Broken Frontier

It’s a grudge match – Steel vs. Lex Luthor and with an opening match of Teen Titans vs. Infinity, Inc. You wanted battle action? You got it.

With only twelve weeks to go, some of the winding plots of 52 have begun to entwine while others wind down. 52 has been promising a year without Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman but not a year without heroes. Nowhere is that more apparent than here.

Lex Luthor now has it all – wealth, influence, a super team at his fingertips with Infinity, Inc., and finally all the powers of Superman. He also has the perfect bait for the hero who has been a thorn in his side. With a battered Natasha Irons, Lex throws down the gauntlet to Steel and John Henry is only too happy to pick it up. Irons also picks up some assistance on the way to Lexcorp in the form of the Teen Titans (this time with a roster of Aquagirl, Offspring, Beast Boy and Raven). Steel may not be Superman but he still wears the emblem of the Man of Steel and it’s time for Luthor to respect the "S." Meanwhile, Kahndaq suffers under an apocalyptic (or is that Apokaliptic?) rain and Osiris makes a fateful decision because of it.

In this issue, 52 truly shows itself a subtle sequel to Infinite Crisis. Readers of the Infinite Crisis series will remember that Batman accused Superman of failing to inspire other people and other heroes for years. Now here, long after the aftermath of that crisis, readers see how that situation has changed. Neither Superman nor Clark Kent appears in this issue and yet Superman is present throughout nearly the entire battle. Steel originally took his inspiration from Superman and with his every action in this battle he lives up to that model of heroism – a model that John Henry had been trying to show Natasha from the start. Ironically, it is even a point that Luthor himself makes – power is not free. Readers see how Luthor has both overtly and covertly smeared the heroic standard and this group of true heroes intends to restore the heroic luster.

Pencils this issue are handled by Chris Batista, a 52 regular. After all this time he has settled into a comfortable place with these characters. His style has something of a traditional comic book look, which is just what is called for in a traditional comic book hero – villain throw-down. In point of fact, Batista pulled a plum of a job getting the chance to illustrate a battle royale between Steel and a super powered Lex Luthor and his pencils do not fail.

A year without DC’s three biggest heroes does not mean that those characters are gone from the scene. There is a legacy and a standard to live up to and that standard is clearly and elegantly on display this issue. "Look, up in the sky!"