They were all merged into one big, happy Earth family. So what if Some of those classic heroes, like the Barry Allen Flash and Supergirl had to die and others had their lives rewritten to fit continuity. because, when it was all said and done, it WAS about the continuity.
So the CRISIS came and went and all was right with the world. Not anymore. This is a new era and it is time for a new CRISIS. What was once a Crisis on Infinite Earths has now become an INFINITE CRISIS.
Building for months in various DC titles and several semi-self contained mini-series, INFINITE CRISIS is going to change the status quo of the DC Universe yet again. It all truly stems from the events in IDENTITY CRISIS where it was learned that not only did the JLA mind wipe a whole host of super villains but Batman too. And when Mr. Paranoid in the Batsuit’s army of OMACS get out of control, coupled with Superman’s mind being controlled by one Maxwell Lord, well, things got REALLY nuts.
So here we are: the JLA disbanded. Batman ticked at everyone. Wonder Woman hated as a murderer. Green Lanterns are off in the Rann Thanagar War. The Spectre has gone rogue and has murdered Shazam the Wizard(now that we no longer have to call Captain Marvel Shazam). Why it’s the perfect time for the forces of evil and the supernatural to come together and concoct total chaos on planet Earth. And the perfect time to get rid of those pesky B grade characters the first Crisis left us with. So, before the first issue has concluded, we get to say goodbye to Black Condor, Phantom Lady, Uncle Sam, The Human Bomb, Damage...basically the entire Freedom Fighters group.
So how do characters from the Crisis manage to reappear as, in the final page of issue one, Superman and Lois Lane from Earth-Two, Superboy from Earth-Prime, and Alexander Luthor from Earth-Three, all burst out and into our world? And why do we now have two evil Luthors: the businessman with the metal hand and another bald headed dude in a bad looking green metal suit from the 80’s? And how does Power Girl, a character trying to find her own roots as of late in a well-sought after JSA CLASSIFIED arc, react when she meets her cousin again(i.e. Supes from Earth-2)?
After a brief history lesson, the “classic” Superman explains that to save his Lois Lane, the current “corrupted” Earth must be forgotten to allow “the right Earth” to return. With that, all bets are off and this mini-series leaps into the realm of what could eventually be comic legend.
Geoff Johns is trying to fill some very big shoes in the form of being this age’s Marv Wolfman. With an army of characters and a long history to them, he is attempting to write wrongs in a way that hasn’t been done in a generation. And no one really knows which he will do. Do you allow two Superman to exist, which IS possible(look at the “Golden Age”/JSA Flash and the Wally West Flash? Do you tank the new version, especially with a new movie on the horizon and leave just the classic “this is a job for” guy behind? Are there other characters we haven’t seen yet, like an healthy Barbara Gordon who can still perform as Batgirl and, if so, what does that say for the NEW Batgirl?
The possibilities are, well...infinite!
And, if you are going to attempt to reach the greatness that George Perez and Jerry Ordway reached by drawing the original mini-series then why don’t you let Phil Jimenez and Andy Lanning weave their Peresque magic over the book? The comparisons are truly stunning as the detail pops off the page. And, because of the breakthroughs over the years in computer coloring, the book absolutely explodes in your hands.
Depending on how this progresses to completion, this book could very well be the most talked about series in a long, long time. In this era of alleged blockbusters, both on screen in and print, a true blockbuster would be welcomed. IDENTITY CRISIS stirred up stale continuity while the COUNTDOWN TO CRISIS was mostly hit or miss. And over across the way at the BIG M, HOUSE OF M was pretty much a dud of a series which promises to leave some interesting repercussions.
But this book, if it is followed through to fruition, can change the DC landscape for a generation to come. I truly look forward to seeing how this whole thing plays out.