Broken Frontier

The penultimate chapter of "The Lightning Saga" dawns as the Legionnaires pick up another time-lost member and the JLA and JSA find themselves playing catch-up.

What began as an intriguing, modern twist on the old Earth-1 and Earth-2 team-ups of the past has become bogged down in a slow moving plot and mired in nostalgia. Although there are some good moments here, ultimately this issue does not seem up to writer Geoff Johns’ usual standards for this title.

Having slipped the custody of both the JLA and the JSA, the Legionnaires Starman, Karate Kid, Dream Girl, Dawnstar, Timber Wolf, and Wildfire make their way to the Suicide Swamp to pick up the last member of their team. Too bad for them a contingent of JSA and JLA members have already beaten them to the punch. The JLA/JSA team finds a Legionnaire as well as a villain from the future... but are things really what they seem? By the time all this is sorted out it may be too late to save the day.

Legion of Superheroes fans are more than likely happy with seeing familiar characters and favorite stories referenced in this issue. The problem is that, with one issue left to go, readers are still not sure exactly why these characters are there and what, if anything, those old tales touched on might mean for this current event. Even worse, the sub-plot with the three villains is completely missing from this issue. Despite the opaque story, Geoff Johns does provide a few moments of levity and interesting character development. A new clue is dropped about the nature of Cyclone’s powers, readers learn a little bit more about Damage’s struggles, Liberty Belle tries to set Wonder Woman up on some dates and Superman reminiscences about his time with the Legion.

This issue also sees the return of Dale Eaglesham to penciling duties and his style is extremely welcome. Eaglesham has a knack and a flair for these characters and their costumes that is difficult to top. His version of Triplicate Girl, for example, honestly looks like a young woman in her late teens or early twenties. His rendition of Wonder Woman is regal but also practical and warrior-like. Eaglesham’s artistry can especially be seen in the highly detailed backgrounds and amazing fight sequences.

Ultimately, for a story arc with so much potential, "The Lightning Saga" seems headed towards a rather anti-climactic ending. This reviewer, for one, is simply hoping that in the end the story finally arrives somewhere. While this issue is rife with those clever and humanizing touches that are trademarks of Geoff Johns’ writing, those moments are just not enough to balance out a story scattered to the four winds.