Injustice 2 Annual #1 – K. Perkins, Tom Taylor, Brian Buccellato, Writers; Marco Santucci, Jamal Campbell, David Yardin, Pop Mhan, Artists; J. Nanjan, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray – 5/10
Corrina: Does Provide an Explanation For Diana Being Cynical
WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW!!
Ray: An annual focusing on two of the most prominent female characters in the Injusticeverse, this issue could have had a lot of promise, but instead reverts back to the violence and nihilism of this series at its weakest points. The first story, focusing on Wonder Woman, is by Superwoman writer K. Perkins based on Taylor’s story, and it aims to show how this is the one world where Wonder Woman turned to the dark side. Her story starts similarly, with Diana training on Themyscira – except that it’s clear from the start that this Diana is much more ruthless, using her god-like powers to injure one of her rivals. Sure enough, Steve Trevor soon shows up, and Diana winds up accompanying him to Man’s World after it’s proven that he’s telling the truth. However, she does it without her mother’s blessing in this world.
This story takes Diana’s origin back to World War II, so she and Steve Trevor experience the horrors of the war together, and it breaks both of them, embittering them in the process. It leads them back to Themyscira, as Diana attempts to get the lasso, while Steve attempts to steal it with tragic consequences. This leads to the reveal that Steve is a Nazi spy, which immediately ruins the issue and leads to Diana’s transformation into a vicious man-killer.
Corrina: Steve being a Nazi spy does explain why Wonder Woman is so cynical in this universe. On the other hand, I had no need to read a “Steve Trevor is a Nazi spy” story, any more than I wanted to read a “Steve Rogers is a Nazi” story. So, I’m just reminded why I generally skip reviewing this comic, which Ray seems to generally enjoy. As you were.
Ray: The backup is really no better, starting out as a reunion of Harley’s gang of rebels from the Injustice: Ground Zero mini. They’ve gone back to their normal lives, but still stay connected in case Harley needs them again. They get briefly pulled back into the conflict, try to help Harley – and die horribly in an almost off-handed fashion. Taylor has done amazing work with the Injustice universe recently, but this is back to the bad old days.
Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
