Justice League of America, Vol. 2: Curse of the Kingbutcher

Justice League of America (2017)

by Steve Orlando, Felipe Watanabe (Artist), Andy MacDonald (Artist)

DC characters Vixen, Lobo, the Ray, the Atom, Black Canary and Killer Frost are no one’s idea of Earth’s greatest heroes...and yet they’ve all been brought together by Batman to form a new incarnation of the Justice League and all that it stands for.

This new League was founded on principles of hope, on the idea that everyone deserves a second chance...and yet those same ideals now threaten to tear the team apart. When the team rescues Makson, a strange man from a hidden land of monsters, it seems like he’s ready for that exact kind of second chance.

But Batman has his doubts. If he’s wrong about Makson, does he really believe in the optimistic vision that the team was founded on? And if he’s right, does anyone ever deserve the Justice League’s trust again?

Writer Steve Orlando (MIDNIGHTER AND APOLLO) and artists including Felipe Watanabe (CYBORG) and Andy MacDonald (DETECTIVE COMICS), Jamal Campbell (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) and Neil Edwards (JUSTICE LEAGUE) test the limits of the strangest team to ever call themselves the Justice League of America! Collects issues #7-11.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Batman

124 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 14, 2017

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm tempted to just give this one star for bringing back anything to do with Bloodlines, that horrible crossover running through the annuals in the early 90's. Aliens come to Earth and suck out people's spinal fluid which kills almost everyone, but a few wake up from piles of dead bodies with superpowers. That's where Terrorsmith and that alien skull came from.

The best moments in the book are the interactions between the characters outside of the main story. Orlando does a surprisingly good job there. But the villains are all flat and generic. They don't have much motivation beyond just being evil. This long lead in for the Might in the Mirror or whatever stupid name Orlando's given it is so vague and amorphous I do an eye roll every time it's mentioned.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

These are some rather pedestrian stories, not what I'd have expected from the writer of the Midnighter and Midnighter & Apollo books. I still don't know the reason for this team, other than to be a more down-to-earth group as opposed to the "gods" of the regular Justice League. The usual "Batman trusts nobody" and "no one likes Batman" attitudes, as well as Batman brushing up against everyone in a bad way.

Lobo is such a horrible character and doesn't belong here. The rest of the cast is interesting and worth reading about. The Ray is a very nice addition and I'm glad he's forming a bond with the tech whiz from the last issue (can't remember his name). I'm sure the tech whiz will end up being a romantic interest for The Ray, and that will be nice to see.

The art is good in some places, and mediocre in others. Definitely need an artistic editor here.

Finally we see some forward momentum on Ray Palmer/The Atom's disappearance, but not much. Orlando provides some great dialogue between Killer Frost and Ryan Choi/The Atom, but all in all this volume is just so-so. I hope Orlando can step up his game here soon because I don't want to get bored with the book.

[Greg (adds 2 TBR list daily) Hersom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well it has good artwork........

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Read as single issues]
I'm still waiting for this series to really kick in. The character interaction remains great in this second volume, and the ideas for stories are very interesting. But the execution just seems to fall a little flat.

We open with Terrorstrike, which is a beautifully drawn issue by Jamal Campbell that features Terrorsmith, before we meet Makson, the Man From Monster Valley for two issues. This story feels like it should just be for a solo hero, because the team gets lost in the shuffle and it only really affects Ryan and Ray. It's a fun twist on Ka-Zar (although, like all of the villains in the run so far, they're reimaginings of classic characters), but it again falls a little short. Then we're onto the Kingbutcher story, which again feels more like a Ray story than anything else. I like that each story is meant to focus on a different character, but what's the point of a team if they're not all going to get some panel time? You've got characters like Lobo, Vixen, and Black Canary that don't seem to serve much purpose yet.

The art also seems to fall short here too. Andy Macdonald and Felipe Watanabe pencil the two part stories, and there's nothing wrong with them as artists but for a book like Justice League, you'd expect something with a bit more pizazz, don't you think?

I'm still enjoying this series, there's no denying it, but there's still something...missing.

[The listing for this volume says it's #7-13, but that'd mean it includes 2 issues of the next six part arc, so I'm assuming that's wrong and it's just #7-11.]

