Now that we’re in the 3^rd act, how is Justice League shaping up? Honestly, it feels like the weakest so far. The Wonder Woman parts were pretty average. There are nice story beats here and there, especially the Ice Cream scenes. However, Wonder Woman being presented as a barbarian instead of a peace-loving warrior is off-putting. She isn’t a grunt, but that’s what the portrayal in this issue is of her so far. If this were the first time the character would be introduced, I sincerely doubt the female demographic will find her a strong role model.

Yes, she should speak her mind and be innocent at the same time; no she shouldn’t punch a hole through the wall of the place that treats her as a “guest”. Wonder Woman knows how to use a door, thank you very much. We get more details about how Vic becomes Cyborg, and it is still not working. The scenes are trying to be dramatic but there are too many holes and not enough empathy. I don’t feel Silas’s decision is as heart-wrenching as it should be. The plot is just too forced and not delivered with enough panache for the audience to give a care. I find myself seeing those scenes and thinking “jeez, just get on with it and go back to the Superman, Batman, GL, and the Flash (and now, Wonder Woman and Aquaman) scenes.

Now those scenes work well. Bruce and Hal berating at each other, trying to establish who’s calling the shots. Barry pretty much rolling his eyes and just saving people. Superman with his quiet strength taking care of business, not realizing how powerful a presence he has. These are all well-executed (though Barry still talks like Wally, just with fewer puns). Johns does well when his cast are played with and against each others’ personalities. Aquaman just got to the party, so it’s hard to judge how well Johns can keep the pace with at least the JL crew, but his introduction is actually pretty weak.

Jim Lee puts in another solid issue in the art front. There are inconsistencies and stiffness (again, I will never tire pointing this out until Lee does something about it) throughout the issue and some scenes look rushed (the Cyborg scenes, particularly), but all in all, he’s still hitting the home runs (though not as well as Issue #2) in the art front. It feels almost like his original Uncanny X-men run in the early 90s, and that can only be a good thing. Funny that Lee is doing the same thing for the top team book in this era, but in the other company this time around.

So is Justice League still worth the $3.99 price tag? Sure, but only break even. There’s nothing ground-breaking in this issue and there are a lot of plot holes you can build a backyard farm on. But the group dynamics is still top-notch, entertaining scenes, and cohesion of story and art that most other team books out right now lack. Justice League #3 isn’t the best, and possibly weakest of the 3 issues of DC’s flagship title so far, but it is still one of the best comics out there.