Review: Justice League Odyssey #19
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Dan Abnett
Artists:Â Cliff Richards
Colors: Rain Beredo
Letters:Â Andworld Design
Cover: José Ladrönn
Reviewed by: Seth Singleton
Summary
Justice League Odyssey #19:  Lost beyond the edge of the universe, the misfit team of Justice League Odyssey crosses paths with Epoch. The Lord of Time has a great plan to solve everything, but it might be the single most dangerous thing anyone has ever done. As Jessica Cruz and her team try to figure out if he’s a genius, or crazy-or both-time is running out. A new threat is closing in on them, in the form of Darkseid’s latest generation of lethal New Gods.
Positives
Communication is key in any power dynamic. The coded computer language shared by Darkseid’s assassin team is a great detail that introduces communication between Darkseid’s artificial intelligence and the team. It reveals the command structure that is the internal dialogue they all share. This creates a fun contrast to the terse dialogue between Psykot who calls place they are searching “the reef” and is studying the residual engrams and Starfire who states that “target site” is a more than sufficient name.
Time is like memory. Both are subjective. Epoch claims he is the Lord of Time. The approaching assassins mock his title. Jessica Cruz questions his omniscience. In turn, Jessica’s claim that she is receiving insider intelligence from Victor Stone is also challenged. First, on the idea that the messages are real. Secondly, that even if they are real they must be disinformation and a plot to deceive the team.
Time is also truth. Epoch claims that three attackers have and will slay them all. He plays out different scenarios so that the team can watch themselves die again and again. Jessica rebuts this theory on the basis that Cyborg said there would be four attackers. I love this tension almost as much as I love Epoch’s grammatically superior use of tense when he is talking about future possible events.
Finally I love the teamwork when the decision is made to face the assassins. Dexstarr is brilliantly violent and Orion and Gamma Knife make an excellent pair.
Negatives
I’m loving this book and the slow patient pacing of a long duel.
Verdict
The power of this book is the discovery of Jessica Cruz. Her growth and dynamic approaches create powerful waves that resonate with every character. The result is a chain reaction of great storytelling. Dan Abnett and his amazing team have cemented this space-faring odyssey into an epic.
