Golden Cameos: Millennium #4

Cover title is "The Choice." Inside titles have been "Over", "Under", "Back" and "Forth." Which should give you some idea of what the direction has been like in this series.

OLDER SPOILERS AHEAD



Title: "Forth"

Last issue had the cliff hanger of Tom going missing! This issue opens with him back with the group since GL dealt with that problem in another book. For me that means the dramatic tension didn't even last a page. Floronic Man has joined the rest of the living Chosen and acts crazy enough to make them tie him up.

The GLs use their rings (off panel) to make it possible for all the Chosen to understand each other. Cue more racial stereotypes including the woman from England that's writing looks like it's supposed to be a bad Jamaican imitation. The way Tom decribes how the ring translation works sounds weird. It works to give you what you need but you do the rest? Anyway they start talking about how Tom has a family and trying to make it sound like he's being selfish for not wanting to put this vague mission first. Please, Tom has helped the GLs more than his fair share, if anything they owe him. Pushing him into this, or any of them really, was a selfish move on the Oans' part. The white racist guy can't understand why there aren't anymore white people in the group and acts like a pompous ass. Wally has no problem putting him in his place.

While all this is happening Batman watches from the shadows thinking negative thoughts. How their no closer to stopping the Manhunters, some tie in stuff, and that Firestorm and Booster "went bad." I would have liked to get a little more insight on his feelings with Booster since Batman was the one that got him on JLI. Instead he decides to use his detective skills to find a way to stop their foes. The Manhunters meet again to discuss the plot.

Manhunter 1: The Floronic Man escaped us for the moment! So have others! But other moments are coming!

Manhunter 2: NO MAN ESCAPES THE MANHUNTERS!

Wow...this is just sad. The first guy just sound like he's desperately trying to pretend their not failures, then the second reminds them what their chant is. Everyone freaking escapes the Manhunters, it's embarrassing. Firestorm comes in with his handler, I guess from the text that he's being mentally controlled. Dirk (who looks like a pimp) shows off that he got Booster on their side. It sounds like Booster only agreed to come because of the money taken from him. I can't really fault him being portrayed like this since his jerk façade is used in times like this. To my surprise a plot thread from last issue comes up when the Manhunters plan to use their agent to attack Captain Atom, partly to see if Booster will warn Atom. It's also revealed that he never bothered to inform Atom despite his glee at scaring that agent. I would say it was stupid but it's hardly the dumbest thing that happened in this series. Booster doesn't bother warning Atom but it's not a big deal since General Eiling has sent him off to fight Firestorm before the Manhunter could attack. Mainly due to petty office politics with Amanda Waller.

Triple H and Nadi(a) ask if the Chosen wish to continue on. All of them including Tom agree. During this exchange Nadi(a) feels dizzy which J'onn notices. When he mentions it to Mr. Miracle it suddenly occurs to Scott that J'onn has Manhunter in his superhero name. Get over it already! If he was one it would be the most transparent disguise. Plus just realizing it makes Miracle look stupid especially after saying "I don't miss much." I'd assume that was a joke if J'onn didn't get so defensive.

The Suicide Squad deal with more petty office politics before being forced to go on their own mission.

Batman arrives and it seems that it only just occurred to him that a guy that used to be a Manhunter might be able to help him out. The SS guy lies saying the man Batman is looking for was released when in fact he's dressed as a pirate on the team. I have no idea why but I chalked it up to 80s' fashion. But Batman knows it's a lie and noticed a request for a boat. Meanwhile Madame Xanadu stares at her own Manhunter mask she apparently collected wondering how they eluded her so long. Her abilities are useless as one walks in asking to have his future told. She even shows him the mask before being knocked out. I'll remind you that this is the same woman that they chose to put on the cover. Xanadu gives some B.S. explanation about needing to get knocked over when her friends arrive. "Jim" who I guess is supposed to be the Spectre goes after the Manhunter.

He can't do it and for some reason the alien made robots want to tangle with the supernatural. Why do they want to involve beings that likely had no interest him them, they have no information on, and are making themselves targets for by attacking? Your guess is as good as mine. This Manhunter agent was a human so I guess the books is just shrugging to say both humans and robots act in the role. The Spectre is separate from Jim and instead of acting as the spirit of vengeance he basically does Xanadus' job of finding their quarry. Then tells Jim to get a plane ticket. The spirit of vengeance is lazier than I thought he'd be.

Harbinger thinks how powerful she is and the shock that she was defeated so easily when she attacked with no plan. The Overmaster mocks her for helping them and says no one is coming to save her. He conveniently drops the key because no one in this book can escape the pull of acting stupid.

Overmaster: Remember our motto!

The one that's being repeated every five pages or more? I don't think that will be hard.

Harbinger escapes only to tempt fate by thinking about their motto which of course means we get it for the hundredth time. The Manhunter just stands there as she runs off to climb in a human sized air duct she can walk through. The Grandmaster pops up through a hole like a wack-em-mole to gloat that she's not escaping. Meaning that this guy has nothing better to do than screw with her head. The threat to the universe people. Oh and some alien GL watches from the shadows.

On the Earth based GL headquarters Floronic Man is left about his own devices and conspires with another Manhunter. Why doesn't FM have any guards around him? Since he's not only one of the Chosen but a freaking super villain?! Why does no one have common sense in this? I guess if they did this would only be three issues long. Batman follows the Suicide Squad hoping he'll find the Manhunter headquarters. It ends with everyone saying their going to find someone.


Overall: Still horrendously bad but so funny. So far the only thing that makes sense in all this mess is Booster Golds' part and that's just knowing what happens in his book. Even then he makes some bad choices. This drags, repeatedly using random filler to try and hype this story up. There is zero tension to be found in this since the villains can't even be taken seriously. I was just thinking about this series vs. Forever Evil. Now FE may be written better but I think Millennium is far more entertaining. Both have a snails pace although this is over-the-top silly.