Writer/ Artist: Bryan Hitch
I think what separates this book most from the flagship Justice League book is its highly cinematic presentation. It’s obvious that DC let Bryan Hitch play to his strengths with this one. JLA looks like a very expensive blockbuster film that happens to be captured within the pages of a comic book and Hitch just might be the best at drawing scenes packed with an obscene amount of characters since George Perez.
This issue opens with Rao’s disciples storming Atlantis, Themyscira, and the Fortress of Solitude. The story isn’t just personal for Superman, for Rao demands to be worshipped as Earth’s one and only god. Hitch’s thinly veiled statement on organized religion may go over the heads of many readers, but it wasn’t lost on me.
The book isn’t without fault as I feel Hitch hit a few speed bumps along the way when it came to writing dialogue for certain characters, especially The Flash/Barry Allen. It’s not that he felt out of character, it’s just that his bits didn’t read properly, and perhaps you will agree with me when you read the issue for yourself.
The blueprints for an epic time-spanning JLA story are here, but I think Hitch could benefit from having a co-writer. With the right partner, I really think future arcs could be something fans will talk about for years.
