Now that the events of Drowned Earth has been resolved, what are the Legion of Doom up to this time?
While the rest of the heroes were battling sea gods and aliens, the Legion of Doom have decided to open up their ranks in the same way that the League has done with their own. But the Joker is suspicious of Luthor’s plans and his suspicious conversations with the Batman Who Laughs prompting Joker to make a decision that will affect the entire team.
Will the Joker remain with the Legion of Doom? Who will be the new recruits now that Black Manta has disappeared from the ranks? And what is it that Luthor is planning for the rest of the Legion?
In this issue Tynion zeroes in on what makes the Joker and Lex tick and whether or not they are smarter than the other. For me, this issue was an interesting read seeing that Lex Luthor appreciates the kind of thoughtful work that the Joker puts into creating the kinds of traps and contraptions that he makes and then hilariously calling it a waste due to its small design in comparison to the grand scheme of things. The great thing about Tynion’s writing in this issue is that he really capitalizes on the intelligence of two madmen and the lengths that they are willing to go to achieve their individual goals. There are moments that Tynion provides readers where Lex and Joker try to outwit one another which is actually just as enjoyable as the usual stuff that Tynion and Snyder tend to write for the heroes.
One of Tynion’s strengths tends to be writing a cast of characters that tend to have a sense of appeal (both his work on Detective Comics and Justice League Dark are testaments to that) and this issue is no exception. Hilariously enough when fans speculated at the beginning of this Justice League series that Joker being apart of the Legion of Doom was an odd choice due to how much of a wild card he is that it didn’t make sense to the nature of the character, well Tynion actually displays and explores that facet of the Joker, showcasing why the Joker joined the Legion in the first place, which proved to be a trait that fits in line with the character’s profile and given what occurred since Dark Nights Metal Tynion also displays why the Joker decides to butt heads with Lex and the rest of the Legion. Tynion provides some answers to some clues that have been floating around since the beginning of this series, providing a name of an entity that resides within the Totality among other things and sets the stage for the next issue that’ll surprise readers as they read all the way to the final pages!
In the art department, it’s safe to say that Guillem March does not disappoint! His figures all feel larger than life, powerful and imposing, demanding the reader’s attention with a villainous grip! What’s interesting to see is how March illustrates Lex Luthor since the last time I’ve seen him draw Luthor was during Dan Jurgen’s Action Comics “Only Human” arc where Lex was last seen as a hero before falling back into his villainous ways. During that Action Comics arc, Lex Luthor’s eyebrows were more clean, and sharp implying that he’s a clean and good individual where in this issue that Guillem guests as the artist, displays Lex with some bushy eyebrows, that suggests a more villainous appearance since Lex Luthor is no longer a hero anymore.
Gilliam’s attention to detail is enjoyable to see especially in artwork aside from the issue as a whole. The way he illustrates each member of the Legion of Doom with attention to detail for every character, even giving them different heights and facial features, it’s all enjoyable especially when he illustrates the Joker who’s grimace looks as awesome while simultaneously terrifying. There are some cool action set pieces where the Legion of Doom are engaged in an all-out fight that makes each page and panel a delight to read through, making each page a worthy page turner. Prianto’s coloring goes beautifully with March’s pencil and inks which is no surprise why they make a great artist and colorist duo especially for an issue such as this one.
This is a fun issue full of twists and turns and gives new light to the Joker and Luthor that will be the talk of the week and possibly for the final weeks of 2018. Definitely an issue worth adding to the pull list and a good jumping on point for the next upcoming arc!
Newsdesk