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ndizz87's review
4.0
When I started this graphic novel series, I could possibly conceive where the writers could take this story. In the previous two entries, the story spans nuclear holocausts and intergalactic wars. Somehow they kept ratcheting the stakes to enormous proportions. It was an odd choice, but a thrilling one. They are off with an Avengers: Endgame event and, with the third one, seem to work backwards. The third felt smaller. The scale was smaller, the action more intimate. My gut reaction to this is to call this plan a little crazy. The normal fair we’re given always has the most bombastic and climactic scenes in the third act. How could less action make the story any better? While I was fairly skeptical about this approach, I still walked away from the third year enthralled, even if this entry doesn’t have the epic stakes the previous two do.
Thinking back to the previous two entries, the events are immediately present in mind. This year it feels as though it centers more around a particular character, John Constantine. I don’t have much of a relationship with this character, historically. I’ve seen the Keanu Reeves movie, but that’s probably the beginning and end of it. After reading this third year, I have a better appreciation for him. He’s a doomed character just trying to stay alive. He doesn’t have allegiances or last relationships. Those he interacts with he’s more than ready to doublecross and he assumes any relationship he forges will end in death or despair. In the battle that happens between Superman and his forces breaks out against the Green Lantern Corps., his daughter’s mother becomes a casualty of said war. The only thing he cares about, his daughter, becomes his top priority and secretly will work to no end in order to keep her safe.
In the third year, Batman (who is now up and walking again after being sidelined for much of the second year) is attempting to deepen his bench of allies, which can quickly dwindle. The writers are not shy about killing off characters you either have always loved or come to love through this story. Specifically, he targets those magical superheroes to sway to his cause. Magic is akin to kryptonite to Superman. He is weak against it. Batman knows this and wants to leverage it to his benefit. This is where Constantine comes in. Constantine is willing to help Batman and uses the excuse of his daughter’s mother’s death as his reason to join the fight. He feels something powerful is protecting Superman and his allies.
Superman and what’s left of his forces are desperately searching for those allies which were captured by Batman’s team: the Flash, Cyborg, and Damian. While Batman has hidden them away, the powerful god of vengeance, literally named Vengeance, attacks Batman’s team. They retreat to Dr. Fate’s tower outside of space and time and Constantine feels something isn’t right with Vengeance. They need more information on why Vengeance has chosen to help Superman and why they feel something is off. They use Raven, the daughter of demon Trigon (who seems to be the nemesis of Constantine), as bait for Superman who quickly takes it. As Rag Man bleeds the life out of Superman, his allies show up and arrest Constantine. John gets away when Dead Man inhabit’s Shazam’s body and releases Constantine. However, Dead Man...well, dies at the hands of Vengeance, but not before the resurrected spirit of Nightwing comes to take up the Dead Man mantle. I really appreciated Nightwing coming back in the third year, but felt they could have done more with the trauma of how Nightwing died now that he can interact with Batman and Damian.
Batman then hatches a plan to put Superman into an eternal slumber such as they did with Wonder Woman. It works and Superman is put to sleep. Superman dreams of a life where Lois and their baby don't die. Where Batman is the one to finally end Joker’s life. Where Lois becomes President of the United States, Wonder Woman is Secretary-General and married to Bruce. He watches his little girl grow up and desire to help the planet be better. At the same time, Wonder Woman, deep in slumber, also dreams of kissing Superman. However, she’s awakened by Ares and goes to see what has been happening since she’s been put under. She is not happy that Superman has taken a ring from Sinestro and moves to beat him to a bloody pulp. Superman, somehow, wakes up and stops her from doing so.
Superman and his allies go to Dr. Fate’s tower and engage in battle. Constantine has made the demon, Trigon, believe that Superman was the one who kidnapped his daughter (even though it was Constantine all along) and they summon him to Fate’s tower. This puts Superman and his forces on their heels. However, Deadwing (Dead Man Nightwing) shows up to say that someone else is inhabiting Vengeance. That person turns out to be Mister Mxyzptlk who wishes to see Superman unscathed as he attempts to force peace on Earth. Apparently, the imp is even matched against the demon.
