Heading toward the final chapter, 52: VOLUME THREE continues to stay largely on track as a completely addictive experience/experiment: a comic book as a weekly serial. Seemingly with more story arcs than the series had issues, 52 works because it was blessed with creators who excel at keeping so many balls in the air or so many plates spinning – pick your metaphor.

VOLUME THREE begins with former Elongated Man Ralph Dibny coming face to face with his wife’s killer, thanks to the supernatural doing of The Spectre. Meanwhile, The Question makes a stunning admission to his former Gotham City cop pal Renee Montoya: He’s quickly dying of cancer. At about the same time, she learns of a portend signaling the death of the lipstick-lesbian Batwoman.

Animal Man, Adam Strange and Starfire remain stranded in space, at the mercy of a most unlikely guide: hedonistic bounty hunter Lobo, whose moral compass was broken long ago, if he ever had one. The real crux taking shape, however, is Lex Luthor’s “Everyman” program, which grants superpowers to normal citizens, for a price. With Luthor jealous of all the attention received by the enigmatic superhero Supernova (whose identity finally is revealed, and it’s a surprise), that price may involve their lives, as illustrated in a powerful – and bleakly comic – scene on New Year’s Eve.

New characters to 52’s multilayered storyline show up: TIME MASTERS’ Rip Hunter, a junk-heap version of Red Tornado and Justice Society members Green Lantern, The Flash and Wildcat. How much they have to do with the finale remains to be seen.

And if you’ve stayed with 52 this far, you’ll want to see. Especially after witnessing a couple of “holy shit” moments, like when Isis’ brother flies right through a bad guy, severing him in half. For me, VOLUME 4 can’t get in my hands soon enough. –Rod Lott

Buy it at Amazon.

OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS SERIES:
• 52: THE NOVEL by Greg Cox
• 52: VOLUME ONE
• 52: VOLUME TWO

OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THESE AUTHORS:
• PATRIOT ACTS by Greg Rucka
• PRIVATE WARS by Greg Rucka
• SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY: VOLUME ONE by Grant Morrison
• SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY: VOLUME TWO by Grant Morrison