Each issue of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA has been full of intrigue and excitement. Geoff Johns is weaving a complex and subtle web. With each issue, seeing more of the Secret Society of Super Villains, we're starting to see a different side to the New 52 Universe. The idea of this 'Society' being hidden and operating behind the scenes for the last 'five years' in the DCU is fascinating. Brett Booth's pencils are great and captures the feel and action of each character. The backup on Martian Manhunter continues to add depth to who he is. This is the sort of comic that makes me want to read more. Read Full Review

As a microcosm for the New 52, JLA and her sister titles are showing exactly what can be accomplished with a fresh slate, a cast of iconic heroes, and a whole lot of carefully laid background intrigue and conspiracy. As a piece of a much greater whole that can still stand on its own, Justice League of America is bringing something new to the table regarding both the heroes and villains, but still making it feel familiar and honest to the characters conceptual origins. Nearly two years in, this is exactly what I want out of DCs leading franchise, and what happens next is anyones guess, as it should be. Read Full Review

And just a side note – I know comic book costumes went apeshit with the midriff-baring costumes when Britney Spears first came to power and popularized it, giving comic folks a chance to be fleshy without being cleavagey, but doesn't it seem like that style has passed? Why is Stargirl still sporting that? Then again, I guess it's better that than having her holster up a whipped-cream shooting Katy Perry bra. Read Full Review

The one slight drawback for me is the Martian Manhunter backup feature which simply doesn't appeal to me. It's pretty and all. I just didn't think it was interesting. Read Full Review

It's a decent enough issue, but it's overshadowed by the backup feature by writer Matt Kindt and artist Andres Guinaldo. "Trial by Fire" details Martian Manhunter's tragic past with a trip to Mars. Kindt paints a lovely image of Martian society -- it's a utopia where concepts like isolation and hatred haven't even entered the lexicon, even if they're lurking right around the corner. It's a sad yet eerily beautiful vignette that adds a dimension to the character we haven't had the opportunity to explore in the main series. With so many characters crowding the pages of JLA, it's nice to take a moment to get inside the head of one of the team's more enigmatic members. Read Full Review

There's some fun action, a long list of characters and things from the old DC Universe making their first New 52 appearance, and some things occur that make issue #4 a must-buy for Catwoman fans. But even with all the cameos and changes for Catwoman, the plot barely inches forward from where we were in issue #3. Also, while Brett Booth and his team deliver the goods as usual, their style doesn't appear to suit the the characters or tone of JLA as well as it did Teen Titans or Nightwing. But perhaps that's just me being bitter about Booth leaving Nightwing. Anyway, Justice League of America needs to bring greater focus to more of its characters so we get to know them and care about them and it might just be the 1 month delay in release from #2 to #3 but the plot needs to pick up the pace. Read Full Review

Johns has become defined by his ability to nurture underused characters, his knowledge of and love for DC minutiae, and his propensity for disturbingly graphic violence. “Justice League of America” #4 encapsulates all three of these aspects. The main feature's final pages will incite equal parts rage and apathy, and perhaps appropriately so. It's hard, as someone familiar with mainstream comics, to look at an issue like this and be anything be anything but cynical, to expect any kind of lasting change, let alone good change. However, as referenced before, Johns has told wonderful stories out of terrible circumstances. If nothing else, collective comic-dom's interest in “Trinity War” has likely ticked up a few notches. Read Full Review

I want to like this series more, but Justice League of America #4′s effort doesn't quite get me on board with the series' premise or characters. It's Mike Kindt's stellar back-ups that redeem this series month-to-month. If only the depth explored in those 8-page tales could translate into the main feature. Read Full Review

Even with several complaints, all of the character work presented here is very strong. There is still quite a bit of great humour littered throughout the writing. It is a welcomed surprise that Hawkman is the funniest character in the title. The Society Of Supervillains is a frightening force of nature in this title. The organization seems hyper aware of any threat that could possibly pose a threat to them. Seeing how ruthless the villains are should paint them as a threat to the heroes everywhere. With the normal art this series should have no problem hitting its usual high quality standards. Read Full Review

