Final Crisis (New Edition)

It's easy to say that DC Comics' "Final Crisis" crossover deals with supervillain Darkseid's plot to overthrow reality, and the subsequent deaths and corruption of various DC Universe characters.Sure, writer Grant Morrison includes plenty of the epic, property-destroying slugfests that are the hallmarks of events such as these. However, he's got much more on his mind than providing empty spectacle.He's interested in answering the question "What makes a hero?" His answer: Being a hero doesn't require superpowers. It requires not only sacrificing for others, but also doing things that make you uncomfortable-qualities all of us can aspire to. Batman, of course, makes the ultimate sacrifice with his life-though, this being big-time comics, the Dark Knight's death wasn't permanent. (Morrison himself brought Batman back to the land of the living in a subsequent storyline, "The Return of Bruce Wayne.") Superman also risks his life for the DC Multiverse's sake.Indeed, the DC heroes exhibit traits that the villains covet. Darkseid's minions want to steal Batman's "superior physical prowess, strategic acumen and courage"-because those are the qualities that make Batman what he is. (It's not gadgets like Batmobiles or Batarangs. Sorry, toy manufacturers.)How Morrison tells his tale is just as interesting as the questions he addresses in it. All of the concepts in Darkseid's Anti-Life Equation-including loneliness, alienation, fear and despair-equal chaos. Morrison expresses that chaos in the way he tells his story. It's a method that demands much more of the reader's attention and thought than the typical superhero saga, but the payoff is well worth the effort. In Morrison's view, every element of the Anti-Life Equation represents the antithesis of what makes a hero, and the qualities that make heroes what they are-not just self-sacrifice, but also self-confidence and relatability-promote the power of hope in the face of dire circumstances. As Batman's trusty right hand Alfred puts it, "No matter how dark the night...there will be no hiding place for evil." Not even an evil as great as Darkseid, who personifies the hate and the chaos that drive this story.Despite the presence of many different pencillers, the art holds together well throughout. J.G. Jones eventually needed help from Carlos Pacheco and Doug Mahnke to complete the series, and Lee Garbett pencilled two "Batman" issues pertinent to the story. All of the pencillers and inkers, as well as the letterers and colorists, maintain the story's epic scope from beginning to end, and keep everything uniform so the changes in artists aren't so jarring as to take the reader out of the story completely.This capstone to the trilogy that began with "Crisis on Infinite Earths" and continued in "Infinite Crisis" demands careful reading, but both the themes and the storytelling method will reward readers so inclined. Because Morrison expresses the power of both superheroes and storytelling, "Final Crisis" is a work that deserves to be studied and revisited.

Final Crisis is like a monumental fever dream. No, let me start again. Final Crisis was, to me, a trip; a trippy trip to trip-land. No, not good enough, let's try again. Final Crisis will be the craziest, most gleefully insane, epic comic book you've ever read. Mmmm... Well, let's go with all three!As Renee Monotoya voices it about 80% of the way in - "What? Enough of this %$@%$ sensory overload!". Amen.I'll be the first to admit I didn't get everything that happened in this first read-through. I will also say there is going to be a second, maybe a third, in time to come. Sit back and enjoy this crazy ride. Mr Morrison has a bountiful harvest of insane imagination to share, and is backed to the hilt by the art. As for the death at the end - no spoilers from me, but you'll know the one I mean - and its aftermath? Whew!Amazing, enigmatic read. Simply a must for DC fans - but I can see why it is so reviled and so loved, depending on your own POV. I think it helped me that I've been reading through all the crises (from 1986's Crisis on Infinite Earth to this one) recently. This will not be very accessible to casual readers - I know they say it was written as a standalone, but I didn't think it did stand alone.

I've thought long and hard about this book. If you have not yet read Final Crisis, I really think you would benefit from reading my review.SUMMARY'Final Crisis' is an epic, layered story with several running narratives and many surprises, so it's difficult to synopsize. At its center are the "New Gods", involved in the last stages of their vast and mysterious war. It looks as though the BAD side has won. The story goes from there and involves dozens of characters, major and minor, some of whom actually die. Aside from alternate dimensions, cosmic technology, and many far-out concepts, there is a lot of battle action and some really classic superhero situations, with dialogue in a 'high' style reminiscent of cosmic '70s writers like Jack Kirby, Steve Englehart, Jim Starlin, or Len Wein. The writing can be dense, and at times a LOT happens on a single page. The art is detailed, brightly colored, merging a very realistic style with psychedelic effects. The story is long and rather convoluted, including a grand mystery and scifi surrealism, to name just two of its many styles (neither specifically known for offering immediate clarity, take note).WHO WOULD LIKE THIS BOOK?An open-minded superhero fan willing to give the book some time, attention, and thought.WHO WOULD NOT LIKE THIS BOOK?People who hate experimentation in superhero comics. People just looking for a simple, easy read. People who must know exactly what's going on at all times. People who think all ambition is pretension.FIVE TIPS FOR READING FINAL CRISIS1. It's Not for NovicesI hate to say it, but if you're not already a DC fan, don't bother. I don't mean that you have to be a super-nerd with an encyclopedic memory of a couple lifetimes' worth of comics, just that you've been around the block a couple times. Pop quiz: what do Green Lanterns do? What's "shazam"? Who is Barry Allen? How are Darkseid and Orion related? If these questions stumped you, Final Crisis is going to be pretty rough going. I'd suggest reading Morrison's 'Seven Soldiers' or maybe 'JLA' instead.2. 'Final' Crisis Stands AloneTwo parts to this one:2a. Do Not "Prepare"Don't read anything specifically in order to better "understand" Final Crisis before going in. It won't help, because Final Crisis was written to stand alone. If anything, "preparatory" material will just distract you with irrelevant details, confuse you with continuity discrepancies, and mislead your expectations. It may also provide too big of a build-up to a story with its own arc, resulting in feelings of anticlimax when you finally get to the good stuff. So don't read 'Countdown', and don't replace that with a "countdown" of your own. You don't need to know anything special to get in to 'Final Crisis'.2b. Do Not "Expand"Forget the tie-ins. If you want to read them for their own sake and on their own terms, because you like a certain writer or character or whatever, by all means go for it... some other time. As with "preparations", these will only clutter your head and distract you from an already convoluted narrative, to the disservice of each story. This includes Morrison's Batman books, a twisty epic of its own that intersects 'Final Crisis' at one tiny point. Efforts to conflate these two giant labyrinths WILL be unsuccessful. Everything you need is included in this 'Final Crisis' TPB-- no more, no less-- and it's best just to focus on that without any extra baggage.3. No ExpectationsForget what you've heard. Don't go in assuming it's going to be an unreadable maze of obscure references. Don't expect a transcendent, life-changing experience, or the best comic book ever. Don't expect it to tie up all the loose ends of the past 20 years of DC continuity, or assume it's full of errors and problems. Don't assume you won't understand anything. Don't expect to understand everything. Just read it, see for yourself.4. ThinkTake your time. Pay attention. Flip back and review. If you don't understand what's happening, reflect for a moment and see if you can figure it out before proceeding. Unlike most superhero comics, 'Final Crisis' requires focus and conscious thought while it's being read. Trust me, it's worth it.5. Read It AgainTake a look at my summary again... There's NO WAY you're going to take all that in the first time. If you truly hated it, don't put yourself through it again... but if you followed my advice this far, you'll probably want to.Enjoy