Crisis Update: Villains United

Crisis Update
Volume I, Entry 5


Villains United
Gail Simone - Writer
Dale Eaglesham - Pencils

Gail Simone is a pretty hit-or-miss writer. Sometimes, she flubs it pretty hard (like with the new 52's Batgirl, which hasn't really gone anywhere in five issues), but on some occasions, she knocks it out of the park. Villains United is one such case.

***SPOILERS***
What is essentially a rebellion story, Lex Luthor has created a secret Society and is recruiting villains from across the world. From the lowliest of cat burglars to the likes of Deathstroke, Black Adam and Dr. Psycho, Luthor invites all but six villains to join his cause against the superheroes of the world. These are the six villains that the title focus on.

In a double entendre, Villains United eludes not only to the unification of villains under the Society led by Luthor, but also the rogue group of six that come together to combat Luthor's stranglehold on the villains of Earth. Made to participate by blackmailing them, the mysterious Mockingbird finds Deadshot, the man who never misses; Cheshire, lethal assassin; Parademon, solider from Apokolips stranded on Earth; Rag Doll II, disowned nephew of the original Ragdoll; Scandal, daughter of Vandal Savage; and Catman, one of the most forgettable of Batman's adversaries. While the revamped Catman gets the star treatment throughout the series, most of the 'Secret Six' get a lot of panel time and, eventually, have good chemistry during fights and operations.


Villains United was a way for DC to show readers a more relatable side of some of it's villains. Though each is made to work for Mockingbird against their will, the members of the Secret Six begin to develop their own personal moral objections to Luthor's tactics with his Society. And this is the real value from a story such as this; being able to see villains acting in a less-than-evil way is exhilarating. Of course, Cheshire betrays the group in a moment of deceit that would have been missed if it wasn't included, and Parademon dies at the end, giving way for new member - and Scandal's lover - Knockout.

Gail Simone's character-driven story was, by far, my favorite of the 'Countdown to Infinite Crisis' mini-series. The series told a story without being overbearing while also giving readers valuable information about the coming crisis. It felt the most coherent and the most satisfactory at the end.

Grade: A

Crisis Update: Rann-Thanagar War

Crisis Update
Volume 1, Entry 4


Rann-Thanagar War
David Gibbons - Writer
Ivan Reis, Joe Prado and Joe Bennett - Pencils

With the four mini-series leading up to the titular Infinite Crisis, DC gave it's readers four distinctly different stories, all under different genres. The O.M.A.C. Project does it's best at 'spy thriller' and espionage narrative, Day of Vengeance is for the magic-lovers, Villains United! chronicles a rebellion, of sorts, and Rann-Thanagar War weaves a science fiction tale about a massive war that breaks out against the planets of Rann and Thanagar, two peoples who've been at odds for centuries. Much like Day of Vengeance, David Gibbons stuffs a multitude of narrative into six issues, not even counting pages of Adam Strange that depict Rann, a highly-technological utopia, being transported to the Polaris galaxy, inadvertently causing Thanagar (home planet of several iterations of Hawkman, Hawkgirl and Hawkwoman) to rotate off it's axis and travel lethally close to their sun.

***SPOILERS***
And this is where Rann-Thanagar War begins, right in the thick of the action. After Thanagar's evacuation, the Rannians reluctantly allow Thanagarian refugees safe haven on their planet. An uneasy truce exists between the two peoples based on a mutual agreement that a rogue player was responsible for the teleporting Rann. If it sounds complicated, it is. Rann-Thanagar is the type of title that can't be read lightly. Nearly every page has integral information or plot-advancing events that are necessary to understand any of the characters' actions as you go forward.

Fortunately, the story is pretty awesome! A secret sect of Thanagarians swearing fealty to Thanagar's ancient evil gods of the Seven Hells plots to overthrow the reigning Thanagrian government and declare war on Rann. Before reason can take hold, the Rannians and Thanagarians are in all-out war. As Rann and Thanagar are both highly influential societies, they command many allies who all begin arriving to add their strength and firepower to the brawl, resulting in an even bigger war. The Seven Hells sect successfully reanimates Onimar Synn, the Eater of Souls and the most powerful of the Seven Devils, on the charred surface of Thanagar. Long(ish) story short, Synn and his followers travel to Rann and Synn proceeds to devour a lot of souls.

The heroes in this saga are numerous, including Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, Jade (daughter of Alan Scott), Green Lantern Kilowog, Captain Comet, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Hawkwoman, Hawkbaby (just kidding), Adam Strange, the Omega Men, Donna Troy, L.E.G.I.O.N., to name a few. One of the main drawbacks to Rann-Thanagar is the multitude of characters. Without having read extensive amounts of DC back issues, many readers can easily become lost in subtle references to the past, nuanced relationships and a general sense of familiarity between characters who haven't shared any panel-time in recent history.

