Justice League #8 Review

Gods, Lies, and Videotape

Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Mikel Janin, Jeromy Cox, and Tom Napolitano
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 19, 2018


It's Legion of Doom time again in the Justice League series and while I liked the first Legion issue, it came at a point where I was desperate for answers to the main story.  That may still be the case, but for some reason, I seemed ready for this issue a whole lot more than the last.  So, do we get more answers while peeking in on Lex and his merry band of do-badders?  Let's find out...


We open in 1988 and see that there were plans to harness the power of the Totality as it ripped through space and time.  Things didn't go so well for the scientists here, but they did manage to create something else...Starman.  Yep, we get to see the origin of Will Payton Starman here and while some may get upset at this, it really feels less like a retcon and a way to explain why we haven't really seen this character in the continuity until recently.  This all comes through in a mind-reading flashback that does give some info to the Justice League, but also shows that Lex is indeed winning this war.

After going through some kick-ass security, Lex comes face-to-face with the Batman Who Laughs and while I've made it clear that I am not a huge fan of the character outside of the Metal event, I do like what we get here a bit more than I thought I would.

It's mainly because the BWLs gives a recap of the story up until now but adds some unseen (by the reader) elements that make the whole thing make more and more sense.  It also shows that while Lex is busy trying to get the Forces, he really doesn't have a detailed idea of what the end game is here. We find that out...kind of.  We are given a name...Perpetua and a deal between two very evil people.  While that doesn't solve all the mysteries running around in this series, we also get a scene with Cheetah and Black Manta that ties back to the last Legion issue and sets up the upcoming Drowned Earth story. 

The issue ends with Batman and Martian Manhunter talking about what they need to do going forward and while they aren't exactly oozing with confidence here, the ending made me smile a bit.

This was one of those issues where you see some of the pieces start fitting together and while that doesn't mean we have solved the puzzle, it gives me some faith that we will.  That's all I really have been looking for since the beginning of all of this.  Now I can concentrate on the good things...great art and an exciting story that feels big when compared to the rest of the books I've been reading and reviewing.

I always love Mikel Janin's art and while a lot focus on his work on the main Batman title, I think this may be one of his best issues so far.  Everything is so detailed and vibrant.

Bits and Pieces: 

James Tynion IV gives us another Legion of Doom issue and instead of a cool down, it's a jump start to gaining some overall knowledge and setting things up going forward.  In a series that may have been getting too big for its own good, this issue tightens up the focus and that's a good thing.  We still have mysteries to solve, but the path to those mysteries is a little bit clearer now.

8.0/10