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Heroes in Crisis
Heroes in Crisis #1
There’s a new kind of crisis threatening the heroes of the DC Universe, ripped from real-world headlines by C.I.A.-operative-turned-comics-writer Tom How does a superhero handle PTSD? Welcome to Sanctuary, an ultra-secret hospital for superheroes who’ve been traumatized by crime-fighting and cosmic combat. But something goes inexplicably wrong when many patients wind up dead, with two well-known operators as the prime Harley Quinn and Booster Gold! It’s up to the DC Trinity of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman to investigate—but can they get the job done in the face of overwhelming opposition?
30 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
September 27, 2018
Superheroes lie dead in the fields surrounding an isolated Nebraska farmstead: Wally West Flash, Hotspot, Blue Jay, Arsenal, all of whom were being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder at the Sanctuary. An unlikely figure - Harley Quinn - sets out for vengeance against the killer… Booster Gold?!
Every time I pick up an event book there’s a little voice in my head saying, hoping, “Maybe this is the one event comic that won’t suck donkey testicles?” It’s too early to tell but, hey lookit that, the first issue of Heroes in Crisis wasn’t bad!
Clay Mann’s art has never looked better. My gawd, the line work is utterly stunning. Bordering on photorealistic, his Harley is wonderfully expressive, even his Booster Gold looks amazing and that dude’s body language isn’t nearly as lively. I loved the sonic boom in Superman’s wake as he swooped down to the farmhouse and that cover is fantastic. Full marks for the artistry on this comic which is flawless.
Tom King hasn’t really hooked me with the story. I don’t care about Booster or Harley, let alone the dead C-list characters, some, like Hotspot and Blue Jay, I’ve never even heard of, making it impossible to be affected by their “deaths”. Also, I wonder if PTSD is perhaps too serious a subject for a superhero comic to be tackling.
Not that it’s badly written but the story is definitely missing that “wow” factor, at least so far. Heroes in Crisis #1 is a mediocre beginning to a seemingly unexciting series. But I’m still curious to see if Tom King can pull off a good event comic - if anyone can it’s this dude - as well as see what else he’s got up his sleeve. I’ll read the full story when it’s collected though I don’t need to read this one in the monthlies.
Every time I pick up an event book there’s a little voice in my head saying, hoping, “Maybe this is the one event comic that won’t suck donkey testicles?” It’s too early to tell but, hey lookit that, the first issue of Heroes in Crisis wasn’t bad!
Clay Mann’s art has never looked better. My gawd, the line work is utterly stunning. Bordering on photorealistic, his Harley is wonderfully expressive, even his Booster Gold looks amazing and that dude’s body language isn’t nearly as lively. I loved the sonic boom in Superman’s wake as he swooped down to the farmhouse and that cover is fantastic. Full marks for the artistry on this comic which is flawless.
Tom King hasn’t really hooked me with the story. I don’t care about Booster or Harley, let alone the dead C-list characters, some, like Hotspot and Blue Jay, I’ve never even heard of, making it impossible to be affected by their “deaths”. Also, I wonder if PTSD is perhaps too serious a subject for a superhero comic to be tackling.
Not that it’s badly written but the story is definitely missing that “wow” factor, at least so far. Heroes in Crisis #1 is a mediocre beginning to a seemingly unexciting series. But I’m still curious to see if Tom King can pull off a good event comic - if anyone can it’s this dude - as well as see what else he’s got up his sleeve. I’ll read the full story when it’s collected though I don’t need to read this one in the monthlies.
September 26, 2018
I'm not one to read single issues. Like to have a whole arc done. However, I had to read this one since it's going to have huge spoilers. Don't worry though, I won't spoil it in this review.
The sanctuary is a place meant for heroes to go to when dealing with too many issues. It might seem insane, but after stopping crazed villains, barely surviving fights, and saving the world, you might have a little PTSD. Just a tad. so a lot of these heroes came here to get away from that. It seemed almost like a safe haven of sorts.
Then it all goes wrong.
The issue starts off with Superman making his way to the sanctuary while Batman and Wonder Woman are on their way. It's kind of a great way to start because right away it makes you feel nervous of who you'll find dead next. Two pages in and you get some answers. Between Superman investigating the scene and trying to take in all the deaths we go back and forth between small little moments with characters explaining why they go to Sanctuary.
Then the other story at play here is Booster Gold and Harley Quinn going at it. Lots of stabbing, blood, fighting, and ton of fucked up moments. You're getting bits and pieces of what happened at the Sanctuary since these two seem to be the only ones to survive the murder spree.
Good: The art is fan-fucking-tastic. Like truly amazing. The grief, the sadness, the deaths, all look amazing. This is a heavy issue and the art nails it. I think having Superman to be the one to find all the bodies is perfect. He's pure of heart, and his reaction, it's heart wrenching and oddly enough most human of the trinity so it hits harder. I really dug the booster gold and Harley back and forth and catching little clues to what happened and that ending...damn...
