Review: ‘Justice League Incarnate’ #3 Embraces The Dramatic And The Daft Of The Multiverse

While the separate series Joshua Williamson is guiding and writing allows fans to travel across the new DC multiverse, there’s always the worry that some fatigue could set in at some stage. The constant world-hopping and all-out battling on a large scale can only occur so many times and still be thrilling, can’t it? Well, with this new issue of Justice League Incarnate Williamson and co-writer, Dennis Culver, mix it up a bit and play about with some more interesting ideas, thanks to the separation of our heroes after the events of last issue. Thereby giving readers something a little more different and a good deal more fun than you usual comic book.

For instance, the scenes set on Earth-33, a world without out superheroes. And a world that allows President Superman to catch up on the action he’s missed by reading the latest DC Comics. And, as this world works differently to the others in the multiverse, time elapses much more quickly. Stripped of their powers we get to drop in on Supes and Doctor Multiverse in a way that’s very meta – like so many comics these days – but also very different to the usual pace of a comic series like this. 

We get a much more domestic tale of two people and their developing relationship played out over weeks while everything else in this issue occurs in a matter of hours. Plus, the situation Cap and Supes find themselves in seems to allow Williamson to inject a sly sense of humour into proceedings too. Especially when it comes to editorial interference in the creation of comics. Although, if you read the comic, I think you too will be in on the joke, especially when the true identity of the interfering DC editor, Ulrich Saxman, really is. If you haven’t already read all about it on the kind of spoiler-filled, click-bait websites we try not to be. 

Plus, for long-time fans who wouldn’t be taken by a visit to the homeworld of Captain Carrot, Earth-26 and his amazing Zoo-Crew? And Todd Nuack is an inspired choice top illustrate this particular scene, I must say. Not all comic book artist can do cartoon-like characters, but Nuack is one who most certainly can. Just as Mikel Janin is a shoe-in for the events occurring on Earth-33. Mike Cotton, the editor of this series, is a far, far cry form the likes of Saxman, that’s for sure. He’s made great choices across this series so far when it comes to artists and the respective worlds they illustrate.

The weaker point are the inclusion of some iffy Spawn analogies that, no doubt, allowed the inclusion of the W.I.L.D. Cats and Wetworks to the party, but it’s a minor quibble when there are so many other strong points to this issue.

The multiverse, at its best, is a mixture of both the frantic and the daft, and this issue certainly delivers up both. Three issues in, plenty of worlds visited, and who knows where next? 

Justice League Incarnate #3 is out now from DC Comics