This was nearly a four star read for me on the strength of the story with Roy Harper and the Justice League and the truly despicable villain Prometheus. He is not only a formidable supervillain but he is also maliciously psychopathic but in a very methodical way. The Justice League underestimated him to their detriment, and he wreaks serious havoc as a result. I read Justice League: Rise and Fall first, so I'm glad I ended up finding this and getting some background on the events in "Rise and Fall." I'm really surprised that Prometheus doesn't get more buzz in the comic book world. He's like a dark Batman and he's super, duper evil. Yet I hadn't even heard of the guy until I read about him on DC Wikia a few months ago.

The reason why I couldn't give this four stars right out is because some parts are a bit hokey and confusing. I didn't like how each person who experiences personal loss due to Prometheus ( and some that are having some misgivings about how non-lethal the Justice League's approach to villains is) issue a 'cry for justice', well it just seemed a bit cheesy to me. Also, Congorilla? What a strange superhero. I was thinking, are you for real? Your mileage may vary.

I have a huge crush on Green Arrow (definitely top five favorite comic book characters), and he's in this a lot, so yay. He shows a lot of loyalty to his friend and co-Leaguer Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), based on their very strong friendship. In the end, he also becomes even more pivotal to this story because of what happens with Prometheus and Roy Harper (his sidekick Red Arrow aka Arsenal aka Speedy).

I also admit to having some confusion about some aspects of the story. I went to my trusty DC Wikia to get some clarification, and that definitely helps.

One of the things I really liked about this book was the artwork. I felt the characters were excellently rendered, and the colors were beautiful. Graphic Novels are inherently visual, and that is such a crucial component that I definitely grade hard on the art. The art in this one stands up very well overall.

Ultimately, this is one of those books that ends up with a half star review, due to the positives and negatives. 3.5/5.0 stars is my rating for "Cry for Justice."

Wow, I am tempted to give this five stars because I felt like Brubaker/Phillips have done something so outstanding and distinctive here. I think that for superhero/villain fiction lovers, you don't really get tired of the genre, but at the same time, you want something different. Seeing these concepts through a distinctive lens is vital and refreshing. That's definitely what Brubaker/Phillips are doing with this series. I'm not a huge fan of crime fiction, but there is something appetizing about seeing the viewpoint of a supervillain who essentially parted ways with his old life and has forged a new one, not exactly certain about who he is meant to be. However, he realizes he doesn’t want to be the man he used to be. He’s not comfortable in that skin at all anymore. He looks back at things and sees the horror evident on a daily basis in his past life, things that wouldn’t have bothered him in the least or pricked his moral compass. He’s developed a conscience and he cannot go back to being immured to the ugly deeds of his cohorts, which he finds out the hard way when asked to go undercover and retrieve an SOS operative who went native. But Zack faces the dilemma that I imagine many reformed criminals face. He isn’t allowed the clean slate he would hope for. People don’t give him a chance to be the new person, but the old cronies don’t want him back either. This graphic novel is really deep beneath all the obvious violent and off color content. It’s a character story wrapped in a fast-paced, superhero action-thriller. Zack still isn’t the nicest guy, but there is something very sympathetic about him in his journey from villain to would-be antihero. I had a horrible shock of realizing that there is no third volume in publication. I heartily hope that it’s in the works because I need to know there is more and things don’t end the way this volume ended. Zack’s journey is far from over, and this reader is not ready to disengage just yet. Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars. PS. If they make a movie, Jeremy Renner should play Zack.

As dark as the X-Men Universe gets!

The mutants need protectors who aren't hesitant to cross the line, and that's why the X-Force exists. Lead by Wolverine, their mission is to deal with the Purifers, a religious radical group determined to wipe out mutant kind. Wolverine has walked on the dark side, along with X-23, but Wolverine wants better for her, a chance to be normal, instead of the cloned killing machine she was designed and trained to be. But Cyclops puts her to work despite Wolverine's determination to 'save' her. Along with James Proudstar, aka Warpath and Rahne Sinclair aka Wolfsbane, they take on the deceased Reverend William Stryker's successor, William Risman and their fanatical followers, who have executed an extreme solution to the mutant 'problem.'

My Thoughts:

This is a newer arc in the ongoing storyline, taking place after the = M-Day storyline, when many, many mutants lost their lives. There is a clear sense of despair and bleakness to this graphic novel. The artwork has a savagery that is also beautiful. Although quite violent, it's not glorifying of the violence. Between the art and the dialogue/narration, the characters and their motivations are communicated with clarity.

To think I didn't even know much about X-23 until recently. She's a pretty cool character, a ruthless assassin who is playing for the heroic team, and with many of Wolverine's abilities. Of course, Wolverine is always awesome. Warpath has a tortured past that is intricately tied into the X-Men via his brother, and Rahne takes the cake with her own demons.

The negative light that the Purifiers cast on the Christian faith is wince-worthy, but it doesn't come off as an attack on the faith so much as the issue with extreme fundamentalism, or rather, people using religious beliefs as a platform for their prejudice and hatred of others. I have to say that I wanted the X-Force to take them all out with extreme prejudice. I take it personally when people claiming to be of the Christian faith act like that.

The vision of angels is nightmarish to say the least, and I can't say anything more or I'll spoil it. There are some beautiful and terrifying images along those lines in this book.

I found the story very intense, and I was captivated. I was afraid to keep reading, but I couldn't stop. Things end with an understanding that while there was some victory, the worse battle is to come. I just hope my library has all these!

Probably needless to say that this one is not for the faint of heart, but I will say it all the same.