Previously: Prometheus, the humiliated JLA foe, is planning a massive campaign against the Justice League and the superhero community in general. His subordinates have been stealing exotic technology in raids that had killed people close to several heroes. Green Lantern Hal Jordan and a growing band of heroes have been investigated those raids. They thought that they had captured Prometheus, but (s)he was actually one of the Clayfaces who had shapeshifted to look like Prometheus. Prometheus then detonated a bomb hidden inside his doppelganger.

Freddy Freeman, the current Captain Marvel, uses his lightning to shield the other heroes from the explosion. They’re surprised when Hal’s Ring’s analysis reveals that the bomb contained elements that would have been deadly to each of them except for Freeman. They track down another villain (Deadline, a villain from the 1980s Starman series) to question, but Ollie stands up to Hal and Ray (the Atom) about their use of torture. Freddy notes that Prometheus has made himself into the Villain’s Batman and is using psychology to mess with their heads. He makes they understand they have to involve the rest of the Justice League in their investigation.

Meanwhile the Flash (Jay Garrick) has warned other heroes, including the Teen Titans’ Miss Martian that Prometheus is planning something. Jay talks to the Guardian and Mon-El in Metropolis – both future members of Robinson/Bagley’s League. He also talks to Hourman, Liberty Belle, Argent, Katana, Shining Knight, the Sea Devils, and Mister America. When Jay gets home he finds the Shade waiting for him with more information about Prometheus.

Congorilla and Starman track two villains called Penny Dreadful and Arak to Paris, France and extract out of Arak the details of their involvement with Prometheus. Starman kills Penny to save Congorilla (after she kills Arak for talking), despite having just convinced Congorilla to spare the pairs lives. Penny Dreadful (named for the British 19th century equivalent of Pulp novels) and Arak (not the original Arak Son of Thunder) were Infinity Inc villains from a group of misfit mutants called Helix. Another of their members was Mister Bones, he has since reformed and has become the Director of the D.E.O.

Batwoman was promoted in the pre-release hype as being a member of this new group, but so far she has just observed from the shadows in the Gotham City sequences. It’s nicely done. Mauro Cascioli’s art continues to improve. One visual motif I did like was on page 3 where the outline of Batwoman’s hanging cape becomes the borders for the next panel.  I also like the way the smoke cleared on the first page and the final double page spread of the Justice League – that should be a poster.  However it’s the Ronnie Firestorm (Caucasian, less costume detail, currently dead) that is shown and not the Jason Firestorm (African-American, more detailed costume with glowing bits, currently a JLA member).

After the first couple of issues I was wondering whether this series was beginning to lose its way. It wasn’t that the over all the quality was poor, but there were weakness in the characterisation, particularly the main villain and in some of Hal’s implied activities. Well those weakness aren’t so present in this issue. This is partly because the main villain doesn’t appear, but it’s mainly because the heroes are becoming aware of the moral implications of their activities. That is the interesting development, but its a pity they haven’t remembered the lessons learnt during Identity Crisis and Infinite Crisis about abusing super-villains.

This issue is a definite step up from last issue. It feels like the creative team have reigned in some of the excesses from previous issues and have finally got down to telling an interesting and engaging story. Maybe this series is actually going somewhere.

The Verdict