Writers: Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV / Artist: Redondo / Colors: Hi-Fi / Letters: Napolitano / DC Comics
In the prelude to the “Justice/Doom War,” we get a fun issue that balances an origin story & recap of the major events of the series with tons of humor coming from one of its most unique characters: Jarro.
If you don’t know Jarro, shame on you. He’s very funny and cute. But also, you should pay attention more, because he’s been a part of the series from the beginning. As a refresher for those of you that might be forgetful, Jarro is a small remnant of Starro, the telepathic alien starfish who concurs people and planets by attaching himself to their face not unlike the aliens from Alien. Starro was an intergalactic conqueror. But he’s dead now. And Jarro, a surviving piece of the original alien, is all that’s left. He was saved and raised in a jar by Batman, hence the name. So now he thinks Bruce is his dad. It’s a very weird and lighthearted dynamic that adds some levity to the book.
This issue was framed around Jarro’s perspective, and it was done in a really dope way. Snyder and Tynion used this issue to recap all the major things that have happened since the beginning of this story. And in case you forgot, the seeds were laid all the way back in Dark Nights: Metal. Basically, everything Snyder has written the past few years has a branch connected to this story.
The reason why this recap served the story so well is that it didn’t just recap the series, it did so in a way that fleshed out Jarro as a character. He’s always been the last one on the bench, so to speak. He’s around all the time, but his services haven’t been needed both as a member of the League and in terms of agency in the story. So. this issue rectified that.
As he weaved us through the major events of the DC Universe over the past few years, Jarro entertained with his witty banter and welcoming sensibility. He even kicked some ass along the way. This recap wasn’t some bedtime story, it was structured in a way that fed into Jarro’s fears about what’s to come for the Justice League. He was telling this story so he can try to change the ending, because he’s certain that the Justice League will lose and Perpetua will reshape the multiverse in her image. Scary stuff, especially for a baby alien telepathic starfish.
I was really impressed with Bruno Redondo’s art. He did a fantastic job of navigating the important moments of the past few years, picking the right images that reminded us about events like “No Justice,” and the “Drowned Earth” arc. A book of this magnitude is stuffed to the brim with so many characters and he was able to juggle that brilliantly as he followed Jarro through this retelling.
As we head into the “Justice/Doom War,” Snyder, Tynion IV, Redondo, and Jarro refresh our memories on the past few years of the DC Universe in a way that still manages to flesh out the characters of the story– especially some of the ones lacking exposure.
10 Jarros in a Robin Costume out of 10
Reading Justice League? Find BNP’s other reviews here.
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