How Bizarre?
Written by: Brian Buccellato
Art by: Mike S. Miller, J. Nanjan and Wes Abbott
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: May 18, 2016
Injustice is one of my favorite books and while I usually read and review it digitally, I am giving the print issue a try. This will be an easy on for me because it is the ending of the Bizarro story and I love me some Bizarro! Of course, everything that's led up to this issue has kind of pointed in the direction of bad news for my backwards superhero, but I'll take whatever I can get. The big question, however, is what Lex Luthor is going to do now that his little experiment gone wrong has come home to talk to daddy. What happens and is it any good? Let's find out...
The issue starts off with Superman desperately looking for Bizarro and it's all hands on deck. Cyborg, Hal Jordan and Wonder Woman are all on the move. Superman wants Bizarro alive and that leads to the best line of the entire book. Hal Jordan has some big balls, I'll give you that, but he is also telling the truth when he talks of the "Regime Way" of doing things.
Of course, we know exactly where Bizarro is and that is not sitting well with Lex. It's bad enough that his attempt at duplicating Superman didn't work out, but for it to come back home really puts him in a bad situation. In defense of Bizarro, he only wants his very,very dead friend to be brought back to life, but while Bizarro may be a bit of a monster, Lex isn't Dr. Frankenstein. Well, he kind of is a bit, but he doesn't have time to worry about a dead Trickster.
He really doesn't have much tome for anything because while he does "tests" on Bizarro, he finds out the Flash is on his way for a visit. Not good! That's when Buccellato shows he knows how Lex's big brain works and I have to admit it. Lex sure can think on his feet. Poor Bizzaro has no idea that Papa is a bad, bad man.
You see, Lex has convinced Bizarro that he actually found him and gives him a map so he can go to his real home. Bizarro looks so happy when he gets there, but that smile is turned upside down (or is it the other way with Bizarro?) when he finds that he already has a house guest...Doomsday. Buccellato sets up and explains a couple things here as we get a twisted version of one of the biggest moments in DC Comics history while also finding out a little more of what Superman has Lex doing.
The two battle it out and are eventually are joined by Superman. The biggest thing going here is that Lex is actually in control of Doomsday and even if Superman wants Bizarro alive, we all know better than to think that Lex is going to follow that edict. The stakes get even higher when it looks like Lex can actually kill Superman and easily get away with it. Seriously, Buccellato set this scene up perfectly. Talk about intense!
I'll tell you this, not everyone survives this issue. I'd also like to say that Lex is the smartest goddamn person in all the Universe, but I wish he wasn't such a good guy deep down. It's funny to say that, but remember, this is Injustice after all.
I enjoyed this issue. Like I said, I love Bizarro, but Lex steals the show here. Actually, he steals the show, sells it to the highest bidder than steals it back from them when they aren't looking. The fact that he could have ended this entire war and didn't was an awesome touch by Buccellato and I can't wait to see how Lex feels when the shit really hits the fan later.
Mike S. Miller is on art here and he really stepped up his game. His Bizarro is great, his Doomsday is better and the fight between the two of them and Superman was a visual highlight of this entire Year. While I have found his art on this entire series to be inconsistent, that hasn't been the case recently. It has been pretty damn great.
Bits and Pieces:
Bizarro, we hardly knew ye. Actually, we got to know him pretty well which males this issue all the harder to take. Brian Buccellato shows us that while Lex is always the smartest guy in the room, he is pushing his luck and may not be as bad as we want to believe. Mike S. Miller kicks butt on art with a great Bizarro, an exciting fight and an awesome Doomsday. We still have a whole lot of Year Five left which is good because I'm really enjoying the ride.
8.5/10
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