You’d think the one upside of Forever Evil being delayed so long in its final chapters is that Justice League would have a chance to catch up and eventually resume a more steady shipping schedule. That hasn’t been the case so far. This series is caught a couple months behind the pack, exploring how the new incarnation of the Justice League comes to be even as we’re already seeing said League in action in books like Robin Rises. Justice League could definitely use a pacing boost right now, but there’s enough enjoyable material in this issue that the slower pace is hardly a deal-breaker.

While the cover suggests this issue will continue to focus on the showdown between Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor, Johns instead turns his attention to the hunt for Jessica Cruz, the new Power Ring. The fact that the new Doom Patrol are the first responders at the scene of Power Ring’s fiery carnage allows Johns to explore the team in greater depth than ever before. This process begins with a flashback as Dr, Caulder introduces Element Woman (and by extension, the readers) to her new teammates. It’s a pretty elegant way of setting the stage without lingering too long on setup.

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