Justice League Unlimited #18 review

Letting villains join Justice League Unlimited is a terrible idea

Justice League Unlimited #18 is my favourite issue of the series so far.

A day in the life issue, writer Mark Waid uses it as an opportunity to address the questions that would arise when a society for good opens its doors to people who have done evil things. Many evil things. Which is why it’s a case of Justice League Incredulity – everyone below the ‘senior leadership’ level – Batman, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, Black Lightning – has questions.

Plastic Man points out that heroes can start out as scumbags – he certainly did. And Black Lightning looks after a few other points.

Also, there’s a Phantom Zone catapult for baddies who misbehave, and to avoid panic, the public aren’t being told about the scheme while it’s in Beta.

Have Giganta and Green Arrow Jr had run-ins? Happily, when they’re sent to Bialya to rescue scientists from terrorists with Aquaman, Starro, Kid Flash, Dr Occult, Captain Atom, Wildcat and Lex Luthor, they get down to business with no issues. Wildcat, though, has questions for the bad bald boffin.

Meanwhile, an all-good-guy group are setting off on a secret-ish mission.

Meanwhile again, an all-good-guy group are setting off on a secret-ish mission.

And that’s how Booster, Mary and J’onn wind up in Smallville in Action Comics.

So yes, I liked this issue a lot, give me superheroes chatting and a bit of a fight, and I’m happy. Said tussle gives artist Clayton Henry a chance to show off what a talent he has for dynamic movement.

He also gets to show off his humour chops with a Ted Kord and Guy Gardner scene that could’ve come from the Kevin Maguire Justice League. What’s more, Henry has a real facility for cape draping, as seen with his Air Wave and Martian Manhunter. As for Henry’s Metamorpho…

… hang on, where is the Element Man? Mr Terrific says he’s on the Oa mission, we see the spacecraft after take off, but there’s no sight of Rex Mason.

Meanwhile, Aquaman, recently upgraded to god-level, is in the depths of space in his own title, which takes place at the same time as this series. And yet here he is in Bialya, holding Starro’s interest.

Not speaking, and not seeming especially godlike. Hmm.

I was wondering if Waid was mixing up Hawkgirl and Hawkwoman, the latter being a Thanagarian used to flying spaceships and the former a dead film student. Then I remembered what a mess Hawkgirl Kendra Saunders’ history is, with a stint as Lady Blackhawk in there, so, pass.

Also, I had been asking why heroes who were present when Superman said he was going off on a mission were subsequently looking for him. This issue is where we get the answer, and I rather like Booster’s justification.

As for the supervillain amnesty bit, I’m glad to see we have some in-story safeguards, but I can certainly see the odd villain deciding offing a hero or two is worth a trip to the Phantom Zone – as deterrents go, it’s not up there with head bombs.

What I’d like to see come out of all this is JLU membership for Giganta. She flirted with being a good gal way back in Ryan Choi’s All-New Atom series and, well, I like her.

So, the story is fun-packed, the art is gorgeous. I can also say the colours by Tamra Bonvillain and letters of Ariana Maher are first-rate.

It all adds up to a jolly good read. Stick that on the cover, DC!

But not on this issue’s cover, which is busy enough already. Dan Mora’s illustration isn’t up to his usual standard; there’s a decent concept – hero arguing with villain before the eyes of the world – but not a great composition. It’s far too cluttered with wave after wave of cameras and characters.

Maybe next month’s cover will be better. I’ll certainly be here to find out. Or maybe it’ll be Metamorpho…