Good final act to DC's 2006-2007 weekly serial This volume collects the fourth quarter of DC Comics' fifty-two issue weekly serial. If you read the first 39 issues' worth of this series then you'll almost certainly be buying this final act. The various plotlines reach their respective conclusions: some were fascinating while others disappointed. The multiverse segment at the end was too abstract for my tastes. The art seemed more disjointed between these issues than earlier in the series. However, I was generally pleased with the series as a whole. With about 300 full-color pages, each of these "52" books offers tremendous value for Amazon's current price of under $14.
4.5 Star Finale There were six major plotlines in this series, and this last volume gave us the conclusions to each one. Some succeeded, some didn't. Here's my list:
Luthor vs. Steel gets a grade of 3 stars. This would have been higher if it had been slightly more believeable that Steel would actually survive the attacks upon his body that super-powered Luthor inflicts.
Ralph Dibny's story gets a grade of 5 stars. Excellent, surprising, and emotionally satisfying.
Montoya, The Question, Batwoman gets a grade of 3 stars. The build-up to the final showdown was worth 5 stars, but the awful art and narration for the big finale was the worst thing in the entire series.
Animal Man, Adam Strange, and Starfire's story was superbly handled at the end; much better than it was in the beginning. Overall grade of 5 stars for the conclusion.
Black Adam's story gets a grade of 5 stars. The deaths, battles, and ensuing conclusion were extremely well-done. Artistically and dramatically satisfying.
Booster Gold's big conclusion was the 2nd weakest of all the plotlines. The explanation and solutions were weakly explained, and poorly edited and drawn. Overall grade for Booster was 2.5 stars.
Well worth reading overall!
Excellent for fans of DC* Univese. This series really dosn't leave fans of the Dcu dispointed. Besides the fact that that 52 has brought back charcters that had for intents and purposes past their prime ie. Booster Gold, Rip Hunter, Adam Strange etc. These are charcters who had seen their prime back in th 80's 60's and 90's. It also has made the Dcu have a little bit more darkness, something the company has always lacked (as far as their on going series). By making the villians think more like real criminals (all about getting what they want and damning anyone who gets in their way) they bring a much needed sense of urgentcy. The heroe is no longer garenteed that they will win and if they do they it's often at a great personel loss. This all being said; unless you'r a big fan of Dc (I've been reading comics sinsce I was 5) new comers may find the graphic nature of this series to much most definitely not for children (recomend Dc's youth series that they have recently launched) and for people who have no understanding of Dc history. I would recomend getting 52 Compainion, it does a excellent job of giving you a establishing back round of all the main charcters. But if you no your Dc charcters and have love a realy indepth story of super heroes and villians then this is the series for you.
review for all four volumes DC's 52 was highly ambitious, which made me more than a little nervous, since projects as big as these usually fall flat. With the big three missing, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, DC picks up some acilliary characters and kind of turns them into the modern age superheroes. Really DC is trying to kick start some other books. But they do a good job, especially since there is a book a week. Bravo gentlemen.
52 The writing team that worked on 52 has managed to put together an incredible story that will truly be remembered within the DC Universe for many years and were able to reestablish a lot of b and c type characters and make them fun again... great story, action, comedy, mystery and art... this is a must have for any fan of the DC Universe.
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