Justice League #24 Review – Mera Commands The Spotlight

When a book gets a fill-in issue, it usually means a downgrade in what fans can expect from the issue. For Justice League #24 though, that is thankfully not the case.

Spoilers incoming for Justice League #24, so if you haven’t read it yet you’ve been warned.

Aquaman’s Dan Abnett takes the reigns for this issue, easily evident thanks to his continued mastery of Mera. Aquaman is not a coward by any means, but Mera is Arthur’s living backbone in many ways, and the League learns that lesson the hard way.

Granted, it follows the typical allies fight then bond framework you’ve seen many times before, but Abnett is able to explain it away efficiently thanks to events occurring over in Aquaman, specifically the loss of Arthur.

If you’re going to have a fight though, might as well have one like this. Watching Mera systematically destroy the League with a blend of instinct, raw power, and strategic gambles is delightful. Playing into how others always underestimate the Aqua-family is a nice touch, and Abnett effectively shows why Mera should be considered as an A-tier powerhouse.

Mera’s quest is made stronger by the lovely artwork of Ian Churchill, who finds some visually stunning ways to bring Mera’s Aquakinesis to life. While we’re on the subject of visually stunning, Churchill and colorist Adriano Lucas deliver a simply gorgeous Wonder Woman, making one hope they get another chance to draw her together in the future.

While the League does get abused a bit here, the issue still manages to show their best characteristics in the end. Hope, compassion, and trust are hallmarks of the League and they provide Mera the necessary context regarding the surface world that has come to define so much of Arthur.

If you’ve bee enjoying Aquaman, then Justice League #24 is a must-read, as it only layers more atop that already engaging title. As a one-off, it presents new possibilities for the future League. Either way, the issue should be in your read pile this week.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars.

Second Opinion: ComicBook.com’s Russ Burlingame also had some thoughts on the issue, saying “Justice League #24 takes the energy and intrigue that has made Dan Abnett’s Aquaman a must-read and injects it into what could easily be a forgettable one-and-done.”

“The procedural element — it was necessary to explain where Aquaman went and why Mera will be joining the League for a while — is deftly handled, making the expository issue more than just a boring data dump.”

“While his inks are a bit heavy for my taste, artist Ian Churchill’s dynamic storytelling and kinetic imagery makes for a visually exciting issue with some of the more comic-booky elements of it downplayed by Adriano Lucas’s somewhat muted color palette, which not only lends the story at the center a sense of menace but makes the whole thing feel like it would be at home in the DC Extended Universe.”

UP NEXT: Sean Gordon Murphy’s Batman: White Knight Preview

Justice League #24 was originally going to be part 3 of Hitch’s current “Afterlives” arc but has been delayed for issues by Abnett, Shea Fontana (DC Super Hero Girls), and Tom DeFalco (Reggie & Me).

Justice League #24 is written by Dan Abnett with art by Ian Churchill. A description can be found below.

In a fill-in story from best-selling writer Dan Abnett and artist Ian Churchill, the events of Aquaman come home to roost when the Justice League finds themselves investigating a massive natural disaster, which leads to a confrontation with Mera, Aquaman’s distraught wife.

Justice League #24 is in stores now.

MORE COMICS: All The Marvel Legacy Creative Teams In One Place / Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment Releases A Lovely Tribute To Joan / DC Releases Preview Of Dark Nights: Metal #1