So many questions, so many dangers.
Creative Staff:
Story: Brian Buccellato
Art: Marco Santucci
Colors: Rex Lokus
Letters: Wes Abbott
What They Say:
While Batman and Batwoman battle Cyborg and Hawkgirl, Superman is off searching for a former ally to bring back into the Regime.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
One of the biggest appeals of this series is that we get characters that while they may spar from time to time and take different views of events are now fully on very different sides. Going in that direction where it’s becoming a stark problem that’s connected to some very bad events that went down which colored everything in their eyes, the heat of the moment and all, lets the writers look at how these characters would react and shift allegiances and goals because of it. While you may not agree that some would go one way or the other, watching those paths and the way the events impact them can be a lot of fun to watch. Brian Buccellato has delved into that a good bit as recurring subplots this year, mostly within the regime but also within Batman’s group, and that’s made for some good character material to dig into.
With Marco Santucci handling the art chores this time, events are moving at a quick pace to be sure with all that’s going on. Batman’s surgical strike to get Cyborg is an important one as it will get him what he needs while also serving as a distraction for the larger event that he hopes will have some real weight to it. There’s a good bit of tension as we get Batgirl on the outside timing things with the EMP blast to take down the power in the area while Batman and Batwoman go up against Cyborg and Hawkgirl. There’s some good dialogue between them that reinforces the starkness of their sides to some degree and that there won’t be any real middle ground until someone gives in a big way. They’ve all invested in their sides heavily and there’s little way to backtrack at this point.
While Santucci handles the action well, the book is more than just that. We get a great end sequence with the arrival of Hawkman and his Kryptonite coated mace that will make for some fun in at least the next installment. It’s the right kind of end issue tease that really makes you want more. But it was the beginning of the book that had me the most interested as we get Barry and Hal talking about what happened with some recent events that don’t line up, such as with the Joker Underground and Zsasz, and the fact that they want to know more but are afraid to actually ask it because if they know the answer they’ll have to do something, make a choice about where they truly stand. And no matter what choice they make they’ll be tied to what’s gone on for so long now that there’s no way to avoid it. Add in some good stuff with Superman finally getting to Raven and having to deal with how lost she is at this point after the events with Trigon and there’s a lot going on in here.
In Summary:
Injustice is tightening things more and more and everything is coming into place to bring us to where the original game begins. This chapter puts more of those pieces into place in a good way as it digs into what Superman is up to with Raven, bringings Hawkman formally back into the picture, and gets a lot of things moving with how some of the players are feeling amid events that are going on. Buccellato keeps a lot of balls in the air here pretty well and Santucci does a serviceable enough job with it, especially with the action, but some of his designs for Superman – particularly the hair – just doesn’t click for me. Part of me would still like to see a really condensed prestige format version of this story told with a darker and richer approach. I love this series a lot and enjoy it every week but it’s also one that I want to see more interpretations of since it has a lot that can be explored.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: July 19th, 2016
MSRP: $0.99
