Batman explains to Superman what are his contingency plans against Wonder Woman or himself (that's good to know that he considered the scenario where even he (Batman) can turn into a threat) if the situation would come to that.
TRINITY WAR
It's a multitle event involving also Justice League of America along with other DC titles, but that would be presented in a different TPB containing all those issues.
Here, I will only to comment about the two issues properly from Justice League.
Shazam is on Kahndaq territory due personal reasons but since this can be seen as an illegal invasion of American forces, the Justice League goes after him to pull him out of there.
ARGUS sends his own controlled team, the Justice League of America to face the Justice League and avoid an international conflict.
Some misunderstandings ended in a fatality (No, I won't spoil that, neither!) during the discussion between both super-teams, which it will evolve in more battling between heroes and a joint search for the not-so-mythical Pandora's Box.
At the end, the Justice League will find out that while they were confronting Darkseid, five years ago, a secret threat made by an outsider and an infiltrator, an even more dangerous menace which silently started to create the right scenario leading to a hostile invasion to Earth that will sink it in a...
...Forever Evil!!!
June 17, 2015
3.5 stars
This waffled between 3 and 4 stars for me, so I'm splitting the difference.
There seemed to be a lot of randomness to The Grid. Turns out, most of it gets tied together at the end, but the way it was done took away some of the reading enjoyment for me. In other words, the story was good, but I didn't care for the way it was executed.
Does that make sense?
It started out with the Justice League recruiting a few new members, with only Firestorm, Atom, and Element Girl making the cut...or being interested.
Apparently, not everyone wants to join the Cool Kids Club. Who knew?
The Superman/Wonder Woman relationship continues to intrigue me, so the fact that that was a prominent part of the storyline was a big plus for me.
I liked the interplay between Batman and the Super-Lovers, and I can't wait to see that whole thing explode in everyone's faces.
I'm hoping that all goes to hell with a spectacular BANG!
Shazam makes an appearance...Bonus!
And Atom is an interesting character all the way to the end.
Pandora has been popping up cryptically in a few titles I've read, but she finally seems to have an actual role to play in this one.
JLD shows up, as well. And I have to say I enjoyed their appearance in this more than I did in their own title. Maybe everything will tie-in nicely?
And speaking of Tie-In?
Everything leads up to Justice League: Trinity War...
Guess what I'm reading next?
Pleasepleaseplease don't suck.
*EDIT*
I'm stupid. JL: Trinity War is not the next volume. It's just a compilation volume with different titles for the crossover in it.
But.
It filters out all of the crap from this one, and adds in a decent bunch of stories. I'd recommend skipping this, and just reading Justice League: Trinity War.
Especially if you're not a HUGE Justice League fan.
This waffled between 3 and 4 stars for me, so I'm splitting the difference.
There seemed to be a lot of randomness to The Grid. Turns out, most of it gets tied together at the end, but the way it was done took away some of the reading enjoyment for me. In other words, the story was good, but I didn't care for the way it was executed.
Does that make sense?
It started out with the Justice League recruiting a few new members, with only Firestorm, Atom, and Element Girl making the cut...or being interested.
Apparently, not everyone wants to join the Cool Kids Club. Who knew?
The Superman/Wonder Woman relationship continues to intrigue me, so the fact that that was a prominent part of the storyline was a big plus for me.
I liked the interplay between Batman and the Super-Lovers, and I can't wait to see that whole thing explode in everyone's faces.
I'm hoping that all goes to hell with a spectacular BANG!
Shazam makes an appearance...Bonus!
And Atom is an interesting character all the way to the end.
Pandora has been popping up cryptically in a few titles I've read, but she finally seems to have an actual role to play in this one.
JLD shows up, as well. And I have to say I enjoyed their appearance in this more than I did in their own title. Maybe everything will tie-in nicely?
And speaking of Tie-In?
Everything leads up to Justice League: Trinity War...
Guess what I'm reading next?
Pleasepleaseplease don't suck.
*EDIT*
I'm stupid. JL: Trinity War is not the next volume. It's just a compilation volume with different titles for the crossover in it.
But.
It filters out all of the crap from this one, and adds in a decent bunch of stories. I'd recommend skipping this, and just reading Justice League: Trinity War.
Especially if you're not a HUGE Justice League fan.
February 28, 2014
Justice League, Volume 4: The Grid has got to be the most schizophrenic New 52 book I’ve read so far!
What stories do we have here? There are “tryouts” for new Justice League members; Despero and J’onn J’onzz fight in the Watchtower, crashing it to Earth; there’s the last issue in the Shazam mini-series; and the volume closes out with the first and LAST parts of Trinity War!!!
Oh… dear. Where to start…
Actually, the tryout issue wasn’t bad. I’m guessing the JL are looking for more members after Green Lantern skedaddled in Vol 2 and Aquaman went crazy in Vol 3. The characters interact well, nobody does or says anything monumentally stupid, and the issue flows nicely. Rosie the robot (I forget her real name) goes a bit koo-koo bananas (which is foreshadowing for a more serious act later on down the line) and that’s about it.
Then things spiral out of control. Why does Despero show up? Why does J’onn J’onzz show up? When did the JL decide Firestorm and the Atom were the new JL members? Why didn’t Cyborg notice the intruders until it was too late? No clue.
Superman and Wonder Woman’s boring, drawn-out romance becomes the reason why they’re away from the Watchtower as they interfere in Kahndaq (DC’s catch-all Middle Eastern country that’s either Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan or any and all of the above) and they’re referred to as “Americans” – are they really? Maybe Superman as he was raised in Kansas, but Wonder Woman? She’s an Amazon princess! Or Greek God or whatever her new incarnation is in the New 52. Anyway, it was one helluva contrived and stupid reason to make the Watchtower vulnerable.
