Oh, THOSE Are The Secrets

Justice League 14
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Tony S. Daniel, artist

I was a little disappointed with the last issue of Justice League; the art was nice, but the story didn't seem to hold much new. Having said that, though, I allowed that it was only the first half of a story.

This second half of "The Secret of the Cheetah" did not disappoint.

There really is a secret to the nature of the DCnU version of the Cheetah, one that is different from her previous incarnations, and that secret is revealed by the tribe of natives Cheetah is trying to slay while she is also fighting the Justice League. The secret isn't all that shocking, exactly, but it is different, as I said, and Johns handles the reveal in such a way that incorporates aspects of the past incarnations of the Cheetah character. That's always a nice touch.

We also begin to see some teamwork among the Leaguers in this issue. Superman was bitten by the Cheetah and transformed into a were-creature in the previous issue. Batman is concerned about his friend and needs Cyborg's help to restore the Man of Steel before Cheetah's bite kills him. Aquaman formulates a plan of attack for capturing Cheetah, and Batman willingly abdicates this chore to the Sea King, something the Dark Knight does not typically do with ease. Aquaman's plan makes use of both Wonder Woman's and the Flash's skills. Both teams are successful in achieving their goals. Nicely done, team!

Or maybe not. Unbeknownst to the Leaguers, Cheetah wanted to be captured. After she is left alone in her cell at Belle Reve Prison, she contacts someone we can neither see nor hear. She confirms that she is in place and will await the arrival of Black Manta, yet another secret.

However, there are more secrets in this issue than just the "Secret(s) of the Cheetah." At the end of the mission, Superman takes Wonder Woman to visit Smallville. The couple's "date" helps them both heal, recoup and get to know each other better. The issue ends with the pair's second kiss and the reveal that they are being spied on by someone.

I wish sometimes that Johns would get there faster, but this is becoming the team I want to read about.

Nice Action, But Something's Still Missing

Justice League 13
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Tony Daniel, artist

This issue got a lot of hype before its arrival because of its shocking revelations about the Cheetah in the DCnU. To be fair, the issue sure is pretty to look at, but I'm not seeing anything all that shocking so far. To my knowledge, the Cheetah, a Wonder Woman foe both in the old DCU and the new, has never gone toe-to-toe with the entire League by herself before, but then this is still a League that doesn't understand or employ the concept of cooperation.

The DCnU Cheetah isn't drastically different in her origin from her old incarnation. She's still Barbara Minerva transformed into a were-beast, and Wonder Woman feels responsible for her condition and redemption. Not a great deal new so far. The story's not over yet, this is just the first part, so we will see if there is more to come.