The finale to the “Seas of Change” arc is an explosive, fun adventure with New Super-Man and the JLC.
There is a new hero in the Far East, but unlike the titular Justice League, this one isn’t from China. A North Korean student named Ahn Kwang Jo has recently discovered he is the descendant of the legendary Dragon of the East Sea. This revelation activated his long-hidden powers over water and sea life. Before he has a chance to be a hero, however, his ancestor reveals his mission: Flood Korea to free it from corruption. The League tries to stop the newly dubbed Dragonson, but Super-Man is corrupted by his power and Bat-Man is arrested. Will the heroes be able to free themselves to save North Korea in time?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
As Super-Man flies off with the Flash to stop the Dragonson, Wonder Woman seeks Bat-man. He ends up having to team up with his sister, now turned Joker, the Alpaca, to escape. The Flash continues to try and break Super-Man from his corruption, which leads them to inadvertently finding another power and personality. During all this drama, Kwang Jo realizes that he could be more than Korea’s destroyer, but its redeemer and faces off in an internal struggle with his ancestor.
This issue is a blast and shows off why this series has run for so long. The fights are the definition of comic book action. They’re over-the-top, but fun. They have high stakes, but it still turns out alright in the end. Most comics nowadays either end up trying to be taken too seriously to have fun or try to have too much fun, and it becomes boring. In this, we have exciting action as Bat-Man teams up with Alpaca, Super-Man revealing cool new powers, and much more. All the excitement with every page made me feel like a child again, watching Superheroes just saving the day.
Art:
Brent Peeples has been in charge of illustrating this arc, and while I didn’t think much of it at the start, it went above and ever since. While the Dragonson design still is one of the more amazing aspects of the book, the powers of every character are amazing to look at. Super-Man’s twin corrupted powers are amazing and creative, fitting the yin and yang dynamic he’s been working with lately. This is also shown-off with the masterful colorwork of Hi-Fi. Each character and power pop on the page from the colorwork and makes the world feel alive. It’s a great looking art for a well-written book.
Conclusion:
Overall, this is a fantastic conclusion to a fantastic arc. The story is well written and a ton of fun, capturing what it truly feels to be a comic book. The art has gone above and beyond at every turn, and this issue is no exception. I can’t recommend this issue, as well as this entire series, enough.
