The Bum’s Rush #27

The Crisis Is Upon Us (a.k.a. This Is The Big One, Folks) - Part Two

Last week I talked about all the events that led up to DC Comics’ new mega-event, Infinite Crisis. I also talked about my anticipation for the book and what I was expecting (or hoping) to see once I read the first issue. Well now I’ve read it. This week I’ll discuss my reaction to the book.

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

Post-Crisis (a.k.a. Well? Was It Worth It?)

It was great and I loved it.

There. That’s it for this week, see ya next ti … what? Oh, you … you want more than that? I just thought after last week’s extra long column you’d be kinda tired of reading about this. No? Okay then, let’s do this thing.

Yes, it was great and I did love it, for many reasons. That’s not to say that there weren’t some complaints. Far from it. But let’s tackle to good first shall we? As someone who has been reading this story from the beginning (which, for simplicity’s sake, let’s say was Identity Crisis) I really feel like this new mini-series is going to pay off in spades. All the roads from various plots and stories that have been developing for the last year or more at DC Comics have definitely met here in this one book and are connecting into one giant super-highway of doom and destruction for the DC Universe.

The meeting between DC’s three biggest heroes, Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, sets the stage for the story. All three are at complete odds with each other over how to best handle the current disasters that are threatening to tear the world apart. This is the very heart of the story, the place from which most of the problems plaguing our heroes springs. These characters represent the foundations of the DCU and those foundations are crumbling under the dark secrets of the past and years of unspoken accusations. Superman and Batman see Wonder Woman as an unrepentant killer. Batman and Wonder Woman see Superman as a reluctant leader who refuses to take action in uniting everyone against a common threat. And Wonder Woman and Superman (and just about everyone else for that matter) see Batman as a control freak, unwilling and unable to trust anyone but himself. If these three cannot unite against the darkness what chance does anyone stand?

Then there’s the threat of the OMACs, killing every superhuman they can find. There’s The Society (made up of the most powerful villains in the DCU) putting their plans into motion, literally tearing apart what little opposition they meet. Not to mention the interstellar war that rages on between Rann and Thanagar and their various allies while all around them the very nature of the cosmos is being rearranged by some unseen hand. It’s a very dark time, a time for heroes to stand together, to find their courage and oppose these threats. And therein lies the problem. The events over the past year have left no hero untouched and all of them on the verge of losing their will to fight.

I love the story, I love the characterization, and I love the hopelessness of it all. I love it because I know that it’s all leading somewhere very special. I know that the heroes will band together to fight the threats that seem to surround them on all sides. It’s seeing how it will be accomplished and where it will lead that excites me. Just like the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, which I can now say with some confidence that Infinite Crisis is most definitely a sequel to, no one and nothing is safe. Well, except perhaps core characters around which huge money making franchises have been built. That’s always the case and I understand it as being good business. But still, there’s a feeling of uneasiness and insecurity to this book that I haven’t encountered before.

Some of the complaints that I’ve heard I don’t quite agree with. There are those that say the book is too dark. I think it has to be dark in order for the light to shine through that much brighter when the Crisis is overcome. There are some that say Geoff Johns is using characters as mouthpieces for his own personal opinions about certain characters. A prime example is the line uttered by Batman to Superman:

“Let’s face it, “Superman”, the last time you really inspired anyone was when you were dead.”

I don’t see that as Johns’ personal view on Superman so much as Batman trying to convince Superman that he just isn’t doing his job. And it’s so very like Batman to be so blunt and matter-of-fact about these things. Plus, it’s just a great line. This part of the story is about the last conversation between three old friends who have been torn apart by the lies they’ve told each other. And it’s in those circumstances you tend to say the most truthful things in the most hurtful of ways. I believe Geoff Johns knows and loves all these characters and he’s writing them as truthfully in character as possible as their world crumbles about them.

And that ending! My God! I won’t give that little tidbit away but I will say that it’s something that I’ve been thinking about ever since I first closed the cover to Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 all those years ago. It’s quite possibly one of the best surprise endings I’ve ever read. I will say that it does indeed cement the idea that once all is said and done DC’s original Multiverse will be making its comeback.

But what of the bad?

