I Reads You Review: JUSTICE LEAGUE #7

JUSTICE LEAGUE #7
DC COMICS – @DCComics

WRITER: Geoff Johns
PENCILS: Gene Ha
COLORS: Art Lyon
LETTERS: Patrick Brosseau
COVER: Jim Lee and Scott Williams, with Alex Sinclair
VARIANT COVER: Gary Frank with Brad Anderson
40pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

Rated “T” for Teen

“The Villain’s Journey” Prologue

Why am I just reviewing the seventh issue Justice League now? This month will see the eleventh issue published since #7 first appeared. Well, the reason is a compilation of excuses: infrequent trips to a not-near-enough local comic book shop (LCS), finances, time, acquisition, etc. You might add that I was reluctant to read an issue of The New 52 Justice League that Jim Lee did not draw. That’s a shame because this issue’s artist, Gene Ha, delivers some nice looking pages.

Justice League #7 opens in present day Baltimore, Maryland. An army biological warfare specialist named Dr. Samuel Street was exposed to the “Spore” virus. Now, Street is a villain called “Spore,” and he creates “Seeds,” which are mindless flesh-eating creatures that he can control telepathically. Plus, Street/Spore is holding his ex-wife hostage. Enter the Justice League: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Flash, and Cyborg.

This story has a second focus, Colonel Steve Trevor. Wonder Woman’s would-be lover, Trevor is head of A.R.G.U.S. – Advanced Research Group Uniting Super Humans. A.R.G.U.S. is both a support group for the Justice League and an intermediary between the League and the U.S. government. Now, Trevor faces a Congressional debriefing, and these members of Congress want answers.

I think this issue stands out because of the focus on Steve Trevor. Writer Geoff Johns gives us the same action and squabbling that he has written into the Justice League since the series’ re-launched back in 2011. Johns gets personal with Trevor, showing both the man of action and the man who is a good boss and a lovesick puppy. Gene Ha is the right artist for Trevor’s story, and he certainly does some good action scenes for the League. Still, Ha’s subtle touch in drawing faces better serves this character focus on Steve Trevor.

Justice League #7 has a back-up feature. Once again, DC Comics is trying to do something with Shazam-Captain Marvel. This time with Johns and artist Gary Frank, and perhaps I can say that maybe it works a little better than the previous efforts over the last 30 years. But in the long term, dark Captain Marvel just won’t work. There is something inherent in the character that suggests light-hearted fantasy. DC and its writers just don’t seem to have the imagination, with a few exceptions, to do anything really interesting with this character.

B+

[Justice League currently includes a Shazam back-up story by Geoff Johns (writer), Gary Frank (artist), Brad Anderson (colors), and Nick J. Napolitano (letters).]

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux