Justice, Volume 2 by Jim Krueger

Justice, Volume 2 Reviews

• 
  James DeSantis

  How come I haven't really heard of Jim Krueger? This dude obviously loves Superheroes, and he handles them really well.
  
  So the last volume we were having all our superheroes losing. Like, really really bad. Hell, this volume starts with Superman STILL getting his ass whooped. Then, luckily, the backups for the Justice League are called in to help. This is a really big moment for some secondary characters, and goes to show how each superhero can be extremely important. The villains take a backseats for most of this volume, not narrating it like the last much, and only at the end does it start to show more of their plan.
  
  Good: The art, while again not a huge fan of Ross's style, works well here. This is a depressing story but there's moments of humor that work really well. Actually some great ones with Batman. I know, I was surprised too. I thought the loss over and over again on the heroes and them getting back up and fighting is awesome. I also thought the narration still worked really well here.
  
  Bad: Some of it is long-winded and feels little filler-like in issue 7 and 8.
  
  Overall, I'm really enjoying Justice. I never hear it talked about much but I think this is a great book for heavy comic readers and casuals alike. A 4 out of 5.
• 
  Garrett

  Good, but not exceptionally good. Justice is essentially the same premise of Identity Crisis, except for the fact that it's a REAL identity crisis. All of the Justice League members have been under attack and their identities are compromised. Brainiac wants to eliminate life on earth by fooling the people of earth into thinking the super villains are the good guys. And the heroes fight the villains to try and stop them. The artwork is beautiful, but so far the story has not impressed me, even though it is an interesting premise. I hope the last book is a more satisfying conclusion.
• 
  Anne

  Volume two is just as amazing as volume one, maybe even better.
  The combination of Braithwaite's penciling and Ross' painting makes this a true work of art.
  That is not to say that the plot is lacking anything. This really has everything that I love about comics all rolled into one perfect package.
  Seriously, the only problem I have is that my library doesn't have volume three. Thank God for Google and Wiki!
  If you get a chance to read this one, don't pass it up!
• 
  Carlex

  A good script and excellent drawings by Alex Ross. You can not ask for more.
• 
  Justyn Rampa

  The promise of the first volume wains here a bit for me as the story devolves into what I feel is a liberal re-hash of two landmark JLA stories, "Identity Crisis" and "Tower of Babel".
  
  Doug Braithwaite writes the intro notes for this volume and he comes across as utterly charming. In fact, I really love his artwork throughout all three volumes. He does a fantastic job balancing realism while adhering to the roots of the characters.
  
  There is also one moment in this volume that bothers the crap out of me. Super Gorilla Grodd has temporarily taken control of Alfred and rants against Batman about how he is going to kill him to which Batman replies, "Shut Up, Alfred". It is so jarring to hear Batman speak to Alfred that way, especially since Batman knows that is not really Alfred talking.
  
  This speaks to a larger problem I have with Jim Kreuger's writing which is often hard to follow, choppy, and I don't think it is entirely faithful to some of the characters at times. Other times, I think he totally nails it but there are definitely head scratching moments that make me slightly cringe.
  
  Overall, I enjoyed it with some reservations but it definitely did not fulfill the promise or originality of the first volume.
• 
  Sesana

  Volume two brings more of the same of volume one: action, huge stakes, and gorgeous artwork. A very fun read, and even more fun to look at.
• 
  Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈

  This one didn’t hold my attention quite as much as the last volume but I have to give credit for how much work went into this. There are so many DC characters featured here that it’s pretty much awe inspiring. Again, this is one of those few arcs deemed “epic” and world changing... and it actually feels epic and world changing.
  
  Ross’ art is gorgeous, as always.
  
  I just wasn’t as entertained as I was reading the last one.
• 
  Liv

  A little bit slower but still enjoyed it. Villains are everywhere! Second tier Justice league members are showing up! Let’s see how we get to the epic conclusion.
• 
  Gavin

  If Volume 1 was the JLA getting their asses handed to them, this is the bounce back, lead by some of the "B-team" members. However, given the power, I don't know why Captain Marvel is seen as a B-teamer, he takes a whole pile on solo, and wipes the floor with them, making me wonder just how powerful he is in comparison with Superman. There is also the appearance of others, like Ralph Dibny (Elongated Man), Plastic Man [yes this is dumb to have 2 identical men, and they make fun of it themselves], Metamorpho, Doc Magnus and the Metal Men, The Doom Patrol (yes and I LOVE them here, so good), Zatanna, Red Tornado (who is actually in the first volume as well, I just hadn't seen much of him and actually thought it was Mister Miracle at first lol), Phantom Stranger et al. The ways in which the "A-Team" members are rescued are actually rather interesting and creative, and I really enjoyed that there was discussion of just how undervalued the B-listers are, that the villains don't even worry about it. So now, the Apocalypse is actually a possibility, and the JLA is just getting back on their feet...what will the conclusion of this bring?
• 
  B. Rule

