Justice League 24: Forever Evil Review

Image Justice League 24 continues the company-wide cross-over "Forever Evil" by aiming its focus on showcasing the backward origin of Ultraman. After conquering their own world (Earth 3), Ultraman and his Crime Syndicate cohorts arrive on the main DC Universe Earth, and immediately target the world's heroes. But, first this issue, "Forever Strong" begins by rocketing us back to a time (25 years ago) and to a galaxy (another universe) far, far away, with the demise of planet Krypton. But, as is the case with everything from parallel comic worlds, everything that appears the same on the surface becomes jarringly different as one looks closer. Panic and greed has consumed Kryptonian inhabitants in their final moments, perhaps there all along in this alternate dark version, as they trample and claw their way to any available rocket to escape. Unfortunately for them, their attempts to flee all pose a potential risk to baby Kal, and the blood-thirsty Jor-Il of this planet dispenses of them with ease and shoots off his son in his ship from the doomed Krypton, but instead of parting words of inspiration or love from his parents, Jor-Il tells his wife to "shut up and die", as the planet crumbles around them. It becomes even more apparent that Ultraman's origin takes the Superman template and injects it with hatred and contempt when showing this Earth-3 version of young Kal en route from Krypton to his new home world. But during his incubational "education process" from the voice of his father, there are constant echoes of self-doubt and shame whispering into his ear. Again flipping the Superman frame of Jor-El teaching his son all the knowledge from the "twenty-six known galaxies", this twisted Ultraman was imbued with implicit memories of doubt from his father of his own perceived weakness. The alternative-expectation theme of this origin takes a shocking turn upon Ultraman's Earth-bound rocket crashing into the Kent farm house. Ultraman's ship's arrival breaks up a domestic dispute about to turn violent over money and drugs between "Jonny" and Martha Kent, the Earth-3 counterparts of Superman's wholesome adoptive parents. After severing Jonny's hand with heat vision, Ultraman dictates to them they will serve as his parents until he runs out of use for them, where he then buries them in the cornfields and burns down the barn. Ultraman is then shown destroying those that stood in his way (President Lee Harvey Oswald!), and using (Earth-3's Green Lantern ring wielder) others while some try to use him (Superwoman) throughout his career. It seems Earth-3 is basically Ultraman's play toy, eliminating world leaders at will and co-opting fellow heroes to the dark side really gives a great shadow to what would happen if Superman turned evil. The highlight of this issue might be Ultraman's entrance into the Daily Planet. He confronts a confused Jimmy Olsen, who Ultraman mistakes for his dark version, Jim, the guy who "skinned Steve Lombard for sneaking a peek at his private collection". Clearly, the Jim Olsen Ultraman is familiar with takes some disturbing photos, and Ultraman demands to know if Jim takes pictures of Lois in exchange for "favors", shedding light into the level of depravity on Earth-3. After crushing Jimmy's camera in his hands, Ultraman super-pie-faces a charging Lois into a row of cubicles. After the rest of the Planet newsroom witnesses the Superman doppelgänger toss Lois like a sack of flour, they attempt to charge Ultraman, who disposes of them with the huff of his windy breath. Perry White and Steve Lombard can be seen holding on for dear life as other nameless staffers careen and crash out of the windows of the metropolitan newspaper skyscraper offices, plummeting to their deaths.
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A mild-mannered grad student writing on topics such as film, television, comic books and news.