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Mild Mannered Reviews - Justice League Adventures

Justice League Adventures #30

Scheduled to arrive in stores: April 7, 2004

Cover date: June 2004

Writer: Stuart Moore
Penciller: Tim Levins
Inker: Robin Riggs

"This Better World"

Reviewed by: Adam Dechanel

In 2156, Mek'trop is under attack from super advanced apes. Mektrop is known to us in present day as Metropolis but in the future animals are dominant and humans are enslaved. ChiChi the chimpanzee, Tuftan the tiger and Kamandi a human rebel are racing to find a time machine to try and stop the apes from ever taking over the world.

They find the time machine in a bunker and so ChiChi and Kamandi work at activating the ancient machinery. Tuftan draws his sword and lays down his life trying to slow down the ape army.

Years before, in our present day the Justice League are fighting of the effects of a rogue laser gun in STAR Labs. Green Lantern destroys the laser but not before Flash is struck by the laser, the speedster isn't hurt but his confidence as a hero is knocked. He explains how no matter what he does to help the world it never gets any better.

Superman and GL convince Flash not to quit the superhero gig and turn to ask why Professor Emil Hamilton had called them to STAR.

Hamilton reveals a chimp that has a metagene inside its body, much like many superheroes do he explains. The chimp had developed speech and a mass escape at the zoo he was living in. He tells the League that since they had dealt with super intelligent apes in the past he wanted them present in case his experiment went wrong.

His experiment? ...to speed up the chimps evolution with an 'ultra sonic brain enhancer'.

Suddenly the experiment is interrupted by a pink glow in the lab as a time portal opens.

Bravely, the Flash races into it before it vanishes.

....and appears in the distant future of ChiChi and Kamandi!

They quickly explain that the chimp Hamilton plans to hyper evolve will eventually create a planet of dominant animals and enslave humanity. They had wanted to abduct the chimp before the process but Flash came through instead.

Flash volunteers to change history by going back in time to stop the experiment but just before they can reactivate the machine the apes arrive and attack the rebels. Flash grabs Kamandi and they race out into the open, through a 'frog' wedding and 'rat' race until they find the Cheetah community.

These pirate enthusiasts owe Kamandi a 'blood debt' and agree to help him and the Flash rescue the remaining human survivors while the Ape forces are divided.

They succeed and Flash is astounded to discover that the survivors had lost their humanity after the apes had taken over and descended into savagery.

"I run and run and run... but things never really get any better."

Kamandi disagrees and reawakens the hero in Wally by telling him that without Flash he would have been killed by the apes and the survivors would never have been released... because of the Flash they now have a chance to triumph that without him would never have existed.

The Cheetah pirates inform Kamandi that the time machine has been left weakly guarded and that they were planning to attack the apes with reinforcements while he and the Flash altered time.

While the heroes reprogramme the machine Kamandi informs Flash that no matter what they do, the apes will definitely become super intelligent, however if they are alllowed to do so naturally they will live in peace with humans.

Before Wally vanishes back to the present, Kamandi tells his friend he will always remember the Flash and how he helped make things better.

The apes crash in and attack Kamandi...

...The End ... not so!

Flash reappears at STAR and halts the experiment!

Telling the League and the Professor what had happened, he convinces them to abandon the experiment and to allow nature to take its course.

Green Lantern asks Flash if he knows whether he changed the future. Flash admits he'll never know but that he helped just one person's life was enough.

The future is realigning and Mek'trop is transformed into Greater Metropolis Metroplex where humans and animals live as equals. In fact Kamandi is now Chief of the "Animal-Human Rescue" Team it seems that Flash's work in the future inspired and changed Kamandi's life into helping make everyone work together to make... a better world!

Story - 4: Now last month I nagged about how the quality of the "Adventures in the DCU" titles had died out due to a deterioration of quality in both story and art, and today I freely admit that this issue picked up the slack and was thoroughly entertaining, I just hope every month can be of the same or better quality.

My minus point is just the time travel logic that Kamandi would actually still remember the Flash even though time was re-written (Nit picking I know!)

Art - 5: A big WOW compared to the past few months this was a very well produced issue and the art shone through adding to the quality of the story! The characters all looked just right, pencils, ink and coloring all worked in harmony too!

Cover Art - 5: After last month's very weak offering this is a welcome return to a professional level, a classier look, great coloring, fantastic adventure feel and a high incentive to actually pick up the book! Well done!

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