Then there’s the Shazam issue which wraps up the Shazam storyline. For those who’re coming to this book cold – and wow, this must be a confusing experience for you if you are! – Shazam was a backup that ran in the JL issues that were collected in its own volume. It’s finale became a full Justice League issue but if you weren’t following it, its inclusion here just comes out of nowhere. What’s happening? Who.. what?! Anyway, if you’re read the Shazam book, you’ll have already read this issue.
Of course this is all filler for Trinity War of which we get the introductory issue and its insane ending – leaving out all the stuff in the middle! A character called Pandora holding a Damien Hirst-esque golden skull – Who? What? When? Why?! Like so much of this volume, she’s just thrown in – who’s mumbling about some kind of war with the trinity or something blah blah. Madame Xanadu’s got a tarot deck featuring the weirdest looking cards ever – instead of the usual figures of the tarot, it literally features Superman, Wonder Woman, and so on, exactly as they are! Are these tarot cards or superhero trading cards?
Doctor Light, a paper-thin character who was barely introduced in Justice League of America specifically for this issue, gets killed by Superman and the three Justice Leagues – Justice League, Justice League of America, and Justice League Dark – get into a dumb fight because they’re all morons. So far, so stupid. This book assumes you’ve been reading the other titles so you know what their deals are: why the JLA were formed, what they’re doing in Kahndaq, and so on. The problem with too many crossovers is, unless you’re reading EVERYTHING, then you’re missing pieces that makes the main story confusing – which is this book all over.
So the first issue of Trinity War then jumps to the last issue, so you’d be forgiven for wondering why 1) the various Justice Leagues have formed teams of their own, 2) what that golden skull has to do with anything, and 3) why the hell Superman is suddenly green, dying and crazy! If you’re a monthly comics reader you’ll already know how Trinity War played out as Forever Evil – aka Trinity War Part 2 – has been dominating the DC publishing schedules since it launched late last year. I won’t go into why Trinity War was so remarkably terrible because this review is already too long (in a year which had Age of Ultron and Infinity, Trinity War turned out to be the worst comics Event of 2013), but it did provide me with a good laugh when 90s Aquaman appeared – and died instantly!
Suffice it to say the “story” of this book is a complete shambles – it’s rushed, it’s barely coherent, and it makes zero sense. Readers are unlikely to understand quite what the filler issues have to do with the Trinity War or why the book is called “The Grid” when it plays so little a role in the book. The Grid is just an electronic telephone directory created by Cyborg, and Grid is also the name of the evil Cyborg – neither of which are the focal point of this random assortment of comics, though it’s arbitrary title is fitting for this grab-bag of stuff.
Ivan Reis’ art isn’t bad but Joe Prado’s stuff is very cartoonish and lacklustre. The dialogue is brainless for the most part. Evil Alfred literally says out loud to no-one but the reader: “Thanks to me, everyone will actually believe Superman’s killed Doctor Light!” while Superman’s dialogue isn’t much better, announcing his motivations thusly: “I won’t stop until Batman’s dead!”. Oh and the Atom literally goes into an MMORPG in a scene that is utterly baffling. Apparently, being able to shrink to the size of an atom means you can actually be in a computer game?!
If Justice League is DC’s New 52 flagship title, the fourth JL book is indicative of the line as a whole: it’s a poorly thought out mess.
What stories do we have here? There are “tryouts” for new Justice League members; Despero and J’onn J’onzz fight in the Watchtower, crashing it to Earth; there’s the last issue in the Shazam mini-series; and the volume closes out with the first and LAST parts of Trinity War!!!
Oh… dear. Where to start…
Actually, the tryout issue wasn’t bad. I’m guessing the JL are looking for more members after Green Lantern skedaddled in Vol 2 and Aquaman went crazy in Vol 3. The characters interact well, nobody does or says anything monumentally stupid, and the issue flows nicely. Rosie the robot (I forget her real name) goes a bit koo-koo bananas (which is foreshadowing for a more serious act later on down the line) and that’s about it.
Then things spiral out of control. Why does Despero show up? Why does J’onn J’onzz show up? When did the JL decide Firestorm and the Atom were the new JL members? Why didn’t Cyborg notice the intruders until it was too late? No clue.
Superman and Wonder Woman’s boring, drawn-out romance becomes the reason why they’re away from the Watchtower as they interfere in Kahndaq (DC’s catch-all Middle Eastern country that’s either Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan or any and all of the above) and they’re referred to as “Americans” – are they really? Maybe Superman as he was raised in Kansas, but Wonder Woman? She’s an Amazon princess! Or Greek God or whatever her new incarnation is in the New 52. Anyway, it was one helluva contrived and stupid reason to make the Watchtower vulnerable.
Then there’s the Shazam issue which wraps up the Shazam storyline. For those who’re coming to this book cold – and wow, this must be a confusing experience for you if you are! – Shazam was a backup that ran in the JL issues that were collected in its own volume. It’s finale became a full Justice League issue but if you weren’t following it, its inclusion here just comes out of nowhere. What’s happening? Who.. what?! Anyway, if you’re read the Shazam book, you’ll have already read this issue.
Of course this is all filler for Trinity War of which we get the introductory issue and its insane ending – leaving out all the stuff in the middle! A character called Pandora holding a Damien Hirst-esque golden skull – Who? What? When? Why?! Like so much of this volume, she’s just thrown in – who’s mumbling about some kind of war with the trinity or something blah blah. Madame Xanadu’s got a tarot deck featuring the weirdest looking cards ever – instead of the usual figures of the tarot, it literally features Superman, Wonder Woman, and so on, exactly as they are! Are these tarot cards or superhero trading cards?
Doctor Light, a paper-thin character who was barely introduced in Justice League of America specifically for this issue, gets killed by Superman and the three Justice Leagues – Justice League, Justice League of America, and Justice League Dark – get into a dumb fight because they’re all morons. So far, so stupid. This book assumes you’ve been reading the other titles so you know what their deals are: why the JLA were formed, what they’re doing in Kahndaq, and so on. The problem with too many crossovers is, unless you’re reading EVERYTHING, then you’re missing pieces that makes the main story confusing – which is this book all over.