Bad: I think the deaths, while horrifying to see, I feel won't stick. It's not comic book logic that nobody stays dead. I'm more focused on the fact Booster Gold plays a huge part here and his power is to go back in time and change it so....
Overall this was a great first issue. I don't know if I'll read each issue as it comes out. I might want to wait till it's completed but not a 100% sure. This is damn fine writing, King does his things. Then the art...goddamn it. So good. It's dark and heavy, so might turn some people away, but for me? I'm loving it. A 4.5 out of 5.
The sanctuary is a place meant for heroes to go to when dealing with too many issues. It might seem insane, but after stopping crazed villains, barely surviving fights, and saving the world, you might have a little PTSD. Just a tad. so a lot of these heroes came here to get away from that. It seemed almost like a safe haven of sorts.
Then it all goes wrong.
The issue starts off with Superman making his way to the sanctuary while Batman and Wonder Woman are on their way. It's kind of a great way to start because right away it makes you feel nervous of who you'll find dead next. Two pages in and you get some answers. Between Superman investigating the scene and trying to take in all the deaths we go back and forth between small little moments with characters explaining why they go to Sanctuary.
Then the other story at play here is Booster Gold and Harley Quinn going at it. Lots of stabbing, blood, fighting, and ton of fucked up moments. You're getting bits and pieces of what happened at the Sanctuary since these two seem to be the only ones to survive the murder spree.
Good: The art is fan-fucking-tastic. Like truly amazing. The grief, the sadness, the deaths, all look amazing. This is a heavy issue and the art nails it. I think having Superman to be the one to find all the bodies is perfect. He's pure of heart, and his reaction, it's heart wrenching and oddly enough most human of the trinity so it hits harder. I really dug the booster gold and Harley back and forth and catching little clues to what happened and that ending...damn...
Bad: I think the deaths, while horrifying to see, I feel won't stick. It's not comic book logic that nobody stays dead. I'm more focused on the fact Booster Gold plays a huge part here and his power is to go back in time and change it so....
Overall this was a great first issue. I don't know if I'll read each issue as it comes out. I might want to wait till it's completed but not a 100% sure. This is damn fine writing, King does his things. Then the art...goddamn it. So good. It's dark and heavy, so might turn some people away, but for me? I'm loving it. A 4.5 out of 5.
September 30, 2018
Man! I feel like I've been waiting for this for centuries! Great art, intriguing story line so far.
October 5, 2018
Reading his work on Batman and Mister Miracle, I have faith in Tom King that he can pull this off, his first "big" DC event, Heroes in Crisis.
We all know what a Crisis means in the DC universe - these are stories that span from multiversal shakeups to retcons to devastating murders. Whatever is the scope and plot, the common theme about these events is that it involves majority of the DC characters who are active in that period. Now, this Tom King HiC seems to be thematically aligned with Identity Crisis more than Infinite Earths. It's grounded, small-scale and deals more with internal conflict.
Issue one is a good start, although not as phenomenal as Mister Miracle #1. Tom King's narrative choice is more straightforward, concentrating on two POVs: (i) The Trinity and (ii) Booster Gold and Harley Quinn. The first issue sets up the story's playfield, an adequate number of who's who and whats and hows.
I however think that Heroes in Crisis is read better as a collected volume rather than in single issues. You can pass this one and instead wait for a year (if you can) for the hardbound edition.
We all know what a Crisis means in the DC universe - these are stories that span from multiversal shakeups to retcons to devastating murders. Whatever is the scope and plot, the common theme about these events is that it involves majority of the DC characters who are active in that period. Now, this Tom King HiC seems to be thematically aligned with Identity Crisis more than Infinite Earths. It's grounded, small-scale and deals more with internal conflict.
Issue one is a good start, although not as phenomenal as Mister Miracle #1. Tom King's narrative choice is more straightforward, concentrating on two POVs: (i) The Trinity and (ii) Booster Gold and Harley Quinn. The first issue sets up the story's playfield, an adequate number of who's who and whats and hows.
I however think that Heroes in Crisis is read better as a collected volume rather than in single issues. You can pass this one and instead wait for a year (if you can) for the hardbound edition.
June 25, 2019
Funny, a friend and I were discussing how heroes must have HORRIFIC PTSD and then I saw this at ALA Annual. Not quite what I had been expecting and kinda gruesome. Also, cliffhanger, so not my fav. Good artwork and story idea though. Solid 3 stars.
October 3, 2018
It's weird how much of this is great, yet still manages to remain kinda bad at the same time. One thing is for sure: the art alone is worth the price of admission. And I have enough patience to see where Tom King is taking this.... but the ice is thin.
October 11, 2018
A good start but not alot has been revealed. The art is gorgeous. Not Kings finest start but I have hope!
