Justice League 3001 #2 Review

Written by: J.M. DeMatteis and Keith Giffen
Art by: Howard Porter and Hi-Fi
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: July 23, 2015

When You Wish Upon a Starro

I don't care what anyone says, I loved Justice League 3000 and that hasn't changed with 3001. Actually I do care, because I want this book to sell well so I can keep reading and reviewing it.  It's like a Mad Magazine parody of the Justice League that is consistently hilarious with it's crazy characters and take on superheroes and comic books in general.  Last issue may have been labeled as a #1 issue, but it continues the fun from the 3000 run and I had a great time with it as usual.  Of course, there was a bit of controversy with Guy Gardner showing up as a woman (and the reaction that got from Batman and Superman), but people should realize that this book is a spoof and everything is up for grabs.  The big draw this month was the promise of Supergirl showing up and I don't know about you, but my mind ran wild with crazy ideas of what will happen when she meets the Justice League and Superman in particular.  Was this issue as good or better than what I thought up?  Let's find out...

The issue starts off with Ariel Masters (actually Lois Lane in "disguise") giving a hilarious interview about the Justice League.  Lois just can't stand saying anything good about the League and ends up storming off the set, but not before giving us a nice little rundown of the League and it's members. This is the kind of natural recap that I love.

We then get to see the team for ourselves as we head off to Wodin Twelve where they continue their fight with Starro.  Actually, they are fighting wave after wave of Starro-drones (that were enslaved legally with all the proper paperwork filed) and something seemed terribly wrong...Superman wasn't a complete douche.  Don't worry, however, it doesn't take long for him to return to form, but it was actually nice to see the change.  It does take longer than it should for the League to figure out that they have to stop Starro-Prime to end this battle and Flash (Teri) heads off with that in mind.  She's not having much luck until a spaceship flashes across the sky and while she thinks it's Starro inside, everyone knows better...it's Supergirl.

Meanwhile, the League continues fighting the good fight and while an extended fight scene like this could derail another book, it's great here.  The reason is because DeMatteis uses it to give us some great dialogue and character work.  Batman and Superman are always solid gold together, but it's Guy Gardner that steals the show again this month.  I really hope that people can relax a bit and just enjoy the fun because seeing Guy in touch with his feminine side (and then his reaction to it) was hilarious.

We finally get to Supergirl and find out she isn't a clone (or is she?!?), but she is surprised at where and when she ended up.  It's a bummer that we have to wait another month for some major fireworks, but she does solve the Starro problem almost immediately.  The issue ends with another great Guy line and Ariel/Lois ready to hit the bottle.

Actually, that isn't the end at all.  There is a post story FAQ that was informative for new readers and hilarious for everyone.  I wish that DC would put this part out digitally for free because I really think it could grab some people still on the fence with this book.

I enjoyed this issue, but it was more setup than I was hoping for.  We will have to wait another month for some real Supergirl action because there wasn't much here at all.  Controversy be damned, seeing Guy Gardner struggle with his new situation is the best thing in this book hands down.  It doesn't hurt that I'm a huge Guy fan, but DeMatteis is giving Guy more character development than most books he's been in.

I am also a huge fan of Howard Porter and he doesn't disappoint at all.  His character designs are great and his style matches the futuristic setting so well.  I can't wait to see what he does with a certain ginger turtle coming up next month because if it's half as good as anything in this issue, it's going to rock.

Bits and Pieces:

This issue of Justice League 3001 may be more setup than returning readers may like, but if it helps get new readers more involved, I'm all for it.  J.M. DeMatteis continues giving fans great characters and a hilarious story drawn expertly by Howard Porter.  If you expected an issue filled with Supergirl, you'll be disappointed, but you can still enjoy Guy Gardner and the rest of the Justice League in the funniest book in the DC You.

8.0/10