REVIEW: ‘Justice League Unlimited’ Issue 8

Justice League Unlimited Issue 8 is published by DC Comics and written by Mark Waid, art by Dan Mora, colors by Tamra Bonvillain.

This is the final part of the ‘We Are Yesterday’ crossover. The Legion of Doom face off against a team of time-displaced heroes, as Air-Wave desperately tries to make amends.

A classic and fractured crossover concludes with a plot that sums up the best parts of those qualities. Justice League Unlimited Issue 8 unleashes the full force of DC’s history against the villains in an utterly chaotic final battle. This battle is immense and dramatic, featuring characters from several eras and histories. As they fight against the villains, Air-Wave bounces around time, working to bring the current-day characters back home.

There is an exhilarating pace and just incredible amounts of action. It’s hard to know what’s happening at times, but whatever is happening is sensational. By the end of the issue, the stories are wrapping up and ending well.

Much of the first chunk of the Justice League Unlimited series is concluded, and new elements are opened up as well. The ramifications are serious for the characters and the very fabric of the universe. The crossover doesn’t feel wrapped up at all, with many scattered pieces, but there is an exhausted feeling by the final page.

This crossover has been busy for the characters, making it difficult for many to stand out. But there are a couple. At the core of the whole crossover is Gorilla Grodd. The intelligent, megalomaniacal ape now possesses the power of Darkseid and the Martian Manhunter, ascending completely to godhood. It turns him into a figure who rivals the power of a full Justice League team, and more.

There are more heroes present in Justice League Unlimited Issue 8. Characters from other eras now exist in the present. The heroes from Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, Jonah Hex, Batman Beyond, and so many more. Some get to speak, but the voices of individual characters get drowned out in the noise. It’s only once the action dies down that Waid highlights more personalities. There’s guilt, danger, defeat, and many other emotions by the end.

Air-Wave, a figure that has been so integral to the early issues of this run, gets a chance at redemption. He’s pure energy, and he’s showing why he was chosen for the Justice League in the first place. He’s the true heart of the crossover, and his ending is incredibly meaningful.

The art is sensational, trying to make sense of the unfathomable madness and the vast number of people packed into such a small space. Many characters have also been upgraded and evolved. Grodd is monstrous. Elevated to a new form, his face is vicious and insane. There are cracks in the skin, no pupils in his eyes, and the Omega Symbol on his forehead. It’s a fearsome combination. Facing him is a horde of heroes.

 At first, it’s just those from other time periods. Mora fills the page with references and callbacks. Costumes look completely different and adapted, with new weapons, faces, and reimagined details. Some of these heroes are alternate timeline versions of existing characters, while others are representative of those periods, such as Jonah Hex.

This early segment of the fight is on the very edge of comfort, as the characters brawl for the fate of everything. Mora tries to be as coherent as possible, only showing a select few characters in panels at a time. But there are times when, if you try to comprehend everything that’s happening, your eyes will roll into the back of your head.

The colors are terrific, helping to define all the different costumes and powers on display. The immensely difficult task of discerning the specific shades for every detail in Justice League Unlimited Issue 8 is executed beautifully by Bonvillain. The lettering is brilliant for the most part, but some custom word balloons can be tricky to read.

Justice League Unlimited Issue 8 ends as madly as it began. It’s been challenging to keep up with what’s happening and follow each story thread, as many remain open. While it’s been an exceptional story for characters such as Air-Wave and Gorilla Grodd, every single other character in this big and busy crossover has been underused. It’s hard to know how many time-displaced characters there are and who they are because there’s no time to spend with them.

But there are many parts of the ‘We Are Yesterday’ crossover that have been successful – some of the concepts and confrontations have been enjoyable and entertaining. But there are also tedious aspects; the coordination between the individual chapters has made the transition between issues incredibly unsettling and difficult to follow.

Justice League Unlimited Issue 8 is available where comics are sold.