The T(errible) Virus
Written by: Bryan hitch
Art by: Neil Edwards, Daniel Henriques, Tony Avina and Richard Starkings
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: November 16, 2016
I don't know if you've heard, but the Justice League hasn't been my favorite book since Rebirth started. It's not a big surprise, really. The book has been a complete mess of poor characterizations, shitty dialogue and stories that never seem to have a satisfactory ending. If we get one more, "I don't think that's the last we'll see of them" ending, I might just jump off a bridge. I guess I could just drop the book, but that's not a big enough gesture to make up for the crap that I (and everyone else still reading...you are out there, right?) have had to endure. There is always hope and I'll go with that when I ask if this issue can somehow turn it all around and turn this frown upside down. Well, did it? Let's find out...
The issue begins by showing us that Batman is indeed alive. I know that comes as a shock to most of you, but it's true. Bryan Hitch then takes us back to regular territory when Bruce and Alfred discuss figuring out the origin of the cyber attack with phony sounding jargon and generalities. Oh well, it leads them to turning on the news to see what's what.
What's what is Simon Baz is attacking the rest of the Justice League. You see, the virus that Cyborg had somehow picked up through the news feed has now infected Simon Baz's ring and made it go nuts. That sentence is wrong in so many ways. First off, as far as we know, the villain of the story may just be CNN. After that sinks in, you can figure out if Bryan Hitch understands what a Green Lantern Ring is. Could a computer virus infect it and make constructs against it's wearers will? I don't think so, but you are welcome to school me in the comment section below.
After attacking the rest of the Justice League, Simon gains enough willpower to stop the constructs...I guess. It's actually a bit confusing and the art and dialogue don't help matters much. It's confusing because we suddenly see that Simon didn't stop anything and I was left shaking my head once again.
We then get a couple of ridiculous bits with constructs chasing and attacking Aquaman, Flash and Wonder Woman around the world before heading back to the Batcave to check in with Batman.
Bryan Hitch has turned the Batcave into a house of lies...or at least a house of doesn't make sense as Batman says the virus is easy to figure out and then the most complex he's ever seen. Alfred joins in with some nonsense of his own before Batman figures out who is behind it. It's not that shocking (yet!) and because we haven't gotten anything with this character so far, it had no emotion or weight behind it. .
After a pretty forced trip to the Palmer residence, the issue ends with one of the biggest "what the fuck just happened" scenes as the League stops Simon's ring by setting it to factory default. Hey, it worked for me when my phone wasn't working, why wouldn't it work on the most powerful weapon in the universe?!? The issue ends with the Justice League acting as the welcome wagon...but the only gift they're bringing to the party is some old school smackdown. And maybe a covered dish...I'm not really sure.
This issue just continues the garbage that has been the Justice League since Rebirth started. I keep waiting for that one issue that shows me Bryan Hitch has a clue what he is doing, but I haven't found it yet. This whole virus thing is far fetched even for a comic book and really is laughable. Plain and simple, this book is terrible.
I did like Neil Edwards' art a whole lot here. Everything looked great and even while I was laughing at everything else, I admired his work here. Huge props to Neil Edwards for giving fans something to do after they stopped reading the words and just looked at this as a pretty picture book.
Bits and Pieces:
Bryan Hitch continues to bring what should be one of DC's biggest books way, way down. It really is horrible and if not for Neil Edwards' awesome art, this book would have scored much lower. Something needs to be done before things get even more out of hand!
4.0/10
I agree about the art.. except... my son had to ask me "who is that?" when looking at one panel with Batman in it.. the characters just don't look like themselves for the most part, if you ask me. Except WW of course :)
ReplyDeleteI think this whole line up is boring. They have little to no real chemistry with each other. Hitch wrote a JLA that was okay. I don't know what the heck is happening with the Rebirth JL. Maybe, just maybe DC are expecting too much of creators and rushing them with all this double shipping. I feel made a bad move with changing things because Johns had a lineup he was doing well with simply because the verse had rules and history and bonds. Hitch is writing and drawing. It can't be easy to do both.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't a New 52 JLA fan...the story went nowhere and we are still waiting for an ending. ALSO, Hitch only did art on the Rebirth #1 one-shot...he hasn't done art since so there is no excuse with how bad he's been!
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