I have enjoyed Injustice: Gods Among Us very much so far, so I admit I was a bit worried to see that its regular writer, Tom Taylor, was replaced by Brian Buccellato and Ray Fawkes for Year Three, Vol. 2. And the beginning certainly gave me pause -- while Year Three, Vol. 1 ended with Superman in a deep, magical sleep from which he could not be wakened, Vol. 2 starts with him ... waking up. Pretty easily, actually.

Wonder Woman, who has likewise been in an enchanted sleep for some time, is also back, and she's not happy about Superman's alliance with Sinestro. But, petty differences aside, she and Superman and several of their allies -- including the Spectre, who isn't really the Spectre -- invade the magical fortress where Batman and his allies have taken refuge.

It's a pretty one-sided battle ... until John Constantine summons a ringer to take out the heavy hitters. Then the so-called Spectre, who quite specifically told Superman he couldn't enter the Tower of Fate to help in this fight, immediately enters the Tower of Fate to help.

So, that's a stumble.

And, let's face it, most of this volume is just a slug fest. The careful plotting of earlier books, with Superman and Batman using their allies like chess pieces on a board, seemed so much more developed than this simple brawl.

The mystical battle leads to a titanic duel between two immensely powerful beings, with mystical energies at work that threaten to shred reality. Circumstances oblige Superman and Batman, along with their respective factions, to cooperate (briefly) to stop the devastation. Even so, more dead heroes litter the landscape before the battle's climactic finish. Otherwise, things are pretty much back where they started.

This volume also includes an Injustice annual that reveals why a certain group of heroes has been absent for the ongoing battle, presumably setting them up for a dramatic return in Year Four. I am certainly curious to see where this all leads, although I'm a trifle worried now that Taylor is no longer helming the project. We'll see what happens next.