If you thought things couldn’t get worse for the Justice League, welcome to Justice League Unlimited #12. Earth is in full-blown crisis, the DC K.O. tournament is underway, and the planet’s transformation is getting seriously dire. The comic throws us straight into the chaos with the League in full-on evacuation mode, and honestly, the opening visuals are perfection.
Dan Mora’s art, as usual, is just spectacular. You’ve got Batgirl and Atom surveying the evacuation, but in typical fashion, some lowlife is trying to profit. That lowlife is Polka-Dot Man, robbing a bank, looking absolutely vibrant. His entrance is literally explosive, with Ariana Maher’s lettering nailing the BOOM impact. The problem, as Batgirl and Atom soon find out, is that the villains are suddenly superpowered-up, and with the Justice League already overwhelmed, the heroes are losing! Who’s responsible for this power boost? None other than Neron, the classic demon lord, because that’s just what he does.
Never fear, because Mr. Terrific has a plan, and it involves assembling a very specific team. Forget the usual suspects; this is where writer Mark Waid rummages through his toy chest and pulls out some deep cuts. We’re talking time-displaced heroes from the “We Are Yesterday” event: Aquaman, Power Girl, Gold Hawk, Future Doctor Fate, Owlwoman from the Justice Legion, Batman Beyond (Tim Drake), Green Lantern Alan Scott, Superman Blue, and (wait for it) Guy Gardner Warrior. Yes, that Guy Gardner with the weird ‘W’ on his chest. It’s a hilarious, brilliant mix that really lives up to the “Unlimited” title.
The mission? Go to Hell, right in the heart of Neron’s darkness. This is a one-way ticket, and Waid raises the stakes by establishing that these nine heroes are “remnants” with a “shelf life,” basically meaning they can be killed off without messing up their original timelines.
Now for the main sticking point. After assembling this epic team, the comic hits the brakes. We spend an oddly large amount of time with these heroes just walking around, checking out how different this current reality is compared to their past/future lives. The scene with Aquaman is genuinely sweet (it’s great to see how much that character has evolved), and baby Andrina is adorable; however, did we really need a whole issue of setup and reminiscing?
This is a big complaint about the Waid era: it sometimes feels scattered. While the “Unlimited” cast is awesome, spending an entire issue padding out the character work instead of getting straight to Hell to fight Neron and his demons feels like a missed opportunity and maybe a bit of a waste of the reader’s time.
Filler aside, the art team of Dan Mora and Tamra Bonvillain absolutely crushes this assignment. They make this massive, colorful roster look stunningly vibrant and striking. Guy Gardner Warrior, a look I only vaguely knew, actually looks genuinely cool here with the sharp black jacket and red ‘W’, and the hair isn’t bad either. The Aquaman sequence, with its turquoise and signature orange, is a standout, and even gimmick villains like Polka-Dot Man look fantastic.
Justice League Unlimited #12 is a great read that’s bursting with fantastic character ideas and stellar artwork, but it suffers from a pacing issue that makes it feel like pure setup. Get ready for an epic mission to hell and back, but maybe pack a snack, because we’re only just getting to the boom tube now.
‘Justice League Unlimited’ #12 Review: Is This DC’s Wildest Roster?
Justice League Unlimited #12 is a great read that’s bursting with fantastic character ideas and stellar artwork, but it suffers from a pacing issue that makes it feel like pure setup. Get ready for an epic mission to hell and back, but maybe pack a snack, because we’re only just getting to the boom tube now.
