Tension runs high with Batman, Alfred, and Ace the Bat Puppy being held at gunpoint by Athanasia. When she fires her gun, who will be left standing and who will fall?
Injustice 2 #52
Writer: Tom Taylor
Artist: Bruno Redondo & Juan Albarran
Cover Artist: Bruno Redondo
Cover Colors: Alejandro Sanchez
Colorist: Rex Lokus
Letters: Wes Abbot
Publisher: DC Comics
What You Need to Know:
Athanasia has attacked Batman at his home. Shooting Catwoman in the stomach and holding both Alfred & Ace the Bat-Puppy at gunpoint. The tense situation is continually agitated by Aces growls and eventual barking, setting the already unhinged Athanasia over the edge. Firing her gun with its target unknown…
What You’ll Find Out:
The chapter opens immediately after Chapter 51. Revealing it was in-fact, Ace, who was shot by Athanasia. Something she immediately blames on Batman. Claiming she didn’t want to but Ace’s continuous noise made her do it. In a cutting blow, she asks why everything Batman touches dies before Alfred offers to take Ace. Batman uses the opportunity to disarm Athanasia but she redraws her second pistol, shoots him in the side of his cowl, and knocks out Alfred.
An unknown time later, Batman awakens strapped to a chair with Alfred similarly bound. He apologizes for not knowing about Athanasia but she rejects his apology. She doesn’t believe that the Worlds Greatest Detective was unaware of having a second child and simply didn’t care that he did. Batman asks about Catwoman who Athanasia dismisses as bleeding out or dead from bleeding out in the Kitchen. Catwoman is above all else a resilient woman and has found her way to the Batcave and is asking Brother Eye for tools needed to take care of her injury. After giving her directions, he updates her that intruders are at Wayne Manors front lawn. Catwoman sees who they are off screen and rather than activate the defenses, asks Brother Eye to call someone for her.
Back with Batman & Athanasia, things have only gotten worse. The damage has already been done to her from the years of Batman never being there. This is on top of them thwarting Ra’s which resulted in him turning his back on Athanasia and dooming the Earth. Now all she wants is to do a single thing right. Before she can kill Batman, a sonic cry shatters the window followed by a gas arrow landing next to Athanasia. Athanasia opens fire but they fly harmlessly into Steel. Giving Booster Gold the opportunity to blast her into a wall and for Harley to give her a kick while she’s down for good measure. With Athanasia now defeated, Black Canary and Green Arrow make their appearance noting they were concerned since he was taking so long. Harley unties the Dark Knight and Alfred, telling the former the latter is alive before Black Canary hands him a phone. Catwoman his survived her injuries as well and was the one coordinating the rescue mission. Black Canary cuts off Batman saying she knows that Batman doesn’t need their help unless the world is ending. But she simply says she thought his whole world needed saving. Batman responds with a thank you as the chapter ends.
What Just Happened?
This was a bit less suspenseful than the last chapter but still quite a good one. Athanasia killing (?) Ace was unforgivable but you still feel bad for her later when you realize she literally has nothing left. That all those failures up till now have destroyed whatever sense of self she had before that point. She did seem legitimately sorry in a way for what happened to Ace but I can’t help but wonder how much of that was actual concern for the pup or just from her being so horribly unstable. The fact she spared both Batman & Alfred when she could’ve easily killed both while they were unconscious supports that somewhere deep down she’s not the monster she was turned into.
Rating: 9/10
Final Thought: The ending was fine and a nice show of camaraderie between his team and him just accepting it instead of arguing the point. My only complaint was that they seemed to forget about Ace after being woken up. Granted, things have gone rather fast Batman didn’t seem to even remember it. Giving Alfred & Catwoman priority in his concerns. Maybe Ace is alive and just injured but it was a bit noticeable they left it up in the air. Alfred offering to take Ace kinda hints he’s alive but given the unknown time gap it doesn’t look good.
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