DC Comics reviews 8/7/19 – Batman #76, Justice League #29

Justice League #29

Justice League writers Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV go the unexpected route with this Justice/Doom War prelude. The key figure in this issue is Jarro as he recalls his past on a warlike planet as part of Starro and his ultimate acceptance with the Justice League. But Jarro knows his pals don’t have much of a shot against Lex Luthor’s Legion of Doom and has planned a daring strategy to end the war before it gets started.

Jarro has been a bit of a jokey character adding some humor to otherwise bleak and serious JL stories. This issue could have run the risk of overexposing the character beyond a few panels, but Snyder and Tynion have a smart approach that works with some nice twists that greatly impact the Doom War. Jarro’s fight scene has to be read to be believed, but it delivers. As does the payoff for this issue. An epic story is only as good as the villains and the Legion of Doom are absolutely some of DC’s best.

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Bruno Redondo handles the art this issue. Redondo is an underrated talent who has a streamlined style aided by strong storytelling. This might not be the most dynamic looking issue, but Redondo comes through with consistent solid pages throughout. Hi-Fi’s colors are likewise as reliable as always.

As the final warm up, this was not the lead-in I thought we’d be getting, which made for a fun detour before the war gets underway. Year of the Villain’s main title is building to some major storylines so it should be an exciting few months.

Rating: 9 out of 10