In the early days following the death of The Joker, when Superman had not yet fallen off the slippery slope of good intentions in his bid to build a safer world, Superboy plotted to send his mentor to The Phantom Zone using the projector inside The Fortress of Solitude. Though backed by what little remained of The Teen Titans, Kon-El’s plan failed and he was mortally wounded in the battle with Superman. With no other way of saving his life, The Titans agreed to imprisonment in The Phantom Zone, where time would not pass and Superboy’s injuries would not grow worse.

Six years have passed since that battle and Batman has just learned of what became of Red Robin, Wonder Girl, Starfire and Superboy. Enlisting the help of the Justice League Task Force that abandoned him, he broke into the Fortress of Solitude, intent upon freeing the stranded teen heroes.

There’s just one problem standing in their way with the fortress’ defenses overcome. The Phantom Zone is an ever-shifting infinite realm of spirit, designed to torment and torture those it imprisons. Only a madman could attempt to navigate such a place.

Good thing they have Plastic Man.

In an effort to avoid spoilers, this review does not show the actual cover of Injustice 2 #37 which delivers a rather big spoiler regarding the ending of the issue. This is the only flaw in an otherwise brilliant comic, which is both funny and heartrending in equal measure.

It cannot be emphasized enough how fantastic a writer Tom Taylor is. More than being a good writer, Tom Taylor is clearly a fan of these characters and loves writing them. It is a credit to his skill that he is able to balance the comedy of Plastic Man stopping to ask for directions while in the midst of a mission in The Phantom Zone with the uplifting scenes once The Titans are discovered.

Taylor is backed by an amazing art team on this issue. Daniel Sampere is one of the most underrated artists working in the field and a personal favorite of this critic. His previous work on Batgirl and Arrow: The Dark Archer is some of the finest I’ve seen in years. His work here is no exception, clearly detailed yet uncluttered. Sampere is equally skilled in depicting high action and static scenes of people talking, making even the most prosaic of conversations visually interesting. His work is well complemented by the colors of Rex Lokus and Wes Abbott’s lettering.

If you haven’t been reading Injustice 2 for fear of it being in accessible to non-gamers, rest assured that is not an issue. While this issue is not a good introductory point, the series presents a fascinating look at one of the best developed Elseworlds in DC Comics history. Those who have not given the original Injustice: Gods Among Us series a go would do well to try it.