Customer Reviews

Final Crisis

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(43)

 

 

Let's get something straight: no matter what author Grant Morrison says, this book is NOT for the uninitiated.
If you are:

Sick of the typical slugfest event comic-
Fairly well versed in current DC universe continuity-
Multiverse literate-
A fan of Grant Morrison's previous DCU work-
Not afraid to be confused sometimes-
A fan of a good mind screw-

Then this book is for you!
I don't pretend to know everything that went on in this book. The Super Young Team was particularly cryptic to me. I can also understand others' frustration, because this book assumes a lot of previous knowledge, not only of aforementioned current continuity, but also of everything Morrison's ever contributed to JLA, Seven Soldiers, and Doom Patrol. You also have to have read Morrison's Batman, especially his R.I.P. epilogue.
I know i'm flogging a dead horse now, but if your average comic book was a 100 level college course, than consider this a post-grad dissertation.


HAVING SAID ALL THAT, This book is full of wild and fantastic moments that have never seen before in any book anywhere. The heroes overcome feats they've never imagined, and Morrison writes variations on classic comic book themes that no one else could possibly touch. There's more story packed into each issue than many events have in their entire run. It gets messy sometimes, but overall it was a thrill of a ride that leaves you breathless in its wake.

Comic sales have been in a slump for decades. Even in the midst of a golden age of superhero movies the printed material has continued to sag prompting the big two publishers to increasingly fall back on the `LOOK AT ME' tactic. DC and Marvel both learned that big events sell but at what cost. You can only have so many monster events before they become commonplace. The death of Superman was huge, the death of Captain America not quite as much and when Batman died last year the media hardly took notice. It was 22 years between Crisis on Earth Two and Crisis on Infinite Earths and then 20 years until Infinite Crisis was published but then just 3 years before Final Crisis. At this point there seems to be no gap between events with a large lead in to Infinite Crisis followed by the series 52 and Countdown to Final Crisis. One need only look at the greater than 35% reduction in sales between the first issues of Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis to see that the real crisis is in the viability of the comic industry. But putting aside the commercial success or failure of Final Crisis how did it fare artistically?

I was a huge fan of Infinite Crisis. Right from the start it felt like a big event with Bizarro pummeling the Human Bomb to death and Mongul attacking Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, harkening back to the legendary story by Alan Moore. It brought back feelings I hadn't felt since the mid 80's when DC was cranking out five star material like the Watchmen, Crisis on Infinite Earths and Swamp Thing. The return of Alexander Luthor and the corruption of Superboy-Prime were moments I won't forget. I felt none of this in reading Final Crisis. Somehow Grant Morrison was able to make the death of The Martian Manhunter seem bland and forgettable. At first I wasn't even sure it was The Martian Manhunter since his death occupied a total of two small frames meaning that it undoubtedly occurred in another issue and this leads into perhaps the biggest problem with Final Crisis. I never read Countdown to Final Crisis because it got very bad reviews and it appears that it's a mandatory read because I found myself completely lost. Personally I felt that Infinite Crisis worked as a standalone story that was augmented by reading the leadup stories. Final Crisis on the other hand is all over the place. It's clear that the seven issue series picks up in the middle of a story. Why is Darkseid and crew living on Earth as humans? How did Libra reconstitute himself after being obliterated IN 1974 and?!?!? When did Mary Marvel become a murderous punk and how come Frankenstein is fighting with the superheroes? Final Crisis asks WAY too much of the readers.

It seems these days that Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns write half the stories that DC Comics publishes and although I consider Morrison to be the better writer in this instance I think that Johns did a much better job. Morrison wrote, "I wanted to do the biggest crossover there's ever been" Instead I found it to be by far the weakest of the three big Crisis storylines. What I found most interesting was that Final Crisis #3 was the highest selling and highest rated book of the Crisis tie-ins while Superman Beyond #1 was the lowest (based on reviews by IGN). Personally I found nothing that interesting in issue #3 whereas the Superman story was the first moment that actually attracted my attention so this is clearly a subjective topic. As much as the first half of the series disappointed me the later half particularly the final issue was a complete mess. The worst element had to be the final villain who never even previously appeared in the Final Crisis series. You had to read the tie-in Superman Beyond 1 and 2 to find this character and to call him/it disappointing would be highly generous.

The art is sufficient but inconsistent and sometimes bland. It was nice that they included three tie-in issues, including the aforementioned Superman Beyond, to try and fill in the gaps but I think you would need an encyclopedia to figure out what's going on. DC Comics is going to milk this one for awhile before gearing up for the next big event but stories like these are just going to turn off rather than attract new fans. The series is inaccessible to anyone accept the most ravenous DC reader and even then I wonder if Final Crisis would be considered anything better than average. In the end it felt like Grant Morrison was indulging himself which is a shame because you only need to read All-Star Superman and Batman R.I.P to see that he is an extremely talented writer. From my perspective Final Crisis is a major misfire and as time goes on I suspect the history will not be kind.

