Okay. So, I may have given this an entire star because of how awesome the Harley/Ivy stuff was. And I don't mean that it was all puppies and rainbows. But, it had a depth to it that shouldn't have been possible since they were not the point of the TPB.

There's something called Sanctuary that was made by Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman. It's a program made to help heroes (and hero adjacent) who are having mental trouble, PTSD and the like. Until something goes wrong. And it seems like either Harley or Booster Gold did it.

The Trinity stuff wasn't anything special, but, the Batgirl/Harley stuff, and the original Blue Beetle/Booster Gold stuff was interesting. And, of course, as I said, I really liked the Harley/Ivy subplot. It was just amazingly awesome.

I received this book via Netgalley thanks to DC Entertainment.

Sometimes if you are not a super avid reader of superhero comics stories and timelines can get all jumbled, thanks to the Multiverse. Right now the heroes are in a crisis. Their sanctuary has been invaded and heros have died. But who committed the crime? Was it Harley Quinn or Booster Gold? Or someone else entirely. Sanctuary is a top secret digital therapist. Superheroes have seen stuff, and just like everyone else they deal with mental health issues. Sanctuary is where they can go to get help in secret. Until the secret was released to the media, and dead superheroes litter the fields. This book has an interesting premise. The reader gets to see snippets of heroes therapy session while the JLA and various others try to piece together what happened. This is a needed graphic novel as more real world events bring mental health to the forefront of the media. It says even Superheroes need help sometimes.
August 3
#bbrc #growup #neverendingseries
#NancyDrewChallenge #windowoncover
#GondorGirlGNChallenge

**Disclaimer: I was given an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

I love, love, love the art style of this comic. Tom King has a great story where you see the heroes's and their constant battle against evil, and how that's taking a toll on their mental health and bodies. You get to know the heroes more this way and it's not all ~yay we saved the world again. justice and love prevail!~

Highly recommend if you want a grittier comic with a deeper story.

This was a great story that packs a lot of emotional punches. I really liked getting to see how being a hero actually affects them in their day to day lives. No one ever thinks about the physical and emotional scars the heroes have due to their actions. Seeing the confessional panels really highlighted this. Although I didn't really like the ending, I did enjoy the overall story. The artwork and coloring were also top notch. Great DC story along the lines of Infinite Crisis.

*note - I accidentally left feedback for the wrong title, will update when I complete this book. I apologize for my error.

5 stars.

Tom King continues to surprise me with the quality of his superhero comics. A great exploration of trauma and the mental and emotional toll superheroes must face. Reminiscent of Meltzer's Identity Crisis with a compelling mystery at its core.

So I have tried everything in NetGalley’s device FAQ to get this file to open but nothing works. I have Adobe Digital Editions but sadly it tells me it cannot locate a license when I try to open this file type. I love Tom King so I’m sure this trade is amazing but I cannot read it. So I cannot review it. I’m at a loss. From now on I will not request comic book titles from NetGalley. I am approved for three and all three will not load. Very bummed. Giving this a five star because Tom King has never written a comic I didn’t like.

I understand this run has been a little controversial, not just because of the mental health issues but the callous killing of some young favorites. I thought this was a really important topic, and I thought the independent panels with the superheros discussing their issues was great. I thought overall this was a great, amazing comic that told an important story and I STRONGLY HOPE that they continue with the Sanctuary storyline. What I didn't like was sacrificing Wally West, again.

Tom King has been a pretty big rising star at Marvel and DC since his work on The Vision (which was a masterful piece full of pathos for a relatively c-list android superhero), and Mister Miracle (which I haven't read, but is Eisner worthy, at least), but his run on Batman has received mixed reviews. I discarded these as simple fanboy backlash over a lackluster Bat/Cat wedding, but Heroes in Crisis has me rethinking that stance a bit.

That being said, I still think King is a fantastic writer, but this story doesn't really show it. It's a lot of flash (pun not intended) and not a lot of substance for a concept that should produce a more in depth look of its subject matter: PTSD. While it does do that, it's very much at a surface level, while the actual meat of the story comes from a very roundabout murder mystery that is confusing at best and borderline character assassination at worst.

Excluding the character assassination bit, which is spoilery and shouldn't hold that much merit when discussing the story, the murder mystery bit is really where the book falls short, making it a character driven mystery that juggles too many detectives, while neglecting to emphasize the psychological issues behind superheroics that have been revealed. Honestly, a deeper dive into heroes experiencing PTSD and their coping mechanisms would have been a far more interesting tale, rather than pushing that to the wayside in favor of a sub-Identity Crisis level murder story that does not deserve 200 pages of dedication.

I see what King was trying to do here, because I'm sure the subject matter is near and dear to his heart, but methinks I detect the scent of DC Editorial's meddling in the plot and structure. But that's all hearsay, at least.

Definitely not King's best work. And so far, it might actually be his worst. Although, I don't much care for The War of Jokes and Riddles.

So I'm on the fence as to whether this book earned a fourth star, or not. But I finished it yesterday and have spent a lot of time in the last 18 or so hours thinking about it, so there's something to be said for that, at least.

I think that if you've enjoyed Tom King's previous work (especially on The Vision, or Mister Miracle) then you'll likely still enjoy this. Or if you liked DC's previous crossover murder mystery Identity Crisis you'll probably like this story as well.

There's a LOT of minor characters that pop up and disappear, which is one of my favorite things about books that aren't focused exclusively on DC's Big Three. Tom King really stretches to pull in a number of characters that I only vaguely remember from other books and even had a couple that I couldn't have named with a gun to my head, so that was enjoyable as well.

The story itself is a bit complex and at times dips into being convoluted but it never lost me completely. It *is* a mystery after all so there's bound to be some confusion as the story unfolds and the reader doesn't have the full picture, but I think I'd have to read it again to see if it feels like all the clues are there (like in a good mystery) or if it's magic wanded into fitting together (like the aforementioned Identity Crisis).

In the end, though, I really enjoyed the book. It isn't perfect by any means, but I think it asks a lot of good questions about superheroes. Treading over some of the same ground as The Original Author did in Watchmen thirty years ago? Certainly, but this time with mainstream DC characters and that at least makes this book worth a read.

That was a really thought provoking and wonderful to read. Not quite stand alone, I had to stop and look up someone's backstory because it sets the plot in motion. But still very enjoyable. A few of the "confession" sequences hit you right in the feels. The art is clear and detailed, and the vibrant colors of the flower panels are fantastic. This will be a great choice to recommend to my readers who like a little more meat on their superhero stories.

Old fashioned (not retro, not throwback, not a tribute to old styles) artwork takes DC back a step or two.

Heroes in Crisis shows the impact to the Heroes of what they have seen and experienced. The heroes (understandably) face problems associated with PTSD and need a place to get treated and yet not alarm the general public. That place is Sanctuary.
DC comics has always seemed to deal well and directly with societal issues. Green Lantern and Green Arrow had the heroes fighting against drugs. Identity Crisis showed the heroes facing the consequences and reality of the aftermath of defeating villains. This event, while not perfect (were the murders necessary to address the problem), does normalize PTSD. It does so through flashes of interviews with the affected superheroes.
The graphic novel is worth reading for the interviews, but he artwork is what truly elevates the work. Heroes in Crisis was visually stunning (thank you Clay Mann) and every page is filled with immersive detail. This is true from the background images to the expressions of pain on the faces of some of the heroes.
If you enjoy comics with a message, you will enjoy this work.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a preview of this graphic novel. #HeroesInCrisis #NetGalley

Pains me to share that this struck me as kinda so-so. Loved the peeks into the superhero psyche, didn't love the whodunnit. As always, King's dialogue is stellar. Not a fan of having to switch artists mid-tale, but more than willing to cut slack there. I'll continue to seek out King's work with gusto.