Things are bad. With public and member perception of the Justice League’s supervillain amnesty program plummeting and their power bank officially MIA, the team has a massive PR disaster on its hands. However, the birth of a planet populated by superpowered dinosaurs as well as the reemergence of Brainiac Queen sends things from bad to worse. Will the League and their parolees be able to stop a Brainiac construct hellbent on finding one thing:
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SPOILERS AHEAD for Justice League Unlimited #20!
Wonderfully illustrated by Dan Mora and Fico Ossio, Justice League Unlimited #20 is an entertaining clash of egos. This issue’s success is due in large part to Mark Waid’s characterization of all the main players. Waid absolutely nails Batman and Luthor and wisely allows these two geniuses to chew up every sequence they’re in. Moreover, the story’s b-plot, following Mr. Terrific, Guy Gardner, Metamorpho, and Hawkgirl as they escape Powers Planet, promises to be thrilling sci-fi fun. However, none of this would be as successful without Dan Mora and Fico Ossio on art. This issue’s script does an excellent job of allowing the artwork to tell the story without beating the reader over the head with superfluous narration and dialogue.
One of the things that I lauded in last week’s issue of Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #52 was Waid’s spot-on characterization. This remains true with this week’s issue of Justice League Unlimited #20. Picking up from last week’s shocking reveal that Brainiac Queen has returned via digital possession of Air Wave’s body and procuring new body parts via the Watchtower, this issue finds Batman and the rest of the League in full-on crisis-aversion mode. Mark Waid’s Batman and Lex Luthor throughout these sequences are absolutely pitch-perfect.
True to character, Batman’s distrust of Luthor leads to friction as he shuts down the villains’ every attempt to help deal with the Brainiac Construct. Likewise, Luthor’s smug satisfaction at one-upping the Dark Knight and finding a way to circumvent direct orders and still help is spot on. It is a true joy to watch these characters play off each other. A large portion of this issue’s success is due to the conflict between these two characters. Waid does an excellent job of allowing this conflict as well as Lex’s hubris to drive the narrative forward.
Throughout the conflict with Brainiac Queen, Air Wave constantly reaches out to convince the villain to hear the League’s side of the story. Despite the young hero’s success in convincing Brainiac Queen to listen, Luthor strikes the villain with a powerful blast from his gauntlet. This act stokes the fire of distrust and eventually leads to the Brainiac construct’s escape. Luthor’s misguided act of heroism foreshadows the inevitable downfall of supervillain amnesty by proving all the naysayers correct.
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One of my favorite aspects of Justice League Unlimited #20 is how Waid’s script allows Mora and Ossio’s gorgeous artwork to tell the story without the need for unnecessary exposition. The one sequence that stands out as an exemplar is the one in which Batman arrives to help take down the Brainiac Queen. The visuals depict Batman running toward the Watchtower’s armory to smash the Gamma Gong. Batman never needs to state what he’s doing or expound upon the purpose of the Gamma Gong. We gather it all from dynamic visuals and Batman’s command, “Shifting all comms to noise cancellation mode! Stand by!” This sequence is an excellent exemplar of the adage: “Show, don’t tell.”
I have always loved Dan Mora’s artwork. Ossio does an exceptional job illustrating this issue as well. I would be lying if I said you couldn’t tell the difference between the two, but Tamra Bonvillain’s colors do an excellent job maintaining a visual consistency between the two artists. There are various points where it is incredibly difficult to tell when the two artists switch.
I think my only real complaint with Justice League Unlimited #20 is its lack of focus on the B-story surrounding Mister Terrific, Guy Gardner, Metamorpho, and Hawkgirl. Despite being featured on the cover, this group of heroes has little to do beyond preparing for the onslaught of superpowered dinosaurs. This is such a small complaint, as the rest of the team’s focus on Brainiac Queen deserves the spotlight. At this point, the conflict with Brainiac Queen plays more into the overarching conflict regarding supervillain amnesty. Although I am excited to see our heroes clash with a planet of superpowered dinosaurs.
Gorgeously illustrated by Dan Mora and Fico Ossio, Justice League Unlimited #20 is an entertaining clash of egos. Mark Waid’s characterization of all the main players is the true star of this show. Waid’s Batman and Luthor are outstanding. These two geniuses chew up every sequence they’re in. Moreover, the story’s B-plot following Mr. Terrific, Guy Gardner, Metamorpho, and Hawkgirl as they escape Powers Planet promises to be exciting. However, none of this would be as successful without Dan Mora and Fico Ossio’s artwork. This issue’s script does an excellent job of allowing the art to convey the action without the need for superfluous exposition.
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