DCU's Infinite Crisis

For over six months now an officemate would always give me a countdown towards DC Comic's next big thing: Infinite Crisis. He would say, "Fritz, three months to go until Infinite Crisis," and just recently, "man, Infinite Crisis is here! Seven issues lang yun dude with two cover variations for each!" If you have heard of people getting dozens of comics a month as a hobby, that doesn't beat seeing and personally knowing one. And, boy, do I know one.

I started reading and collecting comicbooks when I was 17. I only ever owned comics from DC's Vertigo (suggested for mature readers) line. Vertigo has Hellblazer (the series on John Constantine) and Sandman, among a host of hundreds of offerings since its creation (as a separate line) in 1993. I really do not have that much knowledge on the Justice League of America, Earth-H, or Batman other than those facets of the DCU featured in Cartoon Network. Being the skeptic that I am, I gave Infinite Crisis a try. I will not act like some know-it-all guru on this subject. I did not recognize some of the characters when I started reading it and I easily got lost in the plot but having bought the prelude DC Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1 somewhat helped. Helped in making me at least understand the current plot but did not necessarily, in any way, earn my earnest approval and appreciation. Yet.

Issue #2 of Infinite Crisis went out in November. I saw Animal Man, a Vertigo character who's series I chanced to have several issues of, and my heart sank when I saw Maxine, his daughter who by heredity inherited some of Animal Man's similar heightened consciousness and rapport in the animal kingdom, featured in the issue. I liked the scene when Maxine hands over a sandwich wrapped in a brown paperbag to Animal Man (click at the image on the right for a larger view). Reminds me of her role in the Children's Crusade Vertigo crossover way back in 1993. The issue also contains a narration of the plot for the entire Infinite Crisis series so first time readers need not fear as Superman himself set out to summarize the entire shift-in-the-center-of-the-universe-which-might-just-jead-to-Armageddon-subplot for us newbies to have something to anchor on.

For issue #1, check out this review done by a DC comicbook fan because I could surely not ever give the book justice with anything I'm about to say since, as I've already said, I'm no big fan and I really don't know the writers and artists on that mainstream side of the DCU. For a review of the prequels, (as there are four miniseries that would ultimately lead to the final cataclysmic Infinite Crisis, namely: Day of Vengeance, Villains United, The OMAC Project, and Rann-Thanagar War) check this link out. All I can say is it was as hard for me to understand the issue having very limited background on characters, plots, and sub-plots as it was for some aficionados to appreciate Infinite Crisis. Go figure.

Despite the criticism, and together with much of the comicbook loving community, I'll still see the miniseries through the end and see where it leads.

Infinite Crisis, Vertigo, Hellblazer, Sandman, Children's Crusade, Day of Vengeance, Villains United, The OMAC Project, Rann-Thanagar War, titles, characters, character names, slogans, logos, and related indicia are trademarks of and copyright of DC Comics.
Cover pictures of issues #1 and 2 above from http://www.dccomics.com
Preview of a page in issue #2 of Infinite crisis from http://www.newsarama.com/

posted by Fritz @ 6:40 AM