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the somewhat low-key 'all in a day's work' flavor of this team that is still hammering out the kinks of working together. The three stories presented were, refreshingly, more-or-less localized threats - no global domination plots, or world destruction concerns - but maybe I'm just biased with the Pennsylvania references. The Killer Frost / Atom 'ship is also quietly adorable. Lobo's 'science project' anecdote has an unexpected, darkly humorous pay-off. And did I spot Black Canary giving the Dark Knight a knowing glance after he had complimented her?

[Matthew Marsili · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️ A little bit better. But it still sucked.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 2 out of 5]

First half? Mediocre story. Second half? WTF???
Stemming from their mission that everyone deserves a second chance, the JLA encounters Makson, a wildman raised on a hidden island of monsters. He (somehow, unbelievably quickly) remembers English and social customs and is pronounced heir to a fortune. He uses the fortune to meet his extended family, not in an effort to belong, but to take revenge for abandoning him. JLA stops him. Straightforward, but only semi-believable.
The second story revolves around The Ray, who I have no idea about. I'm sure he's a DC character with a rich history, but I don't know it. Throw in his hometown where dreams can be granted, but only if a scary warlord looking guy shows up..... I was totally lost.... I can't even really tell you what happened...
JLA is a long standing book and backbone of DC Comics. This iteration just doesn't feel up to the title.
I honestly can't recommend this Volume.

[Sarospice · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mich better read as Orlando gets a better hold of these characters. Like the Frost/Atom pairing and how The Ray was handled in the kingbutcher storyline. Not sure why Batman or Lobo would stick around. Maybe it's time for the old orderth change!

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never felt like we established characters and the plot was nonsensical. Ray was flying off the handle for no reason, Frost and Atom are out doing their own thing. We have a really interesting bad guy immediately eliminated and replaced with someone far less interesting. The final Kingbutcher antagonist was interesting, but I felt the team should have sat down and listened to him for three seconds. Everyone having a "free wish" as it were, is going to cause some serious problems and he may have had a point. I felt rushed through three separate story lines, while referring to at least two others. I wanted one story, and some time to go through it with our characters.

Learn a lesson, grow through it, become a stronger team. I don't think any of those things happened.

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

Meh. It is unfortunate that the Justice League books have been subpar since Geoff Johns was writing them. I gave this series a chance because it offered something different from the other Justice League series. Hopefully the Ray Palmer story will be better than this book. I wish Orlando played around with the Rebirth mystery in this book or can we a least get some other Justice League members like the Martian Manhunter or throw Black Lightning into the mix. It seems like this book is trying to be a West Coast Avengers or a Justice League International type of book. Those books were actually a bit better. Canary is more important in the Arrow books or Birds of Prey. I am not sure why Lobo is even in this series. He would be better in the Suicide Squad books or bring back the Omega Men as a series. Ray, Killer Frost and the Atom can stay. Just bring back some former league members like Zatanna, Red Tornado, Katana and Black Lightning. I would love reading a series with those characters. There is not much more I can say. This series is mediocre at best.

[Justin Nelson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh this was bad. Terribly, terribly bad. Not even trainwreck-status, just bad. Flat characterization. Weak villains. Confusing and jarring transitions of storylines. A sort-of slow build villain in the background. And a shoe-horned in Batman and Lobo. The art was okay, standard, unremarkable super hero stuff. JLA continues to disappoint in the Rebirth era.

[Ian Morales · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading the fist installment of this new JLA series with this new team Batman assembled, I was interested in what direction the writer would take. I was hoping Batman would play a more integral role in the story as well as be featured more in the action scenes. What I was also hoping for was new and/or better villains that put up a memorable fight. I guess I was just hoping for anything I could get excited about.

Right away I liked how Orlando (writer) fosters the friendship (could be romantic relationship?) between Frost and Ryan Choi, the character to take on The Atom role. I felt more development was needed in the first volume as far as friendship and group conflict, so volume two was off to a good start. Later Frost admits to Black Canary being conflicted about her feelings for Choi.

