52: Volume Two
DC Comics’ 52: VOLUME TWO continues the rather intriguing saga of a year without Earth’s biggest heroes. Corporate-sponsored media hound Booster Gold so desperately wants to fill that void, but his dreams are soon dashed. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor steps up to the plate by granting super powers to normal citizens who want to comprise his first superhero team, but what they don’t know is that his plans are anything but for the public good, and that he can turn those powers off – and does – at any given moment, however inopportune.
Half a world away, in Kahndaq, Gotham City detective Renee Montoya and The Question search for the Intergang to squash, while Black Adam is tamed by the feminine wiles of Isis. And if you’ve seen her lately, you know how this would be entirely possible.
Half a universe away, Adam Strange, Animal Man and Starfire are still trying to get back home, and receive unexpected help from horny intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo. Half insane, Ralph Dibny – the former Elongated Man – continues his quest to resurrect his dead wife, following the floating helmet of Dr. Fate through other dimensions.
But new story threads begin to take shape as well. There’s something going on with an island full of mad scientists, to which Metal Men creator Dr. Magnus is an unwitting fresh arrival. In the absence of the Justice League, second-string heroes like Firestorm, Ambush Bag and Super-Chief volunteer as substitutes, and do a piss-poor job. And a most unlikely villain is revealed.
This second-quarter collection continues to be enthralling to the point of addiction, even if there are some overly strange, self-referential turns of campy comedy late in the book that seem out of step without all the preceding issues. The volume ends back on track – not with a stunning cliffhanger as VOLUME ONE, but with enough unanswered questions that I cannot wait two more months for VOLUME THREE. –Rod Lott
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS SERIES:
• 52: THE NOVEL by Greg Cox
• 52: VOLUME ONE
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THESE AUTHORS:
• PRIVATE WARS by Greg Rucka
• SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY: VOLUME ONE by Grant Morrison
• SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY: VOLUME TWO by Grant Morrison
I didn’t wait for the trade on this one and I can honestly say that I looked forward to every Wednesday for the year it took for this series to play out. It’s just fun with a capital “F”.
And–not to spoil anything–but Mr. Dibny ain’t nearly as crazy as he looks.
Oooh oohh this sounds good. Not to mention the covers brilliant. I really need to buy more comics sometime.