This is the first of seven issues for DC’s big 2008 crossover event, set to reboot the DC universe and clean up all the continuity mistakes that made the DC continuity editor put his head in his hands and apologize at New York Comic Con. Final Crisis is written by Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones, and like the other DC Crisis events, it’s a grand space opera of ridiculous proportions.
As a primer issue, the story is set up for the rest of the series, but, as a single issue, it fails miserably. We have 32 pages where the narrative switches every 1 to 3 pages, each with its own protagonist or subsequent antagonist. Plus, we are given a new super team - the Alpha Lanterns - all with names we’re supposed to remember. This is a plot clusterf#$% designed to pry at fans’ hearts when they see their favorite character remotely instrumental in this cosmic event. It also reeks of a child’s desire to throw all their toys together and have the G.I. Joe, He-man, and Barbie super team, but hey, that’s comics.
While it’s too early to critique the strength of the whole series, this issue does show how comics are no longer meant to be individual issues and read as trade paperbacks. There was nothing of dire consequence introduced in this book that made it stand on its own. This one short chapter is meant to be in a novella. Again, not a bad thing, but it shows that the big publishers are no longer publishing comics - they’re publishing books.
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Image courtesy DC
Matt Knicl: My name is Matt Knicl. I'm a U of I alumn and one of those unemployed English majors Garrison Keillor likes to make fun of. I've been reading comics since high school and one day I would like to write them. My goal is to expose readers to what is out there in the world of comics and using my English powers, show what is worth reading or not. I can be reached at buzz.comics@gmail.com.
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Capes & Cowls » Blog Archive » Batman R.I.P. (Capes & Cowls » Blog Archive » Batman R.I.P.) says:
(Posted July 2nd, 2008 at 11:35 pm)
[…] big event, aside from Final Crisis, is Batman R.I.P., the controversial storyline that stemmed internet rumors and even resulted in a […]
Capes & Cowls » Blog Archive » Final Crisis #3 (Capes & Cowls » Blog Archive » Final Crisis #3) says:
(Posted August 10th, 2008 at 12:27 pm)
[…] Grant Morrison - you’ll save yourself a lot of time angrily blogging if you do. […]
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Matt Knicl
My name is Matt Knicl. I'm a U of I alumn and one of those unemployed English majors Garrison Keillor likes to make fun of. I've been reading comics since high school and one day I would like to write them. My goal is to expose readers to what is out there in the world of comics and using my English powers, show what is worth reading or not. I can be reached at buzz.comics@gmail.com.
Mick-Far-vell (Mick-Far-vell) says:
(Posted May 30th, 2008 at 11:04 am)
Brainless,Like every other Marvel Apologist.