Writer: Dan Abnett
Art: Cliff Richards
Colors: Rain Beredo
Letters: Andworld Design
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 4th, 2020
A group of new New Gods Starfire, Psykot, and Shadowheart have been sent out by Darkseid on a recon mission to check the location and defenses of our new JLO team of Jessica Cruz, Blackfire, Orion, Dex-Starr, and Hex. But they will find them joined by Gamma Knife and her boss and non-linear being Epoch (AKA the Lord of Time), who's attempting to reset time and nullify the threat of Darkseid and Apex Lex Luthor.
They come across the mechoids that Hax shut down by hacking into a signal a few issues ago, and they get ready to fight but realize the mechoids are just standing there. Psykot says that they were made by Epoch. Epoch being an immediate threat to Darkseid, Starfire changes its mission from recon to an attack.
Meanwhile, the JLO is talking about Darkseid's control over the old team members. Even though she doesn't come out and say it, Blackfire doesn't seem to believe that Cyborg's messages to Jessica are genuine but manipulation and a ruse. "Darkseid's control is absolute" and he "could not have rested even a speck of free will". During this, Dex-Starr is being a kitty and playing with a ball, and he's yelled at by Epoch to stop. Apparently, the ball is 2.1 million years of Kryptonian history compressed into crystal form. Then he goes on to talk about I don't know what because it's all future terms not even the members of the JLO know and Hax has to tell him to keep it stupid.
Epoch tells them that Darkseid has sent new Gods to find them and now they're five minutes away. And then he basically pulls a Dr. Strange in Infinity War. He tells them that he let this scenario occur eight different times and each time the New Gods just massacre them. Each time he evaluated their methods, strengths, and weaknesses, and now it's time to change it up. Certain members of the JLO would win against a specific New God when it's a two on one fight. And now he's going to send them back in time temporally and attack the New Gods before their attack happens.
Then Epoch tells them they need to talk about his plan. Not the plan to fight the New Gods, but his plan to use his revision mechanism to rewrite universal history to remove all threats to creation, such as Darkseid and Apex Lex (from Snyder's JL run). Of course, the JLO crew thinks he's nuts, and he tells them that the little Kryptonian history ball wasn't the only one: there are also ones for Thanagar, Maltus, Durla, and Earth. Each one has been manipulated and to have a continuity where all of the evil never exists. Then he walks them into the room with his enormous manipulation machine, and the balls fly up into the air like the bubbles in that Willy Wonka bubble room. There's more blah blah blah and arguing...
But luckily the issue does end with some pretty awesome action as the JLO confronts the New Gods. Dex-Starr & Hax vs Psykot, Orion & Gamma Knife vs Shadowheart, and Jessica & Blackfire vs Starfire... but do they win?
Bits and Pieces
I'll admit it: I'm pretty confused about how the manipulation machine is actually going to work once Epoch gets those evil-less continuity balls activated. All of the damn talking did nothing to make it easier to understand and made it more confusing. Yeah, it's a long read because there's a lot of boring talking and a lot of it will almost put you to sleep. But the issue has a few good moments, especially the fight at the end. And I've been loving Cliff Richards' art on this title.
6.3/10
I didn't find it boring. Confusing, yes in certain places. I think the biggest mistake has non stop talking for the last 3 issues. I guess if I had to read all the last issues back to back it might take a toll.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I really enjoy the art in this book, that had to be one of the worst one page spread I have seen with the machine hardly being shown with all lighting around it. Waste of space I say. I think I would of had my score at 6.9. T