Since the beginning of this series, Steve Orlando revealed hints to upcoming arcs that raised questions. And now, those questions are finally getting answered with the newest arc, Panic in the Microverse: Part 1.
Ryan Choi, the current Atom has devoted his time between missions to investigate the disappearance of his mentor, Ray Palmer. Palmer has been lost within the Microverse for some time, and now the JLA are finally ready to solve this case. While the JLA arrive at the Microverse, they are met with heavy opposition, but the reasons behind it will surprise the heroes, especially Choi.
Personally, there hasn’t been a decent Justice League series, but thankfully, Orlando is providing a series that’s actually decent and is making solid progress with each arc. Orlando continues to display a good handle and understanding of most of the characters of the league, and finally, I’m personally happy that this is a major arc that is gonna be central to the DC Universe in its own right. It’s obvious that Orlando is building up to something that is gonna not just shake up the title, but possibly the DC Universe itself. To what degree? No one knows, but it’s making for a worthy investment as this series continues. What’s great is that Ryan Choi is finally getting some spotlight and to see his reaction to the whereabouts of Ray Palmer is great. Also, to see the Microverse again which hasn’t been seen in some time is great. Obviously, Orlando is gonna make use of the ramifications of the Microverse, but I wonder whether this will roll over with the overall events of the DC Universe, Watchmen, Dark Metal and all.
Some of the highlights of this issue is obviously the banter of Lobo. Every time he steps on the scene, he always leaves a good impression. Although, for a guy who has been demanding his pay, it’s surprising that Lobo is still tolerant to Batman and is still willing to uphold Batman’s agreement despite being impatient. This issue is more centered on Choi (The Atom), Killer Frost, Lobo and Batman, but thankfully, Batman didn’t steal any shine from the other characters. Mind you, I love Batman, but not every book that features him needs to be solely about him. But Orlando does a good job at exploring the characters and their motivations in a way that is somewhat reminiscent to Claremont’s approach to X-Men during the 70s and 80s (minus the overly complicated parts of his run).
Aside from the writing, It’s great to see Ivan Reis return to art duties on this title. He makes the right kind of decisions when it comes to panel work, gestures and overall style. So there isn’t much that needs to be said, other than wishing that Reis would stay on the title,l (which in this day and age, is hard to have when it comes to writer and artist duos).
This is a great jumping on point for anyone who hasn’t read the prior issues and arcs and goes straight to the point. If you want to read a more worthwhile Justice League title, then this is it.
Newsdesk