Justice League (2018-2022) #68

Justice League (2018) (Single Issues)

by Brian Michael Bendis, Ram V, Jorge Fornés (Cover Art)

THE TOUR! The Justice League has some new members. And those members get a tour of the Hall of Justice from the legends who helped build it while they learn about the people who have dedicated their entire lives to its higher calling. Merlin and his army of the aquatic dead have taken over Atlantis! Can Zatanna handle him and the horror she is hiding within?

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics

29 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 28, 2021

About the author

A comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim (including five Eisner Awards) and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For over eight years Bendis’s books have consistently sat in the top five best sellers on the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.

Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.

Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.

Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.

Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.

Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.

He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.

Reviews

[Gordon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Main story is trash, backup is trash. Easily the worst title DC is putting out in the Infinite Frontier line. And yet they're probably paying a fortune for Bendis (and when he can be bothered to do more than a boring cover Marquez.)

[Kastie Pavlik · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Justice League run has been nothing but filler junk and this is the worst yet, hacked up with Checkmate and idiotic Deathstrokes. JLD, on the other hand, is returning to the plotline from the solo title. I've been waiting to see the Upsidedown Man show up again and really hope that Diana's return to Earth will bring her back to this team.

[Clay Bartel · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I just heard Justice League #75 will be a huge event! The Justice League is being killed off and Joshua Williamson is penning the massive event.

So DC fanboys have been either losing it from excitement or are totally pissed.

I for one am incredibly excited as I love the classic Death of Superman story and Williamson is a favorite DC writer of mine!

So what does it have to do with JL #67?

Well likely nothing but as soon as I heard the Death of JL news I realized I wasn't up to date on JL and you may be able to guess why... Bendis.

While I don't hate Bendis I do consider him a lower tier write and that's unfortunate cause Superman and Action Comics are books I love...

Okay so I have read a lot of Superman and Action Comics and Bendis's stuff is actually pretty good... and his issue #1 of 6 Justice League and The Legion of Super-Heroes was actually awesome...

So yah inspired by the excitment of JL #75 Death of JL story arc to be out in a number of months I bought a few current issues, 67 to 70 and will pull up to 75 and beyond.

Rather then reviewing just #67 I'll just give my broad strokes thoughts on the 4 issue.

67 is actually the final parts of a 4 part arc and therefore I was totally at a loss, but 69 and 70 are parts 1 and 2 of a 4 part arc about Superman's fortress being stolen and a massive escape of hords of villians.

Bendis has a jarring dialogue style and tells stories in a very jumpy and mashed form... he's jamming so much story in so few pages, but maybe I just need to reread these... Overall I did enjoy myself but I don't consider him a favorite writer of mine.

Also these issues art is very simply and blocking, not up to DC'S usual high standards, so nothing to pretty to look at but it is good enough to tell the story.

Okay backups included are Justice League Dark story by Ram V that is more compelling then Bendis's in many ways, but it's brief and in the end I was more interested in Bendis's work even though Ram is a better writer and the art is a lot better in his JLD story.

Finally we get a Batgirls back up in at least 1 of the 4 issues, think it was #69.

Batgirls does interest me some and the team up of the Batgirls is a fun idea for a book but the art does nothing for me, totally not my style and would likely not collect the series solely on the art not being my thing.


End of story Bendis manages to tell interesting storylines but with a jarring style of dialogue and plotting... maybe this only deserves a 3 but damn he managed to make me excited to read #71 regardless of the fact that this stuff will likely not impact Williamson's #75 Death of JL story.

[Raymond Paquette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally some down time. These new Deathstrokes are dumber than the original.