DC Comics reviews 1/29/20 – Justice League #39, Action Comics #1019

Justice League #39

Scott Snyder’s Justice League run has been a lot of fun with an epic feel that’s been every bit as bombastic and satisfying a ride as Morrison’s acclaimed stint. His final issue is surprising though more for the lack of finality to it.

Correction, there is an ending even if it’s not necessarily the one you might expect. The League rallies around the returning Martian Manhunter for one final battle against Apex Luthor and Perpetua, but will that be enough to turn the tide against all things Doom?

Jorge Jimenez knocks out the first 11 pages of art while Daniel Sampere and Juan Albarran handle pages 12-21. I’ve really enjoyed Jimenez’s take on the League so it was disappointing he wasn’t able to finish the entire issue although Sampere and Albarran provide some very strong work with a style reminiscent of Snyder’s frequent collaborator Greg Capullo.

Snyder also does his best to connect to some of the more fractured elements of the DC Universe with links to Doomsday Clock and the Wonder Comics line of books featuring Naomi and Young Justice.

The big issue here is not the conclusion of the story, but the lack of direction to the next chapter. Next week starts Robert Venditti and Doug Mahnke’s run, which presumably will be the start of entirely different take on the team as evident by the team roster in solicitations.

There’s some guidelines hyping Justice League #40 and the conclusion of Hell Arisen wrapping up The Batman Who Laughs vs. Lex Luthor subplot. It’s probably a function of some delays along the way, but after a 39 issue build up, it’s disappointing that DC doesn’t have a firm date for the start of the actual conclusion of this arc.

There’s little doubt the upcoming event will be worth the payoff, but DC probably could have staggered releasing this issue to some degree to better connect to the next massive arc. As is, this is an effective hook for the continuation of the saga even if DC is leaving readers hanging as to when that will begin.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10