An end… and a beginning.
Creative Staff:
Story: Brian Buccellato
Art: Bruno Redondo, Juan Albarran
What They Say:
The shattering conclusion to the Year of the Gods! In this final chapter of Year Four, the balance of power may be tipped by the arrival of a force that could challenge even the Gods of Olympus.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The fourth year of Injustice comes to a close and it does it in a pretty good way, though perhaps unsatisfying if you’re looking for a rollicking fisticuffs event. What we get here is more big picture kind of material with hints of where it can grow and expand in the future, as well as more immediate avenues to explore in (potential?) fifth year of the series. Having enjoyed the third year as my first exposure to it, this fourth year played well to areas I liked with the gods, Darkseid and working with a smaller cast of characters overall. It’s certainly been an unusual trip with some zigs and zags.
What makes this book kind of anticlimactic is that it all gets resolved without any of the main heroes really getting involved in it. But that was almost a given with the arrival of Highfather to deal with Zeus and what’s going on here with the manipulations of Ares and Darkseid along with Hera. There’s the usual bluster to be sure, but I rather liked that Highfather cuts all of this short and speaks to Zeus in a moment between time, to make it clear that both sides understand each other. Taking it to the level where Zeus and the gods time on Earth and with man is finally at an end is an intriguing way to close it out, as even Zeus is wary of going against The Source. Bringing that time to an end makes a lot of sense, especially since each incursion over the years in the comics has lead to little good for either side when you get down to it.
Naturally, that makes a lot of what we get here a mop-up operation. Superman deals with Ares in a creative way that actually delights Darkseid, even at the cost of ignoring Earth (for awhile). Highfather does manage to put Superman in his place for the moment, but Superman is most definitely intent on taking down Batman for everything that’s gone on once and for all. There’s no truce to be had here and even the setup for a meeting is really just a setup, which Bruce knows all too well. There are some good moments to be had, such as Wonder Woman trying to get Superman to refocus properly as well as seeing Billy get his powers returned, much to Harley’s delight. There’s the obvious awkward material of dealing with world leaders. But we also get that oh so obvious setup for what’s to come at the end with Lex and things not going right. It’s a quiet ending overall yet it fits since the big action came in the installments before.
In Summary:
The fourth year of Injustice certainly wasn’t a repeat of the third year and I do find myself largely enjoying it. It’s a series I get a kick out of since it can take more chances and really alter the landscape, though they’re careful to not go too far too often – which I think is a mistake. This series and its setting allows for some great exploration of characters in difficult situations with a certain level of violence while also being able to just run at it with a larger run overall. It’s kind of old school in a way, particularly since it’s disconnected from everything else, and there’s a weird kind of fun about it. Buccellato did a solid job after a bit of a rocky start with this year, but the end results are ones that I largely like. I’m definitely game for a fifth year.
Grade: B
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: October 13th, 2015
MSRP: $0.99
