Heroes in Crisis is shaking the DC Earth! Crisis in a DC title is an event ever since Marv Wolfman and George Perez’s Crisis on Infinite Earths. Identity Crisis (2004) by Brad Meltzer, Infinite Crisis (2005-2006) by Geoff Johns which tied into Crisis on Infinite Earths, and Final Crisis (2008) by Grant Morrison which had Darkseid as a villain. Tom King is shaking things up again not by threatening the DC Universe, but more on the ground level, tearing up the super heroes themselves. Clay Mann provides the art. He worked with Tom King on a few issues of his Batman run most notably Batman #36-37 (2018) part of the “Super Friends” storyline. Heroes in Crisis is a nine issue limited series from DC Comics. The cover by Mann has the Trinity of Superman holding a gold mask, Batman, and Wonder Woman. They are surrounded by other heroes including Mister Miracle and Big Barda from King’s other series. Scattered amongst them are the white robes and gold masks to keep heroes anonymous and the Sanctuary house behind them. In the front are the caretakers of Sanctuary, Harley Quinn and Booster Gold.
The first issue has the title, “I’m Just Warming Up.” It opens in an unknown cafe in Gordon, Nebraska. At the counter is Booster Gold getting a cup of coffee poured by the waitress. A patron notices someone at the window. It is Harley Quinn peering inside. Booster Gold tells the waitress that there will be a fight. This resolves to a double page splash page with a red streak over the Nebraska fields. “Heroes in Crisis” is across the fields like cloud shadows. Then, we get Harley Quinn speaking confidentially (at Sanctuary?) behind a gold shield about trauma. She was a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum before the Joker got into her head. Mann brings this confession in a nine panel grid. I have the feeling that Harley Quinn is the hero of the story. She orders dessert at the diner while Booster Gold attempts to tell her a secret. The waitress serves Harley Quinn some peach pie. Then, we get a sonic boom that scatters crows picking at corpses(!), this is the arrival of Superman at Sanctuary. Then, we get the confession of Blue Jay, introduced in Justice League of America #87 (1971) as a nod to the Avengers. He admits that his power to shrink is out of control and he wakes up buried by his bed sheet.
Harley Quinn finishes her pie and goes over a quote from Sigmund Freud about being damaged by the demons inside. She takes the knife from her dessert and stabs Booster Gold. He unleashes his power that flares through the diner. Booster Gold warns her and Harley Quinn wipes the blood from her knife to make streaks on her cheeks. Batman and Wonder Woman are converging on the site. Batman tells Superman not to disturb the crime scene. Splash page, we see Superman standing before the bodies of Citizen Steel, Lagoon Boy, created by Erik Larson in Aquaman #50 (1998), a woman in the white robes and gold mask, and Hot Spot, a character introduced in Dan Jurgens’ Teen Titans #1 (1996). There are other bloody bodies scattered around the Sanctuary house. We get the stunning event and the mystery of the killer. Then, we get the confession of Hot Spot, in his hoodie and hat, explaining his fear. He says, “I’m just warming up” which of course we get the title reference. Superman looks at his body, a tear is falling out of his eye, and tries to remember his catch phrase. Booster Gold tries to blast Harley Quinn as she beats him and then flies her off away from the cafe. The trinity looks at the bodies inside the house. The major character deaths would be a spoiler! On the wall is written in blood, ‘The Puddlers Are All Dead.” Wonder Woman explains that puddlers are people who remove impurities from metal. Superman is shocked that they built Sanctuary to help heroes. The harsh reality has some entered the superhero world which leads to interesting potential for this series.
Four Pieces of Peach Pie out of Five!
#HeroesinCrisis, #TomKing, #ClayMann, #Sanctuary
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