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A review by roxcollector
Justice League, Volume 7: Darkseid War, Part 1 by Geoff Johns
4.0
Synopsis: On the night of Wonder Woman's birth, there was another Amazon named Myrina Black giving birth at the same time. Myrina was previous the Amazons' assassin and she gives birth to Darkseid's daughter. To protect her daughter, she kills the two Amazons that helped her with the birth. Darkseid's daughter is named Grail. It is revealed that Myrina was the first Amazon to leave Themyscira and that she only bore Darkseid's daughter to kill him later.
We then switch to Metron's point of view, where he tells the story of how Mister Miracle and Orion were both sons of New Genesis and Apokolpis and were traded to the other planet to form a peace pact. Metron finds the Anti-Monitor on Earth-3, and tries to make a deal with him, but fails because the Anti-Monitor does indeed want a war with Darkseid because it will mean that he can rule.
Terminator style, Darkseid's followers go around killing women named Myrina Black. Mister Miracle on Apokolpis confronts Darkseid, but ultimately is forced to retreat using a Mother Box that he crafted himself. The JL is investigating the death of the woman named Myrina Black, but Grail uses the Flash, via his mouth, to bring herself into their world as she was previous on Earth-3. Superman is with Lex and they have an argument but during the argument Lena shoots Lex. Lena then uses a Mother Box to send them both to Apokolpis. Grail uses Jessica's power ring to bring the Anti-Monitor to that earth.
Metron appears and transports the JL to the Rock of Eternity since it is the only place that they can talk safely. Metron is not providing the answers the League wants, but does reveal that they can get the answers they desire by removing him from the Mobius chair, via Wonder Woman's lasso. They pull Metron off the chair and Batman takes his place on it, saying he is a god now. Mister Miracle eventually meets up with the real Myrina Black, but the two disagree on the war with Darkseid so she tries to kill him. He uses his Mother Box to send him to the JL.
Meanwhile on Apokolpis, Darkseid has put a price on Superman's head and the slaves that wins, will be freed. Superman is losing his powers because there is no red sun so Lex drops him into an inferno pit to jump start his powers again. Batman decides to take the Mobius chair to various places the Anti-Monitor has been because the chair does not have information on him. Hal basically forces Batman to let him go with him. Grail summons Darkseid to earth through a ritual.
Superman emerges from the inferno, but he's all black with outlines of white. He then states that Lex could only ever come close to killing him because he held back, then attacking Lex. There's an all-out war between Darkseid and the Anti-Monitor, with the JL not really knowing who to fight for. Eventually, Darkseid calls the Black Racer, who merges with the Flash. Batman and Hal discover that at the source of the normal universe is free will, but the anti-matter universe's source is the Anti-Life equation. The Anti-Monitor then kills Darkseid using the Black Racer, proclaiming that the Anti-Life equation is in his veins and that he is forever bound to it.
Review: I did like this book a lot, but I didn't give it five stars because I felt it could have been done in a less jumpy way. You're constantly jumping back and forth between Mister Miracle, the Justice League, Superman and Lex, and Grail. It's a confusing mess to the point where I had to reread it twice to feel like I got everything, or at least, enough that I understood the story going forward.
One thing that really annoyed me in the story was Batman. I realize that his intentions sitting on the Mobius Chair were good, but honestly, it turns him into a dick. I mean, he's always kind of a dick, but it is amplified here. The other thing that bugs me is I know Batman has always had a problem with Hal Jordan, but once he sits on the Mobius Chair, it is taken to a whole new level. He berates Hal Jordan, telling him that the ring is the hero, not Hal himself. That really pissed me off. Hal Jordan is my second favorite superhero of all time, and the fact that Batman cannot see the hero within Hal has always bothered me. To me, this shows that Batman doesn't really know or understand Hal Jordan at all.
I didn't care for the storyline with Supes and Lex on Apokolips, either. I'm sure it will be explained in the next volume on why Superman was turned into an asshole by the fires of Apokolis, but rationally, it's probably just because, well, it's Apokolips.
As for the parts I did enjoy, I loved Grail as a foil to Wonder Woman. I thought she was fun and so deliciously evil. The fact that she used Flash's body as a doorway through his mouth was so weird, but I thought it worked. I could have missed it, but why was the Flash specifically able to be used as a doorway? I'm not going to go on another rant about how much I love Jessica Cruz, but I'd just like to say I'm happy that while she is a new character she has a purpose.
Mister Miracle was another part I enjoyed. I haven't read Jack Kirby's New Gods stuff, though I plan to, but I loved those characters here. I never understood the appeal of Mister Miracle, but being in his headspace, I get it now. His backstory is so upsetting. The fact that Highfather just sent him off to live on Apokolpis was so cold. What an uneven exchange. One kid gets a life of luxury and the other is sent to basically hell.
The confrontation with Darkseid and the Anti-Monitor at the end was epic as hell. And I loved that the JL was all like "who the hell do we fight for?" and then they just end up fighting everybody.
