That's It?
We open in Boston, where Doctor Fate and Wotan are already locked in deep magical combat while Flash and Green Lantern work crowd control. Cut to one hour earlier and we see the Khalid has donned the Helm of fate and has asked not to be referred to by his real name as the division between the two is good for helping him stay in control. I like this, it's fitting with Khalid's character and helps to enforce the friction between him and Nabu.
Dr. Fate and The Flash save Mrs. Garrick and take the fight with Wotan back to Earth. Meanwhile, Hawkgirl and Green Lantern are in China investigating the assassination of Alan's boyfriend, Sam. Their search leads them to something as confusing as it is horrifying. Several dead parademons are found in at the sight the two wonders were lead to. But what they don't know is why they're there and what any of this has to do with Sam. Before any answers can be discovered, The Ring alerts GL of danger elsewhere and he's compelled to leave, leaving Hawkgirl behind.
After a sadly brief battle, Wotan is vanquished. The three heroes, plus Jay's mom go to Alan's place, where the others will stay until they are no longer fugitives. Alan is ready to return to China until a news report reveal that steppenwolf has been found.
What Works:
The character interaction is great as always, between Jay and Fate, Alan and Kendra, and even Khalid and Nabu. Part of the appeal of this series has been the way it develops it's characters to feel more like human beings than fictional characters. The mystery around Sam's death is also intriguing, even more so now that the parademons are somehow connected.
What Doesn't:
This issue feels incredibly short and a very weak ending to what was actually a pretty decent story. After spending all this time building up Wotan to be this major threat, it's very disappointing to see him taken out so easily. Also, I didn't like that Alan would just abandon Kendra to go fight evil. You'd think he'd at least take her with him in case the threat is too much for him to handle. I like Alan Scott a lot in this series, but his arrogance does tend to grate on one's nerves after a while.
Overall: 3/5
As much as I love this series, and I do, this issue was pretty weak compared to the others, especially as an ending to a story arc. Wotan's easy defeat was inexcusable. However, there was still a lot to like in this issue despite the low rating and leaves enough intrigue and mystery to hold my interest until the next issue.
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