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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The beginning..., January 1, 2006
This review is from: Crisis on Multiple Earths: The Team-Ups - Volume 1 (Paperback)
The trade paperback CRISIS ON MULTIPLE EARTHS: THE TEAM UPS Volume 1 brings together two of my favorite subjects in comics: alternate worlds, and Golden Age characters. These were combined for the first time by a group of creative individuals at DC Comics in 1961, unleashing a cross-dimensional revival of their Golden Age characters for a new generation of comic readers. The effects are still being felt today in storylines such as Crisis on Infinite Earths, Zero Hour, and the current Infinite Crisis. And its beginnings can be experienced here in the first volume of a series (hopefully) of trade paperbacks.
In the mid- `50s, the Silver Age of comics, DC brought back their classic Golden Age properties, and by doing so, they revitalized the entire comics industry; however, even though they still had Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkman, etc., they were different characters, with more of a science fiction angle. Throughout the rest of the `50s, it was as if the Golden Age versions had never existed, but in 1961, Flash #123 featured the story "The Flash of Two Worlds", which teamed up Silver Age Flash Barry Allen with his Golden Age counterpart Jay Garrick. With this story, editor Julius Schwartz, writer Gardner Fox, and artist Carmine Infantino gave birth to what would become one of DC's most beloved gimmicks: the Multiple Earths, where it was explained that all of the stories of the forgotten Golden Age characters had actually occurred on what was referred to as "Earth-2". Not only that, but the Silver Age heroes were actually aware of those Golden Age heroes, as they had read about them in comics! It was a reality-bending concept, and the fans loved it.
This trade paperback contains eight stories from the height of DC's Silver Age success: THE FLASH #123, 129, 137, 151; GREEN LANTERN #40; SHOWCASE #55-56; and THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #61, with appearances by the Silver Age Flash and Green Lantern, and the Golden Age Flash, Green Lantern, Dr. Fate, Hourman, Black Canary, and Starman, and a host of villains from both Earths, including the Shade, Captain Cold, Solomon Grundy, the Mist, and more. The story quality varies; in fact, many of the stories here unfortunately fall back on tired plots and action that were common in many Golden Age comics. The standouts are the abovementioned FLASH #123, and GREEN LANTERN #40, which features the secret origin of the Guardians, as well as the scientist Krona, who dared to view the creation of the universe and almost destroyed it in the process. It's certainly not a home-run collection of quality stories, but then it's really not meant to be. This is more of an educational tool, if it can be called that, as it features the development of DC's multiple Earths concept. So enjoy it for what it is: a fun bunch of comics!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great for fans of the DCU multiverse, February 12, 2009
This review is from: Crisis on Multiple Earths: The Team-Ups - Volume 1 (Paperback)
First let me offer this disclaimer: I am not an objective reviewer but I will do my best to make my review as objective as possible. I only write reviews for things I'm inclined to like because if I hate it chances are I don't finish reading it and therefore can't write a review.
If you have read silver age comics before please skip the following paragraph.
The DC universe saw its greatest expansion during the silver age of comics. During the silver age, characters were developed much more then they had been during the golden age. Some heroes (such as the Flash and Green Lantern) were re-worked from the ground up including their normal identities. Characters like Superman saw their mythologies enhanced, tweaked and expanded to what we recognize today. However the silver age was also a time when stories were silly compared to what today's more sophisticated comic book ready may expect. Deus ex machina was used to close virtually every silver age story I've read. Sometimes this is done more cleverly than others. Most silver age comics are really only for serious comic book historians or for people who are ready to set aside their adult self for a few minutes and look at these stories with a child-like sense of adventure. If this doesn't sound like you then you would be better served looking elsewhere for entertainment.
Crisis on Multiple Earths: The Team-Ups volume one includes a number of classic silver age reprints including the first story to transform the DCU into a multiverse: The Flash #123 Flash of Two Earths! In this story we learn that there are two (later expanded to a potentially infinite number) "Earths" occupying the same space and time but vibrating at different speeds. The Flash, being able to vibrate at very high frequencies, accidently transports himself to a version of Earth that he thought only existed in the comic books he read growing up in the `40s. The year is the same on both Earths but a number of things are different including the presence of another scarlet speedster; Jay Garrick, the golden age flash.
Most of the stories reprinted here feature the two Flashes teaming-up to defeat some threat with the potential to affect both Earths or which one of them can't beat alone. Taking advantage of the huge success of these stories, Gardner Fox thought to resurrect some of Jay Garrick's old Justice Society of America comrades in stand-alone Earth-Two stories which feature Doctor Fate, Hourman, Green Lantern, Starman and Black Canary. These proved to not be quite as popular as the stories partnering the Flash of Earth-One with his counterpart from Earth-Two. Therefore, the Green Lantern of Earth-One is paired with Alan Scott, the Green Lantern of Earth-Two in a story which also reveals the silver age origin of the Guardians (from whom the Earth-One Green Lanterns receive their power). This story also introduces a villain who will become a major player in the DCU (and even the Marvel universe in a one-shot).
These stories are fantastic for aficionados of classic comic books, fans of the DCU who are interested in the origin of the pre-crisis multiverse, and Justice Society fans. They are typical of most silver age comics in that they feature lots of over-the-top, often bizarre super-science explanations to flesh out fairly simple plots such as museum robberies and the heroes usually reveal with a wink and a nod to the reader just how easy it was to overcome the villain's seemingly unstoppable power with a `so simple, it's genius' trick, ploy or clever slip of the wrist. These neatly tied up endings can be charming if you expect them and appreciate the style of these tales, but they can also be frustrating as they often rob the reader of the satisfaction of a good heroic beat-down which was a big no-no in the silver age era when the Comics Code ruled. These tales are a great reminder of a simpler time and (like many silver age stories) would be a great way to introduce young readers to the DCU as they are free of the complex issues and extreme violence of many modern comics or the occasional racism of golden age tales.
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6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fun, but almost painfully silly., September 6, 2006
This review is from: Crisis on Multiple Earths: The Team-Ups - Volume 1 (Paperback)
Readers who are accustomed to today's comic writers may find this collection difficult to read. The art often fails to convey the action and plot sufficiently, and so the dialogue bubbles fearlessly describe every detail of each situation. It's actually quite funny, and you may find yourself quoting some of the more awkward dialogue in humor.
Don't expect a serious or earthshaking plot such as in Crisis and Zero Hour. Sure, the world's are nearly destroyed several times, but this is par for the course, rather than a really earth-shaking event.
The most difficult thing to swallow is the glib way the heroes deal with the dangers they face. The JLA/JSA seems to be more of a club than a heroic society.
Definitely not the best work on JSA or JLA titles. But it is absolutely amusing, and may fill in a few gaps in understanding where these CRISIS/ZERO HOUR heroes come from originally.
Final thoughts: Pick up Crisis on multiple Earths Volume 2 first. It suffers the some of the same silliness; but is vastly superior in overall readability of the stories.
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