Review: DC Comics’ Countdown to Final Crisis Series
Well, I borrowed the 51-issues of Countdown to Final Crisis, #0, and the mini-series and one-shots that tied into Countdown.
At $3.00 + per issue, I would have never in my right mind bought them every week.
During this year, I tried to keep track of events via the DC Message boards (the posters love to rip DC there), Wikipedia, and the various comic book review sites. And although the sites were helpful, I must confess actually reading the comics was a great experience. It’s similar to getting the results of a sporting event from a newspaper article versus actually watching the game or listening to it on the radio. The actual experience is much better than reading summaries or someone else’s opinion.
With that out of the way, and without spoiling, here are my thoughts:
1) This was a DCU anthology for a year, with many plot-lines and characters. Because it was weekly, the writers and artists had to pace themselves. In fact, it read like a weekly episodic TV series. This means that for many issues, the characters were still searching for their goals, and plots were stretched. In other words, 51 issues was probably too much, and if you were shelling out $3.00 a comic, you had every right to be frustrated. I read all issues in one sitting, and didn’t spend a dime, so I had no frustration. Is DC trying to cash in on CRISIS? Yup. And fanboys continue to contribute. It’s a business, folks. A business I no longer give money to.
2) There was a WHOLE lot of hype going into this series with posters, advertisements, and teasers. Did this series live up to the hype? Not really, but significant events did occur. But I’m staying spoiler-free, however. Feel free to ask me questions in Comments, and I’ll reveal all.
3) The writing and art was above average for the most part, although some weeks the art was not to modern “cool” standards. The coloring was fantastic.
4) The backup stories (a few pages at the end of each issue) didn’t reveal anything we didn’t already know. 100% filler, although I was curious to see DC’s official origins for characters and the multiverse.
5) It seems like the current 52-earth multiverse is here to stay, although Monarch- the main villain in this story- destroyed or altered so many earths with impunity that one has the feeling DC doesn’t really care about 51 earths; they just care about the main New Earth.
6) There were plenty of near-invincible villains: Monarch, Darkseid, Superman Prime (formerly Superboy Prime), OMAC, and rogue Monitors. Monarch and Prime were particular vicious to the heroes of DC’s 52 earths. In fact, it was very sad. Remember folks, Superman Prime pulls no punches. So when he took down the JLA from another earth (they had no idea there is a multiverse or who he was) in a few panels, it was pretty ugly and sad. It’s been a cliche for a long time that alternate earth heroes are the first to die (since the main earth heroes can’t), but the way Prime dismantles heroes is graphic. Monarch was portrayed like Mark Waid’s villain in Empire: unbeatable, all-knowing, and all-powerful. The heroes seemed like toy soldiers. Whereas the heroes in the original CRISIS were actually able to fight the Anti-Monitor, brute force went nothing here.
7) There were a few themes that Damian Hospital and Tony Vahl had already came up with their Dream Seeker Universe series and from comics that were already done. So there’s nothing too original here. We have “Somebody is Killing New Gods” to “Who Monitors the Monitors” to “Incurable Virus Destroys the Earth” to “An Arena Where Different Versions of Heroes have to Fight Each Other to the Death” and other retreads. But although the plots weren’t original, they were grand in scope.
Jimmy Olsen, Karate Kid, and The Pied Piper- three minor characters, really shine.
9) Jason Todd (Robin) was impressive, and looks ready to assume the caped cowl of Batman if something bad should happen to Bruce Wayne. Todd’s experience with the Batman of an Earth where Bruce killed all super-villains to avenge that Jason’s death was extraordinary.
9a) I hate Mary Marvel now.
10) In conclusion, if you can borrow it, borrow it. Don’t waste money on the comics or the trade paperbacks. The series had great battles, and I HAD to continue reading (very addictive). I confess I wanted to see more of certain characters than others, however. Things started off fast (the first Issue was #51), and then went into a steady pace, with a few throway issues that rightfully upset paying customers from the DC message forums. Then the series started to get hot again when mysteries were revealed, Superman Prime started to visit other earths, and when Monarch launched his attack against the Monitors. FYI, Issue 2 is the real climax, while Issue 1 wraps up loose ends. Issue #0 is more of a preview of Final Crisis, which is due out this month.
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I have to give it the thumbs down. Specifically there was so much about it that really bugged me or makes no sense at all. Some thoughts in no particular order:
- The morticoccus . They kept getting the science wrong (and I mean Dini and co). It is a virus but it is a coccus? A coccus is bacterium and that is a different thing altogether!
