Justice League #61 Preview

[Frontier]

Well, I love it too.

I guess more humans JLeaguers isn't everyone's cup of tea sadly.

I don't know if it's so much that as just people have a strong idea for character voices/dialogue in their heads so sometimes other writers don't always match that.

[Blue22]

I'm....so conflicted about this run. It started off pretty strong (aside from Bendis taking time out to fuck himself on the very first page). I like this line up. I like seeing Black Canary and Green Arrow together in the spotlight. I've been LOVING Black Adam so far. But....I'm seeing a lot of the things about Bendis' writing that I reeeeeeally loathe. Especially in the dialogue. Good God, I hate when he tries to be 24/7 quippy like he's writing a damn MCU movie. Except he doesn't do it nearly as well as most of them do. Almost everyone sounds like a teenager from the early 2000s. Like I'm reading an Ultimate Universe comic. And most of it is coming from these....villains? Antagonists? Let's call them antagonists. Maybe things will pick back up once they go away.

I've given this run my usual "Three issues" chance. I'm intrigued enough to keep going but it is close to being dropped. I wanna see how it goes once this arc is over.

I don't know if it's so much that as just people have a strong idea for character voices/dialogue in their heads so sometimes other writers don't always match that.

And writing a proper voice for characters is a struggle that Bendis is definitely no stranger to. However this time, aside from Aquaman, I think he's got most of the league alright. Just...stop trying to be hip and funny, Brian. You're not good at it anymore.

I don’t read Marvel so I’m new to Bendis but I don’t get what the fuss is/was about at all.

I don't either. Cuz dude was showing signs of being past his prime WAY before DC got him. And yet they treated his coming here like it'd still be some humungous draw, and not like they just hired one of the most polarizing writers they could possibly get. Nothing was more cringe-worthy than those stupid "Bendis is Coming" advertisements in the back of every book.

[lemonpeace]

I guess it's a unpopular opinion, but I'm really getting into the run. I am liking the team dynamics and I like that a lot of the black canary spotlight this time around. Still not a fan of the villains this arc, they seem very uninspired and their dialogue comes out weird.

And I'm sure someone will fine a reason to be pessimistic about it, but the ducktales line was funy.

I'm digging the run so far too. It's very much giving those Saturday morning cartoon vibes, which is when I feel Justice League has been at it's best in recent yers. I enjoy the diversity in how they utilize the characters and howthey interact (it doesn't feel like the Trinity plus others) which is something I feel writers mess up with the League. sure the villain's kinda whatever but ion really mind it too much. I'm looking at them as more of a mini boss that will hopefully lead to a confrontation with Zumbado, who will be the the real villan.

[BatmanJones]

Well, I love it too.

I guess more humans JLeaguers isn't everyone's cup of tea sadly.

I live for more human interactions in superhero comics and JL in particular. That’s why I’m one of the rare people here who loved King’s Batman and Identity Crisis. Disliking the way Bendis handles such things doesn’t equal disliking human interactions, it only means disliking the way Bendis writes them. I’m glad you’re digging it though.

[Korath]

I live for more human interactions in superhero comics and JL in particular. That’s why I’m one of the rare people here who loved King’s Batman and Identity Crisis. Disliking the way Bendis handles such things doesn’t equal disliking human interactions, it only means disliking the way Bendis writes them. I’m glad you’re digging it though.

Well, now I'm confused, because Tom King's writing is at best deeply troubling, at worst truly inhuman, when it comes to human interactions...

[JorgeJ77]

I live for more human interactions in superhero comics and JL in particular. That’s why I’m one of the rare people here who loved King’s Batman and Identity Crisis. Disliking the way Bendis handles such things doesn’t equal disliking human interactions, it only means disliking the way Bendis writes them. I’m glad you’re digging it though.

You love King's Batman? How can you love Alfred being killed off?

[Blue22]

Well, now I'm confused, because Tom King's writing is at best deeply troubling, at worst truly inhuman, when it comes to human interactions...

Good God, these rare moments where I, 100%, agree with you need to be archived somewhere. I think it's only happened like two other times XD

You love King's Batman? How can you love Alfred being killed off?

I mean...Alfred's kind of a prick, underneath the charm. So I'm not exactly torn up over his death (especially since we know good and damn well he'll be back...eventually). Killing him off was the absolute least of that run's issues.

[Korath]

Good God, these rare moments where I, 100%, agree with you need to be archived somewhere. I think it's only happened like two other times XD

Don't get me wrong. Sometimes it works (like with Mister Miracle) but that's often because the character he wrote about are deeply troubled/troubling (Scott suffering from severe depression, even without the anti-life equation bit about it all, etc.). I can understand and appreciate such writing for those (and I don't even really mind Alfred being killed). But the way he writes characters who we are supposed to root for, at least a little, is often very bad, as if seen through distorded lences to what humans do.

Case in point, Gotham-Girl. If he had made her human, she'd have been a breakthrough character, I really, really, loved her introduction and everything. But at the end of his run, all I could hope was that she'd never be picked up again, expect as the Superman-level meta who dies to show how bad the big bad guys of the EVENT is dangerous, you know? And a lot of elements in his run of Batman should be gently discarded (such as the BatCat, which are so toxic together it's not even funny. I don't know what they feel for each other but it isn't love, or at least not healthy love).

Bendis' may write over eager, energetic characters, but it works, because I know people who are like this. Heck, I know people whom I disgree on so many levels (philosophical, ethical, etc.) and they behave like some of his villains. Here, yeah, Brutus and his cronies aren't exactly the most charismatic bunch of guys. But it works, those are ragtag survivors of a war which destroyed the world around seventeen years ago, and most of them don't see to be older than thirty. They're survivors, not monolitstic badasses, if you get what I mean.

[Noodle]

Figured Bruce for more of a Darkwing Duck fan

Overly rich guy uses his money to fund zany adventures with children?

Yeah, Ducktales is easily a favorite of Bruce.

[Frontier]

I mean, he's probably watched cartoons with the Robins but the intent was, I assume, the sheer randomness of him saying that.

(Bendis' Batman sometimes says random stuff).

Bendis' may write over eager, energetic characters, but it works, because I know people who are like this. Heck, I know people whom I disgree on so many levels (philosophical, ethical, etc.) and they behave like some of his villains. Here, yeah, Brutus and his cronies aren't exactly the most charismatic bunch of guys. But it works, those are ragtag survivors of a war which destroyed the world around seventeen years ago, and most of them don't see to be older than thirty. They're survivors, not monolitstic badasses, if you get what I mean.

My issue is more how prevalent that is with most of the characters he writes.

[BatmanJones]

You love King's Batman? How can you love Alfred being killed off?

That wasn’t his decision. It was meant to be a fake out. DC changed their minds after the issue in which he was killed and told him he needed to finish his run that way.

[Primal Slayer]

I enjoyed it. Always nice to see Black Canary shine.

[Jabare]

I thought Ducktales was going to be the moment from this issue, but Ollie's magic bow stood out more.

[NaVi]

once again dc uses superman to make the villain better, at least this time no is the only one. Superman and all heavyweights should leave the JL. DC uses it to make villains and heroes better at street level.

[hairys]

90% of the characters doing Bendis-speak is just horrible. The dialogue is so, so bad and unfunny. Argh.