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Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Three #12 - Chapter Twelve: Secret Weapon

4

It's time for Etrigan the Demon vs. Superman. Place your bets!

The Good

The latest part in Superman and Batman's conflict has been building and building and building even more. Watching a ton of foreshadowing and seeing how Constantine will approach the situation has been good fun and plenty of entertainment, but despite some jaw-droppers, things haven't really escalated just yet. Well, chapter 12 changes that and it's all thanks to the dude on the cover, Etrigan. To avoid spoilers, I'll have to tiptoe around this one carefully. Basically, the cover for this (and the last) issue gave away the fact there would be some kind of clash between Etrigan and the Man of Steel, but things are never as simple as they seem in the Injustice universe, right? As expected, Tom Taylor adds a twist to the fight -- one a few of us predicted -- and, thanks to the dialogue, it's handled in a satisfying way. Now, I'm sure some will think Kal-El is being downplayed in a pivotal scene, but given his shock (which is clearly expressed in both his blunt comments and the look in his eyes), I think it's totally understandable. You can scratch another one of Madame Xanadu's plot points off the list!

This is yet another chapter of INJUSTICE: YEAR THREE with consistently good looking pages that present the tale with engaging angles. Little things like using the Earth as Spectre's pupils is greatly appreciated. Mike S. Miller, Juan Albarran, Bruno Redondo and Rex Lokus put this one together and, aside from Miller's facial expressions being distinct, the difference between pages is never too jarring and each manages to thrive for its own reasons. Even if I'm not the biggest fan of how the fight with Etrigan is handled, it still looks good. From feeling the heat of the flames to Etrigan's smile, these panels looked solid. Just like the previous issue, the trip to space offered a nice dose of spectacle and the two double-page spreads were used at just the right moments.

The mystery surrounding the Spectre still feels like it's dragging its feet -- something that's sure to annoy people who think this volume hasn't really gone anywhere yet -- but I'd be totally lying if I said this arc didn't have a tight grip on my curiosity. Sure, there's no real emotional impact when there's a big turn of events (we only just met the character and this is a universe full of death after death), yet Taylor continues to successfully tease us with the mystery and leaves us hanging. Here's hoping this delivers a game changing development sooner rather than later.

The Bad

As fun as the action sequence was, I couldn't help but feel like this new version of Superman wasn't acting in character and Hal Jordan's (or Superman's; can't tell who said it) advice to Sinestro, one of the most talented ring-slingers in history, was pretty unnecessary. It's just telling him what he already knows, but I guess stating the obvious for support is better than nothing? That said, also better than nothing would have been flying above the flames and using a construct against Etrigan. You'd think they'd be wise enough to do that. As for Superman, this incarnation has been more brutal in his methods, so it was surprising to see him respond in such a defensive way. Instead of attempting to block the hellfire with his hand, wouldn't a punch to the demon's head or a tackle into his body be a way more fitting and appropriate for this aggressive version of the character to respond? That would prevent Etrigan from aiming at the Lanterns, too.

Personal criticism (doesn't impact the score): A chapter without Constantine makes me really, really miss just how well Taylor writes the character. Oh, and they're not just going to leave Superman there, right? I assume someone from team Batman will place him somewhere else? The final page looks great -- I love the work put into the night sky -- but to leave Clark's body there doesn't seem like the best idea considering his powerful allies. Or maybe they're just that confident this magical coma can't be countered?

The Verdict

The Spectre's story seems to be moving along pretty slowly (it's looking like that may change soon), but the rebels' mission against Superman takes a huge and very promising step forward. Yes, if you've been paying close enough attention this development's something you probably saw coming a mile away, but that doesn't change it from being all kinds of exciting and full of potential. A whole new stage has been set. One character is out of commission, another is probably ready to unleash all kinds of hell. Then there's the other big developments which happened in the previous issues (the new Deadman!) and Madam Xanadu's teasers. The INJUSTICE universe is never a boring place, is it? Three volumes in and this is still an incredibly entertaining ride.