The delay certainly hurt momentum, but Justice League #29 is a great issue for Cyborg and The Metal Men. Personally, I would love to see a “Cyborg & The Metal Men” comic once Forever Evil is finally over and done with because this group of characters is fun. All of the ingredients of a fun superhero comic are here, including a quality villain. You really can’t ask for a better arch enemy for Cyborg than the corrupted remains of his former robot body and the showdown featured through the bulk of this issue should satisfy. If you’ve been waiting for Cyborg to have his “Neo moment” then this will be a must-buy for you for sure. However, if you don’t like Cyborg or the Metal Men then this is definitely a book to avoid, but otherwise I fully recommend it to even new readers unfamiliar with the Forever Evil saga. Issue #29 does a good job of supplying the necessary recap because let’s face it, Justice League hasn’t had a decent jumping-on point in a while and with all the delays with this and Forever Evil it can be hard to keep track of where we stand. You’ll not only be brought up to speed on Forever Evil, but Trinity War and the origins of Cyborg, Grid, and The Metal Men. It’s a surprisingly accessible comic for a penultimate chapter in a storyline that’s been going on for… jeez, I don’t even remember when it wasn’t going on! Speaking of Trinity War, whatever happened to those seven deadly sins or The Question? Anyway… As I was saying, issue #29 is a nice balance of recap, explosive action, and iconic superhero moments that should convince you of how much promise Cyborg and The Metal Men hold for future adventures. The dialogue between Grid and Cyborg does get a bit repetitive and it’s a pretty predictable exchange, but it’s a scene that means well even if it doesn’t quite have the depth it’s trying to convey. At the very least it comes with some cool visuals. Speaking of which, the issue is illustrated by Doug Mahnke with a cover by Ivan Reis and I definitely did a double-take on the cover, did you? At first I was like, “oh it’s the Metal Men,” then “oh it’s Justice Lea–nope, I was right the first time.” Mahnke’s style came off very similar to Reis’ work throughout the issue and I was actually surprised to read the credits when I was through. Still, it’s a gorgeous issue with a great sense of motion during the vivid action sequences and when it’s time to give The Metal Men or Cyborg their big iconic hero moment, Mahnke totally delivers with panels guaranteed to make fans happy. There’s on in particular that’s a very twisted take on the classic “Superman opening the shirt” image that I wont’ be forgetting anytime soon. Reader’s should also expect to see a number of cameos with Mahnke’s unique take on the New 52 design of some baddies making their New 52 debut. More notes in the spoiler tags below:
- I did find the ultimate defeat of Grid to be a little underwhelming. I would’ve liked something a little more dramatic to have rushed to Victor’s mind before he found the strength to turn the tide and I also don’t think that Grid’s final panel effectively portrayed the horror and isolation he was experiencing in that final moment. Perhaps an additional panel of him standing as the only entity in an endless abyss would’ve driven it home, but there just weren’t enough pages, which brings me to my next point
- I was also disappointed that The Metal Men’s fight with the Fearsome Five happened off-page. We saw them on the verge of fighting and then we came back in time to see the final punch thrown. Again, we needed more pages
Recommended If…
- You’re looking for a jumping-on point. This issue does a good job of bringing new readers up to date on Cyborg’s origin, The Metal Men’s origin, what happened in Trinity War, and where we currently stand as of issue #6 of Forever Evil. All that recap might be tedious to regular readers, but it’ll be a godsend to the uninitiated and those who have forgotten a few details what with the book’s frequent delays
- The idea of Doug Mahnke drawing ENORMOUS super hero action sounds worth the price of admission alone
- The previous issue devoted to The Metal Men was something you really enjoyed
- You love Cyborg and have been waiting for him to have a showdown with Grid
- If the name “The Fearsome Five” gets you excited
- You liked a certain easily-brought-down villain from the Arkham Origins video game
Overall
A solid issue that should rekindle your interest in the much-delayed Forever Evil saga. A must-buy for fans of Cyborg.
SCORE: 8.5/10
