Review:
The ambitious, audacious DC Comics weekly series 52 remains stunning today, nearly 20 years later. On the heels of the shocking, universe-shaking events of Infinite Crisis, the DC Universe jumped ahead one year, a year in which the biggest heroes - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman - were absent.
The 52 series answers the questions: what happened in that year? who filled the void? And it did so in near real-time. A new issue each week, with an elapsed time of one week in the lives of these characters. A very novel and challenging project!
To pull off its aggressive weekly publication schedule, four of the strongest writers in the company's stable worked in close collaboration: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid. The result is a year-long story, massive in scope, unparalleled in complexity and integration. It can be soap-operatic in its shocks and twists. And if volume 1 is any indication, they pulled it off to tremendous success.
The void left by the absence of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman does get filled, with several characters stepping into the vacuum.
There's Booster Gold, of course, who not only intentionally stepped in but sought to leverage his involvement for maximum publicity and profit. The corporate logos on his suit are reminiscent of race car driver coveralls. And with his future-based knowledge of past events, he seems well poised to reap great reward.
There is also Supernova, whose origin and backstory remain a mystery - who is he, what are his powers, motivations, origins? Stay tuned!
Even Black Adam, in his way, steps up. He gathers a coalition of both meta0humans and political ties with sympathetic nations.
Blend into this mix diverse and separate story threads like Ralph Dibney, the Elongated Man and his quest for answers about his wife's death; or Renee Montoya and Vic sage / The Question investigating Intergang's incursion into Gotham - and the spectacular introduction of Batwoman! or John Henry Irons / Steel battling with his niece and watching her become a devout follower and pawn of Lex Luthor; or Adam Strange, Animal Man and Starfire lost and stranded on a faraway planet.
So much is happening in this series!
Through this volume, collecting the first 13 issues, there is very little overlap in these diverse plotlines. Ralph Dibney and Booster Gold overlap long enough for the (former?) Elongated Man to deliver a scathing lecture on Booster's fraudulent opportunism; Green Lantern appears briefly in both the Elongated Mad and the black Adam story lines, before disappearing again.
But these narratives are largely parallel worlds thus far. Yet as they build in tension, they feel ominously like a massive collision is approaching.
Art duties are shared by six pencillers and seven inkers in these 13 issues. Yet they manage to have an overall consistent feel. Their work is driven, without being constrained, by Keith Giffen's breakdowns, which are excerpted for one of the special features in this volume, a delightful "extra" interspersed throughout. It's lots of fun to compare his breakdowns with the artist's final pages and panels.
This 52 is going places, and I want to be along for the ride! For sheer audacity and top-notch execution, this big-scoped series scores 4 capes for volume one.
Description:
After the INFINITE CRISIS, the DC Universe spent a year without Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman-a year in which those heroes were needed more than ever as the fate of the world hung in the balance. 52 features the best and brightest writers from the comic-book field including Geoff Johns (INFINITE CRISIS), Grant Morrison (ALL STAR SUPERMAN), Greg Rucka (WONDER WOMAN) and Mark Waid (KINGDOM COME), working together to tell the tale of a world awakening from a nightmare to face a new day.
Collects: issues 1-13
Authors: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid
Artists: Keith Giffen (layouts) and various others
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: May 1, 2007
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 978-1401213534
Pages: 295 pages
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