JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES #2
"More Human Than Human"
Neutral (4/10)
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DC Comics
Writer: Paul Storrie
Pencils: Craig Rousseau
Inks: Wayne Faucher
Colors: John Kalisz & Heroic Age
Letters: Kurt Hathaway
Editor: Dan Raspler
Price: $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN |
I'm pleased that the Cartoon Network's new Justice League cartoon has proven to be a big hit, as it exposes those outside of the comics reading audience to characters they may not know so well. I'm also relieved to see that DC had a comic-book product ready to coincide with the debut of the TV series. So far, though, the comic-book series is lacking focus. In an effort to spotlight all of the characters, none really are done... ahem, justice.
A team of mysterious women, all worshipping an ancient goddess, attack a number of museums across America, and the Justice League scrambles to stop them. Each of the women warriors possesses a staff of incredible power, posing some significant problems for the heroes. It isn't until one of their number deceives them that the tide turns, but even then, a new problem emerges: a lack of understanding and co-operation among the heroes.
Rousseau captures the Bruce Timm animated style nicely, which should come as no surprise to those who have sampled his work on Batman Beyond. The figures are a shade too slender for my taste, but overall, the art tells the story clearly. The characters certainly don't seem stiff, as was the case somewhat with Min S. Ku's capable efforts in the first issue.
Storrie tries to juggle a lot of characters, attempting to give each one his or her time in the limelight. In the end, none of them really shines. The story jumps from generic setting to generic setting fairly quickly, giving the book a choppy, interrupted feel. It doesn't really help than the villains are terribly generic, and their goals make little sense.
I'm really not sure what story the writer wants to tell. Is it about a group of kids who get to meet their heroes? Is it about the Martian Manhunter feeling isolated in a human culture? Is it about the followers of an ancient god? I suppose it's about all of these things, but without a clear focus, it's not really about any of them either.
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