52 #29 Review

52 continues to be a quality read each and every week. The various plotlines are beginning to merge together as this title races to the conclusion. I’m pretty sure that 52 #29 will be a good read. By the cover, it appears we will be focusing on the old guard of the JSA dealing with the new Infinity Inc. Let’s hit the review.

Creative Team
Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid
Penciler: Chris Batista
Inker: Jack Jadson

Art Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: Week 29, Day 2: We begin with Alan Scott, Wildcat and Jay Garrick meeting at the JSA brownstone for Thanksgiving. No one else showed up. The old guard talks about how the JSA is falling apart in large part due to Lex Luthor’s everyman project popping out metahumans left and right. Outside the JSA brownstone is a Thanksgiving Day parade led by the new Infinity Inc.

Infinity Inc. unveils their newest member of their team: Nicki Jones. Her codename is Jade! Suddenly, Obsidian appears in the brownstone and tells Alan that this isn’t what Jenny would have wanted. That he won’t let Luthor replace Jenny like this. Obsidian then crashes out of the window and attacks the members of Infinity Inc. Obsidian tells Jade to take off the uniform. Alan Scott pulls Obsidian off Jade and tells him that Jenny wouldn’t want Obsidian acting in this fashion. Obsidian agrees and retreats back to the brownstone. The members of Infinity Inc. tell Alan Scott that he and the JSA are “antiques” that the world no longer needs now that they have new young heroes like Infinity Inc.

We shift to Oolong Island where the mad scientists are all sitting down to a Thanksgiving Dinner. Dr. Magnus excuses himself from the table and Dr. Cales follows him into the hallway. Dr. Cales talks about how Magnus is different from the rest of the mad scientists. Different physically and mentally as well as the fact that he is the only one here against his consent. Dr. Cales says that her specialty is technology from another world that has fallen to Earth.

The two scientists then re-join the others at the Thanksgiving Day Dinner. Chung Zhu then enters the room. He complains about how everyone thinks he is repulsive and calls him names behind his back. One guard snickers at Chung Zhu, and Chung Zhu promptly fries him. Chung Zhu yells at Magnus about how Magnus has done nothing to work on building a Plutonium Man. Dr. Cales tells Chung Zhu that Magnus uses medication to suppress his mince/depressive tendencies. That he must take away the meds and let Magnus’ dangerous creative streak return. The guards then grab Magnus who pleads with Morrow to not let them do this to him. That they will make him insane. Morrow ignores Magnus’ please. Dr. Cales mumbles to herself that she will enjoy working with Will Magnus.

We cut back to the JSA brownstone. Only Jay and Wildcat are left. Jay invited Wildcat for dinner with Joan and Bart. Wildcat says he has plans. Jay leaves. Wildcats then begins to drink by himself at the brownstone.

Week 29, Day 4: We see Dr. Mid-Nite examining Gabriel, who is the person who entered Luthor’s everyman program and claimed that Luthor took away his powers. We see Kala from S.T.A.R. Labs talking with Steel. Steel’s metal skin is peeling off. Steel says that they thought that Luthor was using a procedure, some form of reverse therapy, to take away the powers that he gives. However, they were wrong. Steel’s condition proves that there is an expiration date to the powers that Luthor gives people via the Everyman project. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: 52 #29 was a slightly better than average read. The dialogue was average. Nothing special. I did enjoy the shocking twist of having the newest member of Infinite Inc. be an all new Jade. I didn’t see that coming. It was also cool to see Obsidian back in action. I have always liked Obsidian’s character and it is great to see him back with the JSA.

I thought the writers did an excellent job contrasting the new Infinity Inc with the old guard of the JSA. I liked that despite all the adversity, the old lions of the JSA, Jay, Alan and Wildcat, all refuse to give up on the JSA and what their ideals. I’m digging Luthor’s cruel twisting of the JSA’s legacy by taking the Infinity Inc. name and all the codenames and re-making them in his image. This is classic Luthor.

The writers delivered a strong ending that hooks the reader. The revelation that Luthor’s metahuman treatment has an expiration date was a cool twist. I thought that the writers were headed more in the direction of some type of reverse therapy. However, I think that an expiration date is much more interesting. Imagine all of these various new metahumans slowly losing their powers. Imagine the carnage this could lead to if this takes place during a huge battle.

I’m also glad that Steel is losing his metahuman abilities. I liked him much more as a regular human who uses his great intellect to create armor to fight evil. I still have this feeling that DC may kill off Steel in 52 and replace him with Natasha. I really hope not, but I just have this terrible feeling.

The artwork is average. Nothing special. But, we all know that DC has never really been concerned with putting “hot” artwork on this title. It is all about a wonderfully intricate storyline.

The Bad: The pacing came to a screeching halt with this issue. This was a slow issue and up until the final page it failed to advance any plotlines. I found the entire scene on Oolong Island to be far too long and rather boring. That could have been condensed into a two page scene.

Overall: 52 #29 was a better than average, but definitely not one of the stronger issues. This is still a great title and I have a feeling that this issue was a filler issue designed to let the writers catch their breath and get the various plotlines rocking once again.