Countdown #45

DC's weekly epic charges forward with Countdown #45, cover-dated June 20, 2007, featuring a cover by Ed Benes that packs an impressive sweep of the DC Universe onto a single page. Surging toward the reader is a young hero bearing a lightning-bolt emblem at center, flanked by a remarkable assembly including Wonder Woman, Batman, Black Canary, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, a caped powerhouse in blue, a speedster, and several others — all rendered with Benes's kinetic energy and sharp detail. With Paul Dini, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Justin Gray steering the story and Jim Calafiore on interior art, "Monitor Duty" promises the kind of sprawling, interconnected DC storytelling that made this weekly series an event in 2007.