“Trust involves honesty, not secrets. Ask Batgirl, I know how a functioning team works. And this isn’t it”

The JLA face off against Lord Havok and his Extremists. What is the reason for Lord Havok and his follower’s actions in our world, what is their true intentions in regards to earth and its people? Who among his ranks will deceive? And what will the Justice League of America do to prevent Lord Havok’s onslaught?  

Right off the bat, Steve Orlando’s writing of Lord Havok is much more sinister and dangerous than any iteration prior to this version of the character. He is actually far more intimidating and very brutal in his methods towards those who oppose him. Lord Havok’s motivations are actually understandable to a degree, at least with Orlando at the helm of this title, makes this obscure character much more interesting as an antagonist for the protagonists, making Lord Havok almost like a Doctor Doom figure. As for the protagonists, Orlando seems to keep the clash of personalities, the rapport between characters and dynamics which make this specific Justice League title interesting. What makes this issue even more fascinating is that Batman isn’t even front in center, which isn’t a bad thing because Orlando allows for the characters to get some spotlight, with Vixen, Lobo, The Ray, and Black Canary vocalizing their own thoughts and plans.

Felipe Watanabe illustrated this issue and fills in for the shoes of Ivan Reis who illustrated the issue prior. Watanabe’s pencils are solid, although there is one page with Lobo looking a little thin, the rest of his art makes up for it and does its best to keep the narrative flow and story to stay in unison. Scott Hanna’s inks keep Watanabe’s pencils tight and Hi Fi’s colors do its job. Although it isn’t as vibrant as the colors done in the prior issue, it still serves its purpose providing the overall aesthetic. Clayton Cowles letters also do a fine job at providing appropriately placed text. This was a nice issue, not as strong as the first issue, but still, garners interest and promise.

By Anthony Andujar Jr.

Anthony Andujar Jr. is an NYC cartoonist and lover of comics and music. So much so that it led him to writing comic book reviews in between it all.