And while the story rarely ever lets up, in terms of action, the very end of issue six leaves a lot to be desired. Of course, Rann-Thanagar, along with the other three lead-up series, exists specifically to do just that: lead-up. Meaning, it made sense to let them all finish up on cliffhangers or unresolved plots because Infinite Crisis would take care of the rest. But Rann-Thanagar simply ends by revealing the rip in space and time. It sounds really cool, but this quantum singularity is given a single panel before the issue closes.

Grade: B-

Crisis Update: Day of Vengeance

Crisis Update
Volume 1, Entry 3




Day of Vengeance
Bill Willingham - Writer
Justiniano - Pencils

Magic has always been a major part of the DC universe. Characters like Doctor Fate, Zatanna and Captain Marvel have long provided a supernatural element to comics that often brings more complex story lines and challenges. Unlike heroes (or villains) whose powers are derived from their physiology or science, magic wielders have an air of mystery about them simply because magic has no base in laws of physics, on our world or otherwise, meaning that even those who can use magic barely know where it comes from.

***SPOILERS***
Which makes Day of Vengeance one of the more interesting titles of the four lead-up mini series to Infinite Crisis. The Spectre - God's 'Hand of Vengeance' - has gone rogue without a human host, vowing to destroy all magic thereby ridding the world of evil. To combat this massive assault on the world of magic, six magic-based heroes come together to form the Shadowpact, a name revealed to have been used throughout the history of the DC universe whenever magic is gravely threatened.

The members of the Shadowpact are lesser-known characters in DC's lineup, including the most recognizable, Blue Demon, a bouncer turned demon; Ragman, a 'Spectre-lite' tool of justice who can absorb the worst of sinners into his cloak of patched rags, allowing them to lend their spiritual help to Ragman in exchange for getting a little closer to salvation; Nightshade, a girl who can control darkness; Nightmaster, the owner of Oblivion Bar, an inter-dimensional bar that caters to magic folk, and the wielder of the mystical Sword of Night; Enchantress, a powerful magic user who can turn evil if overwhelmed by magical energy; and Detective Chimp, given his intelligence by the Fountain of Youth. Because these characters were rarely used before Day of Vengeance, Bill Willingham was able to pen a tale that didn't need to rely too much on retconned history beyond the Spectre's situation.

It is revealed early on in the plot that Eclipso, taking control of Jean Loring (the Atom's ex-wife who murdered Elongated Man's wife, Sue Dibny, in the pages of Identity Crisis), desires revenge on the world of magic and persuades the Spectre that magic equals chaos, and chaos equals evil. Without a human host to provide compassion and logic, the Ghost of Vengeance begins a genocide of magic users across the DC universe.

Midway through the series, a massive battle between the Spectre and Captain Marvel erupts. As the champion of the wizard Shazam, Marvel is the best equipped to confront the Spectre, but Shazam's power is dwarfed by the Spectre's nigh-godliness. Like I mentioned earlier, magic in the DC universe is such a bounty for storytelling because it doesn't have set parameters or limitations. As Marvel starts to falter, Enchantress channels all the magical energy left in the universe directly through her and into Marvel, causing him to balloon in size and power to match the Spectre and level the playing field a bit more.

Of course, their brawl is only the halfway point in Day of Vengeance.


So as not to give away the entire plot, I'll just say that Willingham manages to pull a few more tricks out of his sleeve for the rest of the series. The only part of Day of Vengeance that irked by a bit was the pacing. Almost opposite of it's sister series, The O.M.A.C. Project, DoV seems to pack as much plot as it can into six issues. Willingham could have given the Spectre/Captain Marvel battle three whole issues and it would have been just as good. By the end, readers have an excellent set-up for Infinite Crisis as well as an awesome new magic team, the Shadowpact.

Grade: B+

Crisis Update: The O.M.A.C. Project

Crisis Update
Volume 1, Entry 2



The O.M.A.C. Project
Greg Rucka - Writer
Jesus Saiz - Pencils


After Countdown to Infinite Crisis, DC launched the four mini-series that would lead us dear readers into the comic event nearly 20 years in the making. A cynic would say that DC decided to release four consecutive six-issue mini-series before the main event merely to sell more books and tie-ins. And those cynics would be right. When I first read The O.M.A.C. Project nearly seven years ago, it was a lot more impressive. Perhaps it was the anticipation of greater things to come.

Greg Rucka pens a story better suited for an oversized one-shot (or at most, a three-issue series) more than an extended six-issue saga. Much of the page space is taken up with needless exposition and somewhat pointless espionage panels. And even with all the talking and cold stares, Maxwell Lord - the title's titular villain - is barely fleshed out as a character. The O.M.A.C. Project tells the tale of how Max Lord hijacked Batman's paranoia-inspired Brother Eye - a satellite equipped with any and all information pertaining to all meta-humans across the planet. Lord's motive is solid - he's frightened of the sheer power heroes like Superman wield - Lord has a history in the DC universe, yet Rucka takes little time to give the reader context as to why Checkmate's Black King is so damn mad at superheroes.

