Written by Jeff Lemire
Illustrated by Viktor Bogdanovic
Published by DC Comics
A Dreadful Encounter on Earth 23.
Hey, the title says it all.
Aaaaand… we’re back! Welcome to the spiffy alternate dimension where Jeff Lemire’s excellent new DC team title, The Terrifics isn’t cancelled – where rather than wrapping everything up in a tidy bow to end the series, instead our team is disbanded, Tom Strong and family say goodbye, the bad guy escapes, and he does so with the technology to wreak unspeakable havoc across the multiverse.
A reality where Metamorpho must face down the perils of ordinary life, Plastic Man finds his life as a superhero ain’t everything it oughta be cracked up to be, and Phantom Girl just wishes she could fade into the background for once.
And then there’s Mr. Terrific, grateful at last to get back to the work he loves almost as much as his dead wife, stubbornly determined to prove to himself that he’s got it all under control, able to handle everything all on his own. Even though he knows damn well he shouldn’t.
Finally, everybody gets what they wanted when this whole shindig all began. But it’s almost like the universe is trying to tell them something.
Or the multiverse is.
Because Java is out there, and he’s got himself an interdimensional jump drive to fiddle with. And it turns out he’s not only an alpha-survivor, he’s got a pretty nasty mean streak too.
There’s only one thing on Java’s mind. But by the time Michael Holt realizes that other Mr. Terrifics from across the 52 (53?) worlds of the DCU are turning up dead, it may be too late.
Because Dr. Dreadful must have figured out he’d have to face The Terrifics again before too long. So, he does the only thing his crazy-pants alpha-inferiority complex can think of to put a nix on that eventuality.
Everything about this issue is a lead-up to one of the craziest, most outlandish, most excellently ridiculous ending page I have ever seen. In true Lemire style, you just don’t see it coming till it’s upon you. And it’s worth the whole damn cost of the ticket.
Kudos to Jeff Lemire, and kudos to artist Viktor Bogdanovic, as well. The Terrifics are alive and well folks.
But maybe not for long.
Next Issue: Waking up on the wrong side of the Multiverse.
