Justice League #23 Review

Don't Call Me Sweetie!

Written by: Tom DeFalco
Art by: Tom Derenick, Tony Kordos, Andy Owens, Trevor Scott, Batt, Adriano Lucas and Josh Reed
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: June 21, 2017

Justice League fans gets another reprieve from Bryan Hitch and I'm telling you, it feels like Christmas in June!  Of course, just because we aren't getting the Hitch nonsense, doesn't mean we necessarily are getting anything better, but the odds are always in our favor there.  This issue has Tom DeFalco jumping onboard and taking the League for a spin.  So, is it any good?  Let's find out...


The issue opens in Nomalia with Batman, Wonder Woman and Jessica Cruz fighting off the Black Shield and his troops.  I have to admit, I love this threesome and even like Black Shield as a kind of "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" type of villain.  His plan of death and destruction is stopped by Jessica...after she freaks out a bit during the battle.

Back in the Watchtower, Wonder Woman tries to comfort Jessica for losing it and Batman shows up like a dick and Jessica makes him feel worse.  After Wonder Woman threatens some of Black Shield's men, it's off to Bialya to take on the Big Bad again.

I will give it to Black Shield, he is a fear monger and sexist, but he sticks to his guns.  When Batman and Wonder Woman show up he shows us some of his power set and uses his big brain to come up with an effective battle plan.  Then he travels a bit off the farm when he targets innocent people because they surely know someone who is a terrorist.  Hmmm...

Luckily, Jessica shows up to save the day...she does use some cool constructs that could be a deal breaker for some, but I love her and will just go with it.  Wonder Woman is impressed, but Batman is still a dick...at least he's consistent. The issue ends with Jessica promising to herself and the reader to get better and better, but if you ask me, she's doing just fine.  At least while Tom DeFalco's writing her.

We get the second Jessica Cruz focused issue in a row and that is fine with me.  I love her and I liked this issue more than the last.  It's not perfect and comes off as an inventory issue more than anything, but it had some good character moments for one half of the Green Lanterns team and didn't piss me off like the normal run of Justice League usually does.

I loved Tom Derenick's art!  His character work was great and the action scenes were well drawn and Choreographed.  I could get used to him as the regular artist on this book very easily!

Bits and Pieces:

Tom DeFalco and Tom Derenick jump on Justice League and give us a story of terrorists vs freedom fighters, but it's all about Jessica Cruz and that's fine with me.  Sure, this feels like an inventory issue or even something from an Annual, but it's better than what we usually get in this book.  

6.5/10