Warning! Spoilers ahead for Justice League: Last Ride #4!
The Justice League just got called out by Lobo for their prejudices! Superman’s team is traditionally known as the best superhero lineup in the DC universe. The Justice League’s roster boasts an incredible mix of heroes with great powers. However, more importantly, they are normally the moral standard for all heroes to look up to. Every League member has a strong set of moral rules that they hold onto dearly. But things have changed in Justice League: Last Ride’s world where the team have become unhinged. They are even willing to break their own rules in certain scenarios.
In the previous issue, Lobo reveals to readers what exactly happened to Apokolips to make it the toxic wasteland that it is. It’s unveiled that the Justice League, after their battle with Darkseid, nuked the entire planet. This act destroyed the planet’s natural resources, causing its residents to flee elsewhere. Obviously, this is a solid way of getting rid of Darkseid and his army. However, it’s crossing way over the Justice League’s moral boundaries. This is evidence to show how disjointed and un-heroic this incarnation of the Justice League has become.
While explaining what happened to Apokolips in Justice League: Last Ride #4 by Chip Zdarsky, Miguel Mendonca, and Enrica Angiolini, Lobo calls out Superman and the Justice League’s prejudice against “uggos.” It’s suggested that this means non-humans, which is entirely true. Traditionally, someone “ugly” or alien-looking is seen as bad the comics. A lot of the time they end up being the villains of the story. This rings true when looking at the Justice League’s lineup of heroes, which is almost always full of humanoid looking superheroes.
In contrast, the presence of the United Order in Brian Michael Bendis and Steve Pugh’s Justice League series shows how diverse the DC universe really is. The superhero team of the United Planets is made up of many different alien races in the DCU. Additionally, these heroes do not just protect one planet, but the whole universe. Meanwhile, the Justice League are always focused on protecting Earth. Being some of the Multiverse’s most powerful heroes, they could do some serious damage to the threats of the DCU if they were to protect everyone, rather than just Earth. They should take a page out of Barry Allen and the Justice Incarnate’s notebook.
Although not explicitly bigoted, it’s clear that the Justice League have less regard for those who look different from them. Nuking the entirety of Apokolips wasn’t a hard choice for them, but imagine someone did that to Earth, how would the League react? Lobo’s statement in this issue rings true as the comics have focused especially on those who are “human” and readers are traditionally expected to align more with those who look somewhat similar to them. Justice League: Last Ride #4 is available in comic book stores and on digital platforms.
