Hey again everyone, Andy Luckett here with my review of Justice #12, the final issue in the series. I'm sorry, I think I have something in my eye…*sniff*. Ah, better. Once again this issue was created by our good buddies Jim Krueger, Alex Ross and Doug Braithwaite. Let's dive in one more time, shall we?
At the end of last issue, most of the Justice League was pursuing Braniac as he body-hopped across the Legion of Doom's cities while also activating all of Earth's nuclear missiles. In the Scarecrow's domain, all of the population had been infected with fear toxin and the League was falling behind.
While the others work to quell the Scarecrow's uprising, Superman takes a detour to Toyman's city to rescue the people there. Fighting his way in, he discovers that the Toyman's human form, Winslow Schott, has also been partially mechanized by Braniac. Schott tells Superman that Braniac has scrambled the nukes, and Earth's destruction will take place just as the villains' dreams foresaw.
Meanwhile, inside the Legion of Doom's headquarters, Batman arrests a Lex Luthor who continues to insist that he was acting on behalf of all humanity. Batman doesn't buy it, and asks the Atom to find the second yellow Qwardian power ring's power battery. He does, and Batman requests that Grodd use it to deactivate the missiles under the control of J'onn J'onzz. Superman returns to the Scarecrow's city in time to
stem the tide of the fearful citizens. After the gas has been taken
care of, the League members learn from one of Braniac's drones that
Black Manta is holding Aquaman's son. Superman sends out the call to the
rest of the League to finish evacuating the other cities, while his
group continues after Braniac. The Scarecrow flees his city, but
encounters an unexpected sight:
The League splits into teams to evacuate the cities. In the Cheetah's city, Wonder Woman leads a team into a savannah-like area. They soon sense that Cheetah is hunting them, so Wonder Woman directs her attention to allow the others to finish the evacuation. Wonder Woman removes her helmet to reveal a poison-ravaged face that looks like the surface of a volcano, but she is still able to defeat Cheetah in battle.
Superman leads Red tornado and Zatanna back to the Toyman's domain, where they discover that many of the partially-destroyed Braniac drones are reanimating. They defeat them easily, but not before Superman discusses Braniac's plan with one of the drones. Braniac relates that his intention was always to reconfigure the humans under his rule into approximations of the society he lost on Colu, and he cannot understand why Superman humbles himself to live as one of them.
Meanwhile Green Arrow, Black Canary, Supergirl and Metamorpho infiltrate Poison Ivy's city and are quickly attacked by her plants. However, Supergirl's heat vision makes short work of the plants and Poison ivy herself, and another Legion of Doom member is defeated. Back in the Legion's headquarters, the Martian Manhunter links his mind to both Luthor and Grodd in order to redirect the nuclear missiles currently headed earthward. They succeed, as the Atom realizes that the city is slowly sinking due to Solomon Grundy tearing an escape hatch in the bottom of the sphere.
Aquaman is finally able to confront Black Manta in his city, where Manta commands his soldiers to attack the Sea King. Aquaman takes a beating, but goads Manta into getting close enough that he can disable his mind control. When he does so, Manta's soldiers realize the monster they have been following. Manta attacks Aquaman, but Arthur quickly defeats him, saying "I live beneath the sea. I rule and live in a kingdom surrounded by pressures beyond any human ability to imagine. What chance did you ever have against me?"
Luthor confronts Braniac, revealing to him that he can no longer body-hop. Braniac retreats to his ship, which is captured by Superman. Hal Jordan calls in the rest of the Green Lantern Corps, who help him destroy the nuclear missiles, and the Earth is once again saved. The Justice League travels to Paradise Island, where Queen Hippolyta beseeches the heavens to restore the life of her daughter Diana. They do so, and Wonder Woman is healed.
With all of the world's nuclear missiles destroyed, things are better than they were before. Batman acknowledges this, hoping that the state of the world will keep improving, to reach the standard of excellence he sees in his fellow members of the Justice League.
