Review: ​JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD #5

JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD #5
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Robson Rocha, Daniel Henriques, Jay Leisten, Sandu Florea, Oclair Albert, and Alex Sinclair
Published by DC Comics
Release Date: January 18, 2017

The end of the world is brought to you by the Justice League. Within minutes of their otherworldly possession, the various members of the League all tie up loose ends all over the world in a much faster way than the Crime Syndicate did during Forever Evil. Within minutes, the White House is taken and Maxwell Lord (and something more sinister) taken command. If only there wasn’t a band of freaks and monsters left behind to stop him and the JL.

The penultimate chapter of the event turns the tables for both teams. With the JL under the control of the Eclipso diamond and Batman forced to team up with the remains of his team and the Suicide Squad, it’s an extension of what we’ve seen in his solo title and in other event stories throughout DC’s years. Unlikely characters forging an alliance lest a greater evil wipe everyone out.

The focal point of this installment turns to Batman to pick up the dangling and deranged pieces he’s dealt and attempt to rectify the situation. Williamson maintains the typical Batman voice and re ups on his cunning nature when confronted by a revived Lobo and turning the tables into getting “The Main Man” on his side.

A struggling Cyborg does what he can while under the influence of the Diamond but it’s limited to say the least. Their deepest, darkest, and worst impulses are now at the forefront of their possessed selves and with the world’s strongest team on the side of Lord, the Suicide Squad and remaining JL members have their backs against the wall. Cracks begin to form in Max’s plan of world domination when he gets one-on-one time with Waller in the White House.

The secondary force hidden below the surface of the crystal is approaching and Max isn’t entirely aware of the forces he’s playing with. It’s a case of trying to accomplish your goals and not knowing what you’re dealing with to make ends meet. From his past experiences with Waller, we’ve seen the levels that Max will go to get what he wants and his plot of taking over points of contact all over the world is in line with the Lord we know. The diamond corrupting him ever so surely is an entirely different problem.

This event is pulling people out of their comfort zone and Williamson writing is getting them there. Killer Frost making her claim that Batman needs herself and the other villains to get the job done despite their predicament is lining up nicely with her soon to be membership on the Justice League of America next month.

The issue wraps up with everyone involved coming to a head on the fiery streets of Washington D.C. and it culminates with a teaser character making his appearance known to the immediate characters, both the Justice League and Suicide Squad are in for the fight of their lives!

The fifth part of this event keeps the art more or less at the maintained level we’ve come to expect from the series. The darker nature of this specific chapter calls for more inking heavy moments from the team of Henriques, Leisten, Florea, Albert, and Sinclair. The characters don’t always stand out clearly defined but it’s suitable.

Rocha’s pencils do wonders for capturing characters and their expressions throughout. There’s a rough around the edges curve to the characters, the inking in some places fill the characters with a place of weight on the page and add a sense of grit and dirt to what these guys and gals have been through.

Justice League vs. Suicide Squad continues increasing the stakes and grandeur of the DCU that has been plotted out since the first issue. With the finale in sight, the event that started out as team’s finally interacting and coming to blows evolved into so much more with an explosive end to leave out on a high note next week.

The Verdict: 7.5/10

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