January 22, 2019
what the hell happened in the sanctuary ??
The flash is dead !! Not only the flash but also other superheroes ??
This is going to be epic
The flash is dead !! Not only the flash but also other superheroes ??
This is going to be epic
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2018
You help heroes who have seen too much!
Finally read it this evening just to catch on my the Reading Challenge for the year. I want to stay ahead of the game!
October 10, 2018
Bit of a backlog going along, so let me pick up something and read it.
I have enjoyed King's run on Batman a lot. Despite it being heavily scrutinized (and in the era of social media, everything sucks), I really think it's been a great run.
I haven't read his other non- Batman stuff (and to be honest, it doesn't really interest to me).
I am a bit nervous about this. For one, with the word "Crisis", it hearkens to other DC big events, which I generally don't enjoy. Also, the lede on this one is that it is a story about PTSD. Nothing wrong with that, but comics historically fumbles with socially relevant material more often than not.
Indeed, a recent Astro City thread was about the damage superheroes have done. It's not that comics can't be deep, but Busiek has probably done it and better.
In any case, how can I refuse, Clay Mann's art is incredible.
You know the good thing about DC comics signing Bendis is that he can't sue you for copyright infringement,
Ok, so Bendis doesn't own the rights to nine-panel pages, but this issue certainly follows the Bendis model of being dialogue driven.
Indeed, there is action and a plot, but it is all in the background, and there's not a lot of you know... exposition. Indeed, the PTSD stuff, "event" stuff, the plot itself are all pretty secondary. It will be interesting to see where it goes. I wonder who is the brain at DC that apparently wants to push Booster Gold in 2018 (King?), but the interactions of Harley and Booster are fun so far. We will see, but I am enjoying seeing where this might go.
I have enjoyed King's run on Batman a lot. Despite it being heavily scrutinized (and in the era of social media, everything sucks), I really think it's been a great run.
I haven't read his other non- Batman stuff (and to be honest, it doesn't really interest to me).
I am a bit nervous about this. For one, with the word "Crisis", it hearkens to other DC big events, which I generally don't enjoy. Also, the lede on this one is that it is a story about PTSD. Nothing wrong with that, but comics historically fumbles with socially relevant material more often than not.
Indeed, a recent Astro City thread was about the damage superheroes have done. It's not that comics can't be deep, but Busiek has probably done it and better.
In any case, how can I refuse, Clay Mann's art is incredible.
You know the good thing about DC comics signing Bendis is that he can't sue you for copyright infringement,
Ok, so Bendis doesn't own the rights to nine-panel pages, but this issue certainly follows the Bendis model of being dialogue driven.
Indeed, there is action and a plot, but it is all in the background, and there's not a lot of you know... exposition. Indeed, the PTSD stuff, "event" stuff, the plot itself are all pretty secondary. It will be interesting to see where it goes. I wonder who is the brain at DC that apparently wants to push Booster Gold in 2018 (King?), but the interactions of Harley and Booster are fun so far. We will see, but I am enjoying seeing where this might go.
September 29, 2018
... not sure... Look like an interesting idea but push too far too fast. We'll see where it goes from there, but it probably won't what it could have been!
September 27, 2018
100% cringe whenever HQ opened her mouth. Made absolutely no sense. Dead heroes with no gravity. Tom King has jumped the shark. Time to go home, baldy.
September 29, 2018
This is one hell of underwhelming start for a series. The art is great and the colors are fantastic. But why start on a fan service? Yeah Harley's pretty alright. But that does give her the right to destroy comicbook logic(which is pretty stupid to say, because this is a comicbook).
Isn't Booster's armor supposed to withstand strikes from Superman? How does Harley keep puncturing it?
People like Harley Quinn because she's a interesting character. Not because she beat anyone with a butter knife!!
I rather make her date batman beat the crap of Catwoman. But not this!! NOT THIS!!!!!!
Isn't Booster's armor supposed to withstand strikes from Superman? How does Harley keep puncturing it?
People like Harley Quinn because she's a interesting character. Not because she beat anyone with a butter knife!!
I rather make her date batman beat the crap of Catwoman. But not this!! NOT THIS!!!!!!
January 9, 2019
Graphics of DC's were always been fantastic. Since the Injustice series, illustration of this comics franchise have improved more.
But, i've nothing to say about this series and this issue. But hints are clear. Upcoming issues are going to be more bloody violence. And this isn't less excitement.
Story will be more deeper with upcoming issues. This is why i love comics of DC. This contains story, with plenty actions.
Loved it. Harley has became more confusing than Joker. But, i've no idea about goldee. What the hell is he going to do?🤔
But, i've nothing to say about this series and this issue. But hints are clear. Upcoming issues are going to be more bloody violence. And this isn't less excitement.
Story will be more deeper with upcoming issues. This is why i love comics of DC. This contains story, with plenty actions.
