Writers: David Goyer & Geoff Johns
Artists: Leonard Kirk (p), Keith Champagne (i)
Publisher: DC
Plot:
The book opens with Hawkgirl and Mr. Terrific arriving in the 15th dynasty of Egypt where they find Vandal Savage waiting for them with an army of warriors composed of sand, and a massive henchman who is able to change the chemical composition of his body. While Mr. Terrific finds himself being overwhelmed by the sand warriors, we see Hawkgirl finds herself engulfed by the cloud of highly acidic vapor that Vandal Savage's henchman turned himself into. As the two make a weak attempt at getting away, we see their backsides are pulled out of the frying pan by Captain Marvel, who arrives and utterly devastates the ranks of Vandal Savage's army with his magical lightening bolts. We then see him evacuate his teammates to a nearby city which is preparing itself for the approach of Vandal Savage's forces, and Hawkgirl is somewhat thrown to discover that rulers of this part of the world are her & Hawkman's past selves. We also see Captain Marvel is bothered by the idea that this city's greatest champion is a man who he knows in the present as Black Adam, one of his greatest villains. As we see the JSAers help this city prepare for the impending attack the issue ends with the discovery that Vandal Savage's army is far more formidable than they had expected it to be.
Comments:
I like the idea that our heroes from the future have decided to use the knowledge that they have regarding historic battles to give them an edge in their impending one against the forces of Vandal Savage. However, given the last page shows us that Vandal Savage's army is anything but human, I really don't think the JSA are going to find much help in the history books, as all of these famous battle strategies were designed for use against human opponents, who can't be instantly reformed after they are killed. Also since Vandal Savage looks to have himself a magical orb that affords him the ability to look into the future, I have to wonder why the JSA are so confident that Vandal Savage doesn't have just as much insight into what they're about to do, and as such the whole element of surprise that is key to most of these plans has already been defeated. Now the idea of using knowledge from the future is sound, but I suspect next issue will simply have our three time-lost JSAers & Black Adam facing Vandal Savage's army all by themselves, and while there's nothing inherently wrong with this idea, this issue plays up the idea that their being from the future gives them a tactical edge, while the rest of the book sets out to prove how wrong this idea is.
This issue does have several elements that grabbed my attention, as the Metamorpho fan in me can't help but be intrigued by the presence of a similarly empowered creature in Egypt's 15th dynasty. This book does a great job of showing how dangerous Rex's powers could be if they were in the hands of a villain, as the acid cloud that Hawkgirl encounters is a wonderful example of the threat potential. There's also a great arrival scene for Captain Marvel, as we see him use his magical lightening to devastate an entire section of sand warriors. This issue also plays with a couple of fun ideas, as we see Hawkgirl encounters one of her past selves. In fact if I've understood the back-story over in Hawkman correctly, the woman that Hawkgirl encounters in this issue is her original host body, and Hawkman's original host is also on hand, which creates a rather unique love triangle. The other interesting element is Captain Marvel's little conversation with Black Adam, as the big cheese discovers his hated rival is a man who has yet to descend down the path of villainy. The look on Captain Marvel's face when he learns about Black Adam's family also made for a great little moment.
With Supergirl's impending cancellation it's nice to see Leonard Kirk firmly entrenched on this title, as I believe this book has some pretty steady sales numbers, and Leonard Kirk is a true blue monthly artist, so I can find comfort in the knowledge that his name will grace the credit box of this book for a good long time. This issue he's called upon to deliver some big league action, and for the most part he delivers quite nicely, as the plight of Mr. Terrific & Hawkgirl in the opening pages of this issue is nicely realized, and Captain Marvel's big arrival is equally impressive. The last page of this issue is also a great visual to close on, as we see Vandal Savage's army charging toward our heroes. The art also does some great work on the facial expressions, from Hawkgirl's pained expression as she emerges from the acid cloud, to Captain Marvel's look of stunned surprise after Black Adam calls him brother. The art is also quite impressive when it comes to detailing the environment this adventure takes place within, as page twelve offers up a great establishing shot of the city, and it also manages to convey the almost unsettling quiet that exists in the desert during the Captain Marvel/Black Adam scene.
Final Word:
A time traveling story that has itself a nice, almost epic feel, as we see the three time-lost JSAers have decided to aid the people of this era in their fight against the invading forces of Vandal Savage. Now given the idea that changes in the past can severely impact the future in the DCU, I am somewhat surprised that Mr. Terrific is so gung-ho about involving himself directly into this upcoming battle, but I'll concede that this wouldn't be an exciting issue if these character were forced to sit on their hands, and watch history play out. The issue also has some fun with a couple of plot elements, as Hawkgirl's meeting with her past self was a rather clever plot twist, and Captain Marvel's dealings with Black Adam allow us to see another side of both characters. There's also a nice mystery regarding Vandal Savage's elemental henchman with his possible connection to the modern day hero Metamorpho, and Vandal Savage is always an interesting villain when he's in full blown world conquering mode.
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