Comic Review: Justice League #18 (DC Comics)

Thanks to the Legion of Doom, Perpetua has been set free but a problem still occurs as her mind is left dormant, unable to awaken. Lex Luthor decides to join minds with Brainiac, utilizing Brainiac’s vast knowledge of the universe and Luthor’s discoveries of Perpetua, they could succeed in awakening Perpetua’s consciousness. But it appears that Brainiac has plans of his own, and is willing to exact revenge upon Luthor to achieve them. Will Brainiac succeed in taking over Luthor and the Legion of Doom? Can Luthor fend of Brainiac’s neurological ambush? Who will come out as the Victor?

Tynion is usually the writer that writes the Legion of Doom chapters of the Justice League title. But I feel that this was probably the best Legion of Doom chapter by far due to the insight that Tynion provides in regards to Lex Luthor, and his connection to the Totality through his father. What’s most interesting is how Luthor’s father Lionel, and the Legionnaires Club have heavy ties to the chain of events that have occurred throughout the series. It’s a satisfying roller coaster ride full of interesting twists and turns that give readers old and new a different perspective on Lex Luthor and his upbringing. Tynion has a strong handle on Lex Luthor as a character, and how he is able to juggle the clash of personalities that occur between Brainiac and Luthor is both entertaining and engaging.

What surprised me the most is how invested I became in Lex Luthor’s conviction towards his mission and how it parallels his father. during DC Rebirth (post-Forever Evil and Darkseid War), I was enjoying Lex Luthor’s role as a hero since it gave a different view of the characters and made for interesting stories that was worth reading. So when Lex Luthor retreaded back to being a supervillain, I wasn’t as ecstatic about it due to the transition (which I’ve talked about many times in my earlier reviews of this series). But over the course of this series, both Tynion and Snyder have managed to retain the reader’s interest and making Luthor a compelling villain that made his journey back to villainy worth the read. It’s off said that the best villains are the ones that believe they are doing things for the greater good, and Tynion has convinced me that with this issue, they are accomplishing that more and more.

I was surprised to see that Pasqual Ferry was illustrating this issue given that I’ve mostly been familiar with his work over at Marvel. But surprisingly, I enjoyed his artwork in this issue which fit the digital aesthetics that correlated with the narrative. Given that Lex Luthor is communicating with Brainiac in the neurological confines of Brainiac’s mind, I feel that Ferry’s work displayed that cold mindscape really well! I think the best pages (for me personally) are the pages that chronicle the story of Lionel Luthor. Those pages are well drawn and really adds another layer into the history of the Totality and the entirety of this series. Hi-Fi’s colors fit beautifully with Ferry’s artwork, blending beautifully together. And Napolitano’s letters and placement of the dialogue are placed perfectly throughout the book, supporting the visual narrative with the right kind of space for the art to breathe.

I recommend picking up this issue since it provides a good amount exposition to be an easy jumping on point for those who haven’t read the many issues prior. Tynion and co know what they are doing and it shows in the writing. Definitely worth adding to your pull list for new comic Wednesday.