Writers: David Goyer & Geoff Johns
Artists: Leonard Kirk (p), Keith Champagne (i)
Publisher: D.C. Comics
Plot:
The book opens with Vandal Savage and his powerful magic slamming into the Egyptian kingdom, and we see in spite of the power that Black Adam & the time lost members of the JSA bring to the table, we see it's pretty clear Vandal Savage has a decided advantage. However, the knowledge that they are outclassed only acts to increase our heroes' determination to win this battle, and given there's no historical record of Vandal Savage's reign over Egypt, we see there is still hope of victory in the air. We then see this victory comes in the form of a powerful wizard who comes up with a plan that has Black Adam & Captain Marvel traveling to the Land of the Dead, where they will make the Egyptian god Ra aware of the fact that Vandal Savage is misusing Ra's orb, and in turn this would incite the god to step forward to correct this problem. This plan works, and Vandal Savage is reduced to infancy by the god Ra, in the hopes that with the proper guidance Vandal Savage will become a better man than he was before. As the JSA members are sent back to their proper time, we see back in the present day Doctor Fate makes a rather surprising discovery when he attempts to awaken his comatose wife.
Comments:
As seems to often be the case on this title its the character interaction that makes the material worth reading, and this issue has itself some very impressive material where we see Captain Marvel's relationship with Black Adam undergoes a fairly unexpected change. The issue certainly does a nice job of making Black Adam into a more sympathetic character, and while I'll concede that I've had precious little expose to the character before he arrived in the pages of this series, I knew enough about the character to view him as a true blue villain when he came into the book with his request to join the team. Now a final page cliffhanger from a few issues back still has me doubting the idea that he's completely reformed, but this issue does a nice job of insuring that if this return to villainy does emerge, Capt Marvel will be caught completely unprepared, as Billy Batson's overly trusting nature is going to be dealt a pretty serious blow if he allows this new information he's learn blind him to Black Adam's capacity to commit evil. This issue also nicely shows us how Black Adam's world view has been changed, as the difference between the one we met in the past and the character in the present is quite striking.
I do have some reservations about how the threat is done away with, as having the Egyptian god Ra step in from stage right and effectively do away with the threat with a simple wave of his hand makes for a very unimpressive finish to what had been a highly entertaining adventure. Whenever a writer, or in this case writers, decide to offer up a final solution like this I truly have to wonder why the readers would find such an ending even remotely enjoyable. I mean it's not like this was a clever twist that will leave readers wondering why they didn't see it coming, and chances are most readers are going to see this ending for what it is, which is a rushed solution that the writers came up with because they were far more interested in the character interaction than the big threat that they had developed. Now I'm not saying the solution doesn't make sense, as I can see how a god would object to someone using his gifts to conquer his worshippers, but from a dramatic sense endings leave me cold, and my respect for the writers involved drops every time they feel the need to offer endings like this up. Quick fix solutions are never any fun, and they remain one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to comic book writing.
Leonard Kirk offers up some of his best work yet in the opening pages of this issue, as he's called upon to deliver the invasion of Vandal Savage's army, and the art does an amazing job of capturing the idea that this is an epic battle. From the absolutely stunning double-page shot that opens the issue, to the arrival of Black Adam & Captain Marvel, the art is what sold me on this battle sequence. I also have to make mention of the establishing shot that we receive of the Land of the Dead, as the place has a nice, almost mythical quality to it that makes it easy to believe this is where a god would reside. The art also does some nice work on its more intense sections, as when Black Adam deals with his family's killer that art does some very nice work contrasting his inner rage with the Captain Marvel's realization of what he's just witnessed. There's also a pretty solid little sequence that shows us how the JSAer made their way back to the present, as that three panel sequence nicely details how the passage of time was seen from their point of view. The last few pages of this issue also act to set up what I'm guessing will be the next arc, and the art impressively details Doctor Fate's magic use, and that final page shot does a nice job of revealing its big surprise.
Final Word:
I realize that this is the final issue, and if this story had carried into another issue I'd probably be making a fuss about this time travel adventure overstaying it's welcome. However, I have to say that I was completely disillusioned by this issue's big finish, as having the Egyptian god Ra show up to strip Vandal Savage of his power has to be one of the most anticlimactic endings they could've come up with. What makes it worse is that the book had done such a solid job of developing this threat into something that had an almost epic feel, that it makes this ending all the more disappointing. Now there's some pretty enjoyable character interaction between Black Adam & Captain Marvel, and I'll confess I found the way the JSA found their way back into the future rather clever. The final pages of this issue also deliver a fairly unexpected development that is sure to make some fans quite happy. However, the quick finish solution did sour me on this issue, and I hope the next arc has itself better finish.
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