Justice League Of America [The New 52] Volume 1: World’s Most Dangerous by Geoff Johns, David Finch, Brett Booth and Doug Mahnke (graphic novel review).
America is very concerned about the Justice League, particularly because there is evidence of Superman and Wonder Woman having an affair and that he might adopt some of her attitudes in changing the world. Basically, they have no defense if the Justice League goes rogue. Amanda Waller is assembling a team, aptly named the Justice League of America, and wants Steve Trevor to serve as de facto leader.
This new team consists of the Martian Manhunter, Hawkman, Green Arrow, Vibe, Katana, and Green Lantern Simon Baz, with Stargirl serving as the spokeswoman due to her media presence and popularity. Due to her criminal background, Catwoman is kept primarily in the background. Steve Trevor also points out that Hawkman and Katana are known killers, but he reluctantly agrees to lead them.
The kidnapping of Catwoman by the Society of Super-Villains adds to the confusion, and the spoilers don’t help either. I’m still trying to figure out how the Martian Manhunter can be in two places at the same time, even though a few stories about his past are revealed at the back of the book.
We also get a couple parts of The Trinity War # 2 & #4, with no explanation of how what happened, only what is inferred in the story. There is a little investigation there, and it is available separately, so it looks like I will have to track down to find out what happened. We also meet the spooky-looking Dark Justice League.
As noted above, the end of this graphic novel focuses on the Martian Manhunter, who really is more powerful than Superman, and not only because he is also a shapeshifter. His fear of fire stems more from a trauma than a specific weakness. This has always been a flaw in the original run from the 1960s onward. The characters were essentially powerhouses with no apparent weaknesses that could be exploited, necessitating the creation of such weaknesses as the Green Lantern’s power ring’s inability to work against anything yellow or the Manhunter’s fear of fire. It took some time to explain why these characters were so powerful. At least the New 52 has given this more thought.
I’m still a bit undecided on this book. No doubt the second volume will reveal more. I believe the introduction of the JLA to the Justice League, along with their purpose, occurred prematurely. However, it could have been challenging to conceal them for an extended period, given their dissimilarity to the Suicide Squad. You can’t help wondering how far Amanda Waller’s mental manipulation goes.
GF Willmetts
August 2024
(pub: DC Comics, 2013. 224 page graphic novel. Price: varies. ISBN: 978-1-40124-689-1)
check out website: www.dc.com
