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Justice League (2018)
Justice League: Galaxy of Terrors
The next chapter for DC Comics' premier team of superheroes is here! As writer Simon Spurrier jumps on board for the start of the tale "The Rule of War," it's close encounters...of a Justice League kind!
After answering a distress signal from distant space, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, and Green Lantern discover an abandoned cargo ship full of young aliens! When the League attempts to return the children to their home planet, they are met with awe, terror, and war! Thus begins a new story line that will take the League to an unknown and war-torn planet, overrun with new species, a perilous mystery, and an otherworldly adversary. As the team faces off with different uncertainties and battles rogue factions, can the League save a population that hates and fears them? Or will it threaten any hope the Justice League has of returning home?
Justice League: Galaxy of Terrors collects Justice League #48-52.
After answering a distress signal from distant space, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, and Green Lantern discover an abandoned cargo ship full of young aliens! When the League attempts to return the children to their home planet, they are met with awe, terror, and war! Thus begins a new story line that will take the League to an unknown and war-torn planet, overrun with new species, a perilous mystery, and an otherworldly adversary. As the team faces off with different uncertainties and battles rogue factions, can the League save a population that hates and fears them? Or will it threaten any hope the Justice League has of returning home?
Justice League: Galaxy of Terrors collects Justice League #48-52.
128 pages, Paperback
First published May 18, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 3, 2021
An alien society divided into two warring factions - can the Justice League unite them? Also, alien space parasite devouring the Justice League’s bodies while psychically giving them their hearts’ desires. This is Star Trek with superheroes aka Justice League: Galaxy of Terrors!
Justice League books are always the suck and this one is no exception. The only reason I picked it up though is because Jeff Loveness wrote the second story and I’m a big fan of that guy’s work.
The first chunky three-parter, called The Rule by Simon Spurrier, is awful, like all of Spurrier’s comics are. When the League aren’t doing repetitive action, they’re repeatedly learning they don’t know anything about the aliens’ customs and jibber-jabbering about whether or not it’s moral or something to rule them. Tedious, boring - hated it.
Loveness’ two parter, The Garden of Mercy, is miles better but isn’t among his best comics. It’s essentially a Batman story that looks at the character’s motivations, as well as underlining the importance of change and pondering weighty topics like the nature of existence, who we are vs who we want to be, where we are vs where we want to be.
It’s a little pointless because these characters are too popular to ever fundamentally change but it was nice to see Loveness addressing the subject of change and the characters acknowledging it. It felt like a breath of fresh air in a series that’s been stale for so long. And Robson Rocha’s art is excellent too.
Justice League, Volume 7: Galaxy of Terrors is only worth checking out if you’re a Jeff Loveness fan, but even then I wouldn’t expect much from this one. Still, if his story is an indication of where he might take this title, hopefully future Justice League books - featuring only his writing and not sharing the space with bog-standard writers - might actually be good!
Justice League books are always the suck and this one is no exception. The only reason I picked it up though is because Jeff Loveness wrote the second story and I’m a big fan of that guy’s work.
The first chunky three-parter, called The Rule by Simon Spurrier, is awful, like all of Spurrier’s comics are. When the League aren’t doing repetitive action, they’re repeatedly learning they don’t know anything about the aliens’ customs and jibber-jabbering about whether or not it’s moral or something to rule them. Tedious, boring - hated it.
Loveness’ two parter, The Garden of Mercy, is miles better but isn’t among his best comics. It’s essentially a Batman story that looks at the character’s motivations, as well as underlining the importance of change and pondering weighty topics like the nature of existence, who we are vs who we want to be, where we are vs where we want to be.
It’s a little pointless because these characters are too popular to ever fundamentally change but it was nice to see Loveness addressing the subject of change and the characters acknowledging it. It felt like a breath of fresh air in a series that’s been stale for so long. And Robson Rocha’s art is excellent too.
Justice League, Volume 7: Galaxy of Terrors is only worth checking out if you’re a Jeff Loveness fan, but even then I wouldn’t expect much from this one. Still, if his story is an indication of where he might take this title, hopefully future Justice League books - featuring only his writing and not sharing the space with bog-standard writers - might actually be good!
October 15, 2021
Two evergreen JL stories with the team pulling a Star Trek floating around in space helping aliens. In the first story, Si Spurrier gives us a look at a subjugated alien race with warring factions. All of the members of the Justice League are written out of character and simple in order to tell the feeble social commentary Spurrier wishes to subject us to. It's like Spurrier doesn't know anything about these characters. I do like Aaron Lopresti's art though.
Jeff Loveness's story about the Black Mercy planet is much better. He uses it as a contrast between Superman and Batman and how Superman has shown a willingness to grow and change over the last few years while Batman will never change.
Jeff Loveness's story about the Black Mercy planet is much better. He uses it as a contrast between Superman and Batman and how Superman has shown a willingness to grow and change over the last few years while Batman will never change.
November 28, 2024
Justice League: Galaxy of Terrors pays subtle homage to retro fantasy with nods to Flash Gordon era style.
You can read this smooth DC eye candy straight and it’s too much of a caricature (especially Spurrier’s portrayal of Superman) but considering the added depth introduced by the clever production this ends up on the plus side of the balance sheet.
While the cutesy poo aliens was a bit of a stretch, it is after all a comic book so some fun is allowed. I liked Spurrier’s work on Flash better as some of this seems mailed in, even with the stiff delivery. I did very much enjoy the art (some of it reminiscent of John Byrne’s work)
His writing for Wonder Woman was good, and I liked the dark (of course) sequence with Batman but I did NOT like the writing for Superman and Flash. He demonstrated a lack of understanding for Flash and was going in the wrong direction with Kal-El.
You can read this smooth DC eye candy straight and it’s too much of a caricature (especially Spurrier’s portrayal of Superman) but considering the added depth introduced by the clever production this ends up on the plus side of the balance sheet.
While the cutesy poo aliens was a bit of a stretch, it is after all a comic book so some fun is allowed. I liked Spurrier’s work on Flash better as some of this seems mailed in, even with the stiff delivery. I did very much enjoy the art (some of it reminiscent of John Byrne’s work)
His writing for Wonder Woman was good, and I liked the dark (of course) sequence with Batman but I did NOT like the writing for Superman and Flash. He demonstrated a lack of understanding for Flash and was going in the wrong direction with Kal-El.
June 24, 2021
Man, can I just get a GOOD Avengers or Justice League comic? Like come the fuck on.
I mean this isn't horrible. Spurrier is capable of way more than this but what he gives is a okay story about superheroes overstepping their boundaries. Except it is nothing new and doesn't try to be anything special. The second story is only a two parter but least gets the characters far more right and way more interesting. It is too bad the art kind of sucks overall though.
Justice League needs a REAL boost by a great writer.
I mean this isn't horrible. Spurrier is capable of way more than this but what he gives is a okay story about superheroes overstepping their boundaries. Except it is nothing new and doesn't try to be anything special. The second story is only a two parter but least gets the characters far more right and way more interesting. It is too bad the art kind of sucks overall though.
Justice League needs a REAL boost by a great writer.
May 14, 2021
Collecting a three issue arc by Si Spurrier and a two issue arc by Jeff Loveness, this interstitial collection of Justice League bridges the gap between Robert Venditti's run and the Justice League's role in Death Metal.
Si Spurrier is one of my favourite writers, but even I can admit that his arc here isn't great. It poses some interesting thought experiments about the Justice League governing an alien planet, as well as a strange class system, but it does a lot of setting up without following through to the ultimate conclusion. It's all a bit wishywashy, and it gets very wordy (and not in the good way that Spurrier is known for). The art here is Aaron Lopresti, who does a fine job, especially on the extra-sized issue 50, but he doesn't get a lot to play with other than aliens, aliens, and more aliens.
The next two issues are much better however - Jeff Loveness does a For The Justice League That Has Everything by introducing the Black Mercy to the team. It's not a particularly inspired set-up, but it works really well - Loveness does some great character work, and it's propped up nicely by Robson Rocha's gorgeously detailed artwork.
A tale of two halves, this volume of Justice League works well enough as a fill-in between two bigger storylines, but it's definitely a bit lopsided in terms of quality.
Si Spurrier is one of my favourite writers, but even I can admit that his arc here isn't great. It poses some interesting thought experiments about the Justice League governing an alien planet, as well as a strange class system, but it does a lot of setting up without following through to the ultimate conclusion. It's all a bit wishywashy, and it gets very wordy (and not in the good way that Spurrier is known for). The art here is Aaron Lopresti, who does a fine job, especially on the extra-sized issue 50, but he doesn't get a lot to play with other than aliens, aliens, and more aliens.
The next two issues are much better however - Jeff Loveness does a For The Justice League That Has Everything by introducing the Black Mercy to the team. It's not a particularly inspired set-up, but it works really well - Loveness does some great character work, and it's propped up nicely by Robson Rocha's gorgeously detailed artwork.
A tale of two halves, this volume of Justice League works well enough as a fill-in between two bigger storylines, but it's definitely a bit lopsided in terms of quality.
