REVIEW: Justice League: Last Ride #1

Justice League: Last Ride #1 is a brand new series which sees the Justice League take on one final mission after going their separate ways. I have to say I have been very intrigued by the idea of this and the reasons why the Justice League may have gone their separate ways, and the wait is finally over.

But before we get into the issue itself, let’s take a look at the covers. The standard cover is by Darrick Robertson and Diego Rodriguez and it is fantastic! I adore the use of different textures for the shaded areas, it’s very cleverly done and shows excellent range! Our heroes have very classic and signature designs despite their agonising facial expressions, which too are expertly done. This is an eye-catching cover, that’s for sure!

The variant cover by Miguel Mendonça and Enrica Angiolini is spectacular and perfectly showcases the speed and strength of these characters. The colours are bright yet seem pastelised which really adds a great effect to the piece, it adds a timeless feel to it which I love. The detail on each and every member of The League is excellent and no detail is spared, they look strong and confident, just as they should.

Justice League: Last Ride #1 follows the team as they are called together to do one last job despite their differences. That job is to protect Lobo so that those he has hurt can finally get justice, but that isn’t the only reason for this final mission, as a new group look to take on the Justice League’s responsibilities on Earth.

As soon as this aspect is explained, it is clear that there really is a lot at stake here. Though I know we are in for excellent action and story, it is rather bittersweet to think that this task is being accepted so another team can take over from the Justice League. That really goes to show how serious this fallout is and writer Chip Zdarsky has done a great job of getting that across.

Zdarsky drip feeds us information which only increases the suspense into finding out what happened between The Justice League and specifically Superman and Batman. It is rather out of character for the pair to really argue like this and as Wonder Woman perfectly describes “act like children”, especially when there is such a great deal on the line. But I guess that just again reinforces that fact that this fallout and confrontation is serious.

I have to say, though there are a plethora of characters featured and introduced in this issue, Zdarsky does an excellent job of handling them, the portrayals are on point and cannot be faulted despite the circumstances. This confrontation has caused a huge riff within the team and has drawn everyone apart, but some of those stuck in the middle really add a bit of light humour to the situation, particularly The Flash.

I really love the interaction between Lois and Clark in this issue as well, I love seeing them during their ‘downtime’. In my opinion it’s not something that we see enough of and sometimes when we do see that interaction it doesn’t quite seem believable or isn’t handled quite well. Well that isn’t the case in this issue so far, and Zdarsky does a great job of showing the marital unconditional love that they have for each other in this sequence.

The artwork is absolutely sensational and despite the number of characters involved, Miguel Mendonça and colourist Erica Angiolini does an excellent job of portraying their postures and personalities at all times. Not only do we see iconic poses for these heroes, but the artwork just seems timeless and iconic. I really love his take on the characters, especially Superman and Batman. There are also little details that hint to the characters mythos, for example Lois Lane is always wearing purple, which I thought was a really nice touch and shows excellent attention to detail and respect to these characters. The atmospheres are phenomenal too, no matter the location you really get a feel of the place, especially when we switch from The Fortress of Solitude to The Batcave. I cannot wait to see more from this artistic team and if this issue is anything to go by we are going to be in for a treat.

Justice League: Last Ride #1 is a really great start to a series. It has everything, suspense, excellent character portrayals and excellent artwork. This issue set up the storyline and relationships perfectly and gave us an insight into the personal lives and feelings of The Justice League. I cannot wait to see where this series goes!

Haven’t picked up Justice League: Last Ride #1 yet? You can get the standard cover by Darrick Robertson and Diego Rodriguez here (UK), or here (US). Or if you prefer the variant cover by Mendonça and Angiolini, you can get that here.

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