Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Five Chapter 16 Review

Burning Man

Written by: Brian Buccellato
Art by: Bruno Redondo, Juan Albarran, Rex Loku and Wes Abbott
Cover Price: $0.99
Release Date: April 5, 2016

Things are starting to pick up in this book and I am all for that.  Granted, I love character development as much as the next guy, but I may like explosions and death a little bit more...maybe a little too much!  But hey, that's what drew me into Injustice in the first place and old habits are like John McClane.  We kind of got both last issue as we saw the Joker Underground gathering and then being interrupted by Batwoman and Harley.  The issue ended with both gals on the wrong end of a bunch of guns while Superman is more than likely on his way to pay them all a little visit.  There is definitely trouble a brewing and that's where I will begin my review for Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Five Chapter #16...


Brian Buccellato is a sneaky fella and instead of starting things off where we left off, he takes us back two days and shows us how they came to be.  It starts with Batwoman almost begging Selina Kyle to come back to the Insurgency.  It's not just because she cares for her, but what Selina is doing could put everyone on Team Batman in jeopardy.  She still ends up declining and in a little foreshadowing, tells Kate that the Joker Underground deserves what they get.

Back in the present, Batwoman shows the Underground how much of a badass she is, but also how little a chance they would have against the heaviest of heavy hitters, Superman.  I love any chance of seeing Batwoman, but Harley Quinn steals the show by talking some sense into Bard and his Joker worshiping followers.  Unfortunately, I fear it's a little too late.

It doesn't take long to see if I was right because after the Underground is given an offer from Harley and Batwoman, a certain someone shows up and is mighty pissed off.  I'll give it to Bard and his group, they don't run and hide.  While this isn't exactly what I was talking about in my introduction, it's mighty close and once again shows what the Regimen is willing to do to get their way.

The plot thickens even as Buccellato gives us something we all already knew...Superman is a big prick who will do whatever it takes to stay on top.  I can only wonder if this is partly a reaction to him hearing what Alfred told Damian a couple of issues ago, but whatever the case may be, the Insurgency is going to have to do something about this, right? Things are starting to heat up and yes, that's a little bit of a joke.

Bruno Redondo is back again this week on art and everything looks fantastic.  I always like his overlapping panel layout and even when things get nasty, it still looks great, maybe even better.

Bits and Pieces:

Brian Buccellato gives fans a very quick paced read that reinforces just how far Superman has fallen.  It's not just Batman and the other heroes who are facing his wrath now and when and if he unleashes his monster squad he's been gathering, it's obvious who the real monster is.  Bruno Redondo's art is as good as usual, but in the end, this is an enjoyable chapter that only pushes the story forward a little bit.

8.0/10