The cover: It’s true–Blue Beetle and Booster Gold are back! This illustration from Howard Porter and Hi-Fi shows the boys are into their typical BWA-HA-HA-HA! trouble as a gigantic blue bug is chasing after the pair in a futuristic setting. The five members of the Justice League look on from circles on the left. I love when covers use this layout (the heads off to the side) because it gives me the warm fuzzies from comics back in the day. The art is good–Duh! It’s Porter, and he’s got an incredible eye for detail. Take a look at all he’s put into the machine chasing the heroes and the setting they’re in. Additionally, his characters look terrific. The coloring on this is also good, with the blue in the logo, machine and beetle standing out sweetly against the yellow background. Hi-Fi also was smart for putting the five JLers in orange to make them stand outs as well. Overall grade: A
The story: Booster and Beetle were found last issue in two “outdated, barely functioning cryogenic crypts” on Takron-Galtos. The entire world is a prison planet and the two decide to check things out after speaking with Sheriff Tariq, who happens to be possessed by Convert. While he leaves them to their own devices, he’s going to speak with Terry about their unexpected appearances. Writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis have the pair of heroes get into trouble by finding out that they are actually on Earth and that spurs one of them to look up an old haunt. There they find something that could be useful to them, if only it hadn’t been found by someone else long ago who considers the property his own. This was an okay read, but felt more like an interlude with what has been going on with the Justice League. Granted, they need some down time after what’s been happening with them, but that they got that rest last month. I enjoy Beetle and Booster, but I was really enjoying the League. Unless the recently revived duo meet up with them, their appearance doesn’t really do much for the book. The three pages that the League was on was good, though two of those pages are a double-paged spread showcasing one member enjoying herself. Fun antics that brought back some great members of the blue and the gold when they were in Justice League decades ago, but doesn’t do anything for this team. Overall grade: B
The art: There’s nothing to slight in Howard Porter’s work on this book. The issue begins subtly with Booster waking up in a “normal” bedroom and meeting up with Booster, and then the future hits them like a load of bricks on the second page splash. Their faces emote wonderfully throughout and make the humorous dialogue funnier (Page 3, panel three; Page 4, panel five; Page 6, panel two; the top of 16; Page 18, panel five; and Page 19, panel two). The double-paged spread of 10 and 11 is amazing. Story-wise, it didn’t have to take two pages to sell this idea to readers, but with Porter doing the visuals, Giffen and DeMatteis knew he could make it look incredible, and he does. As with the cover, there’s a wealth of details to be found in this book, such as on Page 2, 6,7, 10 and 11, 14, and 20. You could spend a forever looking to find all the hidden bits throughout this book, such as on Page 9 a man begs in the street wearing Starro on his face, and a few panels later a star is highlighted again. Hmmm…could this be some competition for Convert? The book looks great because Porter’s at the helm. Overall grade: A
The colors: Making Porter’s work look better is the coloring from Hi-Fi. I love how they’re able to make objects in the distance faded, providing an instant depth to the image. This is created right on Page 1 when Ted opens the door. When on the streets of the city the effect is used often and it works every time. Hi-Fi also does an exceptional job on characters’ skin, such as the two individuals on Page 5. The blue and yellow on 10 and 11 is something out of a heroic dream! I also enjoy the way sound effects and dialogue are colored, such as “My stuff!” towards the end of the book. Overall grade: A+
The letters: The future is fun to read with Rob Leigh providing lettering, including a drowsy voice, dialogue, story title and credits, and sounds. The ending RARRRCHes were my favorites. Overall grade: A
The final line: The art is beautiful, but I want the focus to be on the leads, not two characters from the past. Overall grade: A-
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