Apex predator Lex Luthor is on the hunt for the Batman Who Laughs. To catch his prey, he must follow a trail of broken heroes... leading him to Jim Gordon, one of the victims of the Batman Who Laughs' deadly virus that turned the heroic police commissioner into the worst version of himself. The trail leads Lex to a lonely cell in the Hall of Justice - but it's not the good guys who come to stop him. It's more of the Batman Who Laughs' dangerous operatives! And if they couldn't resist the influence of the Dark Multiverse, then how can Lex?
This twist on the normal "good guys versus bad guys" average comics format really has me guessing and concerned. Normally, events like this clean up nicely and neatly, but I can't see how that will happen in the Year of the Villain. DC has upped the ante here quite substantially. Read Full Review
Steve Epting and Javier Fernandez team up on the art this issue. Theyre it the ideal art pairing as Epting is a more grounded, realistic artist and Fernandez is more of a highly stylized artist. Due to how their responsibilities are split, the art shift isnt as jarring. Read Full Review
Year of the Villain has offeed up a mixed bag of titles, and the whole Nth Metal, Dark Multiverse (negative-numbered universes where everything went wrong) is more than a bit of a logistical tangle, plotwise. But HELL ARISEN is definitely one of the brighter spots in the event, and worth the investment of both time and money. Read Full Review
Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #2 is more fun than a barrelful of demonic monkeys. Don't sleep on this miniseries! Read Full Review
James Tynion IV raises the stakes of Hell Arisen by showing that no matter what, Lex Luthor's brain is his most dangerous weapon, but the Batman Who Laughs is no slouch either. Both sides are involved in a meta arms race heading towards their inevitable battle. I will be there when the stuff hits the fan! Read Full Review
For an event comic, this series has been surprisingly low-key at times. But as a slowly building horror story, it makes a great companion piece to the bigger-scale Year of the Villain books and does both its lead rogues justice as they head towards a violent clash. Read Full Review
The art by Epting and Fernandez is fantastic. All the characters look fantastic and the action is great throughout. Read Full Review
If you love villains being heroes being villains, then buy this book. Like - right now. Read Full Review
While it has some faults, I thoroughly enjoyed Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #2. With both masterminds hard at work getting their next moves in order, I'm eagerly awaiting the next issue. I just hope the creative team can keep the story going in its, mostly, strong fashion. Read Full Review
Hell Arisen is nothing short of all-out bonkers as #2 carries on at a breakneck pace. If you're looking for a comic jam-packed with action from cover to cover, it might be hard to pass something like this up. Read Full Review
This book isn't perfect, but James Tynion, Steve Epting, and Nick Filardi really find ways to deliver in key moments. Interestingly, they all hit their peak moments at different times, and that really helps give this book quite a bit of energy. Read Full Review
Like I said before, the art is really good here. But I have lost interest in this. Maybe it will pick up but we deserve more than this, especially after close to a year of stories leading up to this. This is flat and it could have been very exciting instead. Read Full Review
I loved how Batman Who Laughs managed to capture Phantom Stranger. We don’t see enough of the Phantom Stranger anyway. This issue also exemplifies how good Batman Who Laughs is at scheming and how intelligent Lex really is even when powered up.
Prelude:
Hell Arisen had a good start but it needs to prove more if it's going to sell the importance of this story.
The Good:
I love Lex in this issue. Cold and calculating.
Kara brings up a great point about Lex and where he is now.
Interesting that the Phantom Stranger is involved.
Mercy is back!
I like Epting's art.
The Bad:
Nothing.
Conclusion:
A great issue that really propels this story forward. Loved it throughout and I can't wait for more.
Surprisingly good.
"It was never my powers that were going to kill you"
I am really having fun with this book.
Following Apex Lex's exploits is proving to be quite entertaining.
I'm just as burnt out with this as last issue.
" It was never my powers that were going to kill you. It was my mind. "
- APEX LEX
Honestly, whatever.
Boring.