So the first issue of Trinity War then jumps to the last issue, so you’d be forgiven for wondering why 1) the various Justice Leagues have formed teams of their own, 2) what that golden skull has to do with anything, and 3) why the hell Superman is suddenly green, dying and crazy! If you’re a monthly comics reader you’ll already know how Trinity War played out as Forever Evil – aka Trinity War Part 2 – has been dominating the DC publishing schedules since it launched late last year. I won’t go into why Trinity War was so remarkably terrible because this review is already too long (in a year which had Age of Ultron and Infinity, Trinity War turned out to be the worst comics Event of 2013), but it did provide me with a good laugh when 90s Aquaman appeared – and died instantly!
Suffice it to say the “story” of this book is a complete shambles – it’s rushed, it’s barely coherent, and it makes zero sense. Readers are unlikely to understand quite what the filler issues have to do with the Trinity War or why the book is called “The Grid” when it plays so little a role in the book. The Grid is just an electronic telephone directory created by Cyborg, and Grid is also the name of the evil Cyborg – neither of which are the focal point of this random assortment of comics, though it’s arbitrary title is fitting for this grab-bag of stuff.
Ivan Reis’ art isn’t bad but Joe Prado’s stuff is very cartoonish and lacklustre. The dialogue is brainless for the most part. Evil Alfred literally says out loud to no-one but the reader: “Thanks to me, everyone will actually believe Superman’s killed Doctor Light!” while Superman’s dialogue isn’t much better, announcing his motivations thusly: “I won’t stop until Batman’s dead!”. Oh and the Atom literally goes into an MMORPG in a scene that is utterly baffling. Apparently, being able to shrink to the size of an atom means you can actually be in a computer game?!
If Justice League is DC’s New 52 flagship title, the fourth JL book is indicative of the line as a whole: it’s a poorly thought out mess.
May 30, 2019
This collection should really have just been collected with the Trinity War collection or the volume before this one. The Trinity War issues (half the book) make no sense without the other issues of the crossover.
April 19, 2018
Ok. I like that the Justice League is expanding and they are adding more secondary characters. That was nice. I also like that other character from books in the new 52 came into this story primarily Pandora, but also one of my new favorites, Madame Xanadu. She is wonderful.
I thought the bad villain at the end was not ok. It is entertaining somewhat. I feel like there is too much power on the good side to be that overwhelmed, but whatever. They have to build tension. There was a surprise at the end. I'm not blown away by any means and I'll go on with this.
I thought the bad villain at the end was not ok. It is entertaining somewhat. I feel like there is too much power on the good side to be that overwhelmed, but whatever. They have to build tension. There was a surprise at the end. I'm not blown away by any means and I'll go on with this.
April 12, 2025
Oh what a great volume this was, and a characterful one as well, it was a bit hard for me to follow the huge influx of characters with a new appearances every few pages, and I kept waiting for Back Adam but it looks like this is not the time for him to appear yet? the volume ends on a cliff hanger with the entrance of the Anti-heroes, the justice league opposites from another world, the end signals the start of the trinity war, that has been brewing from the start of the volume. amazing story line and art
Can't wait for volume 5, and I am definitely enjoying this over the movies big time..
MiM
Can't wait for volume 5, and I am definitely enjoying this over the movies big time..
MiM
February 19, 2014
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths Reviews
The New 52 Justice League Volume 4: The Grid is a story where Geoff Johns does his best magician impression and creates a tour de force of comic storytelling.
The Grid sequence collects Justice League #18-23, and it starts out as your ho-hum “We have to add some more heroes to the team” sort of story before picking up speed when one of the prospective JL members shows herself to be less than mentally stable and tries to destroy the Watchtower. Naturally, a great fight ensues, and though it is never specifically discussed, the team members seem to suspect that someone or something insidious has caused the whole event. Before any real investigation of this suspicion can ensue, however, another ominous event transpires that propels this story ahead full steam.
From there, Geoff Johns and crew keep the punches coming fast and furious in this collection. There is a trust issues among the team. New members reveal themselves to be not what anyone thought they were. Ancient evils re-appear. Mysterious entities pop up and begin causing havoc. And the Justice League is kept so off balance that even Batman cannot help but be caught unawares. The surprises and pulse pounding action just keep coming and coming, page after page.
And what beautiful pages they are!
Every character in this comic is beautifully drawn in vivid detail and stunning colors by Ivan Reis, Joe Prado and crew. Superman flies off the pages. Wonder Woman is deadly beautiful. Batman is dark and mysterious. Even Despero - one of our many villains - is penned in all his supremely evil magnificence. And the battles fill the pages to overflowing with heroes in statuesque poses, tense with movement as they physically contest with one another. Honestly, it is one of the best art jobs I personally (and yes I know, I’m no comic book aficionado anymore) have had the honor to view lately.
While most comic readers already know this sequence is a lead in to the Trinity War, the set up laid out here is great reading and is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys comics or would just like to try them out. However, there was one thing that I did not enjoy about this story, and without giving spoilers, I feel that I must mention it.
After an entertaining set up of the insidious forces creating machinations behind the scenes, Geoff Johns finally reaches the reveal point in the story. Naturally, this revelation of who is doing these things and why has to be absolutely awesome, because the lead up has been handled so masterfully. However, to me, this reveal fell completely flat, because it was done much too quickly and was not terribly realistically, and once the “evil masterminds” come out from the shadows, the story skips ahead in time. A fact which had me scratching my head, trying to see if I had missed a whole section of the book or something, since the story flew ahead so abruptly.
If not for this misstep on the final act of this story, I would have given this collection the very highest rating. As it is, however, the ending left a bitter taste in my mouth, and I can only say that “I liked it”. So give Justice League: The Grid a read, it has a very good story and sets up the Trinity War perfectly.
