Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Five Chapter #27 Review

Nowhere to Run to, Baby...Nowhere to Hide

Written by: Brian Buccellato
Art by: Tom Derenick, Rex Lokus and Wes Abbott
Cover Price: $0.99
Release Date: June 21, 2016

Last issue of Injustice was one of my favorite since Brian Buccellato took over this book and one of the best period.  So much was thrown at the reader...Batman left dead to rights, Barry saving him, Bruce asking for a little paradox and then the feels of knowing what Alfred knew all along.  It was really great and if you haven't read it, I suggest you do so now.  We aren't here to talk about the past though, and there are a lot of things that are going to have to be dealt with.  The biggest is what the Regime will do to Barry or at least try to do.  I am so excited to find out, I'm going to stop my introduction paragraph and get down to business.  On with the review...


This is a Barry issue through and through and as a Barry fan, I couldn't be happier.  We start off five years ago with Barry talking to Iris about what started this whole thing.  He doesn't agree with Superman killing the Joker and tells Iris that he is joining the Regime to keep Superman in check.  The scene ends with Iris telling Barry that is Superman crosses the line, he has to stand up to him.



Everyone reading this series knows that Flash has and will always be a good guy.  This flashback gives us a great explanation of why he joined up with Superman and also why he has been acting like this all along.  The one thing I was wondering, though, is what the heck happened to Iris?

We get back to the present and find out that Sinestro is getting blamed for the Zsasz escape (of course), but also that Superman in not taking Barry's treason lightly.  That is an understatement as Superman tries to kill Barry a couple times, but he shows just how kickass a guy who only runs fast can be.  The scene also shows that Barry isn't the only one who thinks that Superman is taking things a bit too far.

It now seems that Barry is out of the Regime and heads back to Central City and runs into...Iris.  Barry is obviously one of those guys who can go years without talking to someone and still consider them best friends while Iris has a different opinion.  Before she runs off, Barry seems shocked at a secret she is hiding and it must be that she is pregnant, right?



The issue ends with Barry having a beer with an "Ice Cold" bartender and you can see that Barry is really trying to get a grip on what has been going on and find some answers.  I love Barry and seeing him like this got me a bit down.  The guy really needs a friend.  Unfortunately, the chapter ends with someone he considered one about to go to jail and the guys doing the arresting are not exactly good guys.  It looks like Superman is firing up the Year of the Villains again...or maybe it never ended!

Because the main focus of this issue was on Barry, I liked it a whole lot.  However, it was pretty much all setup and the story only served to get the playing pieces on the board.  Now that they are in place, I hope Barry goes to town on the baddies and we find out Iris' secret.

Tom Derenick always brings a classic feel to the art when he jumps on this book and it really works well here.  From Superman's over the top rage to Barry having a beer,  Derenick makes it all feel so silver age and I really enjoy it.

Bits and Pieces:

This chapter starts a new arc for the story and as such, it's a lot of setup.  Barry's days with the Regime appear to be over and if they are not, he needs to rethink that.  After Superman tried to take his head off, he ran to Central City, but learned very quickly that there are some problems you just can't run away from.  The story and art are good and if you are a Flash fan, you might enjoy it more than most.

8.0/10

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