Interview Session – Pamela Isley aka Poison Ivy:

Poison Ivy is talking about how she fights Batman and how Harley said she should come to The Sanctuary to get help. Off-panel Harley reveals that she is there and Ivy wonders why she is there or how she even found the place.

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Harley Quinn, still bleeding, is seen walking in the snow as penguins are all around her. Turns out she is at the Iceberg Lounge and is asking Penguin to hide her from the Trinity.

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The Sanctuary:

Superman and Wonder Woman are watching Batman perform an autopsy on Commander Steel, who was killed by being choked with a pair of chattering teeth. Superman and Wonder Woman are pressing Batman, saying they know he has a way to recover the deleted footage because they know Batman plans for every eventuality, even suggesting that he has Kryptonite in his utility belt. Batman says that there is no way to retrieve the information that the Sanctuary was set up as all information was deleted after it was gathered to maintain anonymity, even admitting that he used it himself.

—

Interview Session – Batman

Batman talks about the fact that he trains partners to work with him and that they become his family. He closes the session by saying that he has watched so many on them die and signs off.



—

Nebraska:

Booster wakes up in a field and finds Skeets and asks him what’s up. Skeets says that Booster sent him an emergency signal and that he had to use advanced tech to heal him. Booster tells him that he was at The Sanctuary where he saw Harley Quinn kill everybody. He also tells Skeets that Harley said it was him who killed everyone and that they fought and she stabbed him and that his shield didn’t work.

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Gotham City:

Harley is in a warehouse playing card when the Trinity shows up and confront her.

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Nebraska:

Booster and Skeets are flying as Booster asks Skeets what his next move should be. Skeets suggests he turn himself in but Booster counters that if he turns himself in then they may believe that he didn’t do it or that maybe he did. Booster tells Skeets that the only way to answer the question is to ask What Would Batman Do? Skeets once again suggests that Batman would turn himself in, ut Booster says that he is 73% sure that Batman would try and solve the mystery.

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Gotham City:

The Trinity confront Harley and ask her what she was doing at the Sanctuary and why she was trying to hide from them. Harley retorts that yes she was trying to hide and asked the gossipiest crook in Gotham. She implies that she was actually trying to meet them. Harley tells them that Booster killed everyone and goes in for a hug from Wonder Woman. As Harley hugs Wonder Woman she also takes the lasso of truth, whispering to Diana that she thought they should know the truth before all the fighting began. Harley whips the lasso and takes Batman hostage by wrapping the Lasso around his neck. Superman starts to power up his heat vision and Harley asks him that since he can’t lie if he has anything on him to take care of Superman. Batman reveals that there is Kryptonite in his utility belt which Harley opens which allows he enough time to get away, reminding them that it was Booster that killed everyone at the Sanctuary.

—

Interview Session – Wonder Woman:

Diana talks about a memory she has of a young girl.

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Central City:

Barry is fighting an army of Samuaroids when Booster shows up and asks Barry what he knows about the Sanctuary incident. Booster asks if any autopsies have been done and then for help as to where he should start looking for clues. Barry is busy fighting the Samuroids and asks Booster what he is talking about as Booster starts to list the dead heroes. Skeets trys to tell Booster that Barry doesn’t know about what happened at the Sanctuary, but when he hears Wally’s name, he runs off. Booster asks Skeets where he thinks Barry went, to which Skeets says probably to confirm that Wally was killed and find evidence that points to Booster as the killer. Seconds later, Barry returns with Booster’s answer:

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Gotham City:

The Trinity is regrouping as Batman asks Superman if he sees where Harley went. Superman only comments that he understands how Harley got the drop on him as she is “as good as him.” Diana tells the two that now is not the time to argue. Superman interrupts, telling thme that Barry has Booster, but before he finishes the thought he flies off.

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Harley is on the Gotham City bridge and drops a rose into the water saying that she shouldn’t have done so many things:

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The Daily Planet:

Lois is at her desk when one of her assistants brings her a file from the Whistleblower inbox. The assistant says that it is a video of Arsenal talking about his issues with drugs and other things. The message attached to the file says ” Our Heroes Hide Themselves from Us. From Sanctuary comes truth, more truths will be coming. It is not till the assistant mentions that it is signed The Puddlers that Lois even notices that the assistant has been talking to her.

