Challengers of the Unknown #3
Chad Burdette
Recap
Spinning out of Absolute Power and the DC All In Special, the terror of the Darkseid shockwave has cascaded across the DC Universe… tearing open the very fabric of time and space itself! Only one band of super-scientists have the right stuff to challenge the fate of a universe… enter: THE CHALLENGERS OF THE UKNOWN in Challengers Of The Unknown #3
Comic Watch Reviews:
- Challengers Of The Unknown #1: Meet The Challengers Of The Unknown
- Challengers of the Unknown #2: One More Robot Learns To Be Something More Than A Machine
- Justice League: The Atom Project #1 – Captain Atom, A Man On The Run
- Justice League: The Atom Project #2 – Snap, Crackle, Fizzle
- The Question: All Along The Watchtower #1: Who Watches the Watchmen?
The Challengers continue to investigate the after effects of the Darkseid shockwave. The latest mission draws Prof Haley along with Ray Palmer (The Atom) to a remote and far-reaching part of the world where hyper-intelligence seems to have infected a long-missing individual from DC Comics past. Things turn even stranger when a being appears to Prof and the Atom claiming to be from the future and calling itself The Optimum. The Optimum promises untold scientific secrets... that is, if it could have a glimpse into the Justice League's top secret Atom Project...
Review
Challengers of the Unknown #3 marks the halfway point of this latest series featuring the All-In era adventures of the team as they attempt to work along side the Justice League to figure out the mysteries caused by Darkseid’s death.
This issue finds The Prof working with Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi, as he attempts to find out about The Atom Project which the two micro heroes continue to stonewall him about, even though he is working with them.
Cantwell continues to use a variety of classic locals and lesser known supporting characters as he tells his story. This issue finds a trip to Dinosaur Island and an appearance by Anthro and his wife Embra, the prehistoric couple,who now reside on the island. While on the island The Prof meets Optimum, who is supposedly a future version of himself and a creation of the Life/Anti-Life Equations balanced in a single entity. The creation and concept of Optimum is slick and has designs reminiscent of The OMAC sentries.
This series continues to be the connective tissue for this group of All-In Limited series as it weaves the various plot points from The Question: All Along The Watchtower, Justice League: Atom Project, and even ongoing series like the new Aquaman series. Cantwell also does well with writing characters such as Mister Terrific and Ray Palmer, who continue to throw shade and treat the Challengers like suspects who are working, unknowingly, for Darkseid. The issue ends with the Challengers not being sequestered by Mister Terrific planning to shut down The Watchtower unless they get some answers.
The art and colorwork continue to pop off the page, with the character designs and the various vehicles the Challengers use on their missions.
Final Thoughts
Challengers of the Unknown #3 and the series so far continues to be the connective tissue for the All-In centric titles while exploring the various corners of the DCU and featuring some of the lesser-known characters in an innovative way.
Challengers of the Unknown #3
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 9/109/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10
