Sept. 08, 2014 | 6:00 a.m.

With most of the Justice League missing presumed dead by the world and the Crime Syndicate in cataclysmic control, the pressure is on Cyborg.

Or whats left of him.

In Justice League Vol. 5: Forever Heroes, a new hardcover volume out Wednesday, Victor Stone is badly injured, rended from the robotic part of Cyborg. Its being inhabited by the computer virus and Crime Syndicate member called Grid, whose group of alternate-reality deranged Justice League doubles is at work cementing its control over the Earth it has invaded.

Collecting Justice League Nos. 24-29, written by Geoff Johns with pencils by, variously, Ivan Reis and Doug Mahnke, the book also provides looks into the Syndicate members pasts in their universe, and ties into the major DC story line Forever Evil. Hero Complex readers can get an early look at bonus pages from the hardcover showing penciled pages and cover layouts by Reis and Mahnke in the gallery above or via the links below.

Justice League penciled, inked cover art: 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29; mixed penciled pages; Cyborg

The two artists have long histories with bestselling writer Johns, who is DCs chief creative officer. Reis, who recently drew the first issue of Grant Morrisons The Multiversity, had a popular run on Green Lantern with Johns, and they collaborated on the event miniseries Blackest Night and Brightest Day. Mahnke also teamed with Johns on Green Lantern, and separately worked on Final Crisis.

Cyborg, front, and Crime Syndicate members are seen on Ivan Reis and Joe Prados cover art for Justice League No. 27. (DC Entertainment)

Before the start of the pre-Forever Evil, multiple-Justice-League story line Trinity War, Reis told Hero Complex of his artistic approach, My major concern is to keep the scenes clean and comprehensible to everyone. I always keep in mind that each book Im doing is someones first comic ever.

In the same Trinity War preview, Mahnke said of working with Johns, I love Geoffs knowledge, control and twists and turns he can bring to a story. Geoff has a great passion for the medium, and he can infect you with it. He knows how to write so a story is worth reading and remembering.

View original post here:

'Justice League: Forever Heroes': See Ivan Reis, Dough Mahnke sketches