Justice League Red has been slowly building toward a confrontation between the titular team and Red Tornado, especially as he’s been manipulating them to carry out missions on his behalf. In Justice League Red #5, that confrontation finally happens — but only after JL Red has a disastrous battle with Black Adam, who reveals the depth of the Tornado’s manipulations. Adam surprisingly brings the team together, as they bond over how they’ve been wronged.
This means that Saladin Ahmed has the chance to do some excellent character work. He more than delivers on that front. Whether it’s Cyborg and Simon Baz bonding over being Detroit natives, Power Girl stressing over the burden of leadership, or Red Canary throwing herself into battle, Ahmed shows that this team has truly become a team despite the circumstances that brought them together. The real standout of the group, though, is Deadman. Boston Brand’s always been a character who’s stood on the periphery of the DC Universe, with his skill set mainly used for mystical purposes. Still, here he’s a wisecracking, courageous guy who turns out to be the soul of the team. (Pun absolutely intended.)
While Ahmed excels at writing team-building bonds, he makes the baffling choice to have Black Adam detail to each member how they’ve been manipulated. While he says that he’s been keeping surveillance on them, the level of detail with which he explains the Tornado’s algorithm stretches my suspension of disbelief – and that’s saying something. How exactly was Adam keeping tabs on them? And for that matter, what about the mystical ritual he was supposedly preparing to enact that just gets dropped? It’s a baffling beginning to an otherwise solid comic.
DC
The plotting in Justice League Red #5 might be spotty, but the art definitely isn’t. Clayton Henry’s work remains as sleek as ever, giving the action plenty of weight. Whenever Black Adam throws someone, it feels like they’re actually getting thrown. Power Girl delivers earth-shattering punches while also cutting through foes with her heat vision, showing off the variety of powers she has. Simon’s Green Lantern ring forms constructs that are more like weapons, including a shield he throws and a sword.
Henry also gets the chance to design a new set of foes that the Red Tornado commands, drawing from data he pulled when studying JL Red. These machines vary in size and shape; there’s some that look like regular soldiers, others resembling demonic samurai, and one that’s more or less a giant dragon. All of them carry the same blood red hue as the Tornado, thanks to Arif Prianto’s colors. As for the Tornado himself, he makes an appearance – albeit in a terrifying new form.
Justice League Red #5 has its titular team taking on Red Tornado as they attempt to cut their way out of his web of lies. This series is finally embracing the kind of energy that its initial pitch promised, and I only wish that the next issue wasn’t the last one, as there’s far more stories to tell with this team.
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