Deep in the heart of the Zeta Beam resides what remains of archeologist Adam Strange. From this strange source that intersects through time and space, Strange is able to see where every point in the universe connects. This allows him to pass the information onto Alanna Strange who uses her team to recruit specific individuals to save the day. It’s such a simple premise that allows for amazing storytelling. I won’t sugarcoat it, I love it!
The recruitment scenes are one of the bests parts in this title. Mainly because I enjoy seeing Animal Man, but it also gives a good glimpse to the personality of the hero (or villain) they choose. This is also the only time that you see the head honcho, Strange. It gives a natural explanation for why certain characters were chosen. This scene in particular was great because it offered more information on the Zeta Beam, Adam Strange, and the Breakers. Besides the main JLU members (Alanna Strange, Equinox, Animal Man, and Star Girl), this issue adds the likes of Batgirl, Vandal Savage, Doom Patrol’s Robotman (not a robot), and Steel (also not a robot).
The new Breaker that the freshly assembled team must tackle seems like something out of the Twilight Zone. A war concentrated on one city, trapped in a bubble. Inside, an orchestra of combatants from different eras, specifically the two world wars. The nature of this war breaker is so intriguing. I think maybe it’s just my love for all things sci-fi that has me going crazy over it all, but I love it. The setting is such a great choice, and the interactions between the JLU members is awesome and very believable. The choice of characters don’t seem forced, and they play off one another very well. As they enter the fray to try and assess the situation you honestly feel that this is the way a crew who was thrown together would operate to the current situation. Trapped in small time barriers, mostly everyone in the Breaker is fighting their own battle. There appear to be small pockets that are not affected or at least not as time warped as others. For example, most of the technology predates 1950s, but there are a few vehicles and weapons that aren’t even available in the 21st century. Plus, Star Girl gets shot out of the sky by an old plane, but the ammunition appears to be something other than bullets. It’s not out of the ordinary with the way Breakers work, but it could be a clue into a way to destroy this war bubble.
The pages of Justice League United always have a great look to them in my opinion. The stories deal with very serious threats in a not so serious tone. The danger and urgency are still very present, but the changing rosters and the type of problems they’re dealing with are very unique. They have a terrific surreal feeling to them, and Paul Pelletier and Jeromy Cox establish that here in the issue. Pelletier’s pencils are very nice. The characters all look good, but what I like the most are the choices of background and the layouts of the pages. The story just flows nicely as you read and gaze over the pages. Since this Breaker is in such a condensed space, there’s an overload of color throughout the book. I love it because one can only imagine that it would be total chaos inside of a time displaced war bubble!
Recommended if:
- You enjoy WWII era stories
- You’ve been following Justice League United
- You like macho immortal man VANDAL SAVAGE
Overall:
Thanks to the allotted number of characters that pass through the lineup of the JLU and the nature of the story, this title is able to venture off into numerous genres and interesting dilemmas. The concept of Breakers could be an entire season or even a main driving force of a show. A time warped battlefield makes for great material, and having it tie back to Savage made the story worthwhile. I think these serve as great subplots to the overarching story dealing with Alanna and Adam Strange. This is just a fun title and I really enjoy it every time.
SCORE: 8.5 / 10
