Justice League Odyssey #25 Review

Ghost Sector for Life

Writer: Dan Abnett
Art: Cliff Richards, Rain Beredo, Andworld Design
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 13th, 2020

And so it ends here. Two years of a book that through most of its run was a roller coaster. Good for a few issues and bad for the next few, back to good again and back to bad again. I'm not sure if there's really anybody to blame, really. Initial plans were changed after only a few issues because of things out of its writer's control, and it kind of just stumbled until Abnett tossed aside the original JLO heroes and brought in a new one. Then it became one of the better books at DC, and I'm sad to see it go.

Darkseid is a powerhouse heading right for Epoch's time manipulator, and the only thing between then is the JLO. After pulling out past versions of the deceased team members, and an extra Jessica Cruz and Cyborg, they have the numbers on Darkseid but are still getting pretty beat up.

In the same room as the time manipulator, it's Hax, Dex-Starr, and Gamma Knife. Hax, who betrayed the JLO a few issues ago, now betrays Darkseid. The three finish the job that Darkseid commanded Hax to complete, and then start to destroy the machine. Gamma Knife, basically being a ghost (as Dex-Starr says it), fades away like she's in Marty McFly's photograph. It's okay. She knew it would happen, and did the right thing to save the universe.

With the time manipulator gone, Darkseid really doesn't see a reason to stick around and waste his energy on these peasants, especially since he's not fully powered and they're being more difficult for him to defeat than they should be. So he tells present-day Omega powered Jessica Cruz that she's won and Boom Tube's the heck out of there.

Now they have a problem. They can't get out of there. The present-day new New Gods Cyborg says that using his New God mapping, he can Boom Tube them just outside and past Cyborg can take it from there. But new New God Cyborg would have to stay there, and he needs a power boost to do that. Past Jessica Cruz, who has been shot, is pretty much dying so she says that she can stay and do it. She uses her ring to give him more power, and he opens up a Boom Tube.

The rest of the JLO escape as the ship burns around Jessica Cruz and present-day new New Gods Cyborg. "Well... quite a ride..." Jessica says. "Hell of a thing," Cyborg replies. "Couldn't have done it without you, Vic." "Wouldn't have done if without you, Cruz." And they put their foreheads together as the flames engulf them.

Darkseid is back on his throne on Apocalypse, and the JLO finds themselves on a meteor. Our present-day Omega powered Jessica Cruz uses her powers to protect them from the shockwave of the reef, then Cyborg opens up another Boom Tube to get everybody where they want to go. Jessica goes to Oa to warn the Corps. Orion, Dex-Starr, Azrael, and Hax go to Thanagar to get help in their fight against Darkseid. Cyborg and Starfire go to warn the Justice League on Earth, but Earth is not how they left it...

Bits and Pieces

There's a lot of action and a lot of "AGHH!" and "GAH!" and "NOOO!" from our characters in this issue. Explosions and power blasts galore. Some characters die (or, versions of them do). And although I was disappointed in this finale on my first read, on my second read I don't see how it could have ended differently. I just wish we got more of Jessica, Blackfire, Dexx-Star, Orion, and Hax together on different adventures.

7/10