Comic Review: Heroes in Crisis #5

Heroes in Crisis #5

DC Comics

Writer: Tom King

Artist: Clay Mann

While more happens in Heroes in Crisis #5 than in the previous issues, none of these developments look promising. Batgirl has secretly teamed up with Harley Quinn, though she is the primary suspect. Their mission is to discover the true culprit behind the Sanctuary murders. Also on the case is Booster Gold and Blue Beetle. Unfortunately, the classic duo’s long awaited reunion is proving to be surprisingly hollow. Meanwhile, the Trinity has to calm the public after word of the ghastly murders spread. This issue shows small improvement over #4 but it’s looking increasingly unlikely that this event will have a satisfying resolution.

At this point, Heroes in Crisis reads like self-parody. Batgirl and Harley’s interactions boil down to Barbara trying to convince Harley not to murder Booster. It could be riveting but they play it off as a joke. I’d say the issue was trying to poke fun at the leniency Harley receives compared to similar villains but this book is pretty guilty of that too.

Even more glaring are the victim interviews in this issue. The minor but well established JSA member Commander Steel lists all the times he died and the trauma that brings. Instead of being insightful, it draws attention to the completely indecipherable state of DC’s continuity. It’s also a reminder that the B and C list hero butchering Heroes in Crisis relies on is far from new. It’s presented as “meaningful” here but most of the books it references thought they were being “meaningful” too.

Three specific moments are particularly glaring and undermine whatever goodwill this event had left. A good chunk of the issue is Superman addressing the public about recent events. It’s one of the more effective things to come out of this event. Unfortunately his assertion that Sanctuary is the solution to the suffering superheroes face undermines it. So far, the reader has no real reason to believe that the institution did any good for anyone. It looks like the automated facility went off the rails but that would just makes the Trinity and rest of the League look criminally negligent.

Even clumsier is the handling of Protector, the anti-drug superhero that briefly appeared in the Wolfman New Teen Titans run. In this issue, he confesses that he’s been addicted for the entirety of his career as a hero and an activist. This is such an obvious attempt at being “shocking” it almost comes off as insulting. I don’t think Protector has any fans leaping to his defense but a book as self-important as Heroes in Crisis should at least try to be more creative.

Issue #5 finally presents a major development in the central mystery, though it does not bode well for the overall quality. Unfortunately, it’s hard to see how this can be executed in a satisfying way with the state the rest of the event is in. Even if the last four issues completely turn the story around that can’t excuse how poorly the first half reads. It doesn’t help that the dialogue seems to get worse with each issue, as aside from Superman’s speech, the characters speak almost exclusively in fragmented half sentences.

Heroes in Crisis issue #5’s art isn’t quite as blatantly sexualized as previous issues. That’s not to say there aren’t a few excessive moments. Even with this small improvement, Mann’s figures and faces are still very stiff. They do a poor job capturing the complex emotions this event needs, making the story feel even more disingenuous. Issue #5 indicates that Heroes in Crisis needs major improvements on all fronts.