After twelve issues it all comes down to this. The Justice League succeeds over massive treachery and recovers from immense hardship to triumph. This issue serves as a decent wrap-up to the series, and it is cathartic to have our heroes' problems resolved well, My only concern with the story as a whole continues to be the pacing. So much happens in this final chapter that it feels a bit crammed to the end. I appreciate the creators' desire to build a complex storyline, but at times it felt like a few less story threads would have given the rest more room to breathe and unfold at a more pleasing rate. Still, overall that is a relatively small gripe about an extremely well-done series.
Aquaman's storyline is resolved in spectacular fashion. He takes a gamble on his plan, but he is able to expose Manta's lies and rescue Arthur Jr. at the same time. And that final line he says to Manta that I quoted above? That's on my list for one of the finest Aquaman moments of the past decade. I would say that Krueger and Ross have given him the finest character arc of the series.
Thanks for following along with these recaps. Its been fun to review this series once again. For the final time, here are the Batcave files for Zatanna and The Joker.
Comics Weekend "Justice Chapter Eleven" Hey there everyone, Shrine Correspondent Andy Luckett here with my review of Justice Chapter Eleven, by our good friends Jim Krueger, Alex Ross and Doug Braithwaite!
When we last left our story, the tide was beginning to turn for the Legion of Doom. While upstairs the armored Justice League fought determinedly within the Legion's headquarters; downstairs Green Arrow, Black Canary and the Elongated Man accomplished their mission of returning John Stewart's Green Lantern ring to him. With his ring back, John used it to destroy Braniac's mind control on the League's fellow heroes and loved ones, before joining the battle upstairs.
As we pick up with this issue, we find the Joker dancing in the rubble as he blows up one of the Legion of Doom's cities (the Joker's role in this story reminds me of Chevy Chase as Pierce Hawthorne on Community; in the way he overreacts to being left out of a group). Back inside the LOD's headquarters, the Parasite tries once again to take Superman's powers, only to run afoul of Captain Marvel instead. Meanwhile, Hal Jordan surprises Sinestro by revealing a blue ring; which turns out to be the second yellow ring disguised by a chunk of blue kryptonite from Superman's Fortress. In one fell swoop, the League uses the blue kryptonite to weaken Bizarro and also destroys the green kryptonite that powers Metallo, allowing Superman to move more freely.
Captain Marvel attacks Black Adam, forcing him to shout "Shazam!" to release himself. John Stewart brings in the cavalry, scouring Braniac's worms from the League and allowing their armors to be shed. He also cures the villains from Braniac's touch, causing many of them to wonder what they are doing before they are incapacitated by the might of the rebuilt Justice League. Finally, the battle is ended, and the heroes can reunite with their friends and family. But all is not over, as Gorilla Grodd tells J'onn J'onzz that Braniac has armed the weapons systems of the world to bring about the promised apocalypse!
The heroes secure their loved ones at Superman's Fortress before following the fleeing Braniac. But Aquaman is already leading the charge, chasing the android into Toyman's city, only to run up against another trick:
Meanwhile, Hal beats Sinestro to a standstill, overcoming him as they use the last of both yellow rings' charges. All of the heroes follow Braniac into Toyman's city, and begin weeding through the crowd of Braniac drones to find Arthur Jr. Zatanna tells them that the original Braniac has escaped the city with Arthur Jr. The heroes pursue him into The Scarecrow's city, only to be confronted by the straw-laced fashioner of fear. He attacks by sending the entire fear toxin-filled population of his kingdom after the heroes, who cannot fight them as they did the Braniac drones. How will the League triumph?
Lots of well-rendered action in this issue, as we see most of the Leaguers get their groove fully back, whether it be Superman triumphing over his foes (and having Metallo's Kryptonite heart destroyed), or Hal Jordan winning a hard-fought physical and moral victory over Sinestro.
However, there is no resolution for Aquaman this issue, as he continues to doggedly pursue his kidnapped son in what is undoubtedly the most emotional hardship faced by any of the League throughout this series. The scenes of Arthur screaming his frustration out towards the robotic captor of his child is heart-tugging and reveals much about Aquaman's determination and strength of will. Next issue there will be a reckoning delivered by a father and a King rather than by a superhero.
