One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn’t belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?
I’ve said numerous times, I REALLY wanted to love Final Crisis #1. But I just did not. I’m sick of companies killing off major characters JUST to make a manufactured event seem important. OK, it was new and shocking when the silver age Flash, Barry Allen and the original Supergirl both died valiantly in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. It was even ALMOST reminiscent and still heart-breaking when Superboy (Conner Kent) bravely gave his life while restoring the Multiverse during the Infinite Crisis.
But this? This was just a mob-style hit against one of the most powerful (albeit often ignored and forgotten) forces in the DCU. It was a slap in the face. I don’t WANT to read about the day evil won. Evil wins every day all around me. Comics are the one place it doesn’t. I’ll keep reading, but the good guys best begin to get their act together by #4.
To simply drag out a “pyro-tranqilized” Martian Manhunter and then whack him does not do justice to a character as powerful as J’onn J’onzz.
This is a character as powerful (arguably more than) as Superman. His only weakness has been fire. But not only have multiple authors and story arcs have established this as a psychological weakness instead of a physical one, it is also a psychological weakness he has overcome multiple times - most notably with the semi sadistic help of a flame-wielding villainess named Scorch.
Martian Manhunter told Superman that his aversion to fire had changed and he was now invulnerable to flames unless they are “flames of passion” or of some other “psychic significance.” I hate when writers don’t do their homework. Is it too much trouble for hem to read a wiki page before killing off a major character?
OK enough on the less than stellar snuff scene, here are some more questions/problems the story gave me.
1. For what does Libra NEED the Human Flame? Why would he go to the trouble of capturing and killing Martian Manhunter (bringing the SURE ire of the JLA) just to recruit an overweight guy who controls fire. Did he do it JUST to convince Luthor that he can kill Superman?
2. What in the holy hell was Turpin thinking going in to an club run by an unknown criminal figure without backup or even calling in? I’m guessing Question is hot on his heals and perhaps she and Batwoman will kick the crap out of the apokolyptian stepford children. Or he may be waif-food.
3. Considering the JLA already found out that Libra is running around in last issue of the Justice League of America, they should already be on alert. having Superman declare Justice League Condition Amber had no weight. I want to know what Batman’s is contingency plan for evil gods running amok on Earth. The man plans for everything, and he’s met Darkseid and his cronies before, so he should at least have a plan involving the theology powered heroes calling upon their pantheons for assistance.
4. Corruption among the Monitors… I read 52 and Countdown and I still have a hard time telling the monitors apart. Who is this Wanderer? And where did the Monitor talking to him get a cell phone? Roaming charges must be a bitch in the Multiversal Orrey
5. Who is the guy with the mohawk/ponytail combo and why is he looking at his hands with such surprise? He is looking at them as if they were covered in blood or if he was surprised to have hands. He can’t be Human Flame (no mustache) and I don’t see an interstellar being like Libra having such a dated hairstyle.
Also read Highlights of the WW PHILLY: DCU: CRISIS NOW! PANEL from Newsarama
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This entry was posted on Monday, June 2nd, 2008 at 8:30 pm by fanboi and is filed under Comic Book Reviews, Comics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
June 16th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
I agree about the fist Final Crisis issue…so many bs moments, but it’s just a beginnig…all good stories start somewhere, rght? OH…the dude looking at his hands; I am pretty sure that is the monitor who was “banished” by the other monitors - doomed to live out an ordinary life on an odinary world, albeit the the world deemed “most important” by the monitors themselves. [the first part of the orrery scene]…I too hope that the story improves, and we get some answers…especially to the apoklyptan-gods-living-as-people (Dark Side Club) storyline. I feel like it came out of nowhere…I read the Death of the New Gods series, but I thought Orion already died killing Darkseid??? To see him pop up at the beginning of Final Crisis confused me…sigh. BTW - your log is my new favoite, keep up the good work!
June 16th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Mohawk guy IS in fact Nix Uotan… GM said so in an interview I mentioned in another post. I should have figured it out, but the way he woke up as if he was late for work in a furnished apartment confused me. OK they banished him to a mortal life on Earth, but who got him a lease and bought him a TV?
My post only briefly covers what Morrison revealed so follow this link or click the Newsarama link in the post for the full story.