REVIEW: ‘Justice League Infinity,’ Issue #4

Justice League Infinity #4 is written by J.M. DeMatteis and James Tucker, illustrated by Ethen Beavers, colored by Nick Fliardi, and lettered by Tom Napolitano. It is published by DC Comics. Part three of “The Crack’d Mirror” finds Wonder Woman stranded on a cold and desolate world in an alternate universe. There, she comes face to face with that world’s Darkseid and learns the horrible truth of what happened to his universe and the Wonder Woman who inhabited it. Meanwhile, the rest of the Justice League navigates the unraveling multiverse to save their teammates and stop Amazo from unwittingly destroying all of reality.

Each issue of Infinity has focused on a different character, such as the Martian Manhunter or Superman. Finally, the focus shifts to Wonder Woman, and it’s a welcome focus, in my opinion. Susan Eisenberg’s performance as the Amazing Amazon was my first exposure to Wonder Woman as a character, and I appreciate that DeMatteis and Tucker keep her characterization intact. Diana immediately punches Darkseid when she first sees him, as the version she knows is a cruel conqueror. However, she is also struggling with the revelation that the Greek god Hades helped shape her out of clay, essentially serving as her father.

DeMatteis and Tucker also present a different version of Darkseid in this issue—one who has a heart and even regrets. This Lord of Apokolips attempted to give up his quest for the Anti-Life Equation after falling in love with his universe’ Wonder Woman, but as the story unfurls, readers will learn that things didn’t go according to plan.

Beavers designs Darkseid’s tale as a curving and twisting series of panels, with the boundaries represented by technology resembling the Mother Boxes that the inhabitants of Apokolips use. Filardi shifts between several colors depending on the sequence he illustrates—Apokolips’ past is depicted as the hellish landscape it is in canon, with a fiery red sky and flaming pits studding the surface. The world Diana and Darkseid are trapped in is a snowy wasteland, with bluish-white snow blanketing everything the eye can see.

Darkseid himself is clad in mostly black and gray. Even the word balloons Napolitano gives him follow a black and white color scheme. It’s not lost on me that this Darkseid also resembles the version found in Infinite Frontier. And Beavers once again gets to design different versions of the Justice League; the Wonder Woman of Alt-Darkseid’s world wears a look similar to her Golden Age costume while the Green Lantern in his world resembles Hal Jordan instead of John Stewart. The Alt-Diana even has a suit of armor resembling her Golden Eagle armor from Kingdom Come.

Justice League Infinity #4 serves as a solid character piece for Wonder Woman while exploring different versions of the DC Animated Universe and its characters. It’s an issue that deals with some heavy themes, but the ending promises to fully unite the League and send them on a path to salvation. And it’s the issue that continues to solidify this as one of my favorite books on the stands.

Justice League Infinity #4 is available wherever comics are sold.