The action and revelations continue as Green Arrow arrives to give the team some trouble. What is his relation to the team?
The Good
I have to admit, last issue felt a little rough to me. There were moments the art simply didn't work for me along with a couple moments of cheesiness. I'm happy to say this issue is getting it all back on track. The main thing I like is Geoff Johns is re-introducing the characters but is sneaking in little revelations. He's showing us how things were along with new information that is changing how we look at others.
Last issue when the story jumped to the present (after the five years ago in the first arc), it was a little odd that we would still have the same exact team after five years. This issue touches on that fact. Throw in Green Arrow and we not only get some answers but it proves to be pretty entertaining as well. I've been trying to read GREEN ARROW but I have to say I much prefer the way he was written here than he has been in his own book.
What about the art? Last issue, I'm not sure what happened. I was both a little shocked and saddened by the art. This issue's art by Carlos D'anda, Ivan Reis and Joe Prado was a welcomed sight. It has that hard and detailed superhero look that makes the action feel bigger than it is. Jim Lee will be back and this will hold me over until then.
Of course the added bonus is the back up story continuing to show the new origin of Billy Batson and Shazam by Johns and Gary Frank is a treat.
The Bad
It was good to see Green Arrow here but the fact that he felt different was a little weird. Yes, this title shouldn't be at fault for what's going on in another title but it'd be nice if I could enjoy that title more.
I mentioned I did enjoy the art. The only tiny exceptions is Wonder Woman looked a little dainty and Cyborg was pretty massive at times.
The Verdict
Last issue was a little rough for me but this issue is quickly reminding me why I've been enjoying the series. New revelations fill the story with why the team still consists of the same original members. Throwing Green Arrow into the mix gives us a different perspective on the team and gives us a version of Ollie that we can actually enjoy reading. As good as it was reading Ollie here, it also gave a slightly strange feeling since it feels like he's a different (and better) character than the Green Arrow appearing in his own book. The art was an improvement. We're waiting for the return of Jim Lee but the action scenes here played out nicely and the back up feature on Billy Batson makes the $3.99 price a sweet deal.