On the surface, this issue seems more procedural than anything else. It moves the story forward without any major bombshells or reveals that weren’t fairly clearly telegraphed. I’d be surprised if many readers didn’t foresee the Anti-Monitor joining the cause against his mother, Perpetua, but maybe I’m projecting here.

No, this issue is a different sort of issue that seems to get at the underlying purpose for the “Justice/Doom War” narrative. One of the great complaints during the 2011 “New 52” reboot was the loss of a sense of legacy among the greater DCU. Part of the strength of the extended DCU canon is in the heroes who take up the mantle of older generations, the passing of the torch, and the relationships forged across generations. With the reinvention of Superman, the Teen Titans, and so many others, many of these relationships were tossed by the wayside, ignored and neglected. With Rebirth, we saw a higher focus on these elements of the mythos. Oliver and Dinah were back together, as were Lois and Clark. The Wally West I grew up with had returned (although hardly whole and badly damaged). Even the legacy of Watchmen had a role to play in this soft-reboot. But it still felt… lacking in some way.

Enter Snyder, JT4 and company to finally right the ship with Justice League. After a long journey and the initial shock and awe of the return of fan favorites such as the JSA, Kamandi, and the Justice Legion A, this issue presents clear and present awareness of the connections between these varied generations of heroes. We see Flashes of Two Generations fighting side by side in the past. We hear tell of various other connections now forgotten, particularly among the Starman line of characters (whom we see in all three time periods). We see the future legacy of our modern heroes in the legacy characters of the Justice Legion A. That is the gift that the creative team have bestowed upon us, dear reader– a return to what makes the DCU the powerhouse of storytelling prowess it has been for generations. Torches may once again be passed, legacies preserved, and mantles assumed.

If all of that wasn’t enough, Howard Porter on art, returning to the pages of a Justice League book, has never hurt a book’s chances of being extremely well received.