Justice League #25 (DC)

Via Comic Book Database

writer: Geoff Johns
artist: Doug Mahnke

I've done an extremely poor job reading Justice League lately.  This is the third issue released in 2013 that I've read (or is it second; see?), and that means none for 2014 so far.

And yet, I still profess this as one of the must-read comics being published today.  After the first few arcs of the New 52 series, which I've routinely described as a monthly event book, I had to scale back on my comics reading.  Reading month-to-month on any book became virtually unheard-of for me, so it certainly wasn't as if I singled out Justice League.  Far from it.  In a different time, this must-read would have been the must-read.  It continues to fascinate me.

Another comic I haven't been reading is Forever Evil, the sort of Final Crisis of the New 52.  Villains triumphant.  That sort of thing.  The most intriguing development of the event concerned Nightwing, long a favorite of mine, somewhat infrequently a favorite read.  Kyle Higgins had me nearly captive in the early run of the New 52 reboot of Dick Grayson's solo book, but I much more easily lost track of that than Justice League.  It degenerated into a scramble for ideas, somehow.  Same as has happened to Nightwing since Chuck Dixon and Devin K. Grayson left.  Dick's fate in Forever Evil trades on the famous fate he nearly suffered in Infinite Crisis.

He would have been one of many casualties.

Well, he's been the hero hardest hit by Forever Evil, had his secret identity exposed to the world, became captive to the villains.  Fate undetermined.  Except recently it was announced he'll be receiving a new series in July, Grayson, which will turn him into a spy, his third major character revision (counting his second, more substantive run as Batman).  I'm looking forward to that.

The big deal about this particular issue is that, of course, it's a Forever Evil tie-in with Geoff Johns writing Nightwing.  It's a strong showing.  I'm obviously of the camp that Johns can't really do any wrong.  Any character he touches only benefits.  So it's great to have him finally write Nightwing.  As always, Johns finds some fresh ground among familiar territory, Dick's curious family issues (which have a lot to do with Owlman's, the villainous parallel to Batman).

A lot of reviews I've read concerning Forever Evil have been negative.  But then, a lot of reviews for Johns tend to be negative, at least compared to how I rate him.  I look forward to reading the whole story at some point.  I'm sure I'll like it.  If this issue is any real indication, it's typical Johns, which is to say: pretty great.

And I hope I'll catch more Justice League than I've managed recently...