Justice League: Last Ride #7 Review

 

Crash Landing

Writer: Chip Zdarsky

Artist: Miguel Mendonca

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 10, 2021

I haven't been the biggest fan of Justice League Last Ride, but the last couple of issues was getting me there.  Finally, seeing that all of this was a plan by Darkseid to lure the Justice league to Apokolips felt big, and I couldn't wait to see what Chip Zdarsky had in store after the last issue's colossal cliffhanger. So now that it's here was the Last Ride worth taking?  Let's find out...

If you are looking for concrete explanations in this issue, you are going to be disappointed. However, there are big moments, and Zdarsky leaves it at that.  The issue opens with the newly resurrected construct consciousness of Martian Manhunter kicking ass and taking names, and it looks fabulous.  Darkseid gets punched in the chops a bunch of times in this issue, and it's nice to see Superman teaming up with Batman again.

I'll give Darkseid some credit here. He is a Larry Bird-level shit talker and seems like he has the plan to back it all up...until he doesn't.  His plans are all just shot down by the Justice League, including a construct League lead by Hal Jordan. But, again, don't look too hard for explanations here.  The whole thing boils down to the League being a family that loves and trusts each other, so the best kind.  It's sentimental and sappy by the end, but the message is a good one.

The issue ends with Lobo finally standing trial (after losing his head), the Green Lantern Corps getting some new digs and the Trinity making sure the Justice League has a broader range to it.  It's an odd ending to a story that felt a bit more personal, to begin with, but it's the ending we got.

This finale felt forced to get the job done in a fan-service type way that I'm sure some will like, but everything just seems to happen with little to no explanation for it.  Zdarsky set up some humongous things that didn't pan out in an earned way, and this final issue suffered.  Stories sometimes read better in trade when you can read the whole thing in one sitting.  I think this one will be the opposite.  At least Miguel Mendonca's art stayed consistently good throughout.

Bits and Pieces:

Justice League: Last Ride ends with a thud, but at least it was a bombastic one.  While the story began with the League struggling with personal issues, it ended in a flurry of punches, explosions, and chest pumping action.  While there is nothing inherently wrong with a bit of popcorn movie action, too much went unexplained to stick the landing.

6.0/10