Aegeus has caused Penn City to be under siege, and with an all-out fight with the Justice League of America abounds, things are likely to be destructive.
Anyone who knows destructive best is the Main Man, Lobo. While The JLA have been receiving skepticism due to members such as Lobo and Killer Frost, how long will it take for the people of the world, most especially Penn City to give them a chance? What is Killer Frost hiding? And will the JLA get the support they need from the public? That is if the citizens of Penn City can survive Aegeus and his army first!
People will discover the Steve Orlando is really a well-rounded writer in regards to stories that center communities. Or at least have communities as an integral part of the world that readers inhabit. With this issue, it’s cool to see Steve Orlando taking opportunities to display believable public reception in regards to Killer Frost and Lobo. Given that their prior line of work, they’ve done some pretty messed up things. So when they are displayed as members of the JLA, it’s pretty believable that people would recognize and react to those specific characters with tons of caution, disbelief, and skepticism. Which is not that different from the reality that society lives in currently.
Steve Orlando makes great effort to ensure the ‘human’ boots to the ground element within this series, making it a prominent theme in which the characters and situations reflect. In regards to the story and narrative, it’s fairly decent. It’s very much focused on Ray, Lobo, Atom and Killer Frost. Since this issue is centered on developing a sense of trust, reflection, and development, it accomplishes in that area. Batman and Black Canary definitely have some nice little banter, with Batman checking the team while Canary keeps Batman in check.
Admittedly, while Aegeus as a villain is cool in terms of what he represents to the protagonists in concept, he didn’t feel as engaging or imposing as Lord Havok from the property JLA arc. Yes, this is a small short arc but it would have been interesting to see what else Aegeus is capable of beyond being this commanding head of a militia yet lacking much bite. Then again, this is just a short arc that occupies time before the next upcoming storyline. Despite this personal preference, it doesn’t make this issue any less worth reading, it’s just personal preference.
Andy McDonald’s art is good within this book. His pencils and inks manages to carry the story and make up for some of the slower moments. The best pages are the ones where Killer Frost is involved, along with the public’s hesitation to help Lobo. There is great imagery accompanied with entertaining dialogue. Hi Fi’s colors remain consistent in providing the right kind of color tones, which help liven McDonald’s pencils. Overall, it’s a nice conclusion to the Heart of a Bastich arc, and essentially an enjoyable read. Hopefully, Orlando can kick this series up a notch with the next arc.
Newsdesk