Supergirl #22 review

Last issue, Supergirl fled into deep space, having accepted the idea that Kryptonite poisoning was going to kill her. Enticed to the world of I'noxia, she found a place that could be reshaped by her memories. Then she met a horrific figure, someone who looked like her cousin, but with limbs replaced by sinister technology.

This issue opens with Kara wondering if this is actually Superman, after some sort of attack. Or a clone. The being says that isn't the case, causing Kara to christen him.

Not one to judge by appearances - as we saw during the H'el fiasco - Kara accepts that this is a lost soul, someone with connections to Krypton but no memory. He claims her recollections of Krypton, if given shape by the I'noxian world tech, might help him remember who he is. 'Starting small', Kara recalls her home in Argo City, in an especially well-written moment from Michael Alan Nelson.

With dialogue such as this, and the mix of hope and joy on her face courtesy of penciller Diogenes Neves, Kara has rarely seemed so human.

Cyborg Superman's crony, Delacore, persuades Kara to push the experiment further, pressing her - figuratively and literally - into a painful device that links her more deeply to the I'noxian collective. It's like a twisted reflection of the Kryptonian headband of citizenship.

And the reward for Kara's ordeal?

A version of her mother, Alura. And soon, other people she knew on Krypton. And some she didn't.

Maybe that woman at fourth left is indeed Tali or Tak-Ro, but one of the named pair is missing. Instead we see new friend Power Girl and heartbreak clone H'el, neither of whom Kara namechecks. A clue, or simply miscommunication between creators?

I like that throughout this issue Nelson never has Kara accept that this is really Krypton, and that the constructs are truly her loved ones. But that doesn't stop her enjoying the facsimile. Mind, Cyborg Superman misjudges the situation when he makes Kara an offer - become one with the planet, and give up her flesh to make him complete, perfect. At which point we see that the super-powerful Kara, so often duped, is finally developing a sense of incredulity.

Which doesn't please Cyborg Superman, who drops the facade of friendliness. As he and Kara battle one another, Delacore unleashes Kara's memories on herself, giving Neves a chance tio produce a rather sensational spread (click on image to enlarge).

Kara though, fights fire with fire, and embraces the bad times. And when Cyborg Superman turns up the heat further, Kara shows her ingenuity in turning something to hand into a weapon. By issue's end, though, she's in massive trouble once more.

Whew. This has to be the most packed issue of Supergirl to date in terms of interaction and incident. Look at how many pics I posted - I normally bother with just one or two. But fear not, I've not given everything away, because this issue is the very opposite of decompressed. Happily, both Nelson and Neves have enough skill that the pages don't seem squeezed, even when we're offered ten panels.

Just a few months into Nelson's run and he has me hooked, with a rich storyline that spotlights where Kara came from and where she's gotten to, physically and emotionally. And I can't wait to see where she goes from here. First though, she has to survive I'noxia. While the Cyborg Superman is revealed to desire flesh more than memories - secret whisperings with Delecore make it obvious he knows how he got where he is today - there's an interesting mystery centred on the identity of the unseen third entity they're working with. The nature of the conversation, and green word balloons, has me thinking Brainiac. But something Delacore says points to Kara's scientist father, Zor-El. We shall see.

Kara's determination and ingenuity is heartening. The only thing I'm not keen on is her acceptance that she's going to die ... I like my Super-people to go to the ends of time and space when they need a cure. Atlantis. The Legion. Circe. Of course, today's Supergirl hasn't got the wide range of connections enjoyed by her Silver Age counterpart. And Kara's situation has brought us an excellent arc.

Longtime Supergirl artist Mahmud Asrar this week announced that he's leaving the book, but he'll be around for a few issues as cover artist. And if upcoming covers are as successful as this month's striking image, we're in for some treats. I don't know if former Demon Knights artist Neves will get the ongoing assignment, but on the basis of this issue and last, I hope so; he has a gift for composition and character, and is equally adept at big and small moments. I could do with a bit less of Kara's bottom on display, but with a costume this bad, it's probably hard to avoid.

