For those who have kept up with the current Gotham by Gaslight series, and my reviews of it, you should know one thing: this series has felt like continual set up. The whole first 6 issue miniseries felt like set up for the Justice League, and the first issue of A League for Justice felt like set up for the League’s first fight. So now, in the second issue of the second series, we might have arrived at a payoff. Heck, I might even have more positive thoughts than usual this time!
The one we’ve all been waiting for
Every issue of this series that I have read has felt like set up. I have made no secret of these feelings. So it is an incredible relief to read this issue and be thoroughly entertained throughout, with only very minor gripes. All this time setting up the pieces allows us to have a very action packed issue, with an air of mystery throughout thanks to all the prep.
The thing that is immediately noticeable to me, is characters that have sometimes been moreso in the background have now come to the front. The one who I feel does this the most? Martian Manhunter. He begins the issue by clearing up one of the earliest mysteries presented to us in the series. What exactly was the Kryptonian Age? It isn’t too exposition heavy and only lasts a couple of pages. It’s just nice to see Fernandez draw something a bit more Sci-Fi as well as the standard Wild West and Victorian architecture we’ve seen so far.
I think one of the best scenes in the whole issue comes to us courtesy of the Martian. In an attempt to stop Luthor in his giant mech, J’onn peers into his mind and we get this really cool sequence in his mind palace. It’s exactly the type of action I want from this series. In that era, Luthor has no technological solution to deal with mind readers, so he uses meditative techniques. Awesome stuff!
Batter up
Aside from that telepathic encounter, the League’s first team up fight is a really fun read. All the characters are quite developed by this point, so it’s very enjoyable to see the hit something big for a change. Diggle is also very good at showing how experienced the different members are during this fight. Green Lantern coming in to save MM, Wonder Woman coordinating an attack with Supes, and Batman coming in at the end for a more face to face chat with Luthor. Well, more like blade to neck chat.
The structure of this book helps it feel much more episodic than it’s ever been. The last 6 issues always felt like a small slice from a much bigger story whereas this is a satisfying read on its own, with a tease of whats to come during the epilogue. Which may I add, was relief to see wasn’t Doomsday or Darkseid related.
Recommended If
- Wild West Justices League punches big train mech
- You’re interested in seeing a cool psychic sequence
- It’s a good place to jump into the series. Maybe even moreso than the first issue.
Overall
This is exactly what I’ve wanted to see from this series the whole time! Hey it only took… 7 issues to get here. In all seriousness, the setup those 7 issues do is very important but is probably best read in one go rather than monthly. All in all, a good, well paced issue. Let’s how they keep up the good work!
Score: 8/10
DC Comics have provided advance copies of books for review.
English (US) · 