Oh man, I was wondering where this issue was going and it got really intense, really fast. Nightwing has been getting to Batman, lightening him up and cheering him on after the heartbreak that’s consumed him. Patrolling together, just like old times, and reminiscing about the past, and it’s been fantastic. Now, Bruce has to deal with another blow, literally and figuratively. That was how you start a new arc, that’s for sure. Lastly, I would like to see Phantom Pharoah more often, please.
Little by little, the Totality becomes less and less a mystery. It’s not an energy source, it’s a prison for the true wielder of the seven forces of the Universe, named Perpetua, and Luthor plans to harness those forces to further the Universe in his own image, using the Legion of Doom, and their natural abilities with the forces to bolster his plan. It’s complicated, and the Justice League truly seems out of their depth on this one, but they have the Totality, and now they have Starman, powered by the Totality itself, which could provide the answers they need. Damn, this is some fantastic writing.
The ultimate trap sprung on Mister Miracle with everything leading to this. His fight with Orion lead to him creating a knife made out of the being that’s prophesied to kill Darkseid, and the trap was sprung on the Lordgod. That was incredible! Then, the true mastermind reveals himself! Metron! Oh man, this is getting so good. But with another world on the precipice, are we getting Mister Miracle in the main DC Comics continuity, now! Oh man, I hope so. I really hope so.
Marvel’s future has become a mish mash of heroes and villains, with powers condensing into a point where they’re generally all focused on a few select players. The Punisher and Ghost Rider, Silver Surfer and Thor, Wolverine and Phoenix, and now Iron Fist and Doctor Doom. It’s always fun to see, but you can tell it’s almost become a cop-out for Marvel’s writers to create new and interesting combinations to amaze the readers. Hopefully they take a break with that for a while, as the future in Marvel is becoming more convoluted by the week.
Book 1 was for Batman: Damned was a fine example of DC’s new Black Label imprint, and set the stage for quite the fantastic supernatural horror book as Batman and John Constantine unravel a hellacious mystery that begins wtih Bruce’s past, and ends with the death of the Joker. Or is he dead? Lots of questions in play here, with little in the way of answers, but that’s to be expected, because the journey is just beginning.