Neves has a battery of inkers - Marc Deering, Oclair Albert and Ruy Jose - but their work is similar enough here that the book doesn't suffer. Regular colourist Dave McCaig also gets an assist, with Daniel Brown handling a few pages, and again, you can't see the join. And Rob Leigh's attractive, appropriate lettering is as much a part of the artwork as the lines and colours. Well done to editors Rickey Purdin and Eddie Berganza for assembling and wrangling the creative team. I hope more people are noticing just how good the Supergirl series is these days.

Vibe #6 review

OK. Vibe isn't selling big numbers. That must stop, now. Because the sixth issue is once again one of the smartest, most fun superhero books available today. And it features one of the biggest scenes since DC rebooted its universe.

Said scene involves the escape of a batch of prisoners from the Circus facility run by the US government's super-secret ARGUS organisation. They're freed by the powers of Vibe, who begins this issue as a prisoner himself, having displeased resident tyrant Amanda Waller.

So who frees Vibe, otherwise known as Cisco Paco Ramon? Step up big brother Dante, who persuades Waller's number two, Dale Gunn, that he owes it to Cisco to get him out of the Circus's stasis tubes. Disguised as a new 'breacher' - an extra-dimensional threat to Earth - Dante is marched into ARGUS, and that's when the fun really begins. By issue's end I'm wondering if Vibe's new friend Gypsy is actually the daughter of a very famous denizen of the DC universe, and whether the price of helping his brother will prove a high one for Dante.

Oh, and there's a big surprise. One writer Sterling Gates, in a recent interview, challenged readers to anticipate. Nope, I never saw it coming - it's not actually something you could work out, more one for the random guessers out there - but it's going to make things even more interesting.

Also around this issue is Gunn's husband Casey, who rather disappoints with his attitude that Gunn should go along meekly with the plans of Waller, who treats the Circus like a metahuman Guantanamo Bay. We learn that he's ex-CIA, tossed out for insubordination, and has apparently left his spine behind; hopefully he'll look to Dante - previously presented as something of a slacker - and step up.

Because this really is Dante's peak. He's the motivator of the action, and the guy through whose eyes we see the inhumanity of the Circus. He inspires Gunn, and he frees Cisco.

A couple of things made me giggle. First, the continuing line in the opening legend telling us that Vibe is 'the second youngest member of the Justice League of America' - random. Then there's an evil place we hear of named Mordeth, which presumably ceded from the nation of Subtle.

It's good to smile, amid the more intense moments of drama. And this series presents plenty of those, as event piles on event, with set-ups quickly paid off. If you're at all interested in the cosmology of the current DC Universe, this is the book you should be reading. Heck, it ties into the previous DC Universes, with cameos by Lady Quark, Pariah, the Warlock of Ys and more. 'More' includes the Demons Three, recently seen in Justice League Dark, and, hmm, who is that woman at extreme left, below? She looks familiar ...

This is also the book to be reading for top-notch pop art, as penciller Pete Woods, inker Sean Parsons and colourist Brad Anderson give us big, bombastic panels, and tiny ones with telling detail. There's a lot of humanity to the characters, making it easy to empathise with them.

Mind, there's a dog soldier in here who doesn't half look like a pig. Still, perhaps that's how dogs look on Apokolips.

Whatever the case, one thing is certain - this title is a thrill ride, blending superheroics and soap superbly. It's old school in that it's a satisfyingly dense read, but up to the minute in its flashy presentation. We're on the hero's journey, but it's not just Vibe who's learning about right and wrong, and himself, it's every character. Well, apart from the witch Waller, I suspect there's no saving her.

If you've not tried Vibe yet, give it a go - I'd rather like this series to be around awhle.

Legion of Super-Heroes #22 review

Comic Book Rule 12a: the closer a series is to cancellation, the better it gets.

So it is that the penultimate Legion of Super-Heroes of this run is a better than average issue, featuring some seriously good moments in a chapter that entertains from start to finish. It's not perfect, but it feels more like a Legion book than many issues of late.

