Justice League of America #10 Review

Dream Warriors

Written by: Steve Orlando
Art by: Andy MacDonald, Hi-Fi and Clayton Cowles
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: July 12, 2017

I picked up this book to review from Eric in a trade for Batman.  I know that sounds crazy, but here I am, about to review my second issue of JLA for the site.  Of course, I have been reading and discussing it on the podcast so I know what's going on and that isn't much.  This book seems stuck between being all about social justice and telling a comic book story and the problem is, it's doing neither well!  This issue takes us back to Vanity, but will Ray find out you can never go home again?  Let's find out...



We start out the issue with a cold open in Vanity where a guy has wished for his fibromyalgia to go away and the wish has come true.  Really?  That's what we are dealing with here?  In the DC Universe Rebirth #1 we got Johnny Thunder wishing for the JSA to be remembered and a year later we get a guy wishing away his chronic pain disorder?  Where did it all go wrong?  Oh well, the fun doesn't last long as the Kingbutcher arrives to take away the guy's dream.  If you are not laughing right now, you have no soul.  This shit is hilarious!!!

We then head back to Happy Harbor where Batman is gloating a bit about being right about Makson, but nobody seems to be listening in one of the worst team scenes I've read in a long time.  That's when the news about Vanity comes on the monitor and while the idea of a villain stealing a town's dreams seems ridiculous...that's the story that the JLA is going after this week.

After some wishy-washy dialogue between Ray and Xenos, we get to Vanity where Lobo just decides to tell everyone about blowing up his home world before they visit the mayor...who is Ray's childhood friend, Caden.  It seems that everyone is town is wishing for things and getting them taken away...and Caden is one of them.

That revelation brings the Kingbutcher a calling and I felt like I was missing so many parts of this story by this point that I just felt like a big dummy.  Who is the Kingbutcher?  Who are the guys he works for, The Lords of Order?  Why should I even care???  It doesn't help when Orlando tries to tie this all into what we've seen in this series so far...it's all still nonsense!

We do get a fight between the JLA and the Kingbutcher, but it isn't that great either.  Ray gets thrown into space and then returns by flying at...wait for it...Light Speed!  Get it???

That's when the Kingbutcher stops fighting and goes and shows the JLA what happens when you wish upon a star...it just might come true.  It's a reverse It's a Wonderful Life moment that is trying to tug at the heart strings, but just made me laugh out loud.

This issue plays out like a c-rate horror movie gone wrong.  There is no character development whatsoever, the reader is just told everything without seeing anything, the big bad is hardly big or bad and it's all downright hilarious.  This is easily the worst setup of a villain and a story I've read since Rebirth.

I did like Andy MacDonald's art and will tell you this...the score below is all for the art.  Every single point.

Bits and Pieces:

This issue is hilarious in it's non-setup of the story and it's main villain who comes off as a castaway from a failed horror movie.  Andy MacDonald's art is really good, but it can't keep this sinking ship afloat.  Jump off while you can!!!

3.5/10