DC's Heroes in Crisis - Team Up’s Comic Corner

Heroes in Crisis (2018) 9 Issues

Welcome back to the comic corner for this week’s look at a series that I believe to be something special. This week’s issue is all about the amazing story Heroes in Crisis (2018) by one of the best writers in the genre right now, Tom King. 

Heroes in Crisis is a 9 issue mini series written by Tom King that takes a look at the darker and must less talked about side of being a hero, the PTSD that comes along with putting your neck on the line to save the world. The idea for this series spins out of a concept set up in the on-going Batman books that King is the current writer for. Batman sets up a place where heroes can go for counseling when they need it most called Sanctuary. At this facility in the middle of nowhere Kansas heroes and villains can go and relax and deal with the trauma and violence they experience on an almost daily basis. The main characters are Wally West’s version of The Flash, Booster Gold, and Harley Quinn. The Big 3 of DC comics are also important characters in the story but really the spotlight is on these three characters. 

The series is framed with confessional style recordings of the heroes at Sanctuary talking about their flaws as people and past failures. You see cameos from a lot of characters who haven’t been in DC comics in a while. Characters like Lagoon Boy, Citizen Steel, Poison Ivy, and Arsenal all make this story really mean something when they open up and show you that being a superhero isn’t all its cracked up to be. But shortly before the end of the first issue it is revealed that everyone at Sanctuary is found mysteriously dead by Superman. 

This series is a good use of the “Who done it?” genre of storytelling. As the only survivors Booster Gold and Harley Quinn must find out who killed everybody before they get the blame. Both of them think the other is the culprit but as they move through the story things just aren’t adding up. I can’t lie and say that this is your average hero comic, this entire story is incredibly emotional and will really pull on some heartstrings as you get to know each of these characters better. I could even go as far as saying this might be one of the best uses and deepest dives on Boost and Harley I’ve ever read, and yes I do read the monthly Harley Quinn comics. Those don’t hold a candle to this amazing piece. 

Its hard to really give you any plot details that don’t ruin the story itself but in the end the killer is one of the most surprising parts of this story. The ripple effect of this story really can be seen in many of the other titles in the DC cannon. The Death of Roy Harper, A.K.A Arsenal, being one of the biggest splashes made as it has a major impact on not only the green arrow but also Red Hood and Titans as well. 

I chose this piece to give the spotlight to this week as the events in this series leads directly into Flash Forward (2019) which was released today. That’s all for today, leave your thoughts in the comments and any other comics that you think deserve the spotlight in the coming weeks! See you next week and don’t be afraid to crease the corners on a good panel!