Justice League #50

Writer – Geoff Johns
Artist – Jason Fabok
Colours – Brad Anderson
Letters – Rob Leigh

It all comes down to one last, final battle between the Justice League and all of those who stand against them – them mainly being Grail and Steve Trevor, the Crime Syndicate and Superwoman’s new baby who is quite the surprise in and of itself. Any one of those foes would be quite a match for the League on their own, and now together, they may have just met their match. Throughout the story, the book has essentially been narrated by Wonder Woman and it is fitting that in this last chapter, she faces the man that she loves, a man who has just murdered Mobius and now stands poised to kill the rest of them. Diana thinks that he can fight it, but what little remains of him knows that he cannot and she finds herself in for the fight of her life. To add to that, the Crime Syndicate now thinks it is the right time to make their move, not only to protect themselves from Grail, but to defeat the League once and for all. Out of all the issues thus far, this has to be the strongest one story-wise and Geoff Johns really knocks it out of the park. There are a literal ton of dramatic moments, from where Hal saves Batman to the scene when Myrina saves her daughter Grail or when Owlman makes his play and the eventual outcome of that particular move. One of the more interesting moments comes from Lex Luthor whom we know will play into the ongoing Superman books when they relaunch. Each page of the book packs a punch and the artwork from Jason Fabok is simply stellar. When all is said and done, Johns and Fabok wrap up not only the story, but the book in an extremely grand finale, one that answers a lot of questions and one that asks many more. What about Mister Miracle and Barda? What is going to happen to the Crime Syndicate? Will Darkseid return? What about the revelations made to Wonder Woman? When is Shazam going to get an ongoing title of his own? Whether those questions get answered in the new series once it starts, or whether they are lost betwixt the current universe and the old will remain to be seen, but as of this issue, an exciting chapter in the lives of the League closes with the next one hopefully bigger and better.

5 out of 5

Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat #6

Writer – Kate Leth
Artist – Natasha Allegri
Letters – VC’s Clayton Cowles

Patsy has had a few troubles of late, so what better to do than get a little relaxation courtesy of her friends, Jen, Ian and Tom as they head to beautiful… Coney Island! For readers of this book, you immediately know that just when things seem to be going good for our heroine, they can and will turn sour at a moment’s notice and so it is that while out and having a little fun, Patsy’s day gets ruined by none other than Arcade. While Kate Leth tries to give Patsy a little fun in the sun, it fails to work out as Arcade is looking to do a little of the same. The only difference between Patsy and Arcade though, is that their ideas of fun are quite different with Arcade looking to revisit the site of one of his first Murderworlds. Suffice it to say; while the games are deadly, they are not as elaborate as we have seen of late so that gives Patsy and her friends a little bit of an advantage over the villain. Despite the fact that Patsy and her friends are essentially fighting for their lives, the book still remains a lot of fun with more than a couple of laughs making themselves known. She-Hulk has been a member of the supporting cast from the first book and her inclusion is sheer genius as she completely balances Patsy out while still providing some comedy relief herself. Surprisingly, Arcade also makes a good foil for Patsy, a villain that is not as imposing or as villainous as others and it would be fun to see if he makes a return appearance at some point in the future. So with Patsy’s day essentially ruined, she still tries to make the best of it when all is said and done, at least until Jessica Jones shows up. In addition to the always great story by Leth, aiding her on this issue is Natasha Allegri who provides a very animated and distinctive look for the book. While it will be great to get Brittney L. Williams back on board, Allegri  and her awesome pencils are welcome back anytime. Six issues in and Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat continues to be a truly great book through and through, one that if you are not reading, you should be.

4 out of 5