The End League Volume 1: Ballad Of Big Nothing

The End League #1

by Rick Remender, Mat Broome (Penciler), Sean Parsons (Inker)

A thematic merging of The Lord of the Rings and Watchmen, The End League follows a cast of the last remaining super men and women as they embark on a desperate and perilous journey through a world dominated by evil, in hopes of locating the one remaining artifact that can save humanity--the Hammer of Thor. For his return to the world of comics renowned artist Mat Broome (X-Men, Batman) teams up with critically acclaimed writer Rick Remender (Fear Agent) for this, Dark Horse Comics newest superhero series.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Urban Fantasy, Comic Book, Fiction, Fantasy

104 pages, Paperback

First published December 16, 2008

About the author

Rick Remender is an American comic book writer and artist who resides in Los Angeles, California. He is the writer/co-creator of many independent comic books like Black Science, Deadly Class, LOW, Fear Agent and Seven to Eternity. Previously, he wrote The Punisher, Uncanny X-Force, Captain America and Uncanny Avengers for Marvel Comics.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

2026 Review
Everything I said about this in 2017 still stands. This isn't good at all. It's so grimdark. I hate it.

2017 Review
A wannabe variation on Kingdom Come and Watchmen with analogs of all the DC pantheon. Astonishman (You'd think this was a parody from that terrible name, but it's not!) is tricked by Dead Lexington into setting off a world wide cataclysm that kills off half the Earth's population back in the 60's. A lot of the remaining people gained superpowers, most using them for their own gain. Now Dead Lexington rules the world with the few remaining members of the not-Justice League hanging out at the not-Fortress of Solitude. Unfortunately, it gets even darker from here, which seems to be Remender's entire point, to make the darkest superhero story he can instead of writing a good story. It's almost impossible to keep track of all the characters. No one but Astonishman gets an introduction. You're left with this feeling that you're supposed to know who these 20+ super powered people are, some of them don't even get names. Even the artist, Mat Broome, jumped ship on this one with Eric Canete taking over part way through issue 4. If this didn't have Rick Remender's name on it, I guarantee it wouldn't be getting a new Library Edition from Dark Horse because this was terrible.

[Bruce M · Rating 2 out of 5]

It feels like Rick Remender wanted this book was hoping to be the missing link between "The Watchmen" and "Kingdom Come". As it turns out, the link is neither missing, nor needed.

Remender and Mat Broome create characters that are clear analogues of existing DC and Marvel legends and set them in an environment where Not-Superman was duped by Not-Luthor into effectively ending the world. Now, Not-Superman attempts to atone for his sins with a ragtag bag of characters like Not-Batman, Not-Wonder-Woman, Not-Captain-America-or-Flash, Not Ghost-Rider-on-a-Horse, Not-What-if-Jean-Grey-Got-Stuck-In-Cerebro and many more.

One of the major problems the book has is that it depends on you knowing too much about these characters already. These are not the characters we already know, but so many of them are thrown at us that it's almost impossible to keep track of who they are and why we should care. This isn't like Kingdom Come, where finding your favourite character as an Easter Egg in the sprawling awesomeness of the art is exciting. These are speaking, story-driving characters, and you don't really know a damn thing about them except that they're not their famous equivalent.

The other major flaw of the book is that it's telling a story that really doesn't need to be told. Slightly altered versions of famous characters have lost hope in a world that doesn't want or need them anymore? Kingdom Come and The Watchmen have already got those angles covered.

This book feels like it intended to pull the best elements of both those books and create something original. It just doesn't work out that way.
The pacing of the title is off and the story itself seems tried and tired.

The book has decent enough art, but that's not enough to save it. It's especially not enough to save a book that aspires to be like 2 of the most beautiful books in comics.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 1 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This is going to be one of my briefest reviews for the simple reason that there was absolutely nothing I liked in this title. From the oversexualization of the women, the lazy and uninspired writing, shallow characterizations, and complete lack of originality. There’s not one redeeming feature here and this is going to deservedly and without hesitation get a 1-1/2 star star reviews as a result.

