***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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