Comic Recap/Thoughts: Justice League Vol. 1: The Extinction Machines, Part 2

It is finally Friday! Welcome to part 2 of my recap of Justice League Volume 1: The Extinction Machines. This post is going to cover issues #4 and #5 and include some more of my thoughts. If you still need to read part 1, then click here! Let's jump into the action.


The Extinction Machines, Part Four: Up in space Jess and Simon are still trying to fight the source of the invasion that is happening back on Earth. Jess is worried about Barry (she 100% has a thing for him). Whatever they are fighting is multiplying faster than they can destroy them. Jess keeps fighting while Simon goes deeper in the dead planet to figure out what is going on.

Cyborg is still being swarmed by the invading force (named the Purge), he in fact tells the reader he is being purged. Batman tries to help and maybe Cyborg was purging the Purge, unclear, but he seems to beat them, but turns to Batman revealing he knows what is happening and they are all screwed.

Jump to our four giants (the Kindred for those of you trying to keep track of all the names). They are here to stop the Purge and how do they intend to stop it you might ask? They must sing to the heavens! (It is not actually clear if they want to stop the Purge or do something worse, everyone is a bad guy.)


Down in the Ocean Aquaman can hear the song, but it is the crystals singing to him. There is also more quaking happening. (Note: no one else can hear the song for some reason?) On the Kent farm they are feeling the quake too. Batman asks Cyborg what the f is happening (I may be paraphrasing). Long story short, the Purge used to be people and now they just keep going around turning all humanoid things into more of the Purge. (Very much like the Cybermen if you are a Doctor Who fan or maybe the Borg if you like Star Trek.) The spheres in the Earth are some kind of fail safe to rip the Earth apart to make the Purge easier.

Speaking of, Superman is still trying to figure out how to destroy said spheres but is not having much luck. Batman is thinking they maybe need a plan B, Lois tells him to give Clark more time, he will find a way.

So Flash has been running around trying to take out all the Purge that have landed on Earth basically by himself. He is doing okay, but is getting really tired. He finds himself in the place where the giants are, and his powers fail him again.

Wonder Woman is still in the Kindred void talking to them. They have a very cryptic and honestly unhelpful conversation. Superman finally figures out he can push the spheres deeper into the core of the Earth and destroy them. It is definitely taking its toll on him, but he figures he needs to destroy all three of the spheres to make sure Earth is safe.


Wonder Woman has had about enough from the Kindred but then they show her Barry and how they have taken his powers. She tries to reach out to him. We see that poor Flash is getting swarmed and is trying to get ahold of Cyborg. Cyborg is trying to get ahold of anyone, but then does hear from Flash, not on their network, but through the Purge's network. Before Batman can ask anything, Cyborg faints (I could say passes out, but I like faints).

Up in space Jess has taken out all the Purge ships that had been launching smaller ships at Earth. Simon tells her to get down to the planet. When she gets down there, we see that all the humanoids have been turned into Cyborgs? (Definitely getting some Star Trek vibes here.)


The Extinction Machines: Finale: Aquaman is listening to his singing crystals. They know how to save the world and he just accepts that it is legit. They tell him he is family and that once he puts them in the right place, they will go into the Earth and hold it together.

Cyborg recovers enough to chat with Simon and Jess who tell him about the Cyborg lookalikes on the dead planet they found. Cyborg figures he is somehow controlling at least part of the Purge. Barry reports that he is okay, but that they should come to where he is. Batman and Cyborg jump in a boom tube, leaving Lois and Jon. Batman tells Jon not to worry, but Jon is not worried, his dad is Superman.

Superman is busy pushing the second sphere into the inner core of the Earth, two down, one to go. Batman and Cyborg catch up with Flash, who is still sans speed. Wonder Woman is watching the guys gather and tells the Kindred that they will stop all of this, because that is what they do. They start asking her who she is again and call her “truth.” (She does carry the lasso of truth, maybe that is what they mean?) Then the giant she is in expels her from the void and she is with the guys.

Aquaman is still swimming around trying to get the crystals in place, the Earth is still shaking, and the news is still reporting. Everyone is asking, "Where is the Justice League?"


Wonder Woman tells the guys that the giants are made up of people and that they seem to draw powers that are similar to members of the league. Flash is mad that they keep calling his speed stolen, since it was created when he was hit by lightning, they stole it from him and he wants it back. Flash starts running and he is able to draw his power back from the Kindred and they are not happy.

Many things are all happening at once. Aquaman drops off the third crystal, Superman is heading for the third sphere, Wonder Woman is trying to use her lasso to take down a giant, Cyborg is controlling some of the Purge and Batman is yelling at Simon and Jess to get back to Earth!

Simon and Jessica do get back to Earth and they have brought the Cyborg/Purge hybrids with them. When they arrive though, the Kindred try to take the power from their rings again. Flash tells them to not let them have it, that it is their light. Jess and Simon fight back.

Superman is trying to push the last sphere and is struggling hard, he can tell that it is about to blow. At the same time Aquaman finally joins the main party because that is the last place the crystals told him to go. The crystals do what they promised and hold the Earth together and the Kindred are surprised, but not upset. Batman is worried the giants (that are made of people) will try to leave.


Aquaman punches one of the giants in the face, while Simon and Jess fight another one. Elsewhere, Superman is happy the Earth heads together as he flies the final sphere out of a volcano, so he can get a better look at it. Or turns out he is going to use it to take out the Kindred. The sphere sends out a pulse and it breaks the Kindred back up into people. It is too late though, they already sent out the signal they were trying to send out. For now though, people are saved and the Earth is still holding together.

Jess and Barry flirt a little, (I am cool with it) as he asks if she is still happy to be in the Justice League (she is still into it). Batman is worried. Superman says he'll be in touch as he carries the sphere into space for safe keeping.


Thoughts: There is a lot happening in this volume. It feels like they are trying to set up for an even bigger conflict. That is the hard thing with these super teams, you have to have super conflicts. I think for the first volume this one is still pretty clear, as long as you know all the things that went down with Superman and get that there are two new Green Lanterns. I love Batman, but man does he feel out of place on this team sometimes. Anyway, I am interested to see what trouble is headed for Earth next and I sure hope Batman and new Superman can become friends soon.

I covered the writer and artist in my part one coverage of this volume, so today I am just going to share my favorite cover. Issue one had a ton of variants so picking a favorite was tough, but I settled on this one done by artist Tyler Kirkham, click his name to check out his Twitter feed.


Are you all ready for my favorite line? With this all star cast I bet you'll be surprised to read that my choice is none other than Jon Kent. What can I say, I just like the kid. How can you not enjoy someone who offers Batman a cookie?



Last Week: Nightwing Volume 1: Better Than Batman, Part 3

Next Week: Aquaman Volume 2: Black Manta Rising

Note: All images belong to DC™

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