Justice League Unlimited Issue 3 is published by DC Comics. Written by Mark Waid, with art by Dan Mora, colors by Tamra Bonvillain and letters by Ariana Maher.
In Justice League Unlimited Issue 3, a severe forest fire in the Amazon forces the League to confront its new, mysterious enemy. The fight against Inferno only gets more extreme in this issue. The fire has spread around a huge amount of the rainforest, stretching even this expanded Justice League roster to its limit after an opening that fits with multiple ongoing storylines across the DC Universe.
The pace is instantaneously intense, with the heroes rushing to put an end to the fires. There is an environmental allegory to be made around the fire, especially right now, and the pertinence of that will always be appropriate. The whole world is burning, not unlike in the pages of Justice League Unlimited Issue 3, and with similar causes, too.
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A connected story is being told across several titles, but each series is self-contained. The Challengers of the Unknown, The Question: All Along the Watchtower, and Justice League: The Atom Project are all part of a wider universal story. Some have elements that feed into Justice League Unlimited Issue 3. These and the other subplots make the story busy without ever losing cohesion. The fire and the war against Inferno are the biggest issues at hand, but Waid ensures that the effects of Absolute Power are felt.
The action is interesting because there isn’t a villain to fight, or at least not one the heroes can punch. However, the size and scale of the fire also create a showcase for the new team system. Alongside the main strike team, Red Tornado can call for backup for whatever the situation calls for, tapping into the huge cast of characters. The ending explores one of the DC universe’s primordial forces, delivering a shocking and devastating firey blow.
The characters are brilliantly written. The main team has had the pack shuffled, with mainstays and newer faces entering the picture. This main group doesn’t feature much dialogue as the other members of the League become the bigger picture. It falls to the sorcerors in the team to draw out the villains, finally communicating with them. When characters like Zatanna or Dr. Occult speak, they carry the authority of the League.
There is no central leader within the team in Justice League Unlimited Issue 3. Wonder Woman and Superman are the figureheads of the team, but there is a real democracy. Mr. Terrific and Red Tornado are on the Watchtower, sending help and trying to figure out Inferno’s long-term plans, which is an enigmatic group that’s causing so much damage around the globe. It adds multiple voices to the series and escalates the size of the story.
Waid is toying with other crucial members of the new Justice League structure. Air Raid, a young hero with a hidden mission, is always present. Question finds him and forces him into the mission. The dialogue between the normally stern head of security and the insecure youngster is adorable and touching, showing depth to characters even when so many of them exist.
Elsewhere, Plastic Man teams up with the Atom project for help in regaining his original powers. There is much more tension here, with a nervous Platic Man clashing with the impatient and scientific Ray Palmer. It shows that things aren’t all rosy and friendly in the world’s flagship superhero team.
The art is sensational. More brings his A-game to a book filled with superheroes. Each one looks terrific. The ever-changing lineup leads to a visual variety. And with each substitution comes new positions and height differences. In Justice League Unlimited Issue 3, the main squad is joined by Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. One is a young, tiny woman, and the other is a hulking robot.
The fire threatens to overwhelm even the most powerful heroes. Each location has its own style and feels completely separate and unique. While the main team is in a sweltering, burning jungle, the others are in cities or on the Watchtower. Their surroundings differ from nature to tech, magic to science. Each panel is busy and filled with energy, capturing the intensity of each situation.
The colors are crucial for detailing the power of the fire that is engulfing the Amazon. The mixture of red and orange fills the panels, threatening to overwhelm the Justice League and incinerate them. Even the colors of the heroes’ costumes struggle to break through against the oppressive flame. Where there aren’t any bright flames, there are heavy, blocky shadows that show the darkness that can be found in Justice League Unlimited Issue 3 at times. The lettering remains clear throughout the inferno. Even when the text color changes, the font is easy to read.
Justice League Unlimited Issue 3 is a true ensemble book. The issue embraces the huge cast that is at Waid and Mora’s disposal. Each chapter leads to new combinations and conversations and includes heroes that have never even been considered part of the Justice League before. And the size of the threat has risen to meet the might of the team. And yet, despite the countless characters, the group don’t look invincible.
There is fragility within the community on the Watchtower. There are traitors, talkers, and troublemakers, and there is some bickering and instability on board the station. And with the shot fired at the end of the book, no one on that team is safe.
Justice League Unlimited Issue 3 is available where comics are sold.
Justice League Unlimited Issue 3
TL;DR
Justice League Unlimited Issue 3 is a true ensemble book. The issue embraces the huge cast that is at Waid and Mora’s disposal. Each chapter leads to new combinations and conversations and includes heroes that have never even been considered part of the Justice League before.
