Monthly archives: November, 2006

Whoa, we’re half-way there! This week’s issue of “52” opens up with the Black Marvel family dropping the Question and Renee Montoya off in the middle of nowhere, near some icy, impressively large mountains, where the duo meets up with a couple of the Question’s friends. One of them is the man who trained the Question, apparently, and he’s here to begin Renee’s training.

From there, we see a ridiculously funny talk-show program, titled, “You are Wrong!” w/ Jack Ryder. On the program, he addresses questions about where the Big Three are, as well as where Martian Manhunter is, finally questioning who is to blame for the premature reemergence of the failed Justice League. Joining him are Steel and his niece, Starlight, from Luthor’s new Infinity Inc. They bicker, surprise, surprise, and she huffs off. Is it just me, or is this storyline getting really old? I guess we need a reminder that it’s still around, so that it can pay off eventually, but, seriously, how many times do we need Natasha to tell her uncle that he’s just jealous, envious, doesn’t understand, etc? It’s played. Or, as my old Latin professor would say, “It’s been done! It’s been done!”

After the show, we meet up with Doc Sivana’s kids in their basement, trying to figure out how to time travel. Nothing happens, but their mother calls them up for dinner, as they’re having guests over. The Black Marvel family is among them, as Lady Sivana, or Venus, wishes to have them look for her ex-husband, as she’s worried for him. We’re then taken back to Oolong Island, where the mad scientists are all gathered, and, it’s time for me to take back what I said in my review of Week Twenty-Three. I complained that I thought they were gathered on the island to dick around and build stupid little robots for fun, but, no, they’re up to something nefarious. I should’ve known. All it would’ve taken is a minute to stop and think about it. They’re building the Four Horsemen that Intergang is going to take hold of, mentioned on the last page of last week’s issue. First off, let me note how cool it is that they’re bringing in more stuff from Rip Hunter’s blackboard. Second, let me say how silly it is that all of these scientists are knowingly creating the Four Horsemen. They can’t possibly think that the work they’re doing will be used for good.

Meanwhile, back at the dinner party, Osiris storms off, since he feels as if he doesn’t have any friends. Just then, a monster escapes from the basement of the Sivana household, steals some food from the dinner party, and runs into the woods, where he meets with and talks to Osiris. They both seem to share a common loneliness. The monster, when asked for his name, sadly says he hasn’t got one. Osiris offers him one. Looks like we’re going to get a new edition to the Black Marvel family. Or not. It’d be neat, but it would also defeat the purpose of Osiris looking for friends outside the family.

All in all, this issue isn’t really all that bad, but it is really dense with characters that I didn’t immediately recognize. It’ll be interesting to see where they go with Montoya’s training, and I am eager to see what kinds of cool robots the mad scientists create as the Four Horsemen. Seems like quite a task for Intergang to accomplish, to create these great machines of destruction, just to take over a city that’s increasingly weakening, thanks to the absence of the Batman. They need to think bigger than one city.

That’s all for now.

See ya in seven.