The Good
As a carry over from FOREVER EVIL, we're seeing what's happening with Power Ring's power ring. Jessica Cruz is suffering from Agoraphobia and the sentient ring feeds on the fears of others. Jessica has unwillingly become its new host and as the Lex Luthor, the Justice League, and Doom Patrol try to stop the destructions she's causing, they all have their own reasons to stop her as well.
One of the fun things in this issue is seeing Lex Luthor step into the spotlight. We all love a good villain and of course Lex is more than just a villain. There is some complexity that puts him above others. Now that he's weaseled his way alongside the Justice League, it's fascinating to see what he's thinking and what this could mean for the future of the team. Lex simply knows how to push people's buttons. Getting to see his rivalry with Niles Caulder is a treat as well.
Geoff Johns is also giving us a look at the Doom Patrol in the New 52. It's great having a team where you can't really be sure what the motives are. Can Caulder be trusted? Is he trying to do the right thing? The "he said, he said," between Lex and the Chief is pretty golden. I don't know if I'd want an actual Doom Patrol series but my curiosity is definitely getting aroused.
Doug Mahnke has his hands full. There are a lot of characters and a lot of fighting going on. I always enjoy when Mahnke does close ups to see the expressions and emotions the characters have. Andrew Dalhouse must be working overtime on the colors. There's so many great scenes with a variety in the color palette. It's almost mesmerizing looking at the color and shading of the explosions, energy from the power ring, and simply shading of the sky when the dust settles.
The Bad
I've mentioned before that while I respect the Doom Patrol and their history, I'm not the biggest fan. The bigger issue for me here is how easily they dive into a fight against the Justice League. We also have so many characters fighting each other, we miss out on a lot of the action. There's just not enough room to see how everything plays out. This gives a slight disjointed feel as he just drop in on the different combatants. It's a little unclear where everyone ends up when the fighting ends. The isolated feeling in some scenes made it feel like the fight was scattered across the city.
The Verdict
The Justice League is going through some changes. Too often team books continue down the same path and can end up feeling a little stagnant. Geoff Johns is shaking things up and having Lex Luthor around is like dropping a live grenade into the mix. While most of the issue focuses on the fighting between the Justice League and Doom Patrol, we get to see more developments for the future of this title. Doug Mahnke is tasked with drawing a huge amount of characters. Andrew Dalhouse's colors are fantastic. Things are changing for the Justice League and you won't want to miss what's developing.