The newly recrafted Cyborg convinces a now youthful Will Magnus to revive his creations The Metal Men in an attempt to free the Justice League, who are trapped within the Firestorm Matrix.  Cyborg then goads his former robotic half, now serving as Grid for the Crime Syndicate into leaving the League’s old Secret Sanctuary and meeting on the streets of the devastated Happy Harbor.  But will the Metal Men be enough to provide support once Grid starts importing the members of the Secret Society?  (Maybe Grid should think better about which villains he selects.)

This was a great issue that shined the spotlight on Cyborg, the one major member of the League who doesn’t have his own comic book and honestly hasn’t done much within the pages of this series either.  It was nice to see him take charge and embrace who he is.  In the past, Vic Stone has been somewhat tormented by his cybernetic state, so this was a welcome change of pace.  It also sounds as if he’ll play a crucial role in resolving the ‘Forever Evil’ storyline next month.

The Metal Men are very true to their slightly cartoon-y original incarnations.  I’m curious as to what will become of them once ‘Forever Evil’  wraps.

Doug Mahnke’s art is always welcome and he thrives on crossover stories like this one.  It may be the inks by Keith Champagne and Christian Alamy, but Mahnke’s art appears smoother here than I’m used to, but there is still loads of nice detail work.

This was a welcome showcase for Cyborg, the League’s least showcased character.  And it served as a nice re-introduction to the Metal Men.  There were some nifty villain cameos, including one group with ties to Vic as a Teen Titan and to the Justice League.  Whether this was intentionally done as a bridge between Vic’s different phases or just a happy accident, it was a nice touch.

Overall, this was a solid issue with great characterization and excellent artwork.

atoms_4.5

 

 

JUSTICE LEAGUE #29
Written by Geoff Johns
Pencils by Doug Mahnke
Cover by Ivan Reis, Joe Prado and Rod Reis