Loved it. Harley has became more confusing than Joker. But, i've no idea about goldee. What the hell is he going to do?🤔
June 6, 2019
No se que pensar exactamente de este evento. Pasa por momentos muy buenos y números que se podrían desechar.
Al final trata de la humanidad de los héroes y de cómo lidian con las pérdidas, en especial Wally.
Aún así me deja más frío que otra cosa, lo mantienen lo mejor que pueden el cuarteto protagonista, perooo no es suficiente.
En general en DC todas las "Crisis" son memorables pero está no lo es, o si? Volveré a leermela entera de seguido y ver si cambia mi visión, se lo que sea, aquí abajo lo dejaré.
Al final trata de la humanidad de los héroes y de cómo lidian con las pérdidas, en especial Wally.
Aún así me deja más frío que otra cosa, lo mantienen lo mejor que pueden el cuarteto protagonista, perooo no es suficiente.
En general en DC todas las "Crisis" son memorables pero está no lo es, o si? Volveré a leermela entera de seguido y ver si cambia mi visión, se lo que sea, aquí abajo lo dejaré.
October 3, 2018
4.25 Stars. Definitely a solid start to what looks like may be a great JL story. I'm just super pumped Tom King is writing it, I was hoping he would take over the regular JL series, but it looks like Snyder's gonna have that gig for a while. King's been pumping out some excellent Batman stuff & his Mister Miracle series is a masterpiece, so I've got really high hopes for this series.
September 26, 2018
Booster Gold a emoce...
Po příšerném Batmanovi Tom King ukázal že psát umí, ale tak uvidíme po prvním sešitu*
*Tedy pokud vůbec další číst začnu... znáte mě :(
Po příšerném Batmanovi Tom King ukázal že psát umí, ale tak uvidíme po prvním sešitu*
*Tedy pokud vůbec další číst začnu... znáte mě :(
August 14, 2019
Warning! The following is a review of 'Heroes In Crisis' by Tom King. Some of what, perhaps a lot of what, is contained within this review will spoil the fun for some readers of the immediacy of discovery and the joy of figuring out plot points and other areas of interest for themselves. Additionally, much of the following will most definitely be impenetrable -- and maybe boring -- for those not interested in comic books, from which graphic novels derive. I reference here my mentioning of specific characters, scenarios, and commonplace comic book tropes specific to DC Comics, a division of a huge corporate conglomerate I'd prefer not to mention. (Actually it's Warner Brothers for whom I've an active dislike as their movie division crapped out on translating two of the World's Finest properties to the screen -- Superman and Justice League. Ewwww!) If any of the above falls outside the parameters of your reading sweet spot (micro or macro) please stop reading now and go elsewhere in Goodreads. 50 million other readers and their reading habits might engage your attention. If none of the above is to you bothersome, boring, or ennui-producing, then pretend the following is the like unto Red Sea and try to sink into it.
'Heroes In Crisis' is a 9-issue soon-to-be-republished graphic novel from their latest Big Thing author, Tom King. Mr. King, formerly employed in some capacity by the CIA, has proven himself to many, myself included, as a talented scripter for the comics medium. King, as a writer, generally skillfully sets up his readers to become emotionally invested in the characters and their plot lines while he tells his engaging tales in multi-issue arcs. (For more information on the ick factor in the rise to normalcy of deconstruction of story within the comic medium, check the archives of Comicbook Resources on the web or back issues of The Comic Reader, Alter Ego, Back Issue, etc..) Anyone who has read his run on 'Batman' can attest to this observation. His stories are well planned and thought through, replete with well constructed verisimilitudinous life sketches, and twisting complexities. The latter for me can be problematic (save for the writing of Jonathan Hickman whose scripting defines complexity in modern comic book writing). Complexity structured and presented for its own sake and not justified by the emotional strands of the life stories threaded together with matching strands of plotted necessities to justify those complexities of story structure to its conclusion is, in my opinion, gratuitous. 'Heroes In Crisis' exemplifies this as you'll no doubt see by the end of this review.
Let's begin with the flawed premise upon which the 9-issue story is built. Superheroes need a safe place to relieve themselves of accumulated job related stress. A mass killing takes place within the boundaries of that safe space. (More on that killing later.) That is, I think, an excellent jumping off couple of premise points for a story. However ... A secure space is created for them to unburden (presumably, I believe, by DC's Holy Trinity -- Batman, Superman & Wonder Woman -- but not specifically stated) somewhere in rural Nebraska. It is designed with and run by Kryptonian technology which has also been used to create the AI therapists and location-bound artificial personnel to help these angst-filled Superheroes process, integrate, and dissipate their stress. The residents speak their truths aloud either within the privacy of their individual living quarters or in some undescribed booth. They are free to let loose whatever is to them deep, dark, disturbing, disquieting, disruptive, and painful. These disgorgings are available for therapeutic use by the AI psychotherapists, and maybe for review by each individual disgorger, though that was never stated. Each recorded statement and AI therapeutic interaction is deleted -- written out as immediately upon completion. But if so, how could it/them be used in review to help a client?
