Injustice 2 #23 – Tom Taylor, Writer; Daniel Sampere, Penciller; Juan Albarran, Inker; Rex Lokus, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray – 8.5/10
Tom Taylor’s revitalization of the Injustice universe continues in Injustice 2 #23, as he pits the remaining heroes against one of their deadliest foes yet – Amazo, as programmed by Ra’s Al Ghul to wipe out a majority of humanity.
The issue picks up in Delhi, as the android wipes out half the city. The level of carnage here is almost depersonalized – it’s not graphic but it almost seems abstract beyond numbers and an occasional skeleton, which seems awkward when it comes to depicting a real city. Superboy, now wearing Superman’s costume, enters the fray, and Green Arrow and Black Canary do their best to keep the fight up (as does Batman, in a ridiculous mecha-Bat armor), but even a nuke-arrow can’t slow him down. Although Wonder Woman and The Flash seek redemption by joining the fight, the only hero who might stand a chance at turning the tide is…The Atom? If you can’t go big, go small.
The second half of the issue pulls the focus away from the actual battle on the ground, and towards the people trying to stop it behind the scenes. Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi haven’t been at the fore of this series for a while, so we get some flashbacks to their partnership. However, as we know, when someone gets an unexpected amount of focus in Injustice, it almost never means anything good, and Ray soon finds life-threatening dangers inside Amazo’s brain. In Ra’s Al Ghul’s base, Animal Man and Vixen are horrified by what’s being done in their name, and they’re joined by Damian – yet another former loyalist to Superman who’s now switching sides – as they try to wrest control of the city from Ra’s. To do that, they need the help of the mysterious new Batman. The reveal that this rogue Batman is actually Jason Todd is predictable, but this series has been top-notch with characterization since it began its current run, and this issue was no exception.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
