Review: Justice League Unlimited #10

 Justice League Unlimited #10 came out last week and was a pretty busy comic, weaving three plot threads together while holding down one overlying arc. 

We just finished 'We Are Yesterday'. Time Trapper Doomsday, World Forger, and Gorilla Grodd had all escaped. Air Wave was revealed as a traitor but redeemed himself. And the Legion of Doom has been defeated.

What we get this issue is the aftermath of all that. And what I like about this is that DC seems to be a bit united in the entire line's storyline. Or maybe I am just reading the titles that are aligning. But Darkseid, and Doomsday are pretty big elements here as well as in the Super books. Given the link to the Absolute Universe and the upcoming mega-event DC KO, it feels like we are in a coherent and consistent universe right now. 

And I am glad that Justice League is part of it. The JL should be the axle the whole universe spins on. Writer Mark Waid has us dealing with Doomsday, Apokolipitian Fire Pits appearing on Earth, and an embedded threat. But the biggest thing in this issue is a sudden disruption in the Trinity. If hero is meant to fight hero in DC KO, you probably need dissension in the ranks. 

Meanwhile, Dan Mora continues to just light the comic world on fire with his incredible work. He is doing multiple titles too! But seeing his take on Metamorpho (again), Power Girl, and a new hero (for me) Capejos makes me want him to draw everything. 

On to the book. 

We start off with an important page for me.

I have been wondering how the Darkseid's Legion have been able to hurt Time Trapper Doomsday, who for many reasons should be nigh invulnerable and omnipotent these days.

We see Doomsday fleeing in the time stream only to have the Legion arrive. Once again, they beat the tar out of the Time Trapper. But there is a at least a passing caption saying that Darkseid's Legion seem 'impossible'. That time is broken and so Time Trapper Doomsday is broken. 

I kept asking how they could hurt Doomsday. At least Waid acknowledges it and sort of explains it.

How scary is a Darkseid Mon-El. Mora gives us this scary panel progression, that fist getting bigger.

Meanwhile, Batman and Superman have a tiff. And Wonder Woman tries to be the mediator.

Batman is upset that Air Wave was so easily within the League, so easily able to betray them. Perhaps Superman needed to vet people more. Meanwhile, Superman is thankful so many heroes were within the League. They needed them all to defeat the Legion of Doom. 

And there is Wonder Woman, basically saying 'boys ... boys ... you're both handsome'. Diana realizes that both sides here can be right.

Batman demands that any new recruits get scrutinized, their secret life examined under the microscope. Superman says an invasion of privacy is a terrible idea.

And there is Wonder Woman saying there has to be a middle ground. 

I have been used to Batman and Superman being old school chums these days. Seeing them sneer at each other felt almost fresh.

And love how Mora accentuates how far apart they are in their belief. They are physically only a few feet apart. But Mora puts them in their own panel, basically doubling the space between them, a way to show how separated they are regarding this. Perfect.

The Trinity go off in separate directions ... and we don't see them again this issue. This is a big deal.

Meanwhile, I dying Doomsday, a huge Omega burned into his chest arrives. When the Flash tries to assess him, he ages incredibly fast, almost like the aging we saw in Crisis on Infinite Earths #8 There is a time storm around Doomsday, affecting organic material.

I like how Natasha Irons wonders if they should just let Doomsday die. The Flash implies heroes don't do that. 

Now this is very interesting for me to noodle.

Doomsday doesn't really 'die'. He resurrects stronger. So if they do nothing, he'll live. 

But we know that Doomsday told Superman that if he died, he would resurrect as a god. Does the League know that? Do they not want him to resurrect? Do they know he resurrects?

Hmmm ...

Elsewhere in the satellite, Mr. Terrific decides to interrogate the intelligent Para-Demon they captured in JLU #2 (we got an editor's note!). There is so much Darkseid talk going on, Terrific decides to ask what this demon knows.

Instead, the demon says he has been an incubator for para-demon eggs. They all sprout forth and break out of the cell. 

Now that is creepy. 

And Darkseid does seem to be everywhere.

A Fire Pit has opened up in Markovia. A squad of Power Girl, Captain Atom, and Capejos (a new hero for me, a werewolf with a flaming head??) join Geo-Force fly into it to see what purpose it could have. At the bottom, a giant hand emerges.

Could it be Brimstone??? A Promethean Giant?

But more importantly, why is it there? Who put it there?

My favorite part of the issue is the League trying to figure out who can help them save Doomsday.

There is a lot to unpack here. First off, I love the medical team. The Chief, who is a sort of surgical guide, mentally put into the head of Metamorpho by the psychic link of Martian Manhunter. Metamorpho, composed of elements, is immune to the time distortion. The Chief, Metamorpho, and J'onn ... pretty cool group..

But I thought Doomsday was mostly solid, lacking internal organs. Hearing how Rex will need to suture and dissect lungs and heart sounds odd for a Time Trapper Doomsday.

Still, this teams scenes were to coolest of the book. 

The time distortion, aging field around Doomsday begins to grow, making things crazier.

Para-demons are running around the Watchtower. 

And that insane hand is ripping apart Markovia. 

Three plot lines. Three cliffhangers. Three heroes of the Trinity divided. This felt like a middle chapter of an arc but a good middle chapter. And certainly this rift in the Trinity will most likely loom as we careen into DC KO.

Not bad Waid and Mora. Not bad.

Overall grade: B+