The best character conflict thus far in series occurs with Ray and the team's leader, Batman himself. There is a distrust of Batman by Ray and different team members have their own opinions on that. I'll just stop there and let Volume 3 develop that, or not.

I also enjoyed the story with Makson, a name I was unfamiliar with. He was left as boy in what they are calling "Monster Valley." Good action scenes and good storyline make it a quick and enjoyable read.

The second half of the book features more from Lobo and the villain, Kingbutcher. I didn't enjoy this as much, but it was good to see a different look from a villain standpoint. Kingbutcher also leads readers to a group of would be "super villains" called "The Realm of Order."

If I could have given this two and half stars, that would be my rating. I don't expect anything more from super hero comics that what they are, as they are written for mass audiences of varying ages, reading abilities, etc. I just want a good story where characters have a layered conflict along with an epic battle against villains new and old. I'm hoping it all gets tied together in the next volumes.

[Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weaker than preveding books which were just ok.

There are 3 small arcs that seems to continue to setup things for a bigger threat "the Might behind the mirror" (it was also mentionned in the Extremists very first arc of the run) but not getting into it yet.

The first issue is centered around Killer Frost who is trying to find a cure to her condition. She is with Ryan Choi (the Atom in this book) and there is some romance developing. There is a whatever fight with a nobody villain.

The next 2 issues were really bad with some savage man, a former rich heir stranded on a monster valley, rescued by the JLA and then seeking revenge to his family (yeah it sounds familiar). There is no way a guy without power and without even any weapon can fight the JLA (Batman? Lobo?). The theme was about giving a second chance or the benefit of the doubt to people, which Batman is having difficulties with. Weakest issues of the run so far.

The next 2 issues are about people having strange dreams granting them a wish from someone called the Might behind the mirror. But a god called Kingbuster who works for the Lords of Orders (like in Doc. Fate) comes to undo the wishes. And the JLA fights him and wins. I guess we will see that Might behind the Mirror as a main threat sometimes in next issues.

It ends with Ryan Choi finding the Ray Palmer's distress signal (he was missing since the very beginning of the run) as a teaser to the next arc.

[Krzysztof Grabowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Słabo, gorzej, JLA w DC Rebirth.

Drugi tom niejako potwierdza, że autorowi nie wychodzi prowadzenie tak zróżnicowanej grupy, w której Batman jest tak bardzo niepotrzebny, a najmocniejszą stroną są relacje pomiędzy bohaterami, w tym przypadku Killer Frost i Ray (nowy, młody Atom), który stara się pomóc w przełamaniu jej dolegliwości. Przy okazji widać, że ich relacja zaczyna nabierać rumieńców. I to jest fajne. Dalej uczucia Xenosa też stanowią istotny filar drugiej części tego zbioru.

Moim głównym zarzutem są czarne charaktery. Wyglądają dobrze i na tym się kończy. Począwszy od odmiany Tarzana w wersji DC, który od tak powraca, aby zemścić się na rodzinie, która lata temu pozwoliła umrzeć jego matce, a jego pozostawiła na pewną śmierć. Mo i porozumiewa się perfekcyjnie, tak jakby cała sytuacja miała miejsce miesiąc wcześniej, a nie lata...

A kiedy na arenę wkracza tytułowy "Rzeźnik królów" sytuacja nie ulega polepszeniu. Co prawda wyglądem ten przeciwnik przebija człowieka z dżungli, ale już jego motywacja jest płaska/wtórna. Niemniej to tutaj mamy szereg całkiem niezłych starć, ale to zdecydowanie za mało, aby mówić tu o wzroście jakości całości. I co tu się dzieje z Lobo? Miejscami czuć, że to ten gagatek, ale gdzieś indziej bywa tak odmienny od przyjętej wersji postaci. Dziwi mnie to, bo ludzie narzekali na chudszego Czernianina z New 52, ale tamten miał przynajmniej więcej wyrazu.