As always, the art of each panel is stellar, and the color palette is expertly crafted to each story beat; whether it be the different hues of the Lantern rings, the blue Kryptonite, or the gold of Captain Marvel's emblem shining in the sun. We also get a chance this issue to see interesting skirmishes going on in the back of the large battle scenes, such as the armored Wonder Woman trashing three Braniac clones at once, or J'onn J'onnz, Red Tornado and Metamorpho teaming up to knock down Giganta.
My only actual criticism of the series continues to be how certain story beats are introduced. So much is going on at times that it can seem like important information is sprung on the reader with less of a "cool, spontaneous reveal" feeling and more of a "Huh? Did I miss a mention of that before?" type of question. Take for example the revelation that Hal has been using Superman's sample of blue Kryptonite to disguise the other yellow Qwardian ring he was using. It's an inventive idea; the yellow and blue energies making green. But for myself as a reader, I would have felt the impact of Sinestro's surprise (and Hal's cleverness) more effectively if we had seen Hal set up the ploy earlier. I applaud Krueger and Ross' eagerness to throw in exciting new details, but at times I feel that the complexity of Justice's plot affects the pacing negatively.
Next issue wraps it all up with more action and more thrills, so be here to see the dastardly plans of Braniac come crashing down upon his green artificial head in Justice #12!
And, as always, here are Batman's Batcave files for Hal Jordan and Sinestro. See you next time!
Comics Weekend "Justice Chapter Ten" Hey there everyone, Shrine Correspondent Andy Luckett here with my review of Justice Chapter Ten, by the esteemed team of Jim Krueger, Alex Ross and Doug Braithwaite!
The end of last issue showcased the Justice League, encased in their various armors, taking off to face the Legion of Doom. This issue begins on a quieter note, from the perspective of a previously disabled woman living in one of the Legion of Doom's floating cities. She writes about how she felt she had to run away to the new life awaiting her in the city, and how happy it makes her.
Meanwhile, in the Legion's undersea fortress, Gorilla Grodd voices his frustrations to Giganta while on their way to a banquet celebrating the Legion's victory over the Justice League. They arrive at the main hall, unaware they are being followed by the Atom. Luthor asserts that "We won this time", while Braniac tells his plans to Arthur Jr, who he is grooming to become his cybernetic "son."
The Atom watches all the interactions, figuring out that if he can't breach Luthor's force field, than Braniac is unable to control Luthor like he has most of the other villains. Gorilla Grodd, whose fantastic mind is also shielded from Braniac's interference (but who has been increasingly suspicious of Braniac's master plan), suddenly realizes the heroes are approaching. The Justice League bursts through the door in a flood of sentient armor, and the battle begins. Zatanna stands behind Green Arrow and Black Canary and shouts "edisni seoreh raeppasid won*", sending the Leaguers teleporting down into a lower floor of the hideout. (*Remember, read Zatanna's spells backwards--Assistant Editor Andy)
As Braniac calls in the League's mind-controlled fellow heroes to fight on his behalf, Green Arrow and Black Canary pick their way through the sewer toward their destination (Platinum and Gold of the Metal Men are still fighting upstairs in the shapes of Oliver and Dinah). In another battle outside the Hall of Doom, the possessed members of the Teen Titans engage the Doom Patrol in combat as The Joker calls the action dressed as a carnival barker. Inside, Batman faces the Riddler while Parasite makes a very unfortunate threat to Aquaman:
And that makes Aquaman feel stabby, which is bad for the Parasite:
As the battle continues, the tide seems to turn in the direction of the heroes, and Aquaman (having taken down the woefully outmatched Parasite) turns his attention to Black Manta and gives the old trident another workout:
In the lower levels of the Hall of Doom, Oliver and Dinah realize that their plan has been discovered by Grodd, and they are being followed. Upstairs the battle rages on, but as the tide turns in favor of the League, the villains suddenly retreat to their city strongholds. Back in the lower levels, Oliver and Dinah's stalker is revealed: Clayface. Canary keeps going to finish her part of the mission, and Ollie's arrows do little to stop the oncoming wall of clay. But he has a secret weapon. Ralph Dibny, the Elongated Man has been hiding in Oliver's shadow, and does his best to hold back Clayface. As Oliver watches him work, he comments that he'll never let anyone call Ralph a joke again.
