Heroes in Crisis #1 (of 9)

   It's time for another Crisis to rock the DC Universe - but instead of a cosmic crisis, this is more of an internal event.

   Like anyone who's dealt with violence or disturbing issues, DC's heroes occasionally need help - counseling, to be exact.

   So - according to this Heroes in Crisis series - they've set up a retreat of some kind, to allow the heroes (and possibly some villains) to get help dealing with their all-too-human responses to the terrible things they've faced.

   But now, something has gone wrong, and apparently quite a few of the heroes who were at the retreat - including some well-loved characters - are apparently dead.

   Because, hey, you can't have an event without killing off a few second-tier (or third-tier) heroes, am I right?

   So the series is setting up a murder mystery - who killed off (names redacted)? And why? 

   My reaction to this series so far is, I'm sorry to say, very cynical. It's difficult to transpose real-world issues on the fantasy realm of super-heroes, and while this issue is handled skillfully, I'm not sure it actually works.

   Future issues may bring it into better focus, so we'll hope for more clarity as we sort out this death-filled series.

   (By the way, is Harley Quinn a hero now or what?)

Grade: B

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