“To be torn from…your home against your will…imprisoned and abandoned on another planet for years and years…can you imagine my suffering?”
Darkseid may be dead, but his soldiers still do his bidding. After their first encounter with an enigmatic organization known as the Inferno, the League becomes sidetracked as they send a more focused strike team of heroes to investigate an infestation of Parademons in Costa Rica. With the disappearance of Jaime Reyes, the invasive species is found to be stealing children under the orders of a familiar but unique adversary. Meanwhile, the atoms worked to fix the power-swapping problem, but the results were less than satisfactory.
To paraphrase Dr. Occult, this team really hits the ground running. And in my humble opinion, that is the best way to have a Justice League book. With the tone and structure of an episode of the show from which it gets its name, Justice League Unlimited #2 gets right into the action with an added dash of horror, starting off with a page of a wounded Blue Beetle being dragged off into darkness to set the scene.
While the first issue laid the groundwork for the team’s structure and was more intent on making a first issue splash, this one focuses on establishing the narrative structure more acutely and, in doing so, has proved to be about as close to its namesake animated series as it can get. With respect to its cold, open, and ongoing plots, this issue successfully marries the twenty-page part comic and the twenty-minute cartoon. It even goes as far as to feature a prominent Martian Manhunter plotline early on, much like the show’s opening arc.
So, by all accounts, this series is shaping up to really feel like it could be the ideal spiritual successor, but is it worthy of such a claim? As of yet, the series still needs to totally find its footing beyond the unlimited premise. However, Waid mixes the scale of the show with the pacing and wit from his work on JLA, which is an exceedingly strong way to start.
The League strikes. Credit: DC Comics
One of the best things about comic books is the ability to casually crossover characters and make them team up for the fun of it, even if just for one brief moment. The expansive nature of the book gives the creative team infinite potential for entertaining interactions on League missions. Whether it’s along the lines of Mary Marvel bonding with Wonder Woman over their pantheons or loosely tying Dr. Occult to the earthly origin of J’onn J’onzz, Mark Waid understands how to scratch that itch. While I would define such things as gravy to the fans they appeal to (everyone has their niches), it adds personality and personability to a massive cast of characters that could otherwise be lost to the background. We’re following the people on a team rather than the team itself, which many team books can easily lose track of.
At this point, it is difficult to find new compliments for the work of Dan Mora, as he never ceases to amaze with the inclining quality of his work from issue to issue, no matter what his subject is. Worthy of particular focus in this issue would be his very Jim Lee-esque Batman, the vampiric framing of the Parademons, and the claustrophobic nature of the action sequences; the lattermost is a welcome subversion to the first issue’s scale in respect to having such powerful characters at play, especially when midnight creature feature elements are so present here.
As it switches gear moving forward, this sophomore issue further proves that this series is a necessary breath of fresh air for the Justice League laced with familiarity, going far beyond simply filling the void left by Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Though it is still in the setup phase of the arc, Waid, Mora, and Bonvillain continue to flex their creative muscles in this issue with worthwhile character interactions, action-heavy art accentuated with a fun monster movie vibe and setup for compelling mysteries that are personal to the Leaguers and could prove catastrophic to the team. January can’t come soon enough!
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