Meanwhile, outside the Hall of Doom, carnival barker Joker is setting up a picnic while the battle between the Doom Patrol and the possessed Teen Titans rages on. He promises fireworks, which is obviously not going to work out for everyone's health. And in the Hall of Doom, the Atom finally is able to break down Luthor's force field, and finishes him off with a tiny haymaker to the chin.
After Green Arrow catches up to Black Canary, they tear open the door containing the League's non-powered loved ones, who are guarded by a very angry Supergirl. Ollie pulls out an especially green arrow, but Canary reminds him that it's Kryptonite tipped, and will probably kill Supergirl. GA fires it anyway, missing the Maid of Might but scoring a direct hit on John Stewart. At first this seems like a terrible set of circumstances, but the green on the arrow wasn't Kryptonite after all, it was Green Lantern energy to allow John to recharge his ring! Having done so, John tells Supergirl that "You're not killing any superheroes today, Supergirl. You're going to help us save the world. Just like always."
Alright, so now we have another major player on the side of the angels as John Stewart is back to fighting shape (and able to use his ring to de-wormify the mind controlled heroes). It's beginning to seem that the Legion of Doom's plans are unraveling as more of the criminals realize the depths of Braniac's manipulations. That said, they are still extremely dangerous with the cities full of innocent people at their command, and Braniac still possessing Aquaman's son. Not to mention The Joker, living out his purpose as a wild card.
Speaking of Aquaman, he is given a front and center position in this issue, as well as the most immediate and desperate motivation of the entire League. Seeing Arthur Jr. under Braniac's influence is driving him even harder, and his confrontations with both Parasite and Black Manta show him fighting as a father with no mercy being given. His takedown of Parasite is one of the best Aquaman moments in this entire series, so bravo for that.
Again, much praise goes to the creative team for another excellent issue with strong conflict and palpable emotion, sold by Ross' and Braithwaite's attention to realistic detail. My only complaint; not only about this issue but the series as a whole, is the nagging feeling that some story threads are not always properly conveyed, leaving the reader trying to fill in small questions in a complex story. It doesn't sink the series at all; it simply makes reading a bit confusing at times. But perhaps that's just me.
Anyway, next issue promises to offer a thrilling climax in this clash between longstanding foes. How will the League finally beat the Legion? Will Aquaman rescue his son from becoming a cyborg? And what happens to all the people in the cities after the villains are defeated? We'll begin to find out next issue! As always, here are files from The Batcave detailing Green Arrow and Black Canary:
Comics Weekend "Justice Chapter Nine" Hey there everyone, Shrine Correspondent Andy Luckett here with my review of Justice Chapter Nine, by the stalwart creative team of Jim Krueger, Alex Ross and Doug Braithwaite!
As we left our heroes last issue, they were celebrating the safe returns of Aquaman and Green Lantern, both believed to have been killed in the Legion of Doom's initial campaign of carnage. Hal Jordan examines Captain Cold with his ring, only to find that he too is possessed by Braniac's robotic worms. The group surmises that for a group made up of such antisocial beings as the Legion of Doom to even think of pursuing the same goal, a stabilizing mental force such as the worms would have been necessary, and helpful in fulfilling Braniac's grand agenda.