Questions: With available space stations, moon bases, and Boom Tube tech to transfer the user literally anywhere in this dimension and others, why is this 'safe environment' created on earth where some unforeseen stumbling into could possibly happen? The writer describes the safe haven interior as be refashionable at the will of the client to suit that individual's wants and needs. So too then for an external environment for them to enjoy in privacy or in groups. Privacy is paramount in Sanctuary. The client can remain isolated within their quarters or they can choose to meet and mingle amongst the ingathered heroes. Secret identities are a superhero staple. If a client wants to leave their suite privacy for a meal in the dining area or go walkabout within the Sanctuary confines our in the outside grounds, the robot personnel supply them with facial coverings. Completely wrong-headed in my opinion. In an environment where anything can be refashioned through Kryptonian tech, Sanctuary could cause facial or form distortions through light and air molecule manipulation, just for one possible solution (there are many others). The writer's solution is strictly mid-20th century thinking. And as for individual and group safety at Sanctuary, no place on earth is completely safe and secure. So why is it on earth rather than off?
With the availability of Kryptonian tech, why is an actual physical space needed for Sanctuary? For example, conducting therapy and stress reduction on both individuals and groups not done safely on the mental plane while the physical forms are off planet in some contrivance which is, until the individual wants it, slightly out of phase with this universe and thus both invisible and intangible and so totally safe and secure? There is, as stated above, no need for an unsafe unsecured earth based Sanctuary. And no one can be followed, as the writer plotted, to an off earth, out of phase place as did Harley Quinn with her girlfriend, Poison Ivy.
Later in the story Booster Gold is on the run with his Bros Before Heroes bestie Blue Beetle. Harley Quinn is likewise running. I'll get to why this happens later. The Trinity heroes and others are having just an awful time tracking them down. Tech and deductive reasoning are coming up with nothing. What should they do that the writer didn't put into his plot line? Better Call Zatanna, a premier expert on magic, on the other side of wherever with her group Justice League Dark. Have her use her spell casting prowess to say 'ekat su ot retsooB dloG! (Why Gardner Fox created that need for Zatara, her father, and her to spell cast with backwards spelled words I cannot imagine.) Fugitives captured. Plot line resolved within one page. No deconstructed, poorly planned, overly complicated capture strategy. But then pages need to be filled with characters who need something to do. Especially Harley Quinn.
Regarding Harley Quinn. King masterfully captures her broken craziness not only in the backstory reveal of recorded therapy sessions wherein she speaks of her former lover, Mr. J (AKA The Joker) saying, 'He started hitting me. He hit me good.', but primarily in the movingly described complex relationships she has with women. The intimate relationship described between Harley and her pretty girl Poison Ivy is well defined and as true to life as any comic book characters can be written. It is shown in a few short scenes to be playful, serious, emotionally intimate, defending, and caring. The lovers are two self-described crazy women who know they are bad guys, but have created for themselves a safe cocoon of trust and love. Her other female non-sexual bestie is Batgirl with whom she's shown to bond by virtue of how their male counterparts view them, breakable and broken. They also bond by the attraction of opposites: crazy versus stable, justice seeking versus chaos making, self restraint versus none at all. King makes that relationship believable too.
Two scenarios began playing out in Chapter 5. The first was simple, heartfelt, and well done. The second was complex, overly intellectualized, and not at all well done -- by Chapters 8 & 9. The first was the press event given by Superman while sided by Wonder Woman. Batman was not present. After all, he is BATMAN, and Batman doesn't do press. His address to the press and the world was done to explain the 'why' of Sanctuary, the unique need it filled in the lives of the heroes it was built to help, and what it meant to the world to know their heroes had hurts needing mending, trauma needing resolving, and personal weaknesses revealing their not-so-perfect personas. (The need for this address was the receiving of a cache of recordings of Sanctuary heroes in self-reveal and in therapy -- presumably all of them, though no stated -- by reporter Lois Lane.) These were the main themes of Superman's address. The second scenario created the backbone for the Big Reveal of who did the mass killing mentioned above, how and why Sanctuary became a kill zone, and how and why both Harley Quinn and Booster Gold each believed the other was the mass killer. The first scenario, finely tuned by the writer, was well conceived, well set out, and the necessary extrapolation for the premise I believe to be flawed. There was a sense of real world verisimilitude (that word again) to Superman's address. I found it to be both creatively and emotionally satisfying. The second scenario, not at all of either. This was the initial crack in the pane of glass through which the reader saw explanations develop. By Chapters 8 & 9 there was nothing to see in that pane but cracks. The 'why' didn't make logical sense nor did the 'how.' Understanding of this began in Chapter 5 and by Chapter 9 thoroughly overwhelmed the reader (me). The accumulation of cracks caused me to reflect back to Chapter 1 and begin to discern more flaws in the foundation of the premise points which gave rise to the book. A key trigger point was the writer's flip mention of RNA half life revealing the presence of time travel. Where in accepted comic book science is that a thing?