Reviews decrying the ending of Final Crisis are missing the point. Yes, Superman "wishing" the world better is contrived--intentionally so. Final Crisis is about, among other things, the nature of stories and the effect that fiction can have on the real world. By having the end of the story rest on a wish, Morrison & Co. illustrate the essence of who Superman is and affirm that the character, arguably one of the most powerful and influential creations of the last century, is capable of saving us, of inspiring us--essentially, he's capable of a lot more than punching out giant robots and lifting trains. He's all of our best qualities in one man, as recognizable as any real world figure, and more powerful than the destructive forces that pervade any decent piece of superhero fiction's dark corners. In showing us the power of this one creation, Final Crisis suggests that all stories have the ability to change and influence the real world. The Monitors, portrayed in the series as mighty gods who view the beings of the Multiverse as "germs," are oblivious to this truth and, I believe, are meant to represent us, the reader, who often overlook the power of fiction in our day to day lives.

Final Crisis also touches on the perpetual battle in superhero comics between good and evil. By showing evil winning for the bulk of the series, Morrison imagines a world--much like the homeworld of the CSA in the Morrison/Quitely graphic novel JLA: Earth 2--where evil prevails. And what do we get? Death, destruction, the loss of freedom and individuality... pretty much what you would expect. And yet, in the end, good wins. Because good creates and innovates and brings ideas to the table, rather than tearing such things down. In the very first scene of the series, humanity is blessed with knowledge and imagination and it is these attributes that save the world in the end.

Now, Final Crisis has its flaws. Much of the art towards the end of the volume appears rushed (understandably so) and Morrison fumbles some of the final moments of the series, particularly the final confrontation with Mandrakk the Dark Monitor, but none of this takes away from the scope and strength of Morrison's ideas.

With Superman Beyond and Submit included (in order, no less!), this collection is the way that the series should be read and will hopefully preserve Morrison's intent for future readers.

Final Crisis is, unfortunately, a victim of its own intelligence. This is a work that requires one to go far beyond the usual big event gimmickry, a tactic used by its biggest competitor "Secret Invasion". Not only are we given a story regarding the fall of a dark god through time and space, we are treated to a story about all stories. Grant Morrison weaves a tale that allows us insight into the DCU, easily the richest fantasy universe created in the past century. We see classic characters in a new light, we watch numerous conflicts, whether we see the ultimate human in Batman taking on the greatest villain Darkseid or the greatest hero Superman against the ultimate evil Mandrakk, and we see what would happen should evil actually win.

In my opinion, this is the greatest Crisis, topping even that epic "Crisis on Infinite Earths". The art is amazing, the story even better. And with the hardcover, you not only get the entire series, you also get "Superman Beyond", a story that once again shows why Superman is the best at what he does, and Submit, both tales enhancing the main story.

Grant Morrison may be an acquired taste, and Final Crisis his most esoteric dish so far. But, should you take the time to savor this tale, you'll come away richer and rewarded with an intriguing look into the DCU.

Five stars, only because ten isn't an option.

really late to the game on this one - normally turned off by the sci-fi element of comics, and haven't really followed comics in general until very recently... picked this up after loving the heck out of Grant Morrison's run on Batman and All-Star Superman, and even then somewhat reluctantly given the apparent active hatred for this story I had heard from only loosely following the geek vine.

having read it twice now ... why all the hate?! I just don't get it... the story was fantastic, engrossing, and encompassed just about everything from the dawn of man to the death of god - not just metaphorically, but literally. I can't stop thinking about it. I can totally get why it might not be for everyone, but I also can't get how much people seem to be completely missing the sheer joy of reading this book.

its a comic for the 21st century hypergeek: tuned into wikipedia and the internet? able to absorb lots of disparate information at once; ie watching youtube and reading the news and listening to music all at the same time? enjoy complex meta-theories that refuse to be contained to just one subject? if so, this is the book for you.

This graphic novel is ambitious but definitely flawed. DC had to bring in replacement artists when the primary artist was unable to maintain work flow although he tried. Several characters could use a little more development to give them weight - Talky Tawny, Dan Turpin, Sonny Sumo and even Libra. The ideas and cosmological discussion of ideas - and the book is more about the power and life of Stories (capital S) than just a fight - are fascinating but occasionally obscured by the maniac events unfolding.

But despite that, I find myself drawn back to this book every week since I've first read it. It contains some deeply beautiful, thoughtful scenes. Batman facing Darkseid, Superman at the heart of the multiverse, Dan Turpin agonizing corruption, Green Lanterns free-falling through a black hole abyss, Talky Tawny coming to the rescue. All of it is magical. To say nothing of Superman's inscription on his headstone. I think this story could have been better if made tighter with editing but, for all of its weaknesses, it mesmerizes me.

Final Crisis was a series that suffered from delays, artist changes, and few editorial mismanagements. In spite of that, when taken as a whole, Final Crisis is an extremely fun read. It has all the wonder and amazement that seems to be missing from many modern comics.

