Book Review: Justice League: Gods and Monsters

Book: Justice League: Gods and Monsters by Bruce Timm and J.M. DeMatteis with art and color by various artists

Trade Edition includes: Justice League: Gods and Monsters Superman #1, Justice League: Gods and Monsters Batman #1, Justice League: Gods and Monsters Wonder Woman #1 and Justice League: Gods and Monsters issues #1-3,

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

The prequel to the critically acclaimed animated film, from an all-star lineup of creators including Bruce Timm (BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES), J.M. DeMatteis (JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL), Thony Silas (BATMAN BEYOND) and many more!

In this alternate universe, the Justice League isn’t a team of the world’s greatest superheroes who protect Earth from evil and save it from disaster. No—this Justice League is a trio of ruthless “heroes” who answer to no one and will stop at nothing to destroy their enemies. The names are the same, but not the people they’re attached to: Superman is the son of Zod, Batman is an inhuman vampire, and Wonder Woman is a tragic former resident of New Genesis. These are the world’s best and only hope.



Rating: 5 stars

Review:

I watched the Justice League: Gods and Monsters animated movie last summer and really enjoyed it. The movie was a wonderful elsewhere story that focused on a very different Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. As much as I loved the movie, I think I may have enjoyed the comic book even more. Similar to the movie, it's a very dark yet interesting take on the Big Three.

The comic book begins with the one-shot stories then followed by the main story.


Justice League: Gods and Monsters #1: Superman
"Fallen" by Bruce Timm and J.M. DeMatteis with illustrations by Moritat

Fallen is narrated by Valentina Guerra the older sister to Hernan the soon to be Superman of this world. Hernan and his family are migrant workers who toil the fields and get little respect for all their hard work. He knows that he is different and not because he was found in a field but because he has all of these powers that continue to grow. As wonderful as his powers were, Hernan was starting to get fed up with his family's current situation of being powerless. With his parents hoping to keep his powers as hidden as possible all it does is make Hernan start to feel resentful. It wasn't until his sister Valentina was accidentally injured that Hernan became even more withdrawn.

The older he got, Hernan was still unsure of who he was and it took leaving his family following an intense fight with the locals and the police before he set out to travel the world. As the years passed by Hernan's life had zero purpose, that is until he rescued a group of abducted children. In a strange way, he finally became the hero his sister always believed him to be but in a very dangerous and deadly way.


Justice League: Gods and Monsters #1: Batman
"Hunger" by Bruce Timm and J.M. DeMatteis with illustrations by Matthew Dow Smith and color by Jordie Bellaire

In this story, Hunger told by Kirk Langstrom who is better known to most DC Comic fans as Man-Bat, got a different role in Gods and Monsters. Trying to cure a medical condition transformed him into a vampiric creature. He took his new found powers and his increasing blood thirst and used them to stalk Gotham's nights going after the criminals that plagued the city. It wasn't long before his ferocious attacks had the city scared and him being called the Batman. Feeling guilty over killing a crime boss after seeing how the man's death affected his family, Kirk befriended the son. But in trying to appease his guilt he found out a big bombshell that left him even more broken but in the end he had to do what he thought was right.



Justice League: Gods and Monsters #1: Wonder Woman
"The Dream" by Bruce Timm and J.M. DeMatteis with illustrations by Rick Leonardi, inks by Dan Green and color by Allen Passalaqua

The story opens in India in 1962, with a Boom Tube opening with a mysterious woman saving a man by fighting off a monster that had followed her through the portal. After sending the monster back, she eventually collapsed. She woke up being cared for but she couldn't remember who she was. In due time, she remembered that she was Bekka from New Genesis, granddaughter of Highfather.

After escaping from Apokolips, she had wound up on Earth, but now that she had regained her strength she wanted to learn more about this new world. With help from the Mother Box she was able to get a better understanding of Earth but traveling around the world brought her into contact of the good and bad parts of life.

The death of President Kennedy inspired her to make a difference but every time she tried to help tragedy wasn't far behind. Some time later she joined up with a group of hippies who had a vision to change the world. Everything appeared to be working out except Bekka couldn't shake the feeling that something just wasn't right about one of her new friends, Doctor Psycho. He claimed that the work he was doing in his lab was to help people. However, Bekka discovered that was anything but the truth. Trying to stop the doctor's experiments gave Bekka a new perspective about the world and the people.



Justice League: Gods and Monsters #1-3 by Bruce Timm and J.M. DeMatteis with illustrations by Thony Silas with color by Tony Aviña

This story narrated by Lois Lane, opens with a reclusive scientist Jackson Alpert offering the world (well those few who could afford it) a ground breaking procedure that would evolve the human body into something entirely perfect including obtaining superpowers. Anyone who has undergone the procedure are called the Forever People. Can offering the world the chance for immorality and powers ever transpire into something good?

Shifting from that, the story then introduces Batman and Wonder Woman. In Gotham, Batman rescued a kidnapped and victimized little girl. Meanwhile, in San Francisco Wonder Woman saved an out of control helicopter. After Wonder Woman's heroic save, she was unfortunately met by Superman. Not getting the attention he wanted he headed back to Metropolis where he stopped a mass killing with his typical brutal deadly results. He certainly wasn't making any fans which included reporter Lois Lane.

With the President of the United States and the other World's Leaders all keeping an eye on Superman trying to determine how to stop him, if that was indeed possible. Alpert's Forever People were becoming very newsworthy and powerful but what could that mean for Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman?

Trying to find out more about Jackson Alpert and his Forever People, Superman traveled to the Eternity Institute to get answers. However, he was surprised to find Wonder Woman already there. While Superman and Wonder Woman were getting the guided tour of the facility, Batman was doing his own investigating of Jackson Alpert and found a great deal of troubling information. In a surprising move, Superman decided to upgrade his already substantial powers but it didn't quite work.

Batman sought assistance from Lex Luthor, however all he received was accusations that Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman were a bigger threat than Alpert and the Forever People. Back at the Institute the truth was finally being revealed, would Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman be able to stop Alpert's horrible plan?


This entire group of stories was very well-written. I was completely drawn into the story, it was action packed but it captured the complexities of who these characters are. It's was very interesting seeing these characters re-imagined in a whole new way. This story also answered so many questions I had from watching the movie. Although these characters may share the same code names of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman but they have a warped sense of what it means to be a hero. But of the three characters, Kirk Langstrom's Batman may be my favorite because although he wasn't as powerful as Superman and Wonder Woman, he knew how to ask the right questions. While those two were more likely to punch first and ask questions later.

I love that Lois Lane narrated this story because through her eyes she shows the reader the truth of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Because they are not really heroes, maybe on some level they believe themselves to be. But when they take the most brutal way possible to get results, can they truly be called heroes? I loved reading this prequel story and the one-shot stories, there is a lot of information and insight into these characters. As much as I enjoyed this, there is one thing I'm so tired of seeing and that's Superman and Wonder Woman together. But aside from my Superman/Wonder Woman pet peeve, this was a very good story and if you enjoyed the movie I pretty sure you will like this comic because it totally enhances the movie.

I really did enjoy this and I do hope there will be a sequel or maybe an ongoing series.