And that's despite most of the Legion being unconscious, missing or even dead, meaning the Fatal Five have only founders Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad to beat.

Yes, I said Five - finally, we meet the fifth member, and it's a surprise. And a clever one at that, as it's someone who's been before us all along in this storyline. They're brought into play during a back and forth between Lightning Lad and the Persuader, and Saturn Girl and Emerald Empress. While Garth sticks to his standard bolt blasting, wife Imra uses her mental abilities more effectively than I've seen for years. But impressive as her abilities are, even more awesome is her grit in the face of the vastly powerful Empress.

Sadly though, she's let down by her hair ...

Lightning Lass also gets some play in this fight, showing once more why she's a better Legionnaire than her brother, while a couple of members we've not seen for awhile tackle the final Fiver. Writer Paul Levitz is good enough to show the duo's hands a few pages before a full on-panel appearance, allowing longtime fans to feel clever. Can you tell who it is yet?

Yup, it's Jeckie and Val, aka classic Legionnaires Sensor Girl and Karate Kid. There's a reference to Val having come back from beyond, but no details. It could be that we're picking up from a dangling Legion plot thread of three years back, but given DC's policy of Continuity? HAHA, who knows? Anyway, here's the Legion's master of the martial arts, with his hair black rather than brown, and all inessential to the plot ... but here he is, and I'm delighted. I may laugh at how many times Karate Kid's been killed off in Legion history, but I do rather like him.

Also showing up this time, dimension-hopping members Invisible Kid and Polar Boy, one of whom has a massive part to play in the story's resolution, via a clever bit of science. What's especially nice is that the move is suggested by another member - there's nothing I like more than a bit of Legion teamwork.

Not showing up, sadly, the Legion Lost Brigade. Or Legion leader Phantom Girl - if she doesn't show up in next month's final issue with a ruddy good excuse for fleeing back to homeworld Bgztl, I'll be mighty peeved. I shall shrug, and stamp my feet.

Seriously, it was decades before longtime favourite Tinya got a shot at heading the team, and she goes to pieces at the first big crisis. It makes no sense given everything we've seen her face - including the aforementioned leader of Apokolips. Should this book end with Tinya a shamed coward, I shall, er ... cancel my subscription?

Ach, I still have faith Levitz won't let me down. Tinya will show up next time with the Losties, I just know it. And hopefully we'll then learn that the Legion's body count isn't so high as feared - though one more death is confirmed this time.

Assuming my problems are merely delightful surprises waiting to be unveiled, I'm happy with Levitz's script, which nicely balances characterisation, smarts, action and history. As for the art, Andy Smith's welcome inks sharpen the look of Jeff Johnson's work. And Johnson's layouts remain sharp, with plenty of variety in points of view, big moments that work and fine facial expressions. I hope this artistic pairing gets some play elsewhere in the DC Universe soon.

JJ Kirby's cover is an efficient representation of the contents, but something's off, mainly around Lightning Lad - he looks plasticky and pallid.

So, one more issue. One more issue to tie up some worrying details and send the Legion out with a bang. Come on Paul Levitz, you can do it ...

Adventures of Superman #12 review

In its short life the weekly digital DC release Adventures of Superman has hit several moods, most obviously high adventure and sly humour. This week the prevailing tone is poignancy, as we get a mother's perspective on Superman. But there's nothing depressing about this book, it's a life-affirming ode to moms everywhere; yes, Clark has the super-power, but Martha Kent nourished the heart that lets him wield it so well. And no matter where he may go in time and space, she's never far from that heart.

Martha Kent doesn't get enough time with her boy Clark, more than most mothers she has to share her son with the world. Here she's the narrator, wondering about his life, worrying about the 'scrapes' he gets into. Unlike Martha, we see the latest batch of scrapes - featured battles with Lex Luthor and Brainiac, and brief run-ins with some of the classic DC Universe's most colourful characters.

