All ye who be weak.
This issue took up right into the aftermath of Batman's disastrous assault on the Fortress of Solitude. It's a time for mourning the lost and carrying on the battle.
As usual, Tom gets the character voices spot on, and his ability to give cheerful hues to such a doomsday atmosphere. I really want him to write a regular universe story even though he is excelling at not one, but two parallel grim universe series (Injustice and Earth 2) - that is his appeal.
The pencil duties are handled by Bruno Redondo and he does a great job as he gets the faces right everywhere.
SPOILERS FOLLOW..............
We are first treated to a flashback, as three chums go into a bar - Oliver Queen, Dinah Lance and..........Hal Jordan. With the GL having just saved the world, we are treated to a personal look at their lives. And in the process, Tom gives us the core of each character in a single sequence.
Bruno draws Hal as jaded while Ollie and his gal are jolly. For those who know, poor Hal has never been much of a relationship guy (ask Carol Ferris). A reluctant loner, being a space cop means sacrificing a lot. For those who played the game, this Hal ultimate future is known but to the credit of Taylor, he's making the journey down enticing.
A bar brawl breaks out when a biker makes a pass at Dinah and the latter kicks his and his gang's ass (Ollie helps with a peanut) while Hal looks on at what might has been. Tom though evokes the Brave and the Bold days very well (when Hal was going through a crisis) as the couple raise a toast to their best man.
Coming back to the present, Ollie is dead (deranged Superman smashed his head to pulp) due to the events of the Fortress break-in. As everyone leaves, Dinah asks Hal whether he still sides with Superman after this and Hal leaves saying yes.
Clark arrives at the scene and while trying to offer consolation, Dinah launches a canary cry that makes his ears bleed. Grabbing her by the mouth, Superman stops her only to be taunted by Dinah that this is the face of the monster who killed Oliver. Superman leaves, and Dinah calls Oracle to know whether she got the video feed.
Well RIP Oliver Queen. He helped the Resistance by getting a super pill out, and died a hero. Sadly, the polarization has already fragmented the heroes into two groups - pro-Super and anti-Super. Hal and Clark are alive in some respects now. Both have powers of alien heritage and both are loners (in this universe). Hal's crisis seems to have made him unsure of himself and this leads him to follow Superman. Not to mention he has an inherent mistrust of Batman (will vs fear, right?).
We'll be getting Hal's descent this year it seems and Dinah herself may not be long for this world. The stakes are raised and barriers have been put up.
Anyone's fair game now.
SPOILERS END..........................
While we do start on a happy nostalgic note, Tom brings the grim present back and we see something that Meltzer did very well in Identity Crisis - heroes are humans too.
But the battle lines have been drawn and it remains to be seen how the catastrophic scenario of the game was achieved. While it will be brutal and painful, Tom is able to give us glimpses of a more cheerful time that may hold hope for the future.
So, I give it 10.0 out of 10.0
+A proper balance of grim and cheer
+Characters perfectly presented
+Plot is enhanced by character moments
+Good callback to normal universe pairings
+The art is brilliant and expressive
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