One thing is for certain; this is absolutely not a comic book for new readers. Coming into Infinite Crisis, a new reader would be hopelessly lost, likely even after reading the multitude of primers that have popped up on various comic related websites across the net. I can enjoy it because I have, like some others, been reading these books religiously for years. I know what’s going on. So while I can fully understand and enjoy this book I think it’s a huge mistake that the book seems to be so exclusive. The least DC could have done would have been to put a brief “Story So Far …” page at the beginning of the book.

And while it’s fun to see so many stories that I’ve been reading for that last year all converge into this one place it’s a bit too much. It might have been fine to see just the main plot points from the four lead-in mini-series be addressed but there’s things going on in this book that stem from stories I’ve never read, have yet to read and most surprisingly it seems from books that have yet to be published. It’s too much to be absorbed all at once and in some places it’ll just make your head hurt trying to take it in.

The overcrowded story is probably the biggest cause of the overcrowded artwork. Phil Jimenez is certainly a talented and very capable artist but there’s simply too much going on here for the artwork to be completely clear all the way through. Speaking of Jimenez, I think he’s probably one of the best guys for this job, I just wish they could have gotten George Perez, the original artist for Crisis on Infinite Earths. But that’s just a small gripe that doesn’t really effect my overall enjoyment too terribly much.

And yeah, that ending again. This goes right back to the new reader topic. If you haven’t read Crisis on Infinite Earths then the ending will hold absolutely no meaning for you at all. Which sucks. In its defense, though, I think it’s very unlikely that the ending and the characters that appeared on that last page will not be explained as the series goes on. To not address whom these people are would be … well it just wouldn’t make any sense whatsoever and I firmly believe that these guys still no what they are doing, even if they’re making some mistakes along the way.

The absolute worse case scenario, that I think many fans may believe, is that this whole story is nothing more than a group of creators writing out their greatest comic book fantasies with not a single thought towards the actual fans who are reading. But I don’t think that’s the case. Mainly because it would be terribly irresponsible on the part of everyone involved. I can’t see Paul Levitz, President of DC Comics, signing off on something that would be so obviously adverse for the company.

So this book is not for new, or even unfamiliar, readers and while that seems to be contrary to the idea of pulling in new readers and increasing sales it may be as simple as comparing this book with the book it is so obviously following. I am sure that when Crisis on Infinite Earths first debuted there were new and unfamiliar readers who had absolutely no idea what in the hell to make of the story. And had there been an Internet community then we’d probably have heard complaints that were eerily similar to the ones that we hear now. But in the end, when all was said and done, Crisis had streamlined the DC Universe and made it completely accessible to all readers, new and old, and led to a new age of creativity and success.

It’s likely that we’re seeing this again. Perhaps Infinite Crisis is the last great epic for the DC Universe as it currently stands and will lead into a new era of reader expansion and creative freedom. And in 20 years maybe it will be looked upon as a classic that redefined comics as a whole. I certainly think that’s something to consider. Whatever the mistakes, whatever the changes that are made, whatever the outcome, I am certainly enjoying the ride so far and hope that things stay as interesting, involving and as exciting throughout the remainder of the series.

Unless of course it turns out that Jean Loring* was behind the whole thing. That would suck ass.

* Jean Loring was the ex-wife of JLA member, The Atom. She was revealed to be the killer in Identity Crisis, which was not only anticlimactic and disappointing but made absolutely no sense and ruined what could have been a great book**.

** There, I explained the joke and now it’s not funny anymore. Way to go.

Quick Bits

1. Next February Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson are going to be working on Peacekeeper, a Marvel Knights book about Nick Fury during his WWII days. Now Garth Ennis excels at telling really amazing war stories and Robertson just draws damn fine comics. Should be something worth picking up.
2. Wow, Marvel is bringing back the Mangaverse? I didn’t realize anyone even gave a crap when they did it the first time. Can’t really see the point.
3. Marvel solicitations for January are here.
4. Image Comics solicitations for January too!
5. I really, really freakin’ dug the appearance of Aquaman in last week’s Smallville. God, I am such a damn nerd.

NEXT WEEK: I’ve put it off long enough, longer than I should have. Next week is PENG! week here at the Bum’s Rush. Plus, gearing up for Wizard World Texas 2005!
 

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