Also totally stumped about the where and how Val got infected, especially when Una started talking toward the end about 1000 years of resistance. Then there is Una’s unnecessary death. She has a flight ring! She made it to the roof, unless rats can fly she could have taken off and swatted the rats off! Anyone that says she was defending Buddy and grandson I say it looks on the page like she was thinking for herself!
- The Jimmy Olsen storyline . Unlikable for starters. Smug also. He has physical inserts C/O Darkseid that Superman could not find on his scan? Must have been a bad day for Supes! When did that happen?
I can’t say I found anything at all likable about the Countdown Jimmy Olsen. I would say he acted out of character but then he doesn’t have a solid character anyway. I am thinking he was dragged in as a Kirby reference given what they were doing with the Death of the New Gods
- Piper and Trickster – really bad and unlikable dialogue between these two – quite crude at times even. Piper is one of many characters I had specific issue with – changing sides as the story pleased and no real better or worse off than he was at the beginning (thus reading Countdown is not essential to knowing or following the character). Their story really jumped around a lot, and sequential issues really needed a lot of exposition to explain what happened since the previous issue – plant-house – wedding etc. Even in a rush I would find it unlikely that they would not notice Double-down in their escape car too!
- Jason Todd – same again. A bad guy that sorta teeters on being a good guy and then is a bad guy again at the end? And why bother with the Red Robin suit if he is just going to abandon it!
- Mary Marvel . Where the hell do I start? Good guy – bad guy – good guy, bad guy (“my sister my daughter!”) She has god-given wisdom but can’t tell right from wrong? Is her tale a tale of redemption? Could we have skipped most of it? She is driven? Is driven to do what? Smash up friends as she did in the last few issues for Darkseid for what reason? Power? Makes no sense to me at all. The impression I got was that Black Adam abandoned his power and Mary picked it up. Looks like he got it back somehow by issue 1!
- The Atom is the key to everything! No wait! Jimmy Olsen is the key? Or is it Karate Kid? Or does it make no sense?
- Funny how after escaping the great disaster the challengers are quite happy to believe, on faith alone, that they have returned to New Earth. I am guessing they have, but I don’t buy it after what they had just seen on the reconstituted Earth 51
- One monitor alone is able to reconstruct a whole earth with a brand new history in a couple of months?
- Buddy Blank – I am guessing the Buddy in the final issue is the one post Great Disaster… but what happened to the Buddy and grandson of New Earth? They were left behind in Bludhaven? And how about the New Earth Brother Eye after becoming separated from Apokalpyse? So many unanswered questions!
- Darkseid checkmates Solomon in a game of chess and then reminds him it is his move? What?
- The only tie-in I picked up was Arena and I enjoyed it… but did I need it? Monarch comes in with his army and his lieutenants are the bad guys from Earth Three. What happened to all the victors of his trials in Arena? I don’t recall them doing much in Countdown when Monarch brought the war to Earth 51!
- Holly and Harley: spark of the hunt and the trickster gods? And then they suddenly lost their powers? When and why? Not much happened to them otherwise.
- Some characters just came and went with annoying frequency and finality (Arena?) But how about Ryan Choi? Or the Jokester? He wasn’t much of a character but why bring him along only for him to die? And how about Forerunner? The bleed seemed to come from nowhere and get forgotten about as well!
- I did enjoy the out of control brutality of Superman Prime (who destroyed an Earth! Was that the only one, apocalypse x2 on Earth 51 aside) but there is still the mystery of the black suit and the aging.
Him and Monarch, entertaining though they were, were minor in what story there was
- Deaths. Umm the New Gods, Jay Garrick died in Arena (for good?) , Lord Havock and his troops (set up as a major player and didn’t do much in the end) wiped out in the first Earth 52 holocaust? Same applies to all the Arena winners
- What is the deal with Solomon (and Bob) and his motivations exactly? He seems to grapple with his conscience after absorbing Bob (now there is a name!) but then comes over all sinister right at the end. Not thinking that I really care.
Frankly, I think it is a mess.
Hey Mathew, it’s amazing that you kept coming back week after week and giving up your $3.00, plus your $4.00 per issue for the Arena mini-series.
I mean, seriously, I SAID this 50+ issue maxi-series wasn’t worth the money, didn’t you read my post?
It’s so funny how you couldn’t STOP buying the issues. Me, I stopped buying 52 after 4 o 5 issues, not because I didn’t like the story, but just because it’s not economically feasible for me. I had also skipped Countdown to Infinite Crisis for the same reason. An issue a week for 50+ is more than a bit much.
