[Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers!]
Writer: Steve Orlando
Pencils: Hugo Petrus
Summary
The Justice League of America has their hands full with time traveling criminal Chronos who has broken into the League’s base! As Chronos takes the team apart, he leaves only Ryan Choi also known the Atom left standing! Can Atom defeat Chronos once and for all, or will Chronos finally claim the prize that he’s been after–the God of Superheroes?
Positives
I must admit that I gained a whole new level of respect for Chronos after reading this issue. In other iterations of the Justice League of America I’ve either read or seen Chronos is usually broadcasted a bottom tier villain. Steve Orlando really does away with that stigma in this issue and I enjoyed it. While the team is in the middle of construction of their new base at Happy Harbor suddenly he attacks them–with some of Darkseid’s troops as well! Chronos makes short work of virtually everyone on the team thanks to his time technology, however it’s the arrival of the newest member Aztek that evens that fight a little. It seems that Chronos is after something known as the “handprint” –a mark left by Ahl who was the God of Superheroes. It is this very mark that infused the world with the idea of superheroes and heroism that inspired the entire age of heroes!
Negatives
I have no negatives about this issue. The action is great and plentiful throughout the entire book, and Orlando gives us a great introduction by having a “catch up” session between the heroes before the action starts. I like how we pick up right where we left off from the previous issue, with heroes like Aztek and Black Canary trying to find common ground, while Frost has finally learned to accept her powers and instead of trying to get rid of them, she’s trying to better control them. It’s these small events between characters that although might not seem noticeable, they really show overall growth with the members of the League as a whole.
Verdict
Once again Steve Orlando knocks it out of the park with this issue! I never knew that the DC Universe even with it’s vast gods, goddesses and powerful beings even had a “God of Superheroes”. There’s a great ending in store that leads into the next issue, and I’m excited to see how this god named Ahl has any future ramifications for the DC Universe at all. Orlando usually has a good record of following up with his characters so I’m guessing this won’t be the last we hear of Ahl. However as it now stands, Chronos has Ahl trapped at the moment and the League has to rescue him! Can’t wait for the next issue!
