After the events of the first issue of Heroes In Crisis, the DC Trinity has finally begun to seek answers for what happened at Sanctuary. The begin their investigation by examining the body of Commander Steel and they find something unusual that leads them to Harley Quinn. Meanwhile, Booster Gold is found by his robot Skeets and is healed of his injuries from the attack by Harley. Booster conducts an investigation of his own in the way that Batman would. The question on everyone’s minds, “What actually happened at Sanctuary?”

Heroes In Crisis #2
Written By: Tom King
Art By: Clay Mann
Published By: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 10/31/2018

After the events of the first issue of Heroes In Crisis, the DC Trinity has finally begun to seek answers for what happened at Sanctuary. They begin their investigation by examining the body of Commander Steel and they find something unusual that leads them to Harley Quinn. Meanwhile, Booster Gold is found by his robot, Skeets, and is healed of his injuries from the attack by Harley. Booster conducts an investigation of his own in the way that Batman would. The question on everyone’s minds: “What actually happened at Sanctuary?”

As with the first issue in this series, Tom King tells a deeply personal story. There are moments especially in the flashbacks that had me crying with how moving and powerful they were. King has stripped the heroes of their personas and has made each and every one of them vulnerable. There is a moment in this book where readers see one of their favorite heroes in such a different way and it shook me. There is also some much needed comic relief in this book and it is welcomed. The first two issues of this book really have cemented King as one of the best writers in comics today.

When it comes to the art, Clay Mann is the perfect choice for this story. Mann’s art really shines in the quiet moments of this book. The panels where the confessions at Sanctuary take place are haunting and beautiful. There is one confessional ( I won’t say who it is because it is that moving) where one of DC’s biggest heroes completely breaks down and it drives home the personal stakes of this story. Mann also handles the comic relief really well and one panel in particular features Harley Quinn playing go fish with a penguin and it is fantastic. All of these things show the talent and the love that Mann has put into this book.

There was one thing that I had a small issue with in this book. It is during a confessional by Poison Ivy and Harley crashes it. It felt a little out of place. I know that King and Mann are trying to drive home the deep personal relationship between Harley and Ivy but I would have liked to see it go another way. I would have loved to see them walking the halls of Sanctuary together or walking around outside on the farm where Sanctuary is located. To me, those moments would have felt a little more intimate and would have driven this tragedy home even more.

I will admit that I read this book multiple times for this review and I cried every single time. What Tom King and Clay Mann have given readers in just two issues is fantastic. Like Identity Crisis before it, this is a story that shows readers that even the most heroic have their breaking points.

4.5 DC Trinities out of 5