DC COMICS
WRITERS: Dwayne McDuffie, Alan Burnett
ARTISTS: Ed Benes, Jon Boy Meyer, Sandra Hope
COVER: Ethan Van Sciver

The Suicide Squad is hunting down the world's supervillains... and the supervillains are running to the Justice League.

The main story in this issue ties in with events in the whole SALVATION RUN and SUICIDE SQUAD miniseries. But you don't need a deep understanding of these books to tell what is happening here. The scenes of various badguys-- both big names and small fry-- trapped and frightened, are surprisingly effective. It is enough to make you feel sympathy for a Neo-Nazi or a crazed killer. The ending also sets up a clever cliffhanger-- one that is not dependent on the hero being put in peril.

Ironically, among the main weaknesses in the main story is the failure to flesh out some of the villains. A choice few get the spotlight but many of the bad guys are reduced to standing in the background. The art merely compounds this problem. There is an overuse of dark shadows and muscular characters posing, to the point that it becomes difficult to tell what is happening in many of the panels. Is that big, white, muscle-man suppose to be the Ace of the Royal Flush Gang? Isn't he a robot? And is that suppose to be the Tattooed Man in the background? Is it the original (a white guy) or the new one (a black guy)? The art is so muddled, it becomes hard to tell black from white. In the Silver Age, they would be nice enough to include some panels, listing all the characters. Or at least the villains would address each other by name so we would know who was speaking to who. This new modern-style of writing just makes it harder for newcomers who are not diehard comicbook fans to know what is happening. For example, the opening fight scene between the Cadre and Black Lightning could have been presented with more excitement and clarity. Instead, it looks like something the creators threw in just to meet a quota.

There is also a back feature that expands on the mystery of the Vixen's new powers. It helps move this storyline along but doesn't really reveal anything too impressive. The art is a clear imitation of Japan's manga style-- to the point of including some of the worst aspects of manga: the characters are too stylized with inappropriate facial expressions. Oh yes, Vixen does look really hot. She just doesn't look like Vixen.

As one of DC's flagship titles with dozens of characters popping in and out, the Justice League of America should really contain art that helps tell the story in a clear, comprehensive manner. Without it, this issue gets only two out of five stars-- which is shocking considering the talent involved.