Believing they’ll be destroyed in this epic fight between the two, Batman’s forces are transported to the House of Secrets and Mysteries on Earth, hoping its magic will protect them from Superman gaining entrance. However, Mister Mxyzptlk transports both himself, Trigon, Superman, and his forces right outside the house. Continued fighting ensues and it’s evident that the fight between Mister Mxyzptlk and Trigon are ripping the very fabric of reality. Batman allows Flash to be released so that he can save everyone outside. The House’s magical abilities to protect them begin to weaken. The group devises a way to work together to vanquish both the imp and demon while Batman’s forces make a quick escape.
The ending of the final part as well as the epilogue, however, show that Constantine was only ever out for Constantine. He secretly worked to make it appear he was on Batman’s side while using Batman and his forces to truly get rid of Trigon so that he could escape with his daughter and not have to worry about Trigon’s own vengeance. We also get another glimpse of how corrupted Superman became after the fall out of the attack on his loved ones and Metropolis by seriously injuring Superboy and sending his team to a prison realm.
All in all, the stakes are not incredibly high in his volume, but that’s okay. It’s smaller in scale and more intimate in nature. It’s the quieter scenes that really jump out. I ended up appreciating the dream sequences that Superman and Wonder Woman have. They do, either consciously or unconsciously, wish that things were different. Superman’s dream sequence was especially impactful. There are others, smaller scenes which really stand out. I laughed out loud at Harley Quinn’s interactions with Detective Chimp (which was a really cool character they did little with) and Dr. Fate (he’s not a REAL doctor). I also chuckled when John Constantine made fun of the visual of Detective Chimp and Batman sitting in the backseat. I liked how Deadwing told Batman how he felt about him. I actually thought the story would have benefitted from having more of that. There were moments, like when they released the Flash to save everyone, not just Batman’s team. I don’t know, there was strength in the more subtle components of this volume.
I appreciated the resurrection (of a kind) of Nightwing. I wish there was more interaction between him and his partner who killed him, Damian. I thought that could have been a much more impactful scene than what it was. Aside from that, there were some other scenes, such as the fight between Poison Ivy and Swamp Thing, that were just fun but didn’t amount to much. I also liked that the Teen Titans were present, but again, they almost immediately got imprisoned so here’s hoping they get released soon. Batman will have no other choice. Everyone seems to be dying, though that wasn’t such a big part here as it was in the previous two. The only big death that occurs is the Huntress, but let’s face it, she hasn’t been doing much throughout the series and was expendable. You have other deaths like Dead Man and Rag Man.
I did like the lean into the magical realm of DC. It makes sense to pivot to magic now that the Green Lanterns are obliterated. However, it also shows that DC doesn’t really have name recognition in that regard. You have Constantine, but I had no idea who Rag Man and Dead Man were. There was also Dr. Occult and some others, but I had never heard of them before. You could tell they were reaching to pull a bench together and most of them didn't make it to the end. I was actually shocked that their biggest stars, Dr. Fate and Zantanna, don’t end up doing much except offer a place to hang out and babysit. I’m still wondering how they play into all of this and now Dr. Fate is missing after sending the demon and the imp away.
While the third year makes you feel the stakes aren’t as high, it’s truly the smaller moments that shine and at the conclusion, felt like a reorientation of the series to focus on some of the smaller, but still impactful moments. I appreciated that. It doesn’t have the gravitas as the previous two years, but it’s more than made up for in the quieter scenes. I can’t wait to get my hands on year four and see where they decide to go from here.
Thinking back to the previous two entries, the events are immediately present in mind. This year it feels as though it centers more around a particular character, John Constantine. I don’t have much of a relationship with this character, historically. I’ve seen the Keanu Reeves movie, but that’s probably the beginning and end of it. After reading this third year, I have a better appreciation for him. He’s a doomed character just trying to stay alive. He doesn’t have allegiances or last relationships. Those he interacts with he’s more than ready to doublecross and he assumes any relationship he forges will end in death or despair. In the battle that happens between Superman and his forces breaks out against the Green Lantern Corps., his daughter’s mother becomes a casualty of said war. The only thing he cares about, his daughter, becomes his top priority and secretly will work to no end in order to keep her safe.
In the third year, Batman (who is now up and walking again after being sidelined for much of the second year) is attempting to deepen his bench of allies, which can quickly dwindle. The writers are not shy about killing off characters you either have always loved or come to love through this story. Specifically, he targets those magical superheroes to sway to his cause. Magic is akin to kryptonite to Superman. He is weak against it. Batman knows this and wants to leverage it to his benefit. This is where Constantine comes in. Constantine is willing to help Batman and uses the excuse of his daughter’s mother’s death as his reason to join the fight. He feels something powerful is protecting Superman and his allies.
Superman and what’s left of his forces are desperately searching for those allies which were captured by Batman’s team: the Flash, Cyborg, and Damian. While Batman has hidden them away, the powerful god of vengeance, literally named Vengeance, attacks Batman’s team. They retreat to Dr. Fate’s tower outside of space and time and Constantine feels something isn’t right with Vengeance. They need more information on why Vengeance has chosen to help Superman and why they feel something is off. They use Raven, the daughter of demon Trigon (who seems to be the nemesis of Constantine), as bait for Superman who quickly takes it. As Rag Man bleeds the life out of Superman, his allies show up and arrest Constantine. John gets away when Dead Man inhabit’s Shazam’s body and releases Constantine. However, Dead Man...well, dies at the hands of Vengeance, but not before the resurrected spirit of Nightwing comes to take up the Dead Man mantle. I really appreciated Nightwing coming back in the third year, but felt they could have done more with the trauma of how Nightwing died now that he can interact with Batman and Damian.
Batman then hatches a plan to put Superman into an eternal slumber such as they did with Wonder Woman. It works and Superman is put to sleep. Superman dreams of a life where Lois and their baby don't die. Where Batman is the one to finally end Joker’s life. Where Lois becomes President of the United States, Wonder Woman is Secretary-General and married to Bruce. He watches his little girl grow up and desire to help the planet be better. At the same time, Wonder Woman, deep in slumber, also dreams of kissing Superman. However, she’s awakened by Ares and goes to see what has been happening since she’s been put under. She is not happy that Superman has taken a ring from Sinestro and moves to beat him to a bloody pulp. Superman, somehow, wakes up and stops her from doing so.
Superman and his allies go to Dr. Fate’s tower and engage in battle. Constantine has made the demon, Trigon, believe that Superman was the one who kidnapped his daughter (even though it was Constantine all along) and they summon him to Fate’s tower. This puts Superman and his forces on their heels. However, Deadwing (Dead Man Nightwing) shows up to say that someone else is inhabiting Vengeance. That person turns out to be Mister Mxyzptlk who wishes to see Superman unscathed as he attempts to force peace on Earth. Apparently, the imp is even matched against the demon.
Believing they’ll be destroyed in this epic fight between the two, Batman’s forces are transported to the House of Secrets and Mysteries on Earth, hoping its magic will protect them from Superman gaining entrance. However, Mister Mxyzptlk transports both himself, Trigon, Superman, and his forces right outside the house. Continued fighting ensues and it’s evident that the fight between Mister Mxyzptlk and Trigon are ripping the very fabric of reality. Batman allows Flash to be released so that he can save everyone outside. The House’s magical abilities to protect them begin to weaken. The group devises a way to work together to vanquish both the imp and demon while Batman’s forces make a quick escape.
The ending of the final part as well as the epilogue, however, show that Constantine was only ever out for Constantine. He secretly worked to make it appear he was on Batman’s side while using Batman and his forces to truly get rid of Trigon so that he could escape with his daughter and not have to worry about Trigon’s own vengeance. We also get another glimpse of how corrupted Superman became after the fall out of the attack on his loved ones and Metropolis by seriously injuring Superboy and sending his team to a prison realm.
