This is the beginning of the second story arc under Si Spurrier – and we begin with a lot of trouble for everyone! A lot of storytellers will say “no one is safe”…but in this case it is absolutely true. NO ONE is safe! We will finally find out a bit more about the mysterious Inspector Pilgrim…but you may not like what you learn. Wanna know more? Follow us after the jump!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
We leave behind last issue’s reveal of the “Crown of Thawnes”…to a world (and time) that still spirals into chaos. Max and Bart appear to face certain doom. But, they are rescued (at least that’s what it seems) by The Linear Men!
Long-time fans will remember the Linear Men’s first appearance in SUPERMAN back in the early 1990s. They have appeared in various iterations since, but this version of the Linear Men is very different from that original group. It turns out that the mysterious Inspector Pilgrim is one of the Linear Men, and he explains what is happening to time to Max and Bart. We’ll come back to them in a moment. But first…
Everyone is acting strangely. Linda appears to be in a trance. Barry is out of control. Any semblance of reality seems to be falling apart at the seams. But for now, we go back to Max and Bart…To find that the Linear Men have an unbelievable number of speedsters and time travelers in stasis, including Gold Beetle.
Inspector Pilgrim claims that beings called Arc Angles revealed to him, “reality’s crumbling because speedsters keep using their powers.” That’s motivating what the Linear Men are doing with all those speedsters and chrononauts.
Bart suddenly realizes that he and Max were not really “rescued” by the Linear Men. They were arrested! Max and Bart are added to the speedsters captured by the Linear Men – who will save them?
We end this issue with Max and Bart captured, Linda in a trance-like state, Barry still unable to make sense of what’s going on…and where has Wally been? We get a glance at his whereabouts at the end of the issue, but he is in no condition to save the day, at least not yet. Like we said before, no one is safe!
NOTES:
- Si Spurrier has given us something close to a CRISIS level of danger. This is an excellent start to the arc, with a threat so unfathomably big that you have to wonder how our heroes can even survive, much less save the day.
- The artwork continues to be excellent – trippy, for sure, but that perfectly fits the vibe of this storyline.
- One side note – Inspector Pilgrim notes some connection to Gold Beetle – can’t wait to see how that pans out.
SUMMARY
This is a solid start to the latest story arc. If you wanted to see the good guys win, you’ll have to wait. But, if you want to see a great story, it may all be starting right here. I’ll give this issue an 8/10. Of course, that’s just my opinion. What do YOU think? Leave your comments below!