Justice League: Generation Lost #19

February 20, 2011

Title: And the Lord Taketh Away

Writer: Judd Winick
Pencils: Fernando Dagnino
Inks: Raul Fernandez
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Steve Wands
Cover: Dustin Nguyen
Editor: Brian Cunningham & Rex Ogle
Publisher: DC Comics

Maxwell Lord has the Blue Beetle in his clutches. Power Girl has broken free from Max’s hold, but she races off to try to wake up the rest of the DCU’s heroes, and the Justice League International races to save one of their own… but, if the cover isn’t too much of a spoiler, they may be too late.

Okay, screw the spoiler warning. DC’s been “hinting” about this for a few months now, and this issue seems to end with Maxwell Lord killing the Blue Beetle – for the second time – with a bullet to the head. And I’ve got to be frank with you guys… I’m not buying it. I just can’t imagine that DC editorial would allow a writer kill off a second Beetle the same way so callously. I can’t imagine that they’d kill off a character that they’ve been giving such a big push in other media. And there hasn’t been even the slightest reaction to the death since the issue came out. Even Kyle Rayner’s “death” during Blackest Night got a few interviews online, and he was back in the next issue. With five issues left in this series, I’m just not banking on Jaime Reyes being dead at the end of it.

Okay, with that out of my system, the issue was really great. Watching the JLI acting like real heroes, true heroes, is everything you want out of this series.  Winick has taken the old group, mixed in a few new members that truly belong, and given us one of the most solid superhero comics being published right now. It’s a shame that this story is so close to the end, and I really hope that DC has plans in motion to keep these characters together after the end of Brightest Day.

Rating: 8/10

Justice League: Generation Lost #11

December 7, 2010

Title: Heavy Metal Poisoning

Writer: Judd Winick
Pencils: Aaron Lopresti
Inks: Matt Ryan
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Cover: Cliff Chiang
Editors: Rex Ogle & Brian Cunningham
Publisher: DC Comics

Max Lord has tapped into the brains of the robotic Metal Men and set them against our makeshift Justice League, using them to keep our heroes busy as he carries out his own insidious schemes. Most of this issue is taken up by the battle between the two groups of heroes, and while that sort of thing often feels a little forced, here it works okay thanks to the whole reprogramming conceit. The different worldview Max forces into the Metal Men’s minds gives the book a nice added dimension that makes the fight a good bit more exciting as well.

I really like how the relationship between Booster Gold and the Blue Beetle is progressing. While the former Beetle, Ted Kord, was of course Booster’s best friend, the mentor/protégé dynamic between the two of them is working well. The two especially work in contrast with Captain Atom, who doesn’t quite have the respect for the two of them that he really should, but at the same time, he knows he needs whatever soldiers he can get.

The ending of this issue is interesting – it sets up a real conflict between Fire and Ice, without forcing the issue too much. Having read past this point (sorry the review is a bit tardy), we know that the setup is leading into a rather unnecessary retcon of Ice’s origins, and that rather weakens the story as a whole, but taken on its own the way they come together works.

Aaron Lopresti is one of the best artists never to get that “superstar” status. I love his depiction of the (sort of) human Metal Men. Design-wise, the book continues to inch towards Kingdom Come, even using the amalgam Metal Men creation that was featured in this story. Again, the next few issues go a long way to turn away from this potential future, but it’s fun to see the design regardless.

Good, action-packed issue.

Rating: 8/10