Written by: Brian Buccellato
Art by: Marco Santucci, Rex Locus and Wes Abbott
Cover Price: $0.99
Release Date: May 24, 2016
With all the hoopla surrounding Rebirth, it seems like everything else is getting ignored. Of course, the Digital First books seem to get ignored by DC Comics itself most of the times so who would blame us common folk for following suit. Please don't! If you do, you'd be missing out on some great stories including the one that Brian Buccellato is cooking up in Injustice. This is the last Year of the story and the longer length has let Buccellato settle in and tell a longer form story than previous years. He's used the expanded space to give fans some awesome character moments that have been missing for a while and it's been so good. Do the good times continue this week? Let's find out...
The chapter opens up with Sinestro and Superman making a deal. Actually, I should have put that in quotations because I don't know what it's about, but I have visions of Lando and Darth Vader running through my head...Pray I don't alter it further!
We then shift to a lighter moment with Bruce talking to Alfred all the way from the not-so-sunny Pacific Lead Mines. It's a great place to visit, but I'd...screw that, it looks downright dismal! It always seems that these talks pick up the spirits of these old friends and this one is no exception. It's all about Bruce trying to figure out Alfred's birthday and even if he's wrong again, he's gone all out with the decorations.
It's not all noise makers and ice cream, however, as we see that Bruce is really beginning to question if he should continue to fight the good fight. Of course, Alfred steers him down the right path, but one thing is very odd...Alfred doesn't tell Bruce about Superman's visit. He says Damian hasn't been by, but nothing about Superman.
If I know anything about Injustice, it's that things are always brightest right before dusk. That doesn't sound as good as the other saying, but it fits here and just when I was feeling all good inside, an intruder alert goes off in the Batcave.
The issue ends with the unthinkable happening and it's not just what happens, but who was involved and how the hell he got in the position to do it in the first place. This wasn't a one man job, but I'm not so sure that Superman was involved either. I guess we will have to wait and see, unlike a young man who stumbles across the scene as the chapter closes. A young man with a heavy dose of anger issues.
This was a very quick read. After not seeing much of Batman or his chums in a while, it was nice to have a heavy dose of Bats this issue. Of course, Team Batman's numbers are dwindling, but they may be getting an unlikely ally after this issue. I can't wait to see what happens and how crazy things get from here on out.
Marco Santucci is on art this week and while his Superman threw me off at first (he appears a lot older than usual), he only sticks around for a couple of panels. Everyone and everything else looked good and the big action scene played out with the right amount of excitement and brutality.
Bits and Pieces:
This is a huge chapter of Injustice. If this final Year needed a kick start to go from character issues to balls to the wall death and destruction, this is just the thing to start it. Buccellato pretty much just gives us the event and we will have to wait until next week to see the emotions and I can't wait. Marco Santucci's art was good, but it's all about story this chapter. Something tells me that Bruce will no longer question if he should keep fighting!
8.7/10
Man, I wasn't expecting this death to happen so early. And there are at least 8 more possible deaths, with 16 issues left. No matter how you slice it, the rest of this series will be a slaughterhouse. :(
ReplyDelete"no matter how you slice it" Too Soon?!?!? LOL!!! Yea, things are about to get real bloody. The solicits said that Damian and Bruce would be teaming up and now you can see why
DeleteLOL, I didn't even notice that pun until now!
DeleteThere are a lot of people telling me how shock they were that Alfred's killed, some were like "Damn you! Fu*ck Injustice! I'll never read it no more!", and they didn't know WHO the hell appeared at the end of this chapter. I told them that's Damian, and they still don't quite believe it... To be honest, he really looked older than his father.
ReplyDeleteI kept wondering where the hell is DeadWing. Wasn't he supposed to be killed again? I thought that should be before Alfred's death.
By the way, if it's up to me, I wouldn't kill Alfred, or Barbara. There should be enough to exploit in other determined deaths.
And to your question? Superman did it.
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Source:http://www.newsarama.com/29450-dc-s-injustice-series-heads-toward-ed-or-beginning-with-this-week-s-shocking-death.html
**Nrama**: Why Victor Zsasz as the one to kill Alfred?
**Buccellato**: In Page one of this chapter, Superman basically sent him to do his bidding. It's a calculated choice by Superman, because Victor Zsasz is a homicidal maniac, and just sending Zsasz to the Batcave to get information from Alfred, he knows how it's going to end. He knows Alfred's not going to give it up.
It's a way of putting a hit on somebody without doing it.
So in some ways it's Clark justifying it to himself. It's pretty twisted, but to me, it seemed like a natural fit.
And Zsasz isn't some giant behemoth who's going to come squash Alfred. He's formidable, obviously, but Alfred's got some skills. So I thought it would be a pretty good battle.
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Huh. HAIL HYDRA.