Release: January 2026 | Writer: Mark Waid | Artist: Dan Mora & Sean Izaakse | Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain
*Justice League Unlimited #15 SPOILERS ahead!*
Read my previous reviews of Justice League Unlimited ISSUE 13 and ISSUE 14 before reading this! You don’t want to be lost as to what’s going on ofcourse!
For those that have been following this series, the team has suffered personal losses to advance on their journey to Neron in Hell. Meanwhile, the heroes on Earth are struggling with humans losing their souls to Neron and villains that are more powerful than usual stopping their evacuation plans.
Can both of these teams achieve their shared goal this month of stopping Neron's plans as Earth is coming very close to Darkseid's arrival and eminent destruction?
A SAVIOR FOR EARTH
Transportation portals are shutting down and evacuation plans are coming to a potential end. The reason for this is unknown, and the heroes are scrambling to figure out what's going on.
Red Tornado calls out to all heroes before they lose connection to their communication system. He reports that the Watchtower is losing energy at a rapid pace and is close to blacking out completely. Right as Red Tornado mentions how they're going to do what they can to determine the reason for this approaching blackout, a portal launches open behind Blue Beetle, almost sucking him in.
Blue Beetle looks back into the portal and notices that there’s someone actually coming through, reaching their hand out for assistance. When Beetle sticks his hand out, he pulls out Air Wave, who hasn’t been seen since Justice League: Dark Tomorrow.
Air Wave explains to Blue Beetle and the team at the Watchtower that when he and the Legends fought Shadow Lass, freeing Vanishing Point from her control, they tried to warn the Justice League. However, by doing so, they hit a temporal wall that blocked them, forcing them to link back with the 21st century to return to the Watchtower. This link required a massive power source, which explains why the Watchtower’s energy has been slowly draining over the past few issues.
Now, with the Watchtower recharging, Beetle sends out Air Wave, Cadejos, Golden Frog, and Boruka to assist the heroes on Earth who are desperately in need of backup.
Now with some backup for this rescue, they assist in taking down Electrocutioner, Slipknot, Sabbac, and Syonide before these bad guys are able to beat down Kid Flash and his partners. Kid Flash preps to run and destroy the green jar containing the souls of these innocents, but they’re met with the face of Neron himself, appearing as a mystical floating head.
He tells the heroes that this is all happening because of a promise he made to the villains who were left on Earth. He promised them an increase in their power along with safety from Darkseid's destruction if they helped bring him the souls of innocents to strengthen his own power. But there’s a caveat: if the souls are released, the villains' deal with him ends, damning them all to Hell.
Will the heroes save the souls that Neron has and cause their enemies to be sent to Hell? Or will they leave the souls and focus on beating their villains to save the rest of Earth?
HELL FREEZES OVER
Back in Hell, the Terrific Ten are left with just six members now as they walk through a bitter-cold landscape. With all of these heroes sacrificing a personal item to get closer to Neron, they’re at the weakest we've seen them in these issues.
And one hero in particular is struggling with the entire situation.
Batman Beyond is having a bit of an identity crisis. He’s not completely sure if he was the right choice for this mission, questioning if he even deserves to stand among these other legends. Adding to his fear of what’s to come, he compares himself to icons like Batman and Superman, asking if he really has what it takes to be a hero worthy of the Justice League label.
Before this topic can be properly discussed, a large demonic being—one that resembles Doomsday—jumps out to attack the heroes. Even though Superman was stripped of his hope in the previous issue, he makes one last selfless sacrifice, launching himself into the creature and exploding from within to save his team.
But it doesn’t end there. As the team arrives at the edge of this frozen tundra, Hawkman is sent to scout the water but is overtaken by a demon, which possesses his body and turns him against the Terrific Ten.
Evil Hawkman attempts to kill Doctor Fate as she struggles to manifest her magic, until Batman Beyond uses his own body as a shield. In that moment, Terry McGinnis faces his fears and meets a hero’s death.
As Tim Drake dies in the arms of Mr. Terrific, Michael tells Tim that he saved Doctor Fate. He assures him that he would've made a damn good member of the Justice League with courage like that.
On the home stretch, the remaining three members—Doctor Fate, Owlwoman, and Mr. Terrific—arrive at the sanctuary of Neron. His demon guards allow only Mr. Terrific entry, killing Owlwoman and Doctor Fate right at the entrance. As the last surviving member of the team, Mr. Terrific comes face-to-face with Neron, looking to make a deal with the devil.
He tells Neron that if he stops his assault on Earth and allows the heroes to finish their evacuation, he'll let Neron use him as a vessel. It’s the ultimate trade: a permanent connection to the Earth realm and a secret insider within the Justice League. Neron smiles and tells him that he would love that offer, but the job is already filled... by OWLWOMAN!
Conclusion
A really, really good issue! Honestly, the best that we've seen, which reflects my overall rating.
This issue answered SO MANY QUESTIONS as it brought us right up to the finish line. We're ALMOST there, but while we inch towards that, there are some huge hurdles Mr. Terrific has to go through. Just look at how many of the team we lost in this issue; we lost basically EVERYONE besides Mr. Terrific himself.
Mr. Terrific being willing to sacrifice his freedom—effectively making a deal with the devil—says a lot about his character. While it didn't play out as he wanted, it perfectly illustrates his commitment to saving the world. He wasn't the only hero to make a heroic sacrifice; Batman Beyond giving his life while admittedly being terrified was a move I didn't see coming, and I was genuinely saddened to see him go. He faced his fears to save his team and paid the ultimate price. It's just simple, great storytelling.
Back in the real world, as the heroes try their hardest to stop Neron's plans, we finally learn exactly what those machinations entail. Neron’s promise of sanctuary—offering the villains a life that doesn't involve a prison cell like the Justice League planned—makes it totally clear why they’d side with him. Plus, granting them accelerated powers? It’s a no-brainer.
I'm incredibly excited to see the fallout of the Owlwoman swerve. Presuming she’s been siding with Neron in secret this entire time, the implications for the League are massive.
Can next month happen already?!