You get one layer from just reading the comic straight through, but when you start visiting the numerous Final Crisis annotations on the web, you open a whole new can of worms because there is so much more. In a way, Grant Morrison wrote the event to counter the darkness started by Alan Moore and Frank Miller. In a way, Final Crisis is a celebration of all that is good with super heroes.

However, a word of warning. Final Crisis is DEFINITELY not for everyone. Grant Morrison can get pretty abstract at times (especially near the end) and people who want a straight up "Crisis" event would best be served with Sinestro Corps War, Infinite Crisis, and the Final Crisis Tie-In, Legion of Three Worlds. But for those who want to try something a bit different, and don't mind a bit of abstract writing and a couple of loose ends, then Final Crisis is just for you.

One final warning. While this collection includes Superman Beyond and Final Crisis Submit, it does not include the two Grant Morrison penned Batman Last Rites issues. Those two issues are included with Batman R.I.P. and are important towards understanding where Batman is for most of Final Crisis.

Scope and heart-warming emotion was Grant Morrison's intention. He used a lot of poetic writing and extravagant creative imagination that for those who think outside the box will love this title. Also make sure you read Batman: R.I.P. so that you have all the details by Morrison.

I put off buying Final Crisis because of the many terrible reviews I've come across here and on other sites. Before reviewing this, I must say that I had low expectations for this book and I anticipated a very disorienting experience based on the aforementioned reviews as well as my own experiences with Morrison's work. In fact, I finally caved in simply because I ripped through Morrison's Batman arc, from Batman and Son to R.I.P, and I just had to find out what happened next.

The Positive:
I liked it. There is not one part of Final Crisis that I can say I disliked. There are several parts that were confusing, but the ideas and concepts were so unique in presentation and execution that I found myself hooked. The "Submit" storyline featuring Black Lightning, a character I know very little about, was one of my favorite parts. It does a wonderful job showing what the "little guy" is going through while Gods clash above and destroy the world around them.

The other thing this book does well is convince you that the world really is facing the end. I'm an avid comic reader and have read crisis type events from both Marvel and DC going back as far as the 70s, and this feels like an entirely new level of urgency and inevitability. Morrison expands the readers view of reality in a very disorienting way that works nicely in that it feels like your brain is not capable of comprehending the big picture. You see it but it feels like your head will explode if you think to hard about it. That's how your supposed to feel! I think a lot of people just don't realize Morrison's intentions here. He's not trying to insult your intelligence in comparison to his own. He's trying to put you in the shoes of the hero when the curtain lifts and he/she sees something bigger than themselves.

The Negative:
Spoilers***
- I felt that the New Gods of Apokolips being reborn in human bodies on Earth was interesting, but could have been presented in a more effective way.

- Batman does not get as much time in this as he should, especially considering this is supposed to follow such a cliffhanger in the "Black Glove" arc.

- I still don't know why Darkseid wasn't killed by Batman when he fired the God bullet. I understand that death was tricked into coming for him (or was he?), but it seemed like the significance of Batman's actions were greatly diminished.

- I also still don't understand where Kamandi fits in. I don't know anything about him and there is no attempt to explain his role here. He just randomly appears in panels. Even though I have read that he is featured in the Countdown books, he should have been mentioned in the text or somehow introduced.

I would not recommend this to a casual reader. This is for mature (simply meaning not for kids) DC fans who are primed for a unique, disorienting but also very rewarding experience.

Like much of Morrison's solo-written work, this book is a dense collection of incredibly powerful ideas, like those which would be recorded during a brainstorming session. What is lacking is a good storytelling writer to collect them into a cohesive final product.

Morrison delivers one blindingly fantastic idea/setup/clever observation after another. But there is no flow whatsoever, even between sequential panels of the same scene. There is no...story.

That said, it is still better than nearly all of the "comic book stuff" out there today...

For full appreciation of Final Crisis, it is a prerequisite to read Jack Kirby's Fourth World stories (recently collected in "Omnibus" books), since at least half of Final Crisis is a continuation and "resolution" of that original story which Kirby was not allowed to finish. Morrison takes those ideas and gives them new life, deeper meaning in a way to make a Fourth World reader giddy. (Finally a truly terrifying Darkseid - His impending rebirth is perfectly harrowing and imparts a chilling sense of growing dread and despair on the reader).

Additionally, Morisson expands on themes explored in his Animal Man series and previous Crises, whereby the DC universes are recognized to some degree by some of it's inmates as stories in comic books.

Morrison likewise applies a hundred other twists or illuminations to other DC cannon, so brilliant as to bring tears to one's eyes and make hairs stand.


J.G. Jones' art is (as usual) wonderful - beautiful and detailed to just the right degree to complement Morrison's carefully crafted (overly worked?) words on each panel and not compete with them.

Final Crisis is well worth reading (hence the high rating) just to admire and consider each idea/panel/page on it's own. But it leaves one with a sense of loss at the stories that could have been produced from these ideas had Morrison teamed up with an accomplished storyteller. I think 52 was a successful example of this, and can only hope that Morrison finds worthy collaborators for future projects.