Injustice: Year Two #24

The Good

You expect over-the-top action and jaw-dropping twists when you go into an INJUSTICE finale. However, what you don't expect is to have a smile on your face and a feeling of warmth after you read the final page. It's tough to discuss this without giving potential spoilers, but I'll do my best.

First of all, Ganthet vs. Superman is every bit as ridiculous as you'd expect it to be. Some may think it's resolved a little too easily, but proper reasoning is provided and the art team fills the course of events with all of the energy, intensity, and force it needs. This is a scene which is intended to stagger and it definitely does. Oh, and speaking of the art team, multiple hands helped create this chapter (pencils by Bruno Redondo & Xermanico; inks by Juan Albarran & Julien Hugonnard-Bert; colors by J. Nanjan) but the transition between talent isn't jarring. Not once did a difference in style or inks stand out to me and, like stated above, everyone did great work making the impactful scenes deliver every bit as much as they should. From the look of fear or determination in someone's eyes to a ginormous display of power, the visuals were solid all around.

You'll likely be surprised when you reach the "end" but there's a very pleasing epilogue which delivers a huge tonal shift. The "conclusion" of YEAR TWO is bloody, violent, harsh, and bleak. There's no laughter, banter, or charm to be found. Just pure blunt force to resolve the battle and it's an ugly (for the characters, not our eyes) scene. You know, the usual lovely stuff you've come to expect from this series. But the epilogue quite literally takes us away from this twisted scene and finds a way to leave us on a more uplifting and joyous note. Even though this volume has been loaded with despair and fear, writer Tom Taylor managed to end it on a moment that'll likely fill you with happiness. To say any more would potentially spoil it, so I'll just leave it at that!

Question: does this mean Black Canary won't be in Injustice: Gods Among Us 2? I seriously hope not. They need to find a way to make her playable in the sequel!

The Bad

My biggest gripe with this finale is that it totally flies by (no, that's not a pun). I understand these $0.99 chapters have a limited amount of pages, but at least half of them have a maximum of two panels, so I was shocked to see when I reached the "end" caption so soon. It ends on a strong note, but perhaps finding the room to add a little more of a teaser for YEAR THREE would have been cool.

Very minor gripe (seriously, it's regarding a single line): Hal going from being filled with rage and hate to attempting to reason with Ganthet felt like a very sudden shift. But hey, I've never been in a cosmic bloodbath, so what do I know?

The Verdict

INJUSTICE: YEAR TWO comes to a very satisfying end. Much of the second volume was building up to this war and I'd say it delivered and then some. When all is said and done, this version of Earth will be in a totally different situation as we enter YEAR THREE. The world finally sees Superman for the monster he has become and, given what just went down, you can bet I'm excited to see how the war will continue to unfold in the next volume. I would have liked to see a little more of Kal-El's internal dilemma as he slips further and further into the darkness, but the overall narrative was still handled well and absolutely leaves me wanting more. I know it's such a cliche idiom to use, but INJUSTICE: YEAR TWO really does go out with a bang. It's not just big action, though. When all is said and done, it successfully finds a way to make you smile, too. See, that's what I really love about this series. Yes, it's loaded with drama, shock value, and violence, but it always finds a way to work in some very fitting laughs and heartwarming scenes. Now, bring on YEAR THREE!

I also want Balck Canary in the sequel.... along with Supergirl, Hawkman, Constantine and Stargirl.

Holy crap the people doing Injustice should get an award.Love it.Superman,Superman Superman.

I'm happy and disappointed at what happened with canary but if this means she can come back in the second game i'll take it. It is still a dang shame wonder woman missed the war, but i guess we shall see whats happening with her in year 3. You did the right thing Bats (as much as i hate you in this series) you calling back your troups was a good call.

Great series i give it a 4/5, can't wait for year 3.

I've been assuming Injustice 2 will take place with a different Alternate Universe if they decide to go down that path

Ugh, the epilogue was this issue's only saving grace.

that epilogue made me so happy

It surprises me that most of my favorite series from DC are the digital first ones. Injustice is easily the best, I can't wait for year 3 and the 2nd annual.

The story was great, really it was, but I felt it was really too short. It was if they were struggling to push out this series and they sort of bullshitted a little bit of the end. I'm not saying anything was bad, but if you're gonna put a bunch of 2-pic pages in, at least compensate for it. Nonetheless, 5/5 stars, without a doubt.

The epilogue is very sweet. I really hope that we will see Black Canary again.

It wasn't bad. It was just way too short. But that's just my opinion.