THE SECOND HALF OF THIS REVIEW CAN BE FOUND IN ‘HEROES IN CRISIS’ #9 REVIEW.
'Heroes In Crisis' is a 9-issue soon-to-be-republished graphic novel from their latest Big Thing author, Tom King. Mr. King, formerly employed in some capacity by the CIA, has proven himself to many, myself included, as a talented scripter for the comics medium. King, as a writer, generally skillfully sets up his readers to become emotionally invested in the characters and their plot lines while he tells his engaging tales in multi-issue arcs. (For more information on the ick factor in the rise to normalcy of deconstruction of story within the comic medium, check the archives of Comicbook Resources on the web or back issues of The Comic Reader, Alter Ego, Back Issue, etc..) Anyone who has read his run on 'Batman' can attest to this observation. His stories are well planned and thought through, replete with well constructed verisimilitudinous life sketches, and twisting complexities. The latter for me can be problematic (save for the writing of Jonathan Hickman whose scripting defines complexity in modern comic book writing). Complexity structured and presented for its own sake and not justified by the emotional strands of the life stories threaded together with matching strands of plotted necessities to justify those complexities of story structure to its conclusion is, in my opinion, gratuitous. 'Heroes In Crisis' exemplifies this as you'll no doubt see by the end of this review.
Let's begin with the flawed premise upon which the 9-issue story is built. Superheroes need a safe place to relieve themselves of accumulated job related stress. A mass killing takes place within the boundaries of that safe space. (More on that killing later.) That is, I think, an excellent jumping off couple of premise points for a story. However ... A secure space is created for them to unburden (presumably, I believe, by DC's Holy Trinity -- Batman, Superman & Wonder Woman -- but not specifically stated) somewhere in rural Nebraska. It is designed with and run by Kryptonian technology which has also been used to create the AI therapists and location-bound artificial personnel to help these angst-filled Superheroes process, integrate, and dissipate their stress. The residents speak their truths aloud either within the privacy of their individual living quarters or in some undescribed booth. They are free to let loose whatever is to them deep, dark, disturbing, disquieting, disruptive, and painful. These disgorgings are available for therapeutic use by the AI psychotherapists, and maybe for review by each individual disgorger, though that was never stated. Each recorded statement and AI therapeutic interaction is deleted -- written out as immediately upon completion. But if so, how could it/them be used in review to help a client?
Questions: With available space stations, moon bases, and Boom Tube tech to transfer the user literally anywhere in this dimension and others, why is this 'safe environment' created on earth where some unforeseen stumbling into could possibly happen? The writer describes the safe haven interior as be refashionable at the will of the client to suit that individual's wants and needs. So too then for an external environment for them to enjoy in privacy or in groups. Privacy is paramount in Sanctuary. The client can remain isolated within their quarters or they can choose to meet and mingle amongst the ingathered heroes. Secret identities are a superhero staple. If a client wants to leave their suite privacy for a meal in the dining area or go walkabout within the Sanctuary confines our in the outside grounds, the robot personnel supply them with facial coverings. Completely wrong-headed in my opinion. In an environment where anything can be refashioned through Kryptonian tech, Sanctuary could cause facial or form distortions through light and air molecule manipulation, just for one possible solution (there are many others). The writer's solution is strictly mid-20th century thinking. And as for individual and group safety at Sanctuary, no place on earth is completely safe and secure. So why is it on earth rather than off?
With the availability of Kryptonian tech, why is an actual physical space needed for Sanctuary? For example, conducting therapy and stress reduction on both individuals and groups not done safely on the mental plane while the physical forms are off planet in some contrivance which is, until the individual wants it, slightly out of phase with this universe and thus both invisible and intangible and so totally safe and secure? There is, as stated above, no need for an unsafe unsecured earth based Sanctuary. And no one can be followed, as the writer plotted, to an off earth, out of phase place as did Harley Quinn with her girlfriend, Poison Ivy.
Later in the story Booster Gold is on the run with his Bros Before Heroes bestie Blue Beetle. Harley Quinn is likewise running. I'll get to why this happens later. The Trinity heroes and others are having just an awful time tracking them down. Tech and deductive reasoning are coming up with nothing. What should they do that the writer didn't put into his plot line? Better Call Zatanna, a premier expert on magic, on the other side of wherever with her group Justice League Dark. Have her use her spell casting prowess to say 'ekat su ot retsooB dloG! (Why Gardner Fox created that need for Zatara, her father, and her to spell cast with backwards spelled words I cannot imagine.) Fugitives captured. Plot line resolved within one page. No deconstructed, poorly planned, overly complicated capture strategy. But then pages need to be filled with characters who need something to do. Especially Harley Quinn.
