Prep-time is over.
We all knew a mega war between Batman’s resistance and the
Green Lantern Corps vs Superman’s Justice League and the Sinestro Corps was
imminent.
And now is the time all hell must break loose.
One of the better things of this series has been how it
fleshes out every character of Injustice as they change and develop new
outlooks and allies. Sinestro was the focus here from the first issue of Year
Two and here he takes on the role of a well intentioned ally to Superman.
The other side is also going through changes first glimpse
in Year Two #1 – Black Canary/ Harley Quinn bond, Black Canary’s pregnancy,
James Gordon’s imminent death and finally an out-of-commission Batman (or so it
seems).
Taylor
does falter a bit here by making use of a time gap, thereby removing months of
Sinestro manipulating his way into Superman’s inner circle. But when emotions
come into play, he is so good.
Redondo and Xermanico share pencils on this issue.
SPOILERS FOLLOW………….
Despero isn’t the most compelling villain so using him as a
device to show how Sinestro is manipulating the League (and by extension Hal Jordan)
by bringing and then disposing of threats is well done.
Relegating Sinestro’s ‘change’ to months we’ll never see and
just basing it on the Despero incident though comes off as a little hackneyed.
Apparently, Superman is off the grid as he visits a damaged
Wonder Woman at Themyscira thus updating us to the fact that it seems two of
the Trinity will not be active this year at all.
Through on the resistance side, the villain to hero change
for Harley Quinn has been nothing short of excellent as Taylor has been doing it since the first
issue only. Marked for death by Superman, Oliver Queen was her savior and she
bonded with him. Then after his death, Black Canary proved to be a new gal pal.
Here we see her basically as godmother to Dinah’s son. Her
entrance is absolutely funny (complete with a little quiver of toy arrows, a
fake mustache and….a muzzle?? Cause baby Canary Cry’s freaking hurt!) and her moments
with Dinah are proving to be the highlight of a year that is probably going to
end in high range carnage.
Guy and the Guardians have been busy as well, as we see when
the ginger Lantern contacts Dinah that he’s bringing the entire Corps to the
party (alongwith a planet sized Lantern called Mogo!)
They fail to avoid detection though, as the Sinestro Corps
guards spy the attack and report back to their leader, though they fall in
their escape attempt.
Superman has returned (and with a chilling visual of
Sinestro standing by him) broadcasts a video to the entire planet to rebuff the
Corps attack, and Dinah knows that Superman is just using the citizens as human
shields.
Oracle tries to dissuade her from joining the battle, but
one look at her son tells Canary that it needs to be fought (nice note to Tom
as he mentions the baby’s name as Connor, the second Green Arrow and Oliver’s
son as way of Shado).
The leader of the resistance returns to the forefront as
Zatanna, Catwoman and Dinah travel to the Tower of Fate,
where a broken Bruce Wayne is trying to recuperate and failing.
After seemingly everyone (Alfred in the lead) talks Batman out of joining the physical
battle, he sends a final pre-war message out to everyone.
I like how Taylor leaves everything to one or two panels – Barbara
and Jim Gordon, a lonely Huntress, Bullock drinking, Dinah and her child,
Batwoman Kate Kane and Renee Montoya, through the two most heartening is a
common Gotham cop leaving her sleeping husband in the middle of the night and
Harley doing the same to her fake mustache.
Though I do have a problem with how Batman is shown smiling
as he says in his message to say goodbye ‘to partners’. Why is he smiling here?
People are going to die!
Now most of these relationships are pre-New 52, so it will
be hard for light DC readers to get the emphasis on most of these final
partings, but the only thing that counts is that everyone knows most of them
are going to fall (Jim Gordon and Dinah Lance are shoe-ins for deaths) and it’s
time for one last moment of peace.
Batman tells Zatanna to hang back, as she sends the rest
away, for Plan ‘B’ (which is most likely going to be magic based and the main
form of attack against Superman in Year Three) while he himself prepares to
join the battle despite his condition.
SPOILERS END…………….
One of the main highlights of this series is how it has
preserved pre-New 52 connections and used them excellently. Tom also knows his
way around Harley and has built up a hero in her we can root for.
The same cannot be said of Superman and Sinestro through.
Sinestro manipulating the Justice League is given very little room to work and
feels rushed.
Redondo is his usual great self, but the transition to
Xermanico isn’t that well done, nor is the latter as competent.
So, I give this 8 out of 10.
+More Harley-Canary time
+Harley’s character development
+Some excellent pre-New 52 homage
+Redondo is as good as ever
-Sinestro’s integration feels rushed
-Xermanico’s artwork is passable
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