Injustice 2 #18 – Tom Taylor, Writer; Xermanico, Artist; J. Nanjan, Colorist
Rating:
Ray – 7.5/10
WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW
First up, let’s get the important stuff out of the way – no, Dex-Starr does not appear in Injustice 2 #18. We’ll have to wait a bit longer to see our favorite angry kitty take on Superman.
But this issue kicks off a major new storyline that picks up on one of the big dangling plot threads from the original run – the Teen Titans being betrayed by Superman and forced into the Phantom Zone. But that’s not how the issue begins. It begins with everyone arguing over a dog. Batman rescued it from the rubble of the destroyed town last issue, and now wants to pawn it off on anyone else – but other members of the resistance are more concerned with what they see as his flawed leadership. He eventually winds up taking it home to Alfred and naming it Ace. The scene with Alfred is one of the issue’s best, but otherwise, this segment mainly falls flat.
The back half of the issue is stronger, as Batman’s rescue mission to the Phantom Zone involves breaking into the Fortress of Solitude. That kicks off with the team battling Eradicators (Taylor makes great use of Plastic Man and son in particular), but the robot guards are soon called off by the Fortress’ current residents – Jonathan and Martha Kent. The sole remnants of Superman’s human life, their return provides some great emotion for the issue – they still very much haven’t forgiven Harley Quinn, and their relationship with Batman is complex. Superman’s turn to the dark side in many ways ruined their lives, but now they have the chance of getting someone they loved back. This isn’t the smoothest issue Taylor has done, but he’s going back to the beginning of the series, and the story is the better for it.
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Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
