Final Crisis Aftermath: Run #2

Hmm. I'm not sure I like where this is going. Matthew Sturges is doing some really neat stuff in this book. My favorite part is actually the small bits we get with John Stewart and Firestorm as they track the Human Flame. Forget founding a spin-off JLA, these two are actually going after the guy responsible for Martian Manhunter's death. Frankly, I would like to see a lot more of this type of thing with heroes going after the real culprit. There isn't much of that, but what we get is nicely done. The Human Flame is still a piece of garbage, but he's awful enough that I am interested in seeing where he ends up. He tosses some guard-corgi's out of a high-rise apartment this issue, fulfilling his despicable act quotient, but DC wimped out and had them land in a pool. I suppose it is easier to see humans die than animals in most cases though. The Flame ends up meeting up with a band of villains who offer to increase his powers. After a graphic, disgusting operation, the Human Flame can now shoot fire from his palms, under his tongue, and of course he still has his flame nipples. It seems he's also buffed up and tougher looking, which is the element I'm not sure I like. What made the Flame stand out was how much of a loser he is. Now that he actually has powers, he is kind of becoming a normal villain. However, right now his flame powers are agonizing to use, so perhaps he won't be a normal villain after all.

Freddie Williams III has that neat cartoony style that works well with super heroes. I liked his loser villain team, how they ALMOST look threatening, but not quite. That's a hard balance to strike. The operation sequence was surprisingly graphic. But hey, I guess comics aren't for kids anyway, right?

Fair