Check out that cover, huh? “As Apokolips burns, Green Lantern falls – and the Earth is left unprotected!” Yeah, that doesn’t happen. Actually, Green Lantern is barely in this issue at all, and that’s a good thing. What we get instead is a Daniel Wilson story full of self-examination and acceptance in a time of dire strife. If you’ve been debating whether or not to continue reading this book, this will sway you to keep on reading; more importantly, it made me care about the previously hollow characters that pop up all over this book.
Geneva Ruins: Thomas and Helena Wayne are the only Wonders left on the rim of the Geneva Firepit. Being separated from the rest of the Wonders gives them some time to reflect on the last few days and have a heart-to-heart moment that fans of this book were waiting for. One of the underlying storylines of this series was the discord between Thomas and Helena, with both rejecting the other due to the pain of losing Bruce. Seeing Helena thank Thomas for saving her life and breaking her from Darkseid’s control was a nice little fist pump scene.
Atom’s Haven: Very short scene here with the other Geneva Wonders. Val, Kara, and Red Tornado Lois are cleaning up the rest of the proto-Furies when Lois has her own introspective moment. She brings up how similar she is to the Apokoliptian androids, while Val and Kara argue that she is more human and organic than any other android or robot. In the Command Center, Major Sato and Steel (remember him!?) are looking at computers and then at Val and Kara repairing the Haven. They talk about how hope is all they have left.
France: Thomas and Helena are dropped off at a World’s Army outpost by rescue chopper and are given more time to rekindle their familial bond. There is another scene where Thomas brings up how much Helena looks like Selina and Bruce, while Helena says she sees Bruce in Thomas as well. Thomas receives a phone call from Jimmy updating him about the current state of affairs on Earth 2, and telling him of some secret information intended for Helena from Bruce. I could have read an entire issue of just Helena and Thomas talking this way.
Amazonia: Mr. Terrific and Fury are doing tests on trans-dimensional manipulation or something. The science of World’s End is lost on me, because it probably is impossible in the realm of real physics. Mr. Terrific learns how to use Fury’s abilities to create aero-discs to float on.
Apokolips: Darkseid unleashes a terraformer onto Earth 2. Nothing to see here, move along.
Russia: The Avatars of the Parliament of Elements (doesn’t that sound like a 1976 one-hit wonder funk band?) begin falling one by one to an unseen assailant until Green Lantern is all that remains. He is summoned to the Parliament of Elements where Deathspawn has defeated all but the Green. It would seem that these two will fight for the survival of the planet.
While I enjoyed the focus on story-telling and character development in this issue, I found the artwork of Kirkham et al. lacking this week. In an issue so focused on getting across emotions and conflicted feelings, there was very little difference between any given character’s face. Thomas in particular suffered greatly from the different art teams that take up each segment. I don’t expect perfect consistency between art teams, but it was a very noticeable change.
One glaring fault I found with this book: Where is Dick Grayson?! It’s been two issues without any Grayson-looking-for-his-son story arc. This was consistently the best segment of this book, and while the other divisions have picked up the slack, it is alarming to see him missing for so long.
- It seems that Bruce left something behind for Helena in case the world was in true peril or in the event of his death. Jimmy tells Thomas that it has something to do with Ollie Queen. This has some significance with those who have read Future’s End.
Favorite Quote: “I didn’t want to say it…I didn’t want to even see it. The resemblance.” – Thomas Wayne.
Recommended If…
- You want to have the feels.
- You’ve been waiting for some strong character moments.
- You want a World’s End that’s actually…really good?
Overall: This book was a pleasant surprise to read. It was the first book in a few months that felt like a worthwhile read, and lights a small fire of hope in my heart for the conclusion of this story. While I was put off by some of the artwork, there were a number of great scenes between some undervalued characters. If you’ve been following World’s End so far, or are a fan of Thomas Wayne, pick this book up.
SCORE: 8/10
