Heroes in Crisis #3

Well, I just read the Harley Quinn Christmas issue and boy am I struggling with it. Just... not ready to process that mess just yet. Time for some therapy! Let's head on back to the sanctuary....

This first cover looks cool and the second cover isn't the best but it does recall that awesome moment when Wonder Woman killed Maxwell Lord for being an absolute dick.

..... What? I'm on Wonder Woman's side. A dilemma that would have caused several other characters to drag out the decision was solved in a snap of his jerk neck. Something Batman could probably learn from to be honest. And we all know it wasn't a decision she made easily or wanted to do, but it was the only way to protect thousands from a mind - controlled, violent Superman.


Now feedback on this series so far has been a bit mixed, I've seen a lot of negative remarks about Harley Quinn being over powered - more on that later! - and concerns about delving into superhero psychology. Now sure, no-one wants to see their favourite heroes comatose out of anxieties but you can't also deny that the work they do would lead to some major anxieties.

So far I'm tentatively enjoying the series, especially with scenes like this.

Here's three heroes in varying degrees of stays in the Sanctuary. Lagoon Boy has been here the longest - he has physical reactions he doesn't expect and can't control - he tries to brag about being master of the lagoon but it's overshadowed by his nervousness.

Next is Wally West. He's only been here a few weeks so he's still full of brags about being the fastest man alive... even though there's like ten fastest men alive (not counting the women) and I picture all of these fast, fast men whispering to themselves that they're the fastest, just so they can sleep at night. It does enforce one thing though - keeping a speedster in one place for two and a half weeks is a feat.

Last is Booster Gold. Now, he's known for his ego even though he's more of a B-lister generally speaking, so his speech isn't out of place. It does provide a comparison to the others though.





Or does it?



We learn a bit more about the Sanctuary and how it operates. Before we knew that there were automatic/cyber hosts to help the guests without compromising their identities.
Now we know that it creates simulated environments at the request of the guest.

Lagoon Boy's environment hits me in the feels

Wally's shows him just reliving the past.

I don't know what's worse, Booster's false enthusiasm or seeing him at rock bottom. 

Obviously the issue focuses more on Booster Gold than the other two but despite his ego centric opening shot and the scene of him being introduced to the features of the Sanctuary displaying his over the top, insincere cheerfulness only to cut away to him by himself unable to believe what he's come to. 

The panels of Booster's simulated environment are both shockingly depressing but also humorous and revealing about the nature and flaws of the Sanctuary. On admission, robots give you robes and a mask so you can wander around the halls anonymously if you want to. You get your own room, and when you're ready you can attend sessions in the simulated environment. 

Booster is here, but he's questioning how this program helps. The Sanctuary voice over doesn't really answer or offer any advice. No Sassy Siri or Alexa here. Booster is asking for direction, he has no idea how to help himself, but the system created by Batman using Superman's technology and the wisdom/compassion of Wonder Woman has no answer, putting the onus back on the person asking for help... to help themselves. 

In Booster's case - as Booster is nearly always beside Skeets, Blue Beetle or someone else he can bounce off - he generates a copy of himself but it's a version of himself that trash talks him and gives him hell. 

 Things escalate as we lead up to what happened in the first issue. Lagoon Boy - punishing himself over and over in his personal war room stops midway through and leaves the simulation. Shortly afterwards we hear an emergency alarm activate. Wally runs to stop the threat posed to his safe haven while Booster hears the alert, stops literally beating himself up and wonders if he should do something.

The emergency warning tells everyone to proceed to the nearest exit. Lagoon Boy gets outside and finds a bunch of dead people on the lawn. I hate when this happens. Lagoon Boy gets shot - like in his simulation but for realsies.

Wally finds Roy dead on the doorsteps, makes a heartfelt confession and while holding his friend's body, this happens....

Note that these panels happen bam bam bam one after the other. There's no time frame here. Especially when you think about how Booster must have seen the dead bodies, you can see Lagoon Boy just past him so you assume he's come out after Lagoon Boy... but why would you walk out into a field of corpses. How far behind Lagoon Boy WAS Booster? Did he see the shot? Why has no-one shot Booster? Was it coincidence Lagoon Boy was killed the same way he's been recreating his death the last few months? 

We don't know why Harley hammered Wally, we don't know if she killed the others.. I doubt it. For one, we know Lagoon Boy was shot from the front. Now everyone in the comments are crying foul that Harley got the drop on a speedster. Nevermind that this is not a speedster in battle but someone stationary and in a terrible situation - they clearly aren't in the right frame of mind to avoid damage. 

That said - we don't even know if this is real, is it a simulation gone wrong. Is this really Harley? Is it all in Booster's mind? The whole point of these issues so far is that WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING. We have to wait for further confirmation - and cannot just take what we're seeing in the comic as gospel. 

The Short End of the Jester Schtick

Well damn. This issue had me feeling things.

Just like the last issue, if you go onto any comment section about this issue a lot of it is going to overlook the hard hitting emotional stuff and jump right into how over powered Harley is or how prominent she is in this series as well as DC at large.

Now, her prominence, no one can deny but again I talk smack about her being over powered here.
People - we gotta read the entire series first. This could just be a simulation itself. We don't know what happened. Me, I'd like to believe the former psychiatrist who convinced her best friend to come to the Sanctuary wouldn't just go on a mass killing spree there for the LOL's. Let's face it, no murder mystery series is going to tip it's hand this early. There's more going on.

The art - with the exception of Harley's face in that last panel - is beautiful as always. I think going with a realistic and less cartoony artist was the right move in a series like this. I dug Booster's love/hate relationship with himself - it was hilarious but also realistic and understandable.



Iris: Isn't that how uncle Barry got his powers?
Wally: Yes, honey.
Iris: Well, how could.. lightning... it's.... that's silly, daddy. That doesn't make any sense.
Wally: No, honey. It doesn't make any sense at all.

Booster Gold: I hate you.
Booster Copy: You're as insightful as you are balding.
Booster Gold: I should have gone to Honolulu with a Tamaranean princess.
Booster Copy: I tried to tell you!

Harley: Oh. I didn't know you were here.
Booster Gold: Actually, it's... ....my first day.
Harley: Neat! How's it going so far?
Booster Gold: Well... ....everyone's dead.