Broken Frontier

This week brings a lightning wedding, a shotgun funeral, and a new space race.

And the beat goes on as 52 rolls to the end of its fourth month. After all this time two of the story threads finally start to twine together but there is a lot more story to go. The writing team of Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, Mark Waid, and Greg Rucka (or MG3 as editor Stephen Wacker has started to shorthand them) take this opportunity to focus on the Marvel Family and their black sheep member.

In a touching and tender moment, Black Adam proposes to Isis (who knew the anti-hero could actually be romantic?) and she readily accepts. Their wedding is planned before the week is out and the rest of the Marvel Family comes to Kahndaq to help them celebrate.

Meanwhile, Montoya and The Question are still in hiding after their prison break. When Renee’s detective mind finally kicks in she realizes what Intergang’s plot is...and it will make for a very unhappy royal wedding in Kahndaq. As the horrible truth is revealed Montoya is forced to make a haunting choice...

Finally, the long-lost space farers of Adam Strange, Animal Man, and Starfire finally escape their alien paradise prison-planet. It is a long way to Earth, however, and a lot can happen along the way.

While a lot happens in this week’s issue compared to previous weeks, the plot still feels a bit rushed. While Black Adam’s proposal is fine and understandable, the speed it leads to wedding strains credulity. There are some really nice character moments here, though, as Black Adam’s fearsome shell cracks in a case of pre-wedding jitters, Mary Marvel expresses skepticism about Black Adam turning over a new leaf, and Captain Marvel seems far more comfortable with the Rock of Eternity than the last time he was seen. Likewise, Montoya’s dilemma also played out well and her discovery of Intergang’s plot shows that she is perhaps on the road to recovery. On the other hand there are, at least for now, several plot holes in the Intergang story that are large enough to swallow a 747.

Despite that the biggest failing in this issue was the short shrift given to Animal Man, Starfire and Adam Strange. The trio only receive a couple of pages and the "highlight" of the writing there is a lame sex joke.

Penciler extraordinaire Joe Bennett returns this issue, along with his regular inker Ruy Jose. This duo did wonders with their run on Hawkman and their skill continues here. The movements of the characters look natural for the most part. There are a few problems to be noted, though. Bennett perhaps goes a little overboard on the cheesecake when it comes to Isis and Mary Marvel. In fact, in one panel of the two of them together their legs are long enough to make a Barbie doll jealous.

Although this issue is not a stunner or a wild ride it is at least solid and interesting enough to break the curse of the mediocre even numbered issues. It is also nice to see some of the various stories tying together. Although the lost-in-space crew is not given much space here, the presence of Lobo on next week’s cover indicates that may change. In the world of 52, the lost are found and the found get lost...where are you?