The Good
Superman finally comes face to face with John Constantine. Does Constantine have some elaborate plan up his sleeve? I mean, does he literally pull a piece of kryptonite from his sleeve? Is there anyone else helping him? Instead of moving forward with an epic and potentially action-heavy development, writer Tom Taylor uses this ninth chapter to focus purely on character before dropping quite a twist.
There's three characters on display here: Superman, Constantine, and Billy Batson. With Superman, Taylor continues to show us what a twisted character he has become and why that Yellow Power Ring selected him. Gone is the Man of Steel. He packed his bags and left quite some time ago. Now, the Man of Fear has replaced him. This Kryptonian doesn't shy away from torture and doesn't think twice about having Sinestro fighting for his cause. Just about everything that makes Superman such a respectable character is long gone and that's crystal clear in this chapter. Even though he lets his rage step forward, we still see him hold that back, for just a brief moment, to manipulate one of his biggest admirers in order to keep the character by his side. Is the manipulation intentional? It really does't seem like it; it's as if Superman isn't even aware of just how much he's changed and can go from torture to thanking an ally in just a moment or two. Love or hate how much the dude has changed, it continues to be pretty an interesting development under Taylor's writing.
As for Constantine, Taylor uses the character to add a little humor to the issue. They aren't remarks that'll make you laugh, but they're great jabs at Superman and, considering what Constantine has experienced, they're well-earned. It's pretty much Constantine doing his best to troll Clark ("You mad, Superbro?") and that gets the powerful character to let his real personality shine through. The filter is off and Constantine is using every breath he has to remind Superman just how much of a villain he's become. You can tell everything in Superman wants to kill Constantine and it's taking so much restraint not to follow through with those violent desires. The art team really did a good job with a number of these expressions.
It's so heartbreaking the way Taylor's making Billy stand by Superman's side, even when he saw the Man of Steel try to interrogate John Constantine with heat vision. If you played the video game, you know what the future has in store for Billy Batson, so to watch him cast aside his doubts like that and tell himself Superman's in the right because, well, he's Superman is really empathetic. It's almost like how some of us would act if we were in that world. Right now we have the advantage of knowing where this path takes Kal-El, but what if we existed in that world and really looked up to Superman? Sure, some would see some of the terrible things he's done and want to oppose him (good luck with that), but I imagine many of us would hold onto hope and desperately try to believe that Superman is still doing this because he's legitimately trying to make the world a better place. Deadman was the voice of reason -- almost as if one of us jumped into the universe and tried to point out just how far Superman has fallen, hoping to save Billy from his destiny -- and, even though his dialogue doesn't show it, you can tell BIlly's really feeling conflicted on the inside. Poor, poor Shazam.
Visually, this is another solid chapter by Bruno Redondo (layouts), Juan Albarran (finishes, inks) and Rex Lokus (colors). Unlike the previous chapters, there aren't any really immersive settings (although the attention to the night sky is appreciated) and the real focus is instead on making sure these characters' faces are as expressive as possible, something the art team does quite well. I continue to really enjoy Lokus' coloring as well. The pencils and inks make these characters lively enough, but the variety of costumes and surreal abilities really pack an extra punch with the consistently good coloring. And the final panel? They do a killer job hitting us with that twist.
The Bad
If we're going to give something 5-stars, it really should blow us away and leaves us wanting to read it all over again in the near future. This is well-written chapter that focuses on the dynamic between Superman and Billy and the twist will have you excited to find out what happens next, but all in all, it isn't an issue of INJUSTICE that's likely to leave as lasting impression. It's important for the next chapter and has a nice focus on character, but when it comes to the best Injustice has to offer, it just wouldn't feel right giving this the same perfect rating as some of the really jaw-dropping and compelling issues.
Minor criticisms: Is it just me or is it a little odd that "Shazam" can have that conversation with Constantine and Superman wouldn't hear it? Also, there's one panel where it looks like Superman's symbol isn't properly attached to his costume, almost like the bottom part isn't connected to his body.
The Verdict
INJUSTICE: YEAR THREE #9 does a fine job reminding us of just how far Superman fallen and it's a nice contrast to the brief focus Taylor places on Billy Batson's sense of hope and optimism. It's a character-driven ride that gives us just the right dose of Constantine without allowing him to overshadow the other characters like he has in previous chapters. It's pretty much focused on the drastically different personalities and looks consistently solid, but then it drops a very neat twist; it's something that's more than likely enough to make readers stick around for the next chapter. I'm sure some of you will think a majority of this chapter is filler and I wouldn't argue with that point, but it's still handled well and absolutely kept me entertained.
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