On mainstream media, film critics somewhat saved face for DC and Zack Snyder, with mixed reviews.
But on the internet, it was a tidal wave of criticism.
"First, the good news. Justice League is far better than the gloomy Batman v Superman. Now, the bad news. Compared to the delightful Wonder Woman, this film is a disappointment."
"True, the film has many interesting characters with captivating superpowers. But the director failed to express them perfectly. Director Snyder seems to struggle with telling the stories of multiple protagonists within a standard film runtime—Martin Meyers is a prime example of success here. This film's biggest problem: it lacks a truly powerful villain. Steppenwolf is too weak."
"Every time I see Batman and Wonder Woman cooperating with other DC superheroes, it brings a little light joy, but it instantly fades. Zack Snyder has made yet another clumsy superhero blockbuster. These heroic tales should be so thrilling, but he makes them so dull."
"Zack Snyder actually compromised! I came for his dark style, but what did I see? Forced jokes awkwardly inserted into intense action scenes. This style has appeared in the MCU, and Zack isn't skilled in it—not only unfunny but also making the film feel disjointed. It's just an unwilling concession and clumsy imitation."
"I'm a DC fan. If Wonder Woman and Aquaman gave me a glimmer of hope for DC films' progress, then Justice League, despite having a bit more cleverness and humanity, immediately plunged us back into the fear dominated by Batman v Superman."
"After the main script of Justice League ends, absolutely don't leave! There are two post-credit scenes. The first one is utterly terrible, and the lengthy cast list before the second one is still somewhat decent, but the audience is already exhausted."
"The biggest flaw of Justice League is that it's easily forgotten after watching, with basically no memorable scenes. There really isn't a single stunningly spectacular sequence. It's truly shameful considering the global box office golden age of recent superhero films."
It wasn't just criticism; the film's box office also began to plummet, seemingly replaying the scenario of the previous Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
According to big data company predictions, the film's global box office might not exceed $670 million, while its investment was $300 million. It needed at least $800 million globally just to break even.
Martin couldn't care less about Justice League's box office.
Although Zack Snyder considered him a lifelong rival, Martin never saw him as one.
He flew to Washington, preparing to help his father-in-law with a few things. Of course, the other party had to pay a price.
As for what kind of help?
Well, recently, mainstream media compiled a list of Trump's 2018 scandals, giving him a massive headache.
The key was that the things the media criticized were true, and Trump couldn't even refute them.
First, First Lady Melania Trump's expensive travels.
Last October, First Lady Melania Trump conducted a one-day visit to Cairo, costing taxpayers over $95,000, drawing attacks.
Her spokesperson was also a pig teammate, stating in front of the media that Trump didn't even "stay overnight" at the Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel in Cairo, only waiting in Cairo for 6 hours, giving critics more ammunition.
Also, this First Lady's one-day visit to Toronto in 2017 also cost the government $174,000 for her hotel bills.
Second, The Eric Trump Foundation lied about its spending issues.
Since the previous year, an investigation into the spending of the Eric Trump Foundation has been ongoing.
Forbes magazine reported in 2017 that Trump diverted donations for children's cancer research to the Trump family business. According to the investigation results in this report, Trump's third son, Eric Trump's foundation, raised $1.2 million in charitable funds, which actually flowed to the Trump Group.
Experts indicated this behavior might violate federal tax laws and state laws. This report prompted the New York State Attorney General's office to launch a formal investigation, expected to trouble the young Eric Trump until the end of 2019.
Third, President Trump's long stays at Mar-a-Lago, where club members constantly boast about their influence on the president.
Since entering the White House, Trump has spent 78 days at his private club, Mar-a-Lago, in Florida.
Reportedly, he goes there whenever he has free time, to the extent that some club members began boasting about their influence on the president.
In August this year, ProPublica reported that the chairman of Marvel Entertainment and two other Mar-a-Lago members had been personally lobbying Trump on policies related to military veterans. These policies could affect millions of Americans across the US.
This legendary club became more exclusive after Trump became president.
Last year, membership fees doubled, reaching $200,000. Costs for couples attending events could be as high as $2,500. Bills for some gatherings held at Mar-a-Lago were directly sent to taxpayers.
Fourth, The investigation into donations to Trump's inauguration committee is still ongoing.
Multiple media outlets confirmed in mid-December last year that federal prosecutors were investigating potential misuse of funds by Trump's inauguration committee. The investigation, conducted by the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, is looking into whether donors gave $107 million to Trump's inauguration.
This record-breaking figure was more than double the funds for Barack Obama's inauguration committee, potentially used to secure positions in the Trump administration or gain specific political influence, possibly violating US federal corruption laws.
Some suspect this money might have come from Russia.
Fifth, The Trump Foundation lawsuit financial scandal.
The lawsuit against the president's personal charity, the "Trump Foundation," is still ongoing in court. This non-profit organization agreed to dissolve in mid-December due to allegations that Trump used the foundation for personal and political gain.
New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood stated in the investigation that the charity was "little more than a checkbook for payments from Mr. Trump or his businesses to nonprofits, regardless of their purpose or legality."
Trump continues to denounce this lawsuit and defends his foundation, claiming it did "great work and gave away lots of money."
Sixth, Foreign diplomats continue staying at Trump properties.
Two ongoing federal lawsuits allege Trump violated the Constitution, as representatives lobbying for the Saudi government paid for approximately 500 nights at Trump's Washington hotel shortly after he won the 2016 election, during which he stayed at this hotel.
The lawsuits claim Saudi spending of over $270,000 could constitute payments from a foreign government. The Washington Post published details about the hotel earlier this month.
The report stated that a Saudi-supported lobbying group covered all travel expenses, including stays at Trump's hotel, for US military veterans to lobby Congress against a piece of legislation targeting Saudi Arabia.
Seventh, Scott Pruitt and Ryan Zinke resign due to scandals.
Trump administration cabinet members continued to depart in large numbers this year, with many officials leaving their posts under intense scrutiny due to investigations.
Former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned in July last year amid dozens of federal investigations into his leadership at the agency, including allegations of misuse of funds and his cozy relationships with energy lobbyists.
Pruitt played a key role in Trump's initial repeal of many major US environmental regulations and the announcement of the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Also, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, facing nearly 20 federal investigations, was forced to resign in December last year. He was accused of charging taxpayers for private charter flights and improperly riding a plane owned by an oil company. Zinke's connection to a Montana real estate deal also drew criticism and could lead to federal charges.
Eighth, Questionable investments by cabinet secretaries.
The Trump cabinet is likely one of the wealthiest in modern political history. Many secretaries and assistants hold significant company stakes. Critics have been closely watching these companies for potential insider trading or risky investment withdrawals, but some still made questionable moves.
For instance, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was found to have ties to a Russian individual closely connected to Putin.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was involved in a real estate deal with the energy giant Halliburton, which contributed to his resignation this month.
Also, the Education Department awarded a student loan collection contract to a company linked to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.