Justice League Unlimited #3 – Mark Waid, Writer; Dan Mora, Artist; Tamra Bonvillain, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Before we get into this issue, can we just be impressed that Dan Mora is drawing not one but two of this week’s best books? The man’s pace and detail are spectacular, and the sheer number of characters he draws in this title is wild. The larger plot thread running through this title is the coming of Inferno, a secret cult of villains targeting the heroes – and this issue we see just how powerful they are, as they set the entire Amazon on fire with some sort of supernatural pillar. Of course, we know they have a mole in the League – Air Wave, the young “forgotten hero” with a link to Hal Jordan, and he’s clearly haunted by his ties to the villains. A scene where Renee Montoya finds him in his hideout in the lair is incredibly tense. But with the fire out of control, all the heroes are called in to try to get the fire under control – as Aquaman is detailed to seek out an unexpected ally.
A lot of heroes from Vertigo have been brought into the main DCU over the years, but I don’t think any has been as smoothly integrated as Swamp Thing. The switch to Levi Kamei as the new avatar of the Green has been met with a great response thanks to Ram V’s writing, and it’s very intriguing to see the character show up here. As busy as this issue is, there’s time for a very powerful story that reveals that Plastic Man and Phantom Girl have swapped powers – and Phantom Girl had been left in a horrible state as a result. This scene has some of the strongest emotions and darkest visuals that have been seen in this era of DC. Overall, this issue sets the scales high for an upcoming showdown with Inferno – and while we don’t know who is behind this sinister organization yet, we now have a good idea of just how far its capabilities reach. Waid continues to be one of DC’s best writers, even after all these years.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
