JUSTICE LEAGUE RED #5 – The Enemy You Know

Creative Team – Saladin Ahmed, Clayton Henry, Arif Prianto, Lucas Gattoni

Published by DC Comics

Catch up with Justice League Red #4!

The Story

The team finally made their way to Black Adam, and he wiped the floor with them without breaking a sweat. With Green Lantern, Power Girl, Cyborg, Red Canary, and now Dead Man seeing that they’re no match for Black Adam, the only option they have is to listen. Listening to the villain reveals so much more than they bargained for, like their doubts that they have had about Red Tornado’s intentions.

According to Black Adam, Red Tornado has been spying on the team members, in and out of their personal lives, to manipulate them into joining Justice League Red. That’s not all that was revealed, and Black Adam says that Red Tornado has been lying about him being the threat. The threat all along is Red Tornado, but it may not be his fault. He may be taken over by some mysterious outside force. With this in mind, the truth becomes more and more clear as the team makes their way back to the Watchtower.

The Writing

Things are really heating up between the team and Red Tornado very quickly, and there’s no way to tell where this is going. Saladin Ahmed perfectly builds up the tension of the story and makes the reader doubt everything they’ve read just by Black Adam’s words. Juxtaposing the tension of the story is the bond that’s starting to show between the team members as they come together as Justice League Red. I really enjoyed seeing the team work together and play off each other’s support in a way that hasn’t been shown yet. With plenty of action throughout the comic and a continuation of the exciting storyline, I’ll be anxiously waiting for the next issue to drop!

The Art

The artwork of Justice League Red #5 continues the constant streak of high quality that we’ve received throughout the series. With beautifully drawn characters, vibrant power sets, and lettering that captures the perfect flow of tone in the dialogue, the artists put their talents on full display. There’s a fight scene in space that is my personal favorite part of the comic art, as it has such a larger-than-life feel, with a gorgeous array of colors that makes your eyes stay locked onto the page. This is all thanks to Clayton Henry, Arif Prianto, and Lucas Gattoni, who deserve all their flowers for their beautiful work.

Final Thoughts

Justice League Red #5 raises the stakes even higher and keeps you on your toes throughout the read. This undoubtedly should be in everyone’s pull list this week!

Overall Grade -9.5/10

Let me know in the comments below what you thought of Justice League Red #5!

This review was written by Megan from the Vigilante Vibes Podcast! If you liked my review, be sure to check out my other reviews! Let me know what you think of Justice League Red #5, or tell me what comics you’d recommend me trying out! Find me on my socials, and check out my Marvel podcast, Vigilante Vibes, by clicking here!