‘Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4’ Review (DC Comics)
Written by Joshua Williamson | Art by Daniel Sampere | Published by DC Comics
And there you have it.
DC had been pushing this event more than most, promising that it would be of huge significance going forward. Well, we’ve heard that quite a few times of late, so it’s fair to say that the majority of fandom was unimpressed. Three issues in, we were all thinking this is decent, entertaining stuff, but not really more than that. Then issue four comes out and three words on the cover change everything.
‘..on Infinite Earths’.
This, we are now told, is the direct sequel to the iconic Crisis. The other Crisis-this and Crisis-that books that sold millions were but detours along the way it seems. Everything we have seen so far now takes on a different light. Maybe there won’t be a return to the expected status quo after all this after all. Maybe, just maybe, what’s old is new again.
But I digress, we’ve still got an issue to review, so let’s take a look.
We start with a nice two-page splash, and a quick summary of the holy mess that the multiverse currently is by, rather aptly, Donna Troy, no stranger to reboots and makeovers down the years. We follow that intro to the BIG picture with a nice intimate check-in on the small picture, as a disheartened Nightwing sits in vigil by the hospital bed of Gar Logan, Beast Boy. It takes a great pep talk by Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern, on the nature of following the path of a hero, to at least ignite a small spark in Dick’s mind. Alan knows the heroes need him in the game.
Speaking of getting people in the game, Black Adam has gone to try and recruit the Legion of Doom to take on Deathstroke and his villains. Yep, the fate of the world could lay in the hands of Lex Luthor, Vandal Savage, Gorilla Grodd and Captain Cold among others. While the Legion debate Black Adam’s request Deathstroke launches a surprise attack and the two teams go at it. From afar, an increasingly unbalanced Pariah watches on with satisfaction, convinced his grand plan is near to fruition.
While Pariah is gloating, as all good comic book villains do, we move on to Hal Jordan and Barry Allen travelling through newly created realities designed to keep the Justice League out of the way. Barry had until recently been living in an idealised sort of 1950s America, until he was ‘freed’ and now they have travelled to Gotham where Bruce is living in his version of an ‘ideal’ world. He wants to fight of course. Some things never change.
Meanwhile, the magic side of the DC Universe gets a shout-out, as we are reminded of the death of Zatanna, and the current bad state Justice League Dark finds itself. Welcome cameos from John Constantine, Swamp Thing(s), and Detective Chimp follow. I say cameos, but the Swamp Thing one is actually hugely important. He has encountered the Great Darkness before, in the original Crisis no less, and it is not acting now in a familiar way. Swamp Thing is more of the mind that something else has corrupted the Great Darkness, causing it to then infect and control Deathstroke and his gang. Hmmmmm. Unfortunately, it has now also infected the Legion of Doom, just as they were starting to beat Deathstroke’s group. Black Adam is, once again, alone.
And then, in a stunning final page, a new Multiverse is born. Just like that.
Firstly, what incredible art by Daniel Sampere. This is a dense, complicated story, with frequent location changes and dozens of characters coming and going. Sampere nails it completely, as well as laying out some beautiful pages and individual panels. It’s eye candy for the soul. Williamson writes a solid issue, one that is pulling together all those threads that have been carefully laid out in all areas of the DC Universe. That final page is the cherry on top of a pretty fine slice of cherry pie. It fell just short of greatness for me, but was still a very very good comic book.
Top of the pile good.