I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank the publisher for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
The New 52 Justice League Volume 4: The Grid is a story where Geoff Johns does his best magician impression and creates a tour de force of comic storytelling.
The Grid sequence collects Justice League #18-23, and it starts out as your ho-hum “We have to add some more heroes to the team” sort of story before picking up speed when one of the prospective JL members shows herself to be less than mentally stable and tries to destroy the Watchtower. Naturally, a great fight ensues, and though it is never specifically discussed, the team members seem to suspect that someone or something insidious has caused the whole event. Before any real investigation of this suspicion can ensue, however, another ominous event transpires that propels this story ahead full steam.
From there, Geoff Johns and crew keep the punches coming fast and furious in this collection. There is a trust issues among the team. New members reveal themselves to be not what anyone thought they were. Ancient evils re-appear. Mysterious entities pop up and begin causing havoc. And the Justice League is kept so off balance that even Batman cannot help but be caught unawares. The surprises and pulse pounding action just keep coming and coming, page after page.
And what beautiful pages they are!
Every character in this comic is beautifully drawn in vivid detail and stunning colors by Ivan Reis, Joe Prado and crew. Superman flies off the pages. Wonder Woman is deadly beautiful. Batman is dark and mysterious. Even Despero - one of our many villains - is penned in all his supremely evil magnificence. And the battles fill the pages to overflowing with heroes in statuesque poses, tense with movement as they physically contest with one another. Honestly, it is one of the best art jobs I personally (and yes I know, I’m no comic book aficionado anymore) have had the honor to view lately.
While most comic readers already know this sequence is a lead in to the Trinity War, the set up laid out here is great reading and is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys comics or would just like to try them out. However, there was one thing that I did not enjoy about this story, and without giving spoilers, I feel that I must mention it.
After an entertaining set up of the insidious forces creating machinations behind the scenes, Geoff Johns finally reaches the reveal point in the story. Naturally, this revelation of who is doing these things and why has to be absolutely awesome, because the lead up has been handled so masterfully. However, to me, this reveal fell completely flat, because it was done much too quickly and was not terribly realistically, and once the “evil masterminds” come out from the shadows, the story skips ahead in time. A fact which had me scratching my head, trying to see if I had missed a whole section of the book or something, since the story flew ahead so abruptly.
If not for this misstep on the final act of this story, I would have given this collection the very highest rating. As it is, however, the ending left a bitter taste in my mouth, and I can only say that “I liked it”. So give Justice League: The Grid a read, it has a very good story and sets up the Trinity War perfectly.
I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank the publisher for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
October 23, 2019
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
It’s easy to say that the Justice League is there to save the world from any form of cosmic crisis but what happens when there isn’t just one team of heroes who are ready to put their lives on the line? It can only get worse if you also consider politics in there with questions around territorial jurisdiction. Mix in a mysterious and villainous entity looking to take control of the whole world, you have a recipe for disaster. As the New 52 Justice League comic book run continues after its epic Throne of Atlantis event, it now looks to build up the tension that will lead to the next big thing and it isn’t looking good for anyone.
What is Justice League: The Grid about? Collecting Justice League #18-20 and #22-23, this story arc plants the seeds to an epic war that will occur in the DC Universe, pitting the Justice League, the Justice League of America and the Justice League Dark against each other before the grand arrival of a team of villains like none other make their spectacular debut. While a mysterious plan is being executed in the dark, right under the eyes of the greatest heroes of the universe, deception runs in the veins of some heroes while others are manipulated into doing things they’d never imagine doing. Those behind the tragedy to come aren’t here to play around and only the enigmatic Pandora might have the answer to it all.
Not uncommon at all to the New 52 era of DC Comics, Justice League: The Grid is a fine example of why collected editions were dreaded by fans. This fourth volume of the series is actually some sort of prelude to Justice League: Trinity War which actually contains all the necessary issues that allow readers to have a better understanding of the context and world-building for this story arc. In Justice League: The Grid, a lot of plot holes are present due to this unfortunate marketing strategy employed during that time. The structure of the story essentially presents mysteries after mysteries which don’t exactly make for a cohesive whole and ultimately end with the reveal of the mastermind behind it all which teases what is to come.
In fact, the story starts off with the Justice League looking to expand as they start of tryouts for numerous heroes until new unknown threats appear out of the blue and questions start popping up from left and right. It then ends by sending the three Justice League teams around the world into international territory, creating a conflict with Pandora at the heart of it all. Who is Pandora? Who dared to steal Batman’s secret weapons? Who is controlling Superman? Who is the Grid? And the Butler? The number of questions skyrocketed quickly and answers are only to be found in the next event.
The artwork wavered in this one. It’s not consistent as it usually was, and ends up having different styles—some that I simply preferred over others. The upside was that the artists on this story arc maintained the high-octane action sequences and illustrated some wonderful two-page spreads with heroes in their best superhero poses. It is no joke when I say that every character fly off the page and convey their godliness through their mere physique. The colours are also vibrant, allowing the action to pack as much punch as possible.
Justice League: The Grid is a messy and unnecessary arc serving as a prelude to DC’s next major event found in Trinity War but allows for a quick summary leading to the arrival of an invincible and troubling evil.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
________________________
The Justice League is looking to expand. Can they make anyone with powers into an official member? Nop. The tryouts begin and a crazy amount of heroes we all know and love are squeezed into it. In the meantime a new unknown threat comes out of the blue, and their intention remains a complete mystery to everyone. Intriguing at first, this quickly became a huge plot hole among the billion others that popped up throughout the story.
What The Grid is is some sort of prelude to Trinity War, and knowing that the next volume is called like that makes me realize that this might be one of those New 52 collected edition fails that they seemed to do a lot. Hopefully Trinity War covers all the questions this volume raised and manages to be much more fluid in delivering the story.