Story: Astonishingman (nee Superman) destroyed the world accidentally when he was fooled by Lexington (nee Lex Luthor) into destroying an alien ship – with cataclysmic results. The resulting mutations created a new breed of superheroes (very thinly reimagined Wonder Woman, Batman, Flash, etc.) but also supervillains. Superm…er, Astonishingman is trying to right his wrong but is crushed under the weight of guilt. Nick (Batman) was forced to kill his sidekick DevilBoy and has become unstable. Divinity (Wonder Woman) is in love with Astonishingman while she calls down the power of the Greek Gods. Mother (Professor X) spouts Biblical faith like a nun while helping the team. Etc. Etc. Prarie Ghost (Ghost Rider) rides a flaming horse while talking in a thick Kentucky accent. And everything the team does goes to hell in a handbasket – literally.

The story is dreary – this is no Watchmen. The superheroes are all amalgamations of existing characters – but taken to the nth degree of narcissism of their characters. The bad guys are just stupid – not even comic book stupid. Most of the story involves moping and yelling at each other.

If this wasn’t pandering so hard to adolescent boy sexual fantasies, it would be downright misogynistic. The women are all scantily clad with butt cheeks and busoms hanging out everywhere. If they are drawn in a panel, it’s so that they are in pseudo sexual positions just waiting to titillate impressionable boys. Heck, there was naked girl on girl action – and not in the forward thinking modern way so much as arouse. It was vile and made the ecchiest of Japanese manga fanservice seem chaste in comparison. This is yet another case of soft porn masquerading as a comic. And the saddest part of all is that this review is likely to send people running to buy it for very pathetic reasons.

Reading this through to the end was like pulling teeth. I want those 90 minutes back (60 minutes to read and then 30 minutes in a hot shower to scrub the filth and bad taste away). Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Luke Zwanziger · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading Remender's Fear Agent I had to read all of his other creator owned material I could find. The End League opens with an amazing monologue and set up. A post-apocalyptic alternative history created by a superhero who now bears the guilt of supermutating and killing the majority of earth's population during the Cold War. The lead character is deeply exposited and you can truely understand his pain and guilt. A very sympathetic, flawed hero.

What ensues in this post-apocylptic, superhero/villain populated world is chaotic. Remender makes no apologies for the massive number of characters he throws you and the result is a mixed bag. Being thrown into this universe forces you to come up to speed and fast. Which is not a bad thing, but the complexities and richness of the characters seem to be lost to the reader. Characters that seem to deserve greater fleshing out and time on the page get passed over too quickly in the rising plot.
Perhaps this chaos is what Remender was going for, passing over characters who deserve more, because in real life, that often happens too. But as a reader, I wish he would take a moment or two to trust that I will sit through some slow character development before hurtling us off another superpowered clash.

While this book has a hundred times more depth thank your average superhero comic, cramming it into 104 pages makes it loose some of its effectiveness. Still, If I could give it an extra 1/2 star, I would.

[Blindzider · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an older book written by Rick Remender. I'm not sure why the GR listing says it is by Mat Broome (who is the artist).

The concept is that everyone in the world has powers and the world is devastated (you find out why quickly). The majority of the people have become either totally self-serving or evil. The only good guys are an analogue for the Justice League and Avengers. You have modified versions of Captain America, Superman, Thor, Ghost Rider, etc.

The story is very depressing and hopeless. The first few pages clearly show this isn't an uplifting tale of the Superman we know. It's complicated and the heroes are really put to the screws. There's quite a lot to take in: getting all of the characters straight, who is good and who is bad, what's happened in the past, etc. I have to admit, I do want to find out what happens (there's only one more volume left.) I'm really not sure if the good guys will win or not.

Is it the greatest story, no, but I didn't feel like I wasted my time. The only problem is I'm not sure how easy it will be to find the rest of it.

[Erik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whoever thought this was a Lord of the Rings meets Watchmen migghhhttttt want to lay off the pot. But it’s a confusing book

[Paul W. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute dreck. I don't particularly enjoy Rick Remenders writing and this is proof. I hated this.