—

Interview Session – Superman:

Superman talks about the fact that he has two identities of Superman and Clark Kent:

Heroes in Crisis Tie-In Issues

Green Arrow #45

This issue is the funeral for Roy Harper which has cameos from Roy’s many friends and family members who come to pay their respect to the fallen hero. The issue not only focuses on Roy’s past and the challenges he faced in his but Oliver’s bumpy relationship over the years.

As Oliver deals with his grief, some of the most iconic events of Oliver and Roy’s relationship are reimagined, most notably the time Oliver finds out the Roy is on heroin

Donna Troy, who before the Titans were disbanded by the Justice League also is present as she and Roy were close to becoming romantically involved with each other.

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Red Hood #27

Following the events of Red Hood and the Outlaws #25, where Jason publically tried to kill Penguin for ruining his life and his team up in the Annual with Roy, where Roy informs him he is headed to the Sanctuary, Bruce meets with Jason, informing him of Roy’s death.

Bruce and Jason share a touching moment even though Bruce tells him that, technically he didn’t break his “no kill” promise but he is still not allowed back in Gotham.

Jason tells Bruce that he knows that a lot of heroes will be out looking for revenge and tells Bruce he will not be one of them. He also makes the statement that in their business death is a revolving door and everyone who puts on the mask is living on borrowed time.

—

Titans #27 and 28

Titans #27 begins with Donna standing in front of Roy’s grave before going back to the team. When Garth/Tempest returns in #28 asking for the Titans help against The Drowned he mentions to Donna that he knows about Roy but no mention about their other teammate Wally as being one of those killed.

— — — — — — — —

Crisis Counseling

Issue Rating: 9 out of 10

So the second issue of this maxiseries starts the unraveling of the mystery surrounding the massacre at The Sanctuary.

While it is a strong second issue, I am being to see small things that are causing me to question what is really happening and what might not be real.

Skeets shows up to help Booster. The last time Skeets was seen it was in the final scene of Batman #50 following the reveal that Bane is in Arkham and is working to break Batman

Diana has to play referee between Clark and Bruce a few times in the issue, the best one being when Clark asks how Harley got the better of him

Harley is back in her original costume

Batman seems to be the one, once again who is going to be on the outs with Superman and Wonder Woman after lying about having Kryptonite in his belt… I mean do you think they really believed he didn’t have it on him.

Who leaked the video footage which was supposedly destroyed after the sessions, and what does this mean for the secret identities of Superman and Batman.

The Trinity Interviews:

The Sanctuary interviews featuring Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are seemed fairly straightforward:

Batman mentions that his crime-fighting partner i.e. Robin tends to end up dead(ish):

Jason Todd died at the hands of the Joker

Damian was killed by Talia

Tim was assumed dead when he was taken by Mr. Oz

The part of Dick that was Robin/Nightwing is currently dead

If you wanted to include Pre New52 continuity, Stephanie Brown (Spoiler) could even be added to the list

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Superman has always dealt with the duality of having to be Clark and Superman, but one would think that part of him might remember what happened when his identity was exposed when he was “split” in the New52/DCYou era.

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Wonder Woman’s confession was hard to find a story reference point for but I am sure there is one.

The Puddlers:

Wonder Woman mentioned the word puddler refers to “those who work in iron” making weapons, and that they “remove impurities so the iron can be strong.” This is a description that could fit what so many villains in the DCU have expressed at one point or another.

Some that come to mind are Zoom / Hunter Zolmon and The Joker (Death of the Family – New52).

I wouldn’t put it past King to have Bane somehow involved as?

—

The Timeline of Heroes in Crisis

One of the questions I have is when does this all take place in the larger DCU.

It obviously takes place before the events of Drowned Earth event but after the No Justice / New Justice events

It also takes place after The Flash event – Speed War where Wally and Barry have a falling out and break the Speed Force

There are a few things that muddy the timeline for me:

Lois being back at the Planet after not telling Clark she was back from outer space

Roy’s funeral – perhaps it takes place after Heroes in Crisis resolves?

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There is definitely a mystery being built and on 2 of the 9 issues are out so there is definitely more that is coming down the pipeline.