Sunday, November 16, 2014

Justice League: Cry for Justice by James Robinson, Sterling Gates, Len Wein, Mark Waid, Mauro Cascioli (Illustrator), Scott Clark (Illustrator), Federico Dallocchio (Illustrator), Mark Bagley (Illustrator) , Don Kramer (Illustrator), Ardian Syaf (Illustrator), Scott McDaniel (Illustrator)

Justice League: Cry for JusticeJustice League: Cry for Justice by James Robinson
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This was nearly a four star read for me on the strength of the story with Roy Harper and the Justice League and the truly despicable villain Prometheus. He is not only a formidable supervillain but he is also maliciously psychopathic but in a very methodical way. The Justice League underestimated him to their detriment, and he wreaks serious havoc as a result. I read Justice League: Rise and Fall first, so I'm glad I ended up finding this and getting some background on the events in "Rise and Fall." I'm really surprised that Prometheus doesn't get more buzz in the comic book world. He's like a dark Batman and he's super, duper evil. Yet I hadn't even heard of the guy until I read about him on DC Wikia a few months ago.

The reason why I couldn't give this four stars right out is because some parts are a bit hokey and confusing. I didn't like how each person who experiences personal loss due to Prometheus ( and some that are having some misgivings about how non-lethal the Justice League's approach to villains is) issue a 'cry for justice', well it just seemed a bit cheesy to me. Also, Congorilla? What a strange superhero. I was thinking, are you for real? Your mileage may vary.

I have a huge crush on Green Arrow (definitely top five favorite comic book characters), and he's in this a lot, so yay. He shows a lot of loyalty to his friend and co-Leaguer Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), based on their very strong friendship. In the end, he also becomes even more pivotal to this story because of what happens with Prometheus and Roy Harper (his sidekick Red Arrow aka Arsenal aka Speedy).

I also admit to having some confusion about some aspects of the story. I went to my trusty DC Wikia to get some clarification, and that definitely helps.

One of the things I really liked about this book was the artwork. I felt the characters were excellently rendered, and the colors were beautiful. Graphic Novels are inherently visual, and that is such a crucial component that I definitely grade hard on the art. The art in this one stands up very well overall.

Ultimately, this is one of those books that ends up with a half star review, due to the positives and negatives. 3.5/5.0 stars is my rating for "Cry for Justice."

View all my reviews

No comments: