Heroes In Crisis #9

Was this a happy ending? No. Was it a fitting one? Absolutely. Heroes In Crisis #9 is a painful, uncompromising tale about life. In this world we don't always get a happy ending… that's what the MCU is for. Every now and then I just need a solid kick in the feels, just to wake me up and make me appreciate all that I have. Not everyone's that lucky. Read Full Review

Tom King has truly composed a deep and meaningful story. Read Full Review

HEROES IN CRISIS #9 is a book we will be talking about for a very long time as the series changes the status quo with the intent of raising the bar of what it means to tell a comic book story. Read Full Review

There are plenty of other books out there. But come back to this one during the hard times and see if it resonates. If so, you're not the only one. And you are not alone. Read Full Review

Ultimately and overall I am happy with how this series played out as a whole. We didn't get the super happy ending we all wanted and that's okay because what we were given was a chance to see one of our favorite characters change and grow in a new way. If you, like Wally, have hope, maybe this new chapter in the story of Wally West will make him even stronger and give us even more reasons to believe that our heroes can overcome struggles and that so can we. Read Full Review

Like I said, Heroes in Crisis is far from a perfect book, but the message sings true. We invest in these heroes, villains, people, because they are every bit as flawed as we are. No mask, tights, or cape can hide this truth. Heroes in Crisis is not just another gimmick, because a gimmick is sold to you for shock value. When you get past everything tragic, the message in this story is all that matters. Call that being “political”, but this is what it means for your heroes to live in the real world, as we do. Read Full Review

Really like the series and can live with the ending. Solid work all around. Read Full Review

The biggest frustration of Heroes in Crisis as it reaches its final issue is that it has occasional flashes of brilliance mixed in with a central plot that doesn't work at all. Read Full Review

Clay Mann's art is beautiful. Every panel and page is filled with beautiful details in both the characters and backgrounds. They do an amazing job of conveying the emotion of the scenes. Read Full Review

Heroes in Crisis wasn't perfect. There were massive issues that some editing and better focus would have corrected. Tom King explored a topic that was far overdue and one the public largely ignores. It did, with issues, what entertainment is supposed to, use allegory to explore our condition and world. Read Full Review

I can't help but think, what if the series didn't meander for nine issues or if the series' selling point wasn't a murder mystery? To like a story for its pieces is not the same as liking it as a whole, and I keep thinking about the fact there were sparks that fully demanded my attention and their long, long stretches of time where I was largely indifferent. Ultimately, Heroes in Crisis simply exists, and I find myself thinking about interludes more than anything else. Read Full Review

So, while it feels like Heroes in Crisis is going to be a divisive comic for as long as people are still talking about it, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that I've enjoyed the ride. The whole "superheroes struggle with mental health too" theme is well executed, the artwork is terrific throughout, and even though the "murder mystery" we were promised at the beginning ended up being a bit of a damp squib, I honestly can't be too mad about the way things turned out. Read Full Review

While the plot may not stick the cleanest landing possible, this issue features some incredibly powerful moments from multiple characters all rendered with beautiful art. And if youve been enjoying Heroes in Crisis, thats what you are here for. Read Full Review

The book was never going to stick the landing. It has a flawed concept and weak character choices, and the turn of the last issue was irresponsible at best. Even so, the art is absolutely phenomenal and there were even a couple heartfelt moments in this issue. Read Full Review

Heroes in Crisis #9 is a disappointing conclusion, one that fails to justify the series' extreme storytelling choices Read Full Review

This issue is fine. I like the intentions and the thematic ideas are great. I love what this story has to say about trauma and how King applies that to super heroes. But the issue doesn't have much beyond these ideas. This story doesn't have much to offer in terms of plot or even character development. I'm not sure why Batgirl is even in this or why the Trinity was such a big part of the early issues only to disappear from the narrative. The story comes from a good place and that is worth something even if I didn't find it that engaging to read. Read Full Review

Heroes in Crisis ends with a whimper, not quite nailing the landing as it fails to really tie everything we've experienced together into one coherent story. Read Full Review

While the art in this book is great, that's about the only thing that I really enjoy out  of it.  The story just comes to an end and it takes its page count to show you how they'll make everything work time wise....... even though there's no reason any of what we have should have gone down.  Just a downer of a series that focused on murder and death instead of inspiring hope. Read Full Review

I recognize that even nine issues is a limited amount of space to explore complicated issues in a comic book, but Heroes in Crisis #9 ends on such a profoundly unsatisfying and hollow note that it makes the rest of the series feel pointless in retrospect as well. This series could have passed on the twists and turns of Wally evading capture by Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, and focused instead on what led him to lose control — or what can be done to provide our heroes the emotional support they need to make sure it never happens again. Instead, Heroes in Crisis doesn’t so much miss the mark, so much as it fails to land on anything substantial at all. Read Full Review

As with most controversial events, people kept saying that readers should wait for the story to reach completion to pass judgment. But as in most cases, this ending didn't actually make a difference. Read Full Review

Is this really the message that Tom King and DC want to put out there to their readers, any of whom could be having a mental health moment. When dealing with real life problems, I find this outcome wholly unsatisfactory and wholly irresponsible. Through comics, in fact all entertainment, you have an opportunity to reach people and change minds. Heroes in Crisis, in the very end, only manages to re-establish the stigma of mental health. Read Full Review

Overall: Heroes in Crisis #9 was a complete fail. King ends this big event with a massive face-plant. DC should be embarrassed that they ever green-lit Heroes in Crisis in the first place. It is obvious that King had a little passion project that had enough content for a four issue mini-series and that is it. Either DC's editorial or King decided that this big event needed to be nine issues long. It clearly did not. On top of that, King then put out a story of low quality. Heroes in Crisis easily grabs the crown as DC's worst big event of all time. Read Full Review

Tom King's Heroes in Crisis is a failure as far as I'm concerned. The book damages a great, legacy character, and this final issue fails to deliver a satisfying conclusion. I think we all know what Tom was going for here, but it didn't happen. Whether you blame Tom himself for this, Dan Didio, the "murder mystery," mistreatment of characters, editorial mandates" Whatever. They're all part of this, and the sum of these parts just don't work. This issue, in particular, is just the nail in the coffin. Read Full Review

Puerile instead of insightful and trashy posing as deep and meaningful,Heroes in Crisis limps across the finish line and does nothing at all to redeem itself and the sins it wrought upon Wally West... and readers' wallets. This is a story best forgotten, a cautionary tale of what happens when an ambitious writer sets his sights too high and editorial falls asleep at the wheel. Read Full Review

Heroes in Crisis is going to go down as one of those well-intentioned series that never quite clicked. Exploring heroes mental health is a great idea, but King never managed to find the right approach. If you stuck with the series hoping for a good payoff this one is a huge disappoint, which encapsulates the series as a whole. Read Full Review

If the point of this series is to make a grand statement on trauma and those suffering from it"Heroes in Crisis miserably fails. Instead, it's insulting and offensive. If the point of this series is to be entertaining with a semblance of a good narrative"this series fails once again. Hopefully this mostly panned series will force King to reconsider his style. Read Full Review

Ultimately I can't find anything more to say that I haven't said already. This comic is unsatisfying, contrived, pandering, and boring. Other, better comics delve into their characters' psyche in a much more profound and unique way. Seek those out. Read Full Review

It ends, much as it began, with the seeds of a strong idea smothered by its own pretensions and a muddy method of delivery, leaving a trail of senseless death caused by one moment of weakness. Read Full Review

Heroes in Crisis ends as it began, answering serious questions with cheap bromides. Read Full Review

When it comes to Mann and Tomeu Morey's art, it's just as tactile as previous issues, the level of clarity and detail brought to each panel is an artistic approach that could've been utilized so much better if it was allowed to focus in on the more tender, heartfelt and emotional material that the book hasn't really dealt with. Read Full Review

Can't recommend this one at all. Read Full Review

mufla

Jun 10, 2019

not perfect, but very good series. ratings have been unfair

Inknight033

May 29, 2019

It's not that bad guys........but it was disappointing.

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Talon1load - May 29, 2019

It was fucking terrible. Not that bad my ass.

AdmiralWhiskers - May 30, 2019

How can anything "disappointing" be worth an 8.5 score?

Inknight033 - May 31, 2019

I agree with you but I don't find it bad but utterly disappointing. I even reduced my rating after a second read.

Comix4fever

May 29, 2019

I understand why many hate this story but it's not as bad as Spider-Man: One More Day or Frank Miller's Holy Terror. Please respect my opinion as I am with yours'.

Another Nerd

May 29, 2019

Mann's art is beyond fantastic and King writes some great character moments but overall I'm on the fence with this series. It's not that I don't like it; I'll have to let this story digest in my mind and revisit it in the future.

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln

May 29, 2019

This was pretty rough, but there was a good message buried in there and I can't lie and say I didn't enjoy it.

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Talon1load - May 30, 2019

What was the good message?

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln - May 30, 2019

That Wally should have talked to someone and not kept it all in.

Talon1load - May 30, 2019

Must not have been too good of a message because Sanctuary is still running the same way with no one talking to actual therapists. You can’t say that you should talk to someone while at the same time continuing to promote this detached and unsuitable form of “therapy” that Santuary employs. This was a failure in every respect.

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln - May 30, 2019

Is sanctuary still running? I don't remember that detail.

Talon1load - May 30, 2019

Yep. Still going. No one learned anything. Other than Wally, no one is held accountable. Fail

bucswin611

May 30, 2019

While sometimes things are not as satisfying as we'd want, what really hurts is how much this series has missed the point regarding PTSD. The art is phenomenal. Why would Hal Jordan question what will is? I think he knows. The panels running through DCU heroes teases what could have been a better series.

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Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln - May 30, 2019

I read the Hal thing as a joke, like will is only a concept, and the one man who should know what it means to have willpower... still doesn't fully understand what it means to have willpower, despite it being second nature to him. He has insecurites about the thing he is most known for. Or something *shrugs*

bucswin611 - May 30, 2019

Thanks for an attempted interpretation...took me right out of the book!

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln - Jun 1, 2019

I know, he is my favourite character. He has said before he just wings it.

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln - Jun 1, 2019

Well, it is more fair to say Green Lantern is my favourite series... my actual favourite GL is Guy Gardner.

I Review Comics

Jun 01, 2019

Heroes in Crisis is finally over an what are we left with? What was the point of it all? I've reviewed all 9 issues of the series and my enthusiasm for the event and conclusion had all but waned. Likewise, my reverence for Tom King and his writing has been replaced with open skepticism.  Tom King was in the news a lot this week. First, he was dropped as lead writer of Batman. It was then announced that he would be getting a new series featuring Batman & Catwoman. This gesture is presumably a courtesy to the creator and a way for him to finish his long-running story although he will not be writing the flagship Batman title anymore.  The biggest news for Tom King this week was that he would be Co-Writing a "New Gods" movie with A va DuVernay of Selma and A Wrinkle in time. This is either a good idea or a Bad one depending on who you talk to.  All of these announcements are worthy of attention in their own right and I only mention the timeline to say that whether you're a fan of Tom King or not, he's not going anywhere.  Heroes in Crisis isn't even an uneven series. At best it's mildly interesting at worse its unreadable. There are large segments of this issue that are simply terrible. It got so bad that I had to put the book down and come back to it.  The Flash situation resolves itself as our team of heroes (Harley Quinn, Booster Gold, Batgirl, and Blue Beetle) finally catch up with Wally West before he kills himself. The comic resolves itself with an intervention for Wally.  The barebones premise of the series and this issue is solid but the execution of the script and plot is rough. The tone is all over the place ranging from cutesy to deadly serious over the span of a few pages. In this issue particularly, It seems that all of the heroes have the same voice. The voice I feel hanging most heavily isTom Kings and less the voice of our heroes and Tom's voice seems bored and disinterested during these segments.  There is a heartfelt undercurrent to the issue but the script feels like it needed another draft or another editor to pull the threads together.  Heroes in Crisis is sad because if the story had been condensed by about four issues and the Focus had been on Flash and less about the murder mystery we probably would have had a compelling and memorable event. What we ended up is a bloated mess of an event that leaves a dark mark on Tom King's legacy and will forever be remembered as "That Story" if at all.  The issue does have some positive aspects of Heroes in Crisis. My favorite part of the event has been the Polaroid Variant covers by Ryan Sook. They all highlight a traumatic flashpoint in DC history, framing them as a Sanctuary casefile. Who the hell took the pictures? In all seriousness, the covers are just cool and are a nice Easter Egg for long-time fans.  Another positive is the overall art direction for the issue. Clay Mann and Tomeu Morey have crafted a thing of beauty here with this issue. If you're an art snob the issue may be worth it alone for the art. The art has been the strongest art of the event despite the story constantly letting them down. I can't wait to see Clay on another series that lives up to his talent level he's one of the best artists working today and should be acknowledged as such.  Despite my praise, for the artistic side of the issue, I'm glad this event is over.  I started this blog a little less than a year ago and I've been marking each month with an issue of Heroes in Crisis followed immediately by a book that is a lot better. To be perfectly honest I feel like I've given this series and Tom King more attention than they deserve.  Heroes in Crisis also highlights a growing problem with the overall direction of DC comics. The books being promoted all seem to be dark, pessimistic and overall villain-centric. I know we're in the middle of DC's Year of the Villain event but what should be a fun reading experience has become oppressively cynical. As a fan, it's hard to get excited when my heroes are constantly being traumatized, beaten and deconstructed.  **Bonus I mentioned earlier that I've been reviewing Heroes in Crisis for 9 months now. The series is bad, Rainbow Brite bad.  Here are some suggestions for you as alternatives if you're interested in picking up a series or trade that doesn't have the baggage of being a product of its creator's mental health situation.  I read/reviewed Heroes in Crisis so you didn't have to.  1. Go-Bots by Tom Scioli (IDW) 2. Unnatural by Mirka Andolfo (Image) 3. BloodRealm by Robert Geronimo (Alterna comics) 4. The Lone Ranger by Mark Russell & Bob Q (Dynamite) 5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Macro Series by Various (IDW) more

JordanT4021

May 29, 2019

It’s all ogre now. As the series concludes, I can’t help but think of the initial intent with the series. It was a book that was supposed to highlight the importance of maintaining positive mental health and seeking help when appropriate. For that, we have to acknowledge that King meant well and I applaud him for it. The unfortunate thing is, every character was painted with the same brush. There is no differentiating between characters because they all talk and sound so similar. If mental health issues can be labelled as anything, it certainly wouldn’t be universal. Such a personal thing doesn’t affect all people the same. Not to mention, an addict does not have the same challenges to face as a PTSD sufferer but sadly the b ook lumps it all into one category. I always felt with this series that it was from the perspective of one person and their own experiences but you can’t represent a serious issue with just your experience alone. The other unfortunate thing is that the events couldn’t be left undone. We’ve still needlessly lost a number of great characters that could have been utilised way better. Above all else though, at least we have Poison Ivy and I can sleep a little better at night. more

Darkseid24

May 29, 2019

I don’t think this issue is that bad& looking back at the whole story it gave us a realistic take on what happens, when humans are confronted with things, that goes beyond their understanding& capacity. What I never liked about Rebirth was the idea, that the heroes just would be fine with having the memories of 2 separated lives. I can’t think of anyone staying sane& being able to deal with that. It was just bad writing back then. HIC finally adressed this issue& it’s good to see, that at least Wally seemed to have learned something about how selfish& irresponsible time travel is. Barry is responsible for what Wally did as well. This irresponsibility or rather stupidity has cost many lives. Something similar happened in Cosmic Odyssey as well. So I’m glad a writer finally adressed this hypocritical side of the heroes. And as for me this story made Wally more interesting to me. Damien’s& Spoilers interviews also were funny. However what ruined this story for me is Harley Quinn& her forced friendship with Batgirl. Harley is such a big hypocrite I really can’t stand her here. Same goes for Ivy. She also killed, but both are acting as if they are so much better. What Wally did isnt on the same level of the crimes Ivy& Harley committed. So Poison Ivy is back, but other characters are still dead. Since DC reduces Ivy on being Harley's sidekick, she also could have stayed dead. Ivy is a joke these days. What also ruins this story is the bad dialogue, that never becomes any better. So I think with a better dialogue writer & without Harley Quinn this story could have been great. The story also lost some great opportunities. We never saw any impact of the interview tapes made public. It’s a storyline, that King abandoned in the middle of this mini series. It had the potential to create more fights among the heroes& I was curious to see that, but unfortunately we didn’t. I‘m also wondering what will happen to Wally. The Trinity imprisoned him after all at the end. I feel kind of sorry for him, since despite the talk with Batgirl, Harley, Ivy& Booster he is left with nothing. Only time will tell I guess. more

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Talon1load - May 29, 2019

I normally agree with a lot of what you say, not all but a lot, but I think you’re wrong as can be here. This was a complete travesty. Yeah, he addressed 2 sets of memories in possibly the worst way imaginable. There are no redeeming qualities to this story.

Darkseid24 - May 29, 2019

My rating for HIC was never that high, so I agree with you, but thinking about the entire story I like its dark tone& how a crisis in the multiverse can affect a person, but I understand why you hate it.

mrDovydas

May 30, 2019

Good art, Clay Mann draws incredible butts. I've quite enjoyed the series at first, but it turned out to be very disappointing. I hope this will be forgotten very soon.

axdn

Jun 01, 2019

What a poor conclusion

Grifter

May 29, 2019

Well, thanks to Mr. Mann for the gorgeous art. Otherwise it was pointless and underwhelming event.

Valek

Oct 12, 2020

I have to say as much as a like Tom King's take on Mr Miracle, probably one of my favorite comic books ever, the mental health theme here didn't really work, in general it feels weak and poorly portrayed, especially the BatFam members (Meow...), this issue itself is kind of a mess but that has been for the last 3 or 4. I can't stop thinking behind all this mess is a good story to tell but it wasn't the case. You could've have done alot of things diferently, hell they could've saved everyone, they had the resources... I get it King wanted death to mean something, i guess, but what does really meant? Why all this "therapy" if you're just talking to a robot or bashing yourself all the time and then all gets deleted? That's not really therapy t hat's like yelling help in an empty room. I feel sorry because I thought this had potential but in reality, other than the artwork (that is phenomenal most of the time) everything felt kinda poor. more

eolnardo

Jul 22, 2023

oi 💕, é pra ler???

Azrael

Jun 05, 2019

After a disastrous issue #8, this issue ends with a big giant “meh”. It could have been so much more. The interview panels were actually really good here though.

gusresm

May 29, 2019

i’m Struggling to understand why I dislike HoC. I believe superheroes comics should, in the end, be about hope and healing. Nevertheless, classics like watchman and sandman have a nihilist approach and I love them just the same. What I am trying to say is that even if I disapprove HoC dark tone and focus on trauma, I can respect Tom King’s artistic choices. The plot holes, easy solutions and bad characterizations, on the other hand, serve no artistic purpose and hinder the narrative. To summarize, I dont think HoC is bad because it seeks to pervert the expectations of the superheroes genre, I think it is bad because of poor plot and strange characterizations.

Linkush

May 29, 2019

Honestly, in the end, "Heroes In Crisis" fails in almost everything it tried to do. From the story to exploring mental health, it was unsatisfying and boring. The only thing that this series did "good" (besides the amazing art) was making Wally, a very likable character, an unlikable piece of garbage. I really feel bad for his fans, he got treated like shit the whole event. What a shame! definitely the biggest disappointment of the year for me.

AdmiralWhiskers

May 29, 2019

It's hard to rate this book as a standalone as it is the culmination of the entire story. As a single issue, it had professional artwork and, occasionally, snappy banter. But did the larger story achieve the aims of the larger miniseries? Was there a (hopefully satisfying) resolution? In a word, NO. I've tried writing a reasonable analysis of this series three different times, but the conclusion I will instead go with is: The series is DONE. It is over. Let's move on. Hopefully, DC Comics will conveniently forget that the title ever existed and just move on. 3.0/10, for the art and the dialogue high spots. Cannot overcome the awful premise, lousy plot and regrettable character development. Move on.

I-Zick

May 30, 2019

I know! Let's use Time Travel to fix the problem!!!! I am so tired of stories relying on time travel to fix problems. I just see it as poor writing.

egonnn244

Jun 01, 2019

"It was a mistake" Is it really over? Has the nightmare finally ended? It has indeed. Heroes in Crisis finally reached its conclusion and it continued, to the very last page, to be the waste of a good artist and many beloved characters. If you ever want to give someone the definition of pointless and unnecessary, show him this title. This issue has literally nothing going for it. Even the art feels lazy at times. And the patients' interviews, something that for the most part was the strongest aspect of every issue, range here from stupid to moronic. Every Robin has an identity crisis, Catwoman can't speak like a normal person, Vixen is weird and Hal Jordan doesn't know what will power is. Really?! The only ones I think were fine, w ere Mera's and Cyborg's. It's amazing how in the span of nine issues your perception of a writer can change. Once I thought Tom King could write, I did, in fact, enjoyed a couple of stories from him, but now I shudder when I see his name on the cover. more

Nihilist

May 29, 2019

Finally this piece of crap is over and we can move on with our lives. Forget about it, and its awfulness. Apparently not much changed with this event - Ivy's back and her fan-fic relationship with Harley still exists (sigh...), Wally is alive, well and not insane... Hell, I have a feeling that other than few deaths, nothing happened in Heroes in Crisis. I guess that's a good thing, considering how bad it was. If I tried to find a fitting analogy, Heroes in Crisis would be a hooker. Pretty on the outside, because if there's one outstanding thing about this trainwreck, it'd be beautiful art. Yet rotten inside, infected with syphilis and so shallow minded, it makes you wonder how can she walk and talk at the same time. The sad thing is, si milarly to treating syphilis, getting rid of Heroes in Crisis' influences on the DC universe may be tough. We've seen it with New-52, and how Rebirth had to openly retcon its idiocies and atrocies, like Amazons being rapists and murderers, Harley's awful black-red haired redesign, Mr. Freeze's apparently delusionalal, fictional relationship with Nora, or complete erasure of Wally West. Now, I guess, it's time for these silly conservative hacks on YouTube to milk the subject by making 100 or so videos about Heroes in Crisis, stating every each time they don't care about it, lol. The rest of our population, I'd say should forget about this event completely. It's dead. Finally. more

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Ken b - May 29, 2019

couldn't agree more ! reading HIC makes me want to kiss the DC execs for kicking Tom King off Batman!!

myconius - May 29, 2019

AT LAST! the facade of Tom King being this great writer has been lifted. like revealing the true secret behind the Wizard of Oz. . . . . pay no attention to that sad man behind the curtain.

RBL - May 29, 2019

Bruh, rating this at a 2.5 is generous; even a 1 is too much for this. It should be well into the negatives with how bad it is.

myconius - May 29, 2019

totally agree with RBL on this. . . . even with points added for the art, the poor writing still leaves it in the negatives.

Darkseid24 - May 29, 2019

The idea itself is good, but the execution was bad,

myconius - May 29, 2019

REEEEEEEEEEEALY bad!!!

Nihilist - May 29, 2019

Yeah, these 2.5 points are for the arc, and the art only. Gotta say, it looks great. But the story and characterization is awful beyond belief. So much garbage and unresolved plot points. Like Lois Lane's report - where did it lead, exactly? What did it change? Terrible, terrible event.

OliverQueen

May 29, 2019

This comic was a realy realy bulshit...I've never read a comic as awful as this...Tom King screw up every thing and he shoul get the hell out off DC...

Kaseladen

May 29, 2019

Thank God its finally over A bad ending to an infuriating event. This ending isn't going to solve any of the problems this 'story' had, nor is it going to provide a satisfying conclusion to most. Just let this story die.

Onomatopoeia

May 29, 2019

I was going to write a long drawn out review of why this comic was a slap in the face. Instead, Mr. King, I'll give you the same amount of respect you gave Wally. Fuck you.

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Big Brother - May 29, 2019

Daaaaaaaang!

DDJamesB

Jun 05, 2019

If it wasnt for the cool art this whole series was horrendous. If I wasnt such a sticklerfor completing series I start I would have dropped this after issue 2. I just dont get it. The whole sanctuary concept to me was treated as low level story line through out. It became just panels of heroes saying random lines that eventually I started skipping those pages. The whole murder angle could have been done in any other form of story but this series was pitched at an inside look into the inner workimgs of heroes ptsd and I just didnt get any of that from this book. Its like they abandoned the story just to tell this dumb murder tale that wasnt even good. I could go on but im just glad its over.

BoosterFett

Jun 07, 2019

So this was a thing that didn't happen. Or it did? The narrative by Tom King was convoluted and complicated yet completely simply to follow. The deconstruction of Wally West would be interesting to watch, if it didn't completely come out of left field to sell some comics. And the main reason I bought into this series, Booster Gold, was a complete let down. Do you even understand who these characters are, Mr. King? Booster has made a lot of progress, both emotionally and as a hero, over the time since his stint in the weekly 52 series and Booster Gold Volume 2, yet here in this series he is relegated to a moron again. While I loved the Bwa-ha-ha days, even there Booster showed more character development than Tom King would even care t o consider. I'm sure he only read 2 issues and watched his appearances on Justice League Action. Even forgetting about Booster for a minute, Tom King glosses over the whole story he was trying to tell and nothing really gets accomplished. To me, it was a waste of Clay Mann's beautiful artwork and the time it took to read it. more

daspidaboy

Jul 07, 2021

Sorry for the influx of comic book reviews I have pouring in, but I just found this website a few months ago and I'm trying to review all the comics I read. For this book, well what can I say? The worst modern DC Comic book of all time, and arguably the worst. This ruined Wally West (why would he frame a murder) forever, and it took a really long time for him to recover. The only thing that made this story not a complete 0 out of 10 is the art.

Nightmare of Solomon

May 28, 2019

Seen people say that Heroes in Crisis is hated because they don't get the subtext -- you know, Wally dealing with loss and so on -- but if it really was about that, then we should have had a book that dealt with that. If that was really the case, why is that particular thing a small percentage of the story? Why is it a bad murder mystery that is not even resolved, but for a taped confession? In the end, we just get the heroes stopping Wally from killing himself, gets some hugs, and gets placed in JL jail... hooray *sarcasm* It's so weird that King can do an excellent book on anxiety and mental illness in Mister Miracle, and completely screw the pooch on the same topic just months later. The highest of highs, the lowest of lows.

Big Brother

May 28, 2019

Let the healing begin.

Yam09

May 29, 2019

:/

MKW69

May 29, 2019

Wasted months for this crap. Nothing changed. Only Thing is that Wally is ruined.

RBL

May 29, 2019

To the people who said “wait for the final issue, you can’t judge an incomplete title”. We did and to no one’s surprise it did nothing to change how it’s perceived. This title is garbage, plain and simple. The worst “crisis” since Identity and wholly underserving of that moniker. The real crisis was King’s writing. There is nothing this issue did to resolve the various egregious faults of the issues preceding it and instead added more with what were infuriating and nonsensical therapy panels that purely showcase what little grasp he has of some of DC’s characters. The best part about this issue is that ends this abysmal, asinine event. It’s not worth reading, do not even entertain the notion of buying it.

TP

May 29, 2019

"Wait for the final issue" "You just don't get the story" "You are too stupid to understand it" "Everyone loves HiC and those who don't are clickbaiters" Well. Here we are. HiC is a collection of tropes coupled with some really nice (yet problematic) art. You can see that the artists, especially Mann - despite finding his portrayal of women problematic - loved working with this and put time and effort. But there is no plot. There is nothing. Just an incredibly offensive portrayal of mental health and mental health treatment. It's 2019. It's time to leave behind hurtful tropes of the past regarding mental health. HiC is not smart. It pretends to be in order to hide enormous plot holes, bad characterization and lazy writing. It tries to di sguise itself in something that's not. And when you point at it's problems, it's supporters attack and mock you. These would make it a boring comic. What makes it a horrible comic is how it was marketed BY it's creators as a book that would show the benefits of getting help. Instead it does more to villainize therapy than a scientology propaganda video. It's time to move forward. This book belongs to the past. Let's bury it and move on. P.S Therapy works. It helped me. It will help you too. You ARE safe. Even if you are hurt. You ARE safe in the hands of professionals. And it's always worth the time and effort. more

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Superheroes for Hire - May 29, 2019

Maybe Tom King is a Scientologist? Or maybe he was unhappy with a past therapy experience? Either way, I'm glad I didn't read after issue #1. Sounds like it had nothing good to say.

Æther - May 30, 2019

Well my problem growing up was that I was brainwashed... and my therapists couldn't figure it out. Family, peer, one on one therapy... many different counselors. So no, therapy does not work all the time, it is not some perfect practice, sorry.

TP - May 30, 2019

@aether, OK go tell people that they don't need therapy. Every therapy is not always 100% perfect. But it helps. I left my own problems without treatment and it nearly destroyed my life. Am I perfectly fine now? No. But I'm DEFINITELY better. These things take time.

Talon1load - May 30, 2019

Aether, are you serious or just messing around? If you’re serious, that’s crazy man. If not therapy, what helped you get through it? I’m not a big fan of therapy myself but definitely know it is beneficial to others.

Æther - May 30, 2019

I'm not saying people dont need Therapy. Im saying it forsnt work 100% like some magic trick you apes

Æther - May 30, 2019

Black and white... sorry the world is shaded of grey. Get over it

Æther - May 30, 2019

If it worked for you, and you go around telling everyone else it will work for them... only makes you a narcissist, everyone is different, is this really a surprise. If you make blanket statements that aren't correct, well you're gonna argue with me.

Æther - May 30, 2019

The point is People do fall through the cracks. Shouldn't act like something is perfect when it's not. As a civilization we usually only cater to the mass, but people do fall through the cracks at time. We should be more understanding of this

Æther - May 30, 2019

I wasnt sure we needed this comic myself actually. But your blind annoyance with it, shows me just of relevant this story really is.

Talon1load - May 30, 2019

Why would you think it’s a blind annoyance? It’s pretty widely hated because it does such a poor job of every single thing it set out to do. You really just want to be argumentative. No matter what anyone says you just want to go against it. You might want to give that therapy another shot.

Æther - May 30, 2019

What did it set out to do, that it failed to accomplish?

TP - May 31, 2019

@aether Your reaction is similar to the antivax movement. I specifically wrote that "therapy is not always 100% perfect". And then you call me a narcissist. I have been very polite towards you but you react with anger and name calling. Yes, people do fall through the cracks. And this is why telling people that therapy is useless is as dangerous as telling people that vaccinations are useless. I'm glad that you like the book. I hope, I really do, it gave you what you were looking after.

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln - May 31, 2019

This book was literally saying the opposite of "therapy is useless". The method they used was bullshit, and by the end Wally learned he should have talked to someone. If anything it is anti-AI.

Talon1load - May 31, 2019

It should definitely be anti-AI but it seems they are still using it at the end. That drives me nuts.

Æther - Jun 1, 2019

@Hi! I'm TP your PS at the end of the review still stands. It does not sound like you are saying "maybe" therapy will work for you. In essence you confuse me, since you contradict yourself. You're also putting words in my mouth when you say I said Therapy is useless, again this is not a black and white issue. To be honest I think Therapy works for the majority, putting me on the side of Therapy. Just because it didnt work for me doesnt mean it wont help you.

Æther - Jun 1, 2019

I would never tell someone not to go to Therapy. However I sure as hell won't tell em all thier problems would be solved either. Infact it was that sort of attitude that made Wally feel so isolated, cause it wasnt helping him... at the end of the day, the only person that can fix you... is you.

SnakeWilson

May 29, 2019

the last issue is the wosrt issue heh the number of fillers, the 9 panels pages, is insane and unnecessary, not to mention that everything on these pages is either silly or simply wrong or meaningless

Talon1load

May 29, 2019

Absolutely the worst event I’ve read. King knows jack shit about any of the characters and has zero business writing them. Wally killed and mutilated his friends because he was sad. Tried to kill himself after delaying the investigation for 5 days for reasons. Not any that make sense, just reasons. King has no grasp on how time trace works in any other comic book and tries to explain it in the most convoluted way and even puts in the comic how it doesn’t make sense. If you don’t understand it, don’t write about it. This goes even more for the entire mental health aspect which it is abundantly clear King knows nothing about. Boosters whole purpose in this comic was to get a body in the end and he seemed cool with it. No one is writte n in character. This was a travesty. Best part of this book is that it’s over. Bros before heroes my ass. more

Wally West

May 29, 2019

Wally West sends his regards.