The artwork wavered in this one. It's not consistent as it usually was, and ends up having different styles (some that I simply preferred over others). At least we still got to see some really nice two-page blown-up landscape scenes that showcase so many cool heroes in their best superhero poses!
Did I mention that the Crime Syndicate makes an entrance here? Interesting stuff to be explored in the near future.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
October 19, 2021
This was a pretty good volume.
It starts with Atom, Firestorm and Element woman, the new recruits talking about the league and then they are attacked by Despero and we see the battle that happened with Martian Manhunter and his re-coming and we see hints of big things going on and the new recruits and their dynamics and all and the nod to 5-year events that happened in this book!
But what was awesome was seeing how they deal with the trinity war event like we see what Superman does and the fallout of that and the emergence of Secret society and the later coming of and its to be read with the main Trinity war event and it actually ties in pretty well and is such a fascinating read like wow!
Johns has a way of making things epic and he does the same here and gives every page a moment of bombastic-ness and the ending and the main story here is so good and also the coming of Cyborg's GRID which was such a great twist!
It starts with Atom, Firestorm and Element woman, the new recruits talking about the league and then they are attacked by Despero and we see the battle that happened with Martian Manhunter and his re-coming and we see hints of big things going on and the new recruits and their dynamics and all and the nod to 5-year events that happened in this book!
But what was awesome was seeing how they deal with the trinity war event like we see what Superman does and the fallout of that and the emergence of Secret society and the later coming of and its to be read with the main Trinity war event and it actually ties in pretty well and is such a fascinating read like wow!
Johns has a way of making things epic and he does the same here and gives every page a moment of bombastic-ness and the ending and the main story here is so good and also the coming of Cyborg's GRID which was such a great twist!
June 26, 2014
An easier read than previous volumes - almost like Johns took the night off from over-scripting crap he wished he'd read as a kid and just got into a pretty simple tale of a villain, a MacGuffin and some struggles to solve the problem. (At least where the three-part "Grid" storyline was mostly concerned.)
Then the whole Trinity War clusterfuck comes crashing into the book like some stoned horny bull in the middle of a peaceful field of cows, just busting randomly on whatever's nearest for no discernible reason. I mean, I see what the plot leading up to this *tried* to do, but it miserably didn't succeed, and in fact just leaves me confused and frightened.
We get into some ultimate fight scenes, but they're so damned messy with people just bashing on each other for reasons that are ridiculous or absent (perhaps because they were "explained" elsewhere in some other related title), and I'll be damned if this book makes me care so little about the outcome or whether any of these douchbags ever survives the fight. Does it even matter if I finish reading the story? When there's lines like this, it's only my morbid curiosity that compels me: "This is all going bad, Trevor. We've got waves of evil thoughts hitting everyone."
When the final revelation bursts forth from this bloated carcass, I actually laughed out loud three times. Geez guys, not only are these ideas unoriginal, but they come off as laugh-out-loud stupid - supposed to feel momentous and scary, but just dipshit fodder in the end.
Boy did Johns flub the dismount on this book. Why the fuck are Justice Leagues (plural) still fighting each other at the drop of a hat - are random friendly-fire fistfights the only way you can figure out how to write in tension? Why are new characters introduced in throwaway scenes (Plastique, Light, Xanadu) that don't matter a damn? Why are Supes and WW wandering around like teenage crushes and acting like stupid kids? And what the fuck was that tarot deck that doesn't even try to pretend it's analogous to the real tarot - did you even bother to wiki that concept? Ugh, total mess - forgetting even the shit job of assembling enough issues to make half-sense of this quarter-assed storyline leading straight into another yawn of an event (whose outcome I could care less about, having given me absolutely no reason to give a steaming crap about any of these new people), it just came off as a wholly unsatisifying story.
Art's perfectly presentable and fun, but it's lipstick on a stinky pig.
Then the whole Trinity War clusterfuck comes crashing into the book like some stoned horny bull in the middle of a peaceful field of cows, just busting randomly on whatever's nearest for no discernible reason. I mean, I see what the plot leading up to this *tried* to do, but it miserably didn't succeed, and in fact just leaves me confused and frightened.
We get into some ultimate fight scenes, but they're so damned messy with people just bashing on each other for reasons that are ridiculous or absent (perhaps because they were "explained" elsewhere in some other related title), and I'll be damned if this book makes me care so little about the outcome or whether any of these douchbags ever survives the fight. Does it even matter if I finish reading the story? When there's lines like this, it's only my morbid curiosity that compels me: "This is all going bad, Trevor. We've got waves of evil thoughts hitting everyone."
When the final revelation bursts forth from this bloated carcass, I actually laughed out loud three times. Geez guys, not only are these ideas unoriginal, but they come off as laugh-out-loud stupid - supposed to feel momentous and scary, but just dipshit fodder in the end.
Boy did Johns flub the dismount on this book. Why the fuck are Justice Leagues (plural) still fighting each other at the drop of a hat - are random friendly-fire fistfights the only way you can figure out how to write in tension? Why are new characters introduced in throwaway scenes (Plastique, Light, Xanadu) that don't matter a damn? Why are Supes and WW wandering around like teenage crushes and acting like stupid kids? And what the fuck was that tarot deck that doesn't even try to pretend it's analogous to the real tarot - did you even bother to wiki that concept? Ugh, total mess - forgetting even the shit job of assembling enough issues to make half-sense of this quarter-assed storyline leading straight into another yawn of an event (whose outcome I could care less about, having given me absolutely no reason to give a steaming crap about any of these new people), it just came off as a wholly unsatisifying story.
Art's perfectly presentable and fun, but it's lipstick on a stinky pig.
August 31, 2015
3.5 stars for what would have been 4 because Of the crappy way DC collected this story. you need to have JLD at least to get the full story. otherwise i liked the story a lot.