If batman killed the joker. No of this would have happen

That's a grim truth that batfuns don't want to accept. Truth hurts them

Well these stories take place five years before the videogame hence the reason they are going to have a year five. If you played the game then you shouldn't worry about characters that passed in this comic not showing up in the sequel to the game since the injustice story line is about two multiverse worlds going at it. So yes Black Canary(not from the earth that this comic takes place in) can and should so up in the sequel.

@dadarkknight36310: The mainstream DCU? That's what I got from the game anyway. Am I wrong?

@zackisme: Its actually called Earth V aka One Earth and Alternate Earth V aka Alternate One Earth(Alternate Earth V is Supes goes bad for the greater good.)

@dadarkknight36310: Actually, I was talking about the other universe that's to be involved sometime later in the series. The mainstream universe or multiverse as you've speculated earlier.

ain't this the truth, but he will never admit that.

This

There's something I've been thinking.... Currently in Year two, everyone is now afraid and knows that superman is a mass-murderer because of the video stream but later in the game, after superman kills luthor, people will be surprised and asking themselves "y would he kill luthor?", "in front of the hall of justice?" and some questions like that.... if they already knew that superman is a murderer scumbag, why would they be surprised over him killing luthor in the game?

and boy, i wonder if superman's total murders is now higher than the joker's... reli hate him in the comic..... but i still hate damian more :p

Anybody knows when will year 3 be released?

I hope the story eventually circles back to the Kents locked away in the Fortress of Solitude ('cause that's just messed up)

@errin: Next Year

Thanks. But I'm gonna die waiting. T_T

@errin: Feel that way too.

My only complaint is, fights that should be long and epic are short and shocking. Superman vs. Ganthet should have lasted much longer. So should Hal vs. Guy.

@tensor: reli? next year? i thought they said year three will be released on october....

That was a very intense last issue, though not satisfied with how the final battle played out. Maybe it is just be but I was hoping the last battle would be much harder for Superman.

I have to say that I was let down by Y2 as a whole, compared to Y1.

In Y1, I felt empathy for Superman. In Y2, he was a huge dick-head. Additionally, Hal Jordan was portrayed as such a tool and really out of character...strong willed? HA! How easy was it for Hal to doubt himself and be manipulated by Sinestro? And that scene with Guy Gardner in the previous issue was a load of horse-s***.

Also Bats and WW were decommissioned for the entire year - which is understandable.=, but disappointing.

@errin: September 30th is when year 3 starts, also there is an annual coming out in October that takes place during the events of year 2.

@cmd735: So I don't have to wait for 3 more months? Just 2 next weeks and the next issue will be released?

@errin: Yes, also the following day (October 1) is when the annual comes out for year two. Here is an interview with Tom Taylor about it.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/07/01/dc-prepares-for-year-three-of-its-injustice-prequel-comic

@cmd735: wow, thank you. I'm a newbie about superhero comic. (just got addicted from JL and JLU series from CN )

@hahahatimes: Sweet somebody told me next year.Oh well the earlier the better for me.

I felt superman in the game was a dickhead so its only fitting he ends up being one in the comic :P

So no one found the epilogue stupid and unnecessary. Black Canary did not need a happy ending. Their future is supposed to be bleak until Injustice happens it's not even a light at the end of the tunnel scenario. It's just a "happy"(how happy can it be if you randomly get paired up with some dude who looks like your ex husband/fiance/boyfriend) epilogue that has no reason for being here in this ongoinjg story.

Fair point.

In any event...this is getting dropped from my pull-list.

@sinestro_gl: haha that's a shame, too bad you didn't like it but now you can save some money for other stuff.

Silver lining, amigo!

Man....1 star. At best.

So Superman pushed Mogo and Ganthet into the sun, and they apparently were powerless to prevent it. OK.

This series just keeps getting worse. I guess Year Three is just going to be characters acting even more out of character, beating each other in even more ridiculous ways.

What started as an interesting, well thought out story of what it would take for Superman to lose his humanity has turning into a story with well known characters becoming evil caricatures of themselves.

A shame.

@muyjingo: Ganthet is suppose to be immortal too. I've learned to expect the unexpected when it comes to this comic. Therefore making nothing a surprise anymore.

Yeah. It's amazing how much this comic went downhill.

@muyjingo: I just love seeing that look of fright on ganthets face when he's about to crash into the sun.I may not like the character of injustice's superman,but I hate those proud and snooty guardian's.I could only watch in sadistic pleasure as superman grabbed him by the throat and come crashing onto mogo.