I have to admit, while I’ve been enjoying Justice, that this is the first issue that’s made enough of an impression that I can remember the story a couple of days after I read it. I remember thinking that the other issues were cool, and not just because of Alex Ross’s art, but the plot just slipped out of my head almost as soon as I’d finished the issue.

This issue, though, sets the stage pretty well. Supervillains have been acting heroically, healing the sick and doing what they can to make the world a better place. Lex Luthor addresses the people, explaining that, sure, the Justice League has saved the world from various crises, but as soon as they’ve done that, they simply turn their backs, leaving the world in the same suffering state it’s always been in. The “villains”, though, are building cities, cities without disease, without poverty, and they’re inviting people to become a part of it, even while they’re systematically eliminating the Justice League one at a time. Superman is attacked by Bizarro, Solomon Grundy, the Parasite, and Metallo in turn. Simultaneously, heroes all over the world are under assault — Green Arrow and Black Canary are attacked in their(?) apartment, Hawkman and Hawkwoman are attacked at the museum, Wonder Woman is under attack by Cheetah, and The Atom is shot by a would-be assassin. Superman pages the Flash for help, but as Barry’s on his way, he comes to the startling realization that he can’t stop, and he’s running so fast that he’s in some sort of time loop.

As I was reading this one, I decided I have to go back and dig up the old issues to re-read this mini as a whole. Until this point, I have to confess, I was mostly just admiring the art and not paying a lot of attention to the story, other than thinking that there were a lot of individual scenes that I was enjoying. I’m looking forward to the rest of this series now, and I’m anxious to go back and see what I’ve missed.