Justice League Unlimited #14 – Mark Waid, Writer; Dan Mora, Artist; Tamra Bonvillain, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: As DC KO continues to ramp up in the main series and fight one-shots, this series takes its heroes deeper into the unknown. Around the world, the evacuation of Earth continues, but now there’s a new wrinkle – Neron has been offering contracts again, upgrading D-list villains into serious terrors. As the last junction for evacuation, in Oklahoma City, comes under attack, the heroes flood into town to try to get things up and running again. However, they come across a creepy green church, occupied by Priests of Neron who are purging people of their fear and turning them into loyal soldiers. Waid was the writer of the original Underworld Unleashed story, which is coming up on its thirtieth anniversary, so this is a great tribute to that original story that leans into the over-the-top horror vibe of the original while pushing it even further with some great creepy visuals – especially in the other main story.
The “Dirty Dozen” of time-displaced heroes, led by Mr. Terrific, continues their suicide mission into hell, and each layer of the demon dimension gets more and more eerie than the one before it. The segment that kicks off the issue actually has visuals far creepier than anything I’d expect in a mainstream DC book, and the characters react accordingly. This version of Hell draws from a lot of different versions of mythology, with the River Styx and its ferryman making an appearance. This Charon wants a far more personal sacrifice for passage across the river, demanding each hero give up something key to themselves, be it a precious artifact or a piece of their very soul. This is far scarier than any visuals in the issue, especially when it comes to what happens to Superman. But the horrors are far from over, and another hero falls before the heroes descend to the next level.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
