More and more people are getting closer and closer to the truth, as the Invisible Underworld in Metropolis continues to get more and more unafraid of the consequences of what would happen if Superman discovered their existence. The Red Cloud continues to push her agenda little by little, while Superman deals with the fallout of Leviathan, who continues to recruit and grow, right underneath his nose. Lots fun stories in the near future.
The relationship between the Spectre and… basically every other hero in the DC Universe, has always been strained. But, particularly when it comes to Batman. Now, there’s a cult of Spectre in Gotham, and Batman has work alongside one of the magical beings he trusts the least to find Jim Corrigan. Given what the Spectre said, we may be getting a little bit of a retcon when it comes to his and Corrigan’s relationship, as well, which could prove interesting.
This Year One origin for Barry Allen has been great at getting him back to basics, and refreshing newer readers with Turtle. He’s more light-hearted, and less broody, discovering his newfound powers and trying to build the bright world that Central City would one day become. Mixed in with all of the time travel shenanigans between him and future Barry, and it’s certainly setting the tone for something great in the future involving the new Forces.
I’m honestly sad to see The Silencer go. Honor Guest has been a fantastic throwback character that introduced a massive, secret organization to the DC Universe, setting up months of events that have reached as far up as Superman, himself. I’m happy to see her happy ending, though. With any luck, she’ll pop up in the near future with all of this crazy Leviathan stuff happening. She would fit in perfectly.
For being one of the smartest people in the Multiverse, Mr. Terrific makes some seriously interesting choices from time to time that really show a lack of ability to function under pressure. The rest of his team, particularly Paula, really pulled their weight this time, but the Noosphere is free and about to consume the world. The Noosphere is supremely creepy, what with it having a tiny robot mouth and everything. Another perfectly weird villain for this perfectly weird team.
It’s been quite the journey to get to the end of this arc. Countless threads effortlessly weaved across numerous stories and plotlines. Halloween events that reveal alternate truths, and returning characters we haven’t seen for ages. Now, Magic is restored with the horror cast out by Wonder Woman, and a warning to those who would use it for evil. That’s a badass way to end it all, if ever there was one.
Delving into Diana’s past adventures alongside her Mother, Hippolyta, are always fun. Setting the stage for the grand return of the Amazon’s as the Sword of Antiope leads the way to her sisters, hopefully building to the reveal of what destroyed the barrier between the realms in the first place. Was it linked to the fall of the Source Wall? Or something else?
Another fun, family-focused issue of the Fantastic Four. While I’m not a fan of angsty teen Franklin, I hope that the power thing gets resolved with him, soon. Franklin has always been a cool character when he’s so overpowered that he can affect change with just a flick of his wrist. Now, his abilities are fading and he’s getting desperate, and while that makes for good drama, and doesn’t make for exciting stories.
Another pretty great, one-off issue, spotlighting the Young Thor that was thrust forward in time for the “Thor Corps” as he has affectionately called them. This was just another angle on a fantastic battle filled with amazing moments for a Marvel comic.
The War of the Realms is over. Mjolnir has been restored using its own, reforged Uru, and wood from the World Tree itself, Yggdrasil. Malekith is dead, and Odin himself has appointed Thor the All-Father. Quite the incredible ending for what is easily Marvel’s best event in over a decade. Cheers to Jason Aaron, and the fantastic team at Marvel that put this on, because you have single-handedly returned Marvel to some semblance of comic book greatness.
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