Here Comes the Doom!
Written by: Brian Buccellato
Art by: Mike Miller, J. Nanjan, Wes Abbott
Cover Price: $0.99
Release Date: December 22, 2015
It's been awhile since we last got to hang out in the dystopian elseworld of Injustice. The wait is over as Year Five kicks off a little out of order and with hardly any fanfare. As a big fan of DC's Digital First line, it comes as no surprise that I had to find out about this chapter's release by complete accident, but that doesn't make it any less infuriating. After all these years of reading and reviewing these books, it shocks me that somebody hasn't stepped up and actually done a half assed job of promotion which would be a marked improvement over the one sixty forth assed job they've been doing. Believe me, I'm only getting started and can only imagine the anger coming from the creative teams on these books. I guess I should save such talk for an editorial so I'll just get on with my review. This is Brian Buccellato's first full year of Injustice, so whatever cheers or jeers stem from the book are put squarely on his shoulders. So, which one is it for this first chapter? Let's find out...
First off the bat. I have to warn you...THIS CHAPTER SPOILS THE SHIT OUT OF THE INJUSTICE YEAR FOUR ANNUAL!!! As I write this review, the Annual is a week away, coming out on December 30th. I debated whether to wait until the Annual hit the shelves before reading and reviewing this, but I figured I'd do it now so I could at least warn others of the spoilage factor. I will try not to spoil the major points, but if you want to go into the Annual completely free of any potential spoilers, turn away now. You've been warned.
The issue begins with a little recap of the Annual and it seems that someone (they say who, but I won't say) has let every single villain on Earth out of prison and Superman is none too happy about it. He vows to round them all up, but that effort is certainly going to take it's toll on his Regime and their world order plans. It's a pretty interesting opening to what looks the be the "Year of the Villains".
We then see the beginning attempts of this roundup. While Cyborg monitors, Flash is running recon and ends up in a Metropolis full of some pretty cool villains and Hal Jordan is fighting Parasite in Coast City. I'll give Mike Miller some early props, Parasite looks awesome. I can't tell you how many different ways I've seen the purple energy eater drawn and this version is just about perfect. The issue then swings over to Themyscira for a little down time between Diana and her Mother, Hippolyta. It's quick, to the point and basically sends Wonder Woman back to her (super) man.
Up until this point, this chapter was good enough, but it takes a turn for the way better when we see the Rogues (minus their Captain) in the catacombs of Paris. I am a humongous fan of the Rogues so having them in Injustice is so great, but the greatness gets better when we find out the what and why of the situation. If you know the Rogues, you know they live by a code and that falls directly into one of the two teams fighting the Injustice war. If you have been paying a little attention, it's easy to figure out what side they end up on. Awesome!
Back in Metropolis, the Flash is in some deep (frozen) water and has to wait until Superman arrives to be saved. The scene shows that these escaped villains are no joke...except to Superman. He easily rounds them up, but before him and Flash can catch a breath, they are attacked by one of the biggest bads of the DCU. Boy, Buccellato is starting out this Year with a bang and I can't wait to see where it can go from here.
I really wish this issue would have come out in proper sequence with the Annual because it takes a bit to figure out what's going on for the first few pages. Unfortunately, once you figure it out, it spoils the Annual...that's a vicious cycle, my friends. This is the first issue of a new Year (Cpt. Obvious reporting), so I can't fault it for being setup heavy. So, I am judging it by if it sets up something interesting and the "Year of the Villains" is interesting indeed. The Rogues, Parasite and others I won't spoil are awesome. Trust me. I am excited about Injustice again!!!
Part of my excitement comes from Mike Miller's art. It is so good in this chapter and he easily gives us great versions of every villain that Buccellato throws at him. This is one of the best looking Injustice issues in a while and I'm not making a joke about it being on hiatus.
Bits and Pieces:
This was a really exciting start to the final year of Injustice. It looks like it will be the Year of the Villains and if the roster stays as awesome as it is this week, fans are in for a hell of a ride. The issue is setup, but it sets up something awesome that I can't wait to see.
8.9/10
I didn't notice its release at first either, until someone showed a pic on my timeline of "TO BE CONTINUED!" page and that definitely couldn't be a preview.
ReplyDeleteJust why did it come out two weeks earlier than expected and SPOIL the crap out of Year Four Annual?! (*sob*)
Yellow Lantern Hal was a unlikable figure, both in comics and in the game. Now? At least I can count on him being a hero. What a sweet surprise.
He's fighting parasite outside of Ferris Aircraft, and oh isn't that cute. I love HalCarol, even when DCU tore them apart and paired Carol with Kyle. Still, in Injustice, I'm not sure between Carol and Sinestro, who would Hal choose, if it ever comes to that.