There is no shortage of crises in DC. In the DC Deluxe collection itself, four titles with the word "crisis" have been released, but in my opinion it will not end there. This time we get something completely different. This fits in with the fictional series published in Poland on an ongoing basis.
Independent story
I remember about two years ago, on our website, we mentioned the American publishing plans regarding this story (more here: https://ostatniatawerna.pl/komiks-heroes-in-crisis-bedzie-mial-dwa-zeszyty-wiecej/ ) . I knew it could be important and assumed that I would need to read many other series to understand it. Well, there are a lot of superhero narratives behind me, and Crisis of Heroes turned out to be a comic book event so independent that you don’t need to know the current situation of the DC universe. This impasse in the world of knights is similar to that of the Identity Crisis. It doesn’t turn the universe upside down, but you don’t have to know much to understand it either.
A comic book unlike any other
What do we usually expect from leotards? Lots of action, some gradually discovered intrigue and a little psychologicalization. Here it is exactly the opposite. The crime committed in a superhero therapy center becomes the starting point not only for a step-by-step analysis of the investigation conducted by members of the Justice League, including Batman, but also a glimpse into the psyche of the characters lost in this whole situation.
Although we see a lot of faces from the DC world in the frames, Tom King decided that the main axis of the story will be based on rather non-obvious characters. When there is a crisis, there is also a speedster . Most of the breakthroughs in the world of Batman and Superman come from the fastest humans. Here, too, one of the heroes, called the Flash, is involved in it all. As we explore the story, we get the impression that thanks to the fastest hero we are dealing with something like the Butterfly Effect.
How To Sell A Good Therapy
The plot can surprise us with its uniqueness, but we can also count on great drawings. Fragments of recordings from the therapy of various heroes are given to us on nine-row frames, which I associate with another work by Tom King – Mister Miracle , which attracts attention with its unconventionality. The main artist, Clay Mann, through his drawings tries – in my opinion – to imitate Alex Ross, but instead of realism, they reflect a certain form of higher comic artistry, giving the impression of communing with oil paintings of the post-impressionist era, interspersed with characteristic close-ups from contemporary drawing works. The release itself seems solid, but leaves a certain distaste. On the one hand, it is a volume published in a similar style as every few months earlier –Birds of Prey. Secrets and murders , however, deserve more than that. It would be a good idea to include this story in the DC Deluxe series or as part of the regular DC Universe series, because it is a comic book referring to current events. Hardcover, adding a few covers and concept illustrations and valuing this title at PLN 80 may scare the potential consumer away. The price is a bit out of proportion to the content of the release.
We invite you to the sanctuary
You can return to this story more than once. It would seem that the fictional emphasis on the culprits of the entire crisis largely overshadowed the causes of this event. Over time, however, it may be investigated in more depth. Yes, the authors are trying to show us why such a coincidence took place, but at the same time they flatten the plot threads.
The very concept of the sanctuary and the focus to a large extent on the dilemmas of backgammon is a huge advantage of this graphic novel. I think that we will still hear about this place, so despite a few flaws, I can recommend this comic to all DC fans and those who are looking for a breath of fresh air in this already heavily exploited world of modern heroes.
