HEROES IN CRISIS EXPANDS TO NINE ISSUES
Artists Lee Weeks and Mitch Gerads Join Tom King and Clay Mann in Revealing More Secrets of Sanctuary
Beginning September 26, Eisner Award-winner Tom King’s new limited series, HEROES IN CRISIS, introduces a new generation of readers to the concept of a “Crisis” within the DC Universe. This time, instead of a reality-ending event, this crisis is ripped from real-world headlines: How do superheroes handle PTSD? How do DC’s Trinity—Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman—handle the traumas and anxieties of fighting crime and saving the world, over and over again? And what happens when the safeguards that have been in place for years, fail?
First announced as a seven-issue series by Tom King and artist Clay Mann, HEROES IN CRISIS now expands to nine issues, with King collaborators Lee Weeks and Mitch Gerads providing art for the added issues. These issues will provide added insight into King and Mann’s epic tale, with Weeks (BATMAN/ELMER FUDD) handling art duties for issue #3 and Eisner award-winning Gerads (MISTER MIRACLE) providing art for issue #7.
HEROES IN CRISIS #1, written by Tom King, art by Clay Mann and Tomeu Morey, lettered by Clayton Cowles and edited by Jamie S. Rich and Brittany Holzherr, hits shelves September 26.
I started to read comics just looking for fun, great fantasies and adventures. If I want to read about diseases, I read newspapers.
This started years ago with the introduction of Identity Crisis when the heroes were confronted with a killer in their midst and how they deal with the loss of Sue Dibney who was killed by fellow friend Jean Loring. A similar situation was brought in the Dark Knight trilogy when Batman experiences loss and tragedy and ends up as a recluse who might have suffered PTSD in the beginning of Rises. While I enjoy superhero stories full of action and fantasy, this could be an interesting perspective from a storytelling point of view. Do heroes feel traumatised of sorts after… Read more »
Did I say something wrong?
Apparently realistic emotion is frowned upon.
So much for freedom of speaking out our minds. 😉
I guess
Eh, to me Identity Crisis was just another DC double-down on grimdark and a slap in the face to the Satellite Era Justice League. I wasn’t a fan of that whole business with John Stewart on Xanshi either. It almost felt like something a dude in a comic shop would say. “Hey, you could beat Green Lantern by painting a bomb yellow, dur hur.” The panel even had a human in street clothes just standing there with a paint brush to make the mockery complete. I can see both points made by Daxman and Kal-Ed. Personally, I can’t help but… Read more »
Superhero stories evolve through time. And comic book writers have to adapt. As long as they do not bring it to the extremes of emotions it’s all well and good. All in all the premise should be unchanged: Save the city. Save the world. Save the girl. Beat the bad guy. And eat the victory cheeseburger.
No offense, but that is the same hackneyed reasoning for stories like this, “stories evolve through time. . .have to adapt”, and they rarely take off with the readership. Most readers don’t want to read about the psychological trauma of being a super-hero. We’re supposed to want to be these characters; why would you want to if you need therapy?
Batman’s entire character is based off of psychological trauma. Spider-man, Moon Knight, Wolverine, Daredevil, heck even Punisher. Some of the most popular characters exist solely as an expression of some psychology.
That’s quite a reach, especially when you lump them altogether. “They exist solely as the expression of some psychology”? I don’t think super-heroes are for you.
Oh please.
Are you saying that the psychological trauma of seeing his parents die isn’t the entire reason for Batman existing?
Spiderman’s guilt at letting his Uncle Ben’s killer go has led to a sense of responsibility so over-developed he lets it control his life to the detriment of personal relationships and his financial well-being
Moonknight has Disassociative Identity Disorder(multiple personalities)
Wolverine is a textbook case of Anger issues and Borderline Personality Disorder
Daredevil has symptoms of both Depression and bipolor disorder
Punisher is a full on Psychotic serial killer, he’s basically Dexter with guns
No, it isn’t the sole reason for the existence of Batman existing, though it’s expeditious of you to distill it as such to make your point, myopic as may be.
You’re right, bad grammar not withstanding, it isn’t the sole reason for the existence of Batman existing. But it is the catalyst that ignited the genesis of the character. It’s the slew of other psychoses that keeps him going. And calling my point myopic when it is you that distills these characters down into one dimensional, black and white, base character traits is down right hilarious, since clearly you lack the imagination to see them as anything other than simplistic beings with no layers. Your own words in reply to someone else on this discussion states that “Superheroes are basic… Read more »
Take a piece of a longer statement, and use it out of context to make your point. You’re ready for yellow journalism.
How is a complete statement out of context? that whole post I referenced was you driving the point of superheroes being simple.
Non taken. It’s cool. And yet in my opinion stories like this tend to tell a certain message and leave something to talk about and to think about. Readers are all about absorbing and understanding the sense of storytelling. There has been many works of fiction that was written by people and authors based on actual events and twist it in a way the reader will get immersed into the story. Superheroes are no different. It can still be fiction and still deliver some sort of reality into it. The best example I can come up with is the Green… Read more »
Sounds like an Indie comic.
Denny O’Neil’s run on Green Lantern wasn’t unique. Action Comics #1 dealt with domestic violence, which many seem to forget, only it was about heroism righting the wrong, rather than being consumed by it.
Heroes in Crisis sounds like yet another attempt to make super-heroes less than what they’re supposed to be. They’re ideals. . .ideals don’t need therapy.
And men and women with inspiring ideals need a little encouragement and guidance. As long as they do not end into religious and political fanaticism.
Anyhoo, it seems that you and I have different views about storytelling in comic books. Which is not a bad thing at all. In fact I admire your basic and simple approach to superheroes. But this is me talking and I do not expect everyone else will follow suit.
Superheroes are basic and simple. Most ideas are. Good vs evil. Right vs wrong. All the while, protecting the innocent and those who cannot aid themselves. The complexity of superheroes is that simplicity. The challenge is to work within that simplicity, rather than complicate it. I think your ideas work better for a non-superhero story or an antihero, but fall flat for actual superheroes, in the same manner that such treatments rarely work for other “simple” stories. Think “John Wick”, which is an incredibly simple story, but rewarding as it delivers in spades on its theme. John Wick in therapy?… Read more »
Yes, nine whole issues of super-heroic dysfunction! 😉
I don’t get how y’all can be so negative and down on a series that y’all haven’t even read yet?
Maybe wait and read the story before hating it guys.
True but on the other hand we do have some information on the premise of the thing. Enough to have discussion about whether or not we think it’s an interesting one, if we are looking forward or not forward to it and if or not it potentially makes for a good superhero comic.
No one is hating anything here. I actually want to read this 🙂
..and looks like it’s starting with a big ol’ round of character kill-offs. Guess DC didn’t learn anything.