May 30, 2021
Here, we seem to have hit a throw-everything at the wall era of Justice League, where there's no regular creative team, which is pretty much never good for serialized entertainment, and it gets worse ...
The Rule (#48-50). When a great writer like Simon Spurrier comes into a potentially great titles like JLA, there are high expectations. They are not met.
In fact, Spurrier really seems to want to write a science-fiction novel here. He spends excruciating detail on two different alien races, one of which has bifurcated into two warring ideologies, another of which hates anything but the eternal now. The problem is that he doesn't actually spend enough time on these conceits to really get them to pay out.
Well, that's the first problem. Beyond that it's not actually a good JLA story, as it requires massive suspension of disbelief all up and down. And then when you get to the characterization of the JLA, it's horrible. Ever-calm Clark gets angry; ruling class Diana thinks they shouldn't be rulers; super-competent Batman gets beat up. It goes on ... There's one heel turn that excuses some of the bad characterization, but not all of it, and even that's not enough to save a story that's a dull head-scratcher [2/5].
The Garden of Mercy (#51-52). And now Jeff Loveness is suddenly the new writer. His story about Batman's greatest desire is good, but given it's in Justice League, not his own comic, no one is ever going to remember it, and so nothing will develop from it, which is a shame [3+/5].
But this whole volume is kind of a shame. Super skippable.
The Rule (#48-50). When a great writer like Simon Spurrier comes into a potentially great titles like JLA, there are high expectations. They are not met.
In fact, Spurrier really seems to want to write a science-fiction novel here. He spends excruciating detail on two different alien races, one of which has bifurcated into two warring ideologies, another of which hates anything but the eternal now. The problem is that he doesn't actually spend enough time on these conceits to really get them to pay out.
Well, that's the first problem. Beyond that it's not actually a good JLA story, as it requires massive suspension of disbelief all up and down. And then when you get to the characterization of the JLA, it's horrible. Ever-calm Clark gets angry; ruling class Diana thinks they shouldn't be rulers; super-competent Batman gets beat up. It goes on ... There's one heel turn that excuses some of the bad characterization, but not all of it, and even that's not enough to save a story that's a dull head-scratcher [2/5].
The Garden of Mercy (#51-52). And now Jeff Loveness is suddenly the new writer. His story about Batman's greatest desire is good, but given it's in Justice League, not his own comic, no one is ever going to remember it, and so nothing will develop from it, which is a shame [3+/5].
But this whole volume is kind of a shame. Super skippable.
September 13, 2021
Basic plot: The Justice League save a civilization from a despotic empress.
There was also a shorter arc about a random encounter with a black mercy, but it seemed very tacked on. The story about the planet with the empress was much more interesting. The story was woven well, with multiple layers, and I enjoyed the character dynamics of that story. Wonder Woman's actions/portrayal, in particular, made me happy. Wish the other story had been nearly as solid.
There was also a shorter arc about a random encounter with a black mercy, but it seemed very tacked on. The story about the planet with the empress was much more interesting. The story was woven well, with multiple layers, and I enjoyed the character dynamics of that story. Wonder Woman's actions/portrayal, in particular, made me happy. Wish the other story had been nearly as solid.
May 27, 2025
I didn't finish reading this. I couldn't do it. I can only hope there's some sort of plot twist towards the end explaining why 99% of the Justice League were acting like total idiots through most of this, but I just do not have the fortitude to tough it out and find out for myself. I have other things I would like to read that will hopefully feel less like shoving my brain through a cheese grater.
I feel like if you can't write a story highlighting Wonder Woman without making everyone else around her act so stupid and out of character that they're barely recognizable, then maybe someone else should be writing the comic book.
I feel like if you can't write a story highlighting Wonder Woman without making everyone else around her act so stupid and out of character that they're barely recognizable, then maybe someone else should be writing the comic book.
October 18, 2021
That Issue #52….
April 3, 2024
Pretty rough stuff.
July 1, 2021
I'm not exactly sure why, but this Volume of Justice League felt very childish to me. Almost like the characters didn't have a lot of depth and were just going through the motions. It's odd for this feeling to come up because there is actually a fair amount of moral choices in this Volume, so in a way it feels more mature, but somehow isn't. Kind of hard to explain... (My mind is saying "Good actors, bad script"... though not sure why.)
Brief Highlights:
- "The Rule" - The JL is out in space and they intercept a distress call. On board the ship are younglings from the Trotha species. When the League takes them home, they stumble upon a war torn society. In their typical "save the day" attitude, they end up being setup as the new rulers of the society. Wonder Woman refuses to join: "Heroes lead by example, not by command." In the end, peace is achieved, but only have unravelling the machinations of the former ruler and overcoming a society's faction divides.