Dr. Will Magnus tells the League that the threat of re-contamination with the worm-drones is still very likely, and that they need some sort of protection. He proposes special armor for each Leaguer to form an impenetrable seal that will keep out the worms and allow the League to move freely. While the big brains go to work (Magnus, Niles Caulder and Ray Palmer), the League discusses a strike force to attack a site in Africa traced back from Captain Cold's worms. Wonder Woman, Red Tornado, Captain Marvel, Green Arrow, Zatanna and Green Lantern teleport into Gorilla Grodd's monitor station, but he is ready for them. Captain Marvel is immediately distracted by the sight of Black Adam holding Mary Marvel hostage, and he charges after his ancient enemy. Instead of Adam, he comes across Freddy Freeman and Mary, both mind-controlled and looking for a fight. The rest of the team attacks Grodd, only to find that he also wields a yellow power ring like Sinestro's. He unleashes the power of the ring against the heroes, pinning them back.
Meanwhile, in the African skies above, the rest of the Marvel family attacks Billy Batson's alter ego. Black Adam gets Mary to shout "Shazam!" and plummet to Earth while he holds onto Billy, torturing him with the inability to save his sister. Meanwhile in Gotham City, Bruce Wayne meets with Clark Kent on the corner of Crime Alley where his parents were murdered. Bruce has returned to Gotham to de-worm Alfred (ewww) and to pick up his own suit of armor from the Batcave. He also needs Clark to examine some of the children healed by Professor Crane's prosthetics and see if there is anything shady happening. They are in Crime Alley to visit the clinic of Bruce's old friend, Dr. Leslie Tompkins.
After an x-ray vision scan, Clark concludes that the artificial parts that have restored the children's mobility are robotic components that will slowly transform them into beings similar to Braniac. Meanwhile, Luthor inspects one of Braniac's clone factories and is dismayed at his productivity:
In the skies high above Africa, Captain Marvel manages to catch the plummeting Mary. But as he does so, she shouts the magic word and turns back into Mary Marvel, tossing the good Captain into the ground. Billy realizes that he is now under Braniac's control. As the Atom and Will Magnus perfect their armor idea, the strike team continues to engage Grodd in combat. Red Tornado blows a strange mist into Grodd's lungs, which turns out to be Metamorpho in a gaseous form. As Green Lantern protects him from being infected by Braniac's worms, all Rex Mason can say is, "Gross." Just when the battle seems won, Sinestro barges in and steals the ailing Grodd away. When Wonder Woman asks Metamorpho why he is smiling, he shows her Grodd's yellow ring. Meanwhile at Superman's Fortress of Solitude, the heroes are disturbed by loud, repetitive booms:
As the possessed Captain Marvel tries to force his way inside, Superman intercepts him, Kingdom Come style. They battle across the landscape until Superman smacks Marvel with the giant key to his Fortress. Marvel flies into a rage and charges Superman, only to be captured and de-wormed by Green Lantern (that ring is a handy item to have around).
GL and Marvel fly to Arkham Asylum to find Dr. Sivana imprisoned there; a drooling, incoherent mess. After another cleansing from Hal, Sivana regains his senses and tells the heroes that Braniac stole his "Mr. Mind" prototype and used it against him after realizing that Sivana was not as easy to sway as many of the other Legion of Doom members. With this information, Captain Marvel realizes that Luthor and Braniac are planning on each ruling half of mankind. And at the Fortress, the heroes suit up for battle:
Now in their new spiffy duds, the heroes take off to confront their foes, but Luthor appears after they leave and tells Captain Cold: "This is not the time to complain. After all, everything is going so well."
So now after the fall of the League and their hard road back to normality, we see our heroes putting their new plan into action. Some readers have complained that the introduction of the armored looks is simply an easy way to make more toys to sell. That may be true, but I don't think it only works on that level. Besides simply looking cool, the armor represents the turning point for the League to be able to face their foes without being reinfected. So while it does come off a bit like just cool for cool's sake, at least there is a plausible internal logic behind it.
Aquaman only makes a few cameos in this issue, which is told from Captain Marvel's inner monologue. There are a couple of nice nods to his devotion to Arthur Jr. and his drive to destroy Braniac, and he does have one of the few pre-made armors ready to go, so that's a plus. Not only that, but apparently the breathing system for many of the armored suits is of Atlantean design. Tony Stark might even feel a twinge of jealousy.
