From the publisher: Get a deeper look into the inner workings of Sanctuary. When heroes visited the facility, they relived their trauma through virtual reality, contending with the events that brought them there in the hope of reaching a meaningful resolution. That is, until the trauma took over and escalated these personal events into a full-blown crisis! Find out what pushed one of the superheroes over the edge and how it broke the machine. This special issue reunites the Eisner Award-winning MISTER MIRACLE team of writer Tom King and artist Mitch Gerads!
So, Tom King did it again with Heroes in Crisis #6. This is another excellent issue, featuring my favorite part of this series, the hero "confessionals". This issue focuses on three heroes (sort of): Gnaark, a caveman type who was frozen and then thawed in the modern world; Wally West, the former Kid Flash/Flash who was lost when the New 52 happened; and Harley Quinn. These characters are shown dealing with their trauma through various means, and the issue leads right up to when the massacre at Sanctuary happens. However, this issue does NOT reveal what pushed a superhero over the edge and broke the machine, as listed in the publisher's solicitation.
Regardless, this is an excellent story. King captures each of the main characters and portrays their struggles in an honest manner. Gnaark was new to mean, but the juxtaposition of the prehistoric and modern worlds, and the advantages each offered, was an interesting storyline. Watching Wally and Harley dealing with their issues was heartbreaking. Wally found himself returned to the world, but without his wife and children; this is nearly impossible for him to process. Harley, on the other hand, has been emotionally (and possible physically) abused by Joker. She is still trying to deal with all of that. The depth that King is giving the characters in this series is amazing. They are becoming much more like people, and less like superheroes. I guess he is humanizing the meta-humans, and I'm enjoying it, even though it's a tragic story.
The mystery behind the murders continues to grow. At this point, I have absolutely no idea who could be responsible. I just find myself hoping that Wally isn't really gone for good, having just been returned to the DC Universe. I also thought he had a big role to play in the Doomsday Clock story, as his disappearance and return was a trigger for the heroes realizing something was wrong. I'm curious if King will address this bigger issue, or if he will keep his story small and tight. Either way, I'm fine with it.
I can not recommend this series highly enough. Heroes in Crisis #6 is the latest in a terrific story, and Tom King is writing what has the potential to become a classic. At this point, the series is 2/3 finished, so any new readers will definitely need to get the previous issues, and I would encourage them to do so. I can't wait for next month!
I received a preview copy of this book from DC Comics in exchange for an honest review.
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