- "The Garden of Mercy" - On their way home, the JL Ship encounters a space parasite ("The Black Mercy") who infects each of the members a different way. We primarily get to Batman's encounter, where the alien is trying to show Bruce a world where his parents survived, in order to get him to let his guard down. He fights his way through, as do they all, but it does give him a lot to think about from a tower in Gotham.
Justice League next goes onto the "Future State" event, and I am curious as to how that will unfurl, before we ultimately probable go back to another restart and another Volume 1.... ugh...
Still recommend, but with some slight issues in mind.
Brief Highlights:
- "The Rule" - The JL is out in space and they intercept a distress call. On board the ship are younglings from the Trotha species. When the League takes them home, they stumble upon a war torn society. In their typical "save the day" attitude, they end up being setup as the new rulers of the society. Wonder Woman refuses to join: "Heroes lead by example, not by command." In the end, peace is achieved, but only have unravelling the machinations of the former ruler and overcoming a society's faction divides.
- "The Garden of Mercy" - On their way home, the JL Ship encounters a space parasite ("The Black Mercy") who infects each of the members a different way. We primarily get to Batman's encounter, where the alien is trying to show Bruce a world where his parents survived, in order to get him to let his guard down. He fights his way through, as do they all, but it does give him a lot to think about from a tower in Gotham.
Justice League next goes onto the "Future State" event, and I am curious as to how that will unfurl, before we ultimately probable go back to another restart and another Volume 1.... ugh...
Still recommend, but with some slight issues in mind.
October 18, 2021
Demorei um tanto para investir nas mensais da Liga da Justiça, que trouxeram essas histórias nos seus núemros 5 e 6. Mas eu tinha a sensação de que o roteirista Simon Spurrier não iria me decepcionar. E estava certo. O britânico traz uma história diferente da Liga da Justiça, em que nossos heróis vão para o espaço salvar um planeta, mas acabam confundidos pelos aspectos culturais do planeta e acabam provocando mais guerra do que paz. A Mulher-Maravilha toma destaque nessa história, buscando um approuch diferente dos demais heróis e acaba tendo sucesso. Um ótimo arco, que nos deixa com muitas dúvidas sobre como nossa sociedade é conduzida. Em seguida, temos o arco Jardim da Clemência, por Jeff Loveness. Embora eu ache a planta Clemência Negra um ótimo dispositivo narrativo criado por Alan Moore, não me parece que ela foi bem usada nas duas edições que compõem a história. A impressão que dá é que essas ediçõe serviram apenas como um tapa-buraco para que as próximas histórias, ligadas com Death Metal fossem encaixadas com mais precisão. Assim, acaba puxando a nota do encadernado para baixo.
April 8, 2022
Ok, so basically two stories spread over 5 issues in one volume.
First three issues was the first story. Which was just all over the place. Like, why was it even written? Nothing gripping, just JL members griping about ethics and morality and punching stuff and rush story and suddenly it was all over, conveniently wrapped up, the heroes remember they have lives to live on Earth, how long they gon do this alien stuff?? Like, seriously, how does Kent get his salary if he's away for so long?? 🤣 Doesn't Barry work with the police or something??? He didn't inherit billions like some heroes we know! 😅
Second story (last 2 issues) was short and sweet. Had a deus ex machina, but, I won't complain. It was more a Batman story. I like when writers go into the mind of that man, sigh. There's this part where you just know he's going to be the one to save all of the Justice League BECAUSE HE'S BATMAN and then, suddenly...!
Good stuff that second story.
First three issues was the first story. Which was just all over the place. Like, why was it even written? Nothing gripping, just JL members griping about ethics and morality and punching stuff and rush story and suddenly it was all over, conveniently wrapped up, the heroes remember they have lives to live on Earth, how long they gon do this alien stuff?? Like, seriously, how does Kent get his salary if he's away for so long?? 🤣 Doesn't Barry work with the police or something??? He didn't inherit billions like some heroes we know! 😅
Second story (last 2 issues) was short and sweet. Had a deus ex machina, but, I won't complain. It was more a Batman story. I like when writers go into the mind of that man, sigh. There's this part where you just know he's going to be the one to save all of the Justice League BECAUSE HE'S BATMAN and then, suddenly...!
Good stuff that second story.
August 11, 2022
Two arcs in here. One where the league meets a world of two warring factions and they don't understand their customs so they make it worse and this happens a hundred times until the find the baddie and trick them into confessing in front of the planet. It's been done.
