Justice League #13 Review

As the Justice League falls under Eclipso’s power (as seen in Justice League vs. Suicide Squad), madness spreads across the land and only one man can fight back against the ever-growing chaos: Steve Trevor, who’s forever known as Wonder Woman’s ex (despite all attempts to move the character past that single note).

Issue #13 of Justice League is the equivalent of a zombie movie where the main character spends most of the story trying to find his family in the hopes that they’re okay. In this case, though, it’s not so much zombies as it is a magical rage virus, created by Eclipso (with a little help from Max Lord). As Steve makes his way through the city, we see the horrific effects it’s having on people and wonder if he can resist its effects himself.

Following the events of Justice League vs. Suicide Squad #5, the League has fallen under Eclipso’s control and immediately set about taking over. The organized strike on governments, militaries and even the world as a whole shows just how dangerous the heroes could be if not for their moral codes, and it seems that they’re going to hold Earth hostage. Of course, then everyone else begins falling under Eclipso’s sway, making the Justice League’s hostile takeover utterly unnecessary.

So, everyone begins turning into blue-faced cannibals, except for Steve. At this point, the comic becomes more horrific, as apparent side-effects of possessions by Eclipso include super long tongues, large fangs and a taste for human blood. Not just human, actually, as an unnecessary scene also shows that dogs aren’t safe, either (and as someone who adores dogs, I can’t say I was too fond of the image of a disemboweled poodle).

The issue doesn’t hold back on the blood or violence. We see riots and plenty of vicious attacks from ravenous beings, and no one is safe, no matter how young or old they may be. It’s all illustrated very well, making great use of the darkness of the night setting and the light sources made available therein to provide great effect.

While typically Steve Trevor’s given smart decisions to make, or stupid decisions made for the right reason, we do get one moment of an utterly illogical decision here. Early on in the issue, Steve learns that the entire Justice League has been possessed, including Wonder Woman. So, when he sees her flying over in the skies above, somehow he thinks it’s a good idea to call out for her, only to be surprised when, oh yeah, she’s still possessed. The scene would have worked if it were another hero, like Starfire or Green Arrow – setting us up to think that there are still some heroes resisting, and who could possibly help, only to snatch that hope away – but because Steve was once Wonder Woman’s romantic interest, she had to be the one he saw.

Mind you, that scene doesn’t actually go anywhere, so it’s still pretty pointless. If it was meant to show how serious the situation is, it loses any impact it has by using a hero we already knew was possessed. Instead of any increased tensions, dangers, or emotions, all we get is two panels of Wonder Woman looking evil before we move on with the story.

At the very least, the artwork is easy on the eyes. It’s a solid comic design, with enough detail in each scene and character to look great without getting cluttered. The comic makes great use of panel sizes and pacing to amp up the tension, too, while the color work utilizes the blue/orange contrast to great effect for much of the issue. Even if there are problems with the story, it certainly looks pretty.

That aside though, there’s really not much else to this issue of Justice League. Sure, we get a bit of a better look at Steve Trevor as we get inside his head and see what drives him and how he thinks, and it also shows the threat that Eclipso presents and creates a bleak mood that carries over into the rest of Justice League vs. Suicide Squad. Overall though, it feels lacking in substance and doesn’t really present fans with too much to get excited about.