At the end of the sixth issue of Justice League 3000, I was on the fence about this book.
The seventh issue has helped me make up my mind and sadly I have to come down on the side of dropping this book from my list.
The story picks up with this team fleeing from the five after Green Lantern has freed them from captivity. It takes a bad turn when Locus, the reality manipulator, takes up pursuit and is knocked unconscious. Firestorm then threatens the five with the detonation of the planet if they do not stand down from pursuit.
We quickly learn that the shadowy player that has obviously been involved from the start is now feeling comfortable enough to reveal themselves. Their main aim is the capture of Ariel Masters, the scientist who created the process that created this new Justice League.
It comes as no surprise that the hidden villain is Terry, one of the wonder twins. He not only has been feeding the Five information on what was going on with the Justice League but actually formed the Five. The reveal comes at the death of his sister by his own hands. He then lays out his demands for the Justice League and Ariel to return. To ensure cooperation, He kills the Flash and threatens to kill all of the people at Cadmus. Arguments ensue. In the end, Ariel decides to do as requested.
Wait for it…
He kills all the people at Cadmus.
I’ve mentioned before that I wanted this to be a successor to the Legion of Super Heroes but this has never even been a glimmer on the horizon. There are bits and pieces from that universe present here but they are only used as set dressing. I’ve also mentioned that I want these people to be heroes and this has never happened either. Sure, We get to see a minor spark of moral fiber in this issue as Wonder Woman feels the guilt of the person who died to allow her to exist. The problem is that it feels empty to me. The characters never rise up to the expectations that I have for someone called Green Lantern or Superman.
I find the rampant fatalities that play out in this book to be a bit much to take as well. In this issue alone we get the death of another Flash as well as the murder of a whole planet. I think we are supposed to be shocked by the lackadaisical manner in which life is treated but instead it is just tiresome. The deaths are there to shock and sicken and lose all their impact for their overuse.
There are still plenty of questions hanging out there. I just don’t have the stomach to try and wade through another issue like this one.
Taking a cue from Funnybooks, this will be one of the books that I’m cutting from my list. I hope to find something better to replace it.