Lex Luthor has the cosmic doorknob known as the Totality. He’s looking to rework the multiverse in the name of Doom. The Justice League needs to find some answers to save the day.
Well, some of that may happen in the third volume of Scott Snyder and James Tynion’s epic Justice League run, subtitled Hawkworld.
While the rest of the main League was dealing with the Drowned Earth, John Stewart, J’onn J’onzz, and Kendra Saunders are looking for answers from an ancient Martian J’onn found on Thanagar. Since the break in the Source Wall, Thanagar has rebuilt itself and become a depository for many of the galactic powers most prized possessions, weapons, and secrets, basically making it an outer space version of a Swiss bank. But something isn’t right, something the planet’s current ruler, Shayera Hol, isn’t telling anyone, particularly Kendra who sort of is her.
Hawk reincarnation is weird sometimes.
Plus, back on Earth, the timelost Starman may have a way to fix the Source Wall. There’s something behind the Source Wall, something deliberately locked out of all reality with a connection to the Monitor, Anti-Monitor, and World Forger. The heroes need to seal that thing away again. Lex Luthor wants to get that being’s power for himself. The latter option isn’t good for anyone.
Snyder’s story, like Dark Night: Metal before it, seems to be there to mostly beat the heroes down. They have some successes, but not many, and evil is clearly winning the day at this point. J’onn even tries personally talking Lex down seeing as how the two were actually childhood friends at one point. Nothing much seems to be making the universe safer. But still the heroes keep trying. If nothing else, they had optimism and hope on their side.
Likewise, Tynion, when he isn’t co-writing with Snyder, gives us a look at what the Legion is up to. Why did the Joker join? How does he feel about the Batman Who Laughs, AKA the guy supposedly locked in the basement? And how does Luthor control the rebuilt Braniac? This is more good stuff, giving the bad guys as much of a spotlight as the heroes.
So, really, I like this series.  9 out of 10 New God departures.
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