Regarding Harley Quinn. King masterfully captures her broken craziness not only in the backstory reveal of recorded therapy sessions wherein she speaks of her former lover, Mr. J (AKA The Joker) saying, 'He started hitting me. He hit me good.', but primarily in the movingly described complex relationships she has with women. The intimate relationship described between Harley and her pretty girl Poison Ivy is well defined and as true to life as any comic book characters can be written. It is shown in a few short scenes to be playful, serious, emotionally intimate, defending, and caring. The lovers are two self-described crazy women who know they are bad guys, but have created for themselves a safe cocoon of trust and love. Her other female non-sexual bestie is Batgirl with whom she's shown to bond by virtue of how their male counterparts view them, breakable and broken. They also bond by the attraction of opposites: crazy versus stable, justice seeking versus chaos making, self restraint versus none at all. King makes that relationship believable too.
Two scenarios began playing out in Chapter 5. The first was simple, heartfelt, and well done. The second was complex, overly intellectualized, and not at all well done -- by Chapters 8 & 9. The first was the press event given by Superman while sided by Wonder Woman. Batman was not present. After all, he is BATMAN, and Batman doesn't do press. His address to the press and the world was done to explain the 'why' of Sanctuary, the unique need it filled in the lives of the heroes it was built to help, and what it meant to the world to know their heroes had hurts needing mending, trauma needing resolving, and personal weaknesses revealing their not-so-perfect personas. (The need for this address was the receiving of a cache of recordings of Sanctuary heroes in self-reveal and in therapy -- presumably all of them, though no stated -- by reporter Lois Lane.) These were the main themes of Superman's address. The second scenario created the backbone for the Big Reveal of who did the mass killing mentioned above, how and why Sanctuary became a kill zone, and how and why both Harley Quinn and Booster Gold each believed the other was the mass killer. The first scenario, finely tuned by the writer, was well conceived, well set out, and the necessary extrapolation for the premise I believe to be flawed. There was a sense of real world verisimilitude (that word again) to Superman's address. I found it to be both creatively and emotionally satisfying. The second scenario, not at all of either. This was the initial crack in the pane of glass through which the reader saw explanations develop. By Chapters 8 & 9 there was nothing to see in that pane but cracks. The 'why' didn't make logical sense nor did the 'how.' Understanding of this began in Chapter 5 and by Chapter 9 thoroughly overwhelmed the reader (me). The accumulation of cracks caused me to reflect back to Chapter 1 and begin to discern more flaws in the foundation of the premise points which gave rise to the book. A key trigger point was the writer's flip mention of RNA half life revealing the presence of time travel. Where in accepted comic book science is that a thing?
THE SECOND HALF OF THIS REVIEW CAN BE FOUND IN ‘HEROES IN CRISIS’ #9 REVIEW.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2019
Well, this was a weird one. In addition to a completed story with Batman, this issue contains readings for two massive upcoming DC comic events:
Heroes in Crisis is written by BATMAN author Tom King. There, the Dark Knight, Wonder Woman and Superman are chasing a killer murdering superheroes - and their main suspect is Harley Quinn of the Suicide Squad! Personally, I thought this sample was quite useless due to its brevity. I wasn't able to get a true feel for the story and the mere 8 pages (meh!) that we got didn't hook me at all. DC is usually not my thing, so that's not surprising, but I'll never read the full thing. /// 1 star
In Doomsday Clock, the heroes of the DC universe meet the grim anti-heroes from the world of Alan Moore's masterpiece Watchmen. This sample was even worse since we only got 6 pages. Why even bother? Especially for someone unfamiliar with Watchmen, I understood absolutely nothing of those 6 pages. What a waste of my time. /// 1 star
However, the full Batman story that we got in her was pretty damn solid. I don't know why I have such a soft spot for Gotham and the lost souls that roam its cities... but I usually end up enjoying a Batman comic. I like Bruce Wayne. Alfred is just the purest soul. Gordon is iconic, not to speak of the Joker. In this story, Bruce is, yet again, questioning his mission. The criminals that he puts in Arkham asylum usually break free within weeks. He feels trapped and useless. When Alfred shows him a bunch of letters that his fans (...and people who are grateful for his service in general) have sent him, Bruce finds new strength to resume his duties. I highly appreciate that the full story was included in this issue. I liked the art style and thought that the tale definitely had its heartwarming and funny moments. /// 4 stars
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May 11, 2019 was Free Comic Book Day in Germany. This was one of the titles.