Overall, this issue has some diverting action, and the art and character beats are well-handled as always, but it sets us up for the battle royal of the finale. Be here soon as we cover the beginning of that battle in issue 10!
And as always, enjoy Batman's files from the Bat-Computer:
Comics Weekend "Justice Chapter Eight" Hey there everyone, Shrine Correspondent Andy Luckett here with my review of Justice Chapter Eight, by the stalwart creative team of Jim Krueger, Alex Ross and Doug Braithwaite!
When we last left our heroes, many of them had met at their designated rendezvous point at Superman's Fortress of Solitude to take a roll call and discuss how to fight back against the Legion of Doom's coordinated attack. With a few members such as Hal Jordan still unaccounted for, the band is not quite back together yet (and Wonder Woman is still suffering the effects of the Centaur's Poison administered to her by The Cheetah).
Superman and Batman have one of their classic "our methods differ" discussions, but Batman makes an interesting point: whereas he uses the fear of the unknown shadows of Gotham to achieve success, Superman renders the shadows of Metropolis useless to criminals by the fact that he can see anywhere at anytime. Batman believes that this type of perspective has made the Justice League overconfident, and that the Legion of Doom's campaign against them is intended to instill fear in the heroes. Superman flies off to contemplate this, and as he floats in his "listening spot" over the Earth, he suddenly sees Brainiac's spherical cities at their places around the world.
In the Middle East, Leonard Snart (alias Captain Cold) is enjoying the sweet life. The Flash sprints in, telling Cold that his attempt to destroy the speedster has failed. Cold goes for his pistol, but of course Flash gets there first, only to find it an ice sculpture decoy. Cold tries to run, using an array of ice-based tactics to delay Flash. He doesn't make it far, however, and the Flash immediately takes him to the Fortress of Solitude for interrogation by Batman (looks like Snart's day just went from sweet to terrifying very quickly).
Snart's interrogation begins with Batman asking him if he is sentimental. Snart tries to play it tough at first, reminding Batman that the entire Legion of Doom knows his true identity. Batman's response: "I'm thinking about your fingers. And how many of them you'd like to keep." Snart's response to that? Wide-eyed terror. From that chilling scene we cut to Hal Jordan's ring, still adrift in the deepest reaches of space. Inside the ring, Hal carries on a conversation with manifestations of his brothers, who tell him that his wish to be forever free in the skies doesn't count for much without moving forward in his life, and without a family.
Back at the Fortress of Solitude, Superman and the Hawks stand by as the Atom examines the mechanical worms found by Hawkman in the Toyman's factory. The Atom discovers that the worms are very complex, and seem to be much more advanced than the League believed Brainiac to be capable of creating. Ralph Dibny comes hopping in to tell them that Batman has successfully interrogated Captain Cold, and wonders aloud again why he wasn't targeted for attack. The League gathers as Batman emerges from the room, leaving behind a sweating, shaking wreck named Leonard Snart. Superman realizes that because Batman is still infested with the worms and thus wrapped up in Wonder Woman's lasso, any threats he made to Snart were true, and would have been carried out if necessary. Batman informs the team about the recurring dreams of Armageddon that the villains have been experiencing, and theorizes that they intend to either stop these catastrophies or use the floating cities to save a certain percentage of Earth's citizens.
Batman also concludes that instead of warning the world, the villains are trying to use the coming crisis for their own advancement; but he acknowledges that their recent philanthropic activities may make it hard to prove that to a grateful public. Just then, Zatanna arrives with J'onn J'onzz, the Doom Patrol, and a revived Aquaman, who quickly takes the lead:
Meanwhile, The Joker (still wearing his creepy Amish disguise) gives a rousing "old-time religion" speech before being lifted into the floating city. The Legion of Doom's plan to capture the League's loved ones continues elsewhere, with Supergirl, Batgirl and Commissioner Gordon being the latest victims. And inside Hal's ring, his childhood reveries are broken by the arrival of The Phantom Stranger.
