Review - Justice
In this clever first volume collecting issues of the comic book “Justice,” super villains stick it to the Justice League of America by beating them at their own game — saving humanity.
Sometimes serious attempts at superhero tales work and other times they fall flat. “Justice” works because the creators don’t pile on the grit — as in works like “The Dark Knight” — but understand the absurdity of the genre and twists its basic set-up in order to create an alluring caper.
Lex Luthor and other villains — most notably Poison Ivy and Captain Cold — use their powers to do good works for a change, like creating an oasis for starving people in the desert. It’s not an honest effort at altruism, however, but part of a mind game that has the villains use the moment to turn the public against superheroes. All this time, the superheroes could have solved the problems of the world, but chose to squander the possibilities instead.
Of course, the diversions that destroyed such opportunities are the very people pointing out the failure — the super villains — and that’s what makes “Justice” a brilliant political parable for the Bush era. With so much to say about public perception and the way it is steered by some of the worst perpetrators of the problems, when instant gratification takes precedence over long term planning and political decisions, “Justice” proves itself smarter than the average superhero comic — and more accessible.
As painted by Alex Ross, “Justice” is also a visual treat, with the superheroes and villains brought to life in such a way that the comical political parable becomes believable. Ross’ work is always beautiful, but in this arena, it offers more than the usual wow factor — rather it bridges the world between make believe and reality and allows the story to resonate with its reader in a much stronger fashion than most artists could pull off.
If you don’t read superhero comics but are open to the possibilities, then “Justice” is a great place to start.
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