All in all, the stakes are not incredibly high in his volume, but that’s okay. It’s smaller in scale and more intimate in nature. It’s the quieter scenes that really jump out. I ended up appreciating the dream sequences that Superman and Wonder Woman have. They do, either consciously or unconsciously, wish that things were different. Superman’s dream sequence was especially impactful. There are others, smaller scenes which really stand out. I laughed out loud at Harley Quinn’s interactions with Detective Chimp (which was a really cool character they did little with) and Dr. Fate (he’s not a REAL doctor). I also chuckled when John Constantine made fun of the visual of Detective Chimp and Batman sitting in the backseat. I liked how Deadwing told Batman how he felt about him. I actually thought the story would have benefitted from having more of that. There were moments, like when they released the Flash to save everyone, not just Batman’s team. I don’t know, there was strength in the more subtle components of this volume.
I appreciated the resurrection (of a kind) of Nightwing. I wish there was more interaction between him and his partner who killed him, Damian. I thought that could have been a much more impactful scene than what it was. Aside from that, there were some other scenes, such as the fight between Poison Ivy and Swamp Thing, that were just fun but didn’t amount to much. I also liked that the Teen Titans were present, but again, they almost immediately got imprisoned so here’s hoping they get released soon. Batman will have no other choice. Everyone seems to be dying, though that wasn’t such a big part here as it was in the previous two. The only big death that occurs is the Huntress, but let’s face it, she hasn’t been doing much throughout the series and was expendable. You have other deaths like Dead Man and Rag Man.
I did like the lean into the magical realm of DC. It makes sense to pivot to magic now that the Green Lanterns are obliterated. However, it also shows that DC doesn’t really have name recognition in that regard. You have Constantine, but I had no idea who Rag Man and Dead Man were. There was also Dr. Occult and some others, but I had never heard of them before. You could tell they were reaching to pull a bench together and most of them didn't make it to the end. I was actually shocked that their biggest stars, Dr. Fate and Zantanna, don’t end up doing much except offer a place to hang out and babysit. I’m still wondering how they play into all of this and now Dr. Fate is missing after sending the demon and the imp away.
While the third year makes you feel the stakes aren’t as high, it’s truly the smaller moments that shine and at the conclusion, felt like a reorientation of the series to focus on some of the smaller, but still impactful moments. I appreciated that. It doesn’t have the gravitas as the previous two years, but it’s more than made up for in the quieter scenes. I can’t wait to get my hands on year four and see where they decide to go from here.
sweets_reads's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
robotswithpersonality's review
Oof! Things continue to be intense, and generally sad, but it's still an incredibly compelling series. I think pretty much anything I want to gush about at this point would be a spoiler, so I'll just encourage all those who survived Year One to keep reading. On to the next!
spellsandmonsters_'s review
5.0
This has been my favorite year so far! I love DC’s magical characters. Once again Tom Taylor had me feeling all the emotions. This has been one of the best superhero reads I’ve had in a while.
jhouses's review
2.0
Y ya por fin la saga pierde fuelle cuando involucra a los personajes mágicos del universo DC y se pierde en mil revueltas de enemstades y traiciones alrededor de John Constantine.
sfletcher26's review
4.0
Another strong outing in the ongoing Injustice series. Maybe not as good as the first two volumes but still one of the best superhero mash ups ever.
gcamelopardalis's review
5.0
Injustice really is the best DC comic series I've ever read. I think year one is still my favorite, but this one still manages to be just crazy good.
Year three focuses mainly on the magic-users of DC, in particular Constantine. A lot of players who got knocked out of the game earlier in the series come back, much to the chagrin of Batman and co. Of course, I always love anything that gives Barry Allen a chance to be smart and helpful.
I really need to read the rest of this series, but I'm going to end up waiting till they collect years four and five into collected editions so that might take a while.
Year three focuses mainly on the magic-users of DC, in particular Constantine. A lot of players who got knocked out of the game earlier in the series come back, much to the chagrin of Batman and co. Of course, I always love anything that gives Barry Allen a chance to be smart and helpful.
I really need to read the rest of this series, but I'm going to end up waiting till they collect years four and five into collected editions so that might take a while.
solarsonist's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5