*edit*
Just read the last few chapters in sequential order with the rest of the Trinity War. Now that things make sense, changing the rating from 3 to 4.
*edit*
Just read the last few chapters in sequential order with the rest of the Trinity War. Now that things make sense, changing the rating from 3 to 4.
June 20, 2014
Yup. This book shouldn't exist. There should just be Justice League: Trinity War. As I read the collected volumes instead of grabbing each issue as it comes out, each collection should be a story arc, more or less. This starts with some JL recruiting, and then fragments of the Trinity War. I've read JLD, I've read some Trinity of Sin. I even read the Constantine issue tie-in, so I had a general idea of what was going on, but anyone picking this up new would have no idea what was going on. I tend to think of this as the core title of DC, since it is where they bring all their heavy hitters to play together. This is what they decide to showcase to the public? Lame.
October 8, 2019
It's been a little while since I read the third volume, but I didn't find it difficult to get back into the story. I liked seeing some characters added to the team, and seeing how they dealt with the transition.
I have previously read the Shazam! volume, so his inclusion in this didn't throw me off. I do recommend reading that one if you want to understand why he's even in this volume though.
Aside from them, I liked seeing Pandora. I'm not hugely experienced with a lot of the smaller DC characters, and I enjoyed meeting her for the first time.
I have previously read the Shazam! volume, so his inclusion in this didn't throw me off. I do recommend reading that one if you want to understand why he's even in this volume though.
Aside from them, I liked seeing Pandora. I'm not hugely experienced with a lot of the smaller DC characters, and I enjoyed meeting her for the first time.
January 23, 2016
Really disappointed with the second half ONLY because I read Trinity War before reading this. It's the same thing as Trinity War but abridged to make it much shorter and it makes much less sense than it does in Trinity War. I probably only digested it all because I already knew the story. The first half was alright. The first few issues were pretty good, but I would ditch the second half in favor of reading all of Trinity War.
May 15, 2018
4 Stars!
This book took me awhile to finish, but I was hoping to get it done a long time ago, but it that did not happen. It wasn't because I didn't like the book it was I just got busy. I was recommend this book and I thought I would give it a try and it was really good. I liked everything about it. I was read this book again. I would recommend this book to anyone.
This book took me awhile to finish, but I was hoping to get it done a long time ago, but it that did not happen. It wasn't because I didn't like the book it was I just got busy. I was recommend this book and I thought I would give it a try and it was really good. I liked everything about it. I was read this book again. I would recommend this book to anyone.
April 30, 2024
Another compilation disaster, Volume 4 presents the key points of Trinity War without telling the full story. The actual plot is good when experienced in its entirety, but DC has, once again, let down creators and fans alike with their editorial choices....
note: this is more a reflection of the form factor than the quality of the writing and visuals.
note: this is more a reflection of the form factor than the quality of the writing and visuals.
June 8, 2019
Things heat up for the Justice League, issue after issue.
(Unfortunately, some of those issues have been tucked away into other collections, since this set of issues intersects with Trinity War and Justice League Dark and the Trinity of Sin Pandora collection and Justice League of America, and the TOS Phantom Stranger collection, so there are some missing links here.)
(Unfortunately, some of those issues have been tucked away into other collections, since this set of issues intersects with Trinity War and Justice League Dark and the Trinity of Sin Pandora collection and Justice League of America, and the TOS Phantom Stranger collection, so there are some missing links here.)
December 9, 2015
This volume is a big con. It's got Despero on the front, so I was expecting some epic battle. He's in it for like 5 pages. What a con!
This is mainly about the bloody trinity tie in. Waste of reading. Rubbish.
This is mainly about the bloody trinity tie in. Waste of reading. Rubbish.
April 3, 2015
I wasn't a big fan of the Despero storyline, but then I've never been a fan of that particular villain; also, his is somewhat of an inconsequential storyline. Truly, that storyline is just a springboard for other storylines: the addition of Element Girl, Firestorm and Atom to the JL team; the upcoming Trinity War; Batman's plan b's for his team mates; and the whole JLA spying on the JL thing. There is a lot going on in the background of this collection, so I would say it is essential reading, but don't expect the action in the foreground to be overly compelling if you do decide to pick it up.
Another reason why this collection is essential reading: it contains the conclusion to the new 52 Shazam rebirth. I really enjoyed the Shazam reboot... up until the final chapter. What should have ended in an epic battle of wits between two of the most power magic users in the DCU, was squeezed out in two speech bubbles and five panels of less-than-cathartic "meh". Why!!!! Why build Black Adam up to be such a formidable foe when, at the last minute, he succumbs to sheer stupidity? He deserved to be treated with more dignity! What an awful, fizzling treatment for one of comicdom's most revered bad-guys. A huge disappointment to end months and months of really strong build-up.
And then, of course, there were the Trinity War issues which, I think, were published elsewhere in roughly 236 other tbp editions.
3.5
Another reason why this collection is essential reading: it contains the conclusion to the new 52 Shazam rebirth. I really enjoyed the Shazam reboot... up until the final chapter. What should have ended in an epic battle of wits between two of the most power magic users in the DCU, was squeezed out in two speech bubbles and five panels of less-than-cathartic "meh". Why!!!! Why build Black Adam up to be such a formidable foe when, at the last minute, he succumbs to sheer stupidity? He deserved to be treated with more dignity! What an awful, fizzling treatment for one of comicdom's most revered bad-guys. A huge disappointment to end months and months of really strong build-up.
And then, of course, there were the Trinity War issues which, I think, were published elsewhere in roughly 236 other tbp editions.
3.5
March 23, 2017
So this volume had two arcs that weren't quite well connected. The Despero/Stealing Batman's kryptonite ring and the Trinity War arc had some moments that made you think "ahhhh so that's why this thing happened!" but over than that they were two different stories.