Arc two is that plant that attaches to you and makes you dream your dream life while the plant eats you and this story has been overdone a million times, so please don't give me another.
Arc two is that plant that attaches to you and makes you dream your dream life while the plant eats you and this story has been overdone a million times, so please don't give me another.
March 29, 2023
This was solid, if unspectacular, volume. We have two warring alien races and when the Justice League gets involved they find out they are facing cultural differences that are difficult to navigate. I saw some allegory in this story that was probably intentional. The second story story dealt with Black Mercy, a parasitic alien plant that lets victims live out their dreams in their minds as it slowly drains them of life.
I liked it, but it felt a little like filler.
I liked it, but it felt a little like filler.
November 22, 2025
This was weird but I really liked a lot of the concepts, Wonder Woman's stance in the first story focused on a subject I always find fascinating in Comics and I appreciated how they approached most of it, though it did make the rest of the league seem far less intelligent, even emotionally intelligent and I know that they are. Still, I also enjoyed the Black Mercy's discussion with Batman, so I had to round up.
January 6, 2022
Well Done
Great job on tying in the cartoon. I remember watching the episode and BM and WW showing up at the fortress on Clarks bday. WW was like, Bruce did you give him money? Well what do you give the man who has everything??? This was a great story. Please write for Mr Terrific!
Great job on tying in the cartoon. I remember watching the episode and BM and WW showing up at the fortress on Clarks bday. WW was like, Bruce did you give him money? Well what do you give the man who has everything??? This was a great story. Please write for Mr Terrific!
December 18, 2022
3.5 stars.
Some good themes explored, but not the most artistically done. Weird again that this happens between Doom War and Death Metal. Also the black mercy story felt very out of left field, though I liked what it had to offer overall more than the first story. Also just am not a fan of such a small JL team still.
Some good themes explored, but not the most artistically done. Weird again that this happens between Doom War and Death Metal. Also the black mercy story felt very out of left field, though I liked what it had to offer overall more than the first story. Also just am not a fan of such a small JL team still.
January 3, 2023
Super quick read as it covers only five issues (granted one is a double-sized anniversary issue) and just two overall storylines. I did enjoy the Aaron Lopresti artwork on the first story (three issues). However, these basically read like filler tales and, as with last volume, only using five League members (which gets boring really quickly).
March 3, 2024
So boring! A dull space opera with oversimplified Civil War, Romeo and Juliet plots, followed by a Black Mercy two-parter with none of the character development we usually get with the fantasy stories associated with that space parasite, this felt like a book stumbling after losing the direction of writer Rob Venditti in the last collection.
August 17, 2021
What can I say? This series is right off the rails. If you want to write deep political philosophy then feel free to write it. But maybe comic book superheroes aren't the right vessel for the message? Just saying. Very disappointing.
October 29, 2021
2.5
The Justice League has spent too much time in space at this point. The heroes are out of character. And we don’t need a sequel to one of the greatest Superman stories ever.
In short this is likely a fill in between creative teams that feels abs reads like a fill in.
The Justice League has spent too much time in space at this point. The heroes are out of character. And we don’t need a sequel to one of the greatest Superman stories ever.
In short this is likely a fill in between creative teams that feels abs reads like a fill in.
November 12, 2021
This had a lot of philosophical questions, which I really enjoyed. I liked the second arc (with the dream paradise) more than the main story, but both were still good.
April 28, 2022
The characterization and pacing of the first three issues are inconsistent, but the last two issues (by Loveness and Rocha) are stronger.
June 21, 2022
I enjoyed the latter half more. Especially the Garden of Hell story. The glimpse into what Batman could be and the thought that the villain would reveal or prompt a needed change.
March 17, 2024
Extra star for the Black Mercy issue at the end.
August 8, 2024
Ho hum.
This didn't even make it to mediocrity. It was half assed mediocrity. This was something you could have seen on Superfriends in the early 70's. Shallow and superficial.
This didn't even make it to mediocrity. It was half assed mediocrity. This was something you could have seen on Superfriends in the early 70's. Shallow and superficial.
April 11, 2025
The last two issues in the volume are really good but the others aren’t.
July 26, 2023
48-50, The Rule, ☆☆☆
51-52, Garden of Mercy, ☆☆☆☆☆
51-52, Garden of Mercy, ☆☆☆☆☆
June 2, 2021
My only complaint is how short it was. Consisting of only five issues, this collection covers two stories. The first is well written. The second is fine, though very brief. Overall I was pleased with the stories and the artwork. I'm hoping the next instalment will have a little more meat on its bones.
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