Tags
Batwoman, Black Canary, Black Lightning, Bruno Redondo, Captain Atom, Catwoman, David Lopez, Green Arrow, Huntress, Injustice Captain Atom, Jheremy Raapack, Lex Luthor, Santi Casas of Ikari Studio, Superman, Tom Taylor, Wes Abbott, Wonder Woman
>>>>>>>>>>SPOILERS<<<<<<<<<
(You’ve been warned)
“Chapter Twenty-Five”
- Writer: Tom Taylor
- Artist: Bruno Redondo
- Colors: David Lopez and Santi Casas of Ikari Studio
- Letters: Wes Abbott
- Cover Artist: Jheremy Raapack
This story opens by showing the juxtaposition between the Watchtower and the Batcave. Superman is talking to Wonder Woman in the Watchtower while Catwoman is talking to Batman in the Batcave. The world is celebrating, praising Superman for thwarting the alien invasion in the previous issue.
Wonder Woman says, “You saved so many lives,” to Superman. Batman says to Catwoman, “He took so many lives.” Superman himself says, “So many were lost.” Three varying opinions right there. But however you slice it, Superman killed a lot of people in Injustice: Gods Among Us #24. And by “people” I mean Kalibak and an invading horde of parademons. Superman says it isn’t enough, that more wars will happen. He needs more allies. Lex Luthor assures him he will have them.
In the Batcave, Batman calls a meeting (he seems to do a lot of that). Assembled are Catwoman, Black Lightning, Batwoman, Huntress, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Captain Atom. Batman holds steady with his “no killing” philosophy, but Huntress points out it was a war. Superman killed the enemy but saved millions of lives. Huntress defends Superman’s actions, saying Batman and his friends would be dead if not for Superman (indeed, in the previous issue Green Arrow and Black Canary were just about to bite it when Supes did his whatever-the-hell-he-did that killed all the parademons).
Huntress chides, “Being sanctimonious and arrogant doesn’t make you right, Bruce!” For this she gets the Batman Glare ™. She slipped up and called him Bruce in front of people! She realizes her mistake too late.
Huntress tells Bats where to stick it, that she doesn’t want to fight Superman when she agrees with him. Catwoman stops her from leaving, saying that she doesn’t have all the facts. Batman reveals that Superman and Lex Luthor are working on a way to enhance people into super beings. He is building an army. Black Lightning asks how Batman got this info. Huntress says if Bats expects them to follow him into war they need to know they can trust him. So Batman removes his cowl.
Hell breaks loose then, when Superman cultists attack the citizens of Gotham (in and around Crime Alley). Batman sends Captain Atom ahead as he is the fastest.
This Superman cult has been taking on criminals in Gotham since Superman killed the Joker. It is just as Captain Atom is about to start quantum blasting the riff-raff when the Batcrew shows up. They trade witty comments with the zealots before they start cracking heads. These guys are no match for the Bat guys. But Batman and his boys are halted by the sudden arrival of Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern.
The Super friends tell the Bat crew to back down and they will handle this. Batman and Superman face each other down, but Catwoman tells Bats now is not the time. The Bat crew sheepishly walk away.
I don’t know what this is building to. The ultimate showdown, I guess. I really like these takes on classic DC characters. Tom Taylor is weaving this together really well. Although they shake up the art team constantly, none of them have let me down so far. I got the demo for the video game on my X-Box 360. It is pretty cool (Captain Atom appears not to be a playable character, though). The comic is pretty awesome, though, and is one on DC’s best titles right now in my opinion. I give this issue an A+.
