Review: Justice League Unlimited #9

I was unsure if I was going to review Justice League Unlimited #9, an epilogue to the We Are Tomorrow arc. But it is clear that DC is building on something here. There is a lot happening here, weaving nicely with this week's Superman #28 and pulling the eventual clash with the Absolute Universe and Darkseid that much closer. Throw in a killer Supergirl moment and it was a no-brainer.

Writer Mark Waid brings this arc to a high-energy close by bringing in some old villains, peppering in time-tossed (and reality-tossed) DC characters, and giving us a subtle cliffhanger that left me wondering what is next. I wonder if Waid is taking advantage of his writing the New History of the DC Universe to remind him of character variations to try to showcase here. And he and Joshua Williamson are making me like this Time Trapper Doomsday, no small feat. 

Dan Mora is on art here as well as Superman #28 which makes these two issues read like a mini-event or double sized Annual. And Mora gets to have fun as he is also allowed to pepper in these character variants. He draws everybody so well so whenever he spotlights a favorite of mine, I smile. 

I will say it was luck that I read this before Superman #28 because it sort of reads better that way. Interesting they came out on the same week with this being a 5 Wednesday month.

On to the book.

God Grodd has been defeated. Air Wave is missing. Time anomalies are still running around the satellite, shifting in and out of reality. Buckle up.

Okay, I only included this because I love the original Harley Quinn costume so much that seeing a near splash of it by Mora is worth sharing!

As if things aren't nutty enough with all sorts of people popping in and out, Time Trapper Doomsday shows up with the World Forger. And somehow they seem to be the good guys.

I honestly was thankful that Waid has the Flash remind me that this Forger is the sibling of the Monitor and Anti-Monitor and mostly good. I freely admit the 'Perpetua' stuff Snyder created and who is considered a good guy and a bad guy has mostly left my mind. So appreciate the exposition!

And don't blink or you'll miss characters popping in and out. I wonder if Mora wanted to draw the SM/BM amalgam wearing a GL ring again. He was in the earliest World's Finest book and is a fine design! 

Sure enough, these chronal shockwaves are messing up time. There are plenty of upheavals and  two near omni-potent beings need to figure out how to stop it. They know that the Omega energy of Darkseid, utilized by Grodd is the key. So they are here to vivisect the ape.

Not only do we get characters zipping in and out but check out the background as Mora throws in DC history.

I mean it. I have never been the biggest Time Trapper fan. I haven't been a Doomsday fan either. But somehow this mix is fascinating. I want to hear more and see more! Crazy!

A side plot that is happening is Mr. Terrific and Blue Beetle trying to save Airwave.  At the beginning, it is two Mr. Terrific's from different times. Love the hairdos!

At least, the present day Terrific figures out a frequency can act as a beacon.

I think everyone feels this Airwave got a raw deal and want to help.

Great to see Ted Kord get some good screen time too!

And then the scene that floored me.

The Time Trapper and World Forger throw up a force field as they plan to kill Grodd. But Supergirl figures out how to get in.

But that time-energy is messing everything up. So we get many Supergirl's fluttering in time. This includes the Matrix costume, an Adventure Comics variant, the DCAU white shirt version, the current Sophie Campbell version, and the hot pants 70s one. 

I am simply amazed at the amount of love for Supergirl history that we are seeing in DC Comics recently. 

She isn't able to put a beat down on, frozen in time by the Trapper. Pity.

And Grodd saves his skin by saying that talking to him about Omega Energy might be better than dissecting him.

That's that. The main villains leave and with them the blipping in and out of heroes stablizes.

Airwave is saved.

I love how compassionate Mr. Terrific is with this kid. 

I really like that.

One of the more interesting things that happened is that some of the time variants are able to disappear without being accounted for. Ultra The Multi-Alien! And ... some version of Bizarro? Where will they crop up?

We end with the Trinity meeting and Batman wondering if they made a mistake creating this League. A subtle but effective cliffhanger.

So this was a fun issue. Time Trapper and World Forger gearing up to fight Darkseid? For sure, it is worth perusing to see all the characters popping in and out of reality. Amazing Man? Huntress? Marilyn Moonlight? Two Plastic Mans? And Mora brings the heat.

That Supergirl moment was gold. 

Overall grade: B+