[Adan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am still just mostly underwhelmed by Orlando’s Justice League. He introduces two new concepts here that just aren’t very interesting. Both Makson and the Kingbutcher were meh adversaries (and the Makson thing was just weirdly plotted). I understand that Orlando is trying to set up this Might Beyond the Mirror thing, but I think it’s making everything else suffer. And the interpersonal relationships are a bit iffy. For example, why are Ryan and Lobo often shown together, like they’re supposed to have a growing friendship, but Ryan’s dialogue always paints him as being extremely uncomfortable in the situation? And as much as I love Ray, constantly doubting the Batman like it isn’t already a cliché is getting mighty tiring.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not gonna lie... this book didn't really leave much of an impression. Volume 1 didn't really stay with me either, but I remember enjoying reading it and thinking that there was potential in this "outsider" Justice League of America. And while I still think there is potential for this ragtag group... these stories just didn't seem to hit it. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't memorable--kind of "run of the mill" comic book action. Some of the "Batman trust issues" were interesting, but nothing seemed to really dive as deeply as it could to make the story and characters really stand out. I've heard this series has been cancelled, and if the other volumes are like this one, I can see why. Not bad, necessarily, just... meh.

[Gary Fortuin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok. Team mags are challenging to write because people don’t always like the same old heroes on the same team. Sometimes mixing it up with some b squad heroes and a reformed villain can be interesting. This JLA features Batman, Black Canary, The ‘other’ Atom(?), The Ray, Killer Frost, somebody named Xenos I think, VIbe, and for no apparent good reason.....Lobo.

Not my favorite JLA roster. The stories here are ok. There is the usual tension with Batman being a dick to everybody and then it wraps up fighting some guy named ‘the Kingbutcher’ who is...one of the Lords off Order? Well...I’ll just wrap this up as a ‘not my cup of tea’ and move on...

[Stephen Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The overall story arc is becoming clearer, but it doesn’t yet feel like the JLA is equipped to deal with it. The series continues to suffer from underdeveloped and easily forgettable villains and not enough focus on the heroes. The Ray spends too much time arguing angrily to convince as a idealist, and Black Canary is relegated to the background more often than not. Batman is dead weight, keeping the plot from advancing. The main positive in this series is Killer Frost and her search for a cure.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

A volume of one-shots, but none of them is a hit. Plotting, pacing, characterization - something is off in ever issue of the collection. That makes for a slightly better read than a single bad overarching story - you can constantly hope the next one will be better - but it's slim praise to say so.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ka-Zar is the Batman and then there are some more cosmic-type mysteries. Seems fine, if perhaps a little slow.

Also, Orlando seems really interested in the Frost-Atom relationship, but it seems boring and obvious. They're the only ones in the entire universe who don't believe they're already married.

[Will Cooper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. Everybody yells at each other. Someone trusts someone they shouldn't have. People get wishes and there's a bad guy who stops them because the wishes turn out to be bad, but...they actually aren't bad? The only thing close to bad about the wishes is that one hurts another character's feelings. Just make this a Lobo and Vixen book and be done with it. ;)

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume is much like the first. As I said with the first volume, this reads like a comic from the 90s. Ironically, the first story even features a tie in to the 1993 DC BLOODLINES event, so I guess the writer is taking a cue from comics of that era. This wasn't bad, but it feels a little disjointed, which has been a theme for the series.

[Martinio · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing by Steve Orlando is just… so unremarkable. It looks and feels like you are reading a comic from the 90’s. Very one-dimensional and shallow. Too bad, because Killer Frost had potential to tell an emotional story with much character development. Also the other team members are wasted here and this book doesn’t do them justice…
Not recommended!

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't remember the last time I've been so disappointed in a comic. Everything about this in theory sounds amazing, one of my favorite writers, an eclectic team, solid art, but in practice it's just terribly underwhelming and not very good.

[Yuiko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it

[Laura Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like seeing Black Canary, Killer Frost and Vixen in as many stories as possible!

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a lot here that reminds me of JLI, like Batman's attitude.

But the volume itself if unconnected connected stories with some emotion, that is not working for me.

[Alex Firer · Rating 4 out of 5]

But five stars to the Monster Island story that makes up the heart of the book! Zowie!

[John Yelverton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am trying very hard to get into this book series, especially because of the legacy it entails; however, I feel like all I'm reading is rejected Justice League International stories.

[Duncan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amazing! Orlando managed to write SIX whole issues without a SINGLE team member getting maimed or killed.