In the Fortress of Solitude, Captain Marvel asks Wonder Woman about her scars. She tells him that the Centaur's Poison is devolving her back into the clay from which she was formed. In a sense, she is becoming unmade. Captain Marvel is naturally horrified by this, but can do nothing but lend his support to Diana. In the same room, Ralph Dibny asks to talk to Plastic Man, who already knows what the conversation will entail. Ralph again tells Plas that there isn't room for two malleable heroes in the League, especially since Plas isn't a full member. Plas responds by asking Ralph whether he wants to tell Captain Marvel that he's too similar to Superman and thus should leave. Plas storms off in a huff, and the issue is dropped, for now.
Out in space, the Phantom Stranger snaps Hal Jordan out of his funk and returns his ring, lantern, and sense of purpose. Hal realizes how much he needs the Justice League, and how much they need him. But before returning to Earth, a sacred oath must be taken:
Outside of the Fortress of Solitude, a strange craft pierces through the thick ice, and from within emerges the determined, regal figure of Mera, who tells her advisor in Atlantis; "You will not hear from me again nor see me walk the halls of Atlantis until I find my son. Take care of my husband's kingdom until I return." She is brought into the Fortress, but her reunion with Aquaman is more bitter than sweet, as she breaks the news of Arthur Jr.'s kidnapping by Aqualad. Batman tells them that Aqualad must be under the Legion's control as well, while Superman wonders, "If they went after Aquaman's son, who else did they go after?"
Just then, Hal returns, much to everyone's delight. He immediately uses his ring to destroy the worms in Batman's body, allowing Wonder Woman to reclaim her lasso. Aquaman is also glad to see Hal alive, but he reminds everyone that "…my son is out there. From what I hear, he's in the hands of the monster who cut into my head and removed part of my brain."
He continues: "J'onn told me that he had learned that Braniac cut me open in an attempt to discover a means to control Grodd. Superman said he saw the same microscopic worms that were controlling Batman inside Captain Cold. This is a conspiracy. Not just against us, and not just against humanity. Braniac is behind this. He's behind it all. Anything living, anything organic is his enemy. He told me this before he cut into me. This is him against everything that breathes. He's a machine. Only a machine. And maybe that's for the best. Because I'm going to kill him."
Superman thinks to himself: "These were not words of vengeance, or hatred. Aquaman wanted a reckoning. He knew that this was a fight to save our enemies as much as it was to save his son." From Superman's Monitor Room, the Red Tornado informs the team that all of their loved ones have been kidnapped. The heroes think to themselves about what is at stake if they lose this fight. Not only their lives, but the lives of every person who makes them happy. They prepare to fight for it all, but one nagging question is posed by Rita Farr of the Doom Patrol: "What if the dream is true? What if stopping the villains now will only make certain the Earth is not saved?"
And now we arrive at the turning point for our heroes. They know the culprits, they know the actions, and they know the motivations of their enemies. They now even know the chief architect of the entire plan. So how will they save not only their loved ones, but all of Earth in the process?
Again I have much praise for the creativity and imagination put into this series. Krueger and Ross excel at portioning out the little character moments and details of these characters, making the reader feel closer to knowing them with each issue. Much of this is accomplished non-verbally, with body language, posing, and expression. Look how the Flash slumps after realizing he ingested the worms during dinner with his wife, or the mixture of sadness and tenderness as Aquaman and Mera embrace after her arrival. I feel much better about the revelations this issue regarding Brainiac. He's controlling everyone, be it hero, villain, or ordinary citizen. I no longer find the overall villainous plan confusing. My one story nitpick, however, is with the Elongated Man subplot. While I know insecurity about his powers has been a part of Ralph Dibny's character for a long time, the fact that he seems to bring it up each time he appears makes him seem petty and small, especially when confronting Plastic Man about it out in the open.
But hey, in the plus column, Aquaman gets to be proactive, with a commanding presence and a great speech that sets up the fury to be unleashed in the coming issues. After sitting out so much of the previous few issues, now it's Arthur's time to strike back hard against his oppressors.
Be here next time as the final fight begins! As always, here are Batman's case files on The Flash and Captain Cold. See you soon!
