The Good
Before Brian Buccellato unleashes some big action, this chapter opens with a storyline that many of us have been wondering about ever since it left us with an exciting cliffhanger. And now, it dishes out another huge teaser. Basically, it's one big ol' tease and gets your mind racing before being thrown into crazy fighting. It's a great way to open the chapter and leaves you wanting more. Hopefully that gets some follow-up in the next chapter or at least the one after that. It would be a bummer to have this arc remain scattered and only appear from time to time.
If you read the last chapter, then you pretty much know what to expect here. It's not a fake out and the fight isn't avoided; these sides pair off and begin to let loose. Even if I do have some personal gripes (we'll talk about that in the next section, okay?), it's still a really entertaining sequence and does a good job jumping between several different characters. That's also important because it gives us a chance to see how Buccellato writes a variety of these heroes and villains. While the moment with Harley Quinn didn't make me laugh out loud (maybe because I have a criticism about that scene), it was still pretty funny and definitely felt in character. The emphasis on shading for the final panel really sold the bit as well.
Xermanico, Bruno Redondo, Juan Albarran and Rex Lokus' pages are consistently good. The opening allows for a nice emphasis on the inks and Lokus' handling lighting really brings the sequence to life. The brawl is a blast to observe, too. The effect used to convey the impact of the very first punch makes it feel a little more cartoonish instead of harsh, but everything else does a satisfying job giving us a nice look at these fights. Whether it's the faces these characters make in combat or the vivid displays of powers and motion, it's all solid. None of it made my jaw drop, but it was still good fun and did a proper job making us appreciate just how crazy the fight was getting.
The Bad
After all of the dark and twisted things that have happened in the first two volumes and even the earlier YEAR THREE issues, it's a little surprising to see what brings the fight to a pause. We just saw a character say he's now willing to do whatever it takes, and then they think one character's actions aren't okay in this battle just because the opponent wasn't ready for it. I understand the point is to show there's still some good in two of these leads, but given all they've encountered and done themselves, it felt a bit awkward to have the fight come screeching to a halt after that incident. Maybe if the line was crossed in a crueler and more vicious way, the responses would have felt more natural instead of totally hypocritical.
Minor criticisms: Billy's taken out of the fight after a regular explosion? Even when Batman mocks how the Man of Steel fights, the powerhouse doesn't decide to use one of his many advantages (e.g. freeze breath, heat vision) and instead opts to keep swinging away at a character who has blatantly pointed out he's more skilled. That came off as a little odd to me, but given their history, it's understandable Clark would want to get his hands on him and I guess we can chalk that one up to arrogance, right? This chapter is another case where having one cover apply to multiple issues lessens the impact of a cliffhanger. Without that cover, this would have been a real jaw-dropper. Also, where'd Huntress and Hal go? We saw them in the new location, but we never chimed in on them. I know there's limited space in these digital chapters, but it's a little odd we didn't even see them in the background during the big brawl or in the end.
The Verdict
This chapter left me debating between 3 and 4-stars for a good amount of time. There's a handful of smaller criticisms and they really do begin to add up, but I'm guessing a number of them won't be an issue if you're not all that into power levels and what not. Despite the complaints, I was still very entertained by this chapter and it did leave me looking forward to the next one. The focus on character isn't as strong as it once was and the main plot is moving at a gazillion miles per hour, but given all of the plot threads Buccellato has to work with, it's understandable he's trying to give each of them some progress in some very, very fun and exciting ways. It's looking like things are about to get even more chaotic, but once the dust settles from that next brawl, it would be nice to see things slow down just a bit so the series can offer a little more heart and personality. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the action-packed madness.
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