Week Twenty-Four
Week Twenty-Four of Fifty-Two opens with Oliver Queen on the campaign trail in Star City, being contacted by the new Firestorm, who’s starting up a brand new Justice League, consisting of a small contingent of F-List superheroes. Among the group of losers? Firehawk, Bulleteer, Ambush Bug, and Super-Chief. When they finally see combat, they’re confronted by a bunch of pirates who are entering Metropolis through a timehole, under the direction of Skeets. The new League springs into action, only to be distracted by a bunch of even bigger losers who have been given Luthor’s Everyman treatment. Firestorm confronts Skeets, who claims he’s trying to draw out an enemy that thinks he can remain hidden from the little robot. Skeets then turns his guns (guns?) on Firestorm, after which he murders Super-Chief. Ralph Dibny retrieves the amulet. That was short-lived.
Elsewhere, we meet up with Martian Manhunter, who’s been undercover in Washington for the past six months trying to block the renewal of Checkmate. He’s successful, until the big hoo-hah in Metropolis forces the UN to recertify the agency with broader powers and authority than it has ever had. Since Black Adam’s stepping away from his Freedom of Power Treaty, the new Checkmate’s first order of business is to find out why and put an end to the new Marvel Family. They send Atom Smasher, who, on the last page, is looking down at a table full of mugshots, debating the question of who he’s taking with him. Please, God, let him bring Bane.
That’s your issue in a nut-shell. Lucky for all of us, the art is once again as good as it’s always been after that horrible issue last week. While we collectively breath a sigh of relief, let’s toss out some guesses on who Skeets is trying to bring out from the shadows. He launched his attack in Metropolis, so my best guess is Supernova. His name appeared all over Rip Hunter’s lab, so he’s definitely a major player in this mess.
It’s interesting that Skeets has the ability to blast stuff and travel through time at will. I always thought he wasn’t able to do either of those things. Sneaky little guy’s been up to no-good since day one. Still, though, for all his sneakiness and planning, he’s not much of a heel. What this series is in dire need of is one big, unmistakable bad force. The big bad guy. It’ll be interesting to see who’s behind all of this deception and mystery.
Until next week. Here’s hoping we don’t get any more of that breaking the fourth wall crap.
See ya in seven.
The art was very good this issue. I didn’t realize I liked Phil Jimenez so much until I opened to the first page and said “Oh sweet! Phil Jimenez is drawing this issue!” I didn’t even realize I liked him enough to recognize his art before seeing his name.
Total agreement on the breaking-of-fourth-wall crap. And speaking of not knowing that Skeets can blast stuff, did you notice in the Booster Gold back-up story that it clearly says Skeets has no weapons?
Exactly. Upgrades!
Or perhaps this is his evil doppleganger Skoots?
Ha, Skoots. I like that.
This was my favorite issue in awhile, in large part because of the art, but even moreso because pretty much everything seemed to be closely inter-related. Previous issues were far too disparate.
As for the fourth wall stuff, WHO THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA? ANYONE? BUELLER? It was a slap in the face to any and every reader, and the only stain on a great read.
Why are the everyman characters losers? They saw a disaster and wanted to help. They are heroes, even if they have stupid names!
[…] World War III is here, and it is one heck of a barn-burning slobber knocker. Throughout the course of week fifty, Black Adam runs the gamut, blasting through Egypt, Australia, Italy, and, finally, China, where he hopes to destroy the government responsible for…well, pretty much every terrible thing that’s happened to him so far in “52.” The Great Ten of China still have a closed-borders policy, and they’re adamant about ending the fight themselves. Yeah, right. So, after Black Adam’s killed most of them, August General-in-Iron allows for international help, bringing in…well, pretty much every superhero there is to stop Black Adam. On the double splash page, you can spot the likes of not only the JSA, Teen Titans, and Infinity Inc (who eventually turn tail and run like cowards), but Plastic Man, Guy Gardner, Firestorm, Steel, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Arsenal, Martian Manhunter, John Stewart, Hawkgirl, and a couple of those F-listers from the quickly disbanded worthless JLA that appeared back in Week Twenty-Four. Sadly, Ambush Bug doesn’t have the stones to step up. […]