Justice League continues to be the best super hero title on the market. Scott Snyder and James Tynion, IV have formed a potent tag-team that rivals the Road Warriors. I am looking forward to another exciting read with Justice League #24. Let’s go ahead and hit this review!
Plot: Scott Snyder and Jorge Jimenez
Words: Scott Snyder
Art: Jorge Jimenez
Colors: Alejandro Sanchez
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Synopsis: We begin with a flashback scene of Clark and Jon spending an awesome father-son day together doing all sorts of fun things. At the end of the day, Jon gets sad and holds a lantern the shape of Superman’s rocket from Krypton. Jon says that they forgot to light the memorial lantern for Pa Kent. But, now it is late in the day and it is pouring rain outside.
Clark says that Pa Kent would have rather them spend the awesome day together the way that they did rather than lighting some old lantern. Clark says that they will light the lantern tomorrow.
Clark puts Jon to bed and then carries the lantern outside. Clark thinks how people assume that Superman imagines the worst when he is fighting some world threatening villain. However, the truth is it is the small quiet moments when Superman imagines the worst. Lois calls these moments “Gray Kryptonite.”
That in these moments, during Gray Kryptonite, when there is time to imagine small failures writ large. That during the big moments when the Earth is in peril all Superman is thinking about is getting the job done right.
We cut to present day in the 6th Dimension with Superman trapped in pitch black space. Superman goes into fighting mode and keeps flying. However, his mind keeps going back to the night when he stood in the rain with the memorial lantern. Alone in the dark with everything lost. The 5th Dimension is imagination. A realm that demands people to look beyond what is probably to what is possible.
We cut to the 6th Dimension, with Lois Lane’s space ships hot on the tail of the Legion of Doom’s space ship. Cheetah frees the Justice Leaguers from their prison manacles that dampen their powers. Grodd mans the cannon and starts attacking Lois’ ships.
The Legion of Doom plan on getting to the jump portal which should open for the prisoner transport ship that they have stolen. Sinestro says that all that matters is getting the Justice Leaguers back to Earth so they can stop the World Forger.
Sinestro says that Luthor becomes something worse than they could ever imagine. That under Batman’s hand the Justice League becomes something different. Sinestro says that he never imagined this would happen. Sinestro apologizes for all that the Legion of Doom has done.
Martian Manhunter says that he is sorry for what has been done to the Legion of Doom members here in the 6th Dimension. Lois Lane then comes over the communication screen on the Legion of Doom’s ship. Lois says that they are going to use the tech from Clark’s original rocket from Krypton that put him into hyper sleep. This is called the Krypton cradles. That Lois puts criminals into a thousand accelerated years of hyper sleep for reeducation. Lois tells Jimmy to blast the Legion of Doom’s ship with the Krypton cradle energy.
We hop over to the World Forger’s tower. The World Forger leads Batman into the maker and breaker of the universe’s throne room. Batman asks if this is the World Forger’s throne room. The World Forger says that this is Batman’s throne room.
We enter the throne room and see a chair crackling with energy in the center of a massive room. The World Forger says that the chair is the Son Box. That Batman guilt it from Element X. It allowed Batman to see into people’s hearts. Batman then built the final Bat-suit around the Son Box. This allowed Batman to change people and rewrite them cell by cell.
The World Forger says that everyone would be dead if not for the final Bat-suit. That Batman was the only person alive who could do it. That Batman is the greatest Knight of the universe. That Batman is a Bright Knight. The Son. The true Sun. World Forger says that it is time for Batman to don the final Bat-suit. Suddenly, there is an explosion and a person from off panel tries to destroy the final Bat-suit.
We hop back to the Legion of Doom’s ship being bathed in the Krypton cradle energy. Darkseid says that they do not have enough time to get to the portal gate before the Krypton cradle energy puts them all to sleep. Therefore, Darkseid says that they need to load the Justice Leaguers into the cannon and fire them at the portal.
Sinestro tells the Justice Leaguers that Batman is their greatest enemy. That Batman’s suit is what he uses to rewrite the minds of the Justice Leaguers. Sinestro says that the Legion of Doom has a mole on Earth and he just gave his life to destroy the final Bat-suit. That this is now the Justice League’s chance to attack.
The Justice Leaguers do not want to leave the Legion of Doom members behind. However, the Legion of Doom members say that they must make this sacrifice and that the Justice Leaguers winning will be their reward.
The Justice Leaguers all get near the open door of the ship and are prepared to be shot by the cannon into the portal gate. Martian Manhunter thanks the Legion of Doom for their help. J’onn says that the Justice League will never allow themselves to become who they are in the 6th Dimension. That they will stay true by following in the footsteps fo the world’s greatest heroes: The Legion of Doom. (This is a pretty cheesy moment, but it works!)
Sinestro tells John Stewart to never let their light grow dim. John thanks Sinestro. Cheetah tells Wonder Woman to always remain true. Wonder Woman thanks Cheetah. Grodd tells Flash that he still hates him. Flash thanks Grodd. (Ha! Now that is perfectly timed humor in an otherwise serious issue!)
