REVIEW: ‘Infinite Frontier,’ Issue #3

Infinite Frontier #3 is written by Josh Williamson, penciled by Paul Pelletier, Jesus Merino, Tom Derenick & Xermanico,  inked by Norm Rampund, Raul Fernandez, Derenick, & Xermanico, colored by Romula Fajardo Jr, and lettered by Tom Napolitano. It is published by DC Comics. Following the end of Infinite Frontier #2, Alan Scott and Obsidian go on a quest to find Jade. Meanwhile, Justice Incarnate continues its investigation of the shuttle debris scattered across the Multiverse, and Roy Harper’s Black Lantern ring takes him to an unexpected place. And Barry Allen, stranded on Earth-Omega, is at the center of a mysterious plot…

With the series hitting the halfway point, Williamson begins to weave together the various threads running throughout the series since its beginning. Obsidian and Alan’s quest takes them throughout the DC Universe, confronting villains from across the DC Universe and learning that a surprising figure is behind the shuttle crashes on other worlds. A similar thing happens to Harper, who discovers a long-forgotten DC team. And Justice Incarnate has a short-lived battle with Magog from Kingdom Come, who regards Flashpoint Batman as an “abomination” since his reality no longer exists. I’m still in awe of Williamson’s ability to tackle the massive scope and scale of various universes while still digging into character-based stories; the fact that Obsidian and Alan are fighting to reunite their family gives the story a sense of urgency and a hook to pull in new readers.

The other big emotional hook comes from Harper, who is still struggling to control his Black Lantern powers. He keeps witnessing visions of his daughter Lian and also continues to fight back Darkseid’s malevolent influence; he even encounters a Green Lantern foe who has nefarious designs for his powers. I’m a huge fan of the Green Arrow family of characters, so seeing one play a major role in this series has been a major role in keeping my interest.

Artwise, the four artists each tackle a separate storyline. Pelletier’s art is the biggest standout, as he tackles the Harper storyline and gets fairly creative with the Black Lantern constructs. Black is the prominent color in these sequences, thanks to Fajardo Jr, whether it’s the energy spilling off of Harper in his Black Lantern form or the vast expanse of space that is dotted with multiple stars. The blackness even extends to the lettering, with Obsidian’s word balloons being solid black with white lettering and white letters enveloped in Black Lantern energy. Xermanico handles the Obsidian/Alan Scott sequences and highlights the difference in their powers; Alan’s Green Lantern ring creates bright blazing emerald constructs while Obsidian’s powers feel like a living, breathing element. The best part of his sequence comes in a two-page spread featuring Obsidian and Alan battling a multitude of the Justice Society’s foes, finally coming face to face with the Shade. It’s a sequence that not only manages to show off how father and son work together but hints at the rich history of the JSA-a history that’s yet to be explored in this new multiverse.

Infinite Frontier #3 begins to weave together the series’ various plot points, featuring a collection of artists and a multitude of different DC heroes. With the series at its halfway point, the stage is set for a confrontation with Darkseid-whose plans remain mysterious yet nefarious.

Infinite Frontier #3 is available now wherever comics are sold.