I know exactly what my problem is with this book: I don’t like it, but I really want to like it, so whenever something not-sucky happens, I get all excited because that has to be proof that the book will really get better, right? Right?

Take this issue. After finishing it, I thought, thank goodness our heroes are finally behaving proactively rather than getting pulled around like a child in one of those child-leash things! But, upon reflection, I realized that they don’t really do very much–they just talk about finding Max and kicking his ass, which is, uh, pretty much what they’ve been doing for the last few issues. And for all I know, the next issue could go right back to the “JLI gets disrespected and chased around” plotline that annoys me so much.

But still, there’s good stuff in this issue. Booster’s more in character than he has been so far, and the writers at least tried to give an explanation for why Tora isn’t. It’s pretty bullshit (Tora has been in other books since coming back, and she hasn’t been a bitch anywhere but here), but at least Winnick and Giffen seem to understand that they’ve got some splainin’ to do.  And Max’s reason for harassing the team, while not totally unexpected, is insane in all the right ways.

Art-wise, I’m going to have to stop taking off points for artists not getting Max’s facial structure right, because it’s apparently gonna be an ongoing thing and to continue harping on it is getting boring. The art is otherwise quite good, and the different washes for different time periods works well. And, of course, Tony Harris can draw Max properly, so his cover rocked.

One thing I’m curious about regarding this book is how it fits in with the recent Wonder Woman reboot. If the continuity where Wondy killed Max has been erased, then how did he die? I doubt I’ll ever get an answer, and, really, it’s not Giffen ‘n’ Winnick’s problem.