Sinestro radios Lois Lane and tells her that they are turning around to surrender. Lois stops blasting them with the Krypton cradle energy. Lois asks where all the Justice Leaguers are. Grodd says that they are in the can. Lois asks that they are all in there at the same time. Grodd responds, “Don’t as me. They’re that kind of League.” (LOL! Snyder’s Grodd is pure gold in this issue.)
John Stewart makes a big green energy bubble around the Justice Leaguers. The Legion of Doom fire the Justice Leaguers toward the portal gate. Sinestro then flies the Legion of Doom’s ship straight toward the bridge of Lois’ ship. Lois starts to panic. Sinestro smiles and wonders how he could have ever forgotten the power of fear. Sinestro calls his teammates “old friends” and says it is time to be bad one last time. We see the Legion of Doom’s ship flying into Lois’ ship and causing a massive explosion.
The Justice Leaguers then fly through the portal gate and arrive outside of the Hall of Justice back on Earth. The Justice Leaguers are greeted by the World Forger and the rest of the 6th Dimension Justice League. The Justice Leaguers say that they have learned the truth and that Batman’s final Bat-suit has already been destroyed.
The World Forger says that Jarro attempted to destroy the final Bat-suit, but Batman repaired the damage.
We see Batman in the final Bat-suit appear on the scene. Batman says that the Justice Leaguers should have stayed on Apokolips. The Flash asks if Batman is here to help them. Batman replies that he is not. That it is time to imagine a different ending. End of issue.
The Good: Justice League #24 is a fantastic read. Scott Snyder continues to amaze me with his ability to consistently crank out such impressive issues one after the next one with the Justice League franchise. Just when you think this wild ride could not get any crazier Snyder manages to do the impossible and take the story to an entirely new level. Justice League #24 offers the reader a wonderfully complex and detailed read that immerses the reader deeply into the story.
What continues to wow me is the incredible quality of Snyder’s writing. At this point, Snyder is simply on another level compared to all of the other comic book writers currently working for Marvel and DC. Snyder is a true wordsmith that you simply do not see that much in comics at all. Snyder’s use of language is beautiful. This is what helps make Justice League such a treat to read.
Snyder continues his trend of picking a unique theme for each individual issue. In Justice League #23, the theme was time. Snyder pointed out that time was the 4th Dimension. The theme of time was then weaved throughout the issue. Well, with Justice League #24, the main theme is imagination. Snyder points out that imagination is the 5th Dimension. Snyder then uses the theme of imagination as the spine for the entire story of Justice League #24.
I dig that Snyder has gradually brought the reader through the various dimensions on their way to the 6th Dimension. In Justice League #21, Snyder introduces the reader to the 3rd Dimension via the themes in that issue. Then Snyder elevates the reader to the 4th Dimension in Justice League #23. Now, Snyder brings the reader up to the 5th Dimension with Justice League #24. This journey that Snyder takes the reader on with the various dimensions and the themes that define them help submerse the reader into the story. This approach brings an added depth and texture to the story. The reader feels like they have been on a grand journey during this story arc. This will make the reader’s arrival at the main theme of the 6th Dimension with the next issue all that more powerful and satisfying.
The technical use of the theme of imagination was quite satisfying. Snyder beings and ends Justice League #24 with scenes that deal with the theme of imagination. This approach gives this issue a pleasant shape and structure. This compliments the strongly potted plot-lines that we get in this issue. To no surprise, Justice League #24 is expertly plotted and paced. The issue is balanced between dialogue heavy scenes and action packed scenes. The story never meanders at all. Snyder progresses the story forward in a logical fashion with a laser focus and a clear destination in mind. Nothing happens in this issue with out a purpose. Each scene builds naturally one the prior scene and the story ends with an excellent hook ending.
Snyder begins Justice League #24 with a darker take on the theme of imagination. I love the concept of Gray Kryptonite. That is such a beautiful term. This is another example of the nearly poetic skill of Snyder as a wordsmith. I like that it is in the small quiet moments that Superman imagines all of the terrible things that could go wrong. That it is in these small moments that the darkness creeps forward.
It is absolutely logical that a hero like Superman would never have these thoughts while battling a villain or dealign with an apocalyptic threat. Superman is the type of hero that in the big situation is only thinking of how to win. This goes perfectly with Superman’s positive and optimistic nature. However, the quiet little moments? That is exactly the moment that someone as powerful and heroic as Superman would allow his mind to imagine darker thoughts.
Snyder then compliments the beginning of Justice League #24 by ending this issue with a scene that delivers a different take on the theme of imagination. The final lines of the issue are Batman saying that it is time to imagine a different ending. With this ending, the theme of imagination shows that it can be either a positive or a negative. For the Batman, his imagining a different ending is a positive. However, for the Justice League is it certainly a negative. This ending does reinforce the fact that imagination is the tool for which we build our greatest dreams and our greatest fears.
I am curious to see if Batman pulls a swerve and uses his final Bat-suit against the 6th Dimension Justice League. At any rate, Snyder delivers an excellent hook ending. This ending leaves our heroes in a seemingly impossible situation. Superman appears to be beyond hope. On top of all of that, the reader is also completely unsure what Batman is going to do next.