Sasha Bordeaux is also a pretty lame character. Of course she's a Rucka-created character because she has barely any development or personality. In O.M.A.C., she is simply the cardboard cutout that acts as the 'main character', the one us readers are forced to follow around despite her inane dialogue. And Jesus Saiz's 'same face' syndrome is quite problematic in these pages, as Bordeaux looks nearly the same as her sort-of-rival Jessica Midnight, another Checkmate agent, one who opposes Lord's total control of the organization.

***SPOILERS***
And then there's "Sacrifice", an arc within an arc leading up to the beginning of O.M.A.C. #4. What's unfortunate is that in an obvious ploy to sell more books, DC made reading "Sacrifice" a necessity to understand anything in O.M.A.C.'s plot going forward. In September of 2005, readers had to pick up Superman #219, Action Comics #829, Adventures of Superman #642, and Wonder Woman #219 to get the whole story of how Max Lord uses his mind control abilities to make Superman his own meta-human weapon. At the end of Wonder Woman #219, Diana snaps Max's neck while Brother Eye records everything. And that is exactly where O.M.A.C. #4 picks up! Even when it was current, I remember feeling taken advantage of by DC; why shouldn't all the major plot points of a mini-series exist within said series? It's such a point of frustration that really had no purpose. Later on (around issue 5) the Brother Eye gains sentience, which is pretty cool, but even that juicy plot development gets sidetracked so we can get back to Sasha's personal drama. Bleh.

So, the basic problem with O.M.A.C. is a lack of depth. The idea for the story is a solid one rooted in DC's tumultuous past, but the concept and plot are given very little room to grow and are thus bogged down by their own weight. Definitely read The O.M.A.C. Project, if only for the basic necessary facts needed going forward into Infinite Crisis. Beyond basic exposition, there is little else to love about this title.

Grade: C-

Crisis Update: Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1

Crisis Update
Volume 1, Entry 1


Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1
Various - Writer
Various - Pencils

When I first read Countdown to Infinite Crisis, it was at a time when I was coming back to comics after quite a long break. Up through my junior year of high school, I regularly visited the small comic shop only seven blocks from my house and regularly bought or ordered Green Lantern trades from the Kyle Rayner years. He was always my favorite GL and DC had finally seen it fit to collect his adventures on some sort of regular time table.

Then, in January of 2005, as a freshman in college, I saw a poster for Green Lantern: Rebirth, a six-part mini-series chronicling the return of Hal Jordan. I immediately ran off and bought the second printing of Rebirth #1 and put my name down to receive each subsequent issue. I honestly believed I would collect Rebirth and be satisfied, that I wouldn't be lured back into the enticing world of superheroics and Earth-shattering events. Boy, was I wrong. It wasn't long after Rebirth wrapped up that DC was prepping it's fans for Infinite Crisis, the 'sequel' to 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths, the crossover event that pioneered crossover events, killed off many DC characters (including fan-favorite Flash, Barry Allen), restructured the universe to answer for timeline inconsistencies and changed the DC universe permanently going forward.

The first in a blitzkrieg of tie-ins and mini-series leading up to Infinite Crisis came in the form of Countdown to Infinite Crisis, an 80-page prelude providing the catalyst events leading for everything else to come.

***SPOILERS***
Countdown tells the tale of the second Blue Beetle, Ted Kord, as he investigates money laundering and stolen kryptonite that seems to be leading toward something more sinister. The only problem: no one important wants to give Beetle the time of day. The exceptions are Wonder Woman and Booster Gold, both who can't offer help for their own reasons.

Beetle goes out on his own and connects the dots until they lead him to a mysterious castle. Inside, Kord discovers a computer with any and all pertinent information regarding every metahuman on Earth. Within a few pages, Maxwell Lord reveals himself as the culprit. For those who haven't read their DC history, Lord was the business mogul who created the Justice League International back in the 1980s. At the time, he was just a regular human who wanted to do his part to protect humanity. In Countdown, Lord has become a criminal mastermind who has taken control of Checkmate, an international espionage organization. In the end, Lord murders Ted Kord in cold blood.

Like Identity Crisis before it, Countdown takes a character-driven approach to telling it's story. Ted Kord as the Blue Beetle has been one of the long-running jokes of the DC Universe. Along with Booster Gold, Kord had a reputation as a screw-up. With good intentions and bad luck, Kord was always a second-tier hero often relegated to the sidelines, not only in narratives, but in publishing practices as well.

Countdown addresses Kord's standing in the superhero community, showing how the decisions made by even the greatest of heroes can lead to devastating consequences. Superman and Green Lantern humour Kord before zooming off to something more important, Batman becomes aggressive and hostile, and the Martian Manhunter immediately blocks out Kord as soon as a JLA alert comes in. Even without any assistance, Kord strikes out on his own, knowing he probably has neither the ability nor the means to really succeed. It's a testament to Ted Kord and his persistence, his heroism.

Countdown is an excellent beginning to a rather lengthy lead-in to Infinite Crisis. At 80 pages in length, it gives a great overview of the DC universe before everything goes to hell.