Heroes in Crisis

October 14, 2019
King (the Mister Miracle series) considers the psychological toll of being a hero in this unusual and provocative narrative set in the DC Comics universe. There’s been a mass murder at Sanctuary, a psychiatric facility where superheroes (and some of their adversaries) immerse themselves in holographic therapy, replaying stuck points in their past. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman join up to solve the case, while Batman antagonist Harley Quinn and hero Booster Gold attempt to resolve it in parallel, mutually suspicious of each other. Interspersed are alternately amusing and affecting confessionals from heroes and villains who reveal their anxieties while in treatment at Sanctuary. Typical of the genre, the dénouement requires familiarity with an array of other DC story lines. But King’s writing is incisive and witty, paired with energetic artwork by Mann, who excels with acrobatic fight scenes, such as a page of the Flash zipping about at super-speed and battling Booster Gold. It’s left as an open question whether the “counseling machine” approach at Sanctuary was effective, having removed the human element in a (failed) effort at secrecy. King has a military background, and beneath the dramatic superhero character play is a heartfelt message that even the most stoic heroes deserve help processing their trauma.

September 27, 2019

Sanctuary, the clandestine and supposedly highly secure hospital created to give costumed heroes a place to heal and process trauma in between battles with their sinister foes, becomes a crime scene after a brutal attack. This results in the death of nearly every patient seeking refuge there, and the secrets of all of the heroes who ever visited released to the public. When Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and others join forces to solve the mystery, they discover the only witnesses are Harley Quinn and Booster Gold, neither of whom possess a reputation for being particularly reliable. To make matters more confusing, both are convinced the other is the culprit. VERDICT Mann (Gambit: King of Thieves; The Complete Collection) renders dynamic action and somber moments of conversation and reflection equally well, while the narrative by King (Mister Miracle) explores some fascinating corners of many classic characters' psyches and the toll that war takes on even the mightiest warriors with nuance and sensitivity. Unfortunately, the plot feels increasingly padded as it progresses, and the bafflingly complicated solution to the mystery is far from satisfying. Collects the entire nine-issue limited series.--Tom Batten, Grafton, VA

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.