  The first half of this volume lacked clarity in narrative and layout, but it gradually refocuses and becomes a fun throwback, all-star story by the middle. There is a clear love of comics history and Silver Age zaniness here, while updated with a more contemporary sensibility. The multitude of cameos they manage to shoehorn in is amazing, with the Doom Patrol, Metal Men, and the Phantom Stranger all making appearances alongside more typical Justice League players. There is also an embarrassment of riches in terms of hilarious dialogue, from an argument between the Elongated Man and Plastic Man over the JLA's quota for stretchy guys, to the following exchange (paraphrased):
  
  Batman to Shazam: Hey man, lightning in a cave? Not cool.
  Shazam: But it's magic lightning.
  Batman: Oh, magic lightning you say? Okay then.
  
  Fun stuff. The plot is nothing too novel, but it assembles a laundry list of JLA foes (primarily guided by Lex Luthor, Brainiac, and Gorilla Grodd) to signify a high threat level and keep the comics easter eggs coming. Definitely recommended for those with a nostalgic love for all things D.C.
• 
  Ubalstecha

  The second volume of this series is by far better than the first. In this one we find out that our favourite heroes have not been killed off by the advancing hordes of bad guys. Instead, they have used their smarts and experience to defeat them and escape. The problem is that they are not smart enough to capture them, as would have happened in a classic Justice League comic or cartoon.
  
  When our heroes reconvene, they discover several things. One, the B-team Leaguers and associate members have begun to rally to help with the fight. Two, some of the big times members have been compromised in a big way, specifically Batman is under the control of mystery worms and Wonder Woman is turning back into the clay from which she was former. Three, thanks to their control of Batman, the bad guys now know all of the superhero's secrets and have begun to kidnapped their loved ones and sidekicks.
  
  Great story, with references to classic JLA mythology.
• 
  Caro

  Ooooh. This was a good one. Tense was my middle name during my reading trance. There was so much that happened. I loved the story and the dialog. I was really feeling this one. I can't wait to read the last volume and see how it all turns out. I am sooo glad I'm reading this now and not when they started coming out. I don't know if I could have stood the suspense of waiting. I definitely wanted to open a can of Ka-Pow on the villains. There were some good twists and turns, some AWESOME moments, some 'Oh no you didn't' parts, some areas where I wanted to smack someone upside the head, a little confusion (on my part) for all the added characters, and an agonizing cliff-hanger end. I loved the little bios at of this volume too. I didn't know the basics/background for some of those villains. Definitely as good as or better than the first volume. On to the next.... Enjoy Immensely!
• 
  Hans

  (This review is a collective for all three volumes of Justice)
  
  This comic was both so interesting and so amazing :D
  Whilst I carry the general opinion that I prefer Alex Ross' artworks to be on covers or promotional material as opposed to materials (as they are so detailed filled and therefore I find it hard to see what's quickly happening) but I felt in this series, the artwork truly shined!
  The storyline was so gripping from point one and even though it required some default understanding of the basic ideas and morals of each of these superheroes and their respective villains, the fact it didn't need to explain much from the start gave the story a chance to propel itself forward quite swiftly!
  
  The mystery and wickedness of this series is interesting! It kept me turning the page over and over and as such it drew me into this massive universe of lore!
• 
  JenRaye

  Alex Ross, the artist for this series is beyond amazing.
• 
  Claire

  Loved it. Beautiful art and a great progression of the story from volume 1.
• 
  Owais

  It's clear now that Justice is a love letter to the JLA.
• 
  Julio Bonilla

  •This is where I learned about Aquaman’s history with Black Manta.
  
• 
  Michael

  Overall, gotta admit that I enjoyed this story a little more than expected. Parts of it didn't entirely work for me - the ease with which Brainiac's turning humans into robotic life was undone, the literal deus ex machina of Wonder Woman being reborn, anything with Zatanna (sorry - I can't get past the lameness of talking backwards to cast spells, or the anything-goes-except-what-the-writer-doesn't-want aspect of her powers - she can chase Brainiac anywhere, but couldn't say "NamauqA, raeppa" when Aquaman was kidnapped").
  
  The story has some good twists, and some creative uses of powers. Appreciated Supergirl taking out Poison Ivy in a second, thus proving that other superheroes are redundant when a Super is present. ;) Enjoyed seeing Brainiac and Luthor as the DCU's big bads. Batman had some nice lines. Most of the art is terrific, though some of the action sequences are hard to follow.
  
  I enjoyed it for the first 2/3rds anyway. It starts to show cracks toward the back-end. Scarecrow drives everyone crazy with fear, then gets bitten by the Joker, and everyone apparently stops being scared? What?
  
  For some reason, I can't read a story like this (a big fanboy superhero orgy) without dwelling on all the parts that didn't work for me - despite the logic of it, superheroes fighting in Metal Men-outfits struck me as an obvious attempt to create a toyline and felt phoney; the dialogue mostly sucked - sorry, but I really felt that most of the lines were fanboy-writer masturbation rather than honest compliments; why does Hal chase the missiles if the GLC is going to dispose of them anyway?
  
  Though I did enjoy their take on Batman, Superman and Captain Marvel, I still feel like most of the characters lacked for much personality. Any personality, really. They all talked only about how great their fellow JLAers are or talked about how brilliant and surprising their strategy is.
  
  So, yeah, didn't love it, didn't hate it. I think it's just the tone of the story that makes me look for flaws in it, but it was solidly entertaining. Just not the type of story I really enjoy.
• 
  Steve T.

  What it's about: DC's heroes fight back against their attackers and start to investigate what has caused the villains to unite and change the usual behavior. Someone is manipulating the heroes, the villains, and perhaps the world's population! The heroes find themselves unable to fight back as the villains put their plans into motion.
  
  The villains' offer of a wonderful new world for the citizens of the world may have some strings attached. And if the heroes can't overcome the bias against them, they might truly fail in their mission to protect the world.
  
  What I thought: More gorgeous art. But also a lot of parts that felt unnecessary to tell the story that's shaping up here. Seems like this 12 book series could easily have been condensed to about half that much.
• 
  Adam Graham

  The second volume of Justice picks up right where the first one left off. DC's first string Justice League in serious peril.
  
  They're helped out in part because the Justice League has an unbelievably deep bench including many people who are second stringers for no logical in-world reason but because marketing and precedents. So that mean Alex Ross is unleashed to paint even more heroes and there's much rejoicing.
  
  The plot deepens as there's a mysterious revelation and then even more questions raised. While the Joker adorns the Second Volume's cover, the focus is more on the heroes and their response.
  
  The book can be a bit over-indulgent. Jim Krueger wrote a lame Superman and Batman having a meta discussion scene that doesn't really work. There are a few other times, fan service gets in the way of good pacing. Still, this story is moving along at a solid pace.
• 
  Sean

  The second volume of the Kruger/Ross/Braithwaite JLA jam gets bogged down by the sheer number of things going on. While the villains' plot becomes more apparent, there are quite a few strange occurrences that aren't plot holes but are too coincidental to ignore. The art is still phenomenal but there were some coloring issues where some panels were too dark. The book is still very good but not nearly as good as the first volume.
• 
  Andrew

  So this is the middle part of the twelve-issue Justice series. There are a lot of fun moments in here. (I won't mention specifics, since some of them are more fun if you don't see them coming.) There's a lot going on here, maybe too much. At this point, I think the series might be a little better with a few less heroes and villains and a little more breathing room. Still, that's a minor complaint. The art continues to be excellent and the story is great fun.
• 
  Lavell

  Artwork: Beautiful to look at. Story: ExcellentGreen Lanturn alone in space. Wonder Woman deformed and continuing to go even further. Batman trapped and not being able to do things and this all while the bad guys know their identities. Wow! There are so many plot things that are happening in this story.
• 
  RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez

  Es imposible no sentir cierto bajonazo cuando las cartas están puestas sobre la mesa y la estupenda premisa de los supervillanos aparentemente "arreglando" el mundo se descubre como una cortina de humo. También se reconoce cierta iteración de Crisis de Identidad y Torre de Babel que hacen perder entidad a la propuesta.
• 
  Jiro Dreams of Suchy

  A simple story done extremely well. The worlds villains just fix everything. Cancer, cured! The hungry, fed! The lame, walk! These guys are basically gods and know they are benevolent, but of course they are not.
  
  Alex ross is a true legend and according to the dude at my LCS goes to the Starbucks over by my apartment sometimes. He is a master and every comic fan needs to see an Alex ross story.
• 
  Ανδρέας Μιχαηλίδης

  Reread it after many years, expecting to be disappointed. In truth, the opening twist is quite good, even though the reveal and resolution are patently superhero-silly.
  
  Beautiful art throughout, though.
• 
  Luiz Santiago

  QUADRINHOS:
  http://www.planocritico.com/category/...
• 
  Brent

  Intermediate volume of a great big story: Bratithwaite's pencils and Ross's paints are the great pleasure here.
  Recommended.