We're also shown a little of Clark's life as a Daily Planet newshound, dancing to the tune of editor Perry White as cub reporter Jimmy Olsen looks on, somewhere between amused and terrified. Lois Lane is in here too, doing her own bit of heroing on the city streets. And at the end of the story, writer Rob Williams and artist Chris Weston tie a sweet bow on the perfect wee gift they've given us.

Theirs is a classic Superman, mostly Bronze Age, but with a dusting of George Reeves charisma and a smattering of post-Crisis set-up in Martha's apparent widowhood. There's also a delightful dollop of Silver Age in the shape of the Fortress of Solitude's contents and Clark's dinner companion. All of which might make for a mishmash - instead, it's a wonderful blend of Old and Slightly Less Old.

This Superman is beloved by his fellow Metropolis citizens because he keeps his eye on them, ensuring they can get through breakfast without being stomped on by a giant robot. He's not the New 52 guy, mistrusted by half the world, more likely to fight the US Army than work with them. He's the undisputed good guy - and that doesn't mean boring.

How could a Superman strip be boring when it features so many superb characters and story springboards? As well as the Adam Strange panel, there are three more teased adventures, any one of which would make for a compelling tale.

Williams ensures Martha's narration is never maudlin, it's more about wistful pride and the natural inclination of any mother to wish to see her children more. And there's plenty of humour with the Planet staff (including a nod to the much-missed Superman Family Adventures all-ages comic).

I love that as well as a PC, a manual typewriter sits on Clark's desk.

There's a bit of a Curt Swan vibe to Superman here, especially in the early pages, but the overall effect is pure Weston - clean, detailed, as real as a superhero book can look. His characters have a true spark of humanity, from the main cast down to the many walk-ons. Weston gets to draw Smallville, Metropolis, space, the Arctic and every setting looks just right. It helps that as well as illustrating, Weston colours too, making for a feast for the eyes.

I'd change just one thing about this instalment - the title. To my mind 'Saviour' (OK, it's printed 'Savior', but hey, I'm a Brit like Weston and Williams) is wrong for a story that foregrounds Superman's humanity. I'm tired of the Man of Steel being likened to Jesus Christ. Yes, his mother Mary traditionally stayed on the sidelines as Jesus embarked on his public mission, and she had her sorrows to sow ... but godlike powers or not, Clark isn't a barely approachable paragon, he's a super-Everyman. Superman isn't predestined to give his life for our sins, he's here to star in fun, life-affirming adventures. 

Which is what we get in 19 beautiful, packed pages, an utter bargain at 69p UK/99c US. I've said it before and I'll likely say it again; I hope DC New York is paying attention to the creative teams DC Burbank is assembling for Adventures of Superman. Because I'd love to see an annual, or even a run, by the likes of Williams and Weston, or Joshua Hale Fialkov and Joelle Jones, or Jeff Parker and Chris Samnee ... Equally, I want the print comics people to realise that you don't have to 'modernise' Superman to produce a compelling story, you simply tune in to what makes him tick. Goodness. Heart. Humanity. The best supporting cast in comics. Fascinating villains. Wild vistas. 

In one word, imagination.

Sure, polish up his surroundings, but the core character on display here ... that's the Superman the world fell in love with. 

Let THAT guy fly.

Batgirl #22 review

Barbara Gordon comes back from a night of crimefighting to find she's forgotten that she's meant to be going on a date. At the front door, bearing a bouquet, is Ricky, whose one attempt at being a car thief cost him a leg. Now he's cleaned up his act and getting to know Babs.

If adversity helps a couple get close, the potential relationship takes a giant leap forward when the pair are attacked by gang members. The thugs claim Ricky's elder brother Rolo wants to be a big name on the streets, and plan to mutilate Babs as a warning to him. Ricky acts, preventing Babs from having to save the day herself and potentially compromising her secret.

Attackers routed, Babs and Ricky have supper with his family - including Rolo, who seems a nice guy - and go dancing. Our heroine has the most fun she's experienced in forever, but back home her mood is wrecked when dad Jim Gordon phones, asks her to meet him for 'lunch and a chat'.