[Cale · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I was three years old, I had a dream where all of the DC super heroes were shuffled off (in a ski-lift) to an off-screen death. I think this is Rick Remender's version of that - a chance to slaughter a bevy of thinly-disguised DC and Marvel character analogs in a misery-laden apocalypse. In a world destroyed by the misguided effects of a hero's action, every surviving character is drowning in despair and pathos. It's a miserable read, unrelenting in the tortures it subjects upon its characters. None of the characters are particularly interesting (although at least Prairie Ghost is a unique take on the Ghost Rider archetype), and hearing them moan and complain about how hopeless the world is for these SUPER-POWERED characters while they utterly ignore the regular people that remained actually kind of made me root for the villain. The art is decent, channeling the theme in its heavy shadows and gritty fascination with the grotesque ends several characters come to. The book manages to shock a couple of times, but ending on a 'To Be Continued' note in the middle of a conflict really seems like poor taste too. If I hadn't already had the second volume on hand, I wouldn't have bothered. And (spoiler alert) after reading the second volume, I'm happy to tell others that they shouldn't bother either. The topics this discusses are handled a lot better in other places - even in the DC and Marvel universes. Stick to the real things instead of these dour, depressed doppelgangers.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 1 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This is going to be one of my briefest reviews for the simple reason that there was absolutely nothing I liked in this title. From the oversexualization of the women, the lazy and uninspired writing, shallow characterizations, and complete lack of originality. There's not one redeeming feature here and this is going to deservedly and without hesitation get a 1 star star reviews as a result.

Story: Astonishingman (nee Superman) destroyed the world accidentally when he was fooled by Lexington (nee Lex Luthor) into destroying an alien ship - with cataclysmic results. The resulting mutations created a new breed of superheroes (very thinly reimagined Wonder Woman, Batman, Flash, etc.) but also supervillains. Superm...er, Astonishingman is trying to right his wrong but is crushed under the weight of guilt. Nick (Batman) was forced to kill his sidekick DevilBoy and has become unstable. Divinity (Wonder Woman) is in love with Astonishingman while she calls down the power of the Greek Gods. Mother (Professor X) spouts Biblical faith like a nun while helping the team. Etc. Etc. Prarie Ghost (Ghost Rider) rides a flaming horse while talking in a thick Kentucky accent. And everything the team does goes to hell in a handbasket - literally.

The story is dreary - this is no Watchmen. The superheroes are all amalgamations of existing characters - but taken to the nth degree of narcissism of their characters. The bad guys are just stupid - not even comic book stupid. Most of the story involves moping and yelling at each other.

If this wasn't pandering so hard to adolescent boy sexual fantasies, it would be downright misogynistic. The women are all scantily clad with butt cheeks and busoms hanging out everywhere. If they are drawn in a panel, it's so that they are in pseudo sexual positions just waiting to titillate impressionable boys. Heck, there was naked girl on girl action - and not in the forward thinking modern way so much as arouse. It was vile and made the ecchiest of Japanese manga fanservice seem chaste in comparison. This is yet another case of soft porn masquerading as a comic. And the saddest part of all is that this review is likely to send people running to buy it for very pathetic reasons.

Reading this through to the end was like pulling teeth. I want those 90 minutes back (60 minutes to read and then 30 minutes in a hot shower to scrub the filth and bad taste away). Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collects The End League issues #1-4

This book has some interesting concepts, and I liked seeing analogues of well-known DC and Marvel characters. I'm excited to see where this series goes from here.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far this isn’t as bad as some of the reviews are making it. It’s enjoyable. It’s also not necessarily amazing either.

[Grg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some cool ideas and character designs, but the whole thing felt rushed and cobbled together. It felt like every other chapter was missing.

[Tyler Hill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've really enjoyed Remenber's X-Force, so I was eager to see what he would do with his own creator owned comic. So, it saddens me a bit that the answer is "not much." It starts promising enough laying out a world that is over-run with super-villains and introducing a truly flawed take on Superman that is guilt-ridden and driven despite his doubt. But, unfortunately, it sort of falls apart from there. Most of the characters are twisted takes on major superhero archetypes. You have the Wonder Woman character, the Batman character, the Hulk/Thor character, the Captain America character... etc. But, none of them are particularly interesting or well-introduced. It probably doesn't help much that this sort of thing has been done countless times before, from Watchmen to Authority, more interestingly and more thoughtfully.

Anyhow, in short, interesting world, populated with a couple of interesting characters, and a ton of less interesting ones... who just sort of run around and beat each other up for the length of the book. It also doesn't help that the art by Matt Broome is all over the place. There are some genuinely well done panels and sequences, but a lot of it is really uneven and oddly stagey. He seems especially incapable of depicting female characters in realistic poses, and they often appear to be sort of awkwardly places in as afterthoughts.

Anyhow, a few interesting things here, but not enough to recommend the read. Back to X-Force.

