A review of End League #2 By Michael Berry (Lightning Strike) March 12, 2008 Rating: 9.1 / 10

Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Mat Broome

If you're not reading this series, shame on you. If you are, then you've been treated to two incredible issues. With this book and the popularity of Umbrella Academy, Dark Horse is putting out some quality and exciting new books that fans would be remiss not to be reading.

On the surface, the typical fan could look at this book and say "well, it's obviously a ripoff of DC's Justice League (Astonishman as Superman, Divinity ala Wonder Woman, etc.) so why bother reading it?", but if you delve deeper, it's clearly much more than that.

And as a fan of the Squadron Supreme, this concept has worked before quite well. And Remender does make each character distinct and different from their Justice League counterparts, not only in visuals but also in personality just as Roy Thomas and Mark Gruenwald did years ago with the Squadron.

One look at the cover to The End League #2 tells you all you need to know about this fantastic issue. The lead in from the last issue was enormous and this one doesn't disappoint, as Rick Remender does a superb job of wasting no time as we're exposed to all out action from the first page and continuing through to the last.

Matt Broome's art, along with Wendy Broome's vibrant coloring work, gives the book a unique look and feel and showcases an epic battle between Thor and the League, most notably Astonishman.

Thor's attack comes after his mind has been tampered with by Lexington (the leader of the villains of the world), as Thor lashes out mindlessly at his former friends. After quickly dispatching all of them except for Astonishman, the two of them engage in a slugfest of epic proportions that, sadly, leaves them both dead when Thor smashes Mjolnir (Thor's hammer) into Astonishman's chest, releasing a blast of energy similar to that of a nuclear bomb. In the aftermath, all that's left is the skeletons of two mighty heroes who have fallen in majestic combat.

Afterwards, somebody (whose identity isn't shown) shows up and recovers Mjolnir. Although it's known to be a henchman of Lexington's, the mystery of who exactly it is, still leaves your curiosity highly piqued, since the person who possesses Mjolnir, wields the awesome powers of Thor as well.

This issue also featured the debut of a very interesting character named "Black", who has the feel (although not the look) of Batman and an ultra villain called "Nargor'ri the Ravager", who is released from his nether realm. With Astonishman dead, the heroes' future and that of the world's looks bleak.

My lone gripe with this seris so far is Remender's lack to not clearly identify some of the characters and fleshing them out. But that's a minor quibble. Kudos to Dark Horse and co. for what looks like another hit series!

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