Next day, in lieu of a nice meal, he takes her for shooting lessons on the police range. Having been crippled by the Joker's bullets, Babs hates guns. But having recently lost his son, psycho Jim Jr - apparently at the hands of Batgirl - Gordon wants Babs to be safe; and as a cop, he puts some trust in guns. Spurred on by a traumatic memory, Babs shows that she can hit a target, no problem. But her father's fear is obvious, it's tearing him apart, and Babs reckons the only thing she can do is ensure he never sees her alter ego again. It's going to be Batgirl No More...

Except she's wrong. Gordon does want to see Batgirl. That night, he summons Batman and demands he stay out of his way while he tracks down and arrests the vigilante.

And this is where the story gets confusing. Gordon punches Batman, then yells at him (click on image to enlarge).

Is there any way to read this other than that Gordon knows Batgirl is his daughter? Even Ricky, who's known her for ten minutes, has obviously worked it out, so there's no way a father wouldn't look at his daughter in a masked costume and think, that's my daughter in a masked costume. Never mind his being a detective, he's a guy who's seen this young woman almost every day of her life.

So if he knows Babs is Batgirl, why the heck is he wanting to track her down? They just met earlier in the day. Gail Simone is a smart writer, so I'm obviously missing something, or misreading, so please illuminate me!

Headscratching apart, I liked this Batgirl-free issue - clunkily titled 'A Day in a Life of Endless Velocity - a lot. Just seeing Babs have a good night with ordinary human beings, not obsessing on crime, makes for a refreshing change. I'd have preferred she had 24 whole hours without a violent encounter, but at least the fight moves the story forward.

An intriguing snippet here is that Babs is on the verge of a new job, as a children's crisis counsellor. Despite a relevant degree (Dead Robins 101?), I think she'll be rubbish - this isn't a woman who deals with pain and moves on, she carries it with her, embraces it, invites it for supper. Angst is oxygen to Barbara Gordon. And the only people she shares her feelings with are lunatics. Poor kids.

Something I love is that while Babs regularly faces up to hardened crims, she's terrified of the dance floor. I know just how she feels, I can't dance the Batusi either.

Something I don't love is that when Gordon tells Batman he wants Batgirl for the death of his son, Batman doesn't speak up for her. Then again, it could be that Batman believes Gordon knows Babs is Batgirl, and that she would never kill anyone, never mind family. I think that's the subtext of this panel, anyway.

In which case, why Gordon's insistence on bringing Batgirl in? Please don't let him be flipping out now.

I've no idea why inker Jonathan Glapion was taken off the Batman book, but Batman's loss is Batgirl's gain. His finishes bring a bewitching sharpness to the illustrations of penciller Fernando Pasarin. Their people are outstanding - distinctive, emotive, with a Dave Gibbons feel at times (especially Babs, who resembles a ginger Laurie Jupiter). And the artists display a real flair for conveying movement. The streets of Gotham's Cherry Hill district are as forbidding as Ricky's family is welcoming.

Commissioner Gordon's journey from forced cheerfulness to calm instructor to broken man in Simone's superbly written pistol range scene is presented with sensitivity and confidence. And the tension in his confrontation with Batman is there in every line. Outstanding work.

A niggle - we see Babs in her smalls for a couple of panels, changing for her date. Despite her constant beatings, she appears unblemished. A non-prurient impression of bruises and scar tissue would make for an interesting reminder of her usual evenings as she allows herself to be excited for this one.

Blond isn't a colourist whose name gets bandied about when the modern masters are discussed, but when it comes to choices, textures and lighting, his grasp of craft and singular style puts him up there.

Like this week's Justice League, Batgirl #22's cover suffers from a collision of logo and art. When the image has been drawn with scant regard for traditional logo placement, the masthead should be shrunk or moved, or the image contained in a box. Here, the logo bat-shape is see-through, but it's still ruddy huge and invasive, marring Alex Garner's gorgeously clever illustration. And the cover copy is trying to help, but really, it's unnecessary and tawdry, hogging space that could help the eye land on the figure.

