Comics this week

Justice League Dark #22- This is Part 3 of the Trinity War and after two excellent issue, writers Geoff Johns and Jeff Lemire slowed things down by changing the pace of the story. Now I won’t say nothing happened in this issue because they did. Wonder Woman asked JL Dark to find Pandora, Batman opposes that idea saying it's too dangerous. The JLA and JL Dark are spilt picking a side while the remaining JL members join Superman and the Question in search of Dr. Psycho. Despite all that however, there is a sense that pieces are being moved to set something up. Basically, this is a setup issue that feels like a setup issue. That’s always a bad thing. Fortunately, artist Mikel Janin saved the day. I had been a fan of his work at JL Dark but in this issue, his work went to another level. Not only are his characters flawless, he did a marvelous job squeezing everyone together without making the issue feel bloated. Frankly, he is having fun drawing all the characters of the various JL teams and boy, does it show or what!

Constantine #5- Sigh! Constantine just can’t seem to catch a break. After a bloody good issue last month, the series run smack into the “Trinity War” crossover. The result, as you might suspect, is less than stellar. First off, please pick up Justice League Dark #22 before reading this or it won’t make sense. Seeing John Constantine with the power of Shazam is fun while it lasted but seriously…who read Constantine for a superhero slugfest? 

Batman/Superman #2- #1 was a confusing mess but unfortunately, writer Greg Pak picks things up in this issue. The story comes into being as we discovered that Batman and Superman have entered into a new world and had been fighting their doppelgangers. The inner monologues of all 4 Clarks and Bruces keep it flowing and more importantly, help focused the story so that we actually know what is going on. Lois, Catwoman and Wonder Woman all made an appearance in this issue with Lois and Selena giving the story a degree of humor. The art by Jae Lee is as solid as always and I especially like his portrayal of Catwoman. That was one sexy cat! I wasn't too hot about this series after #1 but with this issue, I discover I may have been too hasty in my judgement. With the creative team come out with more issues like this, this series may have some life indeed.