Despite that summer is officially over, Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok continue to deliver a summer block buster that could put Batman V. Superman to shame. Now of course that’s not fair to either property given the different media and what can and can’t be done, but both Johns and Fabok prove why a book like Justice League should be at the top of superhero fans reading lists each and every month. Darkseid War has been so successful that individual one shots have been commission by DC about Darksied War. So let’s how impressive they were for this issue.

It’s fair to say that this issue of Darkseid was the crescendo for the first act of Darkseid War. Geoff John’s ability to make readers want to come back each and every month for this epic saga of Justice League is nothing but impressive, this is his best work since Sinstero Corps War back in 2007. John’s understands why people read a book like Justice League and he delivers on that artificial promise that so many other writers fail to understand when it comes to the JLA. I pick and choose on what spoilers I want to share to give context on why something didn’t or did not resonate with me, but the events of this issue are something that readers need to see with their own eyes.

Trust me it’s pretty darn cool what Geoff Johns has done to several characters over the course of one issue.

Using  Wonder Woman’s reflection on Greek mythology to frame the issue is utter brilliance by Johns, as it set’s a certain expectation and then meets those expectation’s in full earnest, some might see these as a bit on the nose but from my standpoint it works within the context of Diana’s role in this story. John’s has a deep understanding of the relationships within the DC Universe, he simplifies it down to core and allows the character’s to do the talking. Namely seeing the dialog exchanges between Hal and Batman, but also Superman and Lex Luthor. Both of these scenes showcase John’s skill of putting the characters in drastic situations but still understand their relationships.

Is there anything more I can say about Jason Fabok? I understand that’s terrible for me to say as a reviewer but after several issues of seeing arguably the best super hero artist working in comics today, I fail to mass the words to articulate just how good Fabok is without sounding like a parrot. He brings that cinematic quality without losing the whimsical qualities of the superhero. Using body language and facial expressions to convey emotion that any reader can understand despite not fighting some gigantic evil God. His splash pages bring not only the sense of grandeur but also emotional weight to the characters who happen to witness tragic or triumphant events. It boggles my mind that more people are not talking about Jason Fabok and his talent.

Jason Fabok and Geoff Johns are a match made in heaven, I wasn’t sure if the team of Johns/Reis could be beat but I think we have a contender with Johns/Fabok, either way the fans of Justice League win out in the end. Fittingly so, this was a grand end to act one of Darkseid War. If you’re reading this and you haven’t been reading the series, go back and read them now.

Justice League #44 earns a 5/5