If you've not been reading Batgirl, consider a purchase; Simone's narration by Babs always gives enough of the basics to make jumping in possible, and the art teams are always at least solid, and often excellent. Babs is one of DC's most distinctive characters, easily as interesting as she was in her Oracle days. And Simone is working hard to present fresh, creepy villains and engaging supporting characters. What's more, in these economically challenging times, it's a meaty read for $2,99. Give it a try.

Avengers Arena #12 review

So a guy can change his mind.

It's eight months since Avengers Arena launched and this being Marvel Now, that means we're at the 12th issue. Obviously. I was not a fan of the first issue. Swore off any more. Would have been good with a speedy cancellation.

And then went back for issue 2. And 3 ... I just meant to have a wee peek, see if the story by Dennis Hopeless was perhaps something other than a Marvel spin on Battle Royale. And I was grabbed. Grabbed by the respect for the existing characters, the strong portrayals of the new guys, a script with more twists and turns than Lombard Street. And relieved that the comic wasn't simply a Death of the Issue exercise.

Yes, as the latest instalment begins, five of the original 16 kidnapped teens are dead. But the prospect of a speedy, stupid death, the awfulness of never knowing who to trust, the feeling that life really is out to get you ... it's all combined to make for a compelling read.

And as a show of good faith to readers who have trusted him, here Hopeless brings back the character whose demise brought perhaps the biggest outcry so far. And not because of said outcry - it's just two issues since Nico of the Runaways looked to be finished. The story is obviously well-planned out, as Nico returns with a logic that makes absolute sense given how her spellcasting worked.

Now she's back, and badder than ever, hunting down killer Katy, aka Apex, and the hapless heroes she's controlling, Deathlocket and fellow Runaway Chase Stein, the new Darkhark. Battle royale is a fair description of the back and forth conflict as a slightly zoned-out Nico channels power with greater ease than ever. There are curses and reverses, ensuring you can't predict the winner. Along the way we see Katy try to convince herself she's not the bad guy, while Chase and Deathlocket are buffeted between the two main players. By the end of the book, one of the four gets closer to learning the true nature of their battleground, Arcade's Murderworld.

The script from Hopeless is 'just' one more in a series of tight exercises in action and emotion. With half the cast absent, he has room to contrast quiet girl Nico with the strident Katy, even allowing the latter a late bid to squeeze sympathy out of the audience.

Penciller Kev Walker brings a dreamlike quality of horrific calm to the opening scene involving Katy's self-justification/delusion, then shows how to build intensity with the gradual revival of Nico. And aided by inker Jason Gorder and colourist Jean-Francois Beaulieu, the good work continues through the book as we're treated to the most intense fight scene yet. Picky-little thing-wise, Arcade's hair looks very silly, as if he's stuck a Spontex mop on his head.

There's typically good work, too, from letterer Joe Caramagna, and Dave Johnson's cover is terribly intriguing - and on completely the wrong issue, seeming like an alternate for last month's Hazmat focus.

Still, Avengers Arena #12 is an excellent read, as has been the whole series. I've been very pleasantly surprised by how things have gone. Marvel initially marketed this series as nothing more than a slaughterfest, and so loudly that the pleadings of Hopeless that the book was more than a superhero penny dreadful were drowned out. Well, I'm listening now.

Justice League #22 review

It begins with a young woman asking tarot reader Madame Xanadu to explain a dream she's been having. It ends with a good man dead and a war between heroes.

And in between, lots of foreboding, as mysteries are dropped with the turn of a card ...

So here it is, the crossover more than a year in the making. Trinity War was previewed as part of Free Comic Book Day in May 2012, and as the first chapter arrives, it's still previewing itself. The woman's presence sparks a vision for Madame Xanadu, an image of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman in the aftermath of a great war. One by one she sees representations of the players in her deck of cards - The Hero, The Warrior, The Detective, The Freak ... and The Sacrifice.

