Alanna Strange is telling a story. The tale of how, two months previously, the aftermath of Justice League United's adventure with the Legion of Super-Heroes led to the threat of the Breakers - deadly extra-dimensional incursions onto the Earth plane.
The first manifestation, an invisible barrier cutting across roads, occurs in Connecticut. Alanna, husband Adam, Stargirl, Animal Man and Equinox head to the scene, evacuating the area and rescuing endangered motorists. Adam becomes trapped outside the barrier, leaving the rest of the team to question locals about anything unusual. There is something...
It's a House of Secrets, and its caretaker, Abel, reveals to JLU members some secrets of the DC Universe. Here's my favourite:
Being part of a Breaker event, the House follows no known laws of physics - it's constantly changing; the heroes look set to be stuck there forever until Adam rejoins his teammates and takes drastic action...
Back in the present, we see that Alanna and co are on the planet Rann, with the scientist Sardath who unlocked the secrets of the Zeta Beam which Alanna and Adam use to teleport across the universe. Adam has been trapped inside the beam since that first Breaker mission - but this could be the day he gets free.
'Neat' is the word to describe this final issue of Justice League Unlimited. Writer Jeff Parker resolves the trapped Adam subplot while delivering a number of fun moments. These include the best description of the House of Secrets ever.
There's one big revelation, which longtime DC fans will likely appreciate, and little scenes that bring big smiles.
Travel Foreman returns to the book, bringing his trademark imaginative compositions and people who look like people. I'm particularly struck by his way with noses. Which is probably weird. Extra inkiness on Abel - host of DC's long-running House of Secrets anthology - brings teasing echoes of Kelley Jones's spooky style.
Colour gang Hi-Fi and letterer Steve Wands add the visual topping. And if Foreman and Hi-Fi's joyous cover doesn't decorate the front of the final trade collection, I'll be a blue-eyed grasshopper.
So farewell, Justice League United, I shall miss you. From Jeff Lemire's space-spanning sagas to Parker's Unlimited approach, it's been a blast.
LOved this issue a lot, bringing us up to speed on the retooling of the team and then reuniting the Strange's. Also, glad to see the 'Alana is Sardath's daughter' is back in canon.
ReplyDeletePretty fun to see Abel again. And the rooms of secrets was fun as we saw some blips of DC history. But my favorite bit was Adam looking back and realizing a team with the Riddler, Detective Chimp, Katana, and Zoom would have solved the House of Secrets.
I'll miss this series - both Lemire's straightforward League and Parker's Brave and Bold style book.
I agree, it's a shame this book isn't continuing. It's like we've had two mini-series, both very good.
DeleteThat was a really weird revelation for me about Alanna, since I'd jumped on board this series without reading its initial issues. I'd had no idea Alanna wasn't considered Sardath's daughter until it was revealed that she was.
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel, it's hard to keep up with what's been rebooted and what hasn't.
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