I was in the middle of volume 4 when I realized that I needed to read Trinity War. Then when finished Trinity War I realized that half the story in it was the same one on the second half of volume 4 #Success (?)
I was in the middle of volume 4 when I realized that I needed to read Trinity War. Then when finished Trinity War I realized that half the story in it was the same one on the second half of volume 4 #Success (?)
July 31, 2015
Oh sweet! I was wondering how I would be able to read Trinity Wars again without getting the actual book! Thanks DC!!!
February 14, 2018
Confession time: As of the moment I’m writing this, I have not actually read volumes 1-3 of this series. I have, however, been a comics reader for about 45 years, and am familiar with the DC characters in general. While some of them may have new faces and/or costumes, I pretty much know who all the main characters are. There was some reference to a Secret Society that apparently ties in with previous volumes--some new riff on DC’s old Secret Society of Supervillains title, maybe?--but I got the gist of it: some shadowy organization ostensibly responsible for menaces that plagued our heroes in volumes 1-3. I certainly could have picked worse starting points.
As the book opens, the League is discussing expanding their membership. Changing lineups are one of the mainstays of team books. It's nicely handled. Everyone gets their moment on stage, a crisis is dealt with, and voila: new members! Pretty standard formula, but Johns handles it competently enough. We end on a cliffhanger that sets up for the return of an old foe in the next issue ... I do like how the stories flow from one to the next. It doesn't feel as episodic as single issue comics normally do.
One exception, though. So there's this storyline, “Trinity War,” that apparently crossed over multiple titles or something, because we go directly from the first chapter, “Death Card,” to the last, “Conclusion.” It doesn't feel like a two part story. There are suddenly a whole bunch of characters present who weren't there in the first part, and we appear to have jumped forward by at least a chapter or two. It's either some of the worst comics writing I’ve ever seen, or there’s some story missing that appeared in (a) different title(s).
I know I’ve ranted about this before, and, if I continue to read graphic novels, I undoubtedly will again, but what is the point of leaving out chunks of the story? It's one thing if the story began in a previous volume, or continues in the next. But leaving out bits of the middle, without providing at least a summary of them, is doing a huge disservice to the readers. I, for one, read books with the expectation of reading complete stories, or at least linear chunks thereof. Who is this book for, anyway? Are there really people out there so determined to read every single issue of Justice League and ONLY Justice League that they will plunk down the money for a hardcover book even knowing that chapters of the story will be missing, having appeared in the pages of a different title? “I just read JL #22, and, darn it, I’m going to read #23, and to heck with any missing chapters in between.”
It gets worse. I notice, from the publishing information, that this volume contains issues #18-20, and 22-23. That's right: issue #21 is missing. So, in other words: this book isn’t meant for casual readers, who will be put off by the missing chapters. And it's apparently not intended for hardcore fans either, who will be put off by the missing issue. In the end, this book would appear not to be intended for anybody. I recommend that you respect DC’s intentions and give it a miss ...
As the book opens, the League is discussing expanding their membership. Changing lineups are one of the mainstays of team books. It's nicely handled. Everyone gets their moment on stage, a crisis is dealt with, and voila: new members! Pretty standard formula, but Johns handles it competently enough. We end on a cliffhanger that sets up for the return of an old foe in the next issue ... I do like how the stories flow from one to the next. It doesn't feel as episodic as single issue comics normally do.
One exception, though. So there's this storyline, “Trinity War,” that apparently crossed over multiple titles or something, because we go directly from the first chapter, “Death Card,” to the last, “Conclusion.” It doesn't feel like a two part story. There are suddenly a whole bunch of characters present who weren't there in the first part, and we appear to have jumped forward by at least a chapter or two. It's either some of the worst comics writing I’ve ever seen, or there’s some story missing that appeared in (a) different title(s).
I know I’ve ranted about this before, and, if I continue to read graphic novels, I undoubtedly will again, but what is the point of leaving out chunks of the story? It's one thing if the story began in a previous volume, or continues in the next. But leaving out bits of the middle, without providing at least a summary of them, is doing a huge disservice to the readers. I, for one, read books with the expectation of reading complete stories, or at least linear chunks thereof. Who is this book for, anyway? Are there really people out there so determined to read every single issue of Justice League and ONLY Justice League that they will plunk down the money for a hardcover book even knowing that chapters of the story will be missing, having appeared in the pages of a different title? “I just read JL #22, and, darn it, I’m going to read #23, and to heck with any missing chapters in between.”
It gets worse. I notice, from the publishing information, that this volume contains issues #18-20, and 22-23. That's right: issue #21 is missing. So, in other words: this book isn’t meant for casual readers, who will be put off by the missing chapters. And it's apparently not intended for hardcore fans either, who will be put off by the missing issue. In the end, this book would appear not to be intended for anybody. I recommend that you respect DC’s intentions and give it a miss ...
October 3, 2014
Now we know what "DC" stands for.
Should we give the audience a complete story? DC.
Should we include all the issues so they get their money's worth? DC.
Should we tell people what they are missing from the skipped-over issues? DC.
Should we introduce the "bonus" material so the audience knows why it's there? DC.
Should we explain the differences between the old and New 52 versions of the characters, especially the ones who are different genders? DC.
Should we charge less for this trade since it has fewer issues? DC.
Should we be consistent in what we sell in the TPBs within the same series? DC.
Should it matter to us if we tell stories that make sense and/or are any good? DC.
Should we be respectful to or honor readers who have been with us for decades? DC.
Should we try to give meaningful payoffs to the nonsensical super-secret characters we have been polluting all our issues with? DC.
Should we come up with a name that is impressive or should we go with "Crime Syndicate"? DC.
