REVIEW: Countdown to Final Crisis - 2 (Week 50)

***MAJOR SPOILER ALERT***

This has been an interesting day for reading Countdown. I started off with issue 4, carried on with issue 3, took a sideline with Countdown to Adventure 8 of 8, and now we're finishing up with issue 2.

This issue - is a big one for DC fans. A major player goes down in this book. I'm not going to tell you which one - as that would ruin it for you, but I will tell you that the wonderful Jack Kirby style artwork is incredibly fitting.

As big as this issue is however - I still can't rate it highly. My brother and I both read it this evening, and our thoughts were pretty much the same. It didn't go the way we were expecting (which is a good thing), but where on Earth (or otherwise) is this going to go now? What does this mean for Final Crisis?

The odd thing is - after such a large event in comic books (and this is big) - I can't believe I'm saying it - but I'm not gripped. I should be on the edge of my seat - dying to know what happens next. But instead, I'm a little... "Meh" about the whole thing.

I don't feel inspired to carry on reading, or to pickup Final Crisis, but irritatingly - I'd be amazed if this book doesn't become instantly collectable.

I don't know what's going to happen next with Countdown, or how it will lead into Final Crisis - but I will (irritatingly) be reading issue 1 to find out.

Pete's Score: 3 out of 5

(big players exiting won't make me give this book a higher score - the overall story just needed more work)

REVIEW: Countdown to Final Crisis - 3 (Week 49)

***SPOILER ALERT***

Well, if you've read the review of issue 4 (week 48) - you'll know how I feel about this particular series. So I'll skip that for now, and just talk about this book.

This book is a major improvement over the last issue. The artwork is good (very good in some places) - the script is nice and 'punchy' (there's a great Darkseid / Superman battle), but I'm still not buying some things.

Mary Marvel's switch from good to bad last issue was just implausible. I didn't buy it then, and I don't buy it now. Either something is going on, or we're being asked to swallow one of the most unlikely good to evil conversions ever. Are we seriously meant to think she's his right hand woman now?!?

Ok - so that aside - Superman taking on Darkseid is still pretty cool. And, he has a point - having the rest of the league there would have slowed him down, right when he needs to go all out. Buuuuttttt... From another point of view - isn't it a bit mad to take on the ruler of Apokolips on your jack? Backup a good idea maybe...?

I did like the cliffhanger to this issue (a giant Jimmy Olsen taking on Darkseid) - but I still couldn't in good conscience pay for the book week on week. Maybe Trinity will be better overall - but I won't hold my breath.

Pete's Score: 3 out of 5

(again - buy it if you're a DC fan - improvement from the last issue - but not great if you've not picked up the other 48 issues)

REVIEW: Countdown to Final Crisis - 4 (Week 48)

***SPOILER ALERT***

DC and me of late have had a checkered history. I bought every single issue of 52 (the series before this) - thinking I was in for the ride of my life.

In reality, at the end of the series - I felt pretty cheated. For a book that had 52 issues to tell the story of a missing year (one issue a week), I expected a lot more than I got - which was quite frankly, a mess that meandered from sub-story to sub-story, requiring a separate series (World War III) to link it in to the One Year Later storyline.

Needless to say, based on this sterling show by DC - I opted out of buying 52 issues of Countdown. Which at first (I was reading my brother's copies), seemed to be the right decision. It was awful.

A little while later, when Mary Marvel started to go off the deep end, Trickster and Pied Piper became shackled to each other, and little Atom symbols started appearing, it didn't seem like such a good decision after all.

The past few issues however, have totally reaffirmed my original decision.

This book is far too much of a money making exercise. I honestly don't feel that the book is about telling a great story - which deeply saddens me. It comes across as though the book is around, just for the sake of being a hype machine for 'Final Crisis', and probably 'Trinity' (which may or may not be another 52 issue snore-fest).

The concept of both 52 and Countdown was, and still is - great. The execution of the concept however, is hugely flawed.

Issue 4 (week 48) is a good example of all of the above. The artwork is passable, but far from brilliant, the story is just the same (Mary Marvel turning to evil again? Seriously?) - and the 'cliffhanger' ending, leaves me bored enough to not bother with the next issue (although I will - on the off-chance it improves, or something within it is vital to the upcoming 'Final Crisis').

I wouldn't usually roast a book so much - but I have to say - I am so very glad I'm only reading someone else's copy.

Pete's Score: 2 out of 5

(only buy it if you're a die-hard DC fan)