(Late)NB of the Week

-JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE STUMBLES AND LOSES THEIR SPOILS,

DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE LOST FOREVER-

Justice League #37 - The Amazo Virus: Chapter Two

Written by Geoff Johns

Drawn by Jason Fabok

Luthor's plan to take out the super-powered has backfired. After a hit was put out on his head, his Amazo Virus was accidentally released upon the world. It's purpose was to target the powers in somebody and shut them down, making their defeat easier. But it was only meant for the powered. Now that it's released on normal humans, it's mutated and worse, airborne. Once infected, a human gains a random super-power until it slowly eats away at their body and kills them. Most of the League is already hit by it, struggling to live (I bet they don't...) while Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman look for Patient Zero along with their blood in order to cure this mutated virus.

Won't lie, this issue didn't have much to it. Superman and Batman finally find PZ only to find what is likely the New 52 version of Amazo. He is Solomon Grundy in looks as his body is dying and he has many powers. They figure that essentially he can copy any power-set he sees (so Grundy meets Marvel's Mimic) after he grows wings to try and copy Superman's flying and later his heat vision. Wonder Woman joins in halfway to swing the tides back to them but once Batman gets the blood sample, PZ flips a little and sends him flying, leaving us with an ending of the sample destroyed and Batman's bio-suit broken, leaving him exposed to the virus (somehow the 3rd comic this week that has Batman in a suit and trying to stop a virus...).

As I said, not much happening but it is only the third part (prelude included) and I wasn't expecting much yet. Why this issue won out the week is based on two things:

1) Geoff Johns. This man has written more than his share of amazing DC stories over the last decade or so but this title has been hit and miss for me. It's always been at worst a decent read but as with many titles and characters in the New 52, it hasn't read like it's his book. It reads as though editors are telling him the when and the where they need everything and he's just trying his best to connect those preset dots. However, once Lex Luthor came over to the team, it reads as though he's having much more fun. The distrusting dynamic that now follows everybody on the team makes for a great read and Johns seems to be enjoying it. The League is once again a book worth reading. The second reason is:

B) Jason Fabok. Fabok is an artist that would have seemingly fit into 90's Image perfectly. It's dark and detailed and, really, it's just pretty to look at. This guy has come onto a book that has already had names like Jim Lee and Ivan Reis and he's made it his. I very much look forward to seeing him draw the Darkseid War next year and hope he sticks around for a while.