Justice League #74
The Justice League and the Justice League Dark have their final showdown with Xanadoth in Justice League #74, by Brian Michael Bendis, artists Szymon Kudranski and Emanuela Lupacchino, inker Wade Von Grawbadger, colorists Kudranski and HI-FI, and letterer Josh Reed. This story wraps up the Xanadoth story in a bow and does a great job of it.
As Naomi and Nabu discuss what she is, Madame Xanadu distracts Xanadoth long enough for the Leagues to show up. They battle against her and free Black Adam from her clutches, getting back Fate’s Helmet for Khalid. Nabu and Naomi show up, and working together, the two teams defeat the Lord of Chaos, with Nabu taking her away. The League helps rebuild Black Adam’s destroyed palace, and later the two groups are called away to battle the Legion of Doom, just another day in the life of the Justice League.
Bendis’s run on Justice League is going to be just as checkered as his Superman/Action Comics, and other DC works. However, that’s also not really a fair assessment of his time on the book. Maybe it’s because it wasn’t what everyone expected; Bendis didn’t change the League forever or set the tenor for DC’s entire line with the book. He did, however, tell a lot of really solid Justice League stories, and the book was often the best team book on the market. This issue is a testament to everything he did well in the book.
This is a great action-packed story. The two Justice Leagues do what they do best against Xanadoth, and Bendis presents it wonderfully. There’s some of his trademark humor, but it doesn’t kill the mood. The battle against Xanadoth is exciting. The ending is full of great moments where Black Adam and Naomi both realize just what being in the Justice League means. It even sets up more about Naomi’s powers than readers knew before, especially with how they react with magic. It’s a well-written comic, and despite what Bendis’s naysayers say, this comic is more indicative of his Justice League run than anything else. This well-paced, entertaining comic understands what the League is.
Kudranski does most of the art for this issue, pencils, and colors, and it looks phenomenal. From some great full-page spreads to capturing the action of the battle, he uses his unique style to bring the battle to life. His art completely fits the tone of this kind of massive battle. Lupacchino does the last few pages, and her style is better for these moments, ones that are more character intensive, something her clearer and more traditional style is perfect for. The last page is pure Justice League.
Justice League #74 ends this story and Bendis’s run on the book. It’s a beautiful issue with amazing art. Bendis’s run on Justice League has been a lot better than it gets credit for, and this issue is a fantastic example of why.
