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John Wilson on the issue

With all the Blackest Reign Dark Night Sieges going on, it is nice to read a story that embraces the light in mystical, scientific and philosophical ways. The beginning of this issue is a history lesson, taking us back to one of the early adventures of the post Legends Justice League and their conflict with the Lord of Order's servant, The Grey Man, who is charged with collecting the dream essence from the recent dead. After tersely leaving the team, Dr. Fate floats in the solitude of space, contemplating his place in the schemes of the Lords of Order, where he encounters the OA bound Green Lantern. Lantern expresses concern for his friend and after a brief discussion, they shake hands and depart.

Cut to the present where a beaten, battered and poisoned Green Lantern finds himself stranded on an alien warrior world of a long dead but still heavily guarded civilization with a very limited charge and even less hope for survival. Grasping at straws he requests the ring look for any source of power that might give him the opportunity to contact help. The ring informs Hal that the only power exists within the ring and from the ring Dr. Fate rises. In his concern for his future as Fate, Kent Nelson placed a piece of his essence in the ring (utilizing the rings vulnerability to yellow) to be able to report back to his past self. Only to find that between this day and that, Kent Nelson is dead.

The rest of the issue deals with predestination, sacrifice and, it has to be said, fate. The heroes argue what is, what could be and what must be and finally Fate decides that aiding his friend in the present is more important than his knowledge quest from the past or even the potential survival of himself and his beloved Inza. The story ends with the Fate of the past wondering about unreturned fragment but musing that you can't change your destiny...that there is no escaping ones fate.

The thing that makes this story particularly special in this time of the mega issue gigantic cosmos altering stories, this one is intimate. Sure it takes place over literal space and time, but has the feel that it could take place in a single space (or be acted out on a single stage). JMS displays his typical skill at taking characters that are vast and cosmic and making them human and accessible. Despite being mostly obscured by his golden mask, Fates dialogue allows you to feel the emotional conflict he feels as successfully as the body language that artist Jesus Saiz uses to animate his characters. Saiz has a style that looks accurate to the original source story but with all the bells and whistles that make art feel modern and new.

In recent issues of B&B, these kinds of stories have taken the stage. Stories where explosions and fisticuffs are less important than looking at the inner struggles, the personal victories and intimate intellectual relationships that can exist between people who can quite literally move mountains. I hope that this is a trend that will last while the cosmos shatters elsewhere in the Multiverse.

Written by: J. Michael Straczynski
Pencils by: Jesus Saiz
Published by: DC Comics

No evil shall escape Fate! As a man who makes his own rules, headstrong Green Lantern Hal Jordan isn't a big believer in fate... But he'll have to put his trust in the Doctor if either man expects to overcome this threat! It's another thriller from best-seller J. Michael Straczynski (Thor) and sensational artist Jesus Saiz!

PRICE: $2.99
IN STORES: December 16, 2009