TPB Pick of the Week: Justice League (VOL 3)- The Throne of Atlantis

With the digital release of the movie, I felt it was appropriate to look at the source material and dive back into the Geoff John’s swimming pool of goodness.

Geoff Johns and crew deliver another blockbuster right here. John’s “free reign” with the New 52 has been met with some hostility from fans, but you cannot argue that it hasn’t been exciting. The illustrating is beautifully handled by Tony Daniel who gets an amazing coloring job making this some really fine art. Issues 13 and 14 are a two part story focusing on the League battling with Wonder Woman foe, The Cheetah. It also touches on the Superman Wonder Woman relationship that started at the end of the previous volume and reaffirms why this group likes and respects each other and they will have each other’s backs. The pacing of the story is very well handled and gives all the members a chance to shine.

The bulk of the book, the main event, is Throne of Atlantis: in this order (If you were looking for the regular issues): JL 15, AM 15, JL 16, AM 16, and JL 17.  A U. S. naval ship is taken over and its missiles are used to attack Atlantis. King of Atlantis, Orm, the Ocean Master, Aquaman’s half-brother, does not take this strike lightly and initiates an attack against the U.S. north eastern seaboard. Atlantis is a force to be reckoned with to put it lightly.

The Justice League respond and it is quickly learned that the missiles were part of a master plan by someone unknown. Also, Aquaman knows how this attack will go since he helped design the plans when he was the king of Atlantis. Since this is a team book, it is reasonable to expect big action and little characterization but Johns makes sure to put the star of this story, Aquaman, through the motions, as well as have some big action. The Ocean Master gets some surprising depth as Johns does that sympathetic villain trick he loves so much, and Cyborg gets some well-placed personal drama and decisions that is very welcomed as he is such a great character. The trinity gets their moments as well.

Ivan Reis does the Justice League chapters and Paul Pelletier does the Aquaman ones, both men debuting on new assignments, although Reis had been Aquaman’s regular artist so the transition here is seamless. Both artists rock and make this a big movie epic while capturing those character moments with detailed grace. Reis does some of his most impressive two page spreads in this volume, which is saying something.

Check out the review of the DVD movie here on Kastor’s Korner.

JQ gives the story a 8.8/10.