Justice League: Generation Lost #23
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Fernando Dagnino
The cover says “The End Is Coming…” and it’s true. There’s only one more issue for this title, and if you didn’t know going in, trust me, you know by the end. Judd Winick promised us big action to wrap it up, and we get it and then some. There’s a lot going on in this issue, and I don’t mean plots simmering, but I do mean a lot of sweet sweet JLI vs OMAC action.
The issue kicks off with our heroes fighting the OMAC wave that had descended on New York in search of Wonder Woman….or did they? We find out early that the OMACs are global, scanning, searching….for the JLI. Wonder Woman doesn’t exist, but Max has played his old team every step of the way, why stop now? Why make this easy when he’s so close to everything he wanted, to finally getting his revenge? I guess it’s only made better by the OMAC army being a distraction to bring out Diana and the JLI, and the real bad guy being set aside for after Max splits the team up. Max releases his ultimate weapon on those who make it to the party, and it’s very Max. I mean, it’s not Max, but they definitely know he created it.
The new foe, Max’s ultimate OMAC, is a beast to say the very least. He provides a threat that no one member of the assembled JLI can stop alone, even with Wonder Woman’s help, and it creates a pretty cool fight scene. Hell, there’s even a moment that reminds me of the Death of Superman, with the heroes all firing long range at the villain who completely no sells them, and hey look, three of these people were there for that fight too! The team branches one more time as one character leaves the fight to go after Max on their own in what is easily one of my favorite moments of the issue.
I would love to see Fernando Dagnino get art duties, or at least alternating art duties, on a future JLI title. The opening pages with the army of OMACs in the sky is just creepy, and I really like the way he draws the team itself. The action is clear, which remains incredibly important as this issue is more than half action, and it feels fresh too. Diana is a nice visual addition to this title, Dagnino does a a really nice job with her new costume, and again with the fighting, her style comes across uniquely. There are a lot of nice touches in this issue.
Twenty-three down, one to go. Max Lord has Checkmate, he has OMACs, and he’s going for the kill on Wonder Woman. The JLI is all that stands in his way, and this isn’t going to be a cake walk. Can the team defeat this new beast he’s created? Will everyone survive? Will the League stay together when it’s all said and done? Oh, and most importantly, will we finally see Booster give Max the beating he’s been deserving for so long? I don’t want to wait a few more weeks, I want the finale now!
Overall?
8.5/10
