Images © DC Comics, Inc.

“The Villain’s Journey” continues with two story threads. In the past we see the villain, David Graves, traveling to a remote place of power and confronting what he finds there, hoping to gain power of his own. And in the present we see the Justice League gathering evidence that Graves is the new threat they’re facing, and finally facing the very changed man himself, in a confrontation that shows Graves’ new abilities and his knowledge of the heroes. Well done writing by Geoff Johns, though the rapid cuts between the two stories did lose me a few times.

The backup “Shazam” feature continues to be one I enjoy even more than the front story. This time the story is split between the not-yet-powered orphaned children Freddy and Billy and their struggles against some bullies in one storyline, and the rise of a new villain that will be familiar to Captain Marvel fans in the other. This is building slowly, but nicely.

Here’s some art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams from the main story. Aquaman gets his own flashback. All the art, including the backup by Gary Frank, is quite good.

Recommended.