★★★★★ 3
A Nice Standalone JL Story
Format: Paperback
Justice League: Last Ride really isn't bad, but it never shines greatness either. Superman is suffering throughout this story from the loss of a friend and ally, as well as fatigue from constantly saving people. This is the crux of so many modern Hero stories. Instead of Superman being a beacon of hope, he is dealing with personal and emotional problems. Of course we all need to do just that, however, we as readers look to comics to inspire us. Superhero stories are far less uplifting today, instead bringing characters like Superman down to a more average level.
While the story has a positive ending, it comes after six issues of these characters working through their grief. In some aspects I can appreciate it, but I also don't want to stew in depression.
I used to look to comics to find stories of heroes working through adversity, and relating their unrealistic situations to how I could overcome my own. Lately, the idea of metaphor seems to be dead.
What I really enjoyed:
Chip Zdarsky actually gave the characters individual voices. That's one up on many books being published today. It was nice to see a fairly classic Justice League lineup in action. Some of the more recent membership has been odd choices. The art from Miguel Mendonca was fantastic. I'd love to see more of his stuff. There are some great story beats and the 1st chapter is pretty compelling.
What could have been better:
The dad jokes sprinkled throughout the story were pretty cringey. I'm still trying to understand if Batman and Superman quipping about the pronunciation of S'Mores was supposed to be funny. The story never had a sense of dire consequences, though I'm not sure that's really a bad thing. I think a few small changes to the tone, such as Superman or Wonder Woman being more of a voice of confidence and reason would have helped. We need that beacon of hope in stories like this.
Overall:
Story: 6/10. A fun read, but a bit of a depressing tone.
Art: 8/10. Fantastic character art. I think Miguel Mendonca will be a 9/10 artist in the coming years.
Value: 7/10. Definitely worth a read and at a great price currently ($11.99 as of 10/24/22)
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Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2022
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