Jack Kirby's O.M.A.C. -- the futuristic, militant superhero -- has made his mark on the DC Universe time and time again. But it's been a while since he's been featured prominently in a comic series. Luckily, the hero makes his return in Brian Michael Bendis and Sanford Greene's Justice League 2022 Annual #1, which ties into the Gold Lantern's adventures in Bendis's Justice League Vs. The Legion of Superheroesand tells a beautifully drawn, action-packed time-travel story.

Justice League 2022 Annual #1 begins at a surprise party Hawkgirl organized to celebrate Wonder Woman's return. Unfortunately, the party is interrupted by O.M.A.C, who has been thrown back in time against his will by Epoch. The heroes of the Justice League split up to research other reports of temporal anomalies and discover that several versions of Epoch have converged at this point in time in search of a futuristic device. The League quickly learns that this time-traveler can't be trusted and that Hawkgirl is the key to putting the timestream back together.

Related: DC's Justice League Incarnate #4 Comic Review

Bendis has crafted a wonderful time-travel mystery that avoids the numerous contradictory pitfalls that typically accompany time travel. The scenes where the multiple versions of Epoch attempt to reason with the Justice League at the same time are particularly compelling and give Greene's art room to shine. Unfortunately, much of the story's resolution happens off-page in another timeline. This makes for a fast-paced surprising ending, but it also robs the reader of witnessing the story's climax of the story, which involved Hawkgirl and O.M.A.C traveling through time together. The two heroes would certainly make an interesting pair, but for the members of the Justice League, and the audience, the whole adventure only amounts to a brief period of time where both characters are missing. As good as Bendis's story is, it feels as though he is focusing on the wrong scenes.

Every page of Justice League 2022 Annual #1 is absolutely stunning. Greene's dynamic compositions and stylized character designs complement the tone of Bendis's work perfectly. Greene bounces from scene to scene as storylines collide in a way that beautifully illustrates the temporal turmoil without sacrificing clarity. He colors this issue alongside Matt Herms. Together, both artists play with light and shadow to make each panel memorable with clearly distinguished settings. Their visual vocabulary makes this potentially convoluted story an easy read.

Related: What the Justice League's Previous Death Tells Us About DC's Future

Justice League 2022 Annual #1 isn't a perfect comic, but it's a joy to read from cover to cover. Bendis' quick dialogue and clever premise give Greene ample opportunity to create beautiful, exciting pages featuring some of DC's greatest heroes. The art alone makes the comic worth reading, but it's also a fun story. Fans keeping up with the Justice League and casual readers alike will be thoroughly entertained by this stand-alone issue.

Keep Reading: Justice League Writer Shares Art That Could Tease a New Crisis