[Du4 · Rating 1 out of 5]

THE END LEAGUE is billed as this hybrid LORD OF THE RINGS / WATCHMEN epic. I found it pedantic and unoriginal, comprised through and through of all the usual "post-superhero" cliches: analogues for all your fave Marvel & DC characters, deconstructionism, etc etc. I don't know what Remender was trying to achieve here that you haven't already read in one of the thousands of post-superhero epics that have come before (RISING STARS is probably the closest comparison, and a good one at that since it kind of sucked too).

It's not even a good character study, because I can forgive shitty plot for good characters. Nope, none of that here. Just tired old takes on the same Superman, Batman, Captain America, blah blah blah, A shame really, because the concept I remember from the original solicitations looked pretty good, a true "end of the world" LOTR-type quest. None of that in END LEAGUE.

Worse is Mat Broome's inconsistent artwork. From page to page, Broome's competency changes, and the varying degrees of color shading on the art don't help either. Broome, I remember, has a reputation of forgetting to draw backgrounds in his panels, and that's certainly carried over here.

[J. Shimotake · Rating 2 out of 5]

A valiant effort at becoming epic, The End League borrows from a pastiche of superheroes to create a whirlwind of characters all making a power-grab for the mighty (and possibly dead) Thor's hammer. The story line is full of asides which at best add to detail the universe Remender is creating, but again, because he's borrowing so much from the DCU and Marvel universe, his asides only distract from his epic.

The art sweeps across the page but like the writing, gets out of hand at times. Visual cues to let us know the characters seemed to be sacrificed for extra effort on the backgrounds, which are vibrant and eye-catching. However, doing so steals from the foreground, and it tends to fall flat at times.

Despite these shortcomings, a good story exists at the heart of it. The characters are their archetypes, e.g., Superman, Batman, Ghost Rider, etc., but then a little more. That extra bump perhaps makes the End League worth the read.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

You know, execution may not be everything, but it sure as heck is a lot. This could have been a great story. The ideas are there, and they are compelling ideas, but they aren't handled well. Basically, this feels like an outline or a sketch for a future project. Or actually, this reads like the remains of a long, well-paced, epic multi-volume story after someone tried to cram it through a very small hole. Most of the story got left behind, and we readers get just the end of it in a condition that is barely readable. The character interactions, the internal emotional conflicts for some of them, are key motivations and driving factors in this plot. But the reader is *told* about this, and very, very quickly. It's a story that should have been shown, the whole thing, and then it might have mattered. As it is, it's a pretty frustrating book to read and does not have an emotional or meaningful impact.

[Matt James · Rating 1 out of 5]

A rushed piece of work, there is no development of the characters, even though they have counterparts in the Big Two companies. The heroes are hard to tell apart from the villains, and powers are nearly indiscernible even though they should be recognizable to their sources at Marvel/DC. A better effort would have improved the dialogues, the pacing, even the locations and time of each event. Jumps from one slugfest to another involving heavy hitters dying off quickly make it confusing.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

A flawed, uneven attempt at meshing superheroes with old myth that ends up feeling more like a retread of a lot of different existing comics without much of the charm or excitement of what it's aping. There's really not much I can say about it either way, except that it was a surprising disappointment.

[Maarten · Rating 2 out of 5]

What starts of with a great opening monologue, continues in a book that's all over te place. Near the end I sort of understand who who is and what they do, but every single character is not compelling enough to maintain my interest. I hope the second part rectifies this.

[Roman Colombo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blatant references to popular superheroes does get annoying after a while...I mean, the Citidel of Solitude? Please...spare us, Remender.

But everything is else is brilliant. The art is beauitful and the story is amazing. I desperately need to find the next volume.

[Devin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great idea, but I think it would have been much better if they didn't use obvious knockoffs of established Marvel and DC characters.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

its about the end of the world

[Dustin Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This like much of Remenders work is superficial. Good premise but it never meets it objective.

[Emilio Ladetto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me encanto, este primer tomo me mantuvo enganchado desde su primer numero, una gran obra, excelente el desarrollo de los personajes y la vuelta de turca que tiene no la ves venir.

['kris Pung · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worst book I've tried to read.

[Ben Langdon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was pretty underwhelmed.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting post-apocalyptic super-human world where the villains out number the heroes.

[Kalysto]

Très bonne surprise, je pensais vraiment pas en le feuilletant