Posted in: Comics, Review | Tagged: Alex Sinclair, brad anderson, bryan hitch, Comics, dc, Fernando Pasarin, HRL, jl, justice league, oclair albert, reviews

Justice League #26 Review: Setting Up An Intriguing Dark Future

Published Fri, 04 Aug 2017 14:30:49 -0500

by Joe Glass

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Justice League #26 starts a new story, Legacy, in the series, written by Bryan Hitch with art by Fernando Pasarin, Oclair Albert, and Brad Anderson. It's a very interesting and intriguing setup too, as we meet the children of the Justice League in some new dystopian view of tomorrow.

Mount Olympus has been relocated to New York City. The earth is razed. Faces we know are twisted into dark versions of themselves. And we meet the group of young characters claiming to be the children of the Justice League.

Much of the issue is spent in this dark vision of the future and with these new characters, as we learn more about them and their relationships. It makes for fun reading, as we get some fun banter and intriguing clues and events that may suggest what led to this world.

We have a Wonder Woman/Superman son, a magic using Atlantean queen, a female Flash, a human-looking nanotechnology infused cybernetic teenager, and two mysterious teens who sport Green Lantern symbols, and yet use the red and yellow light of the Red and Yellow Lanterns instead.

These elements are intriguing. How did we get here? Who and what are these kids exactly? And how is it all connected to the Justice League — is it something they did, or rather something they didn't do?

This issue lays all the groundwork for this without being annoying or withholding too much, instead it gives us just enough to be drawn in and want more, exactly as it should be.

It's good to see. Personally, I didn't care much for Hitch's characterisation of the League in his series, as some of his characters felt a little off. So to have this story focus on new characters feels fresh and more inviting, and I have enjoyed it a lot more. In fact, the issue overall is written very well, and the last page, while perhaps obvious, would have packed plenty of dramatic punch if it weren't for DC's decision to spoil it as part of their preview for the issue.

(Honestly, the opening three pages or penultimate four pages prior to the final one would have made for strong previews to draw readers in, so I really can't make any sense of the logic there).

The issue's art by Pasarin, Albert and Anderson is absolutely gorgeous. Solid, detailed and with a great use of expression and poise to create some solid work on superhero action or just superhero posing-around. This issue just simply looks beautiful.

This arc certainly has me interested and hooked to keep reading, particularly as the philosophical debate appears to be coming up: what does the Justice League actually change by saving the day from alien invasions, but not stepping into human conflicts? Should the heroes do more than just preserve the status quo? Will it be their inaction or a decision to take action that causes this dark future reality?

That will be fun to see.

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