I loved Snyder’s concept of a Son Box. The Son Box ties the Fourth World into the storyline. The Son Box continues the theme of New God technology that began with Jack Kirby’s Mother Box. I also enjoyed the fact that Snyder has the Son Box and the final Bat-suit constructed from Element X. This is a long-standing concept within the DCU. Element X is raw material that is used in the Forge of Creation by the World Forger. Element X is also the fire of the Fourth World. It is the power that the New Gods use to create the Mother Boxes and Father Boxes. This continues to strengthen the ties between what Snyder is creating in the Justice League with Kirby’s Fourth World mythology. This is important since the Fourth World mythology plays a vital role in the foundation for the DCU.
Snyder’s use of Element X also ties the Legion of Super-Heroes to his story on the Justice League. The Miracle Machine was created by Jim Shooter and first appeared in a Legion of Super-Heroes story. The Miracle Machine continued to be a long-running artifact in the Legion of Super-Heroes continuity. This is important since DC is making an effort to bring back the Legion of Super Heroes at some point in the near future.
The final Bat-suit is a wonderful concept and it looks fantastic. This is the type of wild and imaginative creations that Snyder has been delivering on a consistent basis since Dark Nights: Metal. This type of wild concepts that makes Justice League such an entertaining read. The reader feels like literally anything can happen at any moment. Snyder is showing how a writer of a super hero comic book is only limited by their own imagination.
I also liked the twist of Batman’s “son” in Jarro being the character who attempted to destroy the final Bat-suit. I always appreciate some father-son drama. This helps to emphasize how even a character like Jarro who is so close to Batman cannot support Batman’s position.
Snyder continues to deliver fantastic character work. Justice League #24 is no exception. All of the dialogue is well written. The character work is excellent. All of the characters have a unique external voice. Snyder continues to impress with his incredible feel for all of the characters in the Justice League franchise. The characters that Snyder really focused on in Justice League #24 were the Legion of Doom members, Superman, and Batman. All of those characters were fantastic in this issue.
Snyder continues to write an excellent Superman. The scene with Superman and Jon was quite emotional and poignant. The relationship between Clark and Jon feels so genuine. Snyder absolutely nails the feeling that a father gets when he spends a special day with his son. It is the small moments together and the ability to spend an entire day bonding with your son that makes for such amazing memories. This is a scene that will strongly resonate with anyone who has a child.
The scene with Superman trapped in black space was also powerful. Snyder’s Superman is so classically heroic. I love that even the face of impossible odds that Superman continues to fight. Snyder understands how Superman’s core personality traits that some people see as antiquated are actually unique positive attributes that make Superman’s character so special.
Snyder also continues to write an excellent Batman. Snyder knows how to walk that fine line between making Batman properly analytical and cold without making him utterly heartless. Snyder understands that what placed Batman at odds with the rest of the Justice League is his willingness to go against his teammates if he firmly believes that they have taken the wrong path. Nothing about Batman’s decision to support the World Forger over his teammates seems forced or contrived. Snyder has Batman acting in a logical fashion that s consistent with his core personality and character traits.
I loved how Snyder handles the Legion of Doom in Justice League #24. The feelings of remorse from Sinestro and Cheetah are genuine. Seeing these long-time villains being truly remorseful was a surprising moment. This scene added a layer of nuance to these characters that they have never had before. This also made the reader far more sympathetic to these villains. This, in turn, made the villains’ sacrifice as the Justice Leaguers made their escape that much more valiant.
This twist my Snyder also forces the reader to re-examine this entire conflict between Doom and Justice. Snyder is able to show the reader that many evil acts can be carried out under the banner of Justice. This causes the reader to examine conflict between Doom and Justice with a more critical eye. There are no easy choices to be found in Snyder’s story.
I found Sinestro and Grodd to be the two members of the Legion of Doom that Snyder does the best job writing. These two characters shined in Justice League #24. Sinestro is fast out fantastic. Snyder delivers a Sinestro who has genuinely experience great character growth and is tragically heroic. Yet, at the very end, Snyder still shows that Sinestro has his villainous streak buried deep inside of him.
Snyder’s Grodd is also perfectly written. Grodd is an excellent example of how a writer can deliver some well timed and completely appropriate comedic relief in an otherwise serious story. Grodd’s humorous lines were brilliantly delivered and completely in keeping with Grodd’s established character and with the situation at hand. At no point is the reader pulled from the story due to this comedic relief. Nor does Grodd’s humors lines ever feel forced or contrived.
Jorge Jimenez delivers plenty of solid artwork. Yes, there are moments where some of the panels look a bit sloppy and rushed. And there are a few moments where the panels lack detail. However, for the most part, Justice League #24 is a good looking issue. Jimenez does a nice job with the characters’ facial expressions. Jimenez also delivers some cool designs for the Son Box and the final Bat-suit.
The Bad: I have no criticism of this issue.
Overall: Justice League #24 is another excellent read. Snyder keeps this wild train ride rolling along with an issue that delivers a balanced read that should appeal to a large cross-section of readers. Justice League is one of those rare titles that is almost always worth the price of admission. It is this level of sustained excellence that makes this title such a unique comic book.
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