Superhero Therapy

[shakalooloo]

So, superhuman therapy. Nine-panel grid, sure, but how about we add an ACTUAL THERAPIST, Sanctuary?





Hero in Crisis AVERTED.

Comments

[comicbookgal52]

This is beautiful.

[zachbeacon]

Thank you for posting this.

#mood

[deh_tommy]

I could wax on for some time about all the reasons I do not particularly care for Heroes in Crisis: the most relevant to this being that instead of dealing with personal issues that actually draw from the characters’ history and could have arisen naturally from the kind of people they are (...well, as natural as super issues can be), most of the time they instead (a)made up or forced whole new problems out of the blue that said characters never had before, or (b)grossly misunderstood the actual issues the characters did have.

I don’t know if the nine grid format is a deliberate homage to that story, but that’s nice to see the whole super-therapy concept actually done well.

Re: #mood

[tcampbell1000]

It's hard for me to see a nine-panel grid and not think Watchmen influence. Ewing's used it elsewhere for constrained talking scenes. It's generally good for that.

Re: #mood

[beyondthefringe]

Yup.
In the interests of time I'll skip my usual HiC rant and just agree with you. I like that here, we see a character who has legitimate issues derived from actual seen-in-story incidents, and he's getting what appears to be competent help from an outside source... instead of punching his traumas in the heal-o-deck simulation.

[sabertoothlotus]

I will say this for Marvel: they at least seem to understand what it means for their characters to be human. While both of the Big Two seem obsessed with making all their character's miserable over the last decade or so, Marvel seems to have a better grasp on the psychology of super-heroes.
They are still human. They have power--and therefore responsibility. They feel their power means they shouldn't need help, but also know that they do, sometimes. And they seek it out. Their family, friends, actual professionals (we've seen several of them over the years).
DC tried it with Sanctuary. We know what kind of disaster that turned into. They tried to help each other, but none of them were qualified.

[tcampbell1000]

I remain amazed at the conceit of Sanctuary. Now, it makes sense for the planet's three most accomplished heroes to get together and say, "Hero work can be really psychologically damaging. People look up to us even within our community, so we really should do something about that. But what?"

And then there'd be a pause, and then, MAYBE, Batman would say "How about we design and build some sort of robotherapist?" And then there'd be a pause, and then Diana'd start laughing uncontrollably, and then Clark would join in.

"I thought that 'Brother Eye' fiasco had taught you to STAY AWAY from AI, Bruce!"

"I was thinking we go with Kryptonian tech, this time, actually..."

"Sure, sure! My birth-race is FAMOUS for its well-adjusted, not at all repressed approach to feelings, or it was, right up until everyone but my dad failed to get past the denial phase before their planet blew up."

"Well, we could imprint the therapist's 'mind' with each of our best qualities... somehow... and therapy is mostly listening anyway, right? The talking cure? That's what Professor Hugo Strange and Harley Quinn tell me..."

"Merciful MINERVA, Bruce! Here, just for fun, let's try the SANE version of that idea first, the one where we recruit a team of experienced, licensed psychotherapists and have THEM treat our colleagues and dear friends, and maybe us as well. I know how you are about trust, but we have to trust SOME people to do right by us, or what is even the point of what we do?"

"But who's really qualified to therapize heroes, anyway? Who could relate to our extraordinary experiences?"

"Sometimes that's hard, but it's not THAT HARD. Lois does just fine when I tell her about my day."

"And heroes are considerably more likely to build a healing rapport with living, breathing therapists than robots, even if we designed them to look and sound just like Alfred."

"I was thinking maybe make them look vaguely like Clark's parents, actually, get a little more folksy with it."

"What do you think, Clark, will it help YOUR mental well-being if we start manufacturing Cyber-Krypto-Kansan therapists for you to pour out your troubles to?"

"HARD PASS."

[beyondthefringe]

If only they'd hired you instead.
*sigh*
Then, the worst that could have happened is someone winds up in a poly triad. :)

[tcampbell1000]

In a WONDER WOMAN story? Why, the creator would be spinning in his-- oh wait

[deh_tommy]

Woah, dude. Lay off on the personal insults to creators.

[gnarll]

War criminal?

[zachbeacon]

https://youtu.be/C-CG5w4YwOI

[scorntx]

... huh. Honestly didn't notice the nine panel grid layout.
... look, I might've been distracted by a depiction of a passably competent, helpful psychiatrist in a super-hero comic, okay?
It took me by surprise.

(well that and the apparent change to Dad Rider's characterization, but that could easily be excused as a product of Rich's current state.

andalsomayberichadmittinghelovespeter)

[deh_tommy]

Is that his dad? Oh no... the fathers of long-lasting characters in MARVEL will almost always end up retconned into being abusive, alcoholic or both. That’s only a matter of time before Doctor Strange succumbs to the madness.

[scorntx]

Dad Rider was always kind of... Not The Best Dad, but he was never out-and-out crappy like this in the DnA days.

So I'mma go with Richard's memory is awfulising due to the sheer metric f*ck-ton of horrible things he's gone through over the last decade.

[lordultimus]

Not here, but this issue has Hercules and Noh Varr kiss on panel.

[chalicother]

Beautiful

[ap0cryphal]

Something I've grown to appreciate about Al Ewing is that he just shows up with a well-crafted, character-driven story and collaborates with the artist to carry the work, on its own merits, instead of essay length DEEP and INTROSPECTIVE annotations about What The Work Means or What Symbolism Is.

(looking in irritation at heroes in crisis, and, of course: the clownhunter and punchline chronicles, featuring the bat family)

[nyadnar17]

Did not expect tears from a nine panel grid. Damn