‘Justice: Volume 2’ – Ross, Krueger & Braithwaite (DC Comics)

If you were around this time last week you would have seen me gushing like a burst water pipe over the absolutely marvellous time that I had reading ‘Justice: Volume 1’. If you weren’t here last week then you might want to either scroll down the page a little bit or just click Here instead, either way works :o)
‘Justice: Volume 1’ wasn’t without its little flaws here and there but there was no doubt that I’d be around to see where things led to in ‘Volume 2’. Along with the gorgeous artwork, there was plenty to think about (in particular, how being a hero and doing heroic things is really just a matter of perspective) and I wanted more of the same. Into ‘Volume 2’ then and I have to say... I couldn’t really have expected those high standards to be maintained in a second book. It would have been nice though...

The world’s super villains have turned over a whole new leaf and are promising a better world for all... or are they? When the truth behind all the good intentions comes to light, the Justice League are ready to take the fight to their enemies and reclaim the world for the people it truly belongs to. First though, the League must recover from a devastating assault on it’s foremost members and root out a traitor in the ranks. Even if they can do all this, an even bigger threat is on the horizon...

You spend a whole book being promised something a little new and thoughtful and then.... you realise that what you’ve got is essentially the same old story that always gets trotted out when superheroes are going at it with their mortal enemies. That’s what happened here and it was almost like I was reading two different stories (I even checked the covers). What started out as an interesting spin on the nature of heroism becomes the same old ‘they were lying to us all along...’ plot and I couldn’t help feel that a chance to do something new had been wasted.
That’s not to say that the story is too clear cut; there are a couple of surprises in store for the reader and the ante is upped in a couple of impressive ways (one of which will see me return for the final instalment). ‘Justice: Volume Two’ remains a entertaining read and maybe that’s all you can ask for at the end of the day.

As in the previous volume, Ross and Braithwaite combine superbly to deliver artwork that is just a joy to behold and I’m looking forward to cracking open the third volume and getting more of the same.

‘Justice: Volume 2’ drops in quality due to a decision to follow well trodden paths rather than strike out somewhere new. If you follow the same old route then you’re eventually going to be stuck telling the same old story...
There’s enough here though for me to pick up Volume 3, just to see how it all ends. I’m hoping for something more along the same lines as Volume 1 however...

Seven out of Ten