Justice League #65
As the Justice League battles Synmar, Green Arrow and Black Canary deal with Checkmate business in Justice League #65, by writer Brian Michael Bendis, artist Steve Pugh, colorist Romulo Fajardo Jr., and letterer Josh Reed. In the back-up, by writer Ram V, artist Sumit Kumar, colorist Romulo Fajardo Jr., and letterer Rob Leigh, Eternal Knight and Batman battle for Singh’s life. Justice League continues its stretch as the best team book on the market, with yet another action-packed issue.
This is a pretty easy issue to summarize. In the main story, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Daemon Rose talk things out and then are attacked by Deathstroke, as Synmar battles the Justice League, getting the better of them at every turn, taking everything they have. For the League, things go from bad to worse as Synmar breaches the Hall and Arrow, Canary, Rose, and Deathstroke all take each down. In the back-up, with Batman’s help, the Eternal Knight is able to get into Singh’s mind and free him from the machine the Brothers of Ambrosius put him in, learning the truth about Merlin’s hand in things. Meanwhile, the wizard attacks Atlantis, but the JLD shows up to stop him.
The main portion of this book is just a white knuckle good time. Bendis balances the issue between exposition and action. The most surprising section of the book is the Green Arrow/Black Canary section. Daemon Rose ties into the end of Checkmate #1, and this issue reveals his identity, which is a big surprise. On top of that, Green Arrow realizes that Deathstroke might not be who he says he is, which is pretty interesting. Could he be a Leviathan operative in disguise? The issue doesn’t answer, and that leaves things open and interesting.
As for the rest of the book, the battle between the Justice League and Synmar is a lot of fun. It’s a hard-hitting battle, and Bendis crafts it expertly. It’s exciting, and he keeps upping the stakes throughout the battle, keeping things exciting. He even makes the Wonder Twins useful in the battle, which isn’t something that is easy and is pretty cool to see. On top of that, he deploys his trademark dialogue style throughout the issue, using humor expertly throughout. This is a fun comic, and that’s what a Justice League comic should be all about. Over the back-up, Ram V proves he can do more than just horror stuff. Batman is a bigger help than one can imagine, and V uses him expertly. Eternal Knight keeps up her awesomeness, and the ending, with Merlin attacking Atlantis, is a great one, keeping things moving forward.
Pugh’s art in this book is actually better than the last issue. The stuff with Arrow, Canary, and Rose is quieter than the main book but still delivers, and the big action scenes against Synmar are great. There are some really nice double-page spreads throughout the book and the last page, with Synmar breaking through to the Hall, is a cataclysmic moment that the visuals perfectly sell. In the back-up, Kumar’s art is worth the price of admission alone. He’s stepped into some pretty big shoes and knocked it out of the park. His character work is wonderful, his action looks great, and everything sings under his pencils. Fajardo Jr.’s colors on both sections of the book are unique and perfectly highlight the art.
Justice League #65 is yet another example of why this book is the premiere team book on the market. It has it all: compelling plots, great action, and fantastic art. The creative teams are taking readers on a tremendous ride, and they never fail to impress. This is the book that every superhero fan needs to be reading.
