CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #12 FACSIMILE EDITION
I truly wonder if DC really thought this 12 part little gem was going to solve their multiverse problems. Generations of readers watched as Marv Wolfman, George Perez, and Jerry Ordway brought their tale to a close. By now, Barry Allen’s Flash was gone, Supergirl was gone. The Earth 3 Crime Syndicate (well … all of Earth 3 really). Immortal Man gone! The Losers! Aquagirl! The Earth 2 Green Arrow! ALL GONE! (Fun fact, there is an actual website that documents everyone who died in Crisis including the general public! Talk about dedication!) But after the punch felt across the multiverse from the Earth 2 Superman and all of the memorials and all of the twists and turns (like Wally West taking over as THE Flash), we weren’t all that better off. While the talented creative team had seemed to accomplish the impossible and condense the muliverse into one universe, cracks would start to appear and comics readers were quick to start pointing them out. For all the questions and inconsistencies that the story fixed, it simply made different ones. And in a way, created the fiasco of restarts, reboots, and massive crossovers such as Final Crisis, New 52, All In, etc. etc. But, truth be told, this was the original. It was the first and the best. The creative team could not be beat, a rare treat. And while the ramifications would seep out in the entire line of titles, this one ended abruptly. And while I can never get enough of George Perez’s filled to the brim art panels, this ending gets itself a 9 out of 10 Grahams.
DC FINEST TEAM-UPS CHASE TO THE END OF TIME TPB
The gang at DC Finest again brings us a stunning collection from the late 1970s into the 1980s. And any collection of team-ups is going to get my attention. During those times, both Marvel and DC realised the advantages of team-up titles. And while Marvel had Marvel Team-Up and Marvel Two-In-One, DC had the long tested Brave and the Bold and it’s Superman cousin, DC Comics Presents. The best part of these titles were the wide variety of characters that could pop up. While many issues featured fellow Justice League members, any number of secondary (even tertiary characters might pop up! And this volume has plenty of examples. Sure, an appearance of Aquaman or the Flash was cool but how about Adam Strange, Plastic Man, or Sgt. Rock! Who would have though that Superman would be fighting Solomon Grundy with the help of Swamp Thing? Or fighting a younger version of himself as Superboy all in the pages of DC Comics Presents? But for overall diversity, no one could beat Brave and the Bold! Again, Batman would join up with JLA pals like Black Canary and Red Tornado but would really go out on a limb with characters like the Unknown Soldier, the Creeper, or Supergirl. And how about that amazing special 150th issue where we had to guess who the mysterious “?” was on the cover! In the modern era, crossovers are a daily thing but back then these adventures were mind-blowing. (Anybody remember the Bat-Squad?!) 10 out of 10 Grahams.
WHO ARE THE POWERPALS? #1 DARK HORSE COMICS
For a brief moment in time, actors Derek Summers and Alex Green were THE POWERPALS! Unfortunately, they only lasted half a season before getting cancelled. And getting to see a few minutes of an episode, you can see why. But nostalgia and our 2 minute YouTube society can do strange things. And after getting fired from their security guard jobs, they have little to do but redon their illfitting costumes and try their luck as street performers. But thanks to a brief skirmish with some other somewhat familiar costumed perforers, they save the day and become a TikTok sensation. Well, at least, for a few moments. So it’s back into the capes and domino masks for the pair. And while a familiar premise, Duane Murray’s story is somewhat charming. Ahmed Raafat’s art blends beautifully with the story. This is one of those titles that I wasn’t expecting much from but it did give me more than I was expecting. 8 out of 10 Grahams.
ADVENTUREMAN FAMILY TREE #1 IMAGE COMICS
Fraction and the Dodsons are back with another installment of the Adventure Team. And apparently, this story was originally published as Adventureman Supersaga #56. But like previous storylines, writer Matt Fraction proves his talents. And with Terry Dodson’s ability to seamlessly bounce between the futurist city scapes and the telenovella novel that Rita is reading art wise. This one is another excellent example of what a perfectly matched creative team can accomplish. And with Rachel Dodson on inks, it all flows smoothly. And while it does help to be familiar with previous Adventureman series, it will not stop you from enjoying this issue. 10 out of 10 Grahams.