For a hero dies this issue. While it's a trip to the outlawed land of Khandaq by The Hero Formerly Known as Captain Marvel (THFKACM for short) that brings the Justice League and Justice League of America together, it's the termination of one hero at the hands - or rather, eyes - of another that sparks all-out conflict.

Said killing is due to the hero - let's call him Superman - coming into contact with Pandora's Box, as the immortal wanderer asks him for help in recalling the Seven Deadly Sins she let out of a skull-shaped jar 10,000 years ago. He goes bananas for a minute or two, but has regained his sanity by the time the two Leagues meet in Khandaq. Something, though, takes over Superman, and it uses his heat vision to murder the character arguing most passionately that words be exchanged rather than fists thrown.

Watching from the sidelines are the other two sides of the so-called Trinity of Sin, Pandora's fellow immortals the Phantom Stranger and the Question. And the identity of Madame Xanadu's customer will bring two more groups into the fray, as this storyline continues in Justice League Dark and Justice League of America over the next two months.

I rather liked this issue. Yes, I'm a tad tired of the 'war is coming' stuff but by the end of the book it's here, and we've seen the first meeting of the opposing Leagues. The opening approach to Madame Xanadu's Greenwich Village shop is a great callback to her shortlived Seventies book, Doorway to Nightmare, and the specificity of her tarot deck is a hoot.

There's a nice little scene demonstrating just how unsuited Wonder Woman and Superman are as romantic partners (click on image to enlarge), and a nod to one of the original JLA's earliest Silver Age stories that has to be linked to Superman's loss of control - don't be surprised should voodoo villains Houngan, Mad Hatter or the Puppet Master* be behind a curtain.

It's brilliant that the Justice League of America members argue against boss Amanda Waller's contention that the Justice League are a threat to the world, rather than buy her BS. The Question has a Rip Hunter style pinboard of - what else?- questions to be answered. Cyborg actually gets to show he can read people as well as he understands machines. And the identity of the customer is nicely hinted at by her dream - this woman's name is ... ah, but that would be telling.

As well as the above-mentioned Superman/WW No Way! moment, there's a cute exchange with Pandora.

Writer Geoff Johns juggles his scenes and characters with skill, and I think there's enough background information that a reader could jump right in even if they've not been following the other League books. Still, an old-fashioned roll call at the beginning would have been appreciated.

The editing by Kate Stewart and Brian Cunningham could be tighter, with the odd bit of clunky dialogue and at least one typo slipping through.

These are niggles. The only thing I disliked hugely was the Justice League's piling on THFKACM like a pack of school bullies ... I thought we'd gotten over this kind of fists-first behaviour after the first few issues. With super-speed, mental powers and magic among their amoury, the League could have gotten Billy Batson away from the Khandaq forces in any number of ways. As it is, it's ironic that the 'badass' League, containing at least one assassin and a super-villain, is more peaceable than the supposed shining heroes.

The 31-page story benefits hugely from the accomplished artwork of penciller Ivan Reis and inkers Joe Prado and Oclair Albert. Careful choreography ensures the large cast don't struggle for panel room, and the facial 'acting' is fine throughout. There's especially good work around THFKACM, with him snapping from angry hero to impressed kid in a beat.

The tarot deck is quite lovely. And the battles and splashes have all the sound and fury you might want (we can decide later whether or not they signify anything).

Ivan Reis balances the colours well, managing to convey a dark mood in a world of primary coloured characters. Both Reises and Prado provide the cover, which looks to be the start of a connected image. Zero points for logo placement, though.

All in all, this is an entertaining opener to a crossover that will hopefully be as punchy as it is brief. Another word that springs to mind is 'efficient' - sounds like damning with faint praise, but coordinating dozens of characters across an ambitious storyline takes skill. I hope the other five instalments prove equally good.


With thanks to Twitter chums @DegenerateBoy and @Reading_Hix for villainous aid