REVIEW: Countdown to Final Crisis - 1 (Week 51)
Biff Bam Pow Comics | April 25, 2008 | 10:36 pm
***SPOILER ALERT***
Right - having read this issue, I’m feeling pretty happy with my decision to not buy this year long maxi-series.
Not only am I feeling that - but I’m feeling a level of disappointment that I really shouldn’t be - especially given my previous opinions on the book.
In the last issue, Darkseid sadly exited the DC universe. I say sadly mainly because it’s was so sad that he had to exit in such a lackluster issue. A monumental event, left feeling limp-wristed. Which, is a little like this issue.
You haven’t got something as massive as another key DCU character death, but you have got the forming of a group of heroes (Donna Troy, Ray Palmer, Kyle Rayner and Forager) to watch over the Monitors, a ‘new’ OMAC (looking incredibly retro), Mary Marvel attacking Black Adam in the desert and the frankly miraculous reappearance of Piper.
So - let’s quickly pickup on all of the above:
1. Forming of a new group of heroes to monitor the Monitors.
*sigh* Yeah - ok, in theory good, but in practice, it couldn’t have been more boring if it had tried to be. A bunch of depressed and angry superheroes deciding after much coffee drinking and moping that they’re going to oversee the remaining Monitors. There was absolutely no energy whatsover in this group - and I got the distinct impression that Forager had been put in place purely to die in a later issue of Final Crisis. Boredom factor: 8
2. A ‘new’ OMAC
Seriously? Seriously? I mean, come on. Seriously? What the hell were they thinking of when they gave him that costume? Yes, yes, I know all about the original OMAC - but even still, this is just stupid. Stupid, and no doubt about to spill into a mini-series tying into Final Crisis, along with a quickly cancelled ongoing book thereafter.
3. Mary Marvel attacking Black Adam
Mary’s turnaround in the last few issues from hero to villain was irritating before, and even more so now. I just don’t buy any of this - it goes completely against everything that came before Countdown, and I seriously hope it’s discredited /put right in the near future. If not - well - rearrange these words to form a sentence: “mistake” “colossal” “a” “what”.
4. Piper
Now this one - this one - @£$&’s me off the most. Piper died. How the hell did he escape death - and more importantly - why?!? His death was one of the more memorable moments in the series, and now it’s just been reversed. Ridiculous choice. Insane.
Now - having said all of that - don’t just take my words for how @$£* this series has been - why not have a quick read of the first two columns in DC Nation at the back of the book.
Yes - that’s right - Dan Didio himself says Countdown’s goals were “…a bit difficult to achieve”, and that the overall plans met with “…various levels of success”. “The problem, we realised, was that … nothing is moving with it’s own natural rhythm.”
Way to tell a whole bunch of people who just bought a year’s worth of this book that they wasted their time Dan.
Originally, I’d intended to give this book a medium score. But having Dan Didio come out and essentially say in the back of the book that ‘it could have turned out better’ - means I’m changing my mind to line up with his opinion.
Pete’s Score: 2 out of 5
(don’t bother - fan or not)
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