I am curious to see how Lena Luthor was seduced to Darkseid's side, but I did laugh after she shot him, saying "everyone hates him." The plot with Superwoman is interesting as well. Why the hell does everyone want her baby so bad? Also, can we get some back story on her please? Overall, I liked it, but there is some explaining to do.
We then switch to Metron's point of view, where he tells the story of how Mister Miracle and Orion were both sons of New Genesis and Apokolpis and were traded to the other planet to form a peace pact. Metron finds the Anti-Monitor on Earth-3, and tries to make a deal with him, but fails because the Anti-Monitor does indeed want a war with Darkseid because it will mean that he can rule.
Terminator style, Darkseid's followers go around killing women named Myrina Black. Mister Miracle on Apokolpis confronts Darkseid, but ultimately is forced to retreat using a Mother Box that he crafted himself. The JL is investigating the death of the woman named Myrina Black, but Grail uses the Flash, via his mouth, to bring herself into their world as she was previous on Earth-3. Superman is with Lex and they have an argument but during the argument Lena shoots Lex. Lena then uses a Mother Box to send them both to Apokolpis. Grail uses Jessica's power ring to bring the Anti-Monitor to that earth.
Metron appears and transports the JL to the Rock of Eternity since it is the only place that they can talk safely. Metron is not providing the answers the League wants, but does reveal that they can get the answers they desire by removing him from the Mobius chair, via Wonder Woman's lasso. They pull Metron off the chair and Batman takes his place on it, saying he is a god now. Mister Miracle eventually meets up with the real Myrina Black, but the two disagree on the war with Darkseid so she tries to kill him. He uses his Mother Box to send him to the JL.
Meanwhile on Apokolpis, Darkseid has put a price on Superman's head and the slaves that wins, will be freed. Superman is losing his powers because there is no red sun so Lex drops him into an inferno pit to jump start his powers again. Batman decides to take the Mobius chair to various places the Anti-Monitor has been because the chair does not have information on him. Hal basically forces Batman to let him go with him. Grail summons Darkseid to earth through a ritual.
Superman emerges from the inferno, but he's all black with outlines of white. He then states that Lex could only ever come close to killing him because he held back, then attacking Lex. There's an all-out war between Darkseid and the Anti-Monitor, with the JL not really knowing who to fight for. Eventually, Darkseid calls the Black Racer, who merges with the Flash. Batman and Hal discover that at the source of the normal universe is free will, but the anti-matter universe's source is the Anti-Life equation. The Anti-Monitor then kills Darkseid using the Black Racer, proclaiming that the Anti-Life equation is in his veins and that he is forever bound to it.
Review: I did like this book a lot, but I didn't give it five stars because I felt it could have been done in a less jumpy way. You're constantly jumping back and forth between Mister Miracle, the Justice League, Superman and Lex, and Grail. It's a confusing mess to the point where I had to reread it twice to feel like I got everything, or at least, enough that I understood the story going forward.
One thing that really annoyed me in the story was Batman. I realize that his intentions sitting on the Mobius Chair were good, but honestly, it turns him into a dick. I mean, he's always kind of a dick, but it is amplified here. The other thing that bugs me is I know Batman has always had a problem with Hal Jordan, but once he sits on the Mobius Chair, it is taken to a whole new level. He berates Hal Jordan, telling him that the ring is the hero, not Hal himself. That really pissed me off. Hal Jordan is my second favorite superhero of all time, and the fact that Batman cannot see the hero within Hal has always bothered me. To me, this shows that Batman doesn't really know or understand Hal Jordan at all.
I didn't care for the storyline with Supes and Lex on Apokolips, either. I'm sure it will be explained in the next volume on why Superman was turned into an asshole by the fires of Apokolis, but rationally, it's probably just because, well, it's Apokolips.
As for the parts I did enjoy, I loved Grail as a foil to Wonder Woman. I thought she was fun and so deliciously evil. The fact that she used Flash's body as a doorway through his mouth was so weird, but I thought it worked. I could have missed it, but why was the Flash specifically able to be used as a doorway? I'm not going to go on another rant about how much I love Jessica Cruz, but I'd just like to say I'm happy that while she is a new character she has a purpose.
Mister Miracle was another part I enjoyed. I haven't read Jack Kirby's New Gods stuff, though I plan to, but I loved those characters here. I never understood the appeal of Mister Miracle, but being in his headspace, I get it now. His backstory is so upsetting. The fact that Highfather just sent him off to live on Apokolpis was so cold. What an uneven exchange. One kid gets a life of luxury and the other is sent to basically hell.
The confrontation with Darkseid and the Anti-Monitor at the end was epic as hell. And I loved that the JL was all like "who the hell do we fight for?" and then they just end up fighting everybody.
I am curious to see how Lena Luthor was seduced to Darkseid's side, but I did laugh after she shot him, saying "everyone hates him." The plot with Superwoman is interesting as well. Why the hell does everyone want her baby so bad? Also, can we get some back story on her please? Overall, I liked it, but there is some explaining to do.