When comparing the three books of the New 52 DC Universe sharing the same moniker one thing becomes readily apparent and that is the fact that the flagship book of DC’s line is not all that it is cracked up to be and pales in comparison to the other two.  Such should not be the case, but there are a number of problems that are evident as you read the series.  Justice League Dark and Justice League of America do not share those same foibles making them far better books.  A fascinating dichotomy to be sure as it is one that runs in reverse making the seemingly less important book the better of the three and the most important book the most redundant.

When Justice League starts off, it is set five years previous to every other book that premiered at that time.  Doing so was to set up the team and be able to give them an origin story and make it friendly for new and lapsed readers.  Although the story was interesting at times and interspersed with action and humour, it should have been a momentous tale.  A story that is supposed to setup your universe for years to come and is the start of your key franchise should have started out with a bang, a larger than life saga to get your readers hooked and have them talking about it for ages.  Justice League just did not do that.  The final battle against Darkseid was cool, but it felt more like inevitability rather than something to be anticipating.  The second story arc, The Villains Journey, was serviceable and got better towards the end but just felt like it was going through the motions.  The story featuring Cheetah, one of Wonder Woman’s mainstay villains was good, but nothing we have not seen many times before.  The action and story finally ramp up with the Throne of Atlantis crossover in issue fifteen, yet it should not take a book that long to really find its legs, and especially not in a crossover.  The ongoing thread of the Secret Society is one of the more intriguing things going on as is the recruitment drive for new members.  The very best part of the book are the Shazam back-ups.  Great new take on the character, keeping most of what is true to him intact and improving on a few things here and there.

One of the most disappointing aspects of Justice League is the lack of characterization for our heroes.  The banter between Barry and Hal is fun, but otherwise everyone just seems kind of wooden and bland.  It is true each character has their own solo title with the exception of Cyborg, but it should not be a deterrent to advance the characters within the team setting.  There is a romance blossoming between Superman and Wonder Woman, but he might as well just be a piece of cardboard for all the emotions that he exhibits.  And it is a common problem in the title and one the other two books do not share.  Cyborg who is by far the most interesting character gets little time in the spotlight which is a shame, while some of the new recruits like Element Woman and the Atom are far more captivating than the main team.

Justice League of America which did not start out with the proverbial bang but kept reader interest not with action but with intrigue is the better of the two Geoff Johns penned books.  The premise of the book was to create a team with the abilities to take down the League in case things ever got out of hand.  Led by Amanda Waller and Steve Trevor, the cast is far more captivating than the main book with characters like Hawkman, Martian Manhunter, Katanna, Vibe and Stargirl.  It also features that which was sorely lacking in League – characterization.  As the series progresses you find you actually care more about Vibe and Stargirl than you do about Batman or Superman.  Strange as it may be, but a fact as Johns finally hits his stride on this secondary title, almost like League was just a tryout book until this one got off the ground.

As for Justice League Dark, a team made up of second, third and fourth tier characters like Constantine, Madame Xanadu, Deadman and Frankenstein; a book based upon the mystical aspects of the DCU, it should not be as good as it is.  In fact, as the League family of titles go, it is the best of the bunch.  The action is far more exciting than in either of the other two League titles, the characters have demeanour and emotions and the reader empathizes with them far easier than any of the Big Guns.  It all comes down to the writing and the quality and though each book has big names, JLD less so in the name department, but ends up being superior to the other two.  For more on this title check out Light Into Dark, a full review on the book and everything about it from characters to writing and art.

It is hard to imagine Geoff Johns writing a bad book, and he did not do so on Justice League, but it felt like he held back and did not give it his all.  He stepped up his game for JLA which was a vast improvement but his writing on Aquaman surpasses both.  As all three books led up to Trinity War, it is sad to note that it took a big event to finally bring forth John’s best on his two books while Lemire kept the boat on JLD rock-steady.  In contrast when Marvel’s Avengers books rebooted, Jonathan Hickman took what worked and improved on it brining in big ideas and honouring the past which had come before instead of throwing it all out.  Justice League just feels like old stories being rehashed for newer readers, which is fine for what it is but is it really necessary?

With Geoff Johns leaving the League books soon, it remains to be seen just where the new writers will take the books.  In the case of JLA, soon to be Justice League Canada, readers can be assured Jeff Lemire will bring everything he has to the table as he does on every book he writes.  Justice League Dark seems to be continuing on course getting bigger and better with every issue.  The one thing which is consistent on every book is the art.  With names such as Ivan Reis, Jim Lee, Mikel Janin and David Finch  the books are in good hands.  Hopefully after the fantastic Trinity War crossover and the new Forever Evil line-wide event, DC can right the ship on their top title making it deserved of being so.