For a while it looked as though Justice League of America, replacing the cancelled Justice League International, would quickly follow the fate of its predecessor. Yet it is also becoming an integral part of the modern DCU. Now free of the boardrooms and discussions that dominated the first issue, the fieldwork proves to be intriguing. Read Full Review

Despite the "reveal" that's supposed to rock the DC world, all I can think about is how I hope this will, in some way, bump off Ann Nocenti from anything pertaining to Catwoman. I'm not sure what that says about the book that I'm more interested in whether this will have reverberations for the logistics of the Catwoman series than the fact that Catwoman is potentially dead, but it should say something. Although, I can't say it enough that Kindt's story about Martian Manhunter is well worth giving this book a quick look if not just for that purpose alone. Read Full Review

A dangerously weak issue of a still new, ostensibly major series. Johns needs to earn some of the dubious storytelling choices made here, or else we'll only have Kindt's back-ups to look forward to. Read Full Review

But the story is not doing its part to win me over. Pity. Read Full Review

I really, really like this series. I like Geoff Johns writing, I love the characters being used, and the spy thriller angle is different enough to warrant a separate Justice League title. Justice League of America #4 continues Worlds Most Dangerous on an emotional level more than a plot-advancing one. Pre-New 52 readers will appreciate the numerous new elements being integrated throughout the issue, which continues to show how the other League lives. Read Full Review

While JLA #4 boasts one of Johns' better scripts in the New 52, Brett Booth's weak art holds this book back, and the backup story leans back a bit in quality as well. Story-wise this was a great issue, but overall, this is the series's weakest issue. I will continue to pick this up, but only in because Johns's story is so good. Read Full Review

And like I've been saying, Catwoman's death means nothing to me. Maybe she's really dead, and DC really is just trying to shock everybody. Or maybe there's some kind of way out next issue. I don't honestly care. It's bad storytelling, it's a worthless stunt and everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves. Read Full Review

While the first three issues of this series were solid outings Justice League of America #4 was a complete disappointment. This issue is another clear example of the uncomfortable trend that many New 52 comics have followed as we are presented with one-dimensional characters and overreliance on gore to get the story's importance across. Anything that could be compelling with why ARGUS assembled the JLA and the rise of the Secret Society of Villains has been artificially created. Nothing about this story feels as if it's progressing at a natural pace. I wish that this wasn't the case because where I was once compelled to read Trinity War Justice League of America #4 and recent issues of Justice League have led me to question if DC Comics latest event will be worth picking up. Read Full Review

Steve Trevor's League lurches into action against the New 52 version of the Secret Society of Super-villains but this series can't get any momentum even with writer Geoff Johns working his magic on the characters. Read Full Review

"Justice League of America" #4 is just another issue of paced-out story; setting up future developments, tinged with extreme story beats in the form of character death. Although a character is killed and another revealed, this issue just feels like it doesn't deliver much. The story is simply hollow. It's unfortunate that as we near "Trinity War," this title seems to be taking a cue from "Justice League" by making the backup story more interesting than the lead with tales that simply mark time and keep the seat room temperature. Read Full Review

I'm keenly interested in the more nefarious, more mysterious tone writer Geoff Johns is bringing to the Secret Society of Super-Villains concept here, but I'm finding the mechanics of the story and the interactions among the characters to be grating. Read Full Review

I wish David Finch was still drawing this book. Brett Booth does a good job on a few of the spreads and twist moments but feels subpar a lot of the time. Also, I don’t know why I care but villain Copperhead looks ridiculous, I’ve never seen a snake look that cute! The plot is less gloomy this month and it comes with a shocking ending that will hopefully turn out to be as transparent as I think it is. I’ll eat my hat if that’s not the shape-changing Martian Manhunter in disguise. And if it isn’t Martian Manhunter or some other trick then I’m gonna stop reading this book. The backup from Matt Kindt was also less credible this month. The idea that the Martian Manhunter is weak to fire because of survivor’s guilt is just a little too much- I can’t suspend my disbelief. Things are moving along at a good clip but the antagonists have yet to wow me. I started to read this book to see what Catwoman would be like on a team, but four issues in and my interest is on thin ice. Nice to see the invisible plane though. more