REVIEW: ‘Justice League,’ Issue #58

Justice League #58 is published by DC Comics. Written by Andy Lanning and Ron Marz. The artist is Xermanico. Colours by Alex Sinclair. Letters by Tom Napolitano. In the flashback sequence, art is by Marco Santucci, colours by Arif Prianto, and letters by Troy Peteri.

The Frost King, a millennia-old cryomancer, was resurrected by agents from Stagg Industries who were digging at the crater left behind by the Fortress of Solitude. Powered up by Kryptonian crystal, The Frost King unleashed a blizzard on the entire planet, sending out his icy minions to wreak havoc. The Justice League has been stretched thin, worn down after tackling the opposing force all around the globe.

A flashback sequence throughout the event has been showing the origin of the Frost King. Once human but with the ability to create and control ice, he realized his true power when his fearful community attacked his home and murdered his child. We saw the first fight between an alliance of ancient beings and the Frost King at the start of Aquaman #66. This group, made up of The Viking Prince, Swamp Thing,  Hippolyta, and Black Adam, engages this danger. In this issue, Black Adam continues to fight and we see just how far he is willing to go to defeat his enemies.

Within the main bulk of the issue, the central character is Green Lantern. John Stewart rescues a family from an ice creature in Michigan, leading them to safety. After that, John returns to the Hall of Justice to oversee the worldwide response. But this is interrupted when a large army attacks the Hall, led by the Frost King himself. Green Lantern must now hold off the entire army as he waits for backup.

Justice League #58’s pacing is brilliant. We haven’t seen much of Green Lantern during this event yet, so it was a good decision to place him as the focal point for the Justice League-centered issue. There is a build-up in the issue as Green Lantern returns to the Hall, with tension starting to mount. The crossover was beginning to lose some of its momenta, and the huge battle between The Justice League and the Frost King was the perfect remedy. The energy of the story has been reinvigorated. The ending was surprising and suggests that the League’s problems are far from over.

Green Lantern is scripted fantastically by Lanning and Marz. All of the members of the League have been presented as true, devoted heroes, and John is no exception. He instantly swoops in when he sees a family in danger, and this is a trait that is repeated throughout the issue. He is on his own when the Frost King and his legion attacks, aside from the ultra-powerful Detective Chimp. But that doesn’t stop him from launching himself straight into the fight. He is built to protect people, and nothing else matters.

It is great to see the Justice League regroup in this issue. They have been apart since the first issue of the event and having them fight side-by-side is exciting. But Green Lantern handles himself well against an opponent who is far superior to him.

The other character who deserves a mention within this issue is Black Adam, seen in both the flashback sequence and the main story. When he appeared in Flash’s solo comic earlier in the crossover, he came across as honourable. He helped Flash when Barry needed help, allowing him to rest within his own palace. But there are multiple facets of his character that are depicted within Justice League #58. There’s his power, as he goes toe-to-toe with the Frost King hundreds of years ago. There’s his viciousness, as he resorts to several tactics in the flashback that puts innocents in danger so he can put his enemy down. And there’s his manipulative intellect, shown by him always having an ulterior motive and reason for what he does. He is as three-dimensional in this crossover as he ever has been.

The line art is tremendous in both stories. Xermanico is spectacular at drawing battles, making him a brilliant pick for this issue. Despite the many bodies involved in the fight, it is easy to follow and riveting to read. Green Lantern and his constructs are well-drawn and fun. At one point, he creates a gigantic sword just to be able to match the Frost King’s. The rest of the Justice League and their powers are just as epic to see. One of the best designs of the crossover, which Xermanico brings back, is Batman’s winter suit. It looks both awesome and functional.

The Frost King himself looks incredible. He is massive and creates a sense of awe in the reader.. There are stunning details on him as he is covered in scratches and cracked. The thick lines that serves as his outlines serve as his structure, but the thousands of pencil strokes on his body are superb at filling him with character. 

Santucci’s design for the Frost King shows him as much younger while maintaining that monstrous look. This version of him, just realizing how much power he has, comes across on the page. Santucci is brilliant at showing a character’s personality through their facial expressions. Black Adam’s grin as he describes his latest, dangerous plan is alsoterrifying.

The colours in the main story match the tone and danger of the story. The colour of Green Lantern’s costume and constructs aren’t as bright and vibrant as they have been seen previously. But in the middle of an unending blizzard where not much light is getting in, that is to be expected. Sinclair fills out the constructs with shading, resulting in them having a depth and weight to them. The other League members are all adorned with their colours too and look phenomenal.

The letters by Napolitano are great and easy to read, being slightly larger in front. There are a lot of caption boxes showing John’s thoughts, but the white stands out well against the bright green. The logos next to each hero when they appear somehow adds to the excitement of the scene.

Justice League #58 is a revitalizing mid-point to the Endless Winter event. This huge battle was needed, as there was the potential for the plot to seize in the cold. Green Lantern was the perfect choice as the main character, as it gives him when he doesn’t have his own series for it to be featured in. His powers and personality are more than enough to boost the energy of the crossover, and the art is spectacular as he does so.

Justice League #58 is available where comics are sold.