Originally published on Patreon
Dark Crisis might only be two issues into the main title, but it's become a series that I'm super excited for each month. This is the best DC event since Flashpoint, and the start of the New 52.
Whilst the first issue gave us a bit of a broad spread as to what was going on in the DC universe, showing us a world without the Justice League, and how things have quickly descended into chaos as criminals push boundaries everywhere; this issue focuses the majority of its action on one place, and one group of people. The siege of Titans Tower.
The way the last issue ended, with Deathstroke apparently shooting Beast Boy in the head and killing him, I was desperate to find out what happened next; and I was so gad that this issue went back to these events as soon as it did. Thankfully, it seems that Beast Boy's shape shifting abilities mean that a bullet to the brain isn't instantly deadly, but he's not safe yet by any means.
For the majority of the issue we follow Nightwing as his school comes under attack from a host of villains, and he has a one on one fight with Deathstroke. The fight between the two of them is absolutely phenomenal, and you can feel the years of tension, hate, and history coming to the forefront here. Deathstroke respecting Dick as a fighter. Dick pushing himself further than any other fight. The fact that Deathroke calls him by his name. This isn't just two costumed people going up against each other, but two people with a lot of history.
And I honestly held my breath for a moment when it looked like Deathstroke was going to deliver a killing blow to Dick, and my goodness, I've never been so happy to see John as in that moment. His arrival was absolutely perfect. The timing was great, and the fact that he and Dick have become so close in their own titles absolutely fits with this. They're the legacy Batman and Superman. They're friends. So of course John would be there the split second Dick needs him to be to save his life.
This issue also clears up a little of what happened to Slade at the end of Shadow War, when he was put in the Lazarus Pit and the waters turned black. It looks like whatever this stuff is has somehow connected him to Pariah and the big bad, and that they're trying to influence him from beyond that universe. And he's not the only one. Cyborg Superman makes an appearance here, and gets to throw down with John in a fight that is only overshadowed by the Dick/Slade one because of how epic that was.
Outside of the Titans Tower drama we also learn that the Green Lanterns are gathering in order to take the fight back to Earth. They've even stopped by to pick up a ring-less Kyle Rayner and offer him his job with the corps back. You know a crisis is about to kick into high gear whenever the Corps has to show up, so it definitely feels like this issue is just the prelude even more to come.
I loved the first issue of this series as it set things up really well, had a lot of great moments, and teased some cool things to come; but this issue was so much better for the fantastic action, the heartbreak, the tension, and the wow factor. I rated the first issue as a five out of five, so on that metric I guess this one would have to be six out of five!
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