Comic Review: JUSTICE LEAGUE #2
The time has come for the second issue to finally hit our shelves after seven weeks of waiting, was it worth it?
Book: Justice League #2Written By: Geoff JohnsPencils By: Jim LeePublisher: DC ComicsPrice: $3.99Pages: 40Release Date: OUT NOW IN STORES & DIGITAL DOWNLOAD (VIA COMIXOLOGY) When the first issue of DCs new flagship book landed on our shelves back on the 31st of August, it was the first glimpse we had into the New 52 world. It went on to sell over 250,000 copies and reached a 4th printing due to such a high demand. The time has come for the second issue to finally hit our shelves after seven weeks of waiting, was it worth the wait? The highlight of this issue for me was the punch up between our heroes, especially Superman & Flash (if you can call what Superman does a punch). Its nice to see one more superhero join the roster of the book and especially one that attempts to go toe to toe with the Man Of Steel. The fight scene is crisp, highly detailed and very cinematic, Inker Scott Williams and Colourist Alex Sinclair bring a real sense of clarity and definition to Jim Lees Pencils, this creative team proves once again how they are a true creative force to be reckoned with. Writer Geoff Johns continues to do a good job of characterizing all of these heroes meeting each other for the first time, Flashs personality especially shines through during this issue. Barry is probably the most human and likeable player in the team so far, which is no surprise when looking at Johns history with the character. Superman is still slightly out of character however Im letting any irregularities in characters sly seeing as this is an origin story and we are suppose to be witnessing younger, more reckless versions of the characters we know and love. The storys B plot detailing the origin of Victor Cyborg Stone continues at a steady pace and leads to a nice cliffhanger for the character. However I struggle to feel sympathetic to his problems or have any real connection towards what is our introductory character into this new world. Jumping back and forth between superheroes teaming up to stop the impending release of Darkseid and a teenager being upset that his dad didnt watch him play football at college doesnt jell incredibly well and causes a rather odd shift in tone throughout. I worry slightly from the fact that we are two issues in and we have yet to see the full League in action. By the second issues end on a majority of other New 52 stories the books team and status quo have been established as they begin their move into the second act. Next issue declares the introduction of Wonder Woman and it is rumored that we will not see Aquaman until #4, from this I still feel we are trundling through the first act and if the stories pace continue at this speed for the next few issues I can sense a handful or readers will get frustrated. The issue is still enjoyable and if the full roster had been introduced by the end of #1 it would have seemed rushed and too eager to get to the action, I know it will be a fantastic story once collected, however it is not the best story when reading in single issues with anywhere from 5-7 weeks wait for the next issue. Sadly Justice League #2 pulls the same mistake Action Comics #2 recently made both books are labeled $3.99 with a larger page count then the $2.99 books being released by DC. For the first issues of each series, they kept to that promise and mustered together anywhere from 24-30 pages of story, issue two however saw that page count drop for both books. 20 Pages of story for Action and 22 Pages for Justice League, the remaining 8 pages were once again used for special features such as interviews (a fictional transcribed interview between Amanda Waller and Wonder Womans future love interest Steve Trevor which did have its enjoyable Easter egg moments) and concept sketches. As stated before in the Action Comics review, extras such as this are acceptable in collected hardcovers or directors cuts of a single issue, but if this is how every $3.99 book will be like from now on I cant help but feel a bit cheated when I put down that extra $1 every month. The impending Curse of Shazam ongoing back up story due to begin with #5 of Justice League by Geoff Johns & Gary Frank will hopefully fill this void and give a better use to these remaining pages. If you are a hardcore reader youve probably already been to your comic shop and have this issue in your hand right now and dont need me saying if you should read it or not, however if you are a casual fan who read #1 and is wondering if its worth sticking around? Yes it is, it may be a slow burner but it is still a very enjoyable read. My only advice would be to decide if you want to continue reading the series in single issues or wait for the hardcover. At the end of the day, if you are a fan of superheroes you should be reading this, in whatever form you feel is best. 
rating: 3.5