I guess Johnny from Time of the Apes grew up to take over the creative direction of DC. "Crime Syndicate" is really the best name we could come up with for the all-powerful, super-menacing doppelgangers the entire New 52 has been heading toward, huh? Why haven't I heard about The Great DC New 52 Reader Revolt? Are you people just passively accepting this? Storylines rehashed, even from recent memory? Characterizations that make no sense? Plotlines that have more holes than a wiffle ball? Conflicts that exist for no reason other than to make large splash pages? Stop settling for sub-mediocre work, DC fans.
Should we give the audience a complete story? DC.
Should we include all the issues so they get their money's worth? DC.
Should we tell people what they are missing from the skipped-over issues? DC.
Should we introduce the "bonus" material so the audience knows why it's there? DC.
Should we explain the differences between the old and New 52 versions of the characters, especially the ones who are different genders? DC.
Should we charge less for this trade since it has fewer issues? DC.
Should we be consistent in what we sell in the TPBs within the same series? DC.
Should it matter to us if we tell stories that make sense and/or are any good? DC.
Should we be respectful to or honor readers who have been with us for decades? DC.
Should we try to give meaningful payoffs to the nonsensical super-secret characters we have been polluting all our issues with? DC.
Should we come up with a name that is impressive or should we go with "Crime Syndicate"? DC.
I guess Johnny from Time of the Apes grew up to take over the creative direction of DC. "Crime Syndicate" is really the best name we could come up with for the all-powerful, super-menacing doppelgangers the entire New 52 has been heading toward, huh? Why haven't I heard about The Great DC New 52 Reader Revolt? Are you people just passively accepting this? Storylines rehashed, even from recent memory? Characterizations that make no sense? Plotlines that have more holes than a wiffle ball? Conflicts that exist for no reason other than to make large splash pages? Stop settling for sub-mediocre work, DC fans.
November 15, 2016
This volume was heading into a 4 star but that last issue. What in the world ?
So I enjoyed most of the Grid. I especially enjoy the first two issues really focusing on expanding the Justice League and the little three way war between Supes/WW/Bats about what's right and wrong. It's friends dealing with shit and new heroes getting some splotlight. I also enjoyed the fights, as always the art is pretty top notch, and easy to follow.
Then the last issue happened. Now it's not HORRIBLE but it's like...wtf? It's random, it feels rushed, the things that are happening make no sense (unless reading Trinity War which I'm doing next) and what the hell was that ending? Because I don't think Volume 5 will even pick up from where that left off.
See, I'm enjoying JL a lot. I just think some of the issue order and such in these is shit. Either way, fun and entertaining but could have been better.
So I enjoyed most of the Grid. I especially enjoy the first two issues really focusing on expanding the Justice League and the little three way war between Supes/WW/Bats about what's right and wrong. It's friends dealing with shit and new heroes getting some splotlight. I also enjoyed the fights, as always the art is pretty top notch, and easy to follow.
Then the last issue happened. Now it's not HORRIBLE but it's like...wtf? It's random, it feels rushed, the things that are happening make no sense (unless reading Trinity War which I'm doing next) and what the hell was that ending? Because I don't think Volume 5 will even pick up from where that left off.
See, I'm enjoying JL a lot. I just think some of the issue order and such in these is shit. Either way, fun and entertaining but could have been better.
February 28, 2015
This volume wasnt bad, but there wasn't much to it. Despero makes an appearance, and hes formidable and scary as always. The league gets some new members since Green Lantern and the Flash arent around much anymore. The art was good. I'm still a little confused by some parts of the story as they sometimes mention things as flashbacks that were never actually told in the story, so I don't know if that's backstory from before the New 52, something they will eventually tell more of, or just something we're supposed to wonder about. Martian Manhunter pops up, and there's a long backstory with him hinted at that hasn't been explained. I'm saving any comments about the Trinity War issues for the Trinity War book which I will be reviewing soon.
Overall, this was another OK volume, but nothing great.
Overall, this was another OK volume, but nothing great.
October 8, 2014
The stuff gets real in this graphic novel! It was a bit hard to keep track of the story at times, with so many characters. But heck, it's the Justice League. I like that there is a fresh sort of look at the characters and the story. If you don't ship Wonder Woman and Superman, you won't be a happy camper. I'm more of a Wonder Woman/Batman girl (a girl can hope), but it makes sense the way they write it here. There is a crazy twist at the end that I really liked, although I was kind of like, "Oh, Crud!" I sincerely hope my library gets the next volume.
I really liked this one. So four stars.
I really liked this one. So four stars.
January 22, 2016
This Volume is only part one of the story (part 2 is volume 5 of the TPB). It is because of this reason (and the Trinity War crossover) that this volume seems disjointed. I've read the Trinity War before and thus had an idea of what was going on with Pandora-but it is not really explained. Also the jump from the Trinity War to the Injustice Society coming seems to be a jump. Again, I enjoyed the story- but the pacing of the story was off. Too many plots in too short a volume. The artwork, as ever through the other TPBs, is excellent. This is not a volume that stands alone- you need vol 5 to figure out what happens in the end.
July 19, 2017
I liked how the story focussed more on some more obscure and/or up-and-coming Leaguers as well as Waller's parallel JLA team, and I honestly didn't see the twist coming.
At the same time, though, the story relied too heavily on the same old Justice League plot device of sidelining/compromising Superman so that the rest of the team actually have something important to do that he otherwise could've taken care of all on his own.
Plus, the art done by Ivan Reis just pops like always. That Senhor is a real maestro.
At the same time, though, the story relied too heavily on the same old Justice League plot device of sidelining/compromising Superman so that the rest of the team actually have something important to do that he otherwise could've taken care of all on his own.
Plus, the art done by Ivan Reis just pops like always. That Senhor is a real maestro.
February 10, 2015
Please see my review of
Justice League: Trinity War
for my thoughts on this arc, as they're essentially the same book, with this volume functioning as a Justice League-centered prologue chapter, in much the same way that Justice League of America, Vol. 1: World's Most Dangerous is a JLA-centered look at how that team became involved in the Trinity War.
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