Batmanchuria

May 29, 2019

Honestly, I just can't see what Tom King saw in this one. This book has been such a downer, from start to finish, but for all the wrong reasons. This isn't some sort of provocative, grounded event like Identity Crisis, nor does this serve as an effective study/meditation on mental health. All we got was a flash in the pan at the start, with an opening plot line that we were already made aware of months in advance, a slog of filler issues and a drawn out narrative that took up the winter months (between this and Knightmares, King rung in the new year with two scoops of garbage), and a frustrating ending that turns Wally West into a walking cautionary tale for mental health. Really? They took one of the most important characters of the Rebirt h era and not only turned him into a lost cause, overpowered murderer, but then they said, "let's use his folly to demonstrate why it's important for superheroes to go to therapy" before throwing him into a cell. There's no elaboration on Sanctuary's reopening, no input from the Justice League, or how to avoid another Wally-level "Crisis" from happening, it's all just another instance of Tom King hijacking characters with pre-established motives and ideals and drastically reorienting them until he's had his fill. Furthermore, it's another instance of DC throwing the Rebirth agenda out the window; we saw it with the Superman reboot, with the post-wedding dissection of Batman, and the fact that Doomsday Clock still isn't finished. Speaking of which, Doomsday Clock is out this week, so whatever's going on in this season's issue should be light years more enjoyable then what happened here. more

KFuqua

May 29, 2019

More garbage from Tom King. DC...again, I beg you to get him off of your books! He's awaful.

Ken b

May 29, 2019

Wasted 9 months of my life reading this garbage and I spent 35.91 paying for this GARBAGE! What was the point of this series! If they wanted to kill off some sidekicks should have done it with a better writer!

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myconius - May 29, 2019

summed up perfectly!

myconius

May 29, 2019

in the words of Jim Corrigan, The Spectre. according to Tom King . . . “i asked the lord our god why we suffer. he didn’t answer. he couldn’t speak through the tears.” 😆😆😆BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! 😆😆😆😆 is he joking with this crap????! 😆 anyway.... i just hope this garbage gets swept under the rug. especially all the crap they did to Wally. an utter disgrace of a comic.

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RBL - May 29, 2019

Give it a month and it won’t be remembered. Identity Crisis is a better story than this turd and that’s saying something.

myconius - May 29, 2019

yeah. this crap event will definitely be forgotten, just like all the other stinky turds that DC has had to flush down the toilet.

Death's Head

May 29, 2019

One of the worst comics I've ever read in a long, LONG, time. About as bad as One More Day and Sins Past.

MistMiracle

May 29, 2019

1 point is for Mann's beautiful artwork.

Michaelbn

May 30, 2019

Finally! (This crap shit reached its end) our battle will be legendary!!

Psycamorean

May 30, 2019

This is fucking stupid, you guys.

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myconius - May 31, 2019

can you belive there are people giving this 10's? YEEESH!!!

Darkseid24 - May 31, 2019

I didn’t entirely hate it, but 10 I don’t understand

myconius - May 31, 2019

about a year or more ago, once it finally dawned on me that 10 means an absolute perfect "FLAWLESS" comic, i went back and re-adjusted my scores to get rid of any 10's. i might let hype get me to score a '9' or '9.5' every once in a while. but at the end of the day, if you can't even be honest with yourself then there's a real problem.

Psycamorean - May 31, 2019

There's an interview where apparently Tom King said he came up with the story, handed it off to editorial and they chose which characters he would use. Wally, Harley and Booster. And apparently that's what he does for his stories, which makes so much sense and I think I hate it.

myconius - May 31, 2019

i think i can gues how Tom King came up with his story. he played a game of Mad Libs and submitted it as his script. 😆

ohhaimark

Jun 01, 2019

SPOILERS FOR LAST ISSUE BELOW! THE GOOD: -As atrocious as this issue is, I did enjoy the "Bros before heroes" line. THE BAD: -With a few exceptions, the therapy sessions were really not very good. -I'll be honest, the art wasn't my favorite here. I don't really know why, something about it seemed just seemed stiff I suppose. -The issue sure gives us all our signature dose of cringe worthy Tom King dialogue. -The characters are all just really poor here. -Wally's speech was really bad. Like, really bad. Maybe worse than his whole confession last issue. -This whole thing got really convoluted in the end, with the complicated time travel mechanics. -Just an incredibly weak ending.

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myconius - Jun 1, 2019

yeah! polished but really stiff lifeless art.

ohhaimark - Jun 2, 2019

Most definitely. Glad to see I'm not the only one who didn't like the art.

Flashcomics91

Jul 01, 2019

Story wise the conclusion to the above mentioned title was less than captivating. As an avid reader of The Flash you can imagine my disappointment to see a beloved character turned into this. I completely understand the point of the story but felt it losing its way near issue 4 to be honest. I have no issue with a troubled hero or even that they were responsible in the end as even our heroes make mistakes however to see him fall so far for no real reason other than to tie up a story filled with plot holes was devastating. I have no issue with good guys turning bad bad guys turning good or even grey but this run lacked sense and proper meaning and completely missed the point King was trying to make. This run will definitely be remember ed ... But for the wrong reasons. more

Spacey Medicine

Jul 03, 2019

“I just want you to understand, and I cannot stress this enough, that people who have mental health issues will absolutely lose control and hurt you.” I learned nothing about any of the characters. I somehow unlearned things I knew about mental health. I hated every moment of it. Let us never speak of this again.

Mout

Mar 11, 2022

Disturbing