Heroes in Crisis is written by BATMAN author Tom King. There, the Dark Knight, Wonder Woman and Superman are chasing a killer murdering superheroes - and their main suspect is Harley Quinn of the Suicide Squad! Personally, I thought this sample was quite useless due to its brevity. I wasn't able to get a true feel for the story and the mere 8 pages (meh!) that we got didn't hook me at all. DC is usually not my thing, so that's not surprising, but I'll never read the full thing. /// 1 star
In Doomsday Clock, the heroes of the DC universe meet the grim anti-heroes from the world of Alan Moore's masterpiece Watchmen. This sample was even worse since we only got 6 pages. Why even bother? Especially for someone unfamiliar with Watchmen, I understood absolutely nothing of those 6 pages. What a waste of my time. /// 1 star
However, the full Batman story that we got in her was pretty damn solid. I don't know why I have such a soft spot for Gotham and the lost souls that roam its cities... but I usually end up enjoying a Batman comic. I like Bruce Wayne. Alfred is just the purest soul. Gordon is iconic, not to speak of the Joker. In this story, Bruce is, yet again, questioning his mission. The criminals that he puts in Arkham asylum usually break free within weeks. He feels trapped and useless. When Alfred shows him a bunch of letters that his fans (...and people who are grateful for his service in general) have sent him, Bruce finds new strength to resume his duties. I highly appreciate that the full story was included in this issue. I liked the art style and thought that the tale definitely had its heartwarming and funny moments. /// 4 stars
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May 11, 2019 was Free Comic Book Day in Germany. This was one of the titles.
May 31, 2019
Love it! Great art work fascinated me and I'm continuing the second issue immediately.
September 28, 2018
Heroes in Crisis is a new DC series/event…and I have so many questions. It was an interesting start, but either I missed the beginning of this, or they’re going to fill us in on it all later (I suspect it’s the latter).
So far the two characters with the most ‘screen time’ in this series would be Blooster Gold and Harley Quinn. An interesting combination, right? A ton of other superheroes make cameos of well, though they’re not all of the happy sort of cameo…
I’m a little conflicted about this one. On the one hand I can see what they’re trying to do (I think) and how they wanted to approach it. On the other I’m not thrilled with some of the decisions they made. A lot of those complaints revolve around the way they interpreted Harley though, so that may be my bias showing.
It seems like lately Harley’s character has been deviating more and more from her original persona. Don’t get me wrong, change can absolutely be a good thing and I won’t fight change on principle. However, I prefer that the change be…well, good? I’m just not liking the new interpretation of Harley. Every time I see her (either in her own series, Suicide Squad, or any other appearance) I think that this will be the issue where I start liking the new her…but it hasn’t happened yet. This one in particular rubbed me the wrong way – the way she talked about mental health and her old patients. Not only did it not sound like Harley, but it wasn’t exactly sensitively done either (something that they can get away with thanks to the perspective saying those things, I suppose).
So far the two characters with the most ‘screen time’ in this series would be Blooster Gold and Harley Quinn. An interesting combination, right? A ton of other superheroes make cameos of well, though they’re not all of the happy sort of cameo…
I’m a little conflicted about this one. On the one hand I can see what they’re trying to do (I think) and how they wanted to approach it. On the other I’m not thrilled with some of the decisions they made. A lot of those complaints revolve around the way they interpreted Harley though, so that may be my bias showing.
It seems like lately Harley’s character has been deviating more and more from her original persona. Don’t get me wrong, change can absolutely be a good thing and I won’t fight change on principle. However, I prefer that the change be…well, good? I’m just not liking the new interpretation of Harley. Every time I see her (either in her own series, Suicide Squad, or any other appearance) I think that this will be the issue where I start liking the new her…but it hasn’t happened yet. This one in particular rubbed me the wrong way – the way she talked about mental health and her old patients. Not only did it not sound like Harley, but it wasn’t exactly sensitively done either (something that they can get away with thanks to the perspective saying those things, I suppose).
September 26, 2018
The Sanctuary could have been a great concept that lead to some interesting stories but DC been Dc had to go down the lazy writing and shock value route. My rating would be much lower if it wasn't for the art.
September 29, 2018
knock knock
who’s there?
bad writing
bring back roy or i’m squaring up
who’s there?
bad writing
bring back roy or i’m squaring up
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2019
What where they thinking killing Wally West and Roy Harper off.
February 25, 2019
¿Puede haber un mejor número 1 que este? Lo dudo.
June 2, 2020
The art is fantastic, but I fear they went with shock value (not overly shocking in this day and age) over storytelling. It has promise and I’m curious if it can deliver on that promise.
September 26, 2018
Crítica | Heróis em Crise #1: Eu Estou Apenas Aquecendo
http://www.planocritico.com/critica-h...
http://www.planocritico.com/critica-h...
October 2, 2018
Along for the ride, friends. Beautiful art, interesting narrative, story... easy to follow, but betrays little. hummmmmmm
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