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Mild Mannered Reviews - Justice League Unlimited

Justice League Unlimited #14

Justice League Unlimited #14

Scheduled to arrive in stores: September 8, 2005

Cover date: November 2005

Writer: Adam Beechen
Penciller: Carlo Barberi
Inker: Walden Wong
Cover Art: Kelsey Shannon

"Everybody Limbo!"

Reviewed by: Adam Dechanel

Click to enlarge



"Holy Guacamole...! I'm smokin' hot!" howls Wonder Woman. Well OK not Diana - it's Deadman, a ghostly being able to possess the body of others. Deadman's mission is to maintain spiritual order and seeking the Justice League is the way to do it.

'Wonder Woman' explains that Abnegazar, Rath and Ghast are upsetting the spiritual balance by taking over limbo. Booster is puzzled until the Flash explains all about Deadman and Limbo, the waiting room to heaven and hell where the dead wait.

Superman and the core members of the League offer to aid Deadman but he turns them down. Only the Leaguers with specific powers can help to exorcise the trio of villians, Leaguers also known as; the trenchcoat brigade!

Phantom Stranger, Dr Occult, Zauriel, Etrigan, Zatanna and Dr Fate form the team however they don't get on very well with opposing forces of Heaven and Hell taking an instant disgust of one another.

Deadman exits Diana's body and leads the brigade into Limbo. Zauriel is cautious and warns that Etrigan will betray them at the first opportunity. Angry, the two launch into fisticuffs until Zatanna urges them to put aside their differences until they defeat the trio of demons that await them.

They arrive to see the dead trapped. The trio of demons have blocked the entrances to Heaven and Hell and they beg for help. Assessing the situation Zatanna begins casting a reversal spell. Suddenly one of the trio pops up and grabs her. Then another attacks Phantom Stranger and Dr Occult. Dr Fate confronts the final demon but since the demons have taken over Limbo their magic has become much stronger - strong enough to take down Fate and even Deadman.

Zauriel realizes it was a trap and that Rath, Ghast and Abnegazar were waiting for them. Fending off the demons he asks Etrigan for help. Etrigan laughs revealing that it was him that betrayed the other magical beings.

As a sign of friendship the trio offer Etrigan the killing blow to Zauriel and Etrigan readily accepts. The male members are trapped in a containment spell as a magical chandelier. Zatanna's mouth is being covered by one of the demon brothers so she cannot complete the spell to free the souls.

The Stranger is curious and asks why it is they are doing what they do. Zauriel growls that Etrigan is a betrayer and the Demon explains he sides only with the strong. The cocky trio elaborate that though their barrier is strong Heaven and Hell could still free them from outside but if they destroy the mystical League members they can be more powerful than ever.

Zatanna and her vocal magic spells are all they need to destroy the trenchcoat brigade. Etrigan offers to rip the words right out of her mouth and the wretched trio offer up the magician as his prize. Time slows down a thousandfold as the suspected Leaguer performs the killing claw...

Unfortunately for the trio the blow is to slash the hands of Zatanna's captor. A shocked Zatanna performs a freedom spell to release the brigade and they gather to defeat the trio.

The demons combine their powers to destroy the League, ready for a powerful assault. Dr Occult explains the trio were able to defeat them before because they weren't prepared or working as a team this time with their powers combined the trio are weak.

With the trio dead the barriers trapping the souls in Limbo vanish, the brigade have succeeded and they prepare to leave. Etrigan however bids them farewell and makes his way to the Hellmouth. Zauriel stops him to question the Demon.

If Etrigan had aided the trio darkness would have won the day? Etrigan grins and explains he has other plans to win the day, darkness will win but just not today...

5Story - 5: An enjoyable romp and it even addresses the gripes I had before. Flash explained the back story to Deadman so there was no bewilderment for new readers, the story was fun and involved a rarely used group of League members, it even had a threat for a future story arc - treating the reader with the possibility of continuity. In other words - Everyone's happy.

4Art - 4: The faces of the brigade seemed a little oddly characterized but otherwise I have no serious nitpicking.

5Cover Art - 5: It was finally a cover that sold the issue! Well composed and brilliantly coloured can we have more like this??



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2005

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