BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT A LEAGUE FOR JUSTICE #5: Welcome to the Jungle

The team has defeated General Zod for now; however, Manhunter can only keep him sedated for so long. The newly formed Justice League must find a prison to hold Zod, which brings them to Diana’s homeworld in hopes that they will carry the burden and protect the planet.

Creative Team: Andy Diggle (WRITER), Leandro Fernandez (ART and COVER), Matt Hollingsworth (COLORS and COVER), and Simon Bowland (LETTERS).

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

The Story:

Andy has me sucked into this world completely at this point. The way there is so much familiarity with these characters, and yet he tweaks to make subtle differences. Andy plays into Superman’s curiosity about where he came from, as he feels bad for Zod, and we are getting some origins of Diana and the Amazonians all at the same time. As far as origin stories go, Andy is setting up Darkseid and a much larger threat for our team. There were even a few fun quips Andy slips into this issue, such as “elementary Constantine,” which is a nod to another great detective not named Batman. All of these are making a standout story that continues to unfold.

The Art and Letters:

Matt and Leandro continue to take us to exotic and frightening places with this run as well. In this issue, we see the home of Diana, and instead of it looking like a beautiful remote island, the duo imbues it with an ominous air of mystery. The setting is primarily dark and brooding, lit up by a deep red. For me, it makes our heroes stand out as foreign beings even more in this land, and the way the light reflects off their costumes works really well. The way that they capture the detailing of the various faces, whether they are of concern, confusion, or more, plays into the setting as well. It helps to capture the ominous tone that there is something larger looming on the horizon.

Final Thoughts:

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, A League For Justice #5 begins to shift this heroic story into one of impending doom. The way the art team balances shadows and reflections onto our characters’ faces, and Andy slowly rolling out a larger threat, continues to make this run one of the better Justice League stories!

Overall Grade: 10/10

This comic is reviewed by Matt from the Hops “Geek” News podcast!

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