The previous issue of Heroes in Crisis was primarily a introverted look at three DC heroes in, well, crisis – Wally West Flash, Harley Quinn, and Gnarrk. The installment concluded with a shocking (and confusing) revelation as to who might be behind the horrendous murders in the Sanctuary.
Heroes in Crisis #7 uses three different styles of artistry to convey the three different storylines – or timelines – taking place. As the clues continue to pile up, the heroes must learn to stop pointing fingers in order to figure out who the real mastermind is.
**Some Spoilers Below**
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Story
The Trinity may have uncovered the true killer responsible for the deaths at Sanctuary, but the artificial intelligence that ran the institution is the one thing standing between them and the culprit. Now Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman must face off with their own creation—and face the consequences for what they created. Also, as the truth is uncovered, Booster and Harley go from being enemies to allies.
What tangled webs Tom King has woven. As Heroes in Crisis enters its final issues, it’s still fairly unclear who committed the Sanctuary murders. Readers will find themselves needing to double back to previous issues, or even going back to the very beginning, to reexamine the information that has been shared thus far.
Writing
In this particular issue, King uses three narratives to continue his intricate murder mystery. The brief interaction between Batman and Barry Allen Flash is amusing, with the Scarlet Speedster speaking in a sort of hyper-tongue as the duo searches for Booster Gold’s whereabouts.
The bulk of Heroes in Crisis #7 involves Harley Quinn pummeling Booster Gold after witnessing him murder Wally West, all while Batgirl and Blue Beetle watch from the sidelines. Here, King crafts some interesting moments of inner-conflict, particularly with Booster ready to give up on everything and let Harley dole put a fatal blow.
Then there’s the Wally West segment, which finds the speedster lamenting a timeline he longs to return to. Here, King adds the next (potentially big, yet highly frustrating) piece to his puzzle. Using his speed force power, Wally speeds up the blooming of a red rose. And from out of that blossomed rose comes — Poison Ivy, with no skin, showing a green muscular system instead. How this affects the rest of the story will have to be answered in the next issue. It has to, for the readers’ sake.
Art
Each narrative (or perspective, or timeline) is illustrated by different artists, which in itself is worth noting. Clay Mann handles the scenes involving Wally West, including his confessionals, and delivers some of the best art in comics today. Though the story may leave some readers vexed, it’s hard to deny that Heroes in Crisis is a visually stunning book. Mann’s characters have a great range of expressions, perfect for a book dealing with emotional issues.
Travis Moore takes over for the pages with Harley, Booster, Batgirl, and Blue Beetle. Moore continues his admirable work, creating a similar aesthetic as Mann’s.
Jorge Fornes illustrates the pages with Batman and Barry Allen Flash. His artwork has a much different look than Mann and Moore’s. It’s certainly not as picturesque as the rest of the book, but it holds its own in a more vintage style of pencils.
Tomeu Morey’s colors brings the three styles of artistry together in Heroes in Crisis. It’s textured and simply striking.
Conclusion
As Heroes in Crisis draws to a close, the seventh issue offers truly compelling moments that deal with introspection, particularly between Wally West and Booster Gold. As the clues continue to pile on, however, it’s still difficult to say if it will all pay off in the end.
