When you really think about it, Justice League is probably one of DC’s marquee titles to have seen the fewest changes in scribes over the course of this decade. After Geoff Johns set the bar with his now legendary run during the New 52 days, Bryan Hitch ran with the ball upon the start of Rebirth. And, now, it’s Christopher Priest who’s tasked with handling the publisher’s premier superhero team.
While none of us can be too sure of the selection process that allows someone to land such a gig, a personnel shift makes a lot of sense at this point. After all, with the Justice League movie having debuted in theaters not long ago, what better way to create a friendly jumping on point for new readers than with a new creative team?
If we were to hazard a guess, this particular case may have something to do with the outside-the-box thinking that Priest displayed while working on Deathstroke – and the fact that he proved he could juggle an ensemble cast in the process. And with that, we can see he’s brought somewhat of a similar touch to this title, making it feel as grandiose as it needs to be, while also giving it that sense of realism and authenticity he’s known for.
Speaking of which, interior artist Philippe Briones capably shows off what it’s like to go to those extremes. In the gallery above, we see a courtroom scene that forces one to recall Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice juxtaposed by something that’d feel right at home if it were placed amongst Grant Morrison’s hallowed JLA run. Plus, J.G. Jones stops by to provide a variant cover that reminds us why it was worth it to purchase two covers for each issue of Final Crisis a decade ago.
For more info, be sure to check out the official synopsis below:
“JUSTICE LOST” part four! As public confidence in the League continues to fall, strained relationships within the team are set aside when Simon Baz is kidnapped by the mysterious figure known as the Fan: a zealous Justice League acolyte who was inspired by the team as a youth and who now deals death to the League’s enemies. The Fan knows literally every detail about the League membership’s powers and tactics, and easily turns their own systems and resources against them “for their own good.”
Justice League #37 arrives in comic shops next Wednesday, January 17.
Credits:
Writer: Christopher Priest
Artist: Philippe Briones
Cover: Pete Woods
Variant Cover: J.G. Jones