Enemies are always held hostage on both sides during battle as this week’s Injustice shows us what Raven’s real use was for Batman’s team. With her supernatural self-projection, she runs to Superman unaware that she is the purple colored bait for Constantine’s clever trap.
We seem to have taken a side step in the story as we find ourselves going back to why Raven has been magically locked up in Constantine’s basement. Tom Taylor is giving us another dimension to his story arc, following down a secret path that had split from the original one. I like little twists like these as sometimes they can really make or break the story. Again it was wonderful to see the full use of characters from the DC Universe not just the main troop. Spectre and Raven, who are large supernatural players, are starting to now play an even bigger role in both Batman’s and Superman’s grand plan. It was also interesting to see Superman’s side of the story, he seems confused and unsure of his plans but when someone is in trouble he rushes off to rescues them no matter what. Taylor has written the long-time favorite in a clever, unstable fashion and really makes you see the Man of Steel in a new light.
With the triplets Bruno Redondo, Xermanico and Rex Lokus on this issue, the artwork has no shortage of awesomeness. So many colors are splashed between the striking yellow, cool green and magical purple, I loved that these ssuperheroes really made to look out of this world. Redondo has really paid attention to the environments, giving the church and space panels so much more detail than we have seen before. I think with the large panels, these guys can push more action into the pages especially when it comes to Superman, which makes the panels flow seamlessly into each other.
Positives
Constantine’s script is always amusing. He hasn’t lost his cheeky charm and it shows as he comments about the lack of Batman’s knowledge in his plan. Though as much as the scripting always makes me come back week after week, I think Raven really was the centre piece of this issue. Her artwork was incredibly beautiful especially in her projected form. I thought that the guys really captured that spiritual nature with the shimmering stars seen through her opaque appearance. It was just really unique and raised the bar of excellence for each panel she was drawn in.
Negatives
I wasn’t too keen on Superman charging into Raven’s situation like that. As much as it’s normally his character to help, with Spectre’s warning, I thought he would be a bit more hesitant to just break down the doors of his enemy’s base. Especially since he decided to break it down now, was Raven so important that she turned his judgement? He has several opportunities already but waited until now. Perhaps it’s a flaw in his character or perhaps it was a part of the story but either way I don’t see him being that careless.
Verdict
So who really has the upper hand in Injustice? Will Constantine’s plan backfire or has he done the Batman a bigger favor than he had hoped for? Stay tuned to see how Superman will break through the supernatural chains of his enemy’s trap.
Rating
