Experiencing the ravages of war.
Justice League #44 closes out the first act of “The Darkseid War” in grand style. Even as this issue explores the ramifications of recent big developments (including new transformations for both Batman and Superman), it throws out more twists and proves that this conflict is only getting bigger as it moves along.
Johns continues to frame the story from Wonder Woman’s point of view. Aside from the novelty of having Diana front and center in a book where she’s generally been a supporting player, her narration is great at bringing a sense of gravitas and scope to the conflict. This issue hammers home the idea that the Justice League, for all their strength and valor, are little more than helpless observers in the clash between Darkseid and the Anti-Monitor. That’s not to say the League don’t have their part to play, with one character in particular becoming the crux of what is easily the biggest twist in this storyline to date.
Through it all, Jason Fabok’s artwork continues to impress on a level that even outclasses his previous Justice League work. Fabok has by now firmly established himself as one of the best pure superhero artists working today. His work is defined by its sleek, powerful figures and rich environments environments. But never does it seem like Fabok is slathering his pages with lines just for the sake of adding more detail. It’s all about heightening the scope of the conflict and adding more mood and tension to the page.
As crowded as this story is in terms of characters and subplots, it’s not surprising that each issue is a bit weighed down by exposition. Hopefully this is something that will change as The Darkseid War transitions into its next phase. In any case, it’s impressive how much material Johns’ script is able to work through here. The book touches almost every major player and allows for some excellent character moments that work alongside the big, action-packed flourishes.
The Darkseid War keeps delivering the goods month after month. This storyline started big and has only grown bigger still thanks to an epic supervillain showdown, fantastic visuals and a series of cool twists for the Justice League. It’s going to be tough waiting for Fabok to make his grand return in December.
