The latest big DC Comics event series, Heroes In Crisis, has finally hit, and the first issue provided readers with several mysteries to chew on. Tom King and Clay Mann’s nine-part series, which centers on a mass killing at the one place on Earth where every hero is supposed to feel safe from harm, hooked us in from the first few pages. Although this series has just begun, here are our takeaways from issue #1.

There are spoilers in here about who dies in the first issue, so you have been warned!

If You Liked Identity Crisis, You’ll Probably Love Heroes In Crisis

While most DC Comics event series with the word “Crisis” in them deal with some kind of cosmic upheaval, there was a grand exception to that rule – the 2004 murder mystery Identity Crisis. That comic caused plenty of controversy when it came out, due to how it handled tragedy happening to DC’s iconic heroes, and judging from the dark and more psychological underpinnings of Heroes in Crisis‘ first issue, this looks far more in the vein of that series than the other previous Crisis books.

Tom King Knows How To Spin A Good Yarn

Writer Tom King has quickly become one of comics’ greatest working writers, with stellar runs on books such as Batman, Mister Miracle, and for Marvel, The Vision. He knows how to unfold a mystery properly and pull the reader in, and judging from the first issue, Heroes in Crisis is no different.

The Sanctuary Is A Cool Concept

One of the core conceits of Heroes in Crisis is the concept of “Sanctuary,” a special place located far out of the way from prying eyes, where superheroes can go to receive counseling and help for their post-traumatic stress. The idea that Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman set this up years ago in secret, and DC characters have been using it ever since, is a novel idea which will hopefully be utilized well beyond this one series.

Harley Quinn Steals The Show

It goes without saying that Harley Quinn is the biggest DC character in the past 25 years. And although the way she’s been written is often inconsistent, Tom King’s portrayal of Harley in the first issue of Heroes In Crisis shows why she’s the perfect character to be one of the series leads. Because who’s had more damage and conflicting personalities over the years than her? Her appearance in this issue shows why she’s both charming and lethally crazy in just a few short pages.

Booster Gold Also Steals The Show

Although he’s often forgotten about by many readers, Booster Gold is a character with oodles of potential that few writers have figured out how to make work (with notable exceptions like Geoff Johns). Tom King made great use of “the greatest hero you’ve never heard of” in recent issues of Batman, and he also makes great use of him here as one of the book’s central characters. Booster deserves to be as famous as Harley if you ask me.

Crisis Comics Love To Kill Off Lesser Known Heroes

It’s a staple of DC Comics events with the words “Crisis” in the title to kill off a lot of what we’d like to call “canon fodder.” In other words, characters that fans kind of know, but that often haven’t been seen in years and don’t have significant fan bases. Well, Heroes in Crisis follows that tradition, as the slaughter at the Sanctuary kills off the likes of heroes like Lagoon Boy, Hotspot, and several other characters that might have you saying “who now?”

Crisis Comics Love To Kill Off Some Important Heroes Too

Also in keeping with tradition with DC Crisis events, there are a couple of high-profile superheroes who bit the dust though too. In this case, DC pulled the trigger on two of its most iconic ginger heroes – Roy Harper, aka Arsenal, and Wally West, the third Flash. The death of Flash should have some fans in a serious uproar, as we just got him back two years ago in the pages of DC Universe Rebirth. But to fans who will no doubt freak out over Wally’s apparent death, it’s also tradition that every Flash who dies in a Crisis event always comes back too. So everyone chill before you bring the pitchforks to the internet.

What did you think of Heroes In Crisis #1? Let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Images: DC Comics