Warning! I’ve “52” No. 4 a bit early! And I’m going to talk about it!
You were WARNED!
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WEEK 4, DAY 1
Renee Montoya is lamenting the trials of being on a stakeout. She’s popping some pills.
In space, a group of astronauts is about to give up their hunt for the Earth heroes who were lost in transport on their way back from the Rann-Thanagar War. Apparently, Animal Man’s wife has been bothering them every other day.
Halo is with them. She keeps mumbling “Lightning that can’t strike.” The astronauts lock on to an oscillating Zeta Frequency. They know that is the same energy source Adam Strange uses. Relieved they might have lead, they contact President Horne.
In Metropolis, Fire is chewing out Booster Gold. She suggests that he help out Martian Manhunter’s new team, but Booster angrily (and emotionally) declines because he’s on a “second-by-second” schedule.
When she mentions Blue Beetle, he goes bonkers. He yells “I risked my life, jumping back here from the 25th Century to finish what I started. I helped save the world. I helped save a future that spit in my face!”
Fire storms away.
WEEK 4, DAY 3
Montoya still in her car when The Question shows up. She demands to know why she’s staking out a building that no one is using. He tells her to keep watch.
In Metropolis, Steel is working, remembering a conversation with his niece, Natasha. He tells her that he has quit being Steel.
He suddenly finds himself staggered. He’s getting sick and begins to hallucenate. He sees his old Steel armor. It’s talking with him. He realizes he’s been poisoned and collapses. As he struggles to get his footing, a liquid metal overtakes him, followed by an explosion.
WEEK 4, DAY 4
Wonder Girl is dressed in her religious robes. She and some friends/followers are talking with Ralph Dibny. She says she’s preparing for the return of a hero.
“All I had to do was trust his heritage,” she tells Dibny. She tells him that “the waters” showed her someone she thought was lost forever. She asks Dibny if he would like to test them. Dibny agrees.
They push him under. He blacks out and resurfaces. The Fortress of Solitude-like cathedral is empty, and Dibny is suddenly missing his wedding ring.
WEEK 4, DAY 5
A lone figure enters the warehouse Montoya was watches. She and The Question follow the person inside. They seem to loose the person and then find a “secret door.” They slide through a chute and see a monster hauling a large crate around.
The monster hurls the crate as Montoya fires. It smashes open. Inside a variety of alien weaponry. The Question and her battle the monster. Ultimately, Montoya grabs an alien pistol and incinerates the monster. She greatly admires the weapon.
WEEK 4, DAY 7
In Australia, a group of heroes including Geo Force prepares for a Zeta Beam transmission. Halo watches from space as she prays that they’re OK.
The beam arrives. It brings a giant-sized Hawkgirl and others. Among the group (and I’m unable to ID them all), is Sentinel with an eye injury and Bumblebee, who looks dead.
End of issue
My comments: It was good to see Booster Gold acknowledge his connection with Blue Beetle. I know some people have been questioning that he might not even be the same person, but I think this outburst clears it up.
I suspect that if Montoya becomes Batwoman that she will end up using some alien weaponry in her crime-fighting arsenal.
Also, are they setting up a Montoya-Question relationship patterned after the Huntress-Question relationship in “Justice League Unlimited”? That was such a neat pairing that I would love to see it again.
Who are the other people aboard the Zeta Beam? There’s a black guy in a blue and white costume. There’s also a duo. One looks like a gold/metal-skinned cat-person. The other looks like a blobby tar-colored man.
I’m truly bewildered by Wonder Girl’s transformation into a pseudo-religious leader. It doesn’t at all seem like the “common sense” character I’ve seen before.
Also, at some point, did Steel have a “liquid metal” costume? I’m not sure, but he looked very frightened by his own transformation.
What happened to Ralph’s wedding ring? That’s very interesting.
Lastly, I’m really, really digging the “split” book nature of this story. I would really enjoy something like this in an ongoing basis. For example, what if DC decided to do a book like this in an ongoing fashion and used it to intertwine everything that happened in the DCU. That way, they could show how one book affected another. It would make the DCU gel in a way that no other comic universe has done before.
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