Back in my day (you sound like you’re 15, so no offense if you’re my age)a 50-issue run was HUGE. I mean, it wasn’t possible for a writer to pace himself for a monthly comic that long. 50 issues is more than some of the greatest runs, too. (Walt Simonson’s Thor didn’t last 50 issues, the first 50 issues of X-Factor were groundbreaking, Watchmen was 12 issues, Astro City never hit #50, Rising Stars never came close to #50).
From the consumer end, if you invest $3 a week on a comic, you EXPECT to be rewarded every issue. But the Powers That Be at DC know that fanboys like you HAVE to shell the money out every week, PLUS the mini-series.
Me, I WAITED, and borrowed them. And I liked them. Not one dime wasted. No frustration.
ANYWAY, let me tackle your comments:
- The morticoccus: Is a 31st century disease. It can be a virus AND a coccus. Get over it.
-The Jimmy Olsen storyline: Jimmy Olsen is Enneagram Type 6. Check it out, then come back.
- Piper and Trickster: I have the exact opposite opinion. Piper/Trickster was an enjoyable plotline. Maybe you don’t like Piper being gay?
- Jason Todd: You can TELL from Countdown that 1) Jason Todd is here to stay and 2) He may replace Bruce.
- Mary Marvel: See. Again,see Enneagram Type 6. Unhealthy female variant. Marvel’s turn was similar to Willow’s turn in Buffy, except Mary Marvel’s character is shot now, and there’s no turning back.
- Who is the key to everything? Why couldn’t it be Atom + Olsen + Karate Kid?
- “Funny how after escaping the great disaster the challengers are quite happy to believe, on faith alone, that they have returned to New Earth.”
I thought it was funny, too, but you’re focusing on little details that don’t mean jack.
-”One monitor alone is able to reconstruct a whole earth with a brand new history in a couple of months?”
Yup. Back in ‘85 another monitor destroyed the original multiverse (which has NEVER come back).
- Buddy Blank: It’s 100% clear what happened to him. Did you even read the issues?
- “Darkseid checkmates Solomon in a game of chess and then reminds him it is his move?”
You’re kiddin’ me, right?
- “The only tie-in I picked up was Arena and I enjoyed it… but did I need it?” Why am I not surprised you enjoyed Arena, where heroes are forced to KILL each other in a steel cage? Anyway…no, you didn’t NEED to get it. You just NEED to buy FOOD and have SHELTER.
- Holly and Harley: The Holly and Harlequin storyline was needed because Amazons declared war on the United States.
- “Some characters just came and went with annoying frequency and finality”
I can agree with you on that.
- “I did enjoy the out of control brutality of Superman Prime but there is still the mystery of the black suit and the aging.”
Countdown was a SETUP maxi-series leading into FINAL CRISIS, where we can hope Superman Prime appears more.
- “Deaths. Umm the New Gods, Jay Garrick died in Arena (for good?)”
Was that even New Earth Jay Garrick in Arena? I didn’t see him die, anyway.
- “What is the deal with Solomon (and Bob) and his motivations exactly?”
Guess ya gonna have to but FINAL CRISIS for more info, although I think the explanation was pretty clear. Solomon wanted to be the Omni-Monitor (the One). He wanted to absorb all the mother monitors.
I bought Search for Ray Palmer – and regret it
I didn’t even look as Lord Havok – and have no regrets
I bought Amazons Attack – and regret it
I didn’t buy Sinestro Corps – and that I do regret
So out of four minis there are
three where I made the wrong decision
two that I’m glad I missed
one, and only one that I would have bought if I knew then what I know now
More and more I’m thinking I should wait for the trades
But then I would really miss talking about the comics on the boards
I mean, even if a issue is bad you can at least enjoy complaining with everybody else
Superboy Prime became all manly and black suited as a result of the Sinistro War. The trouble was that he appeared in countdown like that BEFORE the issues of Green Lantern when the change occured, so it was a bit of a spoiler.
The Jay Garrick in the arena was not the New Earth Jay (although they did look the same).
And I gotta agree with Mathew about the Piper and Trickster, although I thought they were the bestpart of countdown and for the most part I enjoyed their banter I thought the Trickster laid it on a bit thick with the gay-bashing, at times it was cringe worthy.
All in all I enjoyed it but compared to 52 (which had me drooling waiting for the next issue) it was a bit disappointing.