Event Comics Good & Bad

I know what you're thinking...Gordon, it's been awhile since these comics were published. You've always been good about writing about event comics, especially DC's events. Why are you writing about them now?

Because, quite frankly, both were published during a transition time for me, meaning that I didn't have what the kids call "disposable income"...and since now both series were/available in collected form (and more importantly, through my local library), I thought it high time to begin writing about them.

First, although I've blogged intermittently about it, I still think highly of Final Crisis by Grant Morrison, J.G. Jones,and various other artists. (Some of the tie-in series and spin-offs, not so much). The collection contains the main series, Superman Beyond, and Submit in their "proper" order. (The Superman spin-off seemed to come in between issues of the main series). I never really thought the series was "disjointed" (after all, who expects straightforwardness in a Morrison comic?), but putting all of these minis together gives the overall story a greater punch. This is one of those "things-will-never-be-the-same" series that...well, things were the same afterwards, but you can't fault Morrison. The diverse spread of artists through the book reinforces several key changes in tone (And in the case of Superman Beyond, without the 3-D processing, looks a little clearer and more effective) There are some meaty, inspired touches throughout Final Crisis, making it mandatory reading..

Now, about Ross/Kruger/Braithwaite's Justice, spread out through through three volumes...hoo, boy, how do I put this?

When your covers mimic (and the plot slightly echoes) the artist's best known series...and the introduction cites Challenge of the Superfriends as an influence, things don't necessarily bode well. This isn't really a bad series - merely an uninspired one.

Now, admittedly, I like Alex Ross' artwork, and am not ashamed to admit it. However, when combined with Douglas Braithwaite's artwork, there are moments that don't quite come together, and the art looks rather awkward. (A shot of Superman punching Batman - won't spoil it by explaining context - is a great example). This, combined with a not-quite-spectacular plot, really makes this seem more like a Michael Bay movie.

And that's an insult to Michael Bay movies. Granted, sometimes you just want to turn off your brain and just enjoy, but Justice is a comic that is completely tough to like, despite one or two Bruckheimer moments, and one or two inspired twists. (OK, I'll grant you, this has whetted my appetite for a Ross-painted Metal Men and/or Doom Patrol series).

Quite frankly, though, even though I'm a fan of old school comics like Justice, my heart - and my head - have moved on. No longer content with a high school sweetheart, Final Crisis is like the person you end up spending the rest of your life wit - smart, intelligent, and matching you in every way.

Nice Follow-Up to Mediocre Countdown

Ah, I wish I had a time machine - roughly a year ago, when 52 ended, I very naively predicted:

Personally, I wish DC had held back from doing another weekly series so soon - yes, Countdown is going to be better plotted and have more coordination (a lesson learned from 52), but personally, I'm burned out from having to pick up a weekly comic. It's not that it was so horrible - I just like knowing that there's a bit of a break between issues. Giving the reader a chance to catch his/her breath is a good thing.

Although I'll be checking out the initial Countdown issues, I doubt I'm going to be into it over the long haul. But at the very least, 52 proved that it could be done.

Unfortunately, Countdown was, well, rather pointless - it seemed to serve more as an excuse to revive old franchises and do retcons (Kamandi and Omac, anyone?) than act as a "spine" for the DC Universe. Yes, it had some good spin-offs - like the Crime Society one-shot and Countdown: Arena (or, "four issues of nothing more than alternate earth versions of characters fighting each other and having fun in the process), but on the whole, Countdown seemed to start half-finished and ended...well, with a thud.

DC Universe # 0, however, acts as a transition piece from Countdown, and *gasp* seems to actually indicate what the series was counting down towards. It's a good little done-in-one story, with an obviously long-telegraphed return which has been spoiled - multiple times - on the Internet. (Meaning, I ain't gonna do it here - a person's gotta have some standards). Yes, it is composed primarily of "scenes in progress" - as well as full page ads touting upcoming arcs in Final Crisis - but on the whole, it's an OK comic and a good read.

It also, I think, really diminishes the effect that Countdown might have had...had it chose to tell a coherent story. Recently, I reread all four trade editions of 52, and although my initial criticisms are still valid, the story arcs are easily identifiable: Ralph Dibny coming to terms with his wife's death (in a roundabout way); Vic Sage handing over his heroic legacy to Renee Montoya; Booster Gold gaining some semblance of humility. However, Countdown didn't even give us that - the fact that Jason Todd hasn't moved character-wise in the past year shows that the weekly comic may only be a gimmick for DC...and doesn't bode well for Busiek and Bagley's Trinity.

I'm looking forward to Final Crisis - I just love Grant Morrison's writing - but my involvement with Countdown has been sporadic, and that's just as well. Given how well DC Universe # 0 sets the scene, it means that instead of spending